BNHA: Spiritual Aura

A man reincarnates in the body of a boy who suffered a tragedy, only to realize that he is in the world of My Hero Academia. What's even stranger is that his quirk seems to have the abilities of Nen and Haki.

Chapter 1: Prologue part 1

Chapter Text

In a beautiful and lush mountain on the outskirts of a prosperous city, filled with nature and small, curious animals, where it was common to go on small excursions, weekend picnics, camping, and other recreational activities, an unexpected tragedy for some, but inevitable for others, unfolded, as if it were the chronicle of a death foretold.

"ALISA, RUN!!! I'LL TRY TO BUY TIME!"

In the middle of an uneven crater of burnt earth, there was a middle-aged man with black hair, tanned skin, and a robust, muscular body, who was in a terribly wounded state, practically agonizing, trying to get up from the ground with great difficulty while shouting with all his might.

The man was wearing a black shirt, burnt and torn in several places, along with short jeans that, like the shirt, were little more than rags, the color of which could not be determined as they were completely covered in blood and mud, as was much of his body.

But the most shocking aspect of the man's deplorable state was one of his feet, which was completely mangled, resembling nothing more than spoiled minced meat attached to his leg, a condition that seemed to have affected his other foot, which was burnt and covered in blood, barely shod by a destroyed black sports shoe.

Behind the man stood a young woman who, although in better condition, still appeared quite badly injured, her beautiful white summer dress torn in several places and stained with blood, which she tried to cover with her body, shielding a small boy of about five years old with a bloodied face who was unconscious.

"Hehehe, do you really think you can get out of this, Iron Palm?"

Responding to the man's desperate shout came a nasal laugh full of disdain and malice, as a slim man with simple features, silver eyes, and blue hair emerged from the bushes. He appeared to be around 40 years old, dressed in a white lab coat over a sleek black business suit, accented by a striking red tie.

As he reached secure distance from the man struggling to stand on his one functional leg, the blue-haired man put his hands in the pockets of his lab coat, adopting a relaxed posture with a mocking smile on his lips.

Following the blue-haired man, fifteen individuals of various heights and builds, dressed in black robes that covered their entire bodies and wearing identical white oni masks on their faces, emerged from the bushes and stood around him like loyal followers.

The man, also known as Iron Palm, managed to stand up, clenching his teeth so hard that one could hear the small cracking sounds. He glared at the blue-haired man, his eyes practically bloodshot, radiating boundless hatred and murderous intent.

Iron Palm's mind was on the verge of madness, not only due to the immense shock of the situation and the precarious condition of his wife and son while a lowlife villain mocked the scene, but because he knew who this man was, and his presence was only a harbinger of something he did not want to face.

The blue-haired man was a crazy bastard known as BioBlast, a villain captured in a joint raid carried out by several heroes just over a month ago, primarily thanks to information Iron Palm had obtained after capturing some villains who were attempting to rob a convenience store with a very problematic weapon that fired a ray which, upon contact with a person, petrified them.

Although the robbers were labeled as villains, they were nothing more than a couple of idiots who had taken a weapon one of their brothers had hidden and decided to make easy money by robbing a few stores. However, the fact that said brother had such a weapon was a sign that something bigger was happening.

Following the lead on the weapon, Iron Palm quickly discovered that this 'brother' was a former talented genetics student who was expelled from the university under suspicious circumstances involving thesis plagiarism. Afterward, he disappeared from the public eye and could only be seen on rare occasions at his parents' house.

After tracking this brother, Iron Palm learned that he was employed at a clandestine laboratory conducting human experimentation, run by that bastard BioBlast. Curiously, the fact that he had that weapon had nothing to do with the lab; it was a personal project based on his quirk.

Once Iron Palm gathered enough information about the heavily guarded lab, he decided to request support from other hero agencies. Together with the police, they managed to dismantle the lab, capture all participants, and free the victims, thus closing the case.

Due to the success of the case, Iron Palm decided to make up to his family for the months he spent buried in work. To celebrate, he took a short vacation with his family to camp in the woods for a few days. But to his absolute disbelief, here was that blue-haired bastard, who caught him by surprise, inflicting a mortal wound that ended up injuring his wife and son.

"How the hell did you get out of Tartarus, bastard…"

"Ooh, ooh, ooh, the perfect Iron Palm is cursing, what should I do? I think I broke the great 'Hero', hahaha."

In response to the words full of hate, spoken with difficulty by Iron Palm, BioBlast only laughed sarcastically, while the fifteen people around him stood still as statues, almost like mannequins and not real people.

"Answer the damn question, son of a bitch."

"Hahaha, this is so funny, you know. After all the mess you created, destroying the beautiful lab that took me so long to build, it's really refreshing to see you like this, agonizing like a dog. It was definitely worth delaying my departure to deal with you."

"…"

BioBlast spoke in his nasal voice, full of arrogance, delighting in Iron Palm's state. Iron Palm remained silent, his fists clenched, filled with rage and intent, which only increased the blue-haired man's delight as he continued to speak casually.

"And well, I never actually needed to escape from Tartarus because I was never there. Hehe, you see, in my line of work, you eventually end up with very powerful clients who, with just one word, can make the authorities turn a blind eye long enough for one of my useful subordinates to take my place. So, it's just a matter of calling in a few favors, and voilà, the one and only BioBlast is ready for action."

"…"

BioBlast's words visibly soured Iron Palm's expression. Although he had suspected it, hearing the direct confession that confirmed his suspicions was harder to accept than he had anticipated. This put a distorted and crazed expression on the blue-haired man, who continued speaking.

"What's with that face? Shocked by the reality of this world? Hahaha, THAT'S WHY I HATE YOU 'HEROES'. YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF CLOWNS IN TIGHT SUITS GOING AROUND SCREWING OVER TRUE SOCIAL BENEFACTORS LIKE ME!!! I IMPROVE THIS SOCIETY WITH EVERY ADVANCE IN MY RESEARCH. I ENHANCE QUIRKS BEYOND WHAT WAS THOUGHT POSSIBLE, AND THANKS TO A PATHETIC EXCUSE OF A 'HERO' LIKE YOU, I LOST YEARS OF WORK AND PROGRESS, I LOST ALL MY NOTES, MY…"

Taking advantage of BioBlast's erratic rant, punctuated by wild gestures to emphasize his words, Iron Palm began to analyze his situation, searching for possible actions to take. He put on different expressions to play along with the egocentric bastard, aiming to buy as much time as possible.

In his current situation, Iron Palm knew that fighting wasn't an option. Not only was he outnumbered and in a terrible physical state, but the fact that Alisa hadn't moved after his shout could only mean one thing: she couldn't move. This left him tied up and almost without options.

On the other hand, calling for reinforcements was impossible. Although the attack that left him in this dire state was a type of explosion, the sound was surprisingly low, and being relatively deep in the forest didn't help. Moreover, if that bastard had dared to show up, it meant that, at a minimum, there was no one close enough to hear anything.

Additionally, his phone had been destroyed by the explosion, and Alisa's phone had most likely flown away along with the tent, which was nowhere in sight after she ran to protect Kai when everything happened.

This left only one last option: to prepare a strike strong enough to at least stun the bastards in front of him for a while, while also making enough noise for someone to suspect that something was happening and call for help.

(!!!!!!!)

While Iron Palm was contemplating his options, he suddenly felt a brief change in his emotions, undoubtedly a message sent by his wife Alisa using her quirk, as he felt his anger subside and sensed a couple of emotions impossible to feel in a moment like this, which were also incredibly fleeting.

Focusing on the emotions, Iron Palm noticed they came in pairs: security and lust in the first pair, quickly followed by sadness and helplessness. This gave him very important information. Firstly, Alisa was conscious and could still use her quirk. Assuming that the first pair of security and lust was to confirm it was her, the second pair confirmed his suspicions: she was not in a condition to move.

Consequently, Iron Palm decided to use all his mental strength to change his emotions without altering the expression of anger and helplessness he was showing to the crazy bastard who was still giving a speech, wanting to send a small secret message to his wife. With that, his plan of action was ready.

Chapter 2: Prologue part 2

Chapter Text

(Damn, I have such bad luck, damn it!)

In a sparsely attended bank branch, an event is taking place that has inspired many stories: a robbery. This is a rare occurrence in the city where this bank is located to the point that if you asked 100 people about a similar event, they could only respond with fragments from movies and books.

In the middle of this extraordinary event is Daniel, an average-looking guy with light brown hair and honey-colored eyes, who was wearing evidently new clothes from a rather expensive brand.

Daniel was a guy whose intelligence could at best be considered above average, which in his youth led him to be terribly arrogant, convinced that he was an uncommon genius because he could do and understand things not only faster but also better than everyone around him.

But like anyone who has lived long enough, at one point in his life he learned that nothing hits harder than life itself. When it was his turn to receive a reality check, it shattered the self-declared pedestal he had placed himself on in one fell swoop.

When he was young, Daniel refused to be like the others in his humble surroundings. He wanted to be rich and successful, so he used all his intelligence and skills to develop a project that would lead him to prosperity, and despite his mother's murder in the process, he managed to push it forward.

To confirm his genius, Daniel's project worked on his first attempt, and suddenly, he was respected, had money, and lived the life he always dreamed of. He had the prettiest girlfriend, lived in a relatively exclusive area, and his company was making more money every day. But when he least expected it, he lost everything in a single day.

On that fateful day, Daniel left his office early because one of his meetings was canceled, so he decided to visit his girlfriend, only to find her naked in bed with her "gay friend", whom she swore was just another "girlfriend".

After his heart was shattered, Daniel returned home heartbroken, filled with anger, and decided to ensure that no one else was betraying him. He began reviewing every document in his company, discovering the worst, something he never expected to find.

His best friend, the one who had risen from poverty with him, who had always been there through thick and thin, who always accompanied him, the brother he never had, who, despite not being the smartest or most useful, he brought into his company and gave a managerial position to as a thank you—that 'brother from another mother' was robbing him.

But he wasn't just stealing money; without Daniel noticing, the company that had cost him so much, for which he had sacrificed so much, for which he even missed his mother's funeral, convincing himself that she would prefer to see him succeed rather than cry at a burial, especially since the son of a bitch who killed her was already dead and there was nothing more to be done—no longer belonged to him.

Upon learning this, Daniel went mad with rage and ran to demand an explanation from his 'brother', always believing it was a mistake, a misunderstanding perhaps. But all he got when asking for explanations was being thrown out of the house he had helped pay for his 'dear friend', and then he was banned from the office building where his company was, a place he could never enter again.

Because of this, Daniel decided to prove to his former 'brother' and the bitch of an ex-girlfriend what he was made of, that he was the reason they escaped poverty, that he was the only reason they were where they were, and that without him, the only thing waiting for them was failure.

After all, the company was built on his skills, a large part of it depended entirely on him, so it was logical to think that without him, the company didn't have much time left, and bankruptcy was the only thing that awaited them. Not to mention that his 'friend' wasn't particularly intelligent or skilled, so the only thing waiting for him was to starve under a bridge full of debts.

Moreover, nobody would want that bitch, as he made sure that what she was capable of became public knowledge. So, no one with any success and the freedom to choose any woman would risk being with her. Although she was pretty, she wasn’t the only beauty out there, so at best, she would end up as a replaceable mistress until her looks faded.

With a goal in mind, Daniel started working on a new project, a better one, something he had been thinking about for a while, something that would make him much more successful and richer than they would ever be.

Just like the first time, he gave it his all and more, working tirelessly 18 hours a day, risking everything, and gradually selling everything he had left to invest in his project. But in the end, he failed miserably.

Still, Daniel didn’t give up and tried again. He started a new project, barely sleeping and eating scraps, but he failed again shortly afterward. Yet, this did not stop him; he kept trying again and again, for several years, until one day, in the house his grandmother had left him when she died, realizing he had nothing left and could only eat because he rented out extra rooms to students, he saw the reality.

He was nothing special. The first time had just been a stroke of luck, one he lost by being too confident, by underestimating others, by believing he was smart enough to know if someone was deceiving him, by thinking he was too valuable for anyone to dare betray him. That day, perhaps for the first time since his childhood, he cried and gave up.

After that, Daniel spent several years in depression, fluctuating between the liberating thought of suicide, absolute apathy even towards eating, and self-loathing for his naive ideas in his youth, while he watched the lives of his 'ex-brother' and ex-girlfriend, whom life, as if not satisfied with the beating it was giving him, still rubbed their success in his face.

His old company had some problems when he left, but in the end, they managed to solve them. Despite needing several people to do his job, they were still able to replace him, and the company remained relatively successful and stable.

On the other hand, his ex-girlfriend ended up marrying a multimillionaire film producer, something he never thought possible, even in his wildest nightmares. But it happened. While he was there, locked in a room, eating garbage, and sinking into misery and complete loneliness, she was living the high life in places and mansions that, even at his best, he could only dream of.

Some time later, a friend of his mother’s returned to the city. Seeing him in that state, she offered him a job, although in reality, she forced him to work in her family business. Although at first it was torture, the stimulation of learning something new began to distract him, and over time, he started to enjoy what he was doing.

One day, while working as usual, he suddenly had an idea. It wasn’t as ambitious as the projects he was used to undertaking, but if it worked, it could help grow the business of that good friend of his mother who had pulled him out of his misery.

But things were no longer simple for him. Although he refused to accept that he was afraid of failing, he always found excuses to leave it unfinished. He got tired, distracted, couldn’t organize things properly, and didn’t even dare propose it to his mother’s friend, something that had never happened to him before. He had no choice but to accept that he was scared, and the remnants of his arrogance couldn’t allow something like that to happen.

After presenting the project to his mother’s friend and having her accept it, Daniel forced himself by any means he could think of to finish it. When it launched, the impact was so good that the family business grew so much that his mother’s good friend decided to make him a partner. She took him to buy new brand-name clothes and to eat at a good restaurant to celebrate.

The next day, they met with the lawyer to complete all the necessary paperwork to formalize his partnership. Later, they went to the bank to apply for a loan to make some renovations to his grandmother's house, which was in very poor condition due to the prolonged neglect he had subjected it to.

But something Daniel never imagined was that this day, when he finally felt he could move forward again, when he finally felt that depression was a thing of the past, when he could finally understand all his past mistakes and live a different life with more wisdom and experience, would be the last day of his life.

"EVERYONE ON THE GROUND, THE FIRST ONE TO MOVE GETS AN EXTRA HOLE IN THEIR SKULL!!!!"

When Daniel was sitting across from a bank advisor with his mother’s friend, an aggressive shout echoed through the bank. He immediately threw his companion to the ground and covered her with his body in an attempt to protect her, while everyone around them panicked, cried, and pleaded as they lay on the floor. One of the robbers fired a shot into the air with what seemed to be a machine gun.

"I WANT THIS BAG COMPLETELY FILLED WITH CASH, NO TRICKS. I KNOW WHERE YOUR SON STUDIES, MRS. SÁNCHEZ, AND THE SAME GOES FOR YOU, WILSON, JOHNSON, AND LUNA."

The bank employees turned pale at the words of another robber, especially the teller handed the bag, who immediately started filling it with money, terror written all over her face. Meanwhile, the other robbers pointed their weapons at the guards and customers on the floor, alert to any movement.

The process was quick, and within a few minutes, the bag was full. Consequently, the robbers proceeded to leave, but what they didn’t anticipate was a police patrol passing by at that exact moment.

Seeing the police, one of the robbers panicked and fired, causing the officers to call for backup and return fire at the fleeing robbers. Inside the bank, the hostages cried and prayed to God.

When the gunfire finally ceased, people began to calm down and stand up. This prompted Daniel to whisper in a somewhat broken and soft voice to the person who had changed his life, while slowly moving his body to the side.

"Mrs. Eva... they're gone... it's time... to get up."

The scene that met Eva’s eyes was terrifying. She had kept her eyes closed the entire time out of fear when the robbery began, so when she heard Daniel's voice, the son of her dear friend, she opened her eyes and turned to see him. What she saw was something she would never forget.

Eva saw her arms covered in blood and Daniel, that child her dear friend always bragged about, that little genius who amazed everyone with his intelligence, that child who had suffered so much, who was starting over, showing his incredible talents once again, lying next to her in a crimson pool, smiling and slowly opening his lips to let out a faint voice.

"Mrs. Eva... thank you for everything... you are probably... the best legacy... my mother could have left me."

Eva screamed as tears filled her eyes and she rushed to embrace Daniel, begging for help, watching helplessly as that man, the charming child of her best friend, slowly closed his eyes and with a smile, took his last breath.

Chapter 3: Prologue part 3

Chapter Text

The message Iron Palm sent to his wife was simple: a fleeting moment of lust to indicate that the following moment would carry the real message, and then to relax for an instant. That was all Alisa needed to understand what he wanted to tell her.

After all, Alisa was one of the best therapists in the world, having treated all kinds of mental disorders, especially traumas suffered by heroes. Therefore, now he just had to wait and prepare his move; the moment his wife acted would be the moment to strike.

Moments after sending his 'message', Iron Palm felt his mind relax after a slight sensation of lust. He immediately knew that this was the response he had been waiting for and that his time had come.

Right after Alisa's response, BioBlast's furious speech came to an abrupt halt, and at the same time, his legs and those of the 15 figures surrounding him began to tremble. Using all the strength he could muster with his only functional leg, Iron Palm leaped directly towards those bastards in a single bound.

Iron Palm knew exactly what was happening to the villains in front of him; after all, he had been a victim of the same attack many times. [Mental Shock], the most powerful attack of his wife, which made anyone attacked feel their mind go blank, and the weakest even fainted on the spot from it.

Knowing that nothing would stop him until he reached his destination, Iron Palm turned his head to look one last time at his beloved wife and son, as the attack he had prepared would be his last, an attack he called the [Warrior's Farewell].

Iron Palm's or Jiro Saito's quirk was known as [Force Control], which allowed him to strengthen his body to superhuman levels and even divide his 'force' into specific zones, greatly enhancing the power he could exert.

But, although his quirk was quite powerful and versatile, it depended on his base physical strength, which forced Jiro to train to extreme levels and learn various martial arts. These allowed him to take his quirk a step further, managing to harden his body, greatly increasing his defenses, a fact that made him immensely proud and influenced his hero name.

In addition to hardening, his great dedication to martial arts allowed him to achieve something else. Jiro could overstrain his muscles beyond their limits to display monstrous strength for a brief instant, although this caused his muscles to literally explode.

The first time Jiro discovered this, he did it very briefly and lightly, but even so, the 'explosion' sent him flying and he almost lost his arm. He had to spend more than six months in recovery, even with the help of the best healing quirk users, though that arm was never the same again.

From this experience, Jiro devised a final move, one that could save his life in a moment of extreme need at the cost of losing a limb. He named it the [Warrior's Farewell], because in the best-case scenario, if he survived, it would be the end of his days as a hero. It would cause such damage that even walking would become a challenge.

As he turned to look back, what Jiro saw was his bloodied wife on the ground, holding their little son, who seemed to have woken up and was looking at him with tears in his eyes, reaching out with his small arms, trying to get to him. This broke Jiro's heart into a thousand pieces.

(Forgive me, Kai, my son, my greatest pride. Your father's dream of being a great hero has hurt you. And forgive me, Alisa, the love of my life. I won't be able to fulfill our promise of visiting a secluded beach on our silver anniversary. Goodbye, I love you both...)

The moment Jiro reached his hated enemies, he extended his arms as the entire front of his body inflated disproportionately like a balloon, and then 'exploded', releasing a colossal amount of energy that intensely lit up the area while producing a powerful roar that made the ground shake.

When the light faded, all that remained was an immense, irregularly shaped crater covered in burnt earth. On the other side stood a woman holding a child in her arms, who was crying uncontrollably, whom she was trying to console between painful coughs.

" MOMMY!!! MOMMY!! I CAN'T HEAR DAD'S ‘VOICE’ ANYMORE!!!"

"It's okay, sweetheart... it's okay... calm down... everything will be alright... calm down... mommy is here."

"MOMMY!! YOUR 'VOICE', YOUR 'VOICE' IS FADING TOO, MOMMY!! PLEASE, DON'T LEAVE ME, MOMMY. I'LL BE GOOD, I'LL ALWAYS DO EVERYTHING YOU SAY, BUT DON'T LEAVE ME, MOMMY!!!!!"

"Calm down, my love... mommy is just tired... after... sleeping a little... she'll be fine... don't... worry."

"AAAAAAHHHHH!"

Alisa couldn't control her tears as she watched her son cry because she knew she didn't have much time left. She felt how her body had been shattered inside and was slowly failing, but that pain couldn't compare to the pain in her heart, knowing she would have to leave her son alone in this cruel and ruthless world.

She would never see her child grow up, go to school, get a job, or give her grandchildren. She would never be there for him again. Her heart seemed to bleed as her mind tortured her with the understanding of the difficult future her little one would have, the great trauma he would have to overcome.

But even knowing all this, Alisa bit her lips with all her strength to repress it all. After all, although her baby would have a very difficult future, he could still have a future, and as long as there is a future, there is hope. So, through her tears, she began to say goodbye to him, convincing him to go and seek help so he could survive.

"Listen to me, Kai... I want you to... promise me something..."

"YES MOMMY, I PROMISE, I PROMISE, JUST DON'T LEAVE ME!!!"

"Promise me you'll be a good boy..."

As she tried to speak, Alisa's mouth filled with blood, but with all her willpower, she swallowed it to keep talking, though her voice grew weaker and more fragile.

"Promise me you'll always brush your teeth... that you'll go to bed early and study hard... promise me you'll be a very happy man."

"I PROMISE MOMMY, I PROMISE."

"Kai, mommy is very sleepy and will sleep for a bit... so keep walking where we put the flags, do you remember them?... follow the flags and find someone to come for mommy, okay?"

"YES, THE FLAGS, I REMEMBER, I REMEMBER."

"That's right, Kai, you've always been such a smart boy... never forget that mommy loves you very much and will always be watching you from wherever she is... so run, run, follow the flags, find someone and tell them what happened…"

"YES MOMMY, I'LL FIND SOMEONE TO HELP YOU, I'LL BE RIGHT BACK MOMMY, DON'T LEAVE ME, YOU PROMISED!!! YOU PROMISED!!!"

As little Kai ran off into the distance, shouting, the last bit of strength Alisa had seemed to extinguish. She fell to the ground with a cascade of tears streaming down her face, filled with deep pain as she watched the small back of her sweet baby disappear among the trees.

…

In the middle of the building of the renowned hero agency Wild Wild Pussycats, the four members Pixie-Bob, Mandalay, Tiger, and Ragdoll are gathered due to an emergency request they just received.

Looking at her companions with a serious expression, Mandalay, who attended to the request, proceeded to explain the situation to her teammates, who, like her, were dressed in their iconic hero outfits. These consisted of tops and skirts in different colors for each, accompanied by high boots, gloves shaped like cat paws, and headgear resembling mechanical cat ears.

"We just received a support request from the local police. Apparently, there have been multiple reports of a strong explosion on a mountain near our location. We need to leave immediately. Any questions?"

After Mandalay asked, the only man in the group, who had considerable height and a robust, muscular body highlighted by his outfit of tops and a skirt, quickly raised his hand, to which Mandalay nodded.

"Yes, Tiger?"

"Do we know if the cause is a criminal threat or a natural disaster?"

"So far, the cause of the event is unknown. We are being sent primarily for reconnaissance and possible victim rescue. Any other questions?"

Mandalay quickly glanced at her companions, but seeing no one else raised their hand, she continued speaking.

"Alright, for this mission, Ragdoll will perform reconnaissance to determine the number of injured or possible suspects involved in the incident. Pixie-Bob will clear the way so we can reach the site of the event as quickly as possible. Tiger will be at the front in case there are injured people who need to be taken to a safe place, while I will stay in contact with the local police to send updates on the situation."

"Understood," the three remaining heroes responded in unison. Mandalay nodded and ordered as they swiftly left their base.

"The operation starts now."

With Mandalay's order, the team of heroes shot out through the mountainous area where they were located, demonstrating not only their incredible agility and strength but also their abundant experience in moving through such terrain, making it clear why they are some of the most famous heroes in Japan.

Chapter 4: Prologue part 4

Chapter Text

Thanks to their incredible skill and experience, the Pussycats managed to swiftly make their way through the forest, quickly reaching the vicinity of the incident. There, Ragdoll, using her quirk, spotted an injured boy running and a critically wounded woman a little farther back, which she immediately reported to her teammates.

“I’ve detected two people: an injured boy running a few kilometers northwest of our position and a woman in critical condition about 600 meters from the boy.”

“Hurry, Pixie-Bob and Tiger, you help the woman in critical condition while Ragdoll and I go after the boy.”

“Understood.”

Following Mandalay’s command, Ragdoll, Pixie-Bob, and Tiger quickly acknowledged, and immediately after, they all visibly picked up the pace, heading quickly toward the direction indicated by Ragdoll.

About 20 minutes later, the group of Heroes reached the intersection point between the two targets. They quickly split into their previously assigned roles to carry out their tasks, but just then, Ragdoll informed Mandalay.

“The boy changed direction.”

“Where to?”

“Right towards our position.”

“Huh?”

Ragdoll and Mandalay exchanged confused looks but continued advancing at full speed. Shortly after, they saw a small boy, around five years old, who was evidently in a state of panic and shock, running through the forest as best as he could.

Interestingly, he was indeed heading directly toward them, stumbling and falling, but refusing to give up. The boy quickly got back on his feet, and when their eyes met, the boy’s eyes momentarily lit up before he sprinted towards them with all his might. They responded in kind.

“PLEASE SAVE MY MOMMY, HEROES, PLEASE, SHE’S FARTHER BACK,” the boy shouted, pointing behind him with fear and urgency in his expression. “IF YOU KEEP GOING STRAIGHT, YOU’LL FIND SOME FLAGS, JUST FOLLOW THEM, SHE’S RESTING BUT SHE NEEDS HELP, HURRY!!!”

"Don't worry, kid, my teammates are already going to look for—"

"NOOOOOOOOO!!!"

As Mandalay tried to calm the boy, he suddenly let out a guttural scream filled with infinite anguish and pain, leaving the professional heroines stunned for a moment. However, thanks to their extensive experience, they quickly reacted upon seeing the boy turn around and run in the opposite direction, screaming in the midst of a heart-wrenching cry.

"MOMMY, YOU PROMISED!!! I FOUND THEM, I FOUND HEROES, YOU PROMISED YOU WOULDN’T LEAVE, MOMMY!!!!"

The heroines quickly caught up to the little boy and held him tightly, as he struggled with all his might to break free while crying and screaming with all his strength. His innocent face showed nothing but absolute despair.

"LET ME GO, MY MOMMY!!, MY MOMMY!!!, SHE PROMISED ME, SHE PROMISED ME!!!!"

With a quick and precise blow, Mandalay knocked the boy unconscious, intuiting what he meant. She quickly turned to her companion, who, with an incredibly serious and slightly sad expression, gently shook her head.

With a defeated sigh, Mandalay held the innocent boy in her arms, then headed to the rendezvous point with her companions, quickly followed by Ragdoll. Despite the sadness of the situation, Ragdoll couldn't help but wonder what kind of quirk the little boy had to realize his mother had passed away before she did.

Upon arriving, the heroines found a macabre scene more akin to a war zone, with a large patch of burnt earth and a deep, irregularly shaped crater not far away. A few meters away lay a beautiful woman in a bloodstained white dress, seemingly peacefully asleep on the ground in a crimson pool.

While her companion Pixie-Bob clenched her fists tightly and bit her lips in frustration, Mandalay handed the little boy to Ragdoll and approached the woman to take a closer look, as she couldn’t shake off a strange feeling of familiarity with the boy.

Kneeling on the ground, Mandalay brought her palms together in a prayer-like gesture, then gently and respectfully moved the woman to see her face. But the moment she saw her, she felt as if lightning struck her body from the shock, and she quickly turned to look at her companion, Ragdoll.

"IT'S SAITO ALISA, QUICK RAGDOLL, LOCATE IRON PALM, SHE’S HIS WIFE!!!"

"... ... ... I can't locate him, it's as if he no longer exists..."

After a moment, Ragdoll responded softly, causing the other three members of the Pussycats to feel a lump in their throats. They knew perfectly well what that meant, as they were aware that after the joint raid, Iron Palm had planned to go on vacation with his family.

With a long sigh filled with mixed emotions, Mandalay contacted the only person she knew who could handle something so important, informing him of the death of the world-renowned therapist, Alisa Saito, and the 'disappearance' of her husband, the number 5 Hero in the Japanese rankings, Iron Palm.

...

In the middle of the night, in a clean, white hospital room filled with all kinds of medical equipment, a beautiful boy of about five years old lay sleeping on a large bed. He had black hair, fair skin, and blue eyes, but his innocent figure was marred by a bandage wrapped around his forehead.

The peaceful figure of the sleeping boy was interrupted when his eyes suddenly began to move rapidly in all directions beneath his eyelids, and his body occasionally twisted. This continued for a while until the boy suddenly opened his eyes, evidently startled, and began to look around in confusion.

"Where am I? What happened?"

The innocent boy, Kai, closed his eyes as he tried to remember anything that could explain his situation. After a short time, he sat up abruptly in bed, utterly incredulous, with his mouth open and his deep blue eyes wide in surprise.

"What?! How is this possible?!"

Searching through his memories, Kai not only remembered the tragedy that brought him to this situation, but he also found other memories of himself, with a different name and a slightly different appearance, in a place where quirks didn't exist and heroes were just fantasy. He recalled living a complicated and not very long life, ending in a tragic and somewhat bitter way.

After pondering his memories for a long time, trying to analyze and understand them, Kai reached a conclusion that was hard to believe, one that seemed almost ridiculous, but at the same time, explained his strange situation.

(Reincarnation? But how? Why? Does that even make sense? Although, well, there's always the possibility that my brain invented an entire past life to help me cope with the shock and mental stress of what happened...

Sure, because there are plenty of five-year-olds with the analytical capacity to calmly conclude that the disconcerting situation of finding memories of a past life in their mind is just a peculiar defense mechanism of the brain attempting to mitigate the emotional and psychological damage caused by a traumatic event like the one I experienced. Yep, if you ask me, that sounds logical. Nothing too crazy, really...

All jokes aside, I must say that if this is a defense mechanism to protect my mind, it's quite effective. Although it's still very painful and sad to remember, it feels like I've had years to learn to live with it. It's impressive, but the question is, what do I do now?...

I have nothing left. Daniel lost everything and died just as his life was beginning to improve, while Kai lost what he loved most right before his eyes, his only family, leaving him alone in the world. Besides, the concept of quirks and heroes was something Daniel knew.

More specifically, he saw it in an anime called My Hero Academia during his years of depression when he was looking for any source of entertainment to escape reality. Although he didn't like it much because of the protagonist and only watched the first two seasons, I still remember it. Then again, my brain could have made up that part or everything...

But what really matters is... should I continue living? I'm already tired, "old", and unmotivated. The very idea of starting a new life seems incredibly exhausting, risky, and difficult—something that young people should do, not an old failure like me. And that's not even mentioning the possibility that I might be crazy, which adds an extra problem to this whole shitty situation...)

As Daniel or Kai continued debating with himself about his life and what he should do, tears began to fall from his eyes. Although, honestly, he didn't know whether it was because of what had happened in this life or what had happened in his 'previous life.' He just felt overwhelmed by the entire situation and needed to release his conflicting emotions, so he kept thinking in silence all night, while the tears never stopped.

Chapter 5: Life is like that…

Chapter Text

In the middle of the lobby of a towering hospital, stood the group of professional Heroes known as the Wild Wild Pussycats. Pixie-Bob, Ragdoll, and Tiger were sitting in chairs in silence, with flat and contemplative expressions, while Mandalay spoke with two police officers.

Suddenly, into the hospital lobby ran a woman with long, curly dark blue hair and blue eyes. She was dressed simply in a large khaki sweater, black shorts, and glasses, and she began to look around with an anxious and worried expression on her face.

“Mandalay!! What happened to Alisa-san and little Kai? I came running as soon as you called me!!!”

When the blue-haired woman noticed Mandalay, she quickly approached and asked, almost in a panic, which caused the beautiful woman with bob-cut brown hair and a voluptuous figure, dressed in her iconic red Hero costume, to respond with a complicated expression on her face.

“It’s better if you sit down.”

Mandalay’s words only worsened the anxiety of the blue-haired woman, who quickly grabbed her by the shoulders and asked in a panic-stricken voice,

“What happened?!! Answer me!!!”

“Better sit down…”

The serious tone of Mandalay, along with the dark expression on her face, made the dark blue-haired woman, Nemuri, feel like her heart was going to jump out of her mouth. Completely panic-stricken, she asked.

“Don’t mess with me, Mandalay, what happened to Alisa-san and Kai?!!!!”

After a sigh, Mandalay spoke with a grave expression, almost as if she was weighing each word she said.

“… Alisa-san… died in what is believed to be an attack on Iron Palm in the middle of the mountain while they were camping. Iron Palm is currently missing, while his son is being attended to right now.”

As Mandalay recounted the events, Nemuri Kayama, also known as Midnight, a professional Hero, fell to her knees on the ground with her hands covering her mouth, tears streaming down her face, completely devastated and unable to believe what she was hearing.

Alisa-san was what she could consider the closest thing to an older sister she never had. With a difference of about five years between them, Alisa-san, or Alisa-onechan as she used to call her in her youth, was her closest friend, from whom she learned a lot and someone she loved from the bottom of her heart. But now, that great friend had suddenly and unexpectedly died.

An endless stream of memories began to flood Nemuri's mind: when she would come to eat with Alisa, when they went shopping together, when they watched movies as a family, etc. Moments that, when they lived them, didn't seem like much, but now seemed to become the epitome of her happiness, a happiness she didn't know how to value enough and had now lost forever.

"Why?!! Why did it have to be her of all people?!! WHY?!!!"

After a while of crying inconsolably on the ground and cursing the world for its injustice, asking why something like this had to happen, and swearing revenge, among other things, while Mandalay hugged her and helped her up, an image arose in Nemuri's mind and she asked,

"Where is Kai? I want to see him."

"At this moment, he is under observation, and in a couple of hours, short visits will be allowed."

"How serious is his condition?"

"So far, the doctors haven't said anything, but according to Ragdoll, his injuries aren't too severe and his life shouldn't be in danger."

"What happened to Jir... Iron Palm, where is he after all this?"

Nemuri's question put a bitter expression on Mandalay's face, who, after a sigh, responded in a low voice,

"... Although his status is currently missing, it's most likely that he also passed away. It's well known by all the participants of the raid against BioBlast that he would go on vacation with his family, and Ragdoll couldn't find his location with her quirk."

"..."

After getting up from the floor, Mandalay guided Nemuri to a more private area to talk. Meanwhile, Midnight's gaze turned dangerous, and she gritted her teeth before letting out a question loaded with hatred,

"Who is responsible for this?"

"We don't know. No trace of anyone else was found at the site besides Alisa-san and her son, but the search and rescue teams are combing the area for any clues. We're also waiting for little Kai to wake up so he can give us any hint of what happened."

"YOU WANT A CHILD TO REMEMBER THAT TRAUMATIC EVENT FOR SIMPLE CLUES?!!!"

(CALM DOWN MIDNIGHT!!!)

Mandalay 'shouted' through a telepathic message, momentarily halting Nemuri's uncontrolled anger, so she quickly took the opportunity to keep talking and calm Nemuri down.

"You're a professional hero, don't let your emotions blind you! You know it's necessary to do this!"

"..."

After looking deeply into Mandalay's eyes, Nemuri took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm her turbulent emotions, and then spoke in a calmer tone, although the furious emotional turmoil she felt was still evident.

"I'm sorry, I'm not in the best mental state right now. I'll stay here until the visits for Kai are allowed. Please leave me alone for a while."

"... All right, stay a little longer at the hospital. In the meantime, I'll finish informing the authorities. You can count on me for anything you need. Alisa-san was also my dear friend and therapist; you're not alone in your pain."

After Mandalay walked away, Nemuri sat on a bench and began to reflect on the whole situation, what she should do from now on, and how she should face it. After all, Kai was left alone. As far as she knew, neither Jiro-san nor Alisa-san had any other family.

Therefore, Kai's fate was to end up in an orphanage until he was old enough to receive his parents' inheritance, if something didn't happen in the meantime and the inheritance 'mysteriously' disappeared over time, as has been seen in other cases.

Another option was for someone to want to adopt the little one, but it was difficult for someone to take on such a responsibility right away, no matter how close they were to his parents. As for her, she was very aware of her situation; it wasn't the best idea in the world for the R-18 rated hero to adopt a small child, besides the fact that she had no idea how to raise a child. Damn, she was still single at her age.

So that leaves two possibilities: either find someone trustworthy enough to take care of Kai or abandon him to his fate in an orphanage, something she could never forgive herself for. Therefore, there was only one path to follow, finding a safe family for Kai.

When Kai's clinical studies were completed, the results showed that he had no serious injuries, leaving only his superficial wounds to be treated. So, after a few days in the hospital to make sure, he would be discharged.

Seeing Nemuri's state, the doctors recommended that she rest at home since the boy had been sedated to facilitate the sampling and wouldn't wake up until the next day. After making sure Kai was transferred to the best room in the hospital, Nemuri headed home with her mind in turmoil.

…

The next day, Nemuri arrived at the hospital where Kai was staying first thing in the morning, intending to be by his side before he woke up. After such a traumatic event, it would be devastating for the boy to wake up alone in an unfamiliar place. But upon entering the room, she realized that going home the previous day had been a terrible mistake.

In the hospital's white bed, connected to an intravenous drip and several medical devices, was Kai, with his eyes open and staring blankly at the ceiling, his eyes red and swollen with dark circles so large they made him look like a panda.

Seeing that scene, Nemuri instantly understood everything that had happened the previous night. Kai had woken up scared in the middle of the night and, finding himself alone in a dark, gloomy hospital, had been tormented by the memories of the tragedy he had just experienced, which had overwhelmed and broken him.

With tears streaming from her eyes, Nemuri ran to Kai and hugged him tightly, begging for forgiveness in a voice full of pain and regret for not being there for him, for leaving him alone and to his fate.

"Sorry Kai, I'm so sorry. Please forgive this fool who left you alone when you needed her most. I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

"Mmm?"

Kai turned to look at the beautiful woman with a confused expression, studying her intently for several minutes, which stopped Nemuri's tears in their tracks. At the same time, a terrible premonition grew in her heart—amnesia.

But fortunately or perhaps unfortunately, that premonition changed to a terrible pain in her heart as the tears flowed like a waterfall again when, after a few minutes, Kai's expression changed to a kind smile, and he spoke in a calm and flat voice.

"Oh, Onee-chan, don't worry, I'm fine, just a little distracted."

In Kai, the affectionate and hyperactive boy from her memories was nowhere to be seen. To the point where Nemuri could almost see a reflection of Alisa-san when she tried to hide her pain under that kind smile, the boy was broken beyond what she had imagined, causing an infinite regret to invade her.

"Kai, don't worry, you can trust Nemuri Onee-chan. Cry if you want. It's all your Onee-chan's fault for leaving you alone, but that won't happen again. Kai, Onee-chan will always be there for you from now on."

"Mmm? No, I don't want to cry anymore, and don't blame yourself, Onee-chan. You are not at fault for anything. After all, [life is like that, sometimes it likes to mess with people]."

When Nemuri heard that iconic phrase of Alisa-san come out of Kai's mouth, her already aching heart felt an even stronger squeeze. After all, in Kai's voice, there was a sense of weariness, resignation, and exhaustion, something she would never expect from a five-year-old child. But the final blow came with what came out of Kai's mouth next.

"So don't worry about me, Onee-chan. I'm very happy you came to visit me. Thank you very much. And as you can see, I'm fine and will be able to leave the hospital in a few days. So, if you have some free time and are nearby, don't forget to bring me some Teriyaki."

In a single sentence and perhaps unconsciously, Kai had given her a lot of information, to the point where Nemuri believed the real message Kai wanted to convey was something like:

[Don't worry, Nemuri. My well-being was never your responsibility, so there’s no reason to feel guilty. In fact, I didn’t even expect anything from you, so the simple fact that you came to visit me makes me very happy.

I’m physically fine, and since you’re a busy person, I don’t think you have time for a long visit, so I make it easier for you by saying goodbye.

But before you go, don’t forget that I’ll be leaving the hospital in a few days, and I don’t know where I’ll end up, so don’t waste your time trying to find me after a few days].

Nemuri wasn't sure how much of her 'translation' was correct, but what she was sure of was that Kai's feelings when saying that phrase shouldn't be far from it. He felt alone, helpless, and maybe guilty for what happened.

Moreover, it was very likely that he felt his existence had no value. Therefore, he expected nothing from anyone, pretended to build walls around himself, and pushed away anyone who wanted to get close, maybe in an attempt to distance himself from the suffering and memory of what happened, believing that if he had no one around, he wouldn't have to suffer again.

It was incredible how even at a moment like this, it was so evident that Kai was the son of Jiro-san and Alisa-san. He was just like them, hiding his pain like a wounded animal that runs to hide in its cave to lick its wounds, distancing himself from the pack, choosing to suffer alone rather than involve others.

But Nemuri couldn't allow that to happen. Kai was in a dangerous mental state, and although she never studied psychology, she learned a lot during her time with Alisa-san. She could easily spot the signs of dangerous mental illnesses, and at this moment, Kai was showing all the symptoms of depression, quite severe and self-destructive.

Knowing that she could never forgive herself if, one day in the future, she found out that the only son of her "older sister", one of the best therapists in the world, fell victim to a mental illness, Nemuri gathered the courage and determination necessary to overcome all the obstacles that would come.

Staring intently at Kai, Nemuri spoke with a determined expression and tone, almost as if she were a soldier ready to go to battle, while the boy could only respond with a confused look on his innocent face.

"Kai, from now on, you will live with me."

Chapter 6: Since when do you want me to tell you?

Chapter Text

"Kai, from now on, you will live with me."

As soon as she finished speaking, the first thing Nemuri noticed was the look of surprise on Kai's face, which caused her pain. He never expected her to say that. The boy's expression quickly changed to a kind smile as he responded in a calm tone.

"You don't have to do it, Nemuri Onee-chan. Once I get to my new 'home', I'll ask someone to tell you where it is, so you can visit me."

"There's nothing to discuss. You're going to live with me now, and that's final."

Unwilling to listen to Kai, Nemuri quickly replied with seriousness, causing the boy to look at her for a moment before slightly narrowing his eyes and asking with a small smile.

"Are you sure, Nemuri 'Oba-san'?"

Nemuri opened her eyes in surprise. It was evident that Kai was maturing at an impossible speed, perhaps due to the great trauma he had suffered, to the point that he was aware he couldn't return home after what had happened.

But the most surprising thing was that he had the wit to make such a sly 'threat'. After all, he knew perfectly well how much she hated being called 'Oba-san' and intentionally did it to show some type of rebellion or imbalance, most likely to make her think twice about getting involved in the problem of taking him in.

Seeing the complicated situation and Kai's delicate mental state, Nemuri knew there was only one possible response in this situation. So, while she lightly hit him on the head, she spoke in a chilling tone capable of sending shivers down the spine of even the bravest, all the while with a 'kind' smile on her face.

"It's Nemuri Onee-chan, Kai-chan. Don't tell me you've already forgotten. Luckily, I'll have you close now to remind you VERY kindly that your [Onee-chan] is a beautiful and sweet young lady who needs lots of love and care, right, Kai-chan?..."

Facing the terrifying monster he had foolishly awakened, Kai could only nod his head in panic.

(Damn, I woke the beast. How stupid of me!)

As Kai saw his two lives flash before his eyes after provoking that terrifying ancient monster known as feminine rage, a horror he had severely underestimated in his ignorance, two people entered the room, only to find the scene of a furious woman with tear-streaked cheeks, standing beside the hospital bed with her fist raised, threatening a small child who seemed to doubt life.

"What do you think you're doing, Midnight?"

"Eh?! Mandalay? What are you doing here?"

Upon hearing Mandalay's accusatory voice, Nemuri turned to look at the people who had entered the room, finding that, beside Mandalay, who was in her hero costume, stood a man in a business suit with a very distinctive feature: he had the head of a dog on his shoulders, a result of his quirk.

The man was known as Kenji Tsuragamae, the current chief of police. Midnight immediately realized his intention, and a conflicted expression formed on her face as she nodded slightly toward him.

After Nemuri's nod, Kenji proceeded to approach until he reached the front of the hospital bed, where he crouched to be at eye level with Kai before speaking.

"Hello, little one. My name is Kenji Tsuragamae, a good friend of your father's. Could we talk a bit about him and your mom?"

Upon hearing Kenji's words, Kai simply looked at him, scanning his dog head as if trying to confirm something. But shortly after, he seemed satisfied and responded with a slow, deliberate question that surprised Kenji.

"Since when do you want me to tell you?"

The boy's attitude took Kenji a bit by surprise. After all, initially, he didn't have much hope of getting important information today. But since there were no clues and it involved the hero ranked fifth nationally, he decided to come personally to talk to the boy to try his luck and show some respect.

But even so, Kenji knew that after such an event, the most likely scenarios to find were crying, panic, shock, madness, etc. So that calmness, combined with the sharp question from a five-year-old boy, took him a bit by surprise. Determined to seize the opportunity, he continued.

"Since the day before you left for vacation would be a good start. But if there's anything you think is important to tell me that happened before, feel free to say it."

After his response, Kai lay back on the stretcher and closed his eyes while Mandalay and Nemuri watched him with concern, not quite knowing what to do in this situation. But Kai simply started speaking again not long after.

"Dad and Mom had been planning a camping vacation in the mountains for a few days, so they had already bought everything we needed. The day before the trip, we stayed home packing, practicing setting up the tent in the yard, and testing everything they had bought to 'live civilly without civilization'.

I think that was what Mom and Dad liked most about vacations because they kept repeating it all day. At night, we loaded everything into the minivan and went to sleep.

The next day, we left the house very early, but since I was a bit sleepy, I slept the whole way. When I woke up, we had already arrived at the place where we left the minivan, and then we had to continue on foot."

As Kai spoke, Kenji listened attentively with a small notebook in his hands, taking notes, while Mandalay and Nemuri sat on a couch in the room, with conflicted expressions on their faces.

"As we walked through the mountain, Dad put up flags along the way and told me repeatedly that it was important to avoid getting lost and that we just had to follow them to come back. And shortly after, we reached a flat, pleasant area that Mom liked, and we decided to camp there.

After that, we spent the rest of the day setting up our camp, putting up the tent, the stove, the chairs, the solar panels; it took a long time, but we finally finished and went to play ball in a small nearby stream until it got dark, and we went to sleep.

The next day, after breakfast, Papa started telling me that he was a great forward in his youth and that it was time to pass on the 'legacy' of the Saito family as scorers. So, after spending a while looking for the soccer ball, we made an improvised field with some stones and sticks we found around.

When we finished the field, Dad asked us to step back so we could 'properly appreciate' all his talent for soccer. So, Mom picked me up, and we moved back until he said it was enough. But when he kicked the ball on the ground..."

Kai's voice broke, and his expression visibly contracted, which immediately caused Nemuri to panic and want to stop him. But Mandalay held her back firmly, while Kai bit his lips hard and continued.

"W-when Dad kicked the ball, it started to shine very brightly, and Mom turned around and ran very fast while holding me. But suddenly, I felt something hit me very hard, and I don't remember anything else.

The next thing I remember is that Mom..."

Kai's expression contracted tightly while his lips started to bleed from how hard he was biting them, prompting Nemuri and Mandalay to try to approach him. But Kenji prevented them by extending his hand and silently shaking his head. After a moment, Kai continued speaking.

"M-Mom was in front of me, covered in blood, and hugged me. and I saw Dad looking at me as he flew towards some men dressed in black with masks, but I remember one who didn't have a mask. He wore a white coat and had blue hair...

Then, Dad inflated, and Mom hugged me closer, and I couldn't see anything. But I felt the ground shaking and heard a very loud noise... After a while, Mom let go of me, but there was no one else, neither those people nor my dad. Only my mom was there, and she told me to seek help by following the flags..."

After forcing himself to speak, Kai remained silent while Kenji digested what he had just heard and reviewed the notes he had taken before proceeding to ask a couple of questions.

"Can you remember the masks those people had?"

"Not very well, but I remember they had horns and were white."

"Apart from having blue hair and wearing a white coat, do you remember anything else about that man?"

"No, if I could say something else about him, it's that I think he looked older than my dad."

"Thank you very much for your effort. I assure you I will investigate thoroughly and bring justice."

"That's fine... and now I'm very tired and sleepy. Could you leave me alone so I can sleep?"

"Kai..."

"I'm sorry, Onee-chan, but I'm really tired and want to sleep."

After saying such cutting words, Kai turned away from them and closed his eyes, unwilling to say another word. Meanwhile, Mandalay and Nemuri's faces filled with tears, and Kenji responded in a serious and professional tone.

"Alright, Kai-kun, rest well and remember that you can call a nurse at any time with the button you have next to your bed, in case you need anything."

"Thank you, goodbye."

Kai's quick and curt response made Kenji sigh as he headed for the exit, followed by Mandalay and Nemuri, who were trying to wipe away their tears. Kenji was deep in thought about everything he had heard, as it had been more useful than he expected. He already had a couple of suspects in mind who fit the description.

But among that list, there was one man who stood out above all. Everything fit: a white coat and blue hair, a ball turned into a bomb, and white masks with horns. The problem was that this villain should be in Tartarus.

A dangerous look formed on Kenji's dog head because if his suspicions were correct, then this case was much bigger than he imagined, to the point where there had to be important big fish behind the whole thing. But his reflections were cut short when he heard Midnight.

"I will take care of Kai."

"Are you sure? Taking care of a child is not easy, especially for single women like us."

Mandalay asked with a somewhat surprised and doubtful expression, to which Kenji added in a serious tone,

"Besides, it won't be well-received by the public for the R-18 rated heroine to be raising a child."

At those words, Nemuri could only bite her lips in frustration before speaking in a tone full of pain and determination.

"I know all that perfectly well, but you saw it, you heard it. Although Kai has always been excessively intelligent and mature for a child his age, this goes far beyond that. He is completely broken, and his situation can only worsen from here, and as his older sister, I cannot allow something like this to happen to him."

"But there might be other ways. A good therapist could help him," Mandalay commented in a worried tone, to which Nemuri responded with determination,

"I am fully aware of that, and it will be necessary for his recovery. But now, Kai is in a very delicate moment. You didn't have the opportunity to interact with him before this happened, and you don't know what he was like, but I do. And I can assure you he is more like his parents than is good for him.

Especially the stubbornness. They are like two peas in a pod in that aspect, and I can assure you that no therapist in the world will be able to help him if he is not willing to let himself be helped, especially since he was used to dealing with Alisa-san. That's why I need to be by his side. He has no one else close enough to do it."

"…If you are so determined, I can help you a bit with the paperwork. I also found his mental state extremely worrying, and it would be a shame for Iron Palm and Saito Alisa's only child to be in that situation."

Seeing Nemuri's determination, Kenji commented in his typical serious tone, to which Mandalay added with a small smile,

"I can help you with whatever you need as well. Alisa-san helped me a lot when I needed it, and I intended to help from the beginning. That's why I've been so involved in this case."

"Thank you both very much. I know it will be complicated, and I will need all the help I can get to achieve it."

"Don't worry, that's what we're here for."

"If I can be of help, I won't hesitate to lend a hand."

Nemuri expressed her gratitude while bowing deeply, to which Kenji and Mandalay responded warmly before leaving the hospital in different directions, determined to prepare for what was to come.

Chapter 7: I REFUSE

Chapter Text

Kai was truly exhausted after trying to keep his feelings under control, and it didn't take long for him to fall into a deep sleep. After a few hours, he woke up to find himself lying on his back in bed, staring at the ceiling with a lost and unfocused look in his eyes.

(It's really complicated to manage my feelings and actions right now, but everything is so absurd and strange. I'm definitely in the world of Boku no Hero Academia. Although I had my doubts before—after all, the simplified drawings typical of anime can't compare to a flesh-and-blood person—the appearance of the dog-headed chief of police threw any doubt I had out the window.

There are no memories in Kai's mind of someone like that, but Daniel's memories do. Besides, after detailing the heroine's costume who found me, a couple of memes about a muscular guy dressed in the same uniform, although in a different color, immediately came to mind. And no matter how much I searched Kai's memories, I couldn't find anything about it.

But that's just the beginning of my problems. Interacting with them makes me feel in a constant state of derealization, as if everything around me is fake—not only because they are characters from an anime that Daniel watched, which already makes me doubt reality.

But also because of their inhuman beauty. I didn't notice it before, but now, with Daniel's memories, I can no longer see people the same way. Aside from the dog-headed policeman, which is strange and unreal by itself, Midnight and the other heroine looked like photorealistic 3D models embodying the ideal of perfect beauty, as if they had all possible beauty filters naturally applied...

It gets to the point where just looking at them gives me a constant feeling very similar to the uncanny valley, as if they weren't human. Coupled with the constant stress of my incongruent personality, since even though I can feel that Daniel is my dominant personality—probably because he's the oldest—I still have aspects of Kai that come to the surface from time to time. And the fact that my body doesn't react the way I'm 'used to' doesn't help at all...

Damn it, I don't know who I am or what I am, nor what to do or how to face the future. I feel terribly exhausted. I just want to stay in this bed and not move until it's all over... Hmm... Maybe I should watch TV. Since I'm in Japan, there must be some interesting anime to watch.)

Kai looked around trying to find the TV remote, which he saw on a small table near a window. So, he got out of bed with difficulty and dragged the metal stand holding the IV drip as he went for it. But when he took it in his hands, the curtain covering the window moved, and he could see a garden surrounded by trees, making him feel as if lightning had struck his body.

(!!!!!)

(Am I seriously going to take the same path?!!!! Am I going to be that terrified piece of shit who locks himself in a fucking room escaping from reality?!!! Am I seriously going to let life fuck me up again without even responding?!!! I REFUSE. I REFUSE TO BE THAT DAMN TRASH AGAIN. I REFUSE TO GIVE UP AGAIN!!! I WILL NOT FOLLOW THAT DAMN PATH THAT ONLY MADE ME A WORTHLESS COWARD!!!!)

As if possessed, Kai threw the remote on the floor, smashing it, and while gritting his teeth, he pulled out the IV needle from his left hand. He then ran out, ignoring everything around him.

Kai ran with all his might down the hallway and took the first staircase he saw, jumping down several flights until he reached the bottom, where he could see that beautiful garden again in all its splendor.

Determined not to think about anything else, Kai ran with all his strength towards the trees while several nurses followed him with panicked expressions, trying to catch him. But despite their efforts, the small five-year-old boy left them behind with ease.

Kai kept running through the trees without any specific direction, almost subconsciously avoiding the nurses and guards who tried to stop him. They soon noticed that he was only running in circles, not wanting to leave the hospital, and since they couldn't catch him, they decided to stop trying and returned to their duties while two nurses waited for him to tire out, sitting on a bench.

…

Nemuri had left the hospital to meet with her lawyer to get advice on the legal avenues she could take to gain custody of Kai. But as she was leaving the lawyer's office, her phone suddenly rang.

Taking out her phone, Nemuri noticed that the caller ID showed an unknown number, something strange since only people she knew had her personal number. But remembering that she had left her contact information at the hospital in case of an emergency, her heart tightened, and summoning her courage, she quickly answered.

[Hello, am I speaking with Kayama Nemuri-sama?]

[Yes, this is she.]

[Kayama-sama, we are calling from Musutafu Central Hospital to inform you about a situation that occurred with the patient Saito Kai-sama, who is admitted to our facility.]

[What happened to Kai? Is it serious? Is his life in danger?] Upon hearing the confirmation of her fears, Nemuri asked in a panic.

[Calm down, Kayama-sama. Saito Kai-sama is fine and his life is not in danger. What happened is that a moment ago he ran out of his room without any explanation, and although several nurses and guards tried to catch him, it was impossible.

However, he never left the hospital and is still running around the premises while our nurses are monitoring him and waiting for him to tire himself out so they can talk to him.]

[He ran away? Why? Did something happen? Did something scare him?]

[We don't know yet. We've already checked his room, but we didn't find anything unusual besides the smashed TV remote. Since catching him has been fruitless so far, we hoped you might have some insight.]

[I'm not sure, but he just went through a traumatic event, and his mental state is delicate right now. I'm on my way and will handle the situation personally.]

[We appreciate your willingness, and we will be waiting for you.]

[Okay, goodbye.]

Nemuri quickly hung up and hailed a taxi, her expression filled with worry and her heart about to burst from her chest.

“To the central hospital, as quickly as possible, please.”

“Understood.”

…

In the middle of the beautiful garden, Kai had collapsed to the ground after running at full speed for nearly an hour without stopping. He looked up at the sky while smiling. The moment he realized the mistake he was making by trying to follow the same path as Daniel, he desperately searched his mind for anything that could help him, finding a piece of advice from Iron Palm. In his panic, he followed it without thinking too much.

(This is really liberating and quite painful, but this feeling of peace and tranquility is worth it... Kai's father was right; there's no better cure for the mind than training until you’re exhausted.)

Soon, Kai began to normalize his breathing and started to fall asleep, while two nurses approached him, showing complicated expressions upon noticing the big smile on the little boy's face.

After all, it's not every day you see a small child, half-naked in a hospital gown, running among the trees at over 40 k/h for nearly an hour, only to fall asleep on the ground with a smile.

"His quirk is really impressive. Running at such speed, for so long, and at such a young age, is truly amazing."

The nurse, who seemed to be in her forties, commented with a slightly surprised voice, to which the younger one, who seemed to be only in her twenties, responded in a similar tone.

"Yes, it is truly extraordinary. Besides looking tired, I can't notice anything else about him."

"Yes, it's most likely that his quirk has awakened, which led him to test it immediately. It's quite common for children his age to do things like this. Talk to the doctor to have him checked in case he has any problems. In the meantime, I'll take him to his room."

"Right away."

After the older nurse's order, the younger one quickly returned to the hospital at a fast pace, while the older one picked Kai up from the ground with a smile and carried him to his room carefully, making sure not to wake the little boy.

...

When Nemuri arrived at the hospital, she immediately ran to the reception, but on the way, she encountered the doctor who had been in charge of Kai, so she immediately asked him, filled with panic and anxiety.

“Doctor, where is Kai? Is he okay? Is he hurt?”

“Calm down, Kayama-san. Right now, Kai-kun is in his room sleeping while undergoing some routine checks. We believe his sudden outburst is due to the manifestation of his quirk. After all, at his age, it can manifest at any moment.”

“His quirk? What happened?”

“Well, after running out of his room, Kai-kun started running around the hospital grounds at a speed exceeding 40 km/h for nearly an hour, something practically impossible for a human without a specific quirk.

Additionally, based on the initial checks performed on little Kai-kun, this did not cause any damage to his body. Apart from being a little tired, he has no complications. So, we believe his quirk must be some kind of physical enhancement quirk.

As you know, a well-trained adult human could maintain a speed of about 20 km/h for about 2 hours before running out of energy. For Kai-kun to run at twice that speed for so long, it can only be due to his quirk.

Not to mention the fact that he was agile enough to dodge more than 10 guards and nurses who tried to catch him while he was running. Therefore, we believe the sudden manifestation of his quirk filled him with so much energy that, not being used to it, he tried to release it by running.”

“That’s a relief.”

Nemuri let out a sigh of relief. After all, she had prepared for the worst, and her poor heart might not have been able to withstand another blow. With a much more relaxed expression, she continued speaking.

“But your theory makes a lot of sense, doctor. After all, his father's quirk was a very powerful body enhancement quirk.”

“I suspected as much.”

“Thank you very much for your time, doctor. I will be accompanying Kai in his room.”

“Yes, it is important for an adult, preferably a family member, to explain to him about his quirk and the changes his body is going through. I will take my leave, Kayama-san.”

“Goodbye, doctor.”

Chapter 8: You can feel it

Chapter Text

Nemuri got into the hospital elevator, lost in her thoughts, trying to understand the possible causes for Kai's outburst. After all, although all information regarding Kai had been concealed for security reasons, she was very aware of everything, so things were not as simple as the doctor believed.

(Could it really be his quirk? But that can't be, Kai inherited Jiro-san's quirk, and it manifested from birth. Jiro-san and Alisa-san wanted to keep it a secret even from Kai himself, but when he was a baby, it wasn't uncommon for him to damage his bottles and toys by applying too much strength.

But on the other hand, there's still what Mandalay told me, so it can't be ruled out either... Hmm... this is complicated, but I think it's best to talk to Kai about his quirk. Maybe his immense curiosity will help him focus on that and distract him a bit from this whole situation...)

Once in Kai's room, where he was sleeping in the bed with a big smile on his face, Nemuri could relax a bit for the first time since this whole tragedy occurred, which inevitably made her feel drowsy. Feeling exhausted, Nemuri took advantage of Kai's large and comfortable hospital bed and lay down beside him, falling into a deep sleep shortly after.

A few hours later, Nemuri slowly opened her eyes, feeling a bit confused, but quickly recovered and sat up abruptly when she didn't see Kai in the bed next to her. She started looking around worriedly, only to find him showing his bare backside through the hospital gown while doing push-ups on the floor.

"Why are you doing push-ups, Kai? Is any part of your body bothering you? Are you really having trouble managing your quirk?"

"My quirk?" Kai asked, not stopping his push-ups, in a confused tone.

"We'll talk about that later. For now, tell me why you ran away?"

"I was just following Dad's advice, [There is no better cure for the mind than training until exhaustion]."

"That's something Jiro-san would say, but Kai, for now, it's better to stop and sit next to me. Let's talk a little about your quirk," Nemuri said in a caring tone while patting a spot beside her on the bed.

"Okay."

Kai got up from the floor and sat next to Nemuri, trying to make as little eye contact as possible, something Nemuri immediately noticed but decided to ignore for the moment, focusing instead on the conversation they were going to have.

"Kai, are you aware that you ran at over 40 km/h for almost an hour? A human without a strength-enhancing quirk wouldn't last even a couple of minutes at that speed."

"Not even a couple of minutes? But I thought doing something like that was quite normal..." Kai commented, quite surprised, as if doubting the words that had just come out of his mouth.

(Now that I think about it, it is strange. I'm not just fast, I'm also quite strong, but oddly enough, I didn't take it into account. I guess Kai's perception made me unconsciously overlook it and take it as something natural...)

"Well yes, Jiro-san and Alisa-san wanted you to pay no attention to it so that your childhood would be as normal as possible, but we have always suspected that you inherited your father's quirk."

"My father's quirk?"

"Yes, your father's quirk, a body-enhancing quirk called [Force Control], which allowed him to increase his physical abilities and harden his body. But the peculiarity that gave it its name was that he could apply it to specific parts of his body, greatly increasing his strength or hardness compared to when he applied it to his entire body."

"Yes... now that you mention it, when the nurses were chasing me, I think I 'strengthened' my legs a bit more, and from that moment, I could run faster and dodge them easily... so it seems I did inherit Dad's quirk," Kai commented, with his hand on his chin, thoughtfully considering his memories. Nemuri nodded and added.

"That's what we all thought at first, but Mandalay mentioned to me that... hmm... you were 'aware' of Alisa-san's situation."

Although Nemuri regretted it halfway through and tried to soften her words as much as possible, it didn't prevent Kai's face from showing an ugly expression, which he quickly tried to suppress.

"I'm sorry, Kai. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"No, it's fine. I understand it's necessary," Kai shook his head a couple of times, and after a few deep breaths, he spoke again.

"But now that you mention it, it's true. At that moment, I heard their [Voices]."

“Voices?” Nemuri asked with evident confusion on her face, to which Kai nodded and explained.

“Yes, it’s a bit hard to explain, but it felt like their ‘voice’ or maybe their aura? I don’t know, it was strange…”

Seeing Kai’s expression, which seemed to scream that he didn’t quite understand what he was saying, Nemuri asked with curiosity.

“Can you feel my ‘voice’ right now?”

“Not really but let me try.”

Kai closed his eyes and tried to focus on his surroundings for a few minutes until he suddenly opened his eyes, surprised. He could actually feel it, not just Nemuri’s ‘voice,’ but many other different ‘voices’ around him, all of different ‘sizes’ or ‘intensities’, but he could easily differentiate them and know where each one was, something Nemuri quickly noticed.

“You can feel it.”

“Yes, not just your ‘voice’, but also many others in the hospital. I even know that someone is approaching the room, and it feels strangely like the heroine who found me on the mountain.”

“Mandalay?”

As Nemuri asked, puzzled and looking towards the entrance, someone gave three soft knocks on the door, taking her by surprise. She quickly gave permission for the person to enter, while watching closely to see who it was.

Shortly after, Mandalay entered the room, dressed in civilian clothes that transformed her usual heroic air into a sober elegance. She wore a black wide-neck sweater that draped relaxedly over her voluptuous and athletic figure, accompanied by a white pencil skirt that hugged her form, accentuating her hips and the length of her legs.

Seeing Mandalay, Nemuri turned towards Kai, who was also looking at the beautiful woman with undisguised surprise and commented with a small smile.

“It really was Mandalay. Your quirk is impressive, Kai. It’s perfect for reconnaissance.”

Kai nodded slightly at the compliment, while Mandalay, confused by the scene, asked.

“What are you guys doing?”

“We were testing Kai’s quirk, and he knew you were coming before you knocked on the door.”

“Mmm, so that’s what happened in ‘that’ moment,” Mandalay murmured, intrigued, while looking at the cute blue-eyed boy.

“And back to the topic, why are you here, Mandalay? Did something happen?”

At Nemuri’s question, Mandalay replied while crossing her arms under her voluptuous chest.

“Well, I heard that Kai-kun had run out of his room because he wasn’t used to the manifestation of his quirk, so I came to see if I could help with anything.”

“Oh yes, that happened, but according to Kai, it wasn’t because of his quirk. He was just following his father’s ‘wise’ advice.”

“I can imagine that musclehead teaching him that.”

Nemuri and Mandalay laughed a bit with somewhat sad expressions, while turning their gaze to find Kai, who was sitting in a lotus position with his eyes closed.

“Are you okay, Kai?” Nemuri asked in a concerned tone while Mandalay approached him.

“Yes, I’m fine. It’s just that now that I could feel your ‘voices’, it feels very strange to stop doing it. It’s like having my ears suddenly covered, so I’m trying to control it better, since I feel it’s possible to listen to the ‘voices’ without consciously trying.”

“So you really have a tracking-type quirk. But since that day, I’ve been wondering, what do you mean by ‘voices’? It’s okay if you don’t want to answer.”

Mandalay asked, full of curiosity, to which Kai replied without opening his eyes, maintaining the lotus position his yoga-enthusiast mother had taught him.

“It’s fine, I don’t mind. It’s a bit complicated to explain, but let’s say that the way I can feel people is through their ‘voices’. It’s not exactly a voice in the literal sense of the word, but the feeling it gives me is very similar to listening to someone sing. It’s quite a strange feeling, so that’s the closest word I can find to describe it.”

“Mmmm, what an interesting phenomenon. By the way, I don’t think I’ve introduced myself. My name is Sosaki Shino, also known as the professional heroine, Mandalay.”

Hearing this, Kai felt a bit embarrassed, realizing he hadn’t even bothered to learn her name, when it was Shino who technically saved his life on the mountain. If there was something both Daniel and Kai hated more than asking for a favor, it was owing one.

Knowing he had to correct his mistakes, Kai immediately opened his eyes and got up from the bed. While doing his best to control his feeling of derealization and the uncanny valley effect he felt when looking at her, he approached and bowed deeply to show respect.

“I am embarrassed by my late introduction. My name is Saito Kai, and I deeply appreciate the help you provided me on the mountain. It is a great debt that I will make sure to repay.”

“HAHAHA”

Shino laughed cheerfully at the boy's sudden action, while Nemuri watched him like a proud mother hen. Shortly after, the beautiful woman with the bob-cut brown hair continued speaking.

“You are a very well-behaved boy, but don't worry about that. The whole situation has been confusing and complicated, and I was just doing my job. So, straighten up, and let's talk more relaxedly.”

Knowing he was being underestimated because of his age, Kai spoke again, this time trying to exaggerate the formal language to show he wasn't joking.

“I am fully aware that the assistance you and your colleague provided was during your routine work, but it is an undeniable fact that you ended up helping me. And no matter how much I try, I cannot stop feeling indebted to you.

Therefore, I am obligated to repay it to be at peace with myself. Although I know I currently have no means to do so, I will at least make sure not to forget it and to help you when I can.”

(Did I overdo it? Hmm, I don’t think so. Even before having Daniel's memories, I was quite strange, so this doesn’t even make the top of the weirdest things I've done.)

With a very serious voice, Kai spoke while still bowing, surprising both Shino and Nemuri. They looked at each other for a moment before nodding, and then Mandalay proceeded to place a hand on the boy's shoulder while saying.

“Well then, I’ll be waiting for your future, boy.”

“I will make sure not to disappoint your expectations.”

After responding, Kai returned to his lotus position on the bed with his eyes closed, leaving the two heroines a bit speechless.

“Well, Kai-kun, I heard that you will now be under Midnight's care. Do you like the idea?”

“Well, to be honest, I don’t know. After all, Mom always said to never forget my invisible hero cape that repels bad influences when I’m with Onee-chan.”

“Hey! What is that supposed to mean?!!” Nemuri replied, feeling attacked, to which Kai responded in a flat tone without opening his eyes.

“I don’t know, those weren’t my words; they were Mom’s.”

“Hahaha, Alisa-san definitely knew what she was talking about. So, Kai-kun, now that you’ll be living with her, don’t forget your invisible cape even when you sleep,” Mandalay commented amusingly, to which Nemuri replied with an annoyed expression.

“Hey!!”

While Shino laughed and Nemuri glared at her, a phone suddenly rang. Holding back her laughter, Mandalay looked at the caller ID, and her smile immediately faded. She then turned to look at Nemuri with a serious expression.

“Well, Kai-kun, we’re going to talk with the doctor to find out when you can be discharged. We won’t take long.”

“That’s fine. I’ll be practicing.”

Chapter 9: there really is an aura!

Chapter Text

After Nemuri and Shino left the room, Kai abandoned his lotus position and lay down on his bed, with a complicated expression on his face. After all, even though he was really testing his quirk at that moment, closing his eyes and the lotus position was all a show, just an excuse not to have to look at them directly. The more he looked at them, the harder it was to hide the discomfort he felt.

Knowing there was nothing he could do about that uncomfortable feeling for now, Kai decided to focus on the other strange sensation he was experiencing, one that he incredibly found in Daniel’s memories.

(But no matter how you look at it, this is [Kenbunshoku Haki] from One Piece. The sensation I feel is exactly the same as described in the series, and also, Midnight's explanation of my father's quirk. Strengthening the body, hardening it, and increasing when applied to specific areas sounds too similar to [Nen] from Hunter x Hunter. The only thing is that when I supposedly used it, I didn’t see any aura... could it be that I haven’t opened my Nen nodes in my eyes?)

With his curiosity piqued, Kai decided to try it casually, so he closed his eyes and began to imagine 'strengthening' his eyes the same way he did when he was running with his legs. After getting used to the sensation, he started doing the same with his arms and then opened his eyes.

(Damn it, there really is an aura!)

The overwhelming surprise interrupted Kai's concentration, causing the strengthening to stop and the aura to disappear from his vision. After calming down a bit, he tried again, but this time only 'strengthening' his arms. When he didn’t see anything, he once again 'strengthened' his eyes.

With ‘Gyo’ activated, Kai could see a faint milky white aura surrounding his arms, which filled him with excitement as he got lost in his thoughts, internally debating the strange phenomenon in front of him.

(Is this really [Nen]? And if it is, why can I only see the aura when I strengthen my eyes? Or could it be something different and it’s just a coincidence?... Hmm... hard to say, since it could well be [Nen] and the aura is by default in [In] state, making it necessary to use [Gyo] to see it... well, there’s only one way to find out.)

With growing excitement, Kai sat on the bed and looked around, quickly noticing a pitcher of water next to a transparent cup on a nightstand and a vase with some flowers on the other side of the room. He quickly ran to it and plucked a small leaf from one of the flowers, then picked up the cup and took everything to the bathroom.

(Well, it's a plastic cup and the leaf is a bit small, but I guess it should work...)

In the bathroom shower, Kai filled the glass to the brim and placed the small leaf on top, then took a few deep breaths to calm himself.

(Well, this is the moment of truth.)

With his heart racing, Kai activated ‘Gyo’ again and then 'strengthened' his trembling hands, slowly bringing them closer to the glass. Not long after, the leaf suddenly moved.

(Damn it!!! It really moved. Am I a manipulator or… well, it could also be a coincidence...)

As Kai tried to analyze the event, his thoughts were suddenly interrupted when the water changed color and started overflowing from the glass, forming a puddle on the bathroom floor.

(It can’t be!! Emperor Time from Kurapika? Impossible!!!)

Panic-stricken, Kai immediately ran to the sink, jumped onto it, and started frantically looking at his eyes in the mirror, only to let out a slight sigh of relief shortly after.

(Well, luckily, they’re not red, but could I be losing time from my life while using my quirk? No, calm down, think a bit. My ‘Nen’ is a bit strange, so it's not certain that it’s consuming my life span. Besides, there was also that theory that the loss of life for using [Emperor Time] is a pact and limitation made by Kurapika himself to enhance and control his red eyes at will, as well as counteract its side effects in battle. After all, it’s very strange that he knows the exact cost of using it.)

Kai got down from the sink and sat on the floor with his eyes closed, taking deep breaths for a few minutes to calm down. Then he took the cup of water and the leaf back to the sink, where he performed the water divination again after getting back on the sink to look at himself in the mirror.

As the colored water overflowed in the sink, Kai stared at his reflection while intermittently using ‘Gyo’, but the only change he noticed was that the milky white aura appeared and disappeared from his vision.

(My eyes don't change color, nothing strange happens, and my emotions are stable, so there shouldn't be anything potentially harmful...)

After continuing the same for about 10 minutes and making sure to taste the water, which indeed changed flavor, Kai decided to stop and return to bed. Using more water, he washed away the remnants of the colored water from the shower floor and the sink drain. He then destroyed the leaf and flushed it down the toilet.

After thoroughly washing the cup in the sink, ensuring no traces of colored water remained, Kai returned to the bed, not without first placing the cup back exactly as it was before he took it.

(Well, my eyes never turned red, I didn’t feel anything strange in my body or my emotions. Also, the most reassuring point is that my 'Nen' never changes like Kurapika's; it is by default 100% efficient in all categories, so I suppose I can breathe easy for now.

So that only leaves [Kenbunshoku Haki], which must come from Mom. After all, her quirk involves sensing the emotions of others, one of the capabilities of [Kenbunshoku]. And on one occasion, Mom knocked out a couple of drunk bastards who tried to touch her when we were coming back from shopping, something really similar to [Haoshoku Haki].

So Dad's power was 'Nen' while Mom's was 'Haki'? Or were they just similar and mutated to be what they are when they combined in me? There are many questions and no clues to the answers...

On the other hand, if I am really in the world of [Boku no Hero Academia], the fact that there's 'Haki' is not so strange. After all, I remember Daniel reading somewhere that the author was quite a fan of One Piece and used it as inspiration, which opens another question.

If all this is real, did the author of the manga in Daniel's world create this world, or is it simply one of the many possibilities in which particles can group in the infinite universe, and the author, by coincidence or some strange mystical mambo, created a story very similar to it? Damn it, more and more questions arise and no answers.)

Kai almost started to hyperventilate from the mess in his mind, but after a moment he calmed himself by breathing deeply for several minutes and went back to meditate on his situation.

(For now, let's define some things. As a first measure and for the sake of my mental health, this is a real world, and everything I am experiencing is also real, just one of the almost endless ways matter can group outside the Hubble sphere of Daniel's Earth. And the author, by chance or because the 'mystical' in Daniel's world was not just quackery, created his work, which, as far as I know, can be said to have elements of this world. Yes, I like that. It will be my mantra of tranquility from now on, decided.

Secondly, and for my peace of mind, the loss of life of Kurapika when using [Emperor Time] is a pact and limitation imposed by himself, because otherwise he would not have a way to know that he loses life time when using it and much less the exact proportion he loses. Moreover, even if this were not the case, my affinity with all categories of [Nen] has nothing to do with [Emperor Time], since it is not only by default but also because I feel nothing when using my quirk. Therefore, I should not hesitate to use it at any time.

Phew, alright, now with the two most important bases defined, let's start answering questions. Number one, were [Nen] and [Haki] my parents' abilities, or were they similar and mutated when I inherited them? Hard to tell, I don’t remember the details of their quirks very well, so it remains pending with a low level of importance.

Secondly, what am I going to do with my life from now on? I have no idea. I know very little about this world due to Kai's age, so for now, let's give a half-answer and say that I will go with the flow and keep training to maintain my mental stability.

Third, what is my quirk? This is a very interesting question. If we assume that my quirk is a mutation of my parents' abilities, what else can it do, besides [Nen] and [Kenbunshoku]?

At first glance, these abilities have nothing in common, except that [En] has an effect similar to [Kenbunshoku]. Even so, according to the original works, one comes from vitality and the other from willpower. However, if we go a bit further and take 'inspiration' from other famous shonen works from Japan and their power systems, there is something in common between [Chakra], [Ki], and [Nen], the three most famous 'energies,' which, despite their differences, can be defined as the mix between physical and mental strength.

Additionally, if on the other hand, we define [Haki] as the manifestation of willpower, there is the fact that the pacts and limitations of [Nen] are definitely a way to empower willpower, which undoubtedly links these two power systems.

But, if we define [Haki] as the materialization of spiritual strength, it would start to have similarities with [Reiryoku], and if we go a bit further, the release of large amounts of [Reiatsu] has effects similar to [Haki], such as intimidating enemies, stunning them, hardening, detecting presences and changes in the environment, etc.

And if we add all this to how spiritual particles gather in the forests and how the Quincy absorb them as a source of power, this directly relates to [Natural Chakra]. By the way, [Natural Chakra] or [Nature Energy] is something that, to a greater or lesser extent, is alluded to in all power systems.

Besides, I can’t forget that, as the cherry on top, in all these power systems there are characters with the ability to ‘see the future’, so the question is, do I have any way to verify all this?

It’s quite difficult. Firstly, I only have a partial certainty that the world of [Boku no Hero Academia] is real, and secondly, all these ‘power systems’ are similar to each other to the point that some could simply be expressions of the other.

For example, almost all the basic abilities of [Ki] can be explained as a type of [Nen], especially [Enhancement] and [Emission] and some [Manipulation], while [Chakra] is much more versatile and covers more categories, but it’s more or less the same, [Enhancement], [Transmutation], [Manipulation], and a bit of [Emission]. So, this leads to, does all this have any utility?

And the answer is a resounding YES. Although quite similar to each other, it’s the differences that make them unique and tremendously useful. For example, in [Chakra], which in my opinion has the most similarities with [Nen], there are sealing arts, which are very powerful and versatile. In their most basic forms, they have super convenient things like explosive tags and sealing scrolls.

And although with [Nen] similar things have been seen, they are super complex abilities with many limitations. On the other hand, [Ki] not only has things like divine Ki and Ultra Instinct but also has less restrictive and more versatile training methods than the pacts and restrictions of [Nen], along with a higher limit. The same goes for all the others; they all have that special something, and I could spend an entire day thinking about each one of them.

So, the only thing I can do in this case is to try to master all categories of [Nen] to the fullest while using my hypotheses about the other power systems as ‘inspiration’ to develop my abilities. Therefore, TIME TO TRAIN!!!)

Chapter 10: The culprits?!!

Chapter Text

After Nemuri and Shino left Kai’s room, they went to a small private room in the hospital, where Shino answered the call with a serious expression on her face.

[This is Tsuragamae Kenji. Mandalay?]

[Yes, it’s me, Tsuragamae-san. What news do you have?]

[Well, we have important updates regarding the case, but it’s complicated to discuss over the phone. It’s better in person. I’ll contact Midnight right away to meet at my office.]

[That’s not necessary, Tsuragamae-san. I’m with her right now. We can leave immediately.]

[That’s perfect. I’ll be waiting for you.]

After ending the call, Nemuri and Shino left the hospital with serious expressions. Sometime later, they arrived at Kenji’s office, which had a simple, organized, and efficient look, with very little decoration aside from a couple of shelves that neatly held files, law books, and references.

However, a shelf dedicated to all kinds of hero memorabilia stood out in the room, along with a corkboard on the wall with information about current cases, with photos and related notes connected by threads of different colors.

Seeing them arrive, Kenji stood up to greet them and pointed to a pair of simple yet elegant chairs in front of his desk, with high backs and padded leather upholstery for support. He then offered them tea, which they politely declined.

“Tsuragamae-san, what are the important news you mentioned?” Nemuri asked quickly as she sat in the chair, showing a bit of anxiety.

“Well, we believe we have found the ‘remains’ of Iron Palm.”

Kenji’s serious and calm words caused Nemuri and Shino to open their eyes wide in surprise, with Mandalay exclaiming in shock.

“So quickly?!!”

Meanwhile, Nemuri couldn’t contain her tears and began to cry silently. Although she knew it was most likely that Jiro-san was no longer in this world, hearing the confirmation was more painful than she expected.

Seeing Nemuri’s state, Shino hugged her and rubbed her shoulders, trying to comfort her, while Kenji handed her a box of tissues, and they all remained silent, with the only sound being Midnight’s soft sobs.

“…”

After a while, Nemuri managed to control herself a bit, though her red and swollen eyes and the tissue she held to her mouth gave her a desolate and sad appearance. Nevertheless, she gathered the courage to ask.

“…How did you manage to find him?”

“Well, since the incident occurred, we’ve been combing the area for clues, although with little success. It was only thanks to Kai-kun’s testimony that we were able to focus the search and immediately obtained some results.”

Kenji responded in a serious and professional tone, to which Nemuri remained silent before asking in a broken voice that revealed her sadness and fear of the possible answer. After all, she was present when Kai recounted what had happened.

“…In what condition was he?”

“Well, let’s say that Kai-kun was right about how his father was the last time he saw him, so not in very good condition. It’s even difficult to recognize him, but after the results of the preliminary analyses, combined with Kai-kun’s testimony, we can be more or less certain it’s him.”

“…‘Inflated,’ correct? But was it due to an enemy attack? I don’t recall ever hearing something like that about Iron Palm.”

While Shino asked with a grave expression, fearing that there might be a villain with such a horrific ability on the loose, Nemuri couldn’t hold back her tears, imagining the terrible state and the immense suffering Jiro must have endured.

“We still don’t have a concrete idea either; we’re looking into options.”

After Kenji responded, Nemuri held back her tears and commented with a broken voice.

“I remember Jiro-san occasionally saying that his warrior’s farewell would be with a ‘boom’... at the time, I thought he was speaking metaphorically, but... could it be more literal and refer to a technique?...”

“It’s an interesting theory. It could be a way of using his quirk. After all, it allowed him to harden himself despite being called [Force Control]. If that’s the case, there should be traces pointing to it, especially in his medical records. We need to review them.”

Kenji’s canine eyes gleamed with the information shared by Nemuri, as he commented and jotted down notes in his small notebook.

“Yes, it’s very possible he got injured at some point due to such a dangerous technique,” Shino added thoughtfully.

“Exactly, but the remains of Iron Palm are not the only thing we found. We also found more ‘remains.’”

“The culprits?!!” x2

Both Shino and Nemuri exclaimed simultaneously, the former filled with surprise and the latter with overwhelming hatred and a terrible thirst for revenge, something the other two present decided to ignore for the moment.

“That’s what we think too. The problem is that they are in a much worse state, making them completely unrecognizable. So, complex and intensive analyses will be needed on them, although I already have some suspects.”

“WHO ARE THEY?!!!”

Nemuri stood up from her chair, filled with hatred and with a murderous look on her delicate face, giving the impression that she would go on a hunt the moment she found out.

“Calm down, Midnight!!” Shino quickly replied loudly as she stood up to restrain Nemuri, who turned to look at her while shouting in anger.

“HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO CALM DOWN AFTER WHAT THOSE BASTARDS DID?!!!”

“I understand perfectly, but you are a professional heroine. You can’t let yourself be driven by anger, much less take justice into your own hands.”

Shino’s words caused Nemuri to stop, while an unpleasant and frustrated expression formed on her face. She then sat back down and remained silent, with her head down and her fists clenched.

“Midnight, I understand this is a very difficult time for you, but you can’t lose your focus. If you follow that path, you’ll end up leaving Kai-kun to his fate. Is that what you want?”

While Shino looked at Midnight with concern, Kenji spoke in a serious and formal tone, which immediately caused Nemuri to raise her head with a somewhat complicated look. After a moment of reflection, she let out a tired sigh.

“... I’m sorry for my outburst, and you’re right. Now more than ever, I must keep a clear mind. Kai-kun depends on me now; I can’t afford to make such a mistake.”

“Don’t worry, just don’t forget it. Your life is no longer just yours; you have someone who depends on you.” After a small sigh of relief, Shino commented with a small smile on her face.

“Yes, you’re right…”

“Well, it’s a relief that you can still stay centered, Midnight. I also have to apologize; at this moment, I can’t give more details about the case. Not because I doubt you, but because if my suspicions are correct, this is a bigger and more complicated case.”

With a calmer Nemuri, Kenji commented with a dark expression and a serious tone, which made Nemuri ask with a mix of confusion and curiosity.

“What do you mean?”

“There could be political hands involved in this case.”

Kenji’s response put an expression full of surprise on Nemuri’s beautiful tear-stained face, and she quickly asked.

“Are you sure? Why would a politician want to attack Jiro-san? I never heard of him having problems with any.”

“That’s precisely why I don’t dare to speak until I confirm my suspicions, as something like this has dangerous and very controversial implications. Additionally, I suspect things are a bit more complicated than an assassination attempt by someone higher up.”

Kenji’s comment was met with serious expressions from both Nemuri and Shino, who quickly commented.

“Indeed, this whole situation is getting more complicated with each new discovery. But let me offer my help, and from Wild Wild Pussycats, we will be vigilant and provide all the necessary assistance if needed.”

“You can also count on me, for whatever is needed.”

“I appreciate your cooperation, and I will continue investigating the case and try to keep you informed of any updates.”

After a polite farewell, Nemuri and Shino left Kenji's office and decided to go to a nearby café they knew well, to have a meal in a private place that would allow them to talk in a more relaxed and private manner.

The café had an elegant and classic look, with brown wooden floors and minimalist black chairs and tables. At the back, there was a finely finished wooden counter that matched the floor, with various desserts and utensils for preparing coffee.

Nemuri and Shino entered the café accompanied by the sound of a small bell on the door, then greeted a man in his 50s, wearing an elegant black waiter’s suit, silver-framed glasses, and carefully combed white hair, who was behind the counter.

“Oh, if it isn’t Nemuri-san and Shino-san, what a pleasure to see you here.”

“Toshiaki-san, how have you been?”

Shino asked with a small smile on her face, to which the man replied courteously.

“Same as always, busy and happy to share my passion with people.”

“Toshiaki-san, I really envy your mindset; I wish I could say something similar.” With a somewhat nostalgic smile, Nemuri commented softly.

“Hahaha, after aging so much, it’s not that difficult, Nemuri-san,” the man responded warmly with a small, elegant smile.

“If you say so. By the way, Toshiaki-san, is the private room available?”

“Of course, please go ahead.”

“Thank you very much. And the usual for us, Toshiaki-san.”

Opening the door to the private room revealed an intimate and cozy space with soft and relaxing lighting, provided by a modern floor lamp and several recessed lights in the ceiling that cast a gentle glow on the cream-colored walls.

The light, polished wooden floors complemented the simple and elegant ambiance of the room, while a wooden table with a light oak finish, surrounded by four cushioned chairs covered in beige linen fabric, occupied the center of the room, giving it an air of elegance and sophistication.

“I still find it hard to fully grasp the implications of Tsuragamae-san’s suspicions.”

As she sat in her chair, Shino commented, still a bit incredulous about what she had just heard. Nemuri, who had wiped away all traces of tears from her face, responded in a similar tone.

“Yes, even I find it hard to believe. I don’t recall Jiro-san having problems with people higher up.”

“Originally, I thought the same, but reflecting on Tsuragamae-san’s words, I remembered something that I initially dismissed due to its seemingly impossible implications. But this whole situation makes me less sure now.”

“What do you mean?” With a surprised expression, Nemuri quickly asked.

“Do you remember Kai-kun’s description of the attackers?”

“Yes, several dressed in black with white masks with horns, and one had a white coat and blue hair, right?”

“Exactly, and I know of a villain who fits that description very well.”

“What?!!”

Nemuri exclaimed in surprise, standing up and approaching Shino to grab her by the shoulders and ask.

“Who is it?!!”

“Calm down, it’s just a guess. Besides, if you want me to speak, you have to promise to keep quiet and do nothing about it, as you could alert those involved.” Shino gently pushed Nemuri aside while responding calmly.

While Nemuri took several deep breaths as she walked around the room, trying to keep her emotions under control, Shino picked up her coffee from the table, which they had brought from the counter, and started drinking elegantly and leisurely, giving Midnight the time she needed to gather her thoughts.

After a few minutes, Nemuri finally managed to calm down, so she sat back in her seat. After sipping a bit of her coffee, she looked Shino directly in the eyes and spoke in a firm tone.

“You’re right, I got carried away again. But I promise on the memory of Jiro-san and Alisa-san that I will keep the information secret.”

“I knew you could overcome it, and to keep you from being in suspense, I can tell you that the villain I’m referring to is known as BioBlast.”

“BioBlast? That sounds familiar… wait!” After pondering the name for a moment, Nemuri looked at Shino with disbelief and continued, “Wasn’t that the target of Jiro-san’s last raid? But that shouldn’t be possible, he was captured and sent to Tartarus… ohh.”

As a look of realization crossed Nemuri’s face, Shino nodded with a grave expression and commented.

“Exactly. That’s why the implications of this case are so significant. After all, once inside Tartarus, it should be impossible to get out. So, either the villain somehow managed to escape without alerting anyone, which is unlikely, or he was never there in the first place.”

“So that’s why the political intervention…” Nemuri let out her voice full of surprise and a bit of anger, almost like a sigh.

“Exactly.”

“This is getting quite complicated…”

Chapter 11: Did she also reincarnate?

Chapter Text

“This is getting quite complicated...”

“Yes, therefore, the best thing we can do right now is let Tsuragamae-san handle the investigation and avoid hindering his efforts by any means.”

Shino commented with a serious expression, causing Nemuri to let out a frustrated sigh from her beautiful cherry-colored lips.

“Haaaa… I suppose you’re right, though it’s a bit frustrating not being able to do anything in this situation.”

“Don’t say that; you also have a very big responsibility with Kai-kun. How are the preparations going?”

In response to Shino’s question, filled with a bit of concern, Nemuri replied in a calmer tone while sipping her delicious coffee.

“Well, I’ve already met with my lawyer to start the procedures for the succession of Jiro-san and Alisa-san’s assets to Kai-kun, as well as to be recognized as his legal guardian. Regarding being the legal guardian, my lawyer estimates it won’t take more than a couple of weeks since there are no other relatives. As for the succession, that could take a couple of months.”

“That’s a relief. And do you know where you’re going to live from now on? Your apartment isn’t big enough, and I don’t think it’s a good idea for Kai-kun to return to his parents’ house for the moment.”

“Yes, I thought about that too. That’s why I decided that for now, we’ll live in my apartment, even if it’s a bit tight, while the succession matter is resolved. Then I’d like to get Kai-kun’s opinion on which of his parents’ properties he’d like to live in.”

Thinking about the sweet Kai, Nemuri revealed a small smile as she spoke, something that spread to Shino, who added with a warm smile on her face.

“That sounds like a very good idea, and if you have any problems, you know you can always stay on our property. It’s quite large, and I don’t think any of the girls would object.”

“I appreciate the offer, but right now I want to stay as close to Kai-kun as possible. His attitude is really concerning; he’s practically a different person. Although I can see glimpses of the Kai-kun I always knew, most of the time, he seems like a stranger. This event has marked him so deeply that I feel it might be impossible for him to return to being that sweet and playful child.”

Saying the last part, a somewhat disheartened expression appeared on Nemuri’s face, prompting Shino to ask.

“It’s something that surprised me too—the mature attitude he shows, not at all like a child his age. But you say he wasn’t like this before. What was Kai-kun like before all this?”

“Well, although he was sometimes quite ‘mature’ and even a bit ‘odd’, most of the time he wasn’t much different from a normal child. He was very playful and so sweet that he could give you a sugar rush if you interacted with him for too long.

He was also a little genius; he learned to read and write at 2 years old and was playing with advanced mathematics by 4. That’s why Jiro-san and Alisa-san decided to wait and not enroll him in preschool, as they thought he might become arrogant seeing that he surpassed all his classmates.

Besides, Alisa-san strongly refused to enroll him in a gifted course that Jiro-san proposed. Hahaha, I still remember Jiro-san’s grim face complaining that Alisa-san made him sleep on the couch for a week after that. Those were really good times…

Kai also hated being given ready-made toys. According to him, the best gift you could give him was tools and materials to build his own toys. He would spend days in his little workshop working on his ‘projects’, as he liked to call them, and only allowed Alisa-san to enter after Jiro-san damaged one of his ‘projects’ and a couple of tools by accident, which made Alisa-san tease him all the time.”

Tears streamed down Nemuri’s face as she talked nonstop about the family that took her in as their own, cared for her, and loved her, a family she still found hard to believe she would never see again. Shino, meanwhile, took a packet of tissues from her bag to wipe the tears that had accumulated in her eyes and extended her hand to Nemuri to take some.

“You really love them.”

“Yes, I love them so much. They were my family. That’s why it hurts so much, losing them so suddenly. After all, I didn’t go on the trip because I had commitments at the agency. Maybe if I had gone, things would be different…”

Pain and regret intertwined in Nemuri’s tearful voice, causing Shino’s tears to increase exponentially as she spoke.

“Don’t blame yourself. No one knows what could have happened. Maybe life wanted you not to go so you could be there for Kai-kun and not leave him alone in such a difficult time.”

“Yes, it could be, but it’s so painful to see Kai-kun like this. He’s not even a shadow of what he used to be. He hasn’t even asked about his tools when he couldn’t go to sleep without checking them several times before.

Now he tries to act like an adult all the time. You know, before, whenever he saw me, he would run to hug me while shouting Onee-chan, Onee-chan. Now he doesn’t even want to make eye contact with me for long. I think he blames me for what happened, and he would be right to do so. I wasn’t there when he needed me most.”

Nemuri began to cry more heartbreakingly while hugging herself, causing Shino to quickly stand up and hug her, crying alongside her.

“Calm down. Kai-kun doesn’t think that way. He’s going through a very difficult time and needs you more than ever. You can’t let yourself be overwhelmed by pessimism.”

“Umm.”

The beautiful private room was filled with sobs of sadness from two women of unmatched beauty, imbuing the entire place with a gloomy and depressive atmosphere as time passed slowly.

...

In a VIP hospital room, a magically attractive five-year-old boy could be seen doing handstand push-ups steadily and slowly, his jet-black hair falling messily, contrasting with his white skin and deep blue eyes.

On his forehead, however, a detail contrasted with his angelic appearance: an elegant but visible scar running from the right side of his forehead to the edge of his eye. It looked more like a distinctive touch than a reminder of an unfortunate event, giving his face an air of mystery and courage that was surprisingly attractive.

This boy was Kai Saito, who was trying to ‘train’ but unfortunately couldn’t find satisfactory results.

“And 200.”

Kai whispered softly while pushing himself off the ground with his hand, flipping in the air to land firmly on his feet, then jumping onto the wide hospital bed.

“Really, my own weight is insufficient to make me feel any pressure. It almost feels like I’m playing with lifting pillows, barely feeling anything despite doing so many repetitions.”

Kai whispered to himself, then let out a disappointed sigh while lying on the bed and getting lost in his thoughts.

(After carefully examining Kai’s memories following my conversation with Onee-chan, I realized that Kai was indeed quite strong for a child his age, almost like a moderately trained adult.

He just never noticed it because his father was too strong and he instinctively repressed his strength when interacting with his mother. Also, he had strangely little interaction with other children, and oddly enough, it never bothered him, although that’s not so important.

What is important is that now it seems my quirk has somehow strengthened, as even without actively ‘fortifying’ myself, I am much stronger than before, nearing the peak level of an athletic adult.

On the other hand, Kai is almost a version of Daniel with better resources and a father. His hobbies are the same, and even his attitude is very similar, although Kai is definitely more talented. While their skills are almost at the same level, Daniel took decades to develop, whereas Kai only a few years.

Also, no matter how I look at it, Alisa is identical to Daniel’s mother, though her beauty was incomparable. It’s like Daniel’s mother with a few beauty filters, but everything else is a carbon copy—her attitude, personality, and way of speaking, despite the language difference, are practically exact.

Did she also reincarnate? Is Alisa really Daniel’s mother? And was Jiro a version of Daniel’s father?

Hmm... the first two are practically impossible to answer now, and as for the last one, it’s a definite NO. If there’s anyone I despise and hate more than Daniel’s worst self, it’s that bastard who impregnated my mother.

He not only abandoned the woman who gave him everything when he got her pregnant but also ended up being her killer years later. That bastard, one of my greatest regrets is not being able to kill that piece of trash with my own hands.)

As hatred and anger filled Kai’s mind, his aura seemed to go out of control for a moment, so he had to take a couple of deep breaths to calm himself before getting lost in his thoughts again.

(It’s a fact, Jiro, my father, is not like that piece of trash. For one, my eye and hair color are different, and even though Kai and Daniel are quite similar in appearance, it’s more like they are brothers from the same mother rather than identical twins...

Hey!!, I like that, and it makes perfect sense. So there’s nothing more to add on that matter. I am now Kai Saito, son of Jiro Saito, a real man, an admirable man who gave his life to protect his family. Though a bit naive, he is someone I can proudly call my father.

So cheer up, Daniel, we no longer have to bear the eternal shame of coming from such a rotten piece of filth. We are now the son of an admirable man, so let me bury that name in the sea of my memories and finally escape that shame.)

A peculiar smile settled on Kai’s angelic face as he enjoyed the strange feeling of liberation he was experiencing. After a while, he changed his position on the bed and got lost in his thoughts again.

(But let’s get back to where we left off. I’m going to need special equipment for my training, although thanks to the fact that strengthening quirks aren’t that rare, it shouldn’t be too difficult to obtain… Wait!!

If my father had a strengthening quirk, it means he should have that equipment somewhere. Even though I never saw it at home, it must be somewhere. I should ask Onee-chan, she should know where it is, which will save me a lot of trouble and especially money.

Speaking of money, from my childhood memories in this world, I know my family was quite well-off—well, more than well-off, they were damn rich, much more than I ever managed in my previous life. So, I shouldn’t worry about money in the short term unless something weird happens with the inheritance or my personal savings...

But for now, let’s get back to the point. I have my [Aura] and my [Haki] to train. [Haki] is complicated since it was never directly shown how to train it apart from blindfolding yourself while someone else attacks. So, let’s leave that for now and focus on my [Aura] and start with the basics.)

Chapter 12: Kame… Hame…

Chapter Text

With a plan in mind, Kai jumped out of the large hospital bed in one leap, then threw a few punches and kicks in the air, using the small exercise as a warm-up while his mind began to analyze his options.

(Well, we have [Ten], [Zetsu], [Ren], and [Hatsu]. The problem is that my [Nen] is a bit different from how it’s described in the series. After all, I have to make a conscious effort to activate my [Nen], otherwise, I don’t feel like I’m leaking even a drop of aura.

But well, I have nothing to lose by trying. So, let’s start with [Ten]. If I remember correctly, [Ten] was described as making the aura flow through your body to nourish it, creating a stable mantle of aura around the body for defense. So let’s try something similar.)

Not knowing exactly how to achieve it, Kai tried different poses he saw in the anime, hoping they might be useful and make the task easier. After some time experimenting, he found one he felt comfortable in, so he activated [Gyo] and began to strengthen his entire body.

Seeing the whitish aura all over his body, Kai deactivated [Gyo], closed his eyes, and started imagining the aura flowing through his entire body. After trying for a while, he began to feel something similar to a warm, viscous liquid covering him completely.

(Yes, it’s working. As I recall, it should take a novice months to master this. Let’s see how long I can hold it…)

Determined to maintain [Ten] for as long as possible, Kai sat on the bed to get comfortable, never losing concentration. But after an hour, [Ten] remained active without any apparent change.

(Wasn’t maintaining [Ten] supposed to be difficult for a novice? Is it because I’m a super genius like Gon and Killua? Or is it because my aura is different? ... Hard to say. For now, let’s test some things.)

Full of curiosity, Kai walked around the room, jumped a little, did some push-ups, sit-ups, squats, hung from the bathroom door frame, and did more pull-ups. After two hours, he finally began to feel it becoming difficult to maintain [Ten], so he deactivated it.

(I lasted quite a while. Is it because my aura is different from how it’s described in the series? That’s the most likely. For now, let’s rest a bit before moving on to [Ren].)

Kai lay on the bed completely still with his eyes closed and remained that way with a blank mind for about 30 minutes. Then he opened his eyes again, slowly got out of bed, and proceeded to take another posture.

(As I remember, [Ren] was similar to [Ten], but instead of maintaining a stable mantle, you must produce as much aura as possible to enhance attacks, very similar to Ki aura. So here we go.)

Kai adopted the iconic Z-warrior stance and proceeded to 'fortify' himself with all his might, which made him feel incredibly strong and full of energy. Curious, he used [Gyo] on his eyes, and a broad smile couldn’t help but spread across his lips.

A raging whitish aura surrounded him, very similar to the iconic Ki aura of the Z warriors, which filled Kai with excitement. In a low voice to avoid alerting anyone, he started to 'shout' like the iconic character and then made his own sound effects with his mouth.

“Ahhhhhh!!!, ZzzZZzzzZZzzZZzz”

Kai’s excitement got out of hand after seeing and feeling his childhood fantasy in person, so he immediately put his hands together imitating another iconic pose and started to 'shout' in a low voice while imagining his aura concentrating in his hands in the form of a sphere.

“Kame… Hame… H…”

Kai’s giant smile instantly disappeared from his face when he began to see a strong blue light forming in the space between his hands. Panicking, he quickly stopped his 'fortification', which, to his relief, caused the light to immediately vanish, allowing him to let out a sigh of relief as he sat on the floor with a look of astonishment.

“Impossible!!, a [Kame Hame Ha] was really forming. That shouldn’t be possible. Although it’s true I should have 100% efficiency in emission and Goku, a low-class Saiyan, managed to master it on his first try, he’s still a damn Saiyan, a warrior race, not to mention his years of martial arts training.

Meanwhile, I’m just a simple human who doesn’t even know how to throw the most basic punch, apart from a couple I learned in some boxing classes. So it doesn’t make any sense that I could do it so easily. But well, it could be a simple misunderstanding and it wasn’t a real [Kame Hame Ha]...

But whatever it was, it seems this aura of mine is more special than I thought. Damn, I hit the jackpot... But for now, let’s calm down and move on to the combination of [Ten] and [Ren]—[Ken].”

After taking a deep breath on the floor for a moment, Kai stood up again, adopted the iconic stance, and activated [Ren] with all his might while trying to keep it stable around him like [Ten].

While a thick white aura surrounded him, Kai tried to move as before, but this time it only took about 10 minutes before he began to feel exhausted, so he deactivated his [Ken] and lay down on the bed.

(So I only lasted about 10 minutes. Although I don’t remember exactly how long Killua and Gon lasted the first time, it shouldn’t be too bad. Although I need a lot of training, with that done, now [Zetsu] and [Hatsu] remain—the most difficult.

I have no idea where to start with [Zetsu]; I don’t feel at any point that there’s aura leaking from my body. So the best thing would be to focus on the aspect of erasing my presence. As for [Hatsu], I have all the categories, so I should try them one by one. But for now, let’s rest. I feel exhausted.)

After a loud yawn, Kai looked at his body with [Gyo] again, confirming that he couldn’t see an aura unless he consciously activated it. So he closed his eyes again while trying to remember everything he could about [Zetsu] and the categories of [Nen], but at some point, sleep overcame him and he fell asleep.

…

After Nemuri and Shino cried their hearts out in the beautiful private room of the café, they calmed down a bit and sat back in their seats, then ordered new drinks as the ones they had were already cold.

“I really needed to vent. Thank you, Mandalay.”

Nemuri commented with a new cup of hot coffee in her hands, to which Shino responded with a smile while sipping her coffee.

“Don’t be so formal, just call me Shino.”

“Sure, Shino. You can call me Nemuri if you prefer.”

“Of course, Nemuri. But getting back to the topic, how are Iron Palm and Alisa-san’s funerals being handled?”

“Haaa... I still don’t know. It was decided that an autopsy would be done on Alisa-san, so I’ve already contacted a funeral home to handle the entire process,” Nemuri responded in a sad and melancholic tone.

“Hmm, without intending to impose my opinion, let me give you a suggestion.”

“Of course, go ahead.”

“I would suggest you hold a private wake, just for close friends. After all, the investigation is still ongoing, and it’s better to avoid exposing Kai-kun to the media frenzy that will ensue.”

“That’s a great suggestion. I also think it’s the best course of action. I chose that funeral home for their discretion and professional ethics. On the other hand, I also need to inform the staff at Iron Palm’s agency and Alisa-san’s clinic.”

“What will you do with the agency and the clinic?”

“As for the agency, it’s best to dismantle it. Although it was technically Iron Palm’s agency, there were no other heroes in it besides him since he preferred to work alone. So aside from the domestic and administrative staff, there’s nothing else.

But since Jiro-san had all his training equipment there, it could be turned into a gym for Kai. I’ll have to talk to him about it. As for the clinic, it’s best to rent it out. After all, Alisa-san owned the entire building, and it was highly coveted, so it won’t be difficult to do so.”

Savoring the delicious and calming coffee, Nemuri commented in a calm tone, to which Shino nodded in agreement and then asked with some concern.

“That sounds very reasonable. Have you thought about what to do with your work as a heroine?”

“Yes, I’ve already contacted my agency and announced my resignation. I think it’s time to take a break for a while to focus on Kai-kun. Maybe when things stabilize a bit, I can return, although I suppose I’ll need to redesign my costume.”

Nemuri let out a sigh full of reluctance after answering, which made Shino smile amusedly as she added mischievously.

“Hehehe, many people will be sad if the famous R-18 heroine Midnight disappears for a while. But I never imagined you would consider changing your costume.”

“Well, what can I say? Although I say change it, it will still be a bit ‘spicy’. After all, it’s necessary for my quirk. Besides, to be honest, I can’t fight what I am.” With a resigned smile, Nemuri commented casually.

“Haha, Kai-kun will really need his invisible cape.”

“Hmph, Kai is like my little brother. I’ll make sure to set a good example.”

“Yes, yes, whatever the R-18 heroine says...”

“Hahahahaha.” x2

After Nemuri and Shino joked a bit more, they left the café when it was already getting dark and went their separate ways. Shino went to meet the other members of the Pussycats, while Nemuri headed towards the hospital.

…

Some time later, Nemuri arrived at the hospital, where she spoke briefly with the doctor before heading to Kai’s room. She found him asleep in bed, with messy hair and covered in dried sweat, which brought a smile to her lips as she approached him.

“No matter how much he pretends to be an adult, he’s still a careless child.”

With a maternal smile on her face, Nemuri called the nurse to ask for a few towels, a new gown, and a basin of warm water. When the nurse arrived at the room, she offered to clean Kai, but Nemuri declined and decided to do it herself.

“You know, little one, life will be complicated from now on, but don’t worry because Nemuri Onee-chan will be there for you and I’ll make sure you’re never alone again.”

Whispering softly, Nemuri undressed the sleeping Kai and gently cleaned him while tears softly fell from her eyes. She then put a new gown on him and tucked him in with care.

With Kai clean, Nemuri went to the bathroom, where she showered for a long time. Afterward, she put on a black silk pajama she had brought and lay down next to the small and sweet Kai.

“Goodnight, Kai.”

Nemuri whispered softly as she looked at his scar with a bit of pain, but after a tired sigh, she kissed Kai on the forehead, snuggled under the covers, and hugged him as she slowly fell asleep.

Chapter 13: a scaredy-cat with water

Chapter Text

The next morning, the first rays of the sun gently illuminated the hospital room, revealing Nemuri with a peaceful expression on her face, sleeping next to Kai. Her dark blue hair was loose and spread across the pillow, falling in cascading curls that framed her tranquil face.

Her long eyelashes rested on her cheeks, with her beautiful cherry-colored lips slightly parted, releasing a soft breath, while her white skin contrasted with her disheveled black silk pajamas, revealing the silhouette of her seductive and voluptuous body.

In Nemuri's arms was the small figure of a five-year-old boy with messy jet-black hair and a noticeable scar running across his forehead, adding a new dimension of depth to his angelic face, which was relaxed in sleep.

Amid this idyllic scene, Nemuri opened her eyes and smiled at the sight of Kai’s angelic face still asleep as he hugged her. She decided to stay lying down with him, gently stroking his hair as she waited for the boy to wake up.

After about half an hour, Kai slowly opened his eyes while rubbing them, trying to orient himself, still half asleep. But when he saw Nemuri’s face with a calm expression and softly smiling at him, he was stupefied. After all, he was seeing what was probably the greatest expression of beauty he had ever seen.

Nemuri’s face was an impressive spectacle of unparalleled perfection, with perfectly symmetrical and stylized features as if they had been sculpted by a master whose skill was beyond the human realm. Additionally, her eyes, large and bright like night stars, were of a blue so deep that they could be compared to the vast ocean.

In contrast, her nose was small and well-defined, and her skin seemed like porcelain, perfectly white and completely devoid of any blemishes, to the point where it could embarrass a baby with its softness and delicacy, while her pointed chin complemented her natural elegance.

It was precisely for this reason that Kai avoided looking at her. Nemuri's beauty was not something a human could possess; it went beyond what his memories from his past life could handle, making him feel as if she wasn’t human but something else, something that shouldn’t exist—the living representation of perfection.

Despite Kai himself being devilishly handsome, even for his age, and far surpassing what he was as Daniel in his past life, when it came to himself, the memories and sensations of this life were stronger, and he could only see himself as a slightly more handsome version of Daniel with different hair and eye colors, as if he had simply taken a photo with filters.

But with other people, it was different. In his mind, they seemed almost extraterrestrial due to their excessive beauty, which inevitably gave him an overwhelming feeling of the uncanny valley when he looked at them.

On her part, seeing Kai staring at her for so long with a stupefied expression, Nemuri laughed softly while hugging him tightly.

“What’s wrong? Is my little Kai so happy to wake up with his Onee-chan? Hehe, don’t worry, from now on, you’ll never sleep alone again. Onee-chan will always share the bed with Kai.”

In her happiness, Nemuri gave Kai a big kiss on the head and got out of bed with the little one in her arms, heading towards the bathroom.

“Well, little Kai, let’s take a nice bath to start the day. I talked to the doctor yesterday, and he said they’ll do the last checkups today, and you’ll most likely be discharged in the afternoon, so we need to be ready to go.”

“But Onee-chan, I don’t want to bathe. I want to train first, and besides, I’m big enough to bathe on my own.”

Kai tried to object, but Nemuri immediately silenced him with a strict tone.

“None of that. It’s good that you follow your father’s advice about training, but you can’t go around training half-naked in a hospital gown. So, no training until you have proper clothes. Besides, you’re still just a baby who doesn’t know how to bathe properly, so Onee-chan will bathe you, and that’s final.”

“...”

Nemuri entered the bathroom with a defeated Kai in her arms, but without paying attention to the boy's complicated expression, the stunningly beautiful woman quickly took off his hospital gown, then undressed herself and stepped into the shower.

Although, from the bottom of his heart, Kai wanted to close his eyes, curiosity proved to be greater. After all, if she was already inhumanly beautiful with clothes, how would she be without them? So, he quickly took a quick glance at Nemuri's sexy and voluptuous body.

But a naked Nemuri went beyond what Kai expected. Under the soft lights of the bathroom, Nemuri exuded an ethereal and sensual aura that seemed to emanate from her very essence. With her long, dark blue hair falling freely down her back, accentuating the curvature of her shoulders and the delicate fall of her arms.

Meanwhile, her breasts, large and round breasts remained firm and upright against gravity, giving the impression of being two ripe fruits ready to be consumed. A pair of small pink protuberances proudly stood erect at their center, provoking the primal desires of whoever gazed at them.

From Nemuri's provocative breasts, her flat and stylized abdomen continued, a testament to her training, which served as a prelude to her delicate and immaculate pussy. It was softly colored with an attractive pink tone, while a few dark blue hairs occupied the upper part, as if they were a crown destined to ornament an exquisite landscape.

But the work of art known as Nemuri still had more to boast, with long and elegant legs that were a hypnotic display of smooth and firm curves that seemed sculpted in marble. These rose from her small, delicate feet to end in a pair of large, attractive, and juicy buttocks, perfectly round and upright. This highlighted her mature beauty even more, giving her the sensation of being able to dissipate any amount of stress just by squeezing them a little.

The scene was so overwhelming that Kai could only take a quick glance before tightly closing his eyes, immediately trying to chant in his mind all the mantras, prayers, or anything that could calm him. After all, Nemuri's beauty and sensuality were no longer within the realm of humanity and seemed to fully enter the divine.

"Look at you, talking so much about training when you can't even keep your eyes open because you're sleepy. Hahaha, you can't fool Nemuri Onee-chan. I know perfectly well that my Kai-chan has always been a scaredy-cat with water, hehehe," Nemuri commented amusedly as she saw Kai with his eyes closed, making him look incredibly cute in her eyes.

"..."

Kai simply turned his back and leaned against the bathroom wall, hoping the cold wall against his chest would drive away all his inappropriate thoughts. But suddenly, a warm sensation enveloped him, while a pair of firm and elastic mounds rested on his shoulders, causing his mind to short-circuit.

"Don't be like that, Kai-chan. Don't be mad at Onee-chan. A cute boy like you can't go around without bathing. You must bathe every day, but don't worry, your Onee-chan will teach you the pleasures of a good bath, fufufu," Nemuri commented with a loving and somewhat amused voice after giving the boy a warm kiss on the head.

Nemuri's voice close to his ear caused Kai's completely blank mind to restart, allowing him to respond with a somewhat strange tone, which to the beautiful naked woman sounded like a mix of sleepiness and resignation.

"I'm not mad, Onee-chan."

"Hehehe, that's my little Kai-chan. That's why I love you so much, sweetie."

Nemuri gave Kai a big kiss on the cheek, then lifted him and turned on the shower, letting the hot water flow freely over them for a while as they kept their eyes closed and allowed the peaceful moment to linger.

"You know, Kai, I know this is a very difficult time, but we both need to be very strong to move forward and live happily, as I'm sure Jiro-san and Alisa-san would want for us."

The idyllic moment of peace under the shower's water came to an end when Nemuri suddenly spoke in a soft voice filled with all kinds of emotions, to which Kai responded with a firm and determined tone.

"Don't worry, Onee-chan. I'll make sure something like this never happens again. I'll make sure to protect you."

An enchanting smile formed on Nemuri's face, who commented in a cheerful tone full of love, leaving behind all the melancholy that had overwhelmed her just moments ago.

"Ohh, my Kai-chan is such a reliable boy. Onee-chan feels very safe now that Kai-chan will protect me. And tell me, Kai-chan, what will you do to protect Onee-chan?"

"For now, I'll train with all my might to become strong enough to ensure no one can hurt you, Onee-chan."

"Oh." Kai's serious response caused some tears that combined melancholy and happiness to slide down Nemuri's face as she continued, "My Kai is the best boy in the world. I'll make sure to support you with all my heart so you can achieve that."

Kai let Nemuri hug him while she cried softly and let out small sighs occasionally, doing his best to ignore the pair of tempting mounds on his back until, after a while, Nemuri calmed down. After a loving kiss on the cheek, she began to bathe him.

Nemuri quickly washed Kai and then herself, dressing him in clothes she had bought the previous day. The cute boy ended up wearing simple black pants and an elegant long-sleeved black shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, along with a brown belt and stylish brown leather slip-on shoes.

For her part, Nemuri wore a long-sleeved black dress that hugged her body and had an elegant neckline, reaching slightly below her knees, along with a fine leather belt at her waist, which highlighted her voluptuous and curvy figure.

After checking both her appearance and Kai's, Nemuri nodded in satisfaction and then left the room to take Kai to a small consultation room, where they performed some routine tests before signing his discharge.

Chapter 14: Wild Wild Pussycats

Chapter Text

While Kai was undergoing his tests, Nemuri made a phone call to Shino, who had offered to look after the little one for a few hours while she took care of the funeral arrangements.

[Hello Shino, it's Nemuri.]

[Hi, are you leaving the hospital now? I'm almost there, and the whole team decided to join me to keep Kai-kun company.]

[Thank you all so much for your help. Right now, Kai is having his final routine tests.]

[Alright, we should arrive before they're finished. See you soon.]

[That's a relief, and thank you again.]

[Don't worry about it.]

After hanging up, Nemuri quickly contacted the office in charge of the funeral arrangements.

[Hello, this is Kayama Nemuri. I'm calling to inquire about a ceremony scheduled for today.]

[Hello Kayama-sama, of course. Let me check... Kayama-sama, the necessary procedures are nearly complete, and everything should be ready in two hours.]

[Thank you, and I'd like to remind you to keep the matter as discreet as possible.]

[Don't worry, Kayama-sama. Our company is known for maintaining the highest level of discretion and impeccable work ethics.]

[That's a relief. I'll call again in two hours then.]

[Of course, Kayama-sama. It's a pleasure to serve you.]

After confirming the time, Nemuri decided to call a few close and trusted acquaintances, inviting them to the conference room at Jiro-san's agency, taking advantage of it being empty since both Jiro-san and Alisa-san had given all employees a vacation before leaving.

Some time later, the Pussycats gang arrived at the hospital parking lot where Nemuri was waiting for them.

“Hello Nemuri, has Kai-kun come out yet?”

“Hi again, and no, not yet, but he shouldn't be long.”

“Arere, it seems you two have gotten quite close in the time we were apart.”

A woman with long green hair, large yellow eyes, and an energetic attitude commented, moving with an almost theatrical agility that gave her a playful charm. Shino responded with a small, elegant smile on her delicate face.

“Well, something like that. Let's say we became closer after crying together.”

“Oh, so there's a good story there. I won't rest until I have all the details, fufufu. Nemuri, can I call you that? You can call me Tomoko in return, Hehe.”

The green-haired woman cheerfully commented with her arms in the air, contrasting with her elegant outfit of black pants, a white blouse, and a pale green long-sleeved jacket. Nemuri smiled and warmly responded.

“Of course, Tomoko. It's a pleasure to see you again.”

“The same goes for me. Feel free to call me Ryuko.”

Behind the green-haired woman, Tomoko, a feminine voice came from a beautiful blonde woman with a large fringe and bright green eyes, dressed in a knee-length pleated skirt and a loose pink sweater. This gave an elegant air to her athletic physique.

“Of course, Ryuko.”

“And don't forget about me. Just Chatora is fine.”

The speaker was a broad and muscular man with well-groomed short black hair, dressed in beige pants, a black shirt, and a brown jacket, giving him a somewhat elegant air.

“How could I forget you, Chatora?”

“Well, with the greetings over, let's go see the little one who has Shino smitten, fufufu.”

The blonde woman, Ryuko, commented with a hand to her mouth in a teasing tone, causing Shino to react like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, exclaiming in annoyance.

"Hey, Ryuko, what do you mean by 'smitten'?!!"

"But you're always talking about him—how cute he is, how mature he is, how well that scar suits him. You're a girl in love, Shino, fufufu." Imitating Ryuko, Tomoko added in a mocking tone.

"Hey!! Cut it out, Tomoko. You're going to give Nemuri the wrong idea."

"Yeah, you two should stop. Don’t you see it’s problematic for Shino if Nemuri-san finds out she's a shotacon?" Chatora joined in the fun, commenting cheerfully, which provoked a strong reaction from Shino.

"Chatora!!!!"

““““HAHAHAHAHAHA””””

As the Pussycats group joked among themselves, a small smile formed on Nemuri's face, and she commented with a hint of longing in her voice.

"I really envy how well you guys get along."

"Hahaha, well, we’ve been together for so many years."

As Ryuko commented with a smile, Tomoko suddenly exclaimed while pointing towards the hospital door.

"Arara, isn't that the famous Kai-kun?!"

Everyone present turned in the direction Tomoko was pointing, where they saw a small five-year-old boy with a scar on his forehead, exceptionally attractive and elegant in appearance, with black hair, blue eyes, and a stylish black shirt and pants ensemble, exuding an almost hypnotizing charm.

"Wow, that boy is a natural lady-killer. I swear I'm not a shotacon like Shino, but my heart skipped a beat when I saw him," Ryuko commented, somewhat surprised, with a hand on her chest.

"Hey! That joke isn’t funny anymore! Although, you're right, he is a little heartbreaker. It's really a mystery how a simple-faced guy like Iron Palm could father a child like that. I guess Alisa-san really had strong genes," Shino commented with a smile after complaining a bit.

"Yeah, that's the only possible explanation."

"Hey, stop ogling Kai-kun and leave Jiro-san alone." Nemuri replied annoyed, to which Shino asked with a mischievous smile on her beautiful face.

"Oh, do you dare deny that he was a simple-faced guy?"

"..."

"Hahaha, that’s what I thought."

With an annoyed huff, Nemuri chose to ignore Shino's smug smile and quickly approached little Kai.

"Kai, what happened? Why are you here? I was supposed to pick you up. Did something go wrong with the tests?"

"Nothing happened, Onee-chan. The tests went well, so instead of waiting, I decided to come find you." Kai responded calmly, which quickly earned a reprimand from Nemuri.

"You shouldn't do that, Kai. What if you got lost? Or what if someone tried to kidnap you on the way?"

"I have my quirk, so I won't get lost, and if someone approaches with bad intentions, I can run or call for help, so I don't think anything bad will happen." Kai responded casually, which annoyed Nemuri a bit more, prompting her to start scolding him.

"Don't get smart with me, young man. You're still too young to be wandering around alone. You have..."

Seeing Nemuri start to scold Kai, Shino elegantly stepped to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder, commenting with a smile.

"Nemuri, don't be too hard on Kai-kun. It’s true he made a mistake, but we can teach him from now on."

"But..." Nemuri turned to look at Shino, who shook her head and commented.

"We'll address this matter later. For now, you have something important to take care of, right?"

"…Fine, you got lucky this time, but," Nemuri turned back to Kai and continued, "we still have a conversation pending, young man."

"..."

Kai simply remained silent and nodded, to which Shino quickly extended her hand with a smile and greeted him.

"Hello, Kai-kun, you look very elegant in those clothes."

"Hello, Sosaki-san, thank you very much. Onee-chan brought them for me," Kai greeted politely, while Nemuri let out a tired sigh.

"If you like, you can call me Shino Onee-chan, Kai-kun, but before everything..."

Shino commented with a smile and quickly approached the other members of the Wild Wild Pussycats, who also had smiles on their faces and quickly started to chant and strike curious poses.

♫♫♫♫

♪ “The four of us are always one” ♪

♪ “Always shining and in the spotlight” ♪

♪ “We're here to lend a helping paw” ♪

♪ “Appearing out of nowhere...” ♪

♪ “Sharply cute and cat-like”♪

♪ “Wild Wild Pussycats”♪

♫♫♫♫

“Complete version”

“Ragdoll”

“Pixie-bob”

“Mandalay”

“Tiger”

After the short sung dialogue, the four members of the Wild Wild Pussycats adopted their iconic presentation pose, with Ryuko and Chatora in the back with their arms in a cat position, while Tomoko and Shino were in the front with their arms extended to the sides.

Kai opened his eyes in surprise at the performance by the Pussycats. Although it wasn't unusual for anime characters to do such things, seeing it in real life was a whole new level of surrealism.

Not to mention that the participants in the comedic act were women of superhuman beauty alongside a rugged and muscular man, which exponentially amplified the unreality of the situation. To the point where Kai could almost feel how his little emotional resistance, which he had managed to build up by bathing with Nemuri, was evaporating.

The Pussycats laughed at Kai's expression and approached him while Pixie-Bob initiated a conversation.

"It's a pleasure to officially meet you, Kai-kun."

Ryuko's voice snapped Kai out of his daze, and he quickly adjusted his shirt, trying to cover up his reaction a bit, then bowed respectfully.

"It's a pleasure to meet the Pussycats. I would like to thank you for the help you gave me, and I will make sure to repay your kindness in the future."

"Hahaha, you really acted just as Shino said. We'll be looking forward to it, kid," Chatora commented, somewhat amused by Kai's demeanor, to which Kai simply responded.

"I will make sure not to disappoint your expectations."

With a somewhat proud smile at Kai's behavior, Nemuri approached the little one and patted his head while commenting with a smile full of affection.

"Well, Kai, Onee-chan has to take care of some boring business, so I asked the Pussycats to take you out for a fun day today."

"…Alright," Kai responded with a nod after looking into Nemuri's eyes for a moment, to which Shino added with a warm smile.

"Well, Kai-kun, say goodbye to your Onee-chan because a day full of fun awaits us."

"Goodbye, Kai. I'll miss you a lot, but as soon as I'm done, I'll come running to you," Nemuri hugged Kai tightly as she said goodbye, then gave him a big kiss on the cheek, to which Kai responded with a smile.

"Goodbye, Onee-chan. I hope you finish quickly. I'll be waiting for you."

Chapter 15: …Did Alisa really pass away?

Chapter Text

After Nemuri said goodbye to Kai, she headed towards the Iron Palm agency building, where the guards immediately recognized her and allowed her to enter without any questions.

"Important guests will be arriving, so please escort them to the conference room."

"Understood."

As she passed the guards, Nemuri spoke in a professional tone, to which the guards quickly responded similarly. She proceeded into the building, passing through an elegant and minimalist reception area, and swiftly reached the elevators.

Nemuri took the elevator up and entered the large, elegant conference room. She turned on a modern coffee machine and tidied up the place to accommodate her guests, who began arriving shortly thereafter, quietly taking their seats after a cordial greeting.

An hour and a half later, the six guests arrived, along with an unexpected addition. Seated from right to left at the conference table were: UA Academy's principal, Nezu; one of Japan's top professional heroes, Best Jeanist; the semi-retired legend, Gran Torino; the professional hero, Eraserhead; the renowned fashion designer, Yumiko Hado; and the major shareholder and acclaimed genius inventor from one of the world's leading tech firms, Keiko Yaoyorozu.

Lastly, but certainly not least, at the head of the table was the unexpected presence of the living legend, the undisputed number one hero in Japan, and probably the world, the symbol of peace, All Might.

Nemuri nearly jumped in surprise upon seeing All Might, as she knew he was acquainted with both Jiro-san and Alisa-san but had no way to contact him. It was a complete surprise to see him there. However, maintaining her composure, Nemuri quickly served drinks to the guests, as there was no staff available to assist her.

"Well, Midnight, I'd like you to tell me why you called us all here so urgently. You mentioned it was an Iron Palm summons to share important information, but I don't see him anywhere."

The speaker was a small anthropomorphic individual with features resembling a mouse, a dog, and a bear, a unique case where a "Quirk" developed in an animal—the principal of the Hero Academy, Nezu.

Nezu voiced the concerns visible in the expressions of everyone present, except for All Might, who unusually remained silent with a somewhat solemn expression beneath his characteristic heroic smile.

"First of all, I apologize for lying to you, but I considered it necessary to maintain the utmost discretion about the information I am about to share." Nemuri closed her eyes and took a deep breath before continuing. "Jiro Saito, or Iron Palm, his wife, Alisa Saito, and their young son were attacked during their vacation, and unfortunately, the only survivor of the incident was their five-year-old son."

"What?!!"

"How?!!"

"Impossible!!"

Voices filled with disbelief echoed through the room, with everyone visibly disturbed. Some tried to determine if Nemuri was lying, while others, especially the two other women in the room, seemed absolutely shocked and unable to believe what they were hearing.

"Everyone, please calm down."

Suddenly, All Might's strong and magnetic voice was heard in the room, causing everyone to look at him and silence to reign. He then asked in a solemn tone, to which Nemuri responded with a voice filled with sadness and reluctance.

"I'd like to ask if this has been confirmed, Midnight."

"Yes... the bodies of Alisa-san and Jiro-san have been recovered from the scene."

"I see..."

In response to Nemuri, All Might could only reply softly, with countless emotions repressed in his chest. Meanwhile, Principal Nezu asked in a serious tone, setting aside his usual playful demeanor.

"I'd also like you to provide more details about what happened."

"It's a bit complicated to do so at this moment, as the case is still under investigation. I don't dare speak carelessly, but it's being investigated by Police Chief Tsuragamae Kenji."

"I understand."

“When will the funeral take place?” Best Jeanist asked in an elegant tone, although it was evident that he was not as composed as he appeared.

“That’s another reason I’ve called you here. The funeral will be held tonight, and everyone present is invited. However, I’d like to ask that this information be treated with great discretion to avoid hindering the investigation and to have enough time to protect their son from the media scandal this will cause.”

“I will make sure to attend, and I believe I speak for everyone when I say I am committed to not disclosing anything about this,” All Might said. Hearing his words, everyone nodded seriously.

“Nemuri-san, how is little Kai-chan?”

Yumiko Hado asked with a worried voice that threatened to break at any moment, while Keiko Yaoyorozu, unable to speak, just looked at Nemuri in silence, still struggling to believe that possibly her only friend had died so suddenly.

“Kai-kun is physically fine, but the event was devastating to his mentality. He changed dramatically overnight, so much so that I’m sure you won’t recognize him when you see him. His attitude is completely different; it’s so concerning that I’ve decided to take care of him to prevent the situation from worsening.”

“You?!” Keiko Yaoyorozu couldn’t help but exclaim, but quickly continued while trying to calm her erratic emotions. “I’m sorry… I don’t mean to offend you, but I didn’t see you wanting to take care of Kai-kun. Taking care of a child is not easy, especially for a single woman. That’s something I can tell you from my own experience.”

“I offer to take care of Kai-chan… he’s already like a younger brother to Nejire, so it will be easier for him to adjust,” Yumiko Hado added, her voice still trembling, to which Nemuri responded in a calm and serious tone.

“Hado-san, I appreciate your offer, but I must decline. You and your husband are very busy people, and Kai-kun is in a very delicate moment and needs all the attention possible, something you cannot provide. Also, don’t worry, I understand your concerns, but I have already resigned from my agency and will retire for a while to focus entirely on Kai-kun.”

“Your resolve is impressive… so I’ll believe in you for now, but the way you describe Kai-chan worries me… is the little one really that bad?” Yumiko Hado asked apprehensively, to which Keiko Yaoyorozu quickly added in a cold tone, hoping it would help mask her emotions that could overflow at any moment.

“I feel the same. Where is he right now? I’d like to see Kai-kun immediately. The way you talked about his situation has me anxious, and I can’t sit idly by.”

“He’s currently with the Pussycats while I handle this and other matters that need to be resolved as quickly as possible.”

“Midnight, I’d also like to talk to the boy. Will he be at the funeral tonight?” All Might asked in a serious tone while looking directly into Nemuri’s eyes, to which she quickly replied.

“Of course, All Might. I know it will be difficult for him, but it’s necessary for him to say goodbye to his parents.”

“Then I’d like to meet with him before the ceremony starts.”

“I’d like that too.”

“Me too.”

Yumiko and Keiko's voices quickly joined in the request, so Nemuri promptly responded.

“Well, my original idea was for the funeral to start at 7 PM, so we could meet at 6 PM at a nearby café. However, I’d like you to confirm who will attend so I can send you the address.”

“I’ll be there.”

“Me too.”

“Same here.”

…

“Well, I’ll send the address right now, and since I know you’re all busy people, I won’t take up any more of your time.”

“Thank you for letting us know, Midnight.”

“…”

Everyone present began to leave, each taking different paths, but they all shared a common expression of distress on their faces. Even the perpetually smiling All Might looked a bit subdued.

When everyone had left, Keiko Yaoyorozu approached Nemuri with a cold expression that struggled to conceal countless emotions and asked in an apprehensive voice.

"…Did Alisa really pass away?"

Nemuri looked into the beautiful woman's eyes before sighing melancholically and responding.

"Yes… I understand it’s hard to believe. Even I still struggle to accept that this is real and not some kind of joke, but it’s the reality: Alisa-san has died."

Tears fell from Nemuri's eyes as she spoke, which seemed to break some sort of dam within Keiko. She fell to her knees, covering her face with her hands, and began to cry uncontrollably like a small child.

Seeing the fragile state of the beautiful woman on the ground—someone who had everything, fame, money, and power, but at this moment looked so lonely and helpless—Nemuri couldn't help but hug her on the floor and cry alongside her over the loss of an irreplaceable human being like Alisa.

After some time, Keiko managed to regain some composure. After wiping her tears, she spoke, trying to maintain a stable tone.

“Thank you… and I’m sorry for this embarrassing display. This is all so sudden and painful…”

“There’s nothing to thank or apologize for. This is the worst moment of my life, but in some way, I’m proud to know that Alisa-san impacted so many lives so deeply.”

“Yes… Alisa is unique…”

After talking for a while, Keiko said goodbye, and Nemuri proceeded to call the funeral home to confirm everything, informing them that the ceremony would start at 7 PM. She then called the agency manager and the office manager, who, although on vacation, were always on standby in case something came up.

After they answered the call, Nemuri asked the managers to send an email to their respective subordinates, scheduling a meeting for the day they return from their vacations, which would be in two weeks, and to send her the electronic resumes of all of them.

When she received the resumes, Nemuri sorted them and sent them to various agencies and companies of acquaintances to help reassign them to new jobs. After all, it was the least she could do for them.

Chapter 16: Dreams are the engine of life

Chapter Text

After saying goodbye to Nemuri, Kai and the Pussycats went to a large shopping mall brimming with a wide variety of stores and stalls, with a modern and spacious design, shiny floors, and huge corridors to accommodate the large number of visitors who frequent the place.

“Well, Kai-kun, what do you want to do first? Do you want to play a bit, or do you want to see a movie?” Shino asked with a small smile as she looked at Kai, who calmly responded.

“Well, I’d like to see the mall first; after all, I’ve never seen a mall in Japan.”

“Are you serious, Kai-kun? You've never seen a mall?” Ryuko asked, surprised, to which Kai responded nonchalantly.

“I’ve seen many, but never one in Japan. Mom didn’t like going out to play in Japan. According to her, Dad would somehow find a way to ruin it, so we only did things like this abroad.”

“Well, Alisa-san didn’t like the attention after all, and since Iron Palm's hero costume was basically just a hakama, it was very easy to recognize him on the street, so I can understand a bit,” Shino added warmly, to which Tomoko energetically chimed in.

“Then let’s take a tour of the mall and buy cute stuff!”

“““Yes””” x3

“...”

(I really struggle to keep up with these high-energy people; it still surprises me all the time.)

A few moments later, Kai realized the terrible mistake he had made, deeply regretting his actions and doubting his very existence. After all, his simple words, born from a small curiosity about the mall, had led to an unbearable torture.

In front of little Kai stood four indescribable monsters, who might well be the materialization of his greatest nightmares, forcefully bringing back old repressed traumas. The horror he was experiencing at this moment was something incomprehensible to weak minds.

“Kyaaaaa, it can’t be, Kai-kun looks cute in everything! This makes you look so adorable; I’m keeping it. Please pack this too,” Ryuko commented excitedly, doing little jumps in the air while her eyes seemed to be filled with hearts.

“Thank you for your patronage”

With a professional smile, a sales assistant commented while mentally calculating the juicy commission she would receive thanks to such generous customers. But quickly, Tomoko added with a huge grin on her face.

“It's my turn, my turn!”

Meanwhile, Kai had dead eyes, lost in the void, as he was dragged through various sections of the largest clothing store in the mall, used as a dress-up doll by the girls, being pushed into changing rooms without any resistance left.

Kai had no hope left, to the point he had given up trying to stop them. These monsters wouldn’t listen to reason; they were completely crazy. For now, he had decided to conserve his energy to protect his already fragile mind as they changed him over and over, making him wear increasingly ridiculous outfits.

“Yes, I knew it, we couldn’t go on without a proper kitty pajama. Pack it up”

Shino said with a satisfied smile as she looked at Kai, who, despite his dead eyes, couldn’t help but look absurdly cute in a black kitty thermal pajama that almost looked like a costume.

“Thank you for your patronage.”

“It’s my turn!” Chatora announced cheerfully, presenting the others with a casual yet elegant mini outfit, suitable for Kai's size.

(Damn it, famous professional heroes have way too deep pockets. Not only the insane quantity, but the prices are also crazy. That damn cat costume had a tag for 950,000 yen; how many damn millions are they going to spend?)

Kai couldn’t help but curse to himself as he looked at the mountain of bags full of clothes that the Pussycats were buying for him, while two other sales assistants joined in the fun to attend to such great patrons.

“Well, Kai-kun, I think we have enough for when you stay at the base with us.”

“...”

Kai opted to remain silent. He knew very well what to do at times like these; anything he said would be used against him, and his only safe refuge was to cling to one of the few rights he had left—his right to remain silent.

(For a long time, I thought the only crazy person who did things like this was my mother in my past life. Although our economic situation was difficult, which meant we rarely got to buy anything, she wasn’t satisfied until I was dehydrated and exhausted from being dragged around the entire mall, trying on clothes.

But in this life, it’s better not to remember. Money is a damn poison; I have at least 50 times more clothes than my father. It’s so excessive that a lot of the clothes had to be donated while still new because they no longer fit me. Even though I wore new clothes almost every day, they never ran out. Mom was too good at making money in this life…)

After being freed from that abhorrent torture, Kai decided to have some fun to shake off the deep mental damage he had suffered, so he asked to go to an engineering store, which seemed a bit strange to the girls.

But remembering Nemuri's words about how much Kai loved his tools and building things with them, Shino decided to take him to the largest engineering store in the mall, which sold everything from microcomponents to excavation equipment.

Upon arriving at the store, the Pussycats were immensely surprised to see how Kai's attitude underwent a radical change. The mature, serene, and quiet boy was nowhere to be seen. From the moment he entered the store, it was as if he had been possessed.

Kai ran around the store, looking at the tools, asking about their specifications, giving advice to other customers, and more, always with a big smile on his face. Before they knew it, he had started a heated discussion with an old man, so they approached, only to hear them shouting at each other.

“Honestly, I don’t know how you can defend the STM32! The Arduino community is unbeatable in terms of support, tutorials, and code libraries, you little brat!!”

“Are you kidding, you decrepit old man? The STM32 outperforms Arduino in almost every technical aspect. Performance, energy efficiency, model variety. There’s no comparison!!”

“You can’t deny Arduino’s accessibility. It’s a perfect platform for a beginner like him, and easy access to learning resources is vital for beginners like him!”

“And what’s going to happen when he wants to move to the next level? STM32 offers a much broader growth path, and don’t get me started on precision and efficiency. Arduino doesn’t even come close!”

“You’re focused only on power! Power is nothing without ease of use and accessibility.”

“And you’re focused only on ease of use without considering scalability and performance! Sometimes we need a workhorse, not a show pony.”

“Okay, okay, calm down. I’m sorry, sir. Kai-kun got a bit carried away, please forgive him,” Shino quickly intervened, to which the older man complained after an annoyed huff.

“Hmph! Arrogant kid, power is nothing if you can’t learn to use the technology, but that might be too hard for you to understand.”

“Arrogant? Look who’s underestimating others’ abilities! Onii-san, don’t be swayed by that easy-going old man. If you go with Arduino, you’ll get stuck in no time!”

Seeing that the pair, with an age difference of who knows how many decades, had no intention of stopping their fight, Shino quickly scooped Kai into her arms, bowed apologetically, and then ran off with the fuming boy in her arms.

“Damn easy-going old man, how dare he suggest starting with Arduino to an engineering student?! He’s just setting him back. That crap is only for novice enthusiasts, not for a real engineer!!”

“Alright, alright, Kai-kun. I don’t fully understand your argument, but you shouldn’t fight with your elders. The experience they possess is very valuable,” Shino commented, both worried and surprised by Kai’s attitude, to which he responded, still clearly angry.

“Experience is valuable, but not all experience is. Sometimes there are people like that old man who become complacent and harm others by making them take ‘easy’ paths that lead nowhere, only to have to make much more effort to change later. Those who aren’t willing simply get stuck or give up.”

“Kai-kun, haven’t you considered that if someone is truly determined, even if they start on the ‘easy’ path, they’ll make the effort to change it? And those who aren’t, wouldn’t even try if they were presented with the difficult path from the start?”

Chatora commented with a warm smile on her face, visibly surprising Kai, to which Ryuko added shortly after.

"Besides, Kai-kun, many times we do things just to try them out, and only when we really fall in love with them are we willing to give our best effort. For example, when I started as a heroine, I wasn’t very sure if it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, but over time I fell in love with this profession and always give my best. Don’t you think sometimes it’s better to present the easy path first?”

Kai looked at Chatora and Ryuko with wide eyes full of surprise, then shifted to a reflective expression for a while.

(That makes a lot of sense. I never thought about it... in my two lives, I’ve never taught and didn’t even study beyond mandatory education. All my knowledge was self-taught, and I wasn’t social enough to learn it from someone else... there’s always something new to learn, after all, 'I only know that I know nothing,' right?)

After a moment of reflection, Kai nodded and commented in a thoughtful tone.

“So the old man was right. I was the arrogant one who couldn’t understand... I think I should apologize to him.”

“Haha, you’re right, Kai-kun, let’s go apologize”

Tomoko commented energetically, while the others smiled warmly. Soon after, they returned to the store and searched for the old man until they found him in the metals section, analyzing alloy samples.

“Hmm? What do you want now, kid?”

“I came to apologize, old man. You were right; they explained to me why it’s better to show the easy path to novices.”

“Haha, then I must also apologize to you for calling you arrogant, young man. And I understand you a bit; there are many passionate people in this business like you. I was one myself in my youth, but age and my years as a teacher taught me important lessons.”

“So you're a teacher, that’s impressive, old man.”

“Not as much as you, little one. It’s not every day you meet a young genius with as much knowledge as you. I was watching you talk to several customers before our argument,” the old man commented, now feeling embarrassed for having ended up fighting with a small child, to which Kai responded with a calm expression.

“Nah, I’m not a genius, just a bit smart with good resources.”

“Well, if you say so, but I’m sure you’ll be a great engineer in the future, kid.”

“Hmm, I don’t think I’ll be an engineer. I really like it and will continue doing it in the future, but I think it will just be my hobby,” Kai replied after thinking a bit, prompting the old man to ask curiously.

“Oh, so what’s your dream, kid?”

“Dream? I don’t think I have one. No, I’ve never had things like dreams. I have goals, and I just choose the path that gets me closer to them.”

Seeing Kai's casual expression, the old man felt a bit sad seeing such a young boy with such a serious and pessimistic outlook, so he couldn’t help but comment.

“That’s a bit sad to hear, young man.”

“Really? Why?” Kai asked, a bit confused.

“Because life loses much of its beauty when you don’t have dreams. You know, dreams drive you to be better, to have hope.”

“Aren’t you exaggerating, old man? Are dreams really that important?”

“Yes, I’m not lying. Dreams are the engine of life. Without dreams, it’s not much different from being a salted fish on the side of the road.”

“…I think you’re just a romantic, old man.”

“Haha, not at all. It’s the honest truth. And you know, I have a granddaughter your age who’s always running around, shouting her dreams of being the greatest inventor in the world,” the old man said, laughing pleasantly at Kai’s disdainful expression. This made the blue-eyed boy think for a bit before commenting in a thoughtful tone.

“The greatest?... I never wanted to be the greatest or the best at anything. I just wanted to achieve my goals. But if being the greatest at something is a dream, then I do have one.”

“Really? What is it?”

“I want to be the strongest, invincible, to the point that not even All Might could mess with me.”

Kai announced with determination, which immediately brought sad and melancholic expressions to the faces of the Pussycats. The old man could only comment with a somewhat complicated expression.

“It seems you have a complicated story, kid.”

“A bit, but that’s life; sometimes it likes to mess with people.”

“Those are very wise words you have there.”

“I think so too; they’re from my mom.” Kai said it with pride, which brought smiles to the faces of all the adults present.

“Your mother is a very wise woman.”

“Yes, she really was. See you, old man.”

“Goodbye, kid.”

The old man watched the boy surrounded by professional heroes, who were wiping away tears, with a complicated expression, getting an idea of the boy’s story. He then raised his hand to bid farewell to the boy’s companions and sighed tiredly as he walked away.

“So even with the symbol of peace, tragedies still occur. Haa, life really is a complicated thing...”

Chapter 17: Ryuko, Shotacon

Chapter Text

"Why are you crying?"

Seeing the Pussycats with tears in their eyes, Kai asked, a little confused. Shino immediately made up an excuse to avoid affecting his mood, as the idea was for him to have as much fun as possible today, since he would have to say goodbye to his parents tonight.

"Don't worry, Kai-kun, it's just that we're so proud of you for knowing how to do the right thing and apologize properly that we couldn't hold back the tears."

"Is it that important?"

"Yes, Kai-kun, it really is."

"But don't mind us. Now tell us what you'd like to do," said Chatora, trying to divert Kai's attention while wiping away her tears.

"Hmmm, I really don't know. I'd like to buy a few things, but my savings card is at home, so we can go wherever you want."

"Don't worry, Kai-kun, buy whatever you want. It'll be our treat," Ryuko said on behalf of the team, as their wallets were quite full, and it was better for Kai to stay distracted before nightfall.

"You don't have to trouble yourselves. You've already bought me a lot of clothes. Besides, what I want to buy is quite expensive, so it's better to wait until I get my savings card back."

"Oh, then what does little Kai-kun want to buy?" Tomoko asked comically, trying to make the little one smile. But Kai simply replied calmly while counting on his small fingers.

"Nothing too surprising, just some interesting alloys, a couple of forging hammers, a few power hammers, some dark Wenge planks, a good pair of anvils, a couple of melting and forging furnaces, plus some miscellaneous items."

"Wow, what do you want to do with all that, Kai-kun?" Shino asked, her face showing surprise.

"I want to start blacksmithing. I've never tried it since I was only focused on engineering, but now I think it's important for my future to master it, so I need all these tools."

"And are you sure you have enough in your savings card to buy all that?" Ryuko asked casually, to which Kai nodded.

"Well, yes, the budget for what I need shouldn't exceed two million dollars, so there's more than enough."

"Wow, we have a little tycoon among us, fufufufu," Tomoko commented playfully, making Kai shake his head with an ironic expression on his face.

"Nothing compared to you all, but my auntie helped me sell a control system I made for civilian security systems, like the one in my mom's office, so my card has good funds."

"Hahaha, so our little Kai-kun can already make money on his own. You're a genius," Chatora commented cheerfully, though it was evident she was surprised.

"Not a genius, I just had good resources. Besides, the system I made isn't that impressive. It's just a small improvement over the previous one. I only changed the AI data model with one I trained myself, improved the interface, integration, and overall system efficiency, and designed some analog chips specifically optimized for the task. If you ask someone who knows about it, they'll say it was pure luck that no one thought of it before."

"Yes, I definitely don't understand anything. I only understand that you're a genius, Kai-kun. So it's decided, I call dibs on him. No one else can fight me for him, fufufu. I can't wait for the future," Ryuko said, running towards Kai, lifting him up, and kissing him all over his face with a huge smile.

"Ryuko, Shotacon," Shino, Chatora, and Tomoko commented with disdainful expressions, making Ryuko jump like a cat whose tail had been stepped on as she nervously defended herself.

"Hey! That's Shino. I just see the future potential and make a reservation."

"Yeah, whatever helps you sleep at night." x3

"Hahahahahaha!!!" x4

...

As the Pussycats joked among themselves, Shino suddenly looked at her wrist elegantly, where a small watch was located, and quickly exclaimed.

"Oh, look at the time! We haven't had lunch yet. Let's find a place to eat."

"You're right. Now that you mention it, I'm starting to get hungry," Chatora commented, placing a hand on her stomach, which, as if waiting for its moment to shine, released a powerful sound that made the other girls laugh.

"Hahahahaha!"

"LET'S GO!!!"

After all the Pussycats laughed heartily, Tomoko, full of energy, commented, and they quickly started walking towards the food court. Kai then spoke up, a little uncomfortable.

"Um... Pixie-Bob-san, could you put me down, please?"

"It's Ryoko Onee-Chan, Kai-kun," Ryuko commented warmly with a beautiful smile on her face, to which Kai simply responded with a question while smiling softly.

"Could you put me down, please?..."

"..."

After a staring contest between Ryuko and Kai, the latter wisely chose to give in and asked with a complicated tone.

"Ryuko Onee-chan... could you put me down, please?"

"Of course, anything for my little Kai-kun," Ryuko said. Despite her words, she didn't put Kai down and just gave him a kiss on the cheek as they continued walking, leaving the blue-eyed boy speechless.

"Ryuko, stop teasing him. Kai-kun, is there any place you'd like to eat or maybe something you don't like or are allergic to?"

Shino asked warmly, reprimanding Ryuko with a playful smile. Kai, who could finally sigh in relief at being back on the ground, responded casually.

"Not really, any place is fine, and I don't have any allergies or strong dislikes, so any place is okay."

"Then it's settled, let's go for Yakiniku!"

"YES!!!"

With Tomoko leading the way, the group entered a beautiful Yakiniku restaurant, where they ate until their stomachs were full. After resting for a while, they brainstormed to decide their next activity, and the winner was to watch a movie at the cinema.

"So, Kai-kun, what type of movie would you like to see? Maybe something animated?"

Shino asked as they headed towards the cinema on the top floor, to which Tomoko immediately added, followed closely by Chatora and Ryuko, who gave their own opinions.

"How about an adventure? We could watch the latest superhero movie! It must have a lot of action!"

"What if we look for something a bit calmer? We could watch that animated movie everyone's talking about. It has adventure but also some quiet moments."

"Or maybe a comedy. Something light and fun."

"Anything is fine with me. I don't even know what's playing," Kai responded without much concern as they got off the elevator, to which Tomoko exclaimed with great excitement.

"Well then, we'll choose one at random!!!"

"YES!!!!!"

(These people have too much energy...) Kai could only let out a tired sigh at the overly energetic group that was looking after him.

The movie they ended up choosing was an animated one that was about to leave theaters after several extensions due to its excellent box office performance. As a result, the line was short, and they easily got into a nearly empty theater, allowing them to choose any seats they wanted while carrying buckets of popcorn, nachos, hot dogs, hamburgers, and several cups of soda.

The group decided to sit in the middle seats of the theater, with Kai in the center, Shino on his right, and Ryuko on his left, while Chatora was next to Shino and Tomoko next to Ryuko. Shortly after, the movie began.

…

(Although I don't know this story, it's definitely the classic Disney formula, one they seemed to have forgotten long ago. There are many musical numbers, the princess, the prince charming, the pair of sidekicks, it's all there. Maybe a bit more dramatic.

Thinking about it, I should look into the entertainment industry. If stories from my past life are missing, I could create an interesting entertainment company... though it sounds like a lot of work, and I was never really an artsy person...)

While Kai was thinking about new projects without being affected by the movie, the same couldn't be said for the Pussycats, who were swimming in tears due to the dramatic story, cursing the world's cruelty against the poor protagonist.

After the movie ended with its expected happy ending, everyone left the cinema satisfied. At that moment, Shino's phone started ringing, and she quickly answered after checking the caller ID.

"Of course, we'll wait for you in the parking lot."

After just a couple of sentences, Shino hung up the phone and looked at Kai with a smile as she commented.

"Well, Kai-kun, it looks like Nemuri-san will arrive in a bit, so let's go wait for her in the parking lot."

"Okay."

About 20 minutes later, an attractive woman appeared in the shopping center's parking lot, getting out of a taxi. She wore a black, form-fitting dress with long sleeves and knee-length that highlighted her sexy and voluptuous figure. She raised a hand toward them before approaching and hugging Kai, holding him in her arms.

"I'm back, Kai. Did you miss Onee-chan? Because Onee-chan missed you a lot."

"Yes, Onee-chan, I missed you a lot."

(Survival tactic number one with women: never tell a woman you didn't miss her when she says she missed you, even if it's been less than 12 hours since you last saw each other. Otherwise, you'll know hell. *Tired sigh* Women are almost as complicated as life itself.)

Nemuri looked at Kai with a big smile and covered him with kisses while spinning with him in her arms, exclaiming happily, feeling like she hadn't seen the little bundle of love in her arms for years.

"I love you, Kai."

"I love you too, Onee-chan."

(Survival tactic number two with women, just like number one: if they say they love you, you must respond immediately that you feel the same. If you hesitate, you'll undoubtedly put your life at risk.)

"So, what did my Kai do? Did you have fun?"

"Well, they dragged me to buy a lot of clothes, then I argued with an old man, we had Yakiniku for lunch, and then we watched a movie. But yes, it was fun."

"Hahaha, I'm glad you had fun. But we still have time to play a bit more, so why don't we go back in?"

Chapter 18: what project are you working on?

Chapter Text

With Nemuri’s words, the group of six re-entered the shopping mall. Passing by a bowling alley inside, they decided to play a game.

"Alright, it’s time for Onee-chan to show her skills."

"Hahaha, that sounded like a challenge, Nemuri. What happens to the one who comes last?" Tomoko struck a fighting pose, teasing Nemuri.

"Hmm, let’s see. The loser buys dinner."

"I don't have my savings card; I can't bet," Kai immediately intervened, holding a bowling ball and wondering how to fit his small hand into the holes. But Shino quickly responded.

"Children are not allowed to bet, but if Kai-kun wins, we’ll buy you a nice gift together."

"Agreed!" they all shouted.

Once the game started, Kai noticed something interesting about his body that he hadn’t realized before, but he was sure it must have happened after he awakened the memories of his past life.

(This is incredible. My reflexes, coordination, body control, and spatial awareness are off the charts. I had noticed my body control had improved, but this is absurd. My quirk must have undergone a significant change…)

While Kai reflected on his newly discovered abilities, Nemuri and the Pussycats were in disbelief. After all, Kai was playing a perfect game, attracting attention from several people who stopped their own games to watch the little blue-eyed genius.

In the end, unsurprisingly, Kai emerged as the champion with a perfect score of 300 points, crushing the competition as the entire place celebrated his achievement.

"I didn’t know you were so good at bowling, Kai-kun."

"Me neither. I had never played before"

(at least not in this life).

"Hehe, Kai-kun is truly a genius at everything. Let me mark you so no one can steal you away," Ryuko lifted Kai and began kissing him all over, causing Nemuri to hastily stop her and take Kai from her arms.

"Hey, what do you mean by that, Ryuko?"

"That I’ve already reserved Kai-kun for the future, so please don’t separate me from my future darling," Ryuko responded naturally with a small smile.

"So, you were the real shotacon all along, Ryuko." Nemuri pointed accusatorily at Ryuko with one hand while covering little Kai with her other hand, prompting the beautiful blonde woman to quickly retort.

"Hey! That’s Shino. I just appreciate his future potential and am making an early reservation."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, but Kai-kun is off-limits."

"Don’t monopolize him. He’s everyone’s Kai-kun."

"Since when? I’ve been his Onee-chan..."

As the Pussycats and Nemuri started arguing, Kai decided to ignore the world around him to protect his fragile heart and began making plans for developing his aura.

(When I saw the metals, I got the sudden inspiration to learn blacksmithing so I can familiarize myself with different weapons by building them from scratch and then conjuring them with my aura, which could lead to interesting abilities.

As for the other categories, I have some ideas too, but [Transmutation] will be a pain. Killua’s power was great and very strong, but they made it clear that to achieve something like that, you need to undergo unspeakable torture with electricity…)

"Kai-kun, we need to go; we have an appointment to keep."

Kai’s thoughts were interrupted when Nemuri called him.

"An appointment?"

"Yes, a very important one."

"Alright then."

"It was a pleasure having fun with you, Kai-kun. We should keep doing this from now on."

"Yes, I'll come find you whenever I have a free moment. After all, I can't neglect my future darling; I don't want anyone else to get ahead of me."

"Hey! I told you to stop that," Nemuri reprimanded irritably.

"Hahahaha, Kai-kun, let's meet again soon."

"It was a pleasure, Kai-kun."

"It was also a pleasure going out with you all. I’d love to do it again sometime. Thank you for everything."

"GOODBYE, KAI-KUN!!" x4

...

Some time later, Kai found himself in front of a very elegant and minimalist café with Nemuri, who entered the place confidently and familiarly.

"Hello, Nemuri-san, your guests are waiting for you in the private room."

"Thank you very much, Toshiaki-san."

"It's always a pleasure."

After the short greeting, Kai was led to a beautiful private room where he immediately recognized a few people: Yumiko Hado and Keiko Yaoyorozu, friends of his mother and mothers of Nejire Hado and Momo Yaoyorozu, who were part of the small group of children he interacted with.

"Yaoyorozu-san, Hado-san, sorry to keep you waiting."

"Don’t worry about that. More importantly, how has my little Kai-chan been?"

Yumiko paid no attention to Nemuri’s words, focusing entirely on the small blue-eyed boy who had entered the room. She quickly approached Kai to lift him up, her face showing a slightly sad expression she tried to hide with a smile.

"I’ve been well, Oba-san."

But Kai’s words wiped the attempted smile off Yumiko’s face, replacing it with a serious and complex expression, mirrored on Keiko’s face. After all, this Kai was completely unknown to them.

The Kai that Yumiko and Keiko knew was always smiling and talkative, their interactions always starting with him talking about the new 'project' (toy) he was working on, with an innocent and hyperactive expression, followed by asking about their daughters so he could share his new 'discoveries' with them.

But the Kai before them now was completely different. He only showed a calm expression, accompanied by a small smile on his lips, speaking in a composed and calm tone, which inevitably made Nemuri’s words echo in their heads like an earthquake.

[... The event was devastating for his mentality; he changed too much from one day to the next. I’m sure you won't recognize him once you meet him. He has a completely different attitude …]

Initially, Yumiko and Keiko imagined Kai would be shattered, crying, scared, panicked, isolated—anything. They thought they had considered all possible scenarios they might encounter.

But this was beyond anything they could have anticipated. What they saw was almost like seeing Alisa's reflection in little Kai, but even more alarming, as his face showed no pain at all, which in itself was a huge red flag.

One might think that Kai simply hadn't processed his parents' death, being in some kind of denial that allowed him to remain so stable. And while that was possible, reality was never that simple, and they, as people who had interacted extensively with the little boy, were very aware of that.

Kai was incredibly attached to his parents, especially his mother, to the point that one night, when he stayed over with Nejire, he escaped the house in the middle of the night, running and crying through the neighborhood trying to get back home to find her, which led to sleepovers being allowed only at Alisa’s house.

For this reason, a single sentence was more than enough for the two mothers to understand Nemuri’s concerns and to realize how serious the situation was. But the shock was so great for Yumiko that she didn't want to believe it. She didn't want to believe that the event had not only taken her best friend but also the child she loved as if he were her own son.

In a desperate attempt to see the Kai she knew once more, Yumiko asked, in a soft voice, full of nervousness and fear, about what he probably loved most after his mother.

"And tell me, Kai-chan, what project are you working on?"

The moment Kai heard the question, his eyes lit up slightly, and he began to speak with some excitement as a small, joyful smile formed on his face.

"Oh well, right now I want to start blacksmithing, and I've been brainstorming the best way to do it, but I'm lacking tools since I haven't tried it before. Though today, I was in the engineering store and got an idea of what I needed. It will be a bit expensive, but I think I can make the most of it, so I wanted to buy everything right away. But since I didn't have my savings card, it was impossible.

But as soon as I get my card back, I'll buy all the tools. Also, I'll have to make several changes to my workshop. No, I think it’s better to create a forge room from scratch. It will be more expensive, but it will be better in the long run. I'll be poor again, but it's important, so it’s an investment…"

The moment Yumiko, Keiko, and Nemuri heard Kai talking, they all sighed in relief, smiles forming on their lips, while trying with all their might to hold back their tears. After all, at that moment, they could see the Kai they knew. Although he was not exactly the same, it was a relief for them to know that part of him still existed.

Kai's little outburst was especially comforting for Nemuri, as she had borne the pain the longest, knowing that perhaps the Kai she knew had died that day. That small outburst of childishness, which brought a little sigh of relief, ultimately formed a hurricane of determination within her to give her all.

"Well, Kai-chan, your aunt can’t let her little baby fall into 'poverty' again, right? So your aunt will buy all your new tools as an early Christmas gift"

Yumiko commented with a small smile on her face, looking lovingly at the little boy in her arms. Kai immediately responded seriously, with slight signs of discomfort on his face.

"No, Auntie, it’s too much money. Besides, my savings are enough to pay for it."

"No more talk about it, Kai-kun. Your Aunt Yumiko will buy your tools, and I'll gift you your new forge room so you can use your savings for something else," Keiko quickly replied in a strict tone that tried to hide the relief and joy she felt.

"But Auntie Keiko, it’s a lot of money..." Kai tried to respond, filled with discomfort, but Yumiko quickly added with a smile.

"Well, Kai-chan, as compensation, you can give us some of your works when you’re finished. How about that? The works of a good blacksmith are highly valued."

"Yes, Kai-kun, you can give us your works. I'll make an exhibition at home for them," Keiko immediately joined the proposal, so Kai could only ask with a bit of doubt in his tone.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course we are."

"Absolutely."

Seeing that the pair of beautiful women had no intention of changing their minds, Kai could only sigh softly and then accept, feeling a little defeated.

"Alright, then I’ll send you my works once I become good at blacksmithing."

As they conversed in the room, a powerful voice suddenly resonated.

"I AM HERE!"

Chapter 19: You are my baby and no one else’s

Chapter Text

Suddenly, a powerful voice resonated in the beautiful private room of the café, immediately attracting everyone's attention. Conversations ceased as all turned to look at the door, where an imposing man stood with a broad smile on his lips.

When Kai heard the powerful voice with its iconic phrase, he immediately turned his head and saw a towering man, easily over two meters tall, with overwhelming musculature and golden blonde hair styled back with two strands extending to the sides of his face like antennae.

This person’s presence left Kai bewildered; after all, he recognized this person. In fact, it would be difficult to find someone in Japan, or even the world, who didn’t know him. He was Japan's number one hero, known for his worldwide achievements, the symbol of peace, All Might.

“Sorry for the delay, I ran into some issues on the way and couldn't help but intervene.”

“Don’t worry, All Might, we were talking with Kai and didn’t notice the time”

Nemuri responded in a calm and slightly formal tone, while the imposing man fixed his bright blue eyes on the visibly confused little boy in Yumiko’s arms.

“So, you’re Kai-shonen. I wanted to talk to you.”

Yumiko placed Kai on the ground, while the boy wondered about the reasons for this particular meeting. To his surprise, All Might suddenly bowed deeply in front of him, speaking in a serious tone.

“I’m sorry, Kai-shonen. Despite being the symbol of peace, I couldn’t prevent tragedy from striking your family. Even though Iron Palm was a friend and colleague I deeply respected, I couldn’t do anything to help him. That’s why I want to apologize to you, and if there’s anything you need help with, you can count entirely on me.”

Kai could only feel astonishment at All Might’s apology, but he quickly composed himself and replied in a serious and formal tone.

“There’s no need to apologize, All Might. Even though you are the symbol of peace, I don’t think it’s your responsibility to prevent all evil. After all, [as long as there are people, there will be evil]. But if you feel responsible and want to do something for me, I have an idea.”

“You’re very mature for your age, Kai-shonen. It’s truly impressive. But you’re right; I can’t help but feel responsible for what happened. So, tell me your idea.”

Seeing All Might’s affirmative response, a smile escaped Kai’s lips as he spoke seriously.

“I would like to see one of your punches at full strength.”

Kai’s request was so unusual that it caused everyone present to turn and look at him, even All Might, who straightened up again as he spoke.

“One of my punches at full strength? We’d need to find a suitable place for that, but I can do it. However, I’d like to know, why do you want something like that?”

“For future reference,” Kai responded seriously, which only served to further confuse those present.

“Future reference?”

“Yes, I want to know what the minimum is necessary to be the strongest.”

Kai nodded as he answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, which caused a powerful laugh from All Might, who shortly after commented.

“HAHAHAHAHA, I like your attitude, Kai-shonen. And don’t worry, I will contact your sister in the near future to fulfill your request. For now, it’s a bit late, so I must leave to be on time. See you later, goodbye.”

All Might was like a whirlwind; he came and went in an instant. But Kai hoped he would remember his promise, as it would be an important reference for him in the future.

(In my past life, I deeply hated the protagonist, so I stopped watching the anime after the second season, which means I never got to know his true power. But if my goal is to be the strongest, I must at least have a reference for what I’m up against.)

“Well, Kai, All Might is right, it’s time for us to get ready to leave.”

Kai looked a bit confused at the three women who were getting up and putting on some black veils over their faces, which caused the realization to hit him like a truck.

From the beginning, he had tried to ignore the obvious fact that everyone, including himself, was dressed in black. He had sensed the reason from the start, but he wanted to avoid thinking about it. Now, there was no escape; it was time to accept reality.

Nemuri approached Kai with a serious expression barely visible beneath her black veil and extended her hand.

"Come on, Kai, we have to go say goodbye to Jiro-san and Alisa-san."

Kai simply nodded without saying a word, then took Nemuri’s hand as she led him out of the café, closely followed by Yumiko and Keiko.

As they exited the café, Keiko offered to drive Nemuri and Kai, which Nemuri accepted. Before they left, Kai saw a mask on display in a small roadside shop and asked in a flat voice.

"Onee-chan, can you buy me that mask? I don’t have any money."

"Of course, Kai," Nemuri responded affirmatively, though a bit confused. Kai thanked her in the same flat voice.

"Thank you."

Nemuri quickly bought the mask and handed it to Kai, who put it on immediately. They were then escorted to an imposing black armored limousine, which they boarded before heading to the funeral home.

The journey to the funeral home was made in complete silence. No one dared to speak, all harboring complex emotions inside. Despite this, the trip seemed excessively short, perhaps because deep down, no one really wanted to arrive at the place. Before they knew it, they were in front of the viewing room.

…

At the wake, everyone Nemuri had previously communicated with was present, all with solemn expressions and dressed in black, while a deafening silence seemed to envelop the room.

In one corner of the room were the Pussycats, who had quickly changed and come directly here after saying goodbye at the mall to welcome the guests at Nemuri's request.

Suddenly, a group of four people entered the room, consisting of three incredibly beautiful women dressed in black and wearing veils that covered their faces, plus a small five-year-old boy elegantly dressed in black, exuding a maturity that belied his tender appearance.

The boy wore a black Japanese fox mask with red details, completely covering his features, leaving only a pair of deep blue eyes visible, filled with sadness and melancholy that seemed to overflow.

Everyone present immediately understood the boy’s pain and hesitated about what to do to avoid making the situation worse. At that moment, a small anthropomorphic rodent-like animal stepped forward and approached Kai.

"Hello, Kai-kun, my name is Nezu, and I deeply regret your loss. Your father was an exceptional student and a truly brave hero who will always be in our hearts. As his former principal, I am here to support you in any way you need. Please don’t hesitate to ask for help."

"Thank you for your words, Principal Nezu."

After this interaction, the other guests approached Kai one by one to greet him and express their condolences, wishing him strength and offering their help.

(It really doesn’t matter what world I’m in; people are always the same in these situations... Even though I didn’t attend my mother’s funeral, which I still regret, everyone who knew her said the same things when they saw me.

They expressed their ‘sorrow’ and ‘condolences’ while making countless promises of help they never fulfilled. In the end, the only one who helped me was, ironically, the one who never promised anything.)

After a while, the funeral rites began, with the few guests sitting in silence. Once they finished, they went one by one to the only open casket to say their final goodbyes, until it was Kai’s turn, who decided to go last and alone.

When it was his turn, Kai walked slowly to the front of the room where two polished wooden coffins were placed. They dimly reflected the room's light, which, along with the sea of flowers surrounding them, gave them an almost sacred appearance.

With each step Kai took, he felt it growing heavier and more difficult. Meanwhile, his heart pounded powerfully as a deep sense of panic washed over him, quickly transforming into pure terror that seemed to want to force him to run away from there.

Determined not to repeat past mistakes, Kai bit his lips and forced himself to move forward, using every last drop of willpower he had to walk those few remaining steps that now seemed to have turned into an insurmountable mountain formed from his own fears and insecurities.

When Kai finally reached the coffin where his mother lay, he saw her—a beautiful princess with golden hair, fair skin, and rosy lips, seemingly resting peacefully on a satin pillow, dressed in a lovely light blue gown.

Seeing his mother again, Kai couldn't hold back his tears, which began to fall like waterfalls down his face. For the second time, life made him witness this scene—the scene that had stripped him of any courage he had to attend his mother’s funeral in his previous life, to the point where he sought any excuse to avoid it. And maybe because of that, as punishment for his cowardice, he had to go through it again.

Kai felt hatred, sadness, loneliness, fear, and a deep longing, even in this moment, even after having lived it once already, knowing perfectly well that it was impossible, that no matter how much he cried, begged, or cursed, it wouldn't happen.

He couldn't help his heart from wishing that this was all a lie, a bad joke, that suddenly everyone would start laughing at him and his mother would open her eyes to tease the crybaby he was. But once again, that did not happen.

Time passed in silence as Kai wept quietly and apologized for all his regrets in both his lives, remembering all the moments he lived with his mother. He regretted every argument, cried at every laugh they shared, and forced his mind to remember every single characteristic of his mother—her wise sayings, her teachings, her scoldings, her jokes, her favorite songs, and the promises she made to him.

Suddenly, Kai felt a gentle hand touch his shoulder, causing him to turn his head, finding Nemuri with a face so soaked in tears that even the veil couldn't hide it. Using all her mental strength to keep her voice steady, she spoke in a soft and consoling tone.

“Kai, it’s time to go.”

When Kai turned to look around, only Ryuko, Shino, and Nemuri remained in the room, creating a solitary and eerie atmosphere.

“How long has it been?”

“Several hours.”

“All right.”

Kai turned to look at his mother one last time while making his final promise to her in his heart.

(Mom, I swear I will never let myself be life's bitch again. I will do whatever it takes and go wherever I have to, but I will never let that bitch called life take anything from me again. So, please, if there is another life for me after this, I want you to be my mother again because there is no one better than you to be my mom.)

As Kai was leaving the room, he suddenly felt a warm and nostalgic feeling in his chest. At the same time, he heard a voice he could never forget, softly whispering in his ear.

‘Of course, darling, I will always be your mother, forever and ever. You are my baby and no one else's, hehe.’

Kai turned with a jump and looked at the coffins at the back of the room, where for a brief moment, so short it couldn't be described in words, he saw the most beautiful woman he has ever known or will know—his mother, smiling at him maternally.

“AHHHHH!!!”

Kai fell to his knees on the floor and began to cry like he probably never had in his life, causing his mask to fall to the ground while Nemuri, Ryuko, and Shino screamed in alarm and ran toward him.

“““KAI!!!”””

“Kai, what’s wrong? Please respond, Kai, Kai, KAI!”

“Ryuko, get help! Kai is having a crisis!”

“Right away!”

At that moment, Chatora and Tomoko entered the room in alarm, and after seeing the situation, Chatora immediately picked up Kai while Shino tried to calm Nemuri, who had entered a panic, as they all ran together towards the car.

“Calm down, Nemuri. Kai needs you now.”

“I’m fine, I just got a little startled, but I’m better now. I can’t fail him again. Kai needs me.” Despite her evident state of panic and shock, Nemuri commented in a hoarse voice while clenching her fists so tightly that her palms began to bleed.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine."

As soon as they started the car, Kai suddenly spoke in a hoarse voice, causing everyone to turn to look at him in concern, while Nemuri, still panicking, asked.

“Kai! Are you okay? What happened to you? How do you feel? Ryuko, we need to get to the hospital quickly.”

“Of course,” Ryuko replied as she put the car in motion, while Kai tried to respond in a calm tone.

“I’m fine, Onee-chan. I don’t need to go to the hospital. I think I just needed to vent, and my emotions got out of control.”

“Are you sure, Kai-kun? It’s better if we take you to the hospital to be sure,” Shino said, evidently worried. But Kai shook his head and replied.

“I’m fine. I feel much better now. I really needed to let it out. For now, let’s just go to sleep, and if you want, we can go to the hospital tomorrow.”

“But…”

“I’m fine, Onee-chan, I assure you. Please, Ryuko Onee-chan, just take me home. I want to rest.”

Ryuko was surprised by how Kai suddenly called her, so she turned to look at the others, only to find that, like her, they all had conflicted expressions on their faces.

After a moment of looking at each other, Shino spoke in a somewhat resigned and concerned tone.

“It’s best if you don’t stay alone today. How about staying with us?”

“Yes, I think that’s best. Today has been a very tough day for both of you,” Chatora quickly added seriously, to which Tomoko and Ryuko nodded.

“I agree. It’s best if he sleeps at our place.”

“I think so too.”

Knowing that Kai’s condition was concerning and that she herself was not in the best shape, Nemuri commented while her mind and heart felt weak and tired from the relentless emotional bombardment she had suffered in recent days.

“I think you’re right. It’s better if we don’t spend the night alone. What do you say, Kai?”

“...”

When they turned to see Kai, he was already peacefully asleep in Nemuri’s arms, which brought some relieved smiles from them as Nemuri softly commented.

“I guess it’s decided then...”

Chapter 20: Geniuses are a bit irritating

Chapter Text

In a simple yet clean and orderly room, dimly lit by the light coming through the window, a beautiful woman with dark blue hair could be seen sleeping peacefully in purple satin pajamas.

In the middle of her sleep, she extended her arm to grab something, but only touched the bed. Immediately after, she sat up in one swift movement, looking around the unfamiliar surroundings with confusion.

A look of understanding appeared on the beautiful woman's face shortly after, and she hurriedly left the room. She encountered Shino Sosaki, also known as the professional heroine Mandalay, just a few steps outside the room, who was also in light blue pajamas.

"Good morning, Nemuri. How did you sleep?"

"Very well, Shino, but do you know where Kai is? He wasn't in the bed."

"Kai-kun is in the garden right now. I saw him a few minutes ago."

"Thanks, Shino. And again, thank you for all the help you've given me. You've been a lifesaver for me," Nemuri commented deeply grateful, to which Shino responded with a smile.

"Haha, don't worry about it. Just try not to be too surprised by Kai-kun's training."

"Is it that surprising?"

"It's better if you see for yourself. Follow me, I'll take you."

A few moments later, Shino and Nemuri arrived at the garden where the other members of the Pussycats were watching Kai, dressed in a red cotton tracksuit and black waterproof shorts, doing one-handed push-ups with a large stone on his back.

Nemuri was astonished to see Kai performing such a feat since, although he was sweating, there was no sign of pain on his face, and his rhythm was smooth and steady.

"Kai-kun's quirk is really impressive. That stone must weigh around 200 kilograms, and he can lift it without much difficulty. You know, when I woke up and saw him, I almost jumped from the shock. I always thought his quirk would be like Alisa-san's, but it seems to be quite special."

"Yes, Kai was always a very strong child. He used to have the strength of a trained adult man, but something appears to have changed. His strength seems to be much greater now."

"Is that so? Then I think it's necessary to talk to Kai-kun about it."

"You're right. This is a delicate moment, so he should be more discreet with his abilities."

"Yes, once people find out everything, there will be a huge uproar, especially with the press. But for now, it's better if we prepare breakfast."

"Yes, you're right. When he's done, Kai will be hungry."

Nemuri, Shino, and Ryuko went to prepare breakfast while Chatora trained with Kai, and Tomoko cheered them on from a distance. After a while, the three women came out to the garden carrying several plates of food. But they were left speechless, seeing Kai standing on his hands, holding the stone with his feet, and Tomoko on top of it, cheering every time Kai bent his arms.

"Guys, it's time to eat."

"Yay, food, yum yum!"

Tomoko, showing off her great agility, jumped off the stone with a somersault, landing on the ground in a feline pose, and then ran towards the food as if nothing had happened.

For his part, Kai didn't stay behind. He propelled himself with his arms, sending the stone flying to land not far from him, while he flipped in the air and landed on his feet, followed quickly by the stone, causing a small tremor.

Everyone ate the hearty breakfast voraciously and with pleasure, making sure not to leave anything on their plates. After finishing their meal, each went to their own bath, while Nemuri caught Kai off guard and picked him up, carrying him in her arms to the guest bathroom.

"Onee-chan, I can really bathe by myself."

"No, Onee-chan will take care of bathing you, so just give in."

"..."

This time, the bathroom had a tub big enough for both of them without feeling crowded. So after a good shower, Nemuri got into the tub with Kai in her arms and then sat him on her lap while she relaxed, reclining in the tub.

"Ahhh, this is the life. Look, Kai, this is one of the great pleasures of a bath. Don't forget it."

Kai simply nodded silently while trying to calculate the decimals of pi in his mind, attempting to occupy all his mental capacity to push away his bad thoughts.

“By the way, Kai, I think it’s better if you are a bit more discreet about your quirk's abilities, at least for a while. Given the current situation, your abilities could generate a ‘strange frenzy’ in the media and other hero agencies once everything comes to light.”

(Of course, I'm aware of that. Besides, the more hidden cards you have, the better. But honestly, showing my super strength and detection doesn't bother me at all. After all, they're just the tip of the iceberg. This morning, before everyone woke up, I decided to test my abilities a bit and they are insanely powerful.

By enhancing my body, I could increase my strength and speed to an absurd level, easily lifting a rock at least twice my size. With emission, a small aura ball just one centimeter in diameter almost pierced through a fairly thick tree.

With conjuration, I could partially materialize one of my most used tools, a small scalpel, which cut through rocks like they were butter. And all this being the novice that I am, plus I haven't even tried anything with Haki yet.)

"Sure, but then I'll need a place to train. It's better if it's a wooded area like this one. I like it."

"Do you also want to live in the mountains, Kai?" Nemuri asked with a noticeable smile on her face, noting the evident improvement in Kai's mental state through their small conversation.

"Not necessarily in the mountains, but I would like it to be close enough to train easily in the forest."

"Mmm, that could be a good idea. It would help us stay a bit under the radar, allowing us to avoid media scrutiny for a while. And if I remember correctly, Alisa-san bought a property with those characteristics and there's already a nice house built there. We could go see it today after leaving the hospital."

"Are we really going to the hospital?" Kai asked reluctantly to which Nemuri replied in a strict tone.

"Of course we are. I'm still worried about what happened last night, so we'll go for a quick check-up after lunch."

"Alright..."

After a while, Nemuri emerged from the bath with Kai in her arms, refusing to let him go. She then dressed the blue-eyed boy in a blue sports sweatshirt, while she put on a loose brown sweater and a black pencil skirt that reached her thigh. They then left the room to meet the Pussycats.

"Well, Kai-kun, what do you think about joining our mountain training?" Chatora asked with a smile, dressed in a brown tracksuit, to which Kai quickly nodded.

"I'd like that."

"Alright then, it's decided. You'll join our training while Nemuri takes care of some matters," Shino added with a smile, dressed in a red tracksuit.

Nemuri's morning was going to be quite hectic. She had to collect her things from her former agency, then go by the Saito family house to check on it, gather some of Kai's belongings, and meet with her lawyer to hand over necessary documents to legalize Kai's guardianship.

Not to mention the last-minute task of inquiring about the property she mentioned to Kai earlier. Because of that, Nemuri was deeply grateful for the Pussycats' favor of looking after Kai and quickly said goodbye.

"Have fun training, Kai."

"Of course, Onee-chan. I'll be waiting for you to have lunch together."

"Of course, I wouldn't have lunch without my Kai."

After Nemuri left, Kai followed the Pussycats, who began venturing into the forest. They started at a slow pace on an easy path so Kai could keep up, but after seeing how effortlessly he followed, they decided to increase the pace. But Kai had no trouble keeping up.

Feeling challenged, the Pussycats began using increasingly complex paths as time went on until they finally saw Kai starting to struggle to keep up with their pace. Sharing a small smile that only they could understand, they decided to stop teasing the boy.

But when they tried to slow down a bit, Kai suddenly began mimicking their feline movements with terrifying speed, easily copying them and keeping up as before, causing them to look at each other in disbelief.

"Geniuses are a bit irritating, don't you think?" Ryuko commented quietly, somewhat annoyed, to which Tomoko quickly added.

"Tell me about it. If he weren't so cute, I would have already hit him a little to vent."

"Come on, girls. How can you talk about hitting Kai-kun? Let's just tease him a bit later," Shino added softly, a kind smile forming on her lips. Chatora added with a serious expression that tried to hide a smile.

"I agree."

Unaware of the trouble he had brought upon himself, Kai began to get used to the feline movements he had copied. He quickly realized they weren't entirely suitable as he felt some discomfort while using them.

Focusing on the sensations in his body, Kai gradually changed his movements until the discomfort disappeared. He started running and climbing through the forest like a fish in water, feeling completely natural to him. After a while, he heard Shino's voice calling.

"Kai-kun, we'll have a little briefing in that clearing over there."

As she jumped from tree to tree, Shino pointed west where a small clearing could be seen in the middle of the dense forest. Kai quickly nodded in understanding.

"Okay."

Once in the clearing, everyone gathered and began doing stretching exercises while Shino started briefing Kai about what he could and couldn't do in the forest, what he might encounter, what to do in different situations, and things like that until they were ready.

"Well, Kai, what kind of training have you done so far?"

"Well, not much really, just what you've seen me do in the garden, and I've only done it twice."

"Kai-kun, are you telling me today was only the second time you've trained?"

"Yes, I wasn't interested before, and mom didn't like dad trying to train me because she said it would make me as dumb as him."

"Then how could you do such complex exercises?"

"I just imitated what I saw dad doing sometimes."

"“““TCH!”””"

"Huh?!"

"Don't worry about them, Kai-kun. Now just show me what else you learned by imitating your father."

"Besides the exercises I already did, maybe some poses and strikes I saw him do."

"Can you show me one?"

Chapter 21: Could it be that it’s not really Haki?

Chapter Text

"Of course, I've never tried it, but I remember several movements, so let me show you some."

Kai assumed a basic karate stance he had seen his father perform: back straight, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, right hand raised to waist level with the palm facing up and fist closed, while the left hand, also in a fist, extended in front of him at chest level with the elbow slightly bent.

When the Pussycats saw Kai's stance, they were a bit surprised by the level of detail. But their thoughts were interrupted when Kai suddenly threw a punch, his hands moving as if connected by a crank in his back.

Kai's punch made the air vibrate, but he didn't stop there. He continued with the complete Taikyoku Shodan Shotokan kata, advancing and retreating with controlled, repetitive movements, sometimes blocking and sometimes attacking, almost as if he were performing a choreography.

The Pussycats couldn't take their eyes off him, watching in amazement as Kai seemed to improve with each strike, making them more natural and powerful. By the end of the kata, the air became his instrument, playing a terrifying symphony of pure power.

Kai's movements were far from perfect, but no one would believe they were performed by a novice trying for the first time. He seemed like someone who had been practicing karate for years, close to achieving a small accomplishment, which, combined with his super strength, made him quite intimidating.

But Kai didn't stop. After karate, he quickly adopted the classic Muay Thai stance: feet shoulder-width apart, arms raised with elbows bent at right angles, hands pointing upward at forehead height.

Moments after assuming his pose, Kai's rear leg bent and then shot forward with impressive speed, ending with the characteristic sound of a strike through the air, followed by several coordinated and dynamic punches, knee strikes, and elbows.

"What did you think?" Kai asked curiously after dropping his stance. To which Chatora responded with a serious expression.

"You pay great attention to detail, Kai-kun. Your movements were very well executed."

"Haha, thanks."

"Would you like to train your moves with me a bit?" Chatora asked, curious about the skills of the small blue-eyed one, who responded enthusiastically.

"Of course, it would be an honor."

(What a perfect opportunity to test my 'Observation Haki' intent reading.)

Immediately after responding, Kai took a basic boxing stance that left Chatora a bit puzzled, but he decided to ignore it and simply threw a basic karate kick. Despite his strength, Kai struggled to defend against it, and after a few more strikes, Chatora realized the obvious.

Kai had no idea how to fight. While he could throw good jabs, that was all he could do. Due to the reach difference, he was basically ineffective. At the same time, he hadn't used his legs even once, despite his ability to execute basic Karate and Muay Thai moves well just moments before.

"Let's stop for a bit, Kai-kun. You were really just imitating what you saw and have no idea how to apply it in reality."

Kai smiled awkwardly and nodded, feeling a bit confused inside.

(I couldn't sense his intent even once. Could it be that it's not really Haki? That would be a bit discouraging, as my aura did turn out to be Nen. But what should I focus on to anticipate his actions?

In moments like these, I should take 'inspiration' from other systems. The problem is that Haki is quite unique in that sense. Although other power systems have techniques with similar results, including Nen, it's not exactly the same. Come on, Kai, think, think...)

"Ryuko, help me show Kai-kun what real martial arts training looks like. I'd like to see what he learns."

"Sure, make sure to watch closely, Kai."

Ryuko responded with a smile as she separated from Tomoko and Shino, who, along with her, had been watching the little and adorable genius's performance with interest.

"I'll watch every detail."

Ryuko and Chatora stood side by side, then took their respective stances and began a battle choreography that showcased their incredible skills and reflexes. After a few exchanges, Chatora found an opening and landed a small hit on Ryuko.

An ugly expression involuntarily appeared on Ryuko's beautiful face. After all, she had been shown up too quickly in front of Kai. Determined to redeem her 'embarrassment,' she used her quirk a little, believing no one would notice, to destabilize Chatora.

Noticing Ryuko's small dirty trick, Chatora smiled playfully and immediately made full use of his flexible body. Soon, the 'demonstration training' turned into more of a showcase of skills and quirks.

Kai, on his part, was struck by a ray of inspiration when he saw the strange expression on Ryuko's face.

(That's right, by focusing too much on relatively complete power systems, I didn't pay attention to that little manga about battles between gods and humans in a Colosseum, where they seemed to like making quite strange expressions.

In that manga, a similar ability, although it was seeing rather than sensing, had basically the same effects. According to what they said, a person's soul will always move faster than their body, so the character with special eyes could anticipate all his opponents' moves.

So, if I follow that logic, I should try to sense something deeper than just 'voices' or presences. I should look for something like the 'voice' of their souls or something like that, but will it work? Well, it's not like I have anything to lose, so let's try it.)

Curious, Kai closed his eyes and focused entirely on the 'voices' of Ryuko and Chatora, trying to delve deeper into them, searching for that missing piece to sense intent. Suddenly, he began to perceive a slight tremor in the 'voices,' so he quickly concentrated fully on one and tried to 'understand' it in some way.

The deeper Kai delved into the 'voice,' the more it seemed to stop making sense, much like repeating the same word too many times or focusing too much on a specific sensation. Nevertheless, he kept trying until he suddenly opened his eyes and watched the fight while whispering to himself.

"Jump to the left…"

When Chatora indeed jumped to the left to avoid a clump of dirt heading his way, Kai could barely contain his excitement. After all, he had done it. The sensation was still very faint, but it was true Haki or, at the very least, something very similar.

Filled with excitement and curiosity, Kai continued studying that sensation, which was incredibly strange, almost instinctive, like the human ability to know where their hands are without looking. He began to feel the intentions of the 'voices' more clearly, but this stopped when Shino raised her voice and said:

"That's enough, you two. What happened to the demonstration for Kai-kun?"

Ryuko and Chatora looked down a bit embarrassed as they apologized to Kai.

"We're sorry, Kai-kun. We got carried away."

"Don't worry, I feel like I've learned a lot watching your demonstration."

"Really? Do you want to try again?"

"Sure."

Kai and Chatora stood facing each other again, and once more, Kai took his boxing stance and waited for Chatora to make his move. This time, he easily dodged and tried to close in quickly, but Chatora simply changed his move halfway, surprising him for a moment. Thanks to his quick reflexes, Kai managed to block the kick.

(So this can happen too. Their intention can change suddenly. How interesting...)

The sparring lasted a bit longer, but this time, Kai improved with each encounter, dodging more easily and responding without delay to Chatora's sudden changes. He even landed several powerful rights that Chatora had to avoid by cheating a bit with his flexibility. This prompted Chatora to urge Kai to try more things.

"Kai-kun, try using the moves you showed a while ago, the ones you copied from your father."

"Alright."

Kai thought it was a good idea, so after nodding, he immediately switched to the Muay Thai stance, almost instantly noticing the changes, being able to respond more easily in the fight while feeling somehow 'freer,' as if he had been fighting with one hand tied before.

Although the results were better than with just boxing, Kai was still unable to land a hit. Despite his power, due to his small stature, he didn't have the reach, and against someone as fast, experienced, and flexible as Chatora, he had no chance, managing only to hit the air.

On the other hand, Kai was relying heavily on his Haki to know what to do; otherwise, he would have taken many more hits than he already had. This wouldn't be so bad if his Haki were well-trained, but it wasn't, so he often lost concentration and stopped sensing intentions, which he quickly paid for with a hit. Moreover, those intentions weren't very reliable, as they could change suddenly.

Because of this, Kai was becoming increasingly frustrated. Despite his numerous advantages, he was losing very pathetically. Suddenly, a drop of sweat fell from his face and hit his pants, reminding him of a phrase someone very famous had said in his past life.

(It was... empty your mind, be formless, be like water, my friend, or something like that, right? Well, I might as well try it...)

With no better plan, Kai decided to try applying that famous phrase. After all, it wasn't like he would die if it didn't work, so he tried to clear his mind. But that didn't go very well when he was suddenly attacked, and if not for his Haki, he would be on the ground. So he adjusted his thoughts a bit.

(I should focus on nothing but the fight, you idiot!!)

After mentally scolding himself for that stupid mistake and solemnly vowing never to tell anyone, Kai stopped thinking about everything and focused entirely on his Observation Haki, concentrating solely on dodging, completely giving up on attacking.

The attacks became increasingly faster and tighter, making dodging more difficult. However, this 'pressure' seemed to drive Kai, who started to sense the intentions more clearly, while his body began to move more fluidly and efficiently, dodging with fewer movements and by a smaller margin.

But quickly, that extreme concentration took its toll on Kai, who began to feel both physically and mentally exhausted. He then decided to make one last attempt. Using his improved flexibility and body control, he dodged a spinning kick at the last moment, ducking and leaving Chatora with minimal time to react.

In one fluid motion, Kai delivered a strong kick to Chatora's supporting leg, catching him by surprise. However, Chatora immediately took advantage of his flexibility, bending his leg impossibly in the air and giving Kai a 'hit' on the head. Like the previous ones, it was more of a shove than anything else, as he didn't want to hurt the little boy.

After the 'hit,' Kai simply let himself fall to the ground, exhausted. So Chatora, with a smile on his face and only slightly sweaty but still in perfect condition, commented.

"Well, Kai-kun, that was a great fight. You learn very quickly. Do you plan to learn martial arts?"

Chapter 22: What is this mini-self?

Chapter Text

"Well, Kai-kun, that was a great fight. You learn very quickly. Do you plan to learn martial arts?"

"I hadn't thought about it, but it's actually really fun to do, so it could be considered," Kai responded, still on the ground with his limbs sprawled out.

"I'm glad to hear that, Kai-kun. For now, you can rest a bit while we do some sparring."

"Alright, then I'll lie down under that tree." From his position on the ground, Kai pointed to one of the nearby trees, to which the Pussycats nodded in agreement.

With some effort, Kai walked over to the tree he had pointed out and lay down, while the Pussycats began sparring in different groups. Intrigued, Kai closed his eyes, wanting to get more familiar with the feeling of sensing intentions. After all, for now, it required too much concentration, and he could only do it for one person at a time.

(Well, knowing that I can indeed predict intentions, it's almost certain that this is Observation Haki. That leaves Armament and Conqueror's Haki. There's also something that's been bothering me since my fight. If I hit someone with aura, will they develop aura too? If my aura is exactly like the [Nen] from my memories, then the answer would be yes.

But my aura is a bit different, so I hope not. After all, I don't want to go through life giving powers to others. But let's leave that for later and focus on Armament Haki for now. But the question is, how do I do it?

Somehow, my Aura and Observation Haki have been almost instinctive to me, like moving an arm or a leg. Also, how do I differentiate Armament Haki from Enhancement with Nen?

Mmmm, I suppose I should concentrate on the differences I feel when using Aura and Observation Haki. Even though they are more or less the same, it's like Aura is my arms and Haki my legs. They are just as easy to use, but at the same time, different.)

Kai stopped trying to sense the intentions of the Pussycats who were still in the middle of their sparrings, and instead tried to find his own 'voice,' as he could easily sense the voices of others, but the same did not apply to his own.

After a while of concentrating completely on himself and trying different approaches, he finally managed to sense his ‘voice.’ Although the feeling was quite faint and fleeting, Kai couldn't help but get excited, but he quickly refocused, trying to feel the strange sensation more clearly and understand it.

As Kai tried to understand his ‘voice’ on a deeper level, as he had done to sense the intentions of others, a blurry image of a small energy ball suddenly appeared in his mind. Curious, he focused all his attention on it.

After some time, the image began to clear more and more, to the point where Kai could see the inside of the energy sphere. There, to his surprise, there was a version of himself in a fetal position, surrounded by what seemed to be an aura.

(Am I imagining this, or is it real?)

Despite his surprise, Kai was a bit confused about the meaning of the image. But for some reason, his ‘instincts’ told him that it was not only real, but that the small version of himself he could see in his mind was a very important part of him.

While Kai oscillated between confusion and curiosity, he somehow couldn't stop paying attention to the aura surrounding his mini self. So, after considering it for a moment, he decided to focus all his attention on it.

The more he tried to analyze the aura of his mini-self, the stranger it felt to Kai. Although it was similar to the aura he usually used, it also felt different. It was a very strange feeling, but after thinking about it a lot, the aura of the mini-self started to fluctuate.

Surprised by the event, a curious Kai tried to move the aura of the mini-self as he normally did with his [Nen], and it began to fluctuate more intensely, which for some reason excited him. He tried to intensify it, and after a few minutes of furious fluctuation, Kai suddenly felt a click in his mind.

Along with the click in his mind, Kai quickly noticed that the strange fluctuations of the mini-self’s aura were slowly calming down. At the same time, he felt he had somehow gained a certain control over a small portion of that aura, which made him lose himself in his thoughts.

(What is this mini-self? Is it my soul? A hallucination? My Haki? It's hard to say. The feeling it gives me is a bit different from Haki. It's strange, but more importantly, what do I do with the mini-self’s aura? Is it the same as my aura? Well, there's only one way to find out.)

After trying a few times to move the mini-self’s aura in his mental image, Kai began to imagine that aura forming a small armor around his right arm. However, although the mini-self’s aura fluctuated a bit, he didn't feel anything special in his body.

(So, it was a hallucination... what a waste of time, and now I feel even more tired...)

With a sigh that combined disappointment and exhaustion, Kai casually struck one of the exposed roots of the tree he was lying under, which was right next to him, as if trying to express his frustrations.

Boooommm!!!!

A loud sound took the Pussycats by surprise, who immediately assumed combat positions and looked in the direction of the noise, only to find Kai staring in shock at a shattered root of the tree he was lying against.

“What happened, Kai-kun? What did you do?”

Shino, followed closely by the others, quickly approached Kai, who seemed to have been the cause of the event, and asked him with a voice tinged with curiosity and a hint of concern.

“Well... the truth is, watching you use your quirks inspired me a bit on how to use mine, so I wanted to try it out gently, but I didn't expect this to happen.”

“Your quirk is really powerful to cause so much destruction without trying… do you feel any kind of pain or anything like that?” Ryuko asked, with surprise written all over her beautiful face, as she looked at the shattered root.

“No, I don’t feel anything at all, as if I hadn’t done it myself,” Kai responded as he got up from the ground, still feeling incredulous about what had happened.

“Then you really have a very powerful quirk, Kai-kun... could you try it again, so we can analyze it better?” Chatora added, evidently curious.

Equally curious about what had happened, Kai nodded slightly and stood in front of the tree, then repeated the exact same process. Curiously, this time it was not only easier but also faster; the process felt almost natural, like his Aura and Observation Haki.

Since he no longer had to pay special attention to the mini-self's aura, Kai decided to closely examine his arm to see if it was a different color or if something had changed. But as usual, he saw nothing strange. So he quickly resorted to his old reliable, Gyo, and indeed he could see something similar to a very faint black stain covering his right hand.

(It looks like Armament Haki!)

After inspecting his hand a bit, a somewhat excited Kai decided to deliver a casual strike like before, without applying force. This time he noticed what happened: the area around where his blow landed sunk in and exploded, flying off in pieces, leaving a deep mark on the tree.

(This power is crazy, I didn’t even use force. It was just a casual blow. What would happen if I applied all my strength to the blow and also used aura intensification? Could I blow away mountains with one hit?

Probably not yet, but both systems have users capable of doing that, so using them together should be something beyond 1+1. But it's better not to test it for now, since I’m already getting dangerous looks.)

The girls couldn't be blamed for looking at Kai with almost predatory eyes. Initially, the Pussycats believed that Kai had used all his power, but after seeing it for themselves, they realized that if the little boy used all his power, the consequences wouldn’t be as simple as destroying a tree. This led all the girls to have the same thought in their minds.

(He's a mini All Might...)

Shortly after, Shino recovered from her shock and spoke in a calm and composed voice.

“Your quirk is truly amazing, Kai-kun, but it's also very destructive. You need to be careful with it and learn to control it well, or you could accidentally hurt the people around you.”

“Yes, I thought so too. I'll have to test my limits a bit to see what I can do and then try to tone it down a bit.”

“You’re a very smart boy, Kai-kun. You're absolutely right, but it’s better to do it later, as it's almost lunchtime and Nemuri-san should have returned by now.”

When everyone returned to the base, they quickly noticed that Nemuri had indeed returned. She greeted them with a smile on her face before launching herself at Kai, lifting him up and showering him with affectionate kisses all over his face.

“Kai, Onee-chan missed you a lot, but it was worth it because I have good news. I’m now legally your guardian, although it’s only temporary for now. Also, there won’t be any problems if we decide to live in the place we talked about.”

“That’s good, Onee-chan. So, are we going to see it this afternoon?” Kai asked, a bit interested, to which Nemuri responded with a radiant smile.

“Of course we are, right after we leave the hospital.”

“Are we really going to the hospital?” Kai couldn’t help but ask skeptically, to which Nemuri responded with a firm look and an authoritative tone.

“Just give in, we're going to the hospital today no matter what.”

“Alright…”

With Kai defeated in Nemuri's arms, the group entered the base laughing and went their separate ways to their respective rooms for a good bath, with the blue-eyed boy once again being "kidnapped" by Nemuri, who bathed him cheerfully.

After the bath, Nemuri carried Kai to the bed and proceeded to dry him thoroughly, then dressed him in a short-sleeved white shirt, dark blue jeans, white slip-on shoes, and an elegant dark blue jacket that matched the pants.

Nemuri wanted to match Kai, so using the same color scheme, she dressed in jeans, a modestly low-cut blouse, and a jacket, along with comfortable low heels and stylish glasses. When she stood next to Kai, they gave the impression of a mother hen with her chick, which made her very happy.

After reuniting with the Pussycats in the living room, who looked a bit amused by Kai and Nemuri's "uniform", they all walked to a large table already filled with many dishes of food and sat down to eat.

After a calm and uneventful lunch, Shino asked Nemuri to accompany her for a bit, while Kai and the others watched TV to kill time before having to go to the hospital.

“Nemuri, I wanted to talk to you a bit about Kai-kun.”

“Did something happen to Kai during training?”

Chapter 23: it’s the best place possible

Chapter Text

"Did something happen to Kai during training?" Nemuri couldn't help but ask, worried. Shino immediately responded with a calm smile.

"Relax, he wasn't hurt or anything like that. Today, we realized Kai-kun's incredible talent. Not only does he have an impressive learning speed, but his quirk is also incredibly powerful and destructive. So It's important for Kai to start learning to control it because, after all, it will be very useful for his dream."

"Dream? Are you sure Kai talked about dreams? He always said he didn't have dreams, only goals."

"Ah, that's right. Kai-kun did say something like that. Do you remember he told you about fighting an old man at the mall? Well, although I didn't understand the fight very well, it boiled down to the old man recommending an easy path for a novice to start with. But Kai disagreed, saying it was a path without a future and recommended a harder path with room for growth."

"That's so like Kai."

"Well, as I was saying, after we got him out of there, we explained why it was better to show the easy path at the beginning. He later apologized to the old man, and they had a brief conversation where the old man explained the importance of dreams. Kai then said his dream would be to become invincible."

When Nemuri heard Shino's words about Kai's dream, she couldn't help but remember the words the boy had said to her in the hospital bathroom, [I'll make sure something like this never happens again, I'll make sure to protect you], which inevitably caused tears to well up in her eyes. She quickly wiped them away and asked another question.

"I understand, thank you for telling me. But I wanted to ask, what do you mean by his quirk being powerful and destructive?"

"Well, to put it simply, imagine a miniature All Might. That's Kai-kun."

"All Might?! Are you sure? Or are you exaggerating?"

"You wouldn't doubt it so much if you had seen it. Kai-kun destroyed a tree with a terribly casual punch. It was impressive."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, even though Kai is very strong and fast, he didn't use any of that in the punch. It was barely even a punch. He just stretched his arm, touched the trunk, and it exploded from the impact."

"That's really impressive."

"Yes, but such great power is dangerous in the hands of a child, especially one who has gone through what Kai has. So it's necessary to do something to help him learn not only to control it but also to control himself," Shino spoke with a serious tone and a grave expression, to which Nemuri agreed.

"You're right, though it will be complicated..."

"Yes, it will be. But don't worry, we'll come up with something. Don't forget we'll help with whatever you need with Kai-kun," Shino added with a reassuring smile, which moved Nemuri a little. She sincerely thanked her.

"Thank you so much for everything, Shino."

"Don't mention it. You better hurry, or you'll be late for the hospital"

Shino responded cheerfully, placing a comforting hand on Nemuri's shoulder. The beautiful blue-eyed woman nodded, thanked her one last time, and went to the living room to pick up Kai, heading to the hospital.

Sometime later, Nemuri and Kai arrived at the hospital, where, after several check-ups, the doctors reached a somewhat surprising conclusion: the boy was better than fine. Not only did he have no health issues, but all his results were astonishing, to the point where the doctors kept repeating that the boy was the epitome of human health.

"See, Onee-chan, I told you I was fine."

"It's always better to be safe than sorry, Kai."

After a couple of hours, Nemuri and Kai left the hospital and headed to the outskirts of the city. After a while, they saw a beautiful forest in the distance, which brought small smiles to the faces of the 'blue-eyed duo.'

Later, Nemuri and Kai reached their destination, where they found an elegant minimalist-style residence that seemed to rise like a sanctuary of serenity and 'civilization' in the middle of a lush forest.

The house's structure had two floors with large windows offering panoramic views of the forest from every room, designed with a purist aesthetic, featuring sharp lines and a monochromatic color palette that blended harmoniously with the green tones of the surrounding forest.

Upon entering the beautiful house, Nemuri and Kai were greeted by a spacious foyer that flowed into an open-plan living room. The interior followed a minimalist philosophy with white walls, polished marble floors, and contemporary designed furniture.

Outside the residence, an expansive wooden terrace opened to the forest, providing a private and tranquil space to enjoy the outdoors. The meticulously maintained garden showcased a variety of native flora, adding a touch of color to the property's landscape.

The two were enchanted by the place, especially Kai, who felt incredibly drawn to the surrounding forest, as if his instincts were telling him there was no better home for him.

"Onee-chan, I want to live here; it's the best place possible."

"You're right, Kai. This place is perfect for us. Fortunately, I’ve already signed all the necessary documents. We just need to tidy up a bit and bring our things. I think Alisa-san was planning to move here. After all, look over there; I'd bet that's where your workshop will go."

With a small smile on her face, Nemuri pointed to a corner of the property, where, a bit away from the main mansion, a simple-looking building of about 200 square meters with large industrial doors could be seen. Accompanied by a couple of similar but much smaller buildings on the sides.

With bright eyes, Kai ran towards the larger building and tried to quickly open the doors, only to find they were locked. He quickly turned to look at Nemuri, who approached with an amused smile on her face and keys in her hands.

“Fufufu, my baby is very excited.”

"..."

At Nemuri’s affectionate and amused comment, Kai chose to remain silent, a little embarrassed, while moving aside to give Nemuri space to open the doors.

“Fufufu, let's see how your workshop will look.”

When Nemuri opened the doors of the building, the first thing Kai noticed inside were a lot of work tables, shelves, computers, and several machines similar to those in his workshop, but better, larger, and evidently new, as well as various perfectly arranged tools and different types of supplies, such as microcomponents, cables, PCBs, etc.

Seeing his fully equipped workshop, with such a high level of attention to detail, Kai couldn't hold back his tears. After all, that place was more than a workshop; it was a monument to the love and care his parents had for him, likely a surprise they had prepared for him, one they unfortunately never got to give him.

With his face stained with tears, Nemuri approached Kai and hugged him from behind, as if trying to tell him with the hug that he wasn't alone, that she was with him and felt his pain too, a pain so great it still hurt like an open wound.

After a while, the beautiful woman and the small boy left the workshop and checked the other two nearby buildings, quickly realizing that they were not meant for Kai, as they contained things that were evidently for his parents.

One of the buildings was actually a gym, which had a large amount of high-end specialized training equipment, making it clear that this would be a new gym for his father, as he had never had one in their previous home.

The other building had countless neatly arranged technological shelves with a large collection of all kinds of books surrounding an elegant tearoom, making it evident that it belonged to his mother, whose greatest hobby was collecting books. She spent a lot of money on first editions and similar items.

(Money really corrupts. My mother didn’t have such a passion in my previous life. Although she always loved reading, now, with money, she ended up doing what she used to criticize so much: paying obscene amounts of money for a book that has the same content as any other. Hahahaha, maybe envy spoke for her before...)

After the tour of the property, Nemuri and Kai left the place in one of the cars parked in the garage and headed to Nemuri's apartment, where a lot of suitcases were already neatly packed in the living room.

“What will you do with your apartment, Onee-chan?” Kai asked curiously while helping Nemuri load the suitcases into the car. She replied while arranging them inside to make them all fit.

“I suppose I’ll call a real estate agency to rent it out. After all, it could have problems if no one lives in it for a long time.”

"Doesn't it bother you that someone else will live in your apartment?"

"Not really, it's just an apartment. My home is now by your side, Kai, so this place might as well be home for someone else now that I don't need it."

"I see…"

After loading all the suitcases into the car, Nemuri called the moving company that would take care of transporting the rest of her belongings to the new house. She then left a copy of the key with the building's security so they could enter.

After unloading the suitcases at their new home, Nemuri opened one of the bags and took out a beautiful black card with golden decorations, Kai's savings card, and handed it to him with a smile.

"Kai, here is your savings card. Don't lose it."

"Thanks, Onee-chan." Kai looked at the card for a while, then sighed and thanked her with a small smile.

Although Kai didn't say anything else, Nemuri was sure that the boy's gratitude wasn't for the card. After all, he hadn't mentioned picking it up even once after their trip to the mall. But She could understand it; after all, she herself couldn't control her tears when she returned to the Saito house, and now she didn't even feel brave enough to go back.

That place held too many memories, and it would be difficult for them to enter it for a long time. On the other hand, Nemuri had no plans to rent the house out or anything like that. Instead, she had decided to leave it as it was and hire a high-end cleaning service with an excellent reputation to keep it in perfect condition until the two of them felt brave enough to return.

Chapter 24: This thing is as stupid as I remember

Chapter Text

After a small sigh, Nemuri lovingly hugged the little one who seemed lost in his thoughts and asked with a beautiful smile on her face.

“Well, Kai, which room do you want to be ours?”

“Huh!? Ours?” Kai couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise, jolted out of his thoughts by Nemuri’s words.

“Yes, ours. From now on, we will share a room.” With a serious tone and a beautiful smile on her face, Nemuri replied while looking into Kai’s beautiful blue eyes, to which he responded with evident discomfort.

“But that would be uncomfortable for you, Onee-chan. Besides, this house is very big. There are plenty of rooms; we don’t need to share.”

“There’s nothing to discuss. We will share a room, and since you didn’t want to choose, I will choose it.” Nemuri quickly cut off Kai’s argument and, after looking around a bit, nodded and announced without leaving room for discussion, with a cute smile on her face.

“It will be the one at the back with access to the terrace. There’s already a lovely king-size bed there, after all.”

“...”

...

The next day, Kai woke up with the first rays of morning sunlight, only to find himself nestled between two enormous, soft, and plush mountains barely covered by a black silk pajama. He was mere centimeters from a face of indescribable beauty, with features seemingly sculpted with nanometric precision, without any flaw.

After carefully extricating himself from Nemuri’s embrace to avoid waking her, Kai quickly took off the embarrassing cat pajamas Nemuri had made him wear the night before. He then put on a comfortable black sweatshirt and ran to the main hall, where he grabbed a key ring.

Kai quickly reached the gym and opened the doors, finding a place equipped with everything one could need for training. Everything had an elegant and futuristic look, and there was even an octagon-like structure with what seemed to be practice robots.

“Well, I suppose what I need to train first is my stamina. I’m really bad in that area, but let’s try these toys first.”

While doing a small stretching routine, Kai commented curiously. He then approached one of the treadmills in the gym, and after studying it a bit, he figured out how to turn it on, starting with a light jog.

“Mmm, I should actually increase the pace a bit…”

After tinkering with the treadmill's touch panel, Kai managed to set it to 20 km/h, so he continued jogging at a steady pace while still examining the treadmill. Before long, he managed to make some good heavy metal music resonate throughout the place.

“This is more like it, hehe.”

After about 30 minutes on the treadmill, Kai did barbell squats, deadlifts, bench presses, barbell rows, etc., making sure to try every machine until, by chance, he found what appeared to be ankle and wrist weights on a shelf in a corner.

“Wow, if these babies weighed a couple of tons, maybe I could pull off a Rock Lee, hehe. Although the heavy clothing of the Z warriors would be cooler. But, anyway, let’s try how these feel first.”

Quickly, Kai started casually lifting the weights, looking for ones that suited him, soon realizing that some were so heavy he couldn’t even lift them. This made him wonder what the shelf that could hold them all together was made of.

After some time, Kai found weights he felt comfortable with, so he put one on each limb, then jumped a bit, ran, and threw a few punches in the air to see how they felt.

“These things seem very effective; I really feel my muscles working... although now that I think about it, will using these affect my height?...”

Kai looked at the weights with a complicated expression. After all, he didn’t want to be short, but he quickly shook his head and murmured to himself in an attempt to calm down.

“No, calm down. It won’t necessarily affect my height. Besides, I still have my nen with 100% efficiency in enhancement, and if Gon was able to grow so much with a pact, there should be a way to fix my height if it really affects me. What’s important now is training… yes, I like that, let’s think positively.”

Kai continued exploring the gym, trying out things while still wearing the weights, until he finally decided to enter the octagon. It had a style quite similar to MMA, though with a more futuristic look, and there were various robots that seemed to be for practice.

“Mmm, how do I get these things to work?”

While muttering to himself, Kai started examining the robots from all sides, looking for any kind of screen or controller, but finding nothing, he assumed they must operate by some kind of voice command.

“Alexa?! Siri?! Jarvis?!”

After trying out random commands for a while, Kai remembered that his father had a natural language assistant at home with a rather curious name.

“Sage!”

“Yes, sir?”

In response to Kai's words, a synthetic female voice answered, which brought a smile to the blue-eyed boy’s face. Then he quickly asked.

“Explain how the practice robots work.”

“Of course. The practice robots are mechanical and electronic devices designed to simulate different tasks, behaviors, or movements encountered in situ—”

“This thing is as stupid as I remember…”

Kai couldn’t help but facepalm in frustration as the synthetic voice recited an extensive explanation of some nonsense it must have found on the internet. But since he had weights on his wrists, the impact hurt him more than expected, so he quickly commented irritably.

“Sage, shut up.”

“Yes, sir.”

After complaining for a bit, Kai calmed down and announced loudly again.

“Sage, list the gym ‘routines’.”

“Of course. Monday and Thursday: Barbell squats—”

“Sage, shut up!!”

“Yes, sir.”

A vein on Kai's forehead throbbed violently, a sign of his anger, but after a few deep breaths, he calmed down and announced again with an obviously irritated voice.

“Sage, list the gym ‘protocols’.”

“Of course. Protocol ‘strength routine’: Activate the weightlifting program, including warm-up, main exercises, and cool down—”

“Finally, damn artificial retard, I swear one of these days I’ll dismantle you and make my own assistant with gambling and hookers!!”

While the female voice recited a long list, Kai couldn’t help but exclaim angrily. But knowing it was useless to fight with that pathetic excuse for an assistant, he calmed down and started punching a boxing bag in the gym while listening to what the assistant was saying.

After a while, Kai heard what he needed, so he silenced the assistant and quickly returned to the octagon before announcing loudly,

“Sage, activate ‘Combat Level 2’ protocol.”

“Yes, sir.”

With Sage’s words, one of the robots in the octagon seemed to come to life, while all the others exited, leaving the area free for combat. Kai watched with interest as the humanoid robot began performing various jumps, punches, and kicks in the air, as if warming up in some way.

Not long after, the humanoid robot approached Kai and, after a respectful bow, took a stance similar to Muay Thai. Then, it launched itself towards the blue-eyed boy, who barely managed to dodge but was quickly besieged by a barrage of elbow strikes, knee strikes, punches, and more.

(Damn, a machine has no intentions. What an idiot I am!)

Faced with the onslaught of the practice robot's attacks, Kai could barely defend himself, frantically fortifying his entire body. But he quickly reacted and shouted.

“Sage, stop everything!”

“At your command.”

With Sage's announcement, the robot returned to its place, followed quickly by the other robots returning to their previous positions. Even the music stopped immediately, while Kai sat on the floor, somewhat in pain, lost in his thoughts.

(Well, it's only logical that machines have no intentions. I was a fool not to see it coming, although in my defense, in the original work, the characters were able to avoid barrages of projectiles and even attacks from the Pacifistas, which are supposedly robots.

Then again, they're supposed to be ‘human weapons,’ so maybe that has something to do with it, or maybe they just have good reflexes. Or perhaps my ‘Haki’ is different, or maybe it's a misunderstanding, and it isn't Haki at all…

Anyway, the point is that now I better understand the limits of my ‘Observation Haki,’ although I need to do more tests. For now, I'll say it works only against living organisms, or better put, those with a ‘voice,’ making it pretty useless against robots and such. But I guess that’s where [En] would come in, to fill that gap.

The problem is, if I remember correctly, [En] was a high-level technique that required a lot of training and was quite costly in terms of energy and concentration. But well, that’s just one more problem on the list, nothing out of the ordinary, just more training.

For now, I should focus on improving my strength, stamina, and, above all, learning to fight for real. I suck at it, plus I still have to deal with Nen and the Hakis... seriously, I have so many things to do that I don't even know where to start…

Maybe I should start with Nen intensification. If I remember correctly, with intensification, you could heal, and if I apply that to my muscles, I should be able to recover faster from muscle pain or fatigue, which means results in less time. Although I first need to do tests to be sure.

But for now, let’s set that aside and focus on the basics: my stamina and aura capacity. So, the goal would be… Hmm, yes, the goal is to stay in [Ken] state for at least an hour without it being exhausting.)

After a tired sigh, Kai got up from the floor and stretched a bit, then announced loudly while walking towards one of the treadmills.

“Sage, play the ‘Kai's music for work’ playlist.”

“At your command.”

As heavy metal resonated in the gym, Kai started running at full speed on the treadmill with the weights on, while simultaneously activating [Ken], making his aura fully activate throughout his body.

Chapter 25: Who is this piece of trash?

Chapter Text

A few hours later, Nemuri entered the gym wearing a simple white dress under a pink kitchen apron, which, along with her hair tied back in a ponytail and the warm smile on her lips, gave her a unique housewife charm.

Upon entering the gym, the first thing Nemuri noticed was a completely exhausted Kai lying on the floor with his limbs spread out, breathing heavily with a blank stare. She quickly approached him with some concern.

“Are you okay, Kai? Are you in pain?”

Hearing Nemuri's voice beside him, Kai turned to look at her and replied with a small smile.

“I’m fine, Onee-chan. You don’t need to worry. I’m just resting.”

“How can I not worry when the first thing I see is you lying on the floor in this state? What if you overexerted your body? I think we need to go to the hospital again.” Nemuri replied in a serious tone, which made Kai quickly get up from the floor and speak hastily.

“No need, no need. I’m fine. I didn’t overexert myself; I was just taking a small break. Look.”

Nemuri scrutinized Kai as he jumped and threw several punches in the air, trying to show her he was fine. This caused a small sigh from the blue-eyed beauty, who commented thoughtfully.

“You know, Kai, thinking about it, it’s not a very good idea for someone as young as you to be training without supervision. I think you should let…” As she spoke, Nemuri noticed Kai’s furrowed brow, so she quickly corrected herself and continued, “...let your Onee-chan handle it. I’ll find someone who can supervise you and maybe teach you martial arts.”

With Nemuri's words, Kai fell into deep thought for a moment. He really did need someone to teach him how to fight, and he didn’t know much about training beyond the basics. So he quickly nodded and agreed.

“That could work, Onee-chan. I really need someone to teach me how to fight and all that.”

“Well, then it’s decided. Leave it to your Onee-chan. I’ll find someone suitable for the job, but for now, let’s have breakfast.”

“Okay.”

Shortly after, Kai sat in the main dining room, where various dishes with all kinds of delicacies were already laid out. He began to eat with a voracious appetite while Nemuri watched him with a beautiful smile on her lips that conveyed tenderness and satisfaction.

“Thank you, Onee-chan. It was really delicious.” After finishing eating, Kai thanked her sincerely, to which Nemuri responded with a warm smile.

“Fufu, you’re welcome, Kai. Onee-chan is very happy that you like my cooking so much.”

“It was really delicious.”

“Fufu, I’m glad, but for now, it’s time to bathe. We have visitors today.” Nemuri commented cheerfully as she got up from her chair and picked up the little one, who could only ask in confusion.

“Visitors? Who’s coming?”

“It’s a surprise, fufu.”

Resigned to his fate, Kai didn’t even complain when Nemuri took him to the bathroom and bathed him, always with a big smile on her lips as if she genuinely enjoyed bathing him. She then dressed him in a comfortable black cotton T-shirt and gray shorts, along with gray sneakers.

After checking Kai’s outfit, Nemuri nodded in satisfaction, then picked him up and carried him to the main living room, seating him on one of the comfortable and elegant sofas.

“Well, Kai, Onee-chan will wash the dishes and tidy up the kitchen. Wait here for a moment.”

“Okay. By the way, Onee-chan, have you seen my computer?”

“Oh yes, give me a moment.”

Shortly after, Nemuri handed Kai an elegant matte black laptop, evidently high-end, which had no brand or logo, just a sleek body made of what seemed to be some kind of metal.

As Nemuri gathered the dishes and took them to the kitchen, Kai powered on the laptop with familiar motions and attempted to connect to his work network, hoping it had a setup similar to the one he had at home.

“Well, it’s no surprise it’s on the default settings… okay, let’s get to work.”

After a light yawn and a stretch, Kai began organizing his network, setting up security protocols, changing passwords, and running tests on his private server clusters. But he quickly noticed that it was at least three times more powerful now.

“Wow, this damn server is a dream come true. How much did Mom and Dad spend on this? At least several million dollars, and Aunt Keiko probably helped, because I see several things that shouldn’t even be on the market yet…”

With a melancholic smile on his face, Kai accessed the only external door his previous server had, then started a large-scale data migration, which he left running in the background while planning the development of a new project.

“Well, not using such computing power would be a sin… Sage, you son of a bitch, your time has come, hehehe.”

With an ‘evil’ smile on his face, Kai opened a new design document where he started organizing his ideas, defining the technology to be used, learning algorithms, possible training datasets, and countless other variables that would affect the development.

“Well, the problem would be the training data. Although I could ‘borrow’ some from the internet, a good portion, especially high-quality data, is better bought, but they’re very expensive… Well, I could also ask for help, but I don’t really like the idea.”

While Kai debated internally whether to ask a certain aunt with a lot of money and influence in the technology field for help, as the notion of asking for favors wasn’t his style, he suddenly felt several presences approaching the property.

Curious, Kai set his laptop aside and looked out the window, quickly noticing the arrival of two elegant high-end black cars, from which two beautiful women with an almost aristocratic elegance and demeanor stepped out, followed closely by two beautiful little girls.

As the cars arrived, Nemuri came out of the kitchen drying her hands and quickly reached Kai, speaking to him with a small smile.

“Let’s go greet our guests.”

“Okay.”

Nemuri and Kai went down to the entrance, where the little girls, upon seeing the blue-eyed boy, ran to him with all their might and hugged him tightly, burying their faces in his body.

“Kai-chan…”

“Kai-kun…”

With a nostalgic and somewhat complicated smile, Kai began to gently stroke the girls' heads, one with beautiful light blue hair and the other with black hair, more similar to his own.

“Kai-chan… I know you’re very sad, but you can trust Onee-chan. I’ll always be with you.” The beautiful light blue-haired girl lifted her head and spoke in a trembling voice while looking into Kai’s eyes, to which he simply responded with a warm smile.

“Thank you, Nejire Onee-chan.”

“Kai… I love you so much, don’t ever leave…” The little black-haired girl could only cling to Kai while weakly crying, so Kai couldn’t help but hug her a bit tighter.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere, and I love you too, Momo.”

“You promise?” The girl asked through her tears.

“I promise.”

“I believe you, Kai-kun…”

“That’s good.”

While the children spoke, the adults in the scene couldn’t hold back their tears, but they quickly wiped them away, and Yumiko softly commented,

“Why don’t we talk inside?”

“Let’s go in.”

With the girls in his arms, Kai entered the beautiful mansion, closely followed by the elegant women who were filled with a myriad of emotions. Determined not to sadden the little ones further, they tried their hardest to contain themselves.

“Kai, Nejire, Momo, why don’t you play in the garden while we adults have a chat?” Nemuri asked with a warm smile on her face. Kai nodded and led the little ones to the garden.

The three women sat around a beautiful table with a perfect view of the garden, where Nemuri soon brought tea and cookies.

“Nemuri, how has Kai been these days?” Keiko asked in a serious tone, her eyes practically screaming concern. Nemuri responded with a complicated expression.

“The truth is, much better. He’s much more upbeat and calm, although as you could see, Kai’s change in attitude seems irreversible…”

“…”

Keiko and Yumiko sighed deeply as they sipped their tea, watching the children talking in the garden. After a while, Yumiko spoke in a serious tone.

“And what do you plan to do about security, Nemuri? The news has leaked to the media, and now it’s a disaster. All the news outlets are talking about it, and they even got pictures of Kai-chan at the hospital…”

“Is it that bad? I haven’t had time to connect, and since the incident with his favorite show, Kai hasn’t watched TV, so I’m a bit out of touch,” Nemuri commented, a bit worried. Keiko responded in a cold tone that revealed traces of contained anger.

“Bad? Those bastards found out that Kai ran out of his room and are making a scandal about how the great hero’s son is mentally unstable and a bunch of other garbage. There’s even an idiot on the internet gathering signatures to reveal Kai’s location and put him under surveillance because of a stupid conspiracy theory he came up with…”

Yumiko and Nemuri’s expressions turned dangerous. Yumiko picked up her phone to confirm the information, and Nemuri ran to her room to get her phone to do the same.

“That son of a bitch…”

Seeing the video of a handsome young man with short light orange hair and hazel eyes, Nemuri couldn’t help but curse angrily as she walked back to the table, eyes glued to her phone, gripping it so tightly it seemed it might explode at any moment.

The bastard in the video was speaking seriously while distorting the facts, inventing an absurd story in which he claimed, based on ‘reliable sources,’ that the real killer was little Kai, who, due to government experiments to enhance his quirk, lost control and ended up killing his parents.

“Who is this piece of trash?”

Yumiko, equally indignant, couldn’t help but grit her teeth as she spoke. The most offensive thing wasn’t the video itself but the millions of views and supportive comments it had. Keiko responded coldly.

“He’s a useless parasite who lived off his parents his whole life and didn’t even finish high school. A few years ago, he started making videos on the internet spouting all sorts of nonsense and conspiracy theories, but somehow he managed to gain millions of followers who blindly believe everything he says.”

“This son of a bitch has to pay…” Nemuri exclaimed with a look full of hatred. Keiko responded in a cold, dry tone that seemed loaded with murderous intent.

"Don't worry, that son of a bitch will be paying for his stupidity for years to come. I've already got the biggest law firm in the country investigating him thoroughly, going all the way back to his birth, and soon that idiot will find out he messed with the wrong person."

“I’ll contact a few acquaintances to help,” Nemuri, equally determined to destroy the bastard who dared target her precious baby, commented with a vicious look on her beautiful face.

“I’ll also talk to my contacts in the media and entertainment industry. I’m going to tear him apart.” The usually calm and elegant expression on Yumiko’s face was replaced by one distorted by rage and indignation.

Meanwhile, in the garden with Nejire and Momo, Kai started to sweat cold when he happened to glance at the women drinking tea with terrifying expressions, looking like wounded tigresses plotting their revenge, or even worse, a coven of witches planning a torturous curse.

Chapter 26: what were those spheres of light?

Chapter Text

By nightfall, Kai was sitting on Keiko's lap. At some point, she had kidnapped him and was unwilling to let him go, so the blue-eyed boy had no choice but to accept his fate while sipping some fruit juice Nemuri had given him.

However, when Keiko learned about his new project, she offered to provide him with a good set of high-quality, properly labeled, and audited training data. So being pampered by a woman of divine beauty and an explosive body was a small price to pay for such a favor.

Meanwhile, little Momo and Nejire were sleeping in one of the mansion's empty rooms, completely exhausted after trying out the gym when they learned Kai had been training there, although they only lasted a few minutes.

“Oh, by the way, Kai, All Might contacted me to say he’ll be waiting for us outside the city in two weeks. He already sent me the location,” Nemuri said with a smile as she took the empty glass from Kai's hands.

“Wow, did he really remember his promise? I’ll be looking forward to it.”

“Didn’t you think he would, Kai-chan?” Yumiko asked curiously, to which Kai casually nodded and replied.

“Well, [promising costs nothing] after all, so I didn’t have high hopes.”

“Alisa always had the best sayings,” Keiko commented melancholically while hugging the boy lovingly.

“Yes, they’re the best…”

After chatting for a while, Yumiko and Keiko got back into their cars, holding their little ones who were sleeping like angels. But not before showering the blue-eyed boy's face with kisses, promising to come back and play soon.

...

One morning, like any other, Nemuri woke up very early and, to her surprise, found Kai still in bed, hugging her and using her chest as a pillow. This brought a smile to her lips, feeling a rush of sweetness from how adorable he looked.

After giving him a gentle kiss on the head, Nemuri hugged back the little bundle of cuteness that was Kai and closed her eyes again, letting time pass while feeling warm and peaceful inside.

After a while, Nemuri felt Kai moving in her embrace. Soon after, the boy opened his eyes, sat up in bed, and slipped out of her arms, whispering,

“Good morning, Onee-chan.”

Nemuri thought Kai knew she was awake and was about to greet him back, but to her surprise, he immediately got out of bed, changed into a sports outfit, and ran out of the room.

Feeling a bit curious, Nemuri decided to spy on the little one's training to see if he was sticking to Chatora’s teachings, who had offered to train Kai. Given how agitated the media were, it was better to avoid involving strangers who might leak information.

But being a busy professional hero, Chatora couldn’t always be with Kai, so he usually trained alone, following Chatora's teachings, supervised by Nemuri for the first few days. However, since Nemuri didn’t have super strength like Kai or Chatora, it was hard to know if the boy was overexerting himself. Although, based on the latest medical check-ups, Kai’s health was impressive, which was a relief.

Soon after, Nemuri stealthily arrived at the gym, only to find it closed, which confused and worried her a bit. She quickly started looking for the little one everywhere, but after a while, she spotted a light among the trees, so she quickly headed towards it in alarm.

When she arrived, Nemuri was stunned by what she saw. In the middle of a small clearing in the forest, Kai was sitting on the ground with his eyes closed, while five tennis ball-sized spheres of light floated around him.

“Kai, Kai! Kai!!”

A bit worried, Nemuri quickly approached the boy, calling out to him, which seemed to wake him up. He opened his eyes and looked at her in surprise as the spheres of light vanished into the air.

(Damn, I was so focused that I didn't even notice her presence. This is dangerous. I've always been proud of my ability to concentrate and disconnect from the world, but now it seems to be a serious problem. If I'm not focused, someone might approach me without me noticing, even with ‘Haki.’ Though, well, I remember that was also a weakness of Haki in the original work…)

“Good morning, Onee-chan. What are you doing here?” Without showing his inner thoughts, Kai greeted with a smile as he got up from the ground.

“Kai, what were those spheres of light just now?” Nemuri asked, both worried and curious, only to receive a surprised look from Kai, who quickly asked,

“You can see them?”

“Of course, there were five blue light spheres the size of tennis balls.”

“So you could really see them… well, I don’t know how to explain it, but a few days ago I realized I could do more than just strengthen myself and sense presences with my quirk.”

(Aura constructs aren’t supposed to be visible to those who don’t use Nen… Could it be that I'm unconsciously using conjuration? Or maybe, is it because my aura is different from the Nen in the original work? Hard to say…)

“Things like that sphere.” Listening to Kai, Nemuri commented with a mix of surprise and understanding.

“Yes.”

“And what can that sphere do?”

“Something like this.”

Kai extended his hand, and a small blue light sphere formed above it. After forming, it shot out and struck the thick trunk of a nearby tree, leaving a deep mark and even moving it slightly.

“That’s impressive, Kai. I had my suspicions, but your quirk is definitely a singularity,” Nemuri commented thoughtfully, to which Kai asked, clearly surprised.

“A singularity?”

“Yes, sometimes a child is born with a modified version of their parents’ quirks, but much more powerful. We call that a singularity.”

“You might be right, Onee-chan. My quirk could be a singularity.”

(A singularity? I don’t remember that term appearing in Boku no Hero Academia, which is actually a good thing, hehe. Although, well, it could have appeared later, and I just never knew.)

“Yes, and now I understand a bit of your sudden interest in blacksmithing. It must be another of your abilities, right?”

Hearing Nemuri's words, Kai began to reflect on whether he should tell her about his abilities. It would be a significant risk for him, after all. Not only could she betray him, but who knows what mind-reading quirks are out there? Her knowing would increase the chances of his secrets being discovered and measures being prepared against him.

(Damn it, to hell with being the paranoid loner I was in my past life. Onee-chan has been very special to me, has always been there for me, and even sacrificed her dream of being a hero to stay by my side. She has earned the right not only to know but also for me to take the risk of her betraying me. New life, new mentality. Besides, I can always seek protections for her mind.

Not to mention that trying to develop my abilities while hiding them would be quite complicated, if not impossible. The cat's already out of the bag, and who knows what might happen later if she doesn’t at least have a clear idea of my capabilities and limitations.)

Meanwhile, Nemuri let Kai think in silence. Although it hurt her that he hesitated to tell her, she understood. After all, he had gone through a traumatic experience that could erode his trust in people.

Besides, she was the adult here, and as Onee-chan, it was her duty to help her little Kai heal his wounded heart. They would have plenty of time in the future for him to learn that she would never try to hurt him, but her thoughts were interrupted when Kai started to speak.

“No matter how much I think about it, I can’t find a way to explain it to you, Onee-chan, so it’s better for you to see it with your own eyes.”

(Phew, good thing I thought quickly. This definitely would have damaged my relationship with Onee-chan, judging by the expression she was making.)

A beautiful smile formed on Nemuri’s face, one that seemed to shine with happiness. At the same time, she felt a heavy burden in her heart, one she didn’t know was there, being lifted, making her feel light and at ease, while a deep sweetness filled her.

Kai closed his eyes for a moment after speaking, and when he opened them, there was a scalpel in his hand that looked a bit ghostly and ethereal. He used it to cut a tree as if it were butter, leaving a deep cut in it.

“What was that, Kai? Why did a ghostly-looking scalpel appear out of nowhere in your hand? How were you able to cut that tree?” Stupefied, Nemuri asked as her gaze wandered between the cut on the tree and Kai’s small hands.

“So, you can see it too. I call it conjuration. It allows me to materialize something I'm very familiar with out of thin air, and as you can see, it’s more powerful than its real version.”

“So that’s why the blacksmithing. You want to produce things yourself to become more familiar with them and be able to materialize them…” Nemuri commented thoughtfully, to which Kai nodded.

“Yes, that’s the idea.”

“But why are you so surprised that I can see it?” Nemuri asked, confused. Kai replied with an innocent expression.

“Well, I thought they should be invisible. After all, when I hit the tree, no one said anything about what was covering my hand, and after doing it several times during the bath, you didn’t mention anything about it either, Onee-chan.”

“Is something covering your hand?”

“Yes, right now it’s covered. Can you see anything?”

“I don’t see anything, Kai. It’s just your normal hand.”

Nemuri looked at Kai’s extended hand as she responded, but she couldn’t see anything beyond his small, cute hand.

“Well, look at this.”

Kai lightly punched a nearby tree, easily destroying it, greatly surprising Nemuri. However, having been prepared by her conversation with Shino, she quickly recovered.

“You never saw anything on my hand, Onee-chan?”

“No, your hand looks perfectly normal to me. What’s covering it, Kai?”

“It’s like it suddenly turned black, though it’s a bit faint and ghostly. I can still see it.”

“Just like the scalpel, so that’s why you assumed they were invisible,” Nemuri commented thoughtfully as she took Kai’s small hand in hers, looking for any damage, but it was in perfect condition, soft and smooth.

“Yes.”

“And what other abilities do you have, Kai?”

“I’ve only tried a few things, but I can make myself stronger and faster. Like this, look.”

After separating his hand from Nemuri’s, Kai suddenly disappeared from view and reappeared a few meters away. But he didn’t stop there; he approached a not-too-tall tree, hugged it while his fingers dug into it, and, squatting to gain momentum, uprooted it and lifted it over his head as if it were nothing.

“That’s like Jiro-san’s Force Control.”

“Yes, and I can also use it for defense,” Kai replied as he set the tree down, leaving Nemuri almost hypnotized by her little baby’s abilities.

“Incredible… it took your father years to do that.”

“But I can do more things. Stretch out your finger, Onee-chan.”

Intrigued, Nemuri stretched out her finger, and Kai did the same, bringing his finger close to hers. When the distance between them was less than a centimeter, a small bluish electrical spark appeared. An instant later, a strong jolt ran through Nemuri’s hand, making her quickly pull it back and grasp it with the other hand, looking at Kai in surprise.

Chapter 27: Texas Smash!!!!!

Chapter Text

"Can you generate electricity?!!"

Nemuri's astonished exclamation was met with a playful smile from Kai, who tried to sound serious and casual.

"It's something similar to conjuring things. I can reproduce properties and phenomena I'm familiar with. As an enthusiastic engineer, I'm quite familiar with electric shocks."

"That's an amazing ability, Kai… but I'm worried about the 'familiar' part. Do you mean you have to electrocute yourself regularly to improve it?"

(Damn, I said too much and Onee-chan is too sharp.)

"Hehehe," Kai looked away nervously, prompting Nemuri to respond firmly and decisively.

"Alright, it's decided. This ability is sealed forever."

"Onee-chan!!!! This ability is very coo... powerful and versatile. It will be very useful in the future."

"You were going to say 'cool,' weren't you, Kai?!!! It's forbidden. You won't train this ability. Your Onee-chan forbids it!!!"

"I refuse!! It's a very powerful ability."

"I don't care. I don't want you electrocuting yourself. If something happened to you, it would be the end for me, Kai. So please, don't do this to your Onee-chan. Don't use this ability."

On the verge of tears, Nemuri hugged Kai tightly, her words laced with pain and fear, which inevitably moved Kai. He returned the embrace to the beautiful blue-eyed woman, then responded in a calm and quiet voice.

"Onee-chan, don't worry. Although I'm enthusiastic, I know a lot about electrical engineering. As long as I keep the amperage low, nothing will happen. How many times do you think I've played with lethal amounts of electricity? I do it all the time, and look at me, I'm fine."

Kai's words, instead of consoling Nemuri, made her jump like a cat whose tail was stepped on. She grabbed him by the shoulders and exclaimed angrily.

"So that's what happens in your workshop?!!! I'm sure Alisa-san never knew about it, or she would have banned you from entering it."

"Guhh!!"

An invisible arrow seemed to pierce Kai's heart, but Nemuri quickly added mercilessly.

"Kai, from now on, I'll watch you closely every time you go into your workshop. Do you hear me?!"

"Onee-chaaaaaan!!"

"Onee-chan, nothing, you hear me!"

"..."

(My big mouth again. I messed up, but it'll just be a bit harder to convince her. Eventually, she'll give in. I still have my ways!!)

...

After calming down a bit, still curious, Nemuri asked with a bit of excitement in her tone.

"Well, let's change the subject, Kai. Do you have any more abilities?"

"A couple more."

"I hope they're not like the last one..." Nemuri couldn't help but narrow her eyes as she looked at Kai, who quickly replied.

"No, not at all. It's more like this." Kai said as small pebbles from the ground lifted against gravity and started spinning around his hand.

"Telekinesis!!!"

"Something like that, although it's more about 'control.' It also works for controlling small bugs, although that might improve in the future."

"You're full of abilities, Kai. Your quirk is probably one of the most powerful and versatile that has ever existed. Your quirk is undoubtedly a singularity. It goes far beyond what Jiro-san's force control or Alisa-san's empathetic echo can do. What do you plan to call it?"

"Mmm... honestly, I haven't thought about it, but maybe Spiritual Aura."

"Spiritual Aura? How childish," Nemuri commented with a small smile, to which Kai huffed, annoyed.

"Hmph, I knew you wouldn't understand."

Amused, Nemuri approached Kai, hugged him, and began to gently stroke his head while speaking in a soft, tender voice.

"Yes, forgive me for not being able to understand the awesome name my baby Kai-chan gave his quirk."

"Don't tease me, Onee-chan."

"Yes, yes, Onee-chan won't tease you anymore," Nemuri commented playfully, but her expression quickly turned serious as she continued, "But you have to promise me something, Kai. You can't tell anyone else about your abilities. It could be dangerous."

"I know, Onee-chan. I only showed them to you because I trust you. I would never show them to anyone else. What happened with the Pussycats was a mistake. I didn't know it would be that strong."

"I LOVE YOU, KAI, HAHAHAHA!"

With a huge smile on her face, Nemuri began to kiss Kai all over after hearing his words, which made her immensely happy. However, she calmed down after a while when she remembered an important appointment they had today.

"Kai, we can't waste any more time here if we want to be on time for our meeting with All Might."

"You're right, let's go."

After looking at Nemuri in surprise, Kai quickly responded and then hurried towards the house, causing the beautiful blue-eyed woman to shake her head in amusement as she followed him, lost in thought.

(Kai is much more impressive than Shino thought. From now on, I must be even more careful with his education. After all, being so special can easily go to his head, one of Alisa-san's greatest fears. Therefore, I must not allow something like that to happen at any cost.)

…

A few hours later, in a slightly wooded area on the outskirts of the city, Nemuri could be seen dressed in a simple short-sleeved black blouse and a pair of blue jeans, looking at her watch somewhat worriedly, with little Kai by her side, dressed in a black sports outfit and an anxious expression on his face.

"Will he come?" Kai asked, looking around, to which Nemuri replied in a somewhat helpless tone.

"He will come. It's just that he is the symbol of peace, a busy man, so it's normal for him to be a little late."

"But we've been waiting for 30 minutes..."

"Well, he is a busy man..."

A while later, as the blue-eyed pair was about to leave, a gust of wind 'landed' near them, and from it emerged a man over 2 meters tall, incredibly muscular, with blonde hair forming what looked like two antennae in the front, dressed in a simple short-sleeved white shirt and brown pants, with a belt featuring a prominent buckle.

"I am here!" Upon arrival, All Might greeted with his iconic phrase, to which Nemuri responded with a slight bow, quickly followed by Kai.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, All Might."

"A pleasure, All Might."

"Likewise, Kayama-san, Kai-shonen. I apologize for the delay; there was a little problem on the way here, but it's been resolved."

"Don't worry, we didn't wait long," Nemuri replied courteously while Kai just rolled his eyes. After all, if he didn't really want to see All Might's punch, he would have left 45 minutes ago.

"That's a relief. But let's get to it. You wanted to see one of my punches at full strength, right, Kai-shonen?"

"Yes, that's right. Don't hold back, or it would lose its meaning as a reference." With visibly excited eyes, Kai replied, trying to sound calm, which brought a smile to the faces of the other two present.

"Hehehe, alright then. Let's head a bit into the forest to avoid any issues. I know this area and have used it for training a few times."

After nodding in agreement, Nemuri and Kai quickly followed All Might until they reached a large cliff from which the sea could be seen in the distance.

"Well, Kai-shonen, pay close attention. This is one of my punches at 100%."

After his announcement, All Might pulled back his arm and then unleashed a blindingly fast punch. Kai could barely follow it thanks to his Haki, which warned him in time, allowing him to strengthen his eyes and brain with all his might.

"Texas Smash!!!!!"

The power unleashed by All Might's punch was beyond anything Kai could have imagined. The blow literally released a cannon of air that shot forward, leaving a deep crater in the ground and reaching the sea, splitting it in two as if Moses himself had done it.

(Is there really someone capable of almost killing this human-shaped beast? This world is insane...)

After delivering his punch, All Might turned to look at Kai to see his reaction, wondering what face the boy would make after witnessing his true power. After all, he had seen all kinds of expressions from those who had witnessed his true power: despair, fear, acceptance, hatred, indifference, idolatry, and even defiance.

But despite that, it was the first time All Might saw someone smile the way Kai did. It wasn't exactly the first time he had seen someone smile at his display of power, but Kai's smile was different. His smile expressed excitement, determination, and most strangely, expectation.

"What did you think, Kai-shonen?" All Might asked, somewhat curious, to which the boy responded a bit excitedly.

"Really impressive, much more than I expected. You are definitely number one, All Might."

"Hahaha, I'm glad to hear that, but unfortunately, I must leave now. Duty calls."

"Of course, see you later, and thank you very much for fulfilling my request. It really means a lot to me."

...

After a courteous farewell from Nemuri and Kai, All Might left with a leap, leaving behind a powerful gust of wind that tousled the hair of the blue-eyed pair. Nemuri quickly approached Kai, then asked, a bit worried that All Might's monstrous power might have demoralized him.

"What do you think of what you saw, Kai?"

"It was truly impressive, his power is really overwhelming, but definitely not unattainable. I know that in a few years, I can do something like that," Kai responded in a serious tone, making Nemuri smile, both amused and somewhat proud.

"Oh, do you have that much confidence?"

"Hehehe, a little, but don't worry, Onee-chan, you'll see."

"Then I'll be waiting to see it."

Nemuri believed it had been good for All Might to show Kai his power because by seeing the summit, Kai would realize that no matter how special he was, there was always someone better, which would prevent him from becoming arrogant about his powerful quirk—one of her greatest fears.

"Well, Kai, it's time to go home."

"Sure, let's go, Onee-chan."

Nemuri and Kai headed home while the latter reflected deeply on how he should train from now on to maximize his abilities.

(As a first step, I must master the aura techniques En, Ken, Shu, Ko, etc. I also need to work on the different categories, but even though I have some ideas for training the normal ones, I have no idea what to do with Specialist or if I can even generate a Specialist Hatsu.

Although being able to use all the categories might be my Specialist Hatsu, which is quite possible... For the moment, it's better to put it aside until I come up with something.

As for Haki, although it will be a bit more complicated because I'll need a partner for Observation Haki, I also need to master it and try to reach its advanced states, if they exist, especially future sight, which will be a key part of my arsenal.

Additionally, I need to somehow verify if I have Conqueror's Haki or not. The problem is that I can't think of any way to check it since, as far as I remember, it awakens in high-stress situations—something I don't feel like experiencing right now...)

Chapter 28: Protect me? Me?

Chapter Text

On a seldom-traveled road, a beautiful gray five-door truck could be seen, moving along the pavement at a constant speed that was neither too fast nor too slow, allowing the occupants to enjoy a comfortable and relaxing ride.

In the passenger seat of the truck sat Kai, lost in his thoughts as he gazed out the window, his mind wandering between training methods for his quirk and the most effective way he could unleash a power comparable to the monstrous punch All Might had demonstrated.

The problem with matching the monstrous All Might wasn't really the power of the punch itself, even if it was a 100% punch, something he doubted after all, as he could recall impressive feats done with Nen, like Uvogin's ‘Big Bang Impact’.

The real issue was the speed with which All Might had delivered that punch—no need to charge up, no time to react, nothing. He simply wanted to throw an apocalyptic punch, and he did. This only showed that if the Symbol of Peace wanted to, he could release several punches of that level in quick succession and still maintain a prolonged fight.

(Maybe the best way will be to combine advanced Armament Haki with Nen Enhancement. That way, I might not need to 'charge' the attack. Though if I had Conqueror's Haki…)

Kai's thoughts were abruptly interrupted when he suddenly felt two presences, one significantly larger than the other, approaching rapidly from the sky in what seemed to be a free fall. This led him to mentally calculate the trajectory, concluding moments later that a collision was inevitable.

With a swift movement, Kai grabbed the steering wheel with one hand and turned it sharply, taking the driver, Nemuri, completely by surprise. She turned to look at the blue-eyed boy, her eyes wide with panic.

“Kai?! What do you think you’re…?”

Nemuri couldn’t finish her sentence when suddenly a loud impact sounded just a few meters from the truck, and the abrupt movement it caused made it easy to assume that if Kai hadn't moved the truck in time, they would have undoubtedly been crushed.

“Onee-chan, accelerate!!! They're coming for us!!!”

Without giving Nemuri time to process the chaotic events, Kai pressed one of Nemuri's legs down forcefully, causing the truck to accelerate abruptly while he tried to maintain the direction with his other hand on the wheel.

But shortly after, Nemuri showed her years of experience as a hero, taking control of the wheel again while exclaiming in a serious and focused tone.

“I got it, Kai. Let me know if they attack!”

Kai quickly nodded and released Nemuri's leg and the wheel, but moments later he shouted in alarm.

“Turn left, it jumped up!!!”

Skillfully, Nemuri turned left at Kai’s warning, just before a powerful blow struck the road to the right of the truck, raising a large cloud of dust, while a grotesque and distorted voice shouted with evident rage.

“DON'T MOVE, PREY!!!!”

As Nemuri sped down the road, leaving the unknown attacker behind, Kai quickly tried to look at the attackers, managing to see through the dust a gigantic humanoid figure holding something that looked like a human in one of its hands, the other presence.

“It’s going to throw itself to the left!!!”

Sensing the intentions of the enormous figure, Kai quickly warned, simultaneously 'intensifying' his brain and eyes with all he could, allowing Nemuri to narrowly dodge the figure that shot out at extreme speed, leaving only a simple blurred stain in sight.

Thanks to intensifying his eyes and brain, Kai managed to clearly see the attacker, who appeared to be a strange female ogre, with an exaggeratedly muscular and grotesque body that must have been at least three meters tall.

She had pale green skin, protruding fangs from her enormous mouth, and long, messy, light brown hair. She was wearing what seemed to be a dark sweatshirt set, torn in several places, leaving one of her enormous breasts completely exposed.

On the other hand, the second presence was a man who seemed to be around 40 years old, with ashen red hair. He appeared to be unconscious and on the brink of death, covered in blood with obvious fractures in several limbs, as he was held like a doll in one of the female ogre's hands.

After missing the truck, the female ogre stumbled a few meters away, crashing heavily onto the pavement and destroying a good part of the road. Then she went flying, tumbling through the air, greatly worsening the already precarious situation of the man in her hand.

At the same time, Nemuri reacted quickly, demonstrating incredible driving skills as she made the truck skid, spinning it 180 degrees before speeding off in the opposite direction from the female ogre, leaving a cloud of white smoke in her wake.

As she executed the complex maneuver, Nemuri skillfully pressed the truck's touchscreen, sending an emergency signal to the nearest hero agency and the police. Meanwhile, a guttural scream filled with rage could be heard from behind.

“DAMN SLIPPERY PREY!!!”

“Kai, don’t be afraid, the heroes are already on their way!!!”

“Damn it..!!”

As she opened the truck window in an attempt to spread her sleep-inducing aroma to subdue the ogre, Nemuri shouted, trying to calm the little Kai. But at that precise moment, the blue-eyed boy cut his seatbelt with a ghostly scalpel in his hand, then hugged her tightly and shot out of the truck, destroying the door in the process.

While in the air in Kai's arms, Nemuri could hear a brutal impact against the ground. At the same time, a powerful green light began to shine from the road, quickly followed by a loud explosion, which ended up destroying a good stretch of the road, including the part beneath the truck.

With the sound of the explosion, Nemuri quickly hugged Kai, trying to protect him from the flying debris. Only to notice soon after that, although she did feel some impacts, they were very soft—nothing like what you'd expect from debris propelled by an explosion.

Meanwhile, Kai, showcasing his great agility and superhuman reflexes, managed to maneuver his body in the air, while using [Ken] with all his strength to protect himself and Nemuri. He imagined it to be an application of Shu, which basically involves enveloping something with aura. Then he managed to land on his feet, then shot off in another direction, wanting to flee the area as quickly as possible.

“HAHAHAHA YOU’RE DEAD, YOU’RE DEAD, IT’S SO FUN!!! I’M GOING TO BE FAMOUS!! HAHAHA!!”

The horrendous guttural voice exclaimed with delight, while powerful stomps made the ground tremble. But soon after, the imposing ogre seemed to notice Kai fleeing, and shouted maniacally as she launched herself in his direction.

“AAAHHHH!!! DAMN SLIPPERY RAT!!! DIE!!!!”

Having sensed the orca's intentions in advance, Kai quickly dodged the ogre's charge, while Nemuri tore apart the blouse she was wearing, revealing a sexy black bra barely able to hold her voluptuous breasts, and immediately instructed.

“Kai, hold your breath!”

Imagining what Nemuri was trying to do, Kai quickly intensified his lungs and then took a deep breath. But to his surprise, along with the deep inhalation, his aura seemed to explode with power, greatly enhancing the intensity in his legs, allowing him to almost double his speed.

Though quite surprised by the sudden increase in speed, Nemuri quickly began emitting her sleep-inducing aroma with all her strength from all the exposed parts of her body, causing a pink mist to quickly fill the surroundings.

(It works better with men, but I hope it can at least stop her long enough for us to escape.)

“AAAHHHH!!!!”

Upon seeing the ogre for the first time, Nemuri couldn't help but reflect apprehensively. But at that moment, a monstrous roar resonated through the area, causing the very air to vibrate and somehow destabilizing Kai. Who, feeling a bit dizzy and losing balance, quickly used the emitter abilities of his aura in his feet, managing to shoot out of the place.

At the same time, Kai felt short of breath, very likely due to the roar, so he urgently patted Nemuri’s thigh. She immediately understood the message and stopped emitting her sleep aura, allowing the blue-eyed boy to move away from the pink mist to take another deep breath.

Curiously, although Kai could feel a slight increase in his aura, it was much less than the first time, which confused him a bit. However, due to the tense situation, he had no choice but to put it aside and focus on escaping. As, even though the ogre seemed lethargic thanks to Nemuri's quirk, she was still demonically fast and destructive.

After repeating the same process where Nemuri would stop her quirk to allow Kai to catch his breath, the blue-eyed boy finally felt far enough from the ogre to rest on the ground for a bit. He was utterly exhausted, both in physical energy and aura.

“Kai, recover your strength, we still have to flee”

Nemuri said with a grave expression as she took the little one in her arms and started running, holding her phone in her hands, which showed a screen indicating an urgent help signal had been sent.

“Give me a few moments, Onee-chan… I’ll recover soon”

Kai said between heavy breaths, using the little aura he had left to intensify his lungs, absorbing large amounts of air. He noticed that breathing this way seemed to speed up his physical recovery, especially the recovery of his aura.

Seeing Kai's tired state, Nemuri couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat. After all, the blue-eyed boy had just survived a tragedy and was now going through another one, doing everything he could to survive. This filled her with a deep sense of injustice for the boy.

But quickly, Nemuri gritted her teeth, and with a determined expression forming on her face, she exclaimed as she hugged the boy tightly against her chest.

“Don’t worry, Kai. Your Onee-chan will protect you!!”

Hearing Nemuri's words, Kai opened his eyes, surprised, only to be consumed moments later by a maddening rage that seemed to want to burn him from the inside out.

(Protect me? Me? Am I going to stand by and wait for someone to save me? IMPOSSIBLE!!! I HAVE A DAMN PROMISE TO KEEP!! IF LIFE WANTS TO SCREW ME AGAIN, THEN LET’S PLAY IT THAT WAY!! I’LL TEAR APART EVERY DAMN THING IT THROWS AT ME!!!!)

With an agile leap, Kai broke free from Nemuri's embrace, greatly surprising her. But his next words left her completely shocked.

“Keep running, Onee-chan. It’s my job to protect you.”

“KAI, NOOOOO!!!!!”

Without giving Nemuri a second to react, Kai shot off in the direction of the approaching ogre, quickly leaving behind the woman who watched him with a look of desperation on her face as she tried to catch up to him, though unsuccessfully.

On the way, Kai began rapidly trying various ways of breathing while intensifying his lungs, quickly determining a style that consistently allowed those explosive aura increases.

With sharp eyes and a heart burning with rage and murderous intent, Kai quickly circled the ogre's position, simultaneously gathering almost all the aura in his body into his right hand, along with his Armament Haki, causing his fist to glow with a powerful blue light.

When he felt ready, Kai took a deep breath, then jumped with all his strength onto the ogre's back, causing the light in his fist to intensify greatly. But, perhaps thanks to her beastly instincts, the ogre noticed him.

With a sudden movement, the ogre used the man in her hand as a kind of club, wanting to smash the elusive rat that was ruining her fun. Besides, if she did not kill him, it would most likely damage the story the media would tell about her, which would undoubtedly affect her future fame—something she could never forgive that little shit for.

Chapter 29: What happened here?

Chapter Text

Sensing the ogre's intentions in advance, Kai quickly dodged the blow by a minimal margin, managing to get close enough to land his strike on the ogre's lower torso. This caused the ground beneath his feet to give way, while the damned monster let out a choked scream before being sent flying in the opposite direction.

(That thing is still alive!!!)

Noticing that although the ogre's presence had weakened, it was still there. Unlike the man's presence, which had faded long ago, Kai quickly retreated, maintaining a steady breathing rhythm and style he had noticed helped him significantly recover his aura, which had been almost completely spent in that attack.

“AHHH DAMN RAT!!!”

Shortly after, the ogre managed to recover and began to roar in fury, swinging her 'club' erratically. It could hardly be recognized as a human figure anymore and was more like a twisted, bloodied mass of flesh, as she charged towards the fleeing boy.

On his part, Kai, who had managed to recover a small portion of his aura thanks to the improvised breathing exercises he had discovered, quickly changed tactics. He used the aura to primarily intensify his lungs and then his legs while focusing on the aura of his mini-self, which seemed to be in much better condition than his own.

Meanwhile, enraged at not being able to catch Kai, the ogre started throwing rocks and trees she could uproot along the way. This forced the blue-eyed boy to dodge erratically while ensuring he led the irrational monster as far away as possible from Nemuri, whose presence he could feel approaching.

(Even with all my power, I can't incapacitate that bitch, and Onee-chan's quirk isn't affecting her as it should. She almost seems recovered, despite having breathed it in for quite some time… Therefore, my only chance is a precise hit to a vital spot, preferably on the head…)

With a plan in mind, Kai focused completely on the ogre's intentions, moving fluidly among the terrain's obstacles using his modified version of the Pussycats' movements.

Just as Kai expected, the ogre quickly lost patience and charged in his direction with that absurdly strong rush she had used before. But having been warned in time by his observation Haki, Kai strengthened his brain and eyes, causing the world around him to seem to slow down. He managed to see in slow motion the ogre's ugly face twisted in rage as she approached.

With agile movements, Kai jumped into the air, performing a somersault while taking a deep breath, causing his aura to explode in power for a moment. He then used it to strengthen his left hand while covering his right arm with Haki, using all the aura from his mini-self that he could control.

Having perfectly calculated the ogre's speed, when Kai reached the highest point of his jump, he was right above the monster's head. With a quick movement, he grabbed her rough hair, using it like reins, landing moments later with his feet on the ogre's massive shoulders while delivering a precise punch to the beast's temple.

At the moment of impact, the ogre's head jerked violently, undoubtedly causing significant damage to her neck. She then began to fall slowly to the ground, clearly stunned. But Kai didn't stop hitting, managing to land three more blows, all in the exact same spot on the temple, before the ogre hit the ground.

Just before the ogre touched the ground, Kai jumped off her back, landing a few meters away as the powerful crash from the ogre's fall made the ground tremble. But not willing to take any chances, Kai kept his attention on her 'voice,' which seemed to weaken and shrink a bit but didn't disappear.

(She's not dead?!!)

Determined to make sure, Kai quickly reinforced his fist with the little Haki and Aura he had left. As large amounts of smoke began to rise from the ogre's body, Kai sensed a presence approaching rapidly from the sky. Moments later, a powerful blaze landed in front of him.

From the flames emerged a tall, muscular man with red hair, wearing a dark suit lit by flames on his shoulders, hips, and boots. His face was covered by flames forming a mask, and he had a fiery beard.

Arriving at the scene with his usual imposing attitude, the man looked at the evidently agitated blue-eyed boy with a dangerous look in his eyes, then turned to a woman with brown hair lying on the ground, her body bearing several wounds, especially on one side and her head, appearing unconscious.

With an analytical gaze, Endeavor focused his turquoise eyes on the boy before speaking in a firm tone, ready to unleash his flames at any movement.

“What happened here?”

Without taking his eyes off the boy, Endeavor approached the woman, and shortly after, a barrier of flames covered her while he sent a message requesting assistance.

[I need medical assistance and reinforcements. I have an injured woman and a boy about 5 years old who seem to have been attacked, but I see no trace of an active attacker.]

Meanwhile, Kai stared intently at Endeavor. After all, he recognized him, not just from his memories in this life, but also from those of his past life, which caused a strong derealization attack. However, thanks to the tense situation, he was able to remain stable.

(The crazy flame guy. I remember that flame beard. If I'm not mistaken, he's a powerful pro hero and the father of an avenger emo. The problem is, I only remember him as a bastard who doesn't listen to reason...)

Locked in a staring contest with the boy who didn’t respond and just looked at him with a dangerous glint in his eyes, Endeavor spoke in a firm tone.

“Don’t worry, kid. I’m here to help. I just need you to tell me what happened here.”

Calming down a bit, Kai took a few deep breaths to recover, then spoke in a serious tone, trying to conceal the flood of conflicting emotions he was experiencing.

“That woman used to be a three-meter-tall female ogre, super strong and fast. She was also carrying a man in one of her hands. I don't know why, but she suddenly attacked us when we were on our way home and started yelling that she wanted to be famous or something.”

“Were you with anyone else?” Endeavor couldn't help but be a bit surprised by the story but quickly asked.

“Yes, my older sister. But since I'm faster, I left her in a safe place and lured the ogre here, so she's a bit far away.”

Endeavor couldn't help but notice the boy's legs trembling a bit, though the boy quickly tensed his leg muscles, forcing them to stop. He couldn't help but comment.

“You're quite brave for doing something like that.”

“I just did what I had to do.”

“I understand, but how did the woman end up in that state?”

“I hit her several times until she ended up like that.”

Endeavor's eyes widened a bit in surprise, but he quickly asked about something that had caught his attention.

“You said the woman had a man in her arms. Where is he?”

“I don't know. At some point, he went flying. I don't think he's still alive; the ogre used him as a club.”

A bit disturbed not only by the image the boy described but also by the fact that the boy could comment on it in a serious and firm tone, Endeavor looked around, noticing the evident destruction indicative of someone with super strength. He quickly added.

“I understand. Medical help is on the way. Try not to move much; you might be injured. Once my colleagues arrive, we'll go find your sister.”

“…Alright.”

After thinking for a moment, Kai agreed. After all, he didn't have many other options. It was clear that the flame man didn't fully believe him and wanted to keep him close in case he was the culprit. Plus, Kai didn't have much aura or Haki left to escape or fight.

On the other hand, Nemuri, perhaps following the trail of destruction, was rapidly approaching him, while he still couldn’t sense the presence of the hero’s 'colleagues'. So his best option was to recover as quickly as possible and reunite with Nemuri, to be able to escape more easily if things went south.

While Endeavor analyzed the boy who sat on the ground and closed his eyes, he tried to visualize the events in his mind, quickly concluding that if the boy was telling the truth, his quirk would be quite impressive to allow him to damage someone with the power to cause the destruction he saw around him.

Some time later, a tearful and visibly panicked Nemuri arrived at full speed to where Kai was. Upon seeing him, she couldn't help but scream in a heart-wrenching voice as she ran toward him, completely disregarding the state of her clothes or the presence of the flame hero.

“KAI!!!!!!!”

Hearing Nemuri’s scream, Kai quickly approached her, only to be hugged tightly as she cried and almost pleaded in a tone filled with relief, fear, and desperation.

“Please, Kai, don't ever do this to me again. If something were to happen to you, I would die. You’re all I have left, please... please... I beg you...”

Feeling a bit guilty, Kai remained silent and hugged the woman of divine beauty who had repeatedly shown that she loved him, not daring to apologize or promise anything since he knew that something like this could very likely happen again.

Shortly after, Kai felt several presences approaching rapidly, which turned out to be several vehicles and ambulances. Paramedics quickly got out of the ambulances and began to administer first aid to the female ogre, now a normal woman.

Meanwhile, several heroes emerged from the vehicles. After listening to Endeavor's instructions, they quickly dispersed in different directions, while several police officers who had arrived at the scene approached Endeavor to speak with him.

At the same time, several paramedics approached Kai and Nemuri and checked their conditions, quickly concluding that they did not have any serious injuries. After giving them a couple of blankets, they started to examine their conditions in more detail using the ambulance equipment.

Soon, several police officers approached the ambulance, with Endeavor at the forefront. Among them, Kai couldn’t help but notice one of the officers, who was literally a cat walking on two legs. This inevitably brought to mind images of the cat officer arguing with the police chief he had met some time ago.

“Miss, we would like to ask you some questions, is that alright?”

The one who spoke was an average-looking man with black hair and eyes, wearing a business suit under a light brown trench coat and a hat.

“That’s fine,” Nemuri replied, a bit calmer now, in a soothing voice while making sure to cover herself well with the blanket, avoiding being seen without her blouse.

“First, I’d like to know your name,” the man asked, taking a small notepad from his pocket, to which Nemuri responded seriously.

“My name is Kayama Nemuri, but until recently, I was also known as Midnight.”

Everyone present, including the young detective and Endeavor, looked at Nemuri in surprise. After all, the ‘R-18 Hero’ was well-known enough for everyone to recognize her. There were even a couple of fans among the police officers, but the problem was that her modest and serious demeanor was entirely different from her hero image.

Chapter 30: Do you want to be a hero, Kai?

Chapter Text

Recovering from the surprise, the young detective spoke in a serious yet cordial tone.

“It’s a pleasure to meet the renowned Midnight. It really is a surprise, after all, there are many rumors about your retirement.”

“I did retire. Now I have important things I need to protect,” Nemuri extended her arm and embraced little Kai, who seemed lost in his thoughts, while a warm, almost maternal smile appeared on her beautiful face.

“I understand. At some point, we all find something we want to protect...” The young detective commented with a tone combining surprise and understanding, but quickly regained his composure and continued.

“By the way, Kayama-san, my name is Naomasa Tsukauchi, it's a pleasure.”

“The pleasure is mine,” Nemuri responded while taking Kai and placing him on her lap, causing the blue-eyed boy to look at her, but upon seeing her expression, he wisely chose to remain silent and got lost in his thoughts again.

“Well, Kayama-san, I would like you to tell me a bit about the events.”

“Well, actually, I don’t really know what happened. Initially, we were just on our way home when that woman suddenly attacked us. We tried to escape in different ways, but she never stopped following us, to the point where we lost our truck during the chase.

Although I must say, her transformation quirk was quite formidable. It gave her super strength and a strange ability to cause energy explosions, and she could also reach an absurdly explosive speed. But she’s probably not very accustomed to the power of her quirk because if she had used it correctly, we wouldn’t be here.

Additionally, I must highlight her poor mental state. I don’t know if it’s due to her quirk, something inherent to her, or some substance, but her behavior was practically beastly, with no consideration for the consequences of her actions, to the point where, according to her, her motivation for killing us was ‘to become famous’...”

While Nemuri was recounting the events as well as some of her perceptions about the attacker, Kai was deeply reflecting on a matter of vital importance. He had to somewhat ignore during the escape and the fight, but now couldn’t get out of his mind.

(Breathing is somehow connected to my aura, that’s a fact. The real question is, why?... I can’t come up with an explanation. If I had to resort to other works for ‘inspiration’ like before, the only thing that comes to mind with breathing and ‘energy’ is Jojo’s Hamon.

But even if I force the logic a bit like before, and I explain Hamon as Enhancement, Transmutation, and maybe Emission. The problem is that I don’t recall there being a profound relationship between breathing and aura, except for some very specific examples of very special Hatsu like the chameleon guy who could become undetectable.

Although, well, from the beginning, my aura has been a bit different from what I remember from the original work, plus it’s also possible that I remember it wrong. And there is an association between breathing and Nen, which is also quite possible.

But well, putting that aside, it’s a fact that for me, aura and breathing have an in-depth relationship that I definitely have to work on. The issue is, how? I don’t remember much specifically about the topic from my past life’s memories, except for its importance in training and martial arts… Wait! That could be it!

There doesn’t need to be something specific about the topic in other works I remember. I could well investigate breathing in martial arts, that could be a good start. Furthermore, if I use that logic, several ideas occur to me and there might even be an alternative path to take...)

While Kai was starting to map out a path in his mind for his training and research on his rare quirk, he suddenly felt himself being moved, which finally allowed him to hear that someone was calling him.

“Kai!!...”

Nemuri shook and called out loudly to Kai, who was completely lost in his thoughts, causing the blue-eyed boy to look at her. This prompted her to comment, half amused, half affectionate.

“Finally! You really get lost in the moon, and there’s no way to wake you. As always, you have an enviable ability to concentrate…”

“Sorry, Onee-chan, I was just thinking about a new project,” Kai quickly responded, although deep down, he no longer found this ability of his so desirable. After all, the police had already walked away, and he hadn’t even noticed.

“I figured as much, but for now, they’re taking us home. Although later, Onee-chan will have to go testify in court.” Nemuri let out a sigh that combined fatigue and frustration due to the trouble they had gotten into without even seeking it.

“I think in the future, it’s better if we don’t go out much…” Kai couldn’t help but comment, a bit annoyed with his bad luck, to which Nemuri could only nod with a bit of resignation.

“Yes, I think that will be best for a while.”

Shortly after, Nemuri and Kai were escorted to a patrol car, from which Kai could see several people dressed in white plastic suits carrying a black body bag. Most likely the poor unfortunate soul held by the ogress. Which they loaded into a new truck that had arrived, one he hadn’t even noticed.

(I really need to find a solution for these disconnects of mine. It could cost me my life one of these days, especially with the damned bad luck I carry...)

...

Upon arriving back home, Nemuri bid farewell to the officers and then took little Kai for a good bath. After all, they had just gone through a potentially deadly experience and had only survived thanks to the impressive quirk of the little boy.

In the bathtub, Nemuri hugged the little boy on her lap, consoling herself with his warmth, while feeling an infinite relief and happiness for having him by her side. But there was something that needed to be discussed, so after a moment, Nemuri spoke in a serious and affectionate tone.

“Kai… I want you to promise me that you won’t do what you did today again. It was too dangerous…”

“…”

Seeing that Kai remained silent, Nemuri couldn’t help but tighten her embrace around the little boy, speaking in a tone that threatened to break at any moment.

“Please, Kai… I beg you, you’re my baby, I wouldn’t know what to do without you. Don’t do this to me, please, promise me…”

“… I can’t promise you that, Onee-chan. If I did, I’d be lying because it’s likely to happen again. I don’t want to be a coward.” After a sigh, Kai commented in a calm, serious tone, to which Nemuri responded as tears gathered in her eyes.

“Coward? Running away isn’t cowardly. It’s okay to run away to live another day if you have no chance.”

“Exactly. If there are no chances, it’s not cowardly to run away. But in this case, there were chances to win, and I proved it. That’s why I couldn’t run away and won’t do so in the future if the same happens.”

Kai responded full of seriousness and conviction, causing Nemuri’s heart to tighten, making her unable to hold back her tears, which started to fall like waterfalls from her face, ending up on the head of the blue-eyed little boy.

“Please, Kai, you’re still a baby. Let your elders protect you. Let me protect you. It’s my duty. It’s the duty of life that the elders protect the young ones. I really don’t want you to put yourself in danger. I wouldn’t be able to bear losing you…”

Nemuri spoke with a tearful voice, full of fear and pain, causing Kai to hug the arms that wrapped around him. Then he rests his head on the ample chest of the beautiful woman who cried because of him, while speaking in a serious tone.

“You might be right, Onee-chan, but I’m not someone normal. I have never been. Besides, I promised you that I would protect you, and I fully intend to keep that promise.”

An endless swirl of emotions filled Nemuri’s chest, a terrifying fear of losing the little one in her arms forever, while at the same time, immense happiness couldn’t help but slip into her heart upon hearing him. But when she was about to speak to continue trying to convince him, the little one said something that left her speechless.

“Tell me, Onee-chan, how many times do you think heroes and police officers have heard something similar from their families?”

“…”

“See? Very likely many times, but they still continue. It could be for money, it could be for a conviction, it could really be for anything. The point is that they continue, and maybe someone who was told exactly what you’re telling me and continued, was at the same time, your inspiration to save others as a hero.”

“… Do you want to be a hero, Kai?” Nemuri asked in a soft voice, to which Kai quickly responded.

“What? A hero? No, I won't be a hero. It was just an example that I thought you could relate to, but since I’m aware of my terrible luck, I know that somehow, I’ll end up involved in trouble in the future.”

“…”

Nemuri couldn’t help but remain silent at Kai’s words. After all, a battle of conflicting emotions had erupted in her heart. On one hand, she truly felt it was a shame and even a waste that someone so powerful and with such great potential to help the population, like Kai, refused to do so.

But on the other hand, she could not help but be glad that he wanted to stay safe and not expose himself to danger by being a hero. This filled her with an infinite sense of guilt and hypocrisy, as she herself had been a professional hero for many years and would still be one if it weren’t for the tragic event.

Lost in her thoughts and contradictory feelings, Nemuri got out of the bath and dressed both herself and the little one, then scheduled an appointment at the hospital and contacted Keiko and Yumiko to tell them what had happened. After all, if they found out later in another way, it could create unnecessary conflicts.

...

A couple of hours later, while Kai was working on the algorithm for the new and improved ‘Sage’, an impressive black luxury car arrived at the property. From it, a woman of divine beauty stepped out, with black hair, gray eyes, and supernaturally symmetrical and refined features, which, along with the elegant glasses she wore, gave her an aura full of intelligence and class.

The impressive woman, who was dressed in an elegant black business suit that couldn’t hide her voluptuous figure, ran hurriedly with an anxious expression on her face, quickly reaching the beautiful elegant and minimalist mansion.

Upon entering the mansion, the first thing the woman noticed was a small 5-year-old boy sitting on one of the sofas. He seemed completely focused, typing at an impressive speed on a black laptop while swinging his legs in the air.

Seeing the little one, the woman’s eyes filled with tears, and she immediately ran to take him in her arms and hug him tightly, causing the laptop on his legs to fall to the ground.

“Kai, it’s such a relief that you’re okay… you don’t know how worried I was…” The woman exclaimed through sobs, setting aside her usual serious and elegant demeanor.

“I’m fine, Auntie Keiko, nothing happened to me,” Kai said as he returned the hug to the beautiful woman, while also stroking her back in an attempt to comfort her.

“I was so scared… I thought I wouldn’t be able to see you again, that I would lose you forever…”

Keiko commented in a low voice, in a tone filled with fear and despair, while the little boy began gently to stroke her head, making it unclear who the real adult was in the scene.

“Don’t worry, Auntie Keiko, I’m fine. Nothing happened to me, not even a scratch. I’m very strong, and from now on, I’ll only get stronger, so nothing will happen to me. I won’t leave you.”

Keiko was indeed a very curious case. In public, she was an intelligent, strong woman who always had everything under control, like an unmovable pillar, unwilling to show the slightest weakness, even in front of little Momo.

But with his mother, perhaps because she was her therapist, she was the complete opposite: fragile, insecure, lonely, and somewhat weepy, which wasn’t difficult to understand. After all, being strong all the time is quite difficult, something he himself had learned the hard way in his past life.

The curious thing was that, for some reason, Keiko behaved similarly with him as she did with his mother. Maybe because she saw him as an extension of his mother, or perhaps because he had always been a rather unusual child and was absurdly good at engineering for his age. The fact is, she was like this with him, fragile and weepy.

Whenever no one else was around, except for his mother, Keiko was incredibly affectionate with him, incomparable to how she was with little Momo. Although it couldn’t be said that she didn’t love her, as she cared deeply for her and looked after her as her most precious treasure, with Kai, it was different.

With him, she was sweetly affectionate and almost his accomplice. She would complain about how annoying people at her company were and things like that. She would tell him and ask his opinion about her ideas and projects, and even help him convince his mother to let him do things she would not allow, like having his own private workshop.

In short, Keiko was a very curious woman, one could even say quite strange. But like Nemuri, she was very special to him, so much so that not even the memories of his past life could dilute that feeling.

“Kai… promise me you won’t leave me… that you’ll never disappear from my life… that you won’t leave me alone…” Keiko said through tears as she clung to the little one in her arms, afraid he would suddenly disappear.

“… I promise I’ll do my best,” Kai could only say that while hugging Keiko, after all, his luck was pretty bad, and who knows what could happen.

Chapter 31: Kai-kun, let’s bathe together!

Chapter Text

Meanwhile, Nemuri, who was in the kitchen preparing lunch, quickly approached upon hearing Keiko's arrival, but instead of interrupting, she decided to give the beautiful woman some time to vent.

After witnessing the touching scene, Nemuri wiped the tears that had accumulated in her eyes, then returned to the kitchen to prepare aromatic tea and a delicious strawberry milkshake, little Kai's favorite.

Carrying a tray, Nemuri reentered the living room, only to find Keiko now with a clean face and a beautiful smile, with Kai sitting on her lap. They reviewed something on the little boy's laptop, which had not received a single scratch after the fall.

“I brought some drinks,” Nemuri commented aloud as she approached, causing the pair of tech enthusiasts to look away from the computer and moments later, Keiko's soft and steady voice was heard.

“Thank you very much, Nemuri. Sorry for not greeting you earlier.”

“Don't worry, Keiko.”

With a smile on her face, Nemuri handed a cup of tea to Keiko and the milkshake to Kai, who thanked her with a smile before returning his attention to his computer. This brought amused smiles to the faces of the two beautiful women.

“Well, let's let this little one continue working, fufu,” Keiko commented a bit playfully as she stroked the little one's silky black hair on her lap, to which Nemuri responded equally amused.

“Fufufu, yes, he's already in his own world.”

“By the way, Nemuri, have they done any medical tests on Kai? Did he receive any injuries?” Keiko asked with a hint of concern in her voice.

“Well, they did some initial tests, which indicated that Kai was in perfect condition, although I have scheduled an appointment for tomorrow for more thorough examinations,” Nemuri replied in a serious tone before bringing her cup of tea to her lips.

“That sounds perfect...” Keiko commented, satisfied, but soon her gaze turned dangerous as she asked in a dark tone filled with malice, “and do you know why you were targeted in the attack?”

Keiko's question also changed Nemuri's expression, who now had a serious look, her beautiful blue eyes acquiring a subtle dangerous gleam as she responded in a slightly lower tone than usual.

“It's not exactly clear yet, but I suspect it wasn't a targeted attack, and we just had bad luck, although the investigation still needs to advance to be sure.”

“Why do you think that?” Keiko asked, somewhat confused as she took her cup of tea.

“Because of the attacker's mental state, it was quite unstable and irrational, as if she wanted to kill us just for fun, not what you would expect from a targeted attack. Furthermore, only All Might, and we knew the time we would meet, and I made sure to use different routes, plus I never noticed we were being followed.”

“Well, when you put it that way, it makes some sense, but still, I think it's better if you reinforce the security measures and maybe hire some guards, it's better to be safe than sorry.”

“You're right, maybe that's the best...”

“If it works for you, I can help you with that,” Keiko commented with a small smile, to which Nemuri was grateful.

“That would be a great help, I'll leave it in your hands then.”

“It will be a pleasure... by the way, do you mind if Momo and I stay tonight?”

Keiko asked as she hugged the little one on her lap, but despite her usual tone, Nemuri couldn't help but notice a certain hint of insecurity and persistent fear, so she quickly responded with a smile.

“Of course, even if you like, now that I'm home all day, you could bring little Momo more often to keep Kai company.”

“That could be a good idea... also, Kai needs to resume his studies and Momo's teachers could help with that.”

“You're right, that's an excellent idea.”

Keiko commented thoughtfully, to which Nemuri quickly nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed since she hadn't even considered it until now. Well, a lot had happened in the last few days, so she couldn't be blamed either.

“Well, then I'll make some calls and order something to eat.”

As she took her phone, Keiko commented with a smile, to which Nemuri quickly responded with a smile.

“No need for the food part, the truth is that Kai is a big eater, so I made a lot of food, there's enough for everyone.”

“Well, then I suppose I'll take your kindness and try your culinary skills,” Keiko replied with a small smile, but then added after realizing something, “By the way, Nemuri, don’t you want to hire some staff to handle the chores? This house is quite large.”

“Mmm, actually no, after all, I don't have much to do besides taking care of Kai and I truly enjoy cooking and looking after him, so it's not that much work. Plus, I don't want too many people around the house, although I might consider it in the future.”

After thinking about it for a moment, Nemuri politely declined. After all, she was now officially unemployed, and these few days of taking care of the house and Kai had made her feel relaxed and calm, as if she were on vacation in some way.

“Well, if you say so.”

After the brief chat, Keiko quickly made a few calls while Nemuri served a sumptuous meal, which immediately caught Kai’s attention. He began to eat voraciously, simultaneously praising its taste, which brought a beautiful smile to Nemuri's face.

“This is really delicious, Onee-chan.”

“Fufufu, I'm glad you like it.”

“It's really good, you're really talented in the kitchen, Nemuri,” Keiko commented, somewhat surprised as she savored a delicious plate of cold pasta.

“It’s a relief that you like it.”

While Keiko was eating elegantly, she suddenly seemed to remember something, so she quickly turned to look at Kai, who was still eating voraciously, barely managing to maintain minimal manners, and spoke to him with a smile.

“By the way, Kai, the day after tomorrow the company that will build your forge workshop will come to take measurements and such, so make sure to give them all your specifications.”

Keiko's words took Kai a little by surprise, and he quickly swallowed the food in his mouth and thanked her, a bit embarrassed.

“Thank you very much, Auntie Keiko, though you didn't have to...”

“Nonsense, I promised to give it to you, and I will. However, I will first hire a skilled blacksmith to teach and supervise you, after all, forging can be dangerous; you could get burned or something,” Keiko commented casually with a small, amused smile at Kai's embarrassment.

“Well, it might be good to have someone teach me a few things, it will save me time. Thank you very much, Auntie Keiko,” Kai could only thank her a little awkwardly, to which Keiko responded with a tender smile.

“You don't have to thank me, Kai, I'm doing it because I love you.”

“Thank you...”

Meanwhile, Nemuri watched the interaction with some amusement, feeling relieved. After all, although her little baby had changed a lot since that event, in situations like these she could still see the little one she had known since he was a baby. He always got all shy when he received gifts he really liked.

“Fufufu, you’re a sweetheart, Kai,” Nemuri commented playfully, something to which Keiko couldn’t help but nod. But at that moment, the beautiful blue-eyed woman's phone rang, so she quickly took it, and after reading for a moment, she spoke.

“Kai, your Aunt Yumiko sends you many greetings and told me to call her in a couple of hours, so stay tuned.”

“Okay... although Auntie Yumiko gets up really early, it must be quite early in Paris,” Kai commented casually while eating, to which Keiko added while checking her elegant wristwatch.

“Yes, she must have something to do today. It must be 6 in the morning there.”

…

A couple of hours later, another elegant black car arrived at the property, from which a woman in her forties stepped out, dressed in an elegant skirt and vest suit, with her blonde hair neatly tied up. She held little Momo by the hand.

Upon seeing her mother, little Momo ran to her and hugged her lovingly as she spoke.

"I missed you, Mom."

"I missed you a lot too," Keiko responded with a smile as she stroked her little one's head, who quickly ran to Kai, who was at his computer, and hugged him.

"Kai-kun!"

"Hi Momo."

With Momo's arrival, Kai quickly closed his laptop and set it aside, greeting the little girl with a smile as she quickly sat next to him on the couch, then curiously asked him.

"What are you doing, Kai-kun? Another project?"

"Yes, it's a small virtual assistant."

"Ohh, and what's it going to be called?" Momo asked with bright eyes, waving her little hands in the air, which made her look very cute.

"I really don't know yet, maybe I'll just call it Sage."

"That name sounds weird..."

"Doesn't it?"

As Momo and Kai started having fun together, Keiko and Nemuri began discussing some things with the woman who brought little Momo, who nodded with a serious expression while seemingly adjusting her schedule on her phone.

By the time evening arrived, Kai had already spoken with Yumiko, Nejire, and even the Pussycats, who congratulated him for being so brave and promised to visit over the weekend. And he was now training in the gym while Momo acted as a cute cheerleader.

Meanwhile, Keiko and Nemuri were watching Kai's training from a table Nemuri had set up in the gym to monitor him, sipping tea slowly and elegantly while chatting about various topics.

Amid their pleasant conversation, Keiko's serious expression seemed to fluctuate a bit, almost imperceptibly, but she quickly gathered her courage and asked in a serious tone that hid her true feelings.

"Nemuri, would you mind if Kai sleeps with Momo and me tonight?"

Keiko's words took Nemuri a bit by surprise, who paused with her hand in the air while bringing the tea cup to her lips, but she quickly reacted and set the cup down on the table, smiling as she commented.

"I really don't mind. I know you care a lot about little Kai and want to spend more time with him. You know, if you like, you can even bathe him when he finishes training. He's a scaredy-cat with water, so I bathe him every time he finishes his workout."

"Well, I'll give it a try." A beautiful smile formed on Keiko's face as she watched the pair of little ones in the gym.

After finishing his training, Kai stretched a bit, then left the gym with a smiling Momo, closely followed by Nemuri and Keiko. They quickly returned to the house, where, to his absolute surprise, a wild Keiko kidnapped him and took him to the bathroom.

"Well, Kai, your aunt is going to bathe you today."

"N-no, I can bathe myself," Kai quickly replied, a bit nervous, which made Momo laugh joyfully, while a beautiful smile formed on Keiko's face.

"Kai-kun, let's bathe together!" an excited Momo commented cheerfully, to which Keiko asked, pretending to be sad.

"My little Kai doesn't want to bathe with his aunt?"

Noticing her mother's actions, Momo quickly imitated her and, while making puppy eyes, commented 'sadly.'

"Kai-kun doesn't want to bathe with Momo?"

"N-no, it's not that, it's just that I'm big now, I can bathe myself."

"Fufufu, none of that, we're going to bathe."

With a pair of excited mother and daughter, Kai was dragged, stripped, and bathed against his will, so he could only surrender to his fate. He did his best to ignore Keiko's explosive body, which didn't lose out in the least to Nemuri.'s.

While Nemuri could be described as the epitome of sensuality, Keiko was more of a cool and elegant beauty. With a smooth and voluptuous body, large and round breasts, perhaps even slightly larger than Nemuri's, long and stylized legs, and a tempting and sensual rear. Which, along with her serious and controlled style, made the woman exude a mature and tempting charm.

After the bath, Keiko put matching pajamas on the tired Momo and the silent Kai, who seemed lost in his thoughts. She then put on matching pajamas herself and, after bidding Nemuri goodnight, lay down on the enormous bed with a little one on each side.

Time passed slowly as the children fell asleep shortly after, resting on Keiko’s generous bosom. She felt an unparalleled warmth and peace in her heart, which made her, despite all the recent tragedies, unable to help but be grateful with the life for the little ones in her arms. They gave her life meaning and motivated her to keep moving forward at every moment.

With a beautiful smile on her face, the woman of divine beauty, who possessed an enviable genius and a power and fortune that would drive anyone mad, embraced the little ones with love and care. She then closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep, an incredibly pleasant and enjoyable one, the likes of which she hadn’t had in a long time.

Chapter 32: we have visitors today

Chapter Text

Almost a year had passed since that encounter with the female ogre, and during this time, Kai's routine had changed a bit. Firstly, little Momo was now a frequent visitor, to the point where she practically lived with them. However, in Keiko's case, since the property was quite far, she spent less time there due to her work.

Meanwhile, Nejire, who attended school unlike Momo and Kai, could only come to play on weekends, though not every weekend, as she sometimes had schoolwork to do or accompanied her parents on their travels around the world.

But, although Momo and Kai didn't attend school, that didn't mean they weren't studying. In fact, now Kai was obliged to take private lessons alongside Momo. The good thing was that it was only a couple of times a week, since he could skip math and English classes.

Additionally, to Kai's surprise, the Pussycats continued to be incredibly close, coming to play all the time, helping him train, teaching him martial arts, and more. To the point where the heroes' mountain base was almost a second home for Kai.

On the other hand, his forge workshop had been completed a long time ago. Though it was initially somewhat difficult to forge items of a certain quality, thanks to the teachers Keiko and Yumiko had hired for him, he eventually got the hang of it. Now he was a fairly decent blacksmith, capable of making 1000-layer Damascus steel swords 10/10 times.

Creating high-quality Damascus steel swords was an achievement that made Kai very proud, making him feel like a real blacksmith. Therefore, honoring his word, he had given his best works to both Keiko and Yumiko, who received them with smiles and praised him to the skies as a genius.

But curiously, on one occasion when Kai visited his aunts' houses, he noticed they had all his creations in small exhibitions in visible places in their mansions and hadn't tried to sell any. Intrigued, he asked them the reason, only to get interesting responses.

"These are Kai-chan's works; of course, I can't sell them."

"Do you think I need the money, Kai?"

With such answers, Kai could only remain silent, but interested in knowing how much one of his creations could sell for. With his aunts' help, they organized a small auction where some weapons with only 500 layers he made in his beginnings were sold.

To his absolute surprise, his creations ended up selling for prices ranging between one and two million yen, which was crazy considering they were items he made when he was just a novice. So he immediately thought they had manipulated the price to make him feel better.

However, shortly after, Kai discovered that wasn't the case. In fact, the demand for weapons like the ones he made was quite large, something he verified by posting several of his creations in online auctions, where he achieved prices exceeding 3 million yen, although the shipping was a pain.

But the craziest thing was when he posted a 1000-layer sword and earned almost 6 million yen for it. Apparently, his blacksmith brand had become a reference within the community, which by the way was a hammer surrounded by an aura. So from time to time, he sold items in auctions, though they were of lesser quality than those he gave to Keiko and Yumiko.

Making weapons wasn't the only thing Kai did with his forge. He also made various types of kitchen knives for Nemuri and even learned some jewelry-making to craft many accessories for her and the people around him. But what made him the proudest so far were, without a doubt, the urns he made with his own hands, where his parents' ashes now rested.

...

In the middle of the garden, Kai was standing on one hand, perfectly still, with a focused expression on his face, wearing a comfortable black tracksuit. Suddenly, the blue-eyed boy was propelled several meters into the air, did a somersault, and landed on his feet.

"Yes, I've made quite a bit of progress in emission..."

With a satisfied expression on his face, Kai exclaimed to himself while moving his wrists. At that moment, a little Momo, dressed in an adorable blue dress with flower prints, peeked from the entrance of the house and exclaimed loudly with an adorable smile on her face.

"Kai-kun! Breakfast is ready!"

"Alright, Momo."

With a smile, Kai entered the house along with Momo, finding Nemuri, dressed in a simple white blouse and comfortable black pants, sitting in the dining room with her laptop in front of her, seemingly lost in thought.

"What are you thinking about, Onee-chan?" Kai approached and asked casually while focusing Gyo on his eyes to look at her, but as always, he couldn't find any signs of aura.

Since the fight with the female ogre, when Kai had been forced to protect Nemuri with his aura. The blue-eyed boy had been looking at his older sister with Gyo every day, trying to see if she had awakened some kind of aura. But so far, he hadn't noticed anything.

Full of curiosity, during this time Kai had tried different things to see if Nemuri could awaken an aura, since it wouldn't be bad if she could use it. He tried to use 'baptism' on her in various ways, such as covering her in aura, enhancing her abilities, or massaging her with aura—something he regretted because she now asks for it very often.

But so far, Nemuri had not shown the slightest sign of awakening an aura. However, as a result of all his experiments, Kai discovered that by using the properties of emitter and enhancer of his aura. He could give a kind of buff to other people, increasing their strength and natural recovery for a while.

"Do you remember I told you I wanted to start writing, Kai?" Nemuri responded with a question, then gave Kai a loving kiss on the cheek.

"Yes, I remember. Are you having trouble writing?" Kai asked as he sat down with Momo next to Nemuri, who replied while shaking her head.

"Not so much with writing; I have more trouble coming up with an attractive idea that might interest readers."

"What do you have so far?" Kai asked as a woman of about 45 with dark purple hair, dressed in what looked like a sober and elegant uniform, came out of the kitchen carrying several plates, which she placed on the table.

"Well, my idea is to write a fantasy novel, so I want to write about wizards in the modern era, but I'm not quite sure how to frame it. Although I have more or less designed the main characters and the first scenes, I still feel they aren't good enough."

After everyone thanked the woman who brought the food, who bowed respectfully before returning to the kitchen, Kai responded in a thoughtful tone.

"Why don't you try making it like a secret society of wizards that hides from non-magic people? You could even create interesting names that sound derogatory, like how wizards refer to non-magical people as Muggles or something. Plus, you could make the protagonist a little kid who enters the world of magic."

Over the past year, Kai had been researching this world's entertainment to see if the things he remembered from his past life existed, noticing that some did and some didn't. However, when he tried to produce the works he remembered himself, he realized an obvious fact: it wasn't that easy.

Although he remembered the plots, characters, and other details of the works, he couldn't remember the specific details and only recalled the broad strokes. So, if he wanted to reproduce them, he had to recreate them himself using real artistic skills that he didn't have. The attempts he made demonstrated this, ending up with something boring that didn't attract even himself enough to give them a chance. So all that research came to nothing.

"Mmm, that sounds like a good idea..." Nemuri's eyes lit up with the idea before she fell deeply into her thoughts.

While Nemuri was lost in her thoughts, Kai began to eat as if his life depended on it. After all, a few months after training his aura and Haki, the amount of food he ate increased exponentially. For this reason, Nemuri decided to hire someone to help around the house.

After a while, Nemuri took her laptop and began to type on it at great speed, almost as if she were possessed by inspiration. She then nodded, satisfied with what she had written, and looked at Kai.

"That's an excellent idea, Kai. A lot of ideas came to mind." Nemuri thanked him with a beautiful smile as she watched the blue-eyed boy devour his food, to which Momo intervened with a sweet smile.

"Kai-kun is very smart, so his idea must be great, Nemuri Onee-chan. You'll write a great book."

"Fufufu, you're right, Momo. I'll become a famous writer," Nemuri commented amused, to which Momo responded cheerfully.

"Yes, when you publish your book, I'll be the first to read it, hehe."

"Oh, then I already have my first little fan. Onee-chan is very happy," Nemuri commented sweetly while caressing little Momo's hair, who nodded happily with a spoon in her mouth.

"Umu."

Nemuri smiled joyfully at seeing the two cuties who brightened her days happily eating. But suddenly, she remembered something and turned to look at Kai, then spoke in a somewhat more serious tone.

"By the way, Kai, we have visitors today."

"And who is coming today, Onee-chan? I thought Nejire and the Pussycats were coming next weekend," Kai asked a bit confused, to which Nemuri responded in a grave tone, surprising little Momo slightly.

“It’s Chief of Police Kenji Tsuragamae.”

Upon hearing Nemuri's words, Kai put down the utensils in his hands and asked in a serious tone.

"Did something happen?"

“He’ll let you know.”

A bit nervous about Kai’s reaction, Nemuri decided to respond evasively for now, which only increased Kai’s concerns. He quickly asked while looking her in the eyes.

“Is it serious?”

“You could say so, but it’s not bad for us.”

“That’s good then.”

Meanwhile, little Momo moved her head cutely between Nemuri and Kai, who had resumed eating with somewhat complicated expressions on their faces. She felt really confused by the strange conversation they had, but due to the exhaustive education she had received from her mother and teachers, she decided to remain silent and continue eating. Maybe Kai-kun would explain what happened later.

Chapter 33: your parents’ case has been resolved

Chapter Text

After breakfast, Nemuri took little Momo to the house library to read for a while, as it was her favorite pastime. Then, she bathed Kai and dressed him in a short-sleeved white shirt and black pants, while she put on a loose blue dress that matched her hair. They went down to the living room, where their guest arrived after a while.

"Hello, Kai-kun; it's been a long time."

"Likewise, Tsuragamae-san, what brings you here today?" Even though he had a good idea why he had come, Kai couldn't help but ask.

Kai's question caused Kenji to turn and look at Nemuri, who had a worried and solemn expression while nodding.

"Well, I'm here to inform you that your parents' case has been resolved."

Confirming his suspicions, Kai's demeanor immediately changed to a solemn one, and his eyes took on a dangerous gleam, which surprised Kenji a little, but he quickly composed himself as everyone sat in the living room.

Meanwhile, Nemuri felt her heart might leap out of her chest at any moment, and the urge to retreat overwhelmed her, but she mustered the courage to continue; after all, it was best to choose the lesser evil.

Although Nemuri was fully aware that exposing Kai to that traumatic event again was not the best idea in the world, there was no way to avoid it. After all, Kai's parents were very famous, and the case even involved high-profile figures, which would inevitably lead to all the media talking about it.

Just imagining what could happen to Kai if he found out everything through some news or internet post, possibly while alone, filled Nemuri with terror. So, as soon as she heard from Kenji that the case had been resolved, she immediately asked him to help inform Kai.

But the worst part was that the timing was the worst possible. Yumiko was in Italy with Nejire at a fashion conference; Keiko had to travel to the United States for work; and the Pussycats were on a very important mission in another prefecture, leaving only her to face the delicate situation.

Due to this situation, Nemuri was tempted to postpone the matter for a week until one of the girls returned for some support. But the case was too high-profile, and the internet was full of information about it; even the news channels would not stop talking about it. Although Kai didn't watch TV and only used the internet to search for very specific things, the risk increased every day, forcing her to make a hasty decision.

Apprehensive about what might happen, Nemuri sat next to Kai and held his hand tightly, as if trying to make him understand that he was not alone.

"Well, Kai-kun, I suppose I'll start from the beginning. After what you told me that day in the hospital, I started doing various investigations, and after a while, I managed to identify those responsible."

"Are they still alive?" Kai interrupted Kenji in a heavy voice, causing Nemuri to grip his small hand tighter with a worried expression.

"... No, the culprit was a villain known as BioBlast. You might recognize the name, since he was the target of your father's last joint operation."

"..."

Kenji paused briefly, waiting for Kai to ask more questions, but the boy just hung his head in silence, preventing anyone from seeing his expression, which only served to increase Nemuri's anxiety. So Kenji decided to continue his monologue.

"BioBlast should have been sent to Tartarus after being captured, so it was really strange that he could have done this. That's why I continued investigating and discovered that a politician had made strange moves when BioBlast was captured. He managed to reduce security to a minimum for just over an hour the night before BioBlast's transfer to Tartarus."

"..."

Kenji intently watched the little boy with his head down, alert to anything that might happen. For some reason, he started to feel a slight sense of 'danger' emanating from the boy. However, after noticing nothing particularly unusual, he continued.

"After this, I contacted Tartarus, and through a DNA examination, we confirmed that the prisoner in the jail was indeed not BioBlast. So we gathered evidence against the aforementioned politician, accumulating enough to secure his arrest a few days ago."

"..."

Noticing that Kai remained in the same position without moving a muscle, Nemuri grew even more concerned, so she approached the boy and hugged him while speaking lovingly and carefully.

"Kai, are you okay? You know you can count on me."

As if he had come back to life, Kai immediately lifted his head to look at Nemuri. However, instead of reassuring the worried woman with enchanting blue eyes, this only increased her concerns, as Kai's face now seemed devoid of emotions, as if he were wearing a mask instead of a face.

"I'm fine, Onee-chan, don't worry," Kai turned to look at the dog-headed detective and continued, "and thank you very much, Tsuragamae-san, for your efforts in bringing justice to my parents' case. All this has taught me an important lesson."

Noticing that the dangerous gleam in Kai's eyes only intensified with each passing moment, Kenji hurriedly asked, "What did you learn from all this, Kai-kun?"

"Nothing important, really. Just something very obvious—so obvious that I don't know why I hadn't considered it until now. I must be pretty dumb, now that I think about it." Kai spoke in a flat tone, with no trace of his feelings, but the dangerous gleam in his eyes only grew with each word he spoke.

"What is it, Kai?" Nemuri asked apprehensively, as the room seemed to fill with an inexplicable sense of heaviness.

"Something very basic, actually. Something I should have known from the beginning... The only good enemy is a dead enemy."

The moment Kai uttered those words, an incredible pressure emanated from the blue-eyed boy, leaving Nemuri and Kenji momentarily blank. Nemuri was the first to react, as she had felt something similar in the past.

(It's Alisa-san's mental shock!!)

As she regained her thoughts, Nemuri quickly noticed that little Kai had disappeared, so she immediately ran hurriedly to the garden, where she could see Kai's back disappearing among the trees.

"Kai!!!"

With Nemuri's desperate cry, Kai turned to look at her, still expressionless, only to see her running with all her might in his direction, her face filled with panic and anxiety.

"What's wrong, Onee-chan?"

"Why did you say that? What do you mean the only good enemy is a dead enemy? What did you mean by that, Kai?!!"

As she asked, filled with panic, Nemuri hugged Kai tightly, as if she were terrified of losing her baby.

"Well, it's just that, Onee-chan. If BioBlast wasn't alive, Mom and Dad would still be with us. But I won't be as naive as Dad; I will finish the job correctly," Kai replied in a tone that seemed to darken with every word.

"Please, no, Kai. I know you're angry, frustrated, and full of rage about what happened, but you can't follow that path. Please, Kai, swear to me. Swear to me that you'll still be my little baby and that you won't become a cold-blooded killer. Please, I'm begging you."

"…"

Nemuri pleaded, genuinely terrified, as she clung to the boy with all her might. After all, Kai, at his age, was already terrifyingly strong, to the point where she knew only the best heroes could put up a fight against him, not to mention how strong he would be in the future.

Therefore, if the boy decided to follow that path, there wouldn't be many capable of stopping him, especially if his incredible intelligence was added to the mix. That’s why she clung to Kai, as her deepest instincts screamed that if she let the boy go now, he would never be the same again, and she would lose him forever.

As for Kai, despite feeling incredibly guilty seeing Nemuri's tears and hearing her desperate pleas, he was not willing to back down. After all, the moment he was told the reality of his parents' case, he had an instant revelation.

No matter how strong he was, no matter how invincible he could become, it would only take one moment of carelessness for life to screw him over again. This would cause him to lose the people he had come to love as his family in this life. Something he could not allow to happen under any circumstances.

The conclusion Kai reached, after thinking about a solution, was quite simple: the most effective thing he could do to prevent anyone from harming his loved ones was to instill fear, to provoke such terror that no one would dare touch them for fear of his reprisals.

Therefore, he had to be strong and not be swayed by the tears of the woman who sincerely loved him, even if it could cause a rift in their relationship. After all, anything was better than letting something happen to her because of his carelessness.

After taking a deep breath to calm himself a bit, Kai prepared to deny Nemuri's pleas. But at that moment, and for the first time since becoming aware of his quirk, he felt his aura activate on its own and begin to fluctuate slightly, as if announcing its presence.

(!!!!!!)

(That's right, in this life I have my aura, a power that can slightly bring imagination to reality. I just need to create the craziest abilities possible to keep my family safe. No matter how ambitious it is to keep them safe and happy at the same time, I will be the most ambitious man in the world!!!

I will develop the craziest and most powerful abilities that have ever existed to achieve my goals. It's not for nothing that I have all the aura affinities, and even if I can't create them, it's not like I can't resort to 'plan B' later.)

"… It's okay, Onee-chan; I swear, I won't do it," Kai said to Nemuri in a warm tone with a somewhat strange expression.

"Thank you, Kai. Thank you so much."

Kai's promise was like a miraculous balm for Nemuri's troubled heart. She continued to thank him while hugging Kai with all her strength and crying with joy, seeing that her little baby was not lost.

Meanwhile, Kenji, who had been watching the whole situation from the side, showed a big smile on his dog face, noticing that the dangerous gleam in Kai's eyes was rapidly diminishing. He decided to leave quietly and give them the privacy they needed.

Similarly, Momo, who had inadvertently heard the commotion caused by Nemuri, looked out the window with a worried expression on her adorable face, tears welling up in her big eyes as she felt insecure and fearful about the scene.

A while later, Nemuri dragged Kai back into the house, where she took the scared and tearful Momo and then brought them to bed with her, where she hugged them lovingly.

"Momo, don't be afraid; nothing serious happened. We are fine now."

"It's okay, Onee-chan…" a tearful Momo replied, to which Nemuri commented with a small smile.

"Why don't you help me hold down this disobedient Kai, who can only stay in bed today with Onee-chan and Momo?"

"Okay, Kai-kun can't go anywhere and will stay with Momo and Onee-chan."

"…"

Seeing his two arms embraced by the beautiful blue-eyed woman and the adorable little girl with black hair, Kai could only sigh softly as he looked at the ceiling, while a warm feeling filled his chest.

(It really feels good to have people who care about you…)

Chapter 34: Birthday Party part 1

Chapter Text

Weeks later, a small shared birthday party was being held at Kai's mansion, celebrating the birthdays of the three little ones, Nejire, Momo, and Kai. After all, they all had birthdays around the same time, so they decided to have a party for the three of them.

"Kai! Have you finished packing the gifts?"

Nemuri's voice could be heard from the entrance of Kai's forge/jewelry workshop, where he was finishing wrapping two small chests. He was wearing a black shirt, dark blue jeans, and a leather belt and shoes.

For her part, Nemuri was wearing a beautiful, tight black dress that reached her knees and had an elegant neckline, showcasing her voluptuous figure. This, combined with her symmetrical and stylized facial features and her elegant glasses, made her look sensual without losing elegance.

"I'm done."

Quickly, Kai finished wrapping the small chests, then picked up two elongated gift-wrapped boxes beside him, and hurried out of the workshop while responding loudly. This only brought a playful smile to Nemuri's face as she accompanied him to the main house.

After a while, two high-end cars arrived at the property. From them emerged two women of divine beauty, holding the hands of two adorable little girls who looked like miniature versions of the beautiful women.

From the car on the left stepped out a woman with refined and sophisticated beauty, long black hair, and expressive eyes reflecting wisdom and power behind her elegant glasses. She wore an elegant red dress that highlighted her stunning figure, while the girl next to her wore a pastel-colored summer dress, with her hair styled in two pigtails held with ribbons matching the dress's color.

From the car on the right emerged a stunning beauty who looked unusually young for her age, with large sky-blue eyes, silky hair of the same color, and a voluptuous figure that rivaled the other women present. She stood out in her black pants and turquoise blouse with a significant neckline. Meanwhile, the little girl following her wore a simple yet elegant white dress, evidently high fashion, which highlighted her energetic expression and hair and eyes of the same color as her mother's.

Noticing the arrival of the visitors, Nemuri and Kai went to the door to greet them warmly. But suddenly, a wild pair of stylish arms grabbed the little blue-eyed boy and lifted him into the air.

"How can my little Kai-chan be so handsome?" Yumiko commented cheerfully after giving the boy in her arms an energetic kiss on the cheek.

"You look great too, Auntie Yumiko." Used to this treatment, Kai simply replied with a smile, making Yumiko beam with delight.

"Happy birthday, dear."

"Thanks, Auntie."

After congratulating him, Yumiko quickly noticed the particular gleam in Keiko's eyes, so with an amused smile, she handed the boy to the woman who struggled to express her feelings properly.

"Happy birthday, Kai. Auntie brought you something you're really going to like." With a small smile, Keiko congratulated the boy in her arms.

"Thank you, Auntie, but you didn't have to bring anything."

"Fufu, how could I not bring something for my little Kai?"

After a brief conversation, Keiko finally let the boy go and then joined Yumiko and Nemuri while Kai started a small conversation with the little girls.

"Happy birthday, Momo-chan, Nejire nee-chan."

"Happy birthday, Kai-kun/chan," the two adorable girls responded cheerfully, holding the blue-eyed boy's hands.

"Nejire nee-chan, that dress looks great on you! Is it new?" Momo, noticing Nejire's elegant dress, couldn't help but comment while hugging Kai's arm.

"Thanks, Momo! And yes, my mom made it especially for this party. And your dress is also very pretty, Momo." Nejire responded energetically, hugging Kai's other arm tightly.

"Hehe, thank you."

Momo replied somewhat shyly, but after a silent conversation through looks, the two adorable girls turned to Kai and asked simultaneously.

"What do you think of our dresses, Kai-chan/kun?"

"You both look great," Kai replied automatically, without a second's hesitation. After all, years of training had to be useful for something.

"Hehehe," they both giggled shyly.

"Shall we go in?"

"Yes!!!"

The children headed inside the house, so the mothers and Nemuri decided to follow shortly after. Inside, despite all the party decorations, they found the three kids sitting around a video game console that Kai had set up, laughing and shouting at each other.

"How is that different from what they do every time they get together? Hehe," Yumiko commented, amused upon seeing the children, who didn't seem like they were at a party, to which Keiko responded with a small smile.

"Yes, you're right, but I'm really glad to see Momo so free and happy at times like this. It was really a difficult time for her before meeting Alisa-san; she helped me a lot."

"Haha, you're right. She's much more lively now than when I first met her," Nemuri added, somewhat proud of the positive influence Alisa had on those around her.

"By the way, Nemuri-san, do you plan to enroll Kai in primary school? After all, Alisa-san refused to enroll him in preschool," Yumiko asked curiously, to which Nemuri responded while shaking her head.

"I thought about it, but I think it's better to follow Alisa-san's ideology and give him a home education, at least in primary school. We'll see about secondary school."

"I'm planning to do the same with Momo," Keiko added, nodding in agreement, to which Yumiko added while bringing a finger to her lips.

"Is that so? I, however, enrolled Nejire in primary school so that she could socialize more. Although she's a whirlwind of excitement at home, she's surprisingly unsociable and quiet outside."

While the women were chatting amicably, a large van arrived at the property. The Pussycats, dressed in civilian clothes, got out, carrying a pile of gifts and what appeared to be a pet cage, as Nemuri went out to greet them.

"Hello, guys, it's a pleasure you could come."

"Hehe, we wouldn't miss little Kai's birthday for anything in the world," Tomoko commented energetically, raising her arms to the sky, to which Shino added with a small smile.

"Tomoko is right, there was no way we could miss it, fufu."

"And where's my future husband?" Ryuko quickly asked with a smile on her face, looking around, causing Nemuri to respond in a gruff tone.

"Stop that. Kai is off-limits, and he is playing with Momo and Nejire."

"Fufufu, you can't fight pure love, Nemuri."

"Hmph, you're nothing but a shotacon. Be careful, or I might report you," Nemuri replied, crossing her arms under her voluptuous chest, making Ryuko jump and immediately respond defensively.

"Hey!! I'm not a shotacon, I was just captivated by his future potential."

"Yeah, sure, tell that to the officer."

While Ryuko and Nemuri had their, now, typical argument, the rest of the Pussycats headed inside the house. After a cordial greeting, Tomoko darted over to Kai's small group and started playing video games with the kids as if she were one of them.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Yumiko-san, Keiko-san."

"It's truly a pleasure."

Chatora and Shino respectfully greeted the beautiful women who were drinking tea at a table near the children, who responded elegantly.

"The pleasure is ours as well, Shino-san, Chatora-san."

"Please sit, let's chat for a while."

After a while, Nemuri and Ryuko tired of arguing and joined the group drinking tea. After some time, the party finally began, with a birthday song, congratulations, and the inevitable gift exchange.

Kai was the first to start the gift-giving, taking two small chests in his hands and presenting them to the excited little girls, who looked at him with bright eyes.

"Momo-chan, Nejire nee-chan, this is something I made for you."

"Thank you so much, Kai-kun/chan."

Momo proceeded to open the package slowly and carefully, while Nejire, on the other hand, tore the wrapping apart. Both girls found a beautifully carved wooden chest with different patterns.

Opening the small chest, Nejire found a thin, elegant silver necklace with a spiral pattern, adorned with three beautiful blue diamonds, giving it a sober and minimalist charm.

Delighted with her gift, Nejire ran off with a huge smile on her face and demanded loudly from Kai.

"Thank you, Kai, it's so pretty! Put it on me, put it on me!"

Amused by Nejire's high energy, Kai quickly put the necklace on the adorable blue-haired girl, who then ran to her mother and began posing in front of the adults present.

"How do I look? Great, right? Kai made it just for me."

"Yes, you look gorgeous, darling. Mommy is jealous," Yumiko commented amused upon seeing the smiling Nejire, which made the little girl even happier.

"Hehehehe."

Meanwhile, Momo found a beautiful bracelet with a chain pattern adorned with three small but lovely black diamonds in her small chest. Then She quickly ran happily to Kai and hugged him.

"Thank you, Kai-kun, it's beautiful, I love it. Please put it on me."

"Of course, Momo."

Kai quickly put it on Momo, who, imitating Nejire, walked calmly to her mother to show it to her.

"Mom, look at the beautiful bracelet Kai-kun made for me."

"It's breathtaking. Make sure to take good care of it."

"I will, it's my treasure, hehe." Momo replied happily as she took the bracelet with her other hand and brought her arms to her chest.

"Well, I guess it's time for the second gift."

"There's more?!!!"

At Kai's comment, Nejire burst with new excitement and ran with bright eyes in front of Kai, who handed her an elongated box wrapped in gift paper, which Nejire quickly tore apart.

Chapter 35: Birthday Party part 2

Chapter Text

Under the wrapping paper lay a minimalist black wooden box, which contained a satin cushion where a beautiful, all-black Ninjatō sword rested. Nejire quickly took it out of the box to unsheathe it, revealing a stunning matte black blade.

“Huh?! Why does it look like this? Didn't you make it, Kai-chan?” Upon seeing the blade, Nejire couldn't help but ask, confused. After all, there was a collection of Kai's works at her house, and they didn't look like this.

“Yes, I made it, but since it was a Japanese sword, I decided not to use Damascus steel and instead used a rather interesting steel formula that I discovered a while ago while experimenting. But don't worry, it's just as strong and durable as my other works.”

“Thank you, Kai!!!” Nejire sheathed the sword again, then excitedly hugged Kai while expressing her gratitude.

“I’m going to cut some tatamis!!” Nejire exclaimed loudly, full of excitement, but at that moment, Kai threw cold water on her dreams.

“That’s not going to happen; the blade isn’t sharp,” Kai commented playfully, which caused Nejire to stomp her feet cutely while asking,

“But why?!!”

“Aunt Yumiko specifically asked me not to sharpen it.”

“ Mooom!!!” Nejire shouted, ‘indignant,’ as she turned to look at her mother, who simply responded with a smile.

“Sorry, sweetheart, but having a sharp weapon is very dangerous, fufu.”

“Mom!!”

“Don’t worry, I might still sharpen it for you in the future, so take good care of it,” Kai added calmly, to which Nejire could only respond with frustration.

“Alright…”

As Nejire went to sit sulking in a corner, Momo finished unwrapping her own gift. Inside, Momo found a beautiful Gladius in a leather sheath, which she carefully took out of the box and unsheathed, revealing a stunning blade covered by an intricate pattern typical of Damascus steel.

“Thank you so much, Kai-kun. You remembered when I told you I wanted to see the famous Pompeii Gladius with my own eyes.”

“It was a pleasure to make it, Momo, and of course, I would remember; you don’t say you want something very often either.”

“Hehehe, thank you, Kai-kun.”

Seeing that Kai’s gift-giving had ended, Yumiko commented with a small smile on her face as she approached the blue-eyed boy.

“Well, Kai, now it’s your turn to receive your gifts.”

Yumiko’s words inevitably excited Kai, as his aunts always gave him rather impressive gifts, something that the beautiful blue-haired woman quickly noticed as she took a square object wrapped in gift paper.

“This is my gift, Kai-chan. I hope you like it,” Yumiko said with a smile as she handed the package to Kai, who quickly opened it, full of curiosity. He found inside a beautiful wooden chest containing an exquisite antique military compass, something that greatly surprised the blue-eyed boy.

“A Galileo compass?!”

“Fufufu, I hope you like it. It’s a small trinket. I saw it when I was in Italy and immediately knew you’d like it,” Yumiko commented, amused at seeing the little Kai absolutely stunned.

(A small trinket?! It even has the damn authenticity papers! This thing must have cost a fortune!!!... Although it’s pretty cool, it’ll look amazing in my workshop…)

“Thank you so much, Auntie Yumiko.”

“Anything for my Kai-chan.”

While Kai imagined how cool the compass would look in his workshop, Keiko, not wanting to be left behind, quickly grabbed a beautifully wrapped gift, which was obviously a book of about 600 pages, and handed it to Kai.

“This is my gift, Kai. I hope you like it.”

(An old book, perhaps? Although, well, that was more my mother’s and Momo’s style…)

Curious, Kai began to open the gift, only to discover that it was the manual for a high-precision 3D powder metallurgy printer, which left him completely stunned—something that brought a beautiful smile to Keiko's face as she commented playfully.

“The printer will arrive in a couple of days, but for now, you can start reading the manual, fufu.”

“Thank you very much, Auntie Keiko.”

“Fufufu, I’m glad you like it.”

(Now my gifts seem like trash compared to this… Damn money; now things made by hand with love and dedication are worthless because of it…)

The adults present couldn’t help but smile, amused at the conflicted expression on the blue-eyed boy’s face, as it was terribly obvious what he was thinking. But shortly after, the pussycats quickly approached Kai while holding several gifts.

“Well, Kai, we have also prepared a gift for you.”

With a small smile on her face, Shino took the lead for the group as she held a pet carrier. From the carrier, she took out an adorable black kitten with deep blue eyes, colors that exactly matched Kai's hair and eyes.

“Ohhh, it’s so adorable!” Nejire commented as she ran toward the kitten, something Momo also did, tilting her head cutely between Kai and the kitten.

“It looks just like Kai!”

“It really does!!”

Nejire nodded in agreement with Momo’s comment, while Kai received the curious kitten from Shino’s hands. The kitten meowed adorably as it looked at him with curiosity.

(How did they manage to get a black cat with blue eyes? I’ve never seen one in real life…)

“You didn’t have to go to so much trouble; thank you so much.”

Kai commented in a somewhat strange tone of voice, as he seemed to have a curious stare contest with the kitten. Meanwhile, Nejire and Momo gazed at the kitten with bright eyes, as if they wanted to snatch it from his hands.

“Fufu, how could we not give a gift to our Kai? Besides, since you spend all day at home training or in your workshop making things, we thought it would be a good idea for you to have a pet to keep you company.” Ryuko commented playfully as she and the others placed the remaining gifts near Kai.

“Thank you very much. Although I’ve never had a pet, I’ll try to take good care of him.”

Kai commented distractedly as he opened the other gifts with one hand and held the kitten with the other, realizing they were a bunch of cat supplies. They ranged from an automatic litter box, scratching posts, and beds to even suitable carriers and lots of toys.

“Hehe, don’t worry, we also thought of that and brought everything you’ll need,” Chatora commented cheerfully as she showed Kai several books on cat care that they had brought.

“Haha, we can do that later, but first, we still have the most important thing! What name are you going to give him, Kai?!” Tomoko commented excitedly, causing everyone present to look at Kai with curiosity.

“Mmm…”

As he confirmed that the kitten was indeed a male, Kai couldn’t help but get lost in his thoughts.

(What should I name him? In both of my lives, I never had a pet, so I have no idea… Well, we could go with the typical ‘Kuro,’ but that doesn’t quite convince me, ‘Yoru’… I don’t like that either… Well, if he’s a black cat, that name isn’t bad…)

“Well, his name will be Salem (Seiramu).”

“Salem?”

Nejire asked, confused by the name, a sentiment shared by everyone present, but to their disappointment, Kai didn’t explain further and simply nodded, satisfied with the name.

“Yes, Salem sounds good. From now on, you’ll be Salem.” As if he somehow understood, the kitten meowed adorably, making Kai nod in satisfaction.

Shortly after, seeing Nejire and Momo’s expressions, Kai couldn’t help but smile playfully, as he extended his hands with the kitten toward the girls.

“You can hold him, but be careful; he’s just a kitten.”

“Oh! Okay, careful, careful.”

Nejire commented, caught between excitement and panic, but not quite sure how to hold the little kitten. She tried various ways to pick him up, only to instantly regret each one and switch to a new method, which ultimately turned into a funny dance that made everyone present laugh.

“Nejire Onee-chan, you just have to do the same thing Kai-kun did,” Momo commented with a much calmer demeanor as she gently received the kitten from Kai’s hands, though the excited sparkle in her eyes overshadowed her composed facade.

As Nejire and Momo went off to admire the kitten in a corner, Nemuri approached Kai, carrying a small chest in her hands, while the Pussycats helped by bringing several large boxes.

“Well, Kai, these are gifts that Onee-chan prepared for you,” Nemuri said with a smile as she handed the small chest to Kai, and the Pussycats placed the other boxes in front of him.

“Thank you, Onee-chan”

Kai thanked her as he opened the chest, finding inside a beautiful braided gold chain that had what appeared to be two lockets as pendants, one shaped like a book and the other like an outstretched hand.

When Kai opened the lockets, he found a photo of his mother in the book-shaped one and a photo of his father in the hand-shaped one. This brought a nostalgic smile to his face as he got lost in his memories. But soon after, the blue-eyed boy hugged Nemuri.

“Thank you, Onee-chan…”

“I knew you’d like it,” Nemuri replied with tears in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away and added with a smile,

“But today isn’t a day for tears. You should open the other gift; I know you’ll love it.”

“Alright.”

After putting the chain around his neck, Kai began to open the boxes, finding an enormous number of pieces in different shapes and sizes. They were undoubtedly parts of an excavator, and it had to be a fairly large-scale model.

“It’s a 100% functional 1/8 scale replica of an excavator. I know you’ll have fun building it,” Nemuri commented playfully as she saw the excited expression on Kai’s face, who quickly thanked her while examining the pieces.

“Thank you, Onee-chan!!”

As he inspected the pieces, which were incredibly detailed, Kai quickly exclaimed aloud,

“Sage, organize my schedule; leave some time open to build this baby.”

“Done, sir. Would you like to confirm your new schedule?” A synthetic female voice responded to his command, to which Kai nodded in satisfaction as he replied.

“No, send it to my computer; I’ll review it later.”

“As you wish.”

The last year of working on the new and improved Sage had paid off. Although it was still far from perfect, it was now a true virtual assistant capable of responding to abstract instructions with precision, managing all the electronic devices in the house, and even monitoring the cameras and security of the property.

While Kai was having fun in his own way with his gifts, Nejire and Momo received their respective presents from the adults at the party, while they took turns ‘borrowing’ Salem between them, absolutely in love with the little kitten.

This made the pussycats smile ironically as they watched how Kai was more interested in the pieces of his scale model than in the cat, though they sincerely hoped that would change over time.

Chapter 36: the best hero in the world

Chapter Text

Six years have passed since that memorable birthday party, and things have changed significantly. Firstly, Nemuri, thanks to her talent and partly to Kai's ideas, achieved great success as a writer. Her book series sold worldwide, was translated into over 20 languages, and even led to a highly successful big-screen adaptation.

Meanwhile, Kai has grown at an impressive rate during this time, reaching nearly the same height as Nemuri at 1.75 meters. But he doesn't look like a 12-year-old; instead, he appears to be around 15 or 16, something that also applies to Momo, who, although not as extreme, still has a body far too developed for her age.

Kai's rapid growth has actually caused some problems for Nemuri. After all, the blue-eyed boy is incredibly handsome, to the point that if it weren't for his hair, eyes, and obviously, his quirk. Nemuri herself would have trouble believing he was the son of Jiro-san, known for his plain appearance.

Kai possesses a face that seems to have been sculpted by angels, with perfect angles, powerful and sharp eyebrows, and hypnotizing blue eyes. The eyes seem capable of stealing the soul of anyone who looks into them, giving the young man an enchanting allure.

But that perfect face was nothing compared to the flawless body he had sculpted through years of near-fanatical training. Despite being agile and well-proportioned, his physique is incredibly defined, with visible abs, strong and toned arms, and a powerful chest, turning the blue-eyed young man into a modern-day Adonis.

The problem Nemuri is currently facing is that, for some time now, she has noticed having thoughts beyond what a sister should have for her younger brother. A deep desire had begun to awaken in her, to the point where she had to stop bathing with Kai and even gave him his own room, as the 'tingling' was becoming almost uncontrollable.

But that, instead of reducing her impulses, greatly increased them, to the point where her'relief' sessions went from being a couple of times a month, to a couple of times a day. Which inevitably led to Nemuri now looking at the body of her, no longer so small, Kai, full of desire. This filled her with deep terror, of losing her mind and doing something crazy that she might regret.

“Well, with this, I’ve more or less finished the draft of the fifth book, and I can hand it over to my editor, so I think it’s best for me to return to being a hero. It’s not a good idea to spend so much time at home right now, and that will help me deal with stress and keep my mind occupied. Besides, Kai has been doing very well these past years and hasn’t had any relapses…”

As she reviewed the text document on her laptop, Nemuri whispered softly to herself, quickly arriving at a decision. She then decided to talk to Kai, who was in the garden sitting in a lotus position with his eyes closed, something he had been doing a lot lately.

“Kai, Onee-chan wants to talk to you about something. Come inside for a moment so we can talk.”

“Of course, Onee-chan.”

Kai opened his eyes as he responded, then quickly got up from the ground and followed Nemuri into the house. The beautiful blue-eyed woman made him sit on a sofa while she sat in front of him with a serious expression.

“Kai, I’ve been thinking about returning to being a hero, but I want to hear your opinion first.”

“I think that’s a great idea, Onee-chan. Although you’ve done very well with your writing, I know your true passion is being a hero, and now that I can take care of myself, I think it’s a perfect time for you to try again.” Kai responded with an encouraging smile as he looked at Nemuri, who couldn’t help but smile beautifully back at him, commenting in a voice full of sweetness.

“Thank you so much for your words, Kai. You have no idea how much they mean to me. I’ll call my old agency and see if they’re willing to take me back.”

“Haha, don’t worry, Onee-chan. Go for it! I’ll become your biggest fan when you return,” Kai replied, amused by Nemuri’s excitement.

After giving Kai a big hug, Nemuri went off to make her calls. So Kai returned to the garden with a smile, once again taking his lotus position and resuming his meditation while strengthening his lungs and breathing at a steady, though somewhat strange, rhythm.

The last six years had been very fruitful for Kai. After Nemuri told him about the ‘mental shock’ he triggered during his conversation with the police chief—something he hadn’t even realized at the time—he began trying to control it somehow.

Although at first, he had no idea what to do, since it was related to Haki. He spent months studying the mini-self within his voice until he eventually, by chance, discovered that this ‘mental shock’ effect occurred when the mini-self opened its eyes, which was quite curious, really.

With a clear idea of what to do, Kai spent a lot of time studying that mini-self. This not only allowed him to make it open its eyes at will, but he could now even control almost all the aura around it. As a result, his ‘Haki’ became stronger and sharper than ever, and over time, that aura grew even more.

However, while his power and control over his ‘Haki’ had improved dramatically, the same could not be said for its advanced states, which he could not replicate, no matter how hard he tried. This led him to doubt whether they truly existed, or if he needed a life-or-death event to awaken them.

Although his Haki had somewhat stagnated, his aura advanced without problems, to the point where he considered himself an expert in using it. He not only had an incredible amount of it but could now create an [En] field of 300 meters in diameter for several hours with relative ease, which was undoubtedly a feat worthy of a master.

As for the Nen categories, he had also mastered them to great levels. For example, with materialization, he could now create swords that were not only indistinguishable from the real object but also much stronger, sharper, and more durable than before—not to mention that he could create swords with special abilities.

The same was true for the other categories, with which he had created some quite interesting and powerful things, and he had even succeeded with several of his ‘experiments.’ But if he had to mention the strangest thing that had happened with his aura over these years, there was only one thing to say.

“Sage”

Kai announced aloud after meditating for a while, causing a sphere of light with four wings to appear out of nowhere in the air and respond with an evidently feminine tone.

“Yes, sir?”

“What changes did my body undergo during meditation?”

Kai asked while stretching, which caused the sphere of light to flicker as it responded, and at the same time, a kind of hologram with all kinds of data and graphs appeared in front of the blue-eyed young man.

"Here are the specific data, but I must say that no significant change of any kind was observed, apart from the usual increase in aura, which remained constant with variations of less than 1%."

As Kai casually reviewed the data, his mind began to wander about the reason for the existence of that small sphere of light, which he didn’t quite understand himself. After all, it had simply appeared one day while he was calling his virtual assistant, and it could be said that it was an aura-made carbon copy of it.

Curious about the appearance of the strange entity, Kai began studying it, quickly concluding that, although it had no combat capabilities, it was incredibly useful. Through his aura, it could replicate all the functions of the virtual assistant that he had been improving for years.

But that wasn’t all. Since the sphere of light could somehow control his aura independently, it could do things like it did just now—displaying holograms of what he sensed with [En], studying his body, and even remotely controlling his aura constructs and other similar things. Moreover, over time, he discovered that it had its own 'Hatsu,' one with abilities that he really needed.

Because of this, Kai now wondered if that sphere of light was actually his Hatsu, and all those other abilities he had created were simply curious applications of Nen rather than a true individual expression of his aura. After All, He could certainly recall Ging Freecss making a distinction of this kind.

“Hmm, it’s really not that simple. I might be wasting my time, and maybe there’s no such thing…”

While Kai was somewhat disappointed by the failure of the small investigation he had been conducting for a couple of months, an agile dark figure leaped down from the second floor. Landing on all fours beside him and beginning to rub its head against him.

“So, you finally woke up? You lazy thing, you’ll be running an extra kilometer tonight”.

Kai commented playfully as he stroked the head of the large feline, which was about the same size as an adult Doberman. This caused the "cat" to flop down on him in protest, meowing loudly as if it had truly understood what its owner had said.

“But the intensification of aura really has some interesting effects. It didn’t just make Salem grow much larger than a normal cat, but even Onee-chan and all the others now seem frozen in time—they’ve practically stopped aging, and even Chatora seems stronger…”

As he petted Salem’s belly, Kai couldn’t help but comment to himself, marveling at the unexpected results his aura massages had on the girls and the intensive training he had given the cat, healing it when it was tired—something that Chatora had also tried, although the effects weren’t as exaggerated as with Salem.

Suddenly, Nemuri came out to the garden holding her phone in her hand, clearly excited and with a huge smile on her face. She quickly said.

“Kai, I’ve spoken with the agency, and they’re very happy about my return. I’m going to meet with them in person and also place the order for my new hero costume. Do you want to come with me, or would you rather wait at home?”

“I’ll stay home, Onee-chan. I have something to do, and besides, it’ll be quicker for you if you go alone.”

Kai responded casually, thinking that now that Nemuri was going to start as a hero again, it would be a good time to bring a certain ability he had been working on for some time into reality.

“You’re right, but you know, I’m a little excited and nervous. It’s been so long since I was a hero that it feels like an eternity,” Nemuri said with a mix of excitement and nerves, causing Kai to push Salem aside and get up from the ground. This made the large cat meow in annoyance.

“I don’t see it that way, Onee-chan. To me, you never stopped being a hero. To me, you are and always will be the best hero in the world. After all, you gave everything to save me,” Kai said warmly as he hugged the beautiful blue-eyed woman, who was now a few centimeters shorter than him.

“Kai…”

Deeply moved, Nemuri hugged Kai with tears in her eyes, her heart filling with deep joy and a sense of accomplishment, feeling that all her efforts were worth it. She had managed to raise the best man in the world—her little Kai.

“Well, Onee-chan, you don’t want to be late. Your time to patrol the streets is waiting for you, hehe.”

With a smile on his face, Kai patted Nemuri’s beautiful dark blue hair while speaking to her in a warm tone. This caused the divinely beautiful woman to look at him with joy, smiling like a little girl about to receive her favorite toy.

“Hehe, you’re right. I’ll be back for dinner.”

“Of course, I’ll be waiting for you.”

Chapter 37: The guardian beast

Chapter Text

After Nemuri left, Kai headed to one of the rooms in the house, which had absolutely nothing in it except for its white walls and a strange inscription on the floor. The inscription had a curious appearance, resembling a mix between a circuit and tribal runes.

After discovering that certain breathing techniques could enhance his aura, Kai began searching for more ways to achieve the same effect, which led him to the [Divine Script] and Nen inscriptions. These inscriptions possessed very interesting properties, such as boosting aura or producing curious effects when they detected Nen or making an object incredibly hard and resistant.

Following this line of thought, Kai dug deeper into his memories about these concepts, recalling that although it wasn't explicitly stated, there were abilities that seemed to utilize these concepts to function, like Knov's Hide and Seek teleportation doors. This immediately positioned the idea as something of vital importance in his books.

Determined to recreate something similar, as he couldn't even remember what they looked like, Kai spent years experimenting with the help of Sage and his supercomputer. Eventually, he managed to recreate something that, although he wasn't entirely sure it was the same, worked, and that was all he needed.

However, although this did allow him to enhance his aura, execute certain abilities with a lower cost, and even reduce the difficulty of some techniques. His new [Aura Script], as he decided to call it, couldn't do something that Kai was sure the original could: function as a sort of programming code for Nen.

This idea came to Kai as he recalled the Greed Island arc. The entire concept of the cards, the book, and everything else seemed to function automatically, like the message left by Ging for Gon. It had undoubtedly reinforced the tape recorder where it played so it wouldn't break, while also using Manipulation to control it—all automatically, as if it were a running algorithm. Moreover, if Greed Island was a 'video game,' it had to have something to do with 'programming.'

Because of that, even though it was just his theory, to this day, Kai kept [Sage] using half of his super computer's capacity to search for possible solutions—one of the things that strange ability, or perhaps Hatsu, could do. Since it could control his aura and electronic devices, it could perform experiments at super speed, essentially conducting brute-force research.

"Stay by the door. If anyone comes, don't let them in until I come out."

As he entered the room, Kai instructed Salem, who meowed in understanding before lying down protectively at the entrance. His aura seemed to have not only enhanced the cat's strength and size but also its intelligence.

Once inside the room, Kai sat in the center of the Aura Script circuit in a lotus position, simultaneously infusing his aura into it, always breathing steadily, albeit with a strange rhythm—one he determined over the years to be the best for enhancing his aura.

When the idea became completely clear in his mind, Kai closed his eyes and began to conjure what appeared to be a syringe, which started to materialize in front of him as light. So he quickly called on his trusty assistant.

"Sage."

"Yes, sir?"

"Try to merge with what I'm creating."

"At your command."

With Kai's words, the winged light orb quickly moved toward the syringe, taking shape in the air, causing a light to envelop them. As Kai focused entirely on his aura and the specifications of the ability, he had been developing and testing for a long time.

Initially, Kai wasn't sure how to form pacts, but recalling that Gon only needed his conviction and words for the aura to act on its own and form the pact, he decided to do the same—and it actually worked. So, imagining his aura as a witness, he began to announce aloud:

"This ability will create a parasitic Nen beast that will protect its host in life-or-death situations, even at the cost of its own life. For that, a drop of the host's blood is required to gestate the Nen beast.

The guardian beast will feed on the host's vitality, much like quirks. Under no circumstances can the guardian beast harm the host, and if for any reason the host cannot supply the necessary energy, the guardian beast will enter inactive mode.

The guardian beasts can never attack their host and can only ignore their orders under three conditions: one, by my explicit command; two, if the orders endanger the life of the host; or three, if they contradict an imposed limitation.

The guardian beasts cannot attack another guardian beast or harm the host of that beast. If the host orders an attack, the guardian beast will ignore it, and I will know immediately. Additionally, I will always know if a guardian beast dies or disappears and the causes of the event."

Kai quickly examined the syringe enveloped in light, noticing that it was glowing steadily, which made his expression even more serious. After all, this wasn’t the first time he had tried to develop this ability, but it had always failed, forcing him to try different things and impose new limitations—this was just another attempt.

"The guardian beast will be able to use all my defensive and counterattack abilities and will develop a unique skill that complements its host. To do this, it will need a sample of my blood and all of my aura. After that, even if I recover, I will only be able to use 10% of my total aura capacity until the beast is born in 24 hours."

Seeing the syringe start to flicker, Kai stared at it intently, a bit nervous, as this had always been the step where he failed. He had already tried various approaches, such as giving the host the ability to use aura, utilizing all his abilities, developing a complex Hatsu, and more, but until now, all had failed.

After a while, the syringe stabilized again with a steady light, bringing an immense sense of relief to Kai. Despite wanting to celebrate with all his might, he restrained himself and continued to announce aloud.

"The guardian beast can only use up to 70% of its total aura, but if it dies in combat or the host faces a mortal danger they can't handle, the guardian beast will conjure an impenetrable barrier to keep the host safe."

Seeing the syringe still in place after flickering a bit more, Kai prepared to give the final instruction, a crucial one that could potentially cause the entire process to fail.

"The guardian beast can be updated with my new strength and abilities, but to do so, I will need to give it a drop of my blood and all my aura. The process will take 24 hours, during which, even if I recover, I will only be able to use 10% of my total aura capacity."

With the final instruction, the syringe began to glow intensely until, at last, the light faded, leaving behind a beautiful antique-style syringe that appeared to be entirely made of metal. With engravings all over its surface resembling the pattern of the Aura Script on the floor.

"IT WORKED!!!"

Seeing the syringe, Kai jumped up in excitement, shouting with all his might, which immediately alerted Salem, who hurriedly got up from the floor, only to meow in annoyance as if complaining about the scare.

"Hahaha, finally, I almost didn't make it!"

Paying no attention to the annoyed Salem, Kai took the syringe in his hands, grinning from ear to ear, and then studied it closely, utterly fascinated by his success. But soon after, the syringe in his hand began to change shape and glow, turning into a ball of light with wings.

"Sage, what happened with the ability?"

Seeing his reliable assistant again, Kai immediately asked, full of curiosity, soon receiving the answer he expected.

"The ability has been successfully integrated into my functions. I can now monitor the guardian beasts at all times and, through them, monitor the physical state of the hosts."

"Perfect! Just what I was hoping for, hahaha."

Completely satisfied, Kai took the ball of light in his hands and kissed it, to which the light orb did not react and simply continued to float steadily after being released, as if it was used to this.

"Well, now I just have to wait for Onee-chan to arrive to create her guardian beast, although I need to reinforce the security system since I'll only have my Haki for 24 hours..."

While thinking about how to organize the creation of the guardian beasts, Sage disappeared, as it wasn't needed anymore and still had experiments to run. Meanwhile, Kai left the room, closely followed by Salem, who walked beside him with a steady, calm stride, like a faithful follower.

"For now, Nejire and Aunt Yumiko are on hold until they return to the country. Onee-chan will be today, and for the Pussycats, it's best to ask them to take a day off every three days to create their guardian beasts. As for Momo and Aunt Keiko, if I'm not mistaken, they arrive tomorrow, so they'll be next, although I suppose it's better for Aunt Keiko to have her guardian beast first..."

As he organized a schedule to grant the guardian beasts to his family, Kai made his way to the living room, where he sat on one of the sofas and took his computer. He began reviewing the entire security system, while Salem lay down on one of the nearby sofas.

After checking the entire security system, Kai reviewed the information on the guards who were stationed at the entrance to the property. These guards were retired heroes that Nemuri had hired several years ago, and since they worked in shifts, it was best to double-check those who would be on duty during his time of vulnerability. After all, it was better to be safe than sorry, especially with his lousy luck.

Chapter 38: a ticket for such a grand event

Chapter Text

Today had been a great day for Nemuri. She had regained her position at her former agency and even managed to surprise everyone when she demonstrated that she could lift nearly 300 kilos with relative ease. This, of course, led to a storm of questions—after all, it’s not every day you see a woman with stylized, feminine arms like hers pull off such a feat, especially without a strength-enhancing quirk.

Faced with the inevitable flood of inquiries, Nemuri simply answered with the truth—or, well, almost all of it. During her years with Kai, Nemuri had caught his training obsession, so it wasn't unusual for her to join the blue-eyed young man in his workouts. This undoubtedly contributed to her significant increase in strength, speed, and reflexes.

However, if it were just the training, the results wouldn't have been so impressive, and she certainly wouldn’t have been able to maintain her sensual, soft figure. What really made the difference were the massages that Kai, out of the goodness of his heart—definitely not because she was forcing him or anything—gave her three times a week.

These massages went far beyond mere relaxation and pleasure. Not only did they make her recover from pain incredibly quickly and wake up feeling refreshed the next day, but they also ensured that the muscles she should have developed from all the physical activity remained unseen. Yet, somehow, she still retained all the benefits of the training.

Well, Ryuko was actually the first to notice the odd phenomenon, but that wasn’t important. What truly mattered was that thanks to all the physical activity and Kai’s massages, not just her, but all the Pussycats—except for Chatora, who loved her muscles—had masterful strength and flexibility while keeping their bodies soft and delicate. Not to mention, they didn’t have a single wrinkle, and the softness of their skin could even put a baby’s to shame.

But Nemuri couldn’t go around revealing that information. After all, it was clear that as soon as the news got out, a horde of people—especially women—would start searching high and low for Kai to achieve similar results, something none of the girls wanted to happen.

Because of this, when asked, Nemuri simply gave the version the girls had all agreed upon: that it was simply the result of intense training with a very specific routine, along with a strict diet and schedule that allowed her to develop her strength while maintaining her slim figure.

One of the reasons Kai wasn’t mentioned in any part of the agreed-upon story was largely due to his own request, which was expected since he was incredibly discreet about his quirk. To the point that not even Nemuri herself was sure she knew all of his abilities, which had likely grown exponentially over time, thanks to his near-fanatical dedication to training and researching his quirk.

Kai was so secretive about his quirk that even the Pussycats, who trained with him every week, believed for years that his quirk was just super strength and presence detection. However, over time, the young man with blue eyes began to open up more to them and eventually let them know more.

Nemuri smiled a little as she recalled the astonished faces of the Pussycats when they saw Kai suddenly conjure a sword and emit lightning. By the way, she could never prevent him from electrocuting himself, no matter what she tried, and her heart almost jumped out of her chest once when she saw him playing with fire.

When she finally arrived home, Nemuri got out of her car and ran to find Kai, eager to share the good news. Only to find him in the living room, lying on a couch, seemingly lost in his thoughts while staring at a holographic screen filled with data and graphs. With Salem sleeping on a nearby sofa.

“Kai!”

Seeing her beloved Kai, Nemuri ran over, filled with excitement, and launched herself to hug him, causing the young man with blue eyes to tear his gaze away from the holographic screen and then return her embrace warmly.

“Looks like you had a good day, Onee-chan.”

Kai commented with a smile, watching with affection as Nemuri, who could barely contain her excitement at being a hero again, acted almost childlike. The scene seemed to stir Salem, who simply looked at them before going back to sleep, paying no attention to the noisy, inconsiderate pair.

“Yes, it went really well! I’ve already ordered my new hero suit; it’ll arrive in a couple of weeks. When it does, you’ll be the first to see it!” Nemuri responded happily, resting her chin on Kai’s strong chest as he smiled and gently stroked her beautiful dark blue hair.

“Oh, then I suppose I should buy a ticket for such a grand event.”

Kai’s words visibly excited Nemuri, who immediately nodded in satisfaction. After all, a day as great as today would be perfect if it ended with a delicious massage from her Kai, but the young man with blue eyes seemed to have another idea in mind.

"Come on, there's something I want to give you, although it will take me a whole day to have it ready," Kai commented as he got up from the couch, carrying Nemuri in his arms like a princess. She quickly asked, confused.

"What is it? What do you want to give me?"

"Hehe, it's a surprise."

"You're so stingy!"

Nemuri pouted, annoyed, as she playfully hit Kai's chest. He just laughed, amused, as he carried her to the room where the Aura Script engraving was located. Meanwhile, Salem, noticing that his owner was leaving, got up from his sofa and followed him, but not before stretching lazily and cleaning his face with his paws.

When they arrived at the room, Kai set Nemuri down on the floor. She immediately looked around curiously, as if searching for her gift, while asking.

"What are you going to give me, Kai?"

"You'll see," Kai said, trying to sound mysterious, but then quickly turned serious and said aloud, "Sage, the syringe."

"At your command."

With Kai's words, Sage suddenly appeared and then began to change shape, soon transforming into a beautiful antique syringe made of metal with intricate engravings all over its surface. Kai took it in his hands and then explained.

"I need to take a sample of your blood, Onee-chan."

"Okay…" Nemuri responded, a little confused, but she trusted Kai enough to know that he would never harm her, so she easily agreed.

Carefully, Kai inserted the needle into Nemuri's arm and then began to draw her blood until the syringe filled slightly, at which point he stopped and healed the puncture with his aura.

"Do you feel anything strange?" Kai asked while checking on Nemuri, who shook her head and replied, "Not really, it hurt a little when you pricked me, but nothing more."

"That's good, although the real surprise comes next."

As Nemuri looked at him, both confused and curious, Kai sat in the center of the pattern engraved on the floor, filling it with his aura. Then, he pricked himself to draw his own blood, but unlike with Nemuri, this time the syringe took a significant amount of blood from Kai before it started to glow, so much that he even felt a bit weak.

(It took a lot of my blood, something I didn't anticipate... but well, it's normal for Nen abilities to do things like this, though I should keep it in mind for creating the next ones.)

Without paying too much attention to the incident, Kai quickly settled into the lotus position and then infused the syringe with all his aura. Which was amplified by the Aura Script pattern and his breathing technique, which he could now maintain even while sleeping.

After some time, when Kai was feeling weak from the massive loss of aura, the syringe began to glow powerfully as it rose into the air, moments later forming an egg, or perhaps a cocoon, the size of a basketball. Soon after, it gently fell into Kai's hands.

"Are you okay, Kai?" Nemuri asked, a bit worried upon noticing Kai's exhausted state. But he simply responded in a calm tone.

"I'm fine, just a little tired, though I'll be weak for the next 24 hours, so I won't be leaving the house."

"... What does that ability of yours do? What does that 'egg' do?" Though a flood of emotions surged through Nemuri's heart, she decided to set them aside and instead asked, feeling a bit concerned.

"You'll see tomorrow. For now, I'll just say you'll be quite surprised, hehe," Kai responded, clearly tired, as he got up from the floor with the egg in his hands. Nemuri quickly approached and helped him.

Though still a little worried, Nemuri didn't ask any more questions and instead took Kai to his room. By the time they were halfway there, the young man with blue eyes had recovered a bit, allowing him to walk on his own with a steady, constant pace.

When they arrived at Kai's room, Nemuri made sure to send him to bathe, which forced the young man to leave the egg on the nightstand. Filled with curiosity, Nemuri couldn't help but closely examine the egg, marveling at how absurd Kai's quirk really was.

As time passed, Kai's quirk started to become more and more wild, to the point where it seemed more like magic than a quirk. Even Nemuri and the Pussycats, heroes with years of experience facing countless different abilities, couldn't truly estimate Kai's limitations. It seemed like his quirk was capable of bringing anything he imagined into reality.

Time slipped away without Nemuri noticing, almost hypnotized by the egg that seemed to glow softly, as if some creature was gestating inside, revealing certain shadows from within. For some reason, this made Nemuri feel a strange sense of familiarity with the unknown creature.

"Are you okay, Onee-chan?"

The almost dazed state Nemuri was in was shattered when Kai's voice sounded from behind her, causing her to turn around to look at him. She found him slightly wet, with only a towel wrapped around his waist, revealing his impressive body.

"I-I'm fine, it's just that this egg is strange. I got lost in my thoughts while looking at it"

Nemuri responded, trying to sound calm and composed, while simultaneously holding back the urgent need to swallow that had arisen deep within her at the sight of Kai's body. She discreetly looked away, after all, that body was an irresistibly attractive honey trap for a maiden like her.

For his part, Kai, curious about what Nemuri had told him, quickly approached the egg and began to study it. But after some time, he didn't notice anything unusual and didn't feel that it was anything special—well, nothing special aside from the fact that it glowed a bit and the shadow of something moving inside could be seen.

"Sage," Kai called out to his trusted assistant, ready to study the egg in more detail, only to be surprised when it didn't appear.

(Is it because I can only use 10% of my aura, or is it part of the gestation process? It's probably both. I just hope that once the guardian beast is born, I'll be able to summon Sage again. That ball of light is too useful...)

Kai got lost in his thoughts, both amazed and apprehensive. Since while this event might have been expected due to the fusion of the ability with Sage, it also made him even more aware of the almost unpredictable nature of Nen.

This uncertainty of Aura meant that not even the creator of an ability could be sure they knew 100% of its intricacies. In many cases, it led to unpleasant surprises, like a certain red-eyed avenger who lost several years of his life in vain because he didn’t fully understand his ability.

"Did something happen, Kai?" Nemuri asked, noticing the quick change of emotions on Kai's face while avoiding looking directly at him. The blue-eyed young man shook his head and replied.

"Nothing important, it's just that this ability is quite special. But for now, let's go to sleep. By this time tomorrow, we'll know if it turned out the way I wanted."

"Alright then, sleep well," Nemuri said warmly before giving Kai a sweet kiss on the cheek.

"Rest well, Onee-chan."

As if fleeing from something, Nemuri hurriedly left Kai's room after saying goodnight, then took a long bath in her own room, releasing all those complicated and contradictory emotions that had been in her heart. Afterward, she put on a simple black silk pajama set and went to sleep, feeling a bit more at ease.

Chapter 39: A cat?

Chapter Text

The next day, as the sun was slowly setting, Nemuri arrived at the airport in a beautiful black car. After going through a few security checks, she was able to make her way to the private aviation terminal. She then parked the car near the hangar in a spot indicated by the staff.

After thanking the staff for their directions, Nemuri took a book from the car's glove compartment, opened it to where a bookmark was placed, and adjusted her seat to a more comfortable position. She began reading as she waited for time to pass.

A while later, a magnificent private jet landed on the runway. Two stunningly beautiful women with striking figures stepped out, wearing dark sunglasses that matched their jet-black hair, which was wildly blowing in the wind.

After greeting the nearby staff, the pair of women walked gracefully and stylishly toward Nemuri's car, as if they were on a fashion show, which highlighted their elegant outfits. One was dressed in a black pants and blouse ensemble, while the other wore a white blouse and a black pencil skirt.

When they reached the car, the two women opened the front and back doors with familiarity and quickly got in. Inside, they removed their sunglasses, fully revealing their beautiful faces—one appeared to be about 25 years old, while the other seemed to be around 14 or 15, a stark contrast to her voluptuous figure.

"Thanks for coming to pick us up, Nemuri," Keiko, who had taken the front seat, said with a smile as she leaned in to give Nemuri a small hug, which Nemuri returned with a smile.

"No need to thank me."

"Hi, Nemuri Onee-chan," Momo greeted with a smile from the back seat, to which Nemuri responded with a smile of her own.

"Hi, Momo, you look gorgeous; that outfit suits you very well."

"Hehe, thanks," Momo replied shyly, glancing again at her pants and blouse ensemble.

"By the way, Nemuri, why didn't Kai come?"

Keiko asked, a bit puzzled, since the boy usually accompanied Nemuri to pick them up. It had become a routine for her to open the front door, and Kai would move to the back seat with Momo.

For the past few years, it had somehow turned into a little tradition for Nemuri and Kai to pick them up whenever they returned from a trip. It all started because young Momo had seen a movie where families picked each other up at the airport, and she made quite a fuss about doing something similar.

In the end, even Keiko appreciated being greeted by her little Momo, Kai, and Nemuri upon arriving home. Over the years, Keiko had grown as close to Nemuri as sisters, so it eventually became an unwritten rule of their little family.

"He doesn’t want to leave the house because he’s incubating an egg, hehe," Nemuri replied amusedly to Keiko's question, causing both mother and daughter to tilt their heads cutely, completely confused.

"Incubating an egg? What do you mean?" Keiko asked, puzzled, while Momo asked with understanding.

"Did Kai develop a new ability?"

"Yes, but he’s been very secretive about it and doesn’t want to tell me what it is, though this time he needed to draw some blood." Nemuri added as she drove out of the airport, prompting Keiko to comment.

"His quirk is really strange; it can do so many things that seem completely unrelated to each other, almost like magic..."

The trip passed calmly with casual conversation until the three beautiful women arrived at Kai's property. After greeting the guards at the entrance, Nemuri drove the car to the parking lot, from where they all headed toward the main house.

When they reached the door, the girls found Kai, accompanied by Salem, waiting for them at the door with a smile, holding in his hands an egg the size of a basketball, which was glowing softly.

"Welcome back, and sorry I couldn’t pick you up—I had to take care of this thing," Kai said as he walked toward the girls, showing them the egg.

"What is that thing?" Keiko asked curiously as she approached Kai, then gave him a warm hug.

"A new ability. In a couple of hours, you’ll know what it’s about," Kai replied with amusement as he returned Keiko's hug with one hand.

"Why do you always have to be so mysterious?" Momo asked with a playful smile on her face as she hugged Kai, who responded just as playfully.

"It makes it more interesting."

(Although it’s also because I have no idea what will come out of the egg. I hope it’s not something gross like certain Nen beasts I remember...)

As he added to himself, Kai hugged Nemuri before they all went into the house together. After having something to eat, everyone stayed in the living room, curiously watching the egg that Kai had placed on the coffee table while they talked about Momo and Keiko's trip.

After a couple of hours, the egg suddenly began to glow brightly, immediately drawing the attention of everyone present, who watched with interest as the egg started to rise into the air, cracking and shaking violently.

Moments later, the egg completely shattered, transforming into spores of light that scattered into the air, revealing a beautiful adult cat with dark blue fur and blue eyes, exactly like Nemuri’s.

"A cat?"

Seeing the cat on the table, Kai couldn’t help but exclaim, a little surprised, since he hadn’t expected that at all. Then again, the only Nen beast he could summon was basically an exact copy of Salem, so in a way, it made sense.

For its part, the cat meowed as if it were a real cat before jumping towards Nemuri. Who watched in surprise as the ‘cat’ turned into light midway and then entered her body. She couldn’t help but ask, both surprised and curious, as she touched her chest, where the cat had disappeared.

"What is this cat, Kai? What is it doing in my body? Is this cat the ability you were talking about?"

Seeing Nemuri's expression, Kai couldn’t help but chuckle a bit, but soon after, he explained as he played a little with his aura. After all, barely being able to use it for 24 hours felt pretty strange.

"Yes, it’s the latest ability I was able to develop, which spawns a guardian beast—well, the cat you saw—that will protect you. It can use my defensive abilities and, over time, will develop an ability that complements you. But you have to be careful because they feed on your vitality, so you need to manage the consumption as if it were your quirk."

Kai’s explanation left everyone present absolutely stunned. After all, Kai was basically saying he was giving them a new quirk, and a powerful one at that, since his abilities were no joke.

"…I really don’t understand how your quirk works…" Keiko commented, dazed, to which Kai smiled playfully before asking.

"Pretty useful, isn’t it?"

"… Well, that can’t be denied," Nemuri responded as she tried to notice anything strange in her body, but she really didn’t feel anything particularly different, so she couldn’t help but ask.

"And how can I use this ‘guardian beast’?"

"Mmm... it should work automatically, but try thinking about making it come out or something like that. It might work."

"Are you not sure what it does, Kai?" Momo asked curiously, hearing the slightly uncertain tone in Kai’s voice, to which he nodded.

"Well, yes, my quirk has those drawbacks. Although I develop the abilities, I still have to figure out the finer details myself."

"Your quirk is really strange; nothing like our [Creation], where to make something, we have to understand very well what we want to do," Keiko added thoughtfully, while Nemuri focused on doing what Kai had instructed her, which soon caused the dark blue-furred, blue-eyed cat to appear in her lap.

"It actually worked!" At Nemuri’s surprised exclamation, everyone present turned to look at her, quickly noticing the cat in her lap, so Momo asked curiously.

"Can you really command it to do things with your mind?"

"Yes, I just thought about making it come out, and it actually did. It’s strange; it’s like my quirk, but at the same time, it’s different..."

Nemuri responded as she held the cat in her hands, looking into its eyes, which seemed to alert Salem. It quickly got up from its sofa and began to walk menacingly toward the Nen beast, only to be instantly stopped by a powerful pressure that left him frozen in place.

"Don’t start, Salem. It’s a Nen beast," Kai commented in an authoritative tone while using his ‘Conqueror’s Haki’ on the large, lazy cat—though at low intensity, as he only wanted to warn him.

"Kai! Don’t intimidate Salem, poor thing; he just wants to protect Onee-chan."

Seeing the scene, Momo scolded him angrily, then ran over to Salem and hugged him protectively, something the big cat didn’t seem to appreciate much as he let out an annoyed meow. However, he didn’t dare move because who knows what his unreasonable master might do if he accidentally hurt his female while trying to get free.

"It was just a friendly reminder, Momo; I’m not intimidating him," Kai replied with a smile, which didn’t improve Momo’s expression at all. She retorted accusingly.

"You always say that, but all I see is you intimidating poor Salem, even though he’s always so cute and obedient."

"He’s ‘cute and obedient’ precisely because I’ve trained him well." Kai quickly defended himself, unwilling to lose, but Momo simply huffed angrily and started ignoring him, focusing instead on talking to Salem as if he were a spoiled child.

"Hmph… Isn’t that Kai just a liar who only likes to intimidate you, Salem? You should stop following him. I’ll take care of you properly instead of that silly Kai."

While Momo tried to pamper the big cat, who was trying to escape by moving as little as possible to avoid hurting her by mistake. Nemuri, somewhat amused by the little quarrel, asked as she held her guardian beast in her arms.

"By the way, Kai, are you going to give one of these ‘guardian beasts’ to everyone?"

Chapter 40: It’s better if you don’t name it

Chapter Text

"That's the idea, although it will have to be done in turns since I can only create one at a time. And since Momo is ignoring me now, I guess you're next, Aunt Keiko."

Kai commented calmly, though he didn't forget to send a mocking smile to Momo, who opened her eyes in surprise for a moment before huffing angrily and hugging poor Salem tighter. Who now seemed to be questioning his life choices.

"Fufufu, then I suppose I'll take advantage of my turn. What should I do, Kai?" Keiko asked playfully while observing the conflicted expression Momo was trying not to show Kai.

"Nothing, really. I’ll just need a blood sample, although now that you mention it, I should first check my physical condition in more detail. Sage?"

"Yes, sir?"

As soon as Kai called his reliable assistant, the winged orb of light appeared once again, allowing the blue-eyed boy to breathe a small sigh of relief. After all, he had been genuinely worried it might not reappear. He then asked Sage.

"Show me detailed data on my physical condition."

"At your command."

While Kai reviewed the data on the holographic screen that appeared in front of him, Keiko couldn't help but marvel once more at this incredible ability of Kai's, which was not only incredibly useful but also quite magical. At the same time, she wondered what exactly Kai's quirk was to be able to turn a state-of-the-art virtual assistant into a flying magical being.

"Well, it seems I've recovered pretty quickly even in my weakened state, so with a good night's sleep, I should be ready to create a new guardian beast." Kai said she was satisfied. But at that moment, a thought crossed his mind, which he couldn't help but voice.

"Now that I think about it, I haven’t named this ability yet…"

"It’s not called ‘guardian beast’?" Nemuri asked, a bit confused, to which Kai replied, shaking his head.

"No, that’s more the type of beast it is. The ability itself doesn’t have a name."

"Fufufu, so what name do you plan to give it?" Keiko asked, somewhat amused, to which Kai responded after thinking for a bit.

"Mmmm… I suppose I'll call it [Accomplice]."

"Accomplice?" x3

At Kai's words, three female voices echoed the same question, making Kai chuckle a little before quickly responding.

"Yes, this ability creates a beast that will be my accomplice in protecting you and your accomplice in day-to-day life."

"Hahaha" x3

Upon hearing Kai's reasoning, all the ladies present laughed amused, which annoyed the blue-eyed boy, who quickly commented in frustration.

"Hmph, I knew you wouldn't get it."

"Hahaha, don’t get mad, Kai. We won’t laugh at you anymore," Nemuri said between chuckles, seeing the annoyed Kai, who just huffed in irritation.

"By the way, Onee-chan, what name will you give your 'accomplice'? Hehe." Momo asked curiously, not forgetting to give Kai a teasing look, to which he replied, still a bit annoyed.

"It’s better if you don’t name it."

"Why do you say that, Kai? Will it affect them somehow?" Keiko asked, puzzled, to which Kai responded by shaking his head.

"It won’t affect the accomplices. I say it because it could affect you. After all, an accomplice's mission is to die protecting you, so it’s better not to get too attached."

"Is this little one going to die?" Nemuri asked in a somewhat sad tone while holding the dark blue-furred cat in her arms, to which Kai nodded.

"If necessary, yes, because its death will trigger a barrier that will keep you safe until I arrive."

"That's a little sad..." Momo looked at the cat in Nemuri's hands with a bit of sadness, so Kai quickly corrected her.

"It's not sad; remember that, technically, it’s not even real; it’s just an ability."

"But why did you give it the form of an animal? Couldn't you have made it like an object or something? It would be much easier to handle that way," Keiko asked, somewhat curious as she analyzed the cat, which was impossible to distinguish from a real one.

"I actually tried that, but it didn’t work very well, since my quirk functions a bit strangely. The more similar what I conjure is to a real animal, the greater level of autonomy I can give it. If it were an object, it would be much more limited."

"What a curious limitation..."

Keiko commented, intrigued, while Nemuri and Momo, who had finally let go of Salem, began to pet the cat as if it were in its final moments of life, something that only made Kai laugh.

"Don't be so dramatic; it’s not like it’s required to die to conjure the barrier. Besides, the accomplice can use all of my defensive and counterattack abilities, so it's not that easy for it to die. However, if you want to ensure it doesn’t happen, just avoid taking too many risks."

Hearing Kai’s words, Momo and Nemuri exchanged glances for a moment, which ended when Nemuri let out a small sigh and then commented with a serious expression.

"Well, you're right about that. Even though I have this 'accomplice,' it’s better to act as if I don’t and proceed with caution. After all, in a way, I feel close to it, so I’d feel guilty if it died because of me."

"Yes… it’s better that it doesn’t die," Momo agreed, while Kai turned to look at Sage, a bit interested in the phenomenon Nemuri mentioned.

"Sage, do you have any idea about this sudden 'familiarity'?"

At Kai’s question, Sage began to change colors in rapid succession, as if contemplating the answer, before responding in its typical flat, synthetic tone.

"... After analyzing the host and the conditions of the ability, it’s very likely that the feeling of familiarity comes from a combination of the mental connection formed between the two, along with the accomplice’s dependence on the host’s energy."

"Mmm... that sounds plausible, though it’s better if we analyze it in more depth. Add it to the agenda, Sage."

"At your command."

...

A few weeks have passed since Nemuri obtained her Accomplice, and now the entire family was gathered in the main hall of Kai’s mansion, including Yumiko and the Pussycats. All with big smiles on their faces, while the room seemed to be decorated for a party.

In the middle of the room was Nemuri, who had an expression that combined equal parts of nervousness and excitement as she looked at a metal briefcase in the center of a decorated table. On which there was also a huge cake.

"Come on, Nemuri, open it, open it!" Tomoko exclaimed loudly as she waved her fists in front of her, absolutely thrilled. The rest of the crowd quickly joined in with amused expressions.

"Open it! Open it! Open it!"

Amid the chanting, Nemuri slowly opened the briefcase while feeling her heart warm. After all, she never imagined that one day she could really have such a big and loving family who supported and stood by her wholeheartedly.

(Meeting Alisa-san was really the luckiest thing that ever happened to me…)

As she wiped away a small tear that had formed on her face, which was a mix of nostalgia and happiness, Nemuri took the suit from the briefcase and then showed it to everyone present, who immediately began to applaud.

"Congratulations, Onee-chan; now you'll be a hero once again." Kai was the first to approach Nemuri and congratulate her before giving her a tight hug.

"Thank you, Kai; I’m really so happy."

After Kai, each of those present took turns congratulating Nemuri, ending with Shino, who, after congratulating her, commented with a cheerful smile on her face.

"Now all that's left is for you to try it on, Nemuri."

"Yes, try it on, Onee-chan." Nejire quickly chimed in with a cheerful smile on her face, and Tomoko immediately echoed with the same energy.

"Try it on, try it on!"

"Fufu, alright, I’ll be right back."

With a beautiful smile on her face, Nemuri took her new hero costume in hand and headed to one of the rooms, while the others present began chatting pleasantly among themselves.

"Kai-chan, thank you so much for Mika."

While they waited, Nejire once again thanked the young man, resting his head on her lap as she gently stroked his silky black hair with a beautiful smile on her face.

"I already told you they’re called Accomplices, and again, you don’t have to keep thanking me for the same thing."

"Hehe, I know, but it really made me happy, you know? I’ve wanted a pet like Salem for a long time. But since I travel so often with Mom, and Dad is also abroad most of the time, I could not have one because there would be no one to take care of it. But now I can take Mika everywhere and live my dream, hehe."

Nejire replied with a smile full of happiness, which left Kai with a somewhat conflicted expression. After all, Accomplices weren’t pets, and even thinking of them as such could be detrimental. So, feeling a bit uncomfortable, he forced himself to speak.

"Nejire nee-chan, I’ve already told you that Accomplices aren’t pets. It’s better to see them as an interesting ability that can protect you, or you might end up feeling resentment toward them if the time comes when they have to die to protect you."

"But if that happens, you can just bring it back to life, right?" Nejire asked with a smile on her face as she gazed sweetly into the blue eyes of the young man on her lap, who looked at her a bit surprised.

"... Well, I guess that’s one way to look at it, but more than ‘bringing it back to life,’ it’s more like conjuring a new one..." Kai commented, a bit taken aback by Nejire's curious perspective, even though he had already explained how the Accomplices worked.

"But it would still carry my blood and your blood, right?" Nejire replied with a small smile, which seemed to hold countless meanings, to which Kai could only respond with a slightly unsure tone.

"Well, yes, that’s a requirement to conjure them..."

"Then it would still be Mika, hehe," Nejire responded cheerfully while proudly puffing out her now voluptuous chest, which blocked Kai’s view of her face.

"Sometimes I really don’t understand you..."

At Kai’s comment, spoken in a somewhat tired tone, Nejire smiled playfully and then gently caressed the blue-eyed young man’s cheek with affection while saying it in her typical energetic tone.

"Hehe, it doesn’t matter. I understand myself, and I also understand you, so everything else is just unimportant details."

"…"

Faced with Nejire’s strange comment, Kai could only remain silent while the beautiful young woman with light blue hair continued to stroke his hair. But shortly after, the small moment was interrupted by Nemuri’s arrival in her new hero costume.

Chapter 41: New hero costume

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

With a beautiful smile on her face, Nemuri walked back into the room, moving with an elegant and measured stride, almost as if she were modeling on a runway. She showcased her new hero costume and her stunning dark blue hair, which flowed loosely down her back.

Nemuri's new hero costume consisted of a black corset bodysuit with a significant neckline, highlighting her flat abdomen and narrow waist, but most notably, her impressive bust. Extending from the corset was an ultra-thin, easily tearable white fabric that covered her chest and arms.

Beneath the tight black corset bodysuit, Nemuri wore what appeared to be form-fitting leggings in a lighter black hue, accentuating her long, slender legs and voluptuous curves, complemented by elegant black heeled boots.

In addition, the new outfit was accompanied by the iconic accessories from her previous attire. These included a belt with a large buckle, now blue instead of red, a pair of cuff-shaped bracelets around her wrists and a light blue mask with an elongated, butterfly-like shape. The mask featured nearly invisible lenses, making it look like glasses—a special gift from Kai.

In her new costume, Nemuri seemed to exude an alluring aura that was simultaneously heroic, elegant, and sensual—a curious combination that amplified her already exquisite beauty to the point where she could undoubtedly stand shoulder to shoulder with the most beautiful women in the world, stealing the spotlight wherever she went.

After spinning around the room a few times, showing off her new outfit to everyone present, Nemuri stopped in front of Kai, who was now sitting on the sofa. She then twirled around, flaunting her new costume and seductive figure, before asking with a beautiful smile on her face.

"What do you think of my new outfit, Kai?"

"You look stunning, Onee-chan. Without a doubt, there will be countless entertainment agencies chasing after you to collaborate." Kai replied with a smile, causing a slight blush to appear on Nemuri's cheeks as she smiled delightedly and spoke.

"You're just a sweet talker, hehe."

"I'm serious, Onee-chan. I bet Aunt Yumiko will want to talk to you about it too, hehe."

"Fufufu, Kai-chan is right, Nemuri. If you ever become interested in the entertainment or showbiz world, don't hesitate to contact me first." Yumiko added with a cheerful smile as she handed Nemuri a business card, who couldn't help but comment, somewhat amused.

"You know I'm a famous writer, right?"

"Fufufu, those are different fields. For writing, you use your skills; in showbiz, you use your beauty—completely different things." Yumiko responded playfully, making Nemuri chuckle softly, a sound that was quickly interrupted by Momo, who happily chimed in.

"Your re-debut is going to be a real sensation, Onee-chan. You look amazing!"

"Fufufu, thank you, Momo."

While everyone else congratulated Nemuri, Momo sat next to Kai, resting her head on his shoulder as she asked in a somewhat dreamy voice.

"Nejire nee-chan, Kai... do you think I'll look just as good in my hero costume?"

"Fufufu, of course you will. You'll look almost as good as me." Nejire commented playfully as she imitated Momo and rested her head on Kai's other shoulder, to which the girl with black hair couldn't help but pout.

"Almost as good? I'll look better."

"Fufufu, impossible. Big sisters are always destined to win against their little sisters."

"Hmph, I don't think so."

Caught in the middle of the playful argument, Kai couldn't help but stroke the girls' hair before calmly commenting.

"Alright, alright, you'll both look beautiful. No need to fight."

"Hehehe/Fufufu."

Faced with the two girls' smiles, Kai could only look at them a bit surprised, quickly noticing the little knowing smile they shared between them, something that made him laugh in amusement. But at that moment, Ryuko approached them, asking with a smile.

"What’s so funny?"

“Nothing.” x2

In response to Ryuko’s question came the giggling voices of Nejire and Momo in unison, leaving the beautiful blonde woman a bit confused. She quickly "got her revenge" by grabbing Kai’s arm, pulling him over to sit next to her on a nearby sofa, while she commented slyly.

“Well then, I’ll borrow my future husband for a moment.”

“Hey! Don’t steal Kai-chan.” Nejire exclaimed, a bit sulky, with Momo quickly adding in annoyance.

“And he won’t be your future husband!”

“That’s right, that’s right.” Nejire quickly chimed in with the small protest, to which Ryuko responded by sensually hugging Kai’s arm while sending a smug look to the girls and commenting in a haughty tone.

“Oh, really? And why would that be?”

“Because you’re too old for him!”

Nejire’s response struck a critical blow to Ryuko, who immediately let go of Kai’s arm, then glared at the girls like a wild animal while shouting in fury.

“I dare you to repeat that, brat!”

“Old lady!!” x2

Fearlessly, Nejire and Momo replied at the same time with “fierce” expressions, causing Ryuko to completely lose her temper and pounce on the girls like an angry cat, starting a comedic three-way fight that made everyone present burst out laughing.

Meanwhile, Shino walked over with an amused smile to the sofa where Kai, wisely pretending to be dead to avoid getting involved, was lying. The beautiful woman with a short bob haircut elegantly sat on one of the armrests.

“Fufufu, as always, you’re really popular, Kai.”

“…”

Determined to keep a low profile, Kai stayed silent and just gave Shino a disdainful look, which only made the brown-haired woman smile beautifully.

“Fufufu, don’t look at me like that; I’m just stating the obvious.”

“…”

Seeing that Kai remained silent, Shino couldn’t help but affectionately stroke his silky black hair while commenting in a warm tone.

“Now, seriously, I really wanted to thank you for the ‘Accomplices’ you gave us. Not only did you allow us to finally have a cat despite our work as Heroes, but in my particular case, it even helped me improve my skills to another level.”

“Has your accomplice already developed its ability?” Kai asked, somewhat surprised, since if that were the case, it would be the first accomplice to achieve it.

“Yes, I noticed the change just this morning.” Shino replied with a beautiful smile on her face, one that seemed to combine happiness and affection, prompting Kai to ask with curiosity.

“What ability did it develop?”

[Actually, the ability I’ve dreamed of my whole life.]

In response to his question, what Kai received was a telepathic message in Shino’s voice, which inevitably made him think.

(Could it be…? Can you hear me?)

[Yes, I can now receive telepathic messages.]

Upon receiving Shino’s telepathic message, Kai’s eyes widened in surprise. After all, reading minds wasn’t just a rather terrifying ability, but if the accomplice had managed to develop something so powerful to complement Shino, it would completely redefine everything he thought about the pacts.

(Can you read my thoughts?)

[I still need to study this new ability in more detail, but from what I know now, not really. First, I have to send a telepathic message, which somehow creates a mental connection that seems to last about 10 minutes since the lat mese, allowing me to receive the thoughts the person wants to send me.]

(So that means it’s not really mind-reading, which makes a bit more sense. After all, it’s just an ‘ability’ and not a ‘Hatsu’. Besides, the accomplices could only ‘complement,’ because when I tried to make them develop their own ‘Hatsu’ or complex abilities, the ability failed…)

[…]

Kai thought to himself, waiting to see if he’d get a response from Shino, but nothing came, which somewhat confirmed his words. So he quickly thought of a message he wanted her to hear.

(Did you hear my thoughts just now?)

[No, like I said, unless you want me to hear them, I can’t know what you’re thinking.]

[Mmmm… I guess that means the ability isn’t very strong, what a shame.]

Hearing Shino’s response, Kai nodded in understanding as he sent the message, but the beautiful woman with brown hair replied in a somewhat melancholic ‘tone.’

[Fufufu, you can see it that way, but to me, it’s an incredible blessing. All these years, I had the least useful quirk in the group, since only being able to send messages and not receive them made me worse than a broken phone, easily replaceable by a radio communication system.

But now I feel like I’m finally complete. Now my quirk will truly be useful to the group and to help people, so I honestly can’t find the words to thank you, Kai. You fulfilled two of my most precious wishes at once. Thank you so, so much, Kai. You don’t know how happy you’ve made me.]

Moved by a whirlwind of emotions, Shino lovingly hugged the blue-eyed boy beside her, while a few tears welled up in her eyes. Kai responded by hugging her back with a smile, while sending a telepathic message.

[You don’t have to thank me. You’ve been incredibly special to me all these years, and you’re undoubtedly part of my family. The Accomplice is something minor in comparison, so don’t give it too much importance and just enjoy the benefits, hehe.]

[Thank you, Kai. You really are the best thing that ever happened to me.] Shino responded in a moved ‘tone,’ to which Kai replied with a slightly teasing ‘tone.’

[Hehe, you’re exaggerating. Though I have to say, we’re getting some curious looks…]

Kai’s ‘words’ caused Shino to open her eyes in surprise, then release the blue-eyed young man and look around, quickly noticing the mocking looks from all the adults present, while the girls were pouting in annoyance.

“Shotacon” Tomoko commented playfully, causing Shino to jump like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, then exclaim in frustration.

“Hey!! I’m not that, and besides, Kai isn’t a shota anymore!”

“Hehe, but you don’t deny that you like him.”

“CHATORA!!!”

With a smug smile, Chatora quickly joined the teasing, commenting in a mocking tone, which made Shino lose her temper and pounce on the two fools who had completely ruined her image. This started a three-way fight not too different from the one Ryuko had with the girls earlier.

As Shino started her fight, Keiko approached Kai with a smile, who was simply watching the whole situation amused, then hugged him from behind and rested her chin on his shoulder.

“So, have you thought about what you’re going to do now that Nemuri will be out of the house all day?”

“Well, honestly, no. I don’t think my routine will change. I’ll just keep doing the same things.” Kai replied casually, without giving it much importance. But at that moment, Nemuri arrived and commented with a mischievous smile on her face.

“Oh, really? I think it’s going to change quite a bit.”

“What do you mean, Onee-chan?”

Kai asked, confused. After all, whether Nemuri was at home or not wouldn’t affect his routine of training every day, forging or creating something interesting from time to time. The only thing that could change with Nemuri out of the house, was maybe that he could try more extreme things without the fear of her discovering and stopping him.

“It’s really simple…”

Nemuri responded with an amused smile on her face, something that quickly spread to everyone present except Kai, who began to have a terrible feeling. The beautiful woman in the hero costume quickly finished him off with her next sentence.

“It’s very simple, you’re going to start school.”

Notes:

You can find images on my p*treon (lordanl) publicly

Chapter 42: That sounds too pragmatic

Chapter Text

When Kai found out that he had been enrolled in a school, he tried with all his might to refuse. He kept arguing that he already knew everything they could teach him in high school and that it would just be a waste of time and money. But all his arguments crumbled the moment Momo showed up with tearful eyes, asking if he didn’t want to go to the same high school as her. Left with no other choice, Kai reluctantly accepted his fate, much to the amusement of the entire group who were present.

(Damn it, they really used a weapon of mass destruction against me—Momo's tears. I have to get revenge for this, I can’t just let it slide. Just wait, they'll be begging for mercy when I do!)

As Kai complained in his mind and plotted his “revenge”, he obediently finished putting on his new uniform, which mainly consisted of a Gakuran, a traditional Japanese military-style garment. It was a dark blue jacket that fit snugly, with a row of gold buttons aligned vertically down the center. The buttons were detailed with the school's emblem, while the jacket's collar had a Mandarin style. Paired with straight pants in the same dark blue color and black leather shoes, the uniform gave off an air of formality and discipline.

With a frustrated expression, Kai descended the stairs, glaring venomously at the group of adults who were looking at him like a cute little lamb, with amused smiles on their faces. Except for Yumiko, who instead looked at him like a proud mother seeing her chick grow up.

"Kai-chan, you look very handsome in your uniform."

"Thank you, Aunt Yumiko."

"Yeah, Kai, you look very 'seductive' in your uniform." Nemuri commented while trying to stifle her laughter, which only made Kai snort in annoyance, causing the group to burst into laughter.

"Hmph!"

"““““Hahahahahaha””””

After giving the group a look filled with a desire for revenge, Kai left the house, closely followed by Salem, only to find Momo outside, practically radiating excitement. She was wearing a long-sleeved white blouse embroidered with the school emblem, covered by an elegant dark blue jacket adorned with a tie that hung in the center of her chest.

Momo's lower half was dressed in a dark blue pleated skirt that reached her knees, complemented by white knee-high socks and elegant black leather loafers.

“The uniform suits you well, Momo.” Seeing Momo’s excitement, Kai could only offer a compliment with an ironic smile, to which Momo responded with loud, high-strung gratitude.

"It looks great on you too, Kai!!!"

“Haha, you don’t have to be so excited; we’re just going to school. Besides, we already know by heart what they’re going to teach, so there’s no reason to be nervous.” Kai smiled, a bit amused by Momo's attitude, to which she quickly responded, now a bit calmer.

"But Kai-kun, how can you not be nervous? We're going to meet a lot of new people, and we might even come home with a bunch of new friends!"

“Well, that’s because I’m not particularly interested in meeting more people. I’m fine as I am. But if you want, I can help you with that.”

With a warm smile, Kai kindly offered because even though he wasn’t interested in making "friends," he could easily understand why Momo was so excited. After all, in her entire life, the young girl with black hair had practically only interacted with two people of her “age”, him and Nejire.

“Really?!!!” Hearing Kai, Momo exclaimed excitedly, clutching her fists to her chest, something that made Kai chuckle a bit before he added,

“Hehehe, yes, but first, calm down a bit. Don’t let the prey know your intentions.”

“The prey? But I want to make friends.” Momo replied, confused, tilting her head cutely, to which Kai responded while shaking his head.

“In this context, the prey are the friends, Momo.”

"Sorry, I’m so excited that I’m not thinking straight, hehe."

A little embarrassed and shy about her silly comment, Momo replied, placing her hands on her cheeks to try to hide the slight blush that had crept onto them. Kai responded, not without laughing a bit at her first.

“Hahaha, I can imagine, but for now, let’s get in the car. At this rate, we’ll be late.”

"Oh no! You’re right, let’s run!"

Upon hearing Kai’s words, Momo exclaimed in surprise, then grabbed Kai’s hand and dragged him toward a black limousine that was waiting for them. Kai could only shake his head as he allowed himself to be pulled along.

When they reached the car, Kai couldn’t help but notice how Salem wanted to get in, which made him smile in amusement before he commented authoritatively.

"You’re not going, Salem."

The huge cat meowed in confusion while looking at Kai. After all, in his six years of life, he had never been far from his master, except when he took a nap, which greatly moved Momo from inside the limousine.

"Oh, poor Salem, don’t worry, baby, when I get back, I’ll pamper you all day."

Salem didn’t even look at Momo; he simply kept staring at Kai, then tried to get into the car again, only to be hit by a slight pressure as his master’s voice echoed.

"I already told you, you’re not going. I’ll be back in a few hours."

Without looking back, Kai got into the limousine, leaving Salem sitting on the ground, watching as the car quickly drove away. Momo, on the other hand, could only look out the window, seeing how the large cat became smaller with distance.

"Poor Salem, he must be so sad…" Momo commented in a sad tone, to which Kai simply responded by changing the subject, successfully drawing the attention of the black-haired girl.

"Well, Momo, let’s talk about how to make friends. The first lesson in making friends is that in this world, 99% of the people who approach you want something from you. It can range from emotional support and companionship to money and benefits. It could be anything; the point is they want something.

So, the trick is to use that as bait to attract them and never give it to them entirely. That way, you’ll keep them interested long enough for you to get used to each other and eventually call each other ‘friends.’

But you have to be very careful with the people you associate with because those who only seek money and benefits will never become true friends. At best, they’ll leave you when you can’t offer them anything more. At worst, they’ll take everything from you and step on you when you’re down."

"That sounds too pragmatic and pessimistic, even a bit manipulative…" Momo commented with a pout, to which Kai responded with a shrug.

"Well, I can’t deny it, but it’s a pretty effective strategy for building personal relationships."

"But I don’t want that kind of utilitarian relationship. I care about you for who you are, not for what you can offer me. I didn’t know you saw us that way." Momo said with a pout, crossing her arms under her chest and turning to look out the window at the passing scenery.

"I don’t see you that way. I said 99%, remember? You’re part of that 1% of people whose only intention is to love and support me. After all, you offered me so much when I had nothing to give in return. I could never consider you part of that 99%."

Kai responded in a warm tone as he pulled Momo onto his lap, making the girl rest her head on his legs. She looked up at him with teary eyes and asked.

"Are you serious?"

"Of course. You’re my precious family, the most important thing I have." Kai replied with a smile, which caused Momo to turn and bury her face in Kai’s abdomen before softly saying.

"I believe you…"

"Hehehe, that’s good. But really, you should be careful with those who are only interested in the 'benefits' they can get from you. Those people are usually quite dangerous." Kai commented while stroking Momo’s long hair. She responded, her voice sounding a bit muffled as it came from Kai’s stomach.

"I’ll keep that in mind, though I’m not sure if I’ll be able to detect them…"

"Oh, don’t worry about that. You’ll notice it instantly."

"Do you really think so?"

"I’m completely sure. But don’t worry, you’re a wonderful girl, and it won’t be long before you find that 1% of people you can truly call friends. I’ll take care of the others."

"Hehehe, thanks, Kai."

Momo responded in a somewhat shy tone from Kai's stomach, a position that allowed her to hide the slight blush on her cheeks. She then closed her eyes and tried to calm her emotions; after all, she couldn’t let her prey figure out her intentions.

(Hehehe)

Momo laughed in her mind at her own thoughts, while a beautiful smile formed on her face and her heartfelt warmer and more at ease, letting the rest of the journey pass in comfortable and reassuring silence.

Once they arrived at the school, Kai and Momo stepped out of the limousine. However, they didn’t stand out much because of the ostentatious vehicle, as they weren’t the only ones who had arrived in a luxury car. After all, the school where they would “study” for the next three years was an elite institution where the children of the crème de la crème of Japanese society gathered.

In their respective classroom, the pair of black-haired youths sat together at the back, where they started chatting about random things. Not long after, a very elegant man in his forties, who seemed to be the teacher, entered the room.

Noticing the man’s arrival, Momo immediately ended the conversation and sat up straight in her seat, not without first telling Kai to do the same. However, the blue-eyed boy just leaned back in his seat in a relaxed manner.

"Good morning, students. My name is Tanaka Ryoichi-sensei, and I will be your homeroom teacher this year, so you can refer to me as Tanaka-sensei." The man spoke with an eloquent tone that seemed to be trying to sound “elegant” by force, which made Kai roll his eyes before tuning out the pretentious guy.

"“““Good morning, Tanaka-sensei.”””

Momo, on her part, responded in unison with all the other students, which brought a pleased smile to the man, Tanaka, who continued speaking in the same obviously fake and rehearsed tone.

"Today, I’d like to start with a brief introduction from each of you, where you’ll tell the class your name, your future goals, something you like, and something you dislike. I’ll start first by setting an example.

As you already know, my name is Tanaka Ryoichi, and my goal for the future is to become one of the best teachers in Japan. I also like reading, and I dislike cold coffee. Well, that’s the type of introduction we’ll do. We’ll start from right to left."

(It really doesn’t matter what culture or world I’m in, this part never changes…)

Kai thought to himself with an ironic smile on his face, while he tried to ignore how. One by one, all the students introduced themselves following the same format, stating their name and then mentioning their future goals and things they liked and disliked.

Chapter 43: Why does that sound terribly wrong?

Chapter Text

Shortly after, it was Momo's turn. She immediately stood up from her seat, just as all the previous students had done, and introduced herself with a serious tone, though there was a hint of nervousness in her expression that Kai easily noticed.

"Hello everyone, I'm Yaoyorozu Momo. My goal is to become a professional hero, both to maintain peace in our society and to uplift people's spirits. I love reading and learning new things, so I'm always open to gaining new knowledge. I can't stand injustice and lack of effort. Furthermore, I hope we can get along well!"

(Uwaa, how typical of Momo, hahaha)

With an amused expression on his face, Kai couldn't help but laugh to himself. But that quickly changed when he noticed how the whole class started looking at Momo with surprised and greedy expressions, even the teacher was not an exception. This made him narrow his eyes slightly, but he still got up to give his introduction since it was his turn, and it wasn't yet the time to make a scene.

"My name is Saito Kai. I don't have any future goals at the moment. I like building things, and I don't like being kept waiting. Nice to meet you."

The introductions continued without issues, and soon the class began. However, unlike Momo, who took notes seriously, Kai completely ignored the teacher and instead started thinking about more important things, like new training methods, various interesting projects, new weapons to forge, and so on.

The morning passed without many incidents, with four periods of about 45 minutes each, during which different teachers gave classes after introducing themselves, just as the first one had. However, everything changed when it was time for lunch.

As soon as the typical sound of the bell echoed in the classroom, hordes of people almost ran towards Momo, surrounding her like hungry predators, desperately trying to start a conversation with her. This initially made the black-haired girl very happy, but that soon changed.

"Yaoyorozu-san, my name is Suzuki Ryoto, from the Suzuki family. Your beauty and seriousness have captivated me at first sight. Would you grant me a moment of your time?"

"Don't pay attention to him, Yaoyorozu-san. My name is Shinomiya Reika, from the Shinomiya family, and I'd like to be your friend."

"Yaoyorozu-san, my name is… from the… family."

As more and more people introduced themselves, Momo's expression visibly soured as she began to understand what Kai meant when he said that most people want something from others and that she would notice it instantly. She could practically see the greed shining in the eyes of those around her, eager to associate with the daughter of the great Keiko Yaoyorozu and reap all the possible benefits from that relationship.

This only made Kai's pessimistic words echo in her mind, filling her with deep sadness to the point where her eyes started to well up with tears. But at that moment, a 'crushing pressure' stopped everyone in their tracks.

"You're all annoying."

Along with the terrifying pressure, a clearly irritated voice that seemed to come from a bloodthirsty demon resonated in the room. Everyone turned in the direction it came from, only to find an exceptionally handsome young man with black hair and blue eyes, speaking with a dark expression full of malicious intent.

"If I see any of you by the time I count to three, I'll throw you out the window. 1... 2..."

The blue-eyed young man commented in a deep voice, sending a shiver down everyone's spines. But that was nothing compared to when he started counting, as with each number he uttered, the horrifying pressure multiplied brutally, causing their legs to tremble.

By the time the young man reached 2, no one could bear to stay another second in the place, so they all ran out, some covered in cold sweat, while others were outright crying in panic. The young man then arrogantly and condescendingly, though still clearly annoyed, commented,

"That's better. If you're this obedient all the time, we won't have any problems."

As for Momo, who hadn't felt the 'pressure' that the others experienced, she looked at Kai, who was lying back on his desk with an irritated expression. She then moved her desk closer to his.

"Kai, this is your lunch. I hope you like it."

With a beautiful smile on her face, Momo commented after taking out two large lunch boxes she had prepared in advance from her bag, handing the bigger one to Kai, who stretched as he lazily remarked.

"Mmm? Oh right, it's lunchtime. Thanks for remembering me, Momo."

"I would never forget." Momo replied with a smile, which, for some reason, scared the onlookers both inside and outside the classroom.

Ignoring the 'audience,' Momo and Kai ate pleasantly and relaxed while chatting about various topics. Meanwhile, the other students who hadn't tried to bother Momo—and therefore hadn't received Kai's special treatment—continued with their own activities, although they occasionally couldn't help but glance cautiously at the terrifying blue-eyed boy.

The day ended quickly, and soon Momo and Kai headed home without much trouble. After all, having two good aunts and an influential writer and hero as a sister prevented things like being called to the principal's office and other similar situations.

Soon, the limousine that had picked up the black-haired pair arrived at Kai's property, where almost the entire gang awaited them, greeting them with big smiles at the door as soon as they got out of the car.

"Welcome back! How was your first day at school?" Nemuri was the first to greet the youngsters, hugging them affectionately, to which Kai casually replied,

"Mmm, pretty good. The classmates are quite cooperative."

"Why does that sound terribly wrong, Kai? What did you do?" Shino, who was beside Nemuri, asked accusingly while hugging Momo.

"Me? Nothing, right, Momo?" Kai didn't even flinch and responded casually while looking at Momo, who replied with a cheerful smile on her face.

"That's right, Kai just politely asked them to let us have lunch, and they easily stepped back to give us our space."

"Oh no!! Kai has corrupted little Momo-chan, something he hadn't managed to do until now, we're doomed!!!" Ryuko commented dramatically while pulling Kai out of Shino's arms, causing everyone present to burst into joyful laughter.

"But tell mom, Momo, how did you feel at school today?" Keiko asked with a smile after greeting her youngest daughter, who responded with a small smile.

"Kai was right, Okaa-sama, the school doesn't seem all that special, but I'm still glad I enrolled; I've learned a lot."

"I'm glad that's the case, then."

As they conducted a full debrief on the kids' first day at school, the group entered the main house, where they settled into the comfortable sofas and were attended by two of the house staff. But shortly after, Yumiko and Nejire arrived, with Nejire still in her uniform.

"Momo, Kai!!"

""Nejire nee-chan!""

As soon as she arrived, Nejire exclaimed excitedly before jumping to hug the black-haired pair, who greeted her back with smiles on their faces. She then asked with an excited expression,

"How was your first day at school? Did you have fun?"

"Well, it was interesting, though I can't say it was particularly fun," Momo replied with a smile while returning Nejire's hug, who nodded in understanding.

"Well, yeah, school isn't that fun..." A somewhat melancholic smile crossed Nejire's face, but she quickly regained her usual energy and then asked while looking around, "By the way, where's Salem? It's strange that he's not with Kai."

"Oh, he's being dramatic on the second floor." Kai replied with an ironic smile, which caused the girls to drag him upstairs, while he could only wave at Yumiko from afar.

"Hello, Aunt Yumiko."

"Hello, Kai-chan, fufu." Yumiko greeted with an amused smile as she watched Kai being dragged upstairs, then she greeted the other adults in the house and started a casual conversation.

Once on the second floor, the girls quickly made Kai lead them to where Salem was, only to find him in his playroom—the place where his scratching posts, toys, and other items were kept—lying on a reinforced platform that allowed him to look out the window. He exuded a melancholic and lonely aura, as if the world had betrayed him.

"Poor Salem!!"

"Come to mama, Salem!!"

Upon seeing the huge cat, Momo and Nejire couldn't help but exclaim in sad tones as they rushed toward him. While Kai just leaned against the door frame, watching the whole dramatic show of the spoiled cat with some amusement.

As soon as the girls reached Salem, they quickly hugged him and began speaking in soft, somewhat sad voices.

"What's wrong, Salem? Are you sad because you were left all alone today?"

Nejire commented in an almost maternal tone as she stroked the large cat's head, who simply continued staring out the window while his nose made soft, intermittent breathing sounds, as if he were crying.

"Forgive us, Salem, but we couldn't take you to school. It's against the rules to bring pets, but I promise I'll play with you a lot and take you on plenty of walks..."

Momo apologized with a tone full of guilt as she hugged the cat's sturdy body, who kept looking out the window as if he were a tragic victim, to which Kai could only roll his eyes before casually commenting.

"Stop being silly, Salem, let's go. We need to train."

Hearing his master's voice, Salem turned to look at him with his blue eyes appearing sad, clearly trying to look pitiful—something Kai completely ignored as he simply turned to leave the room while speaking.

"Come on! We didn't train this morning, and we need to make up for it."

With his master's command, the 'sadness' disappeared from Salem's feline face. He then freed himself from the embrace of his master's females, who had loosened their hold to look at Kai with accusatory eyes, and quickly caught up with him, his sturdy tail gently swaying in the air.

Seeing how the cat's mood changed so quickly, Momo and Nejire could only look at each other in surprise before shouting loudly in clearly angry tones.

"Dammit, Salem, you tricked us!" Nejire yelled at the cat walking away with Kai, to which Momo immediately added, pointing indignantly at their backs.

"Go with your silly Kai and don't come back!!!"

Chapter 44: Prana

Chapter Text

Several months had passed since Kai started school, and before he knew it, the famous Golden Week arrived. The girls took advantage of the break to spend time with their mothers and accompany them on trips, while Kai, as usual, decided to stay home and train.

In the garden of his house, Kai was sitting in a lotus position with his eyes closed, practicing a rather strange breathing technique while maintaining an En field of nearly 100 meters around him. It seemed as if he was desperately trying to sense something, but the only thing he could feel besides himself was the large cat sleeping under a tree.

After some time, Kai opened his eyes and let himself fall onto the grass with a defeated sigh. He was really starting to doubt that his theory was correct, but still, he called Sage to check the data.

"Sage, give me the data and a summary."

"At your service."

The winged light orb appeared next to Kai, and immediately, a hologram displaying detailed data of the entire process appeared in front of him, prompting Sage to begin explaining.

"No anomalies were detected during the meditation, and even the variation in aura empowerment due to the breathing was close to zero."

"Just as I feared... Could it be that 'natural energy' doesn't really exist?"

After letting out a disappointed sigh, Kai jumped up from the ground and began walking around the house. Lost in thought, Kai tried to decide whether to pursue new avenues to test his theory or, on the contrary, to discard it and focus his efforts elsewhere.

Since discovering that breathing enhanced his aura, Kai had been formulating hypotheses to explain the phenomenon, such as increased oxygen in his system and other ideas. But the one he liked the most and wanted to be true was that he was unconsciously absorbing natural energy.

Because of this, Kai had spent nearly a year focusing mainly on meditation, trying to imitate various practices from his past life that talked about natural energy and how it could be absorbed into the body to empower it. However, so far, he had not seen any results.

Without realizing it, Kai ended up at the door of his mother's "library," where her extensive collection of rare and valuable books was stored, bringing a small smile to his face as he decided to take a look inside.

Upon entering the room, Kai found an elegant two-story library illuminated by a warm light, with shelves that had glass doors with a technological look, capable of maintaining the necessary conditions for preserving the books inside.

An elegant tea lounge was In the middle of the room with various sofas, tables, and chairs, offering a relaxing and comfortable place to read. In one corner of the room was a small, stylish cabinet with different drawers, containing an electric water heater, various types of tea and coffee, and different snacks.

In the last years, the reading sanctuary his mother had created had been mainly used by Momo, who was an avid reader, and by Nemuri, who usually came to relax or seek inspiration or references for her books. Kai himself preferred it that way, after all, his mother hated wasting things, so if he left it unused, he somehow felt like he would be betraying her memory.

Without thinking much, Kai began to wander around the room, browsing the books on the shelves, noticing that there were books of all kinds and in different languages. Some evidently very rare, such as first editions or historical replicas of famous books, and often, original copies of books centuries old.

After wandering around for a while, Kai arrived at a small bookshelf on the second floor with books that seemed noticeably newer. This piqued his curiosity and led Kai to open the glass door of the shelf and take one out to open it. The first thing he read was a phrase in English that immediately caught his attention.

"[Prāṇa in Sanskrit means 'breath' or 'inspired air' and represents vital force or energy, therefore...]"

Filled with curiosity, Kai quickly skimmed through the book, realizing it was a book on yoga and Hindu mysticism that talked about the different chakras and their relationship with certain yoga exercises and breathing, or prana.

"Well, Mom was a yoga enthusiast, so it's not surprising she had a book like this, but talking about breathing... Should I try it? Well, it's not like I have anything to lose by trying, besides, I've run out of ideas anyway..." Kai said to himself as he checked a second book that talked about similar things.

"Well, it's time to try it out." Kai decided and quickly placed the book back on the shelf, then called for his reliable assistant.

"Sage, digitize all the books on this shelf, create a summary of each one, and establish a correlation framework."

"At your command."

With Kai's orders, the winged light orb appeared beside him and began to make each book float in the air, flipping through them at high speed before carefully returning them to the shelf. Meanwhile, Kai left the room and headed toward the gym.

Some time later, Sage reappeared next to Kai, who was warming up on a treadmill alongside Salem. The light orb quickly reported the success of its mission while emitting a light hologram.

"Sir, the objective has been achieved. All the books have been digitized, and the correlation framework has been established."

"Give me a summary based on the correlation framework about the chakras and their relationship with prana." Without stopping his run, Kai casually ordered, to which Sage immediately responded affirmatively.

"At your command. First, prana can be translated as 'breath,' and according to ancient myths, it represents a force or energy that permeates reality on all levels. Meanwhile, the chakras are energy centers where prana is concentrated in the body. More specifically, they seem to be aligned with the spine, although there is a slight discrepancy regarding their number, with some sources mentioning six, while others mention seven.

Moreover, yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline that seeks to unify the body, mind, and spirit. It has different branches, but the ones primarily related to prana and the chakras are two, which consist of a mix of breathing exercises, physical postures, and some mantras to activate and balance the chakras."

Sage explained in its typical flat and synthetic tone, which greatly piqued Kai's curiosity, leading him to add.

"Well, those discrepancies are common in ancient beliefs, where many people throughout history have had a hand in them. But the idea that prana is an energy that permeates reality is somewhat similar to 'natural energy,' which interests me quite a bit. Alright, show me what I need to do to try out this yoga and 'activate' my chakras, and let's go with the version that has seven; I like that number better."

"At your command." The light orb responded, then displayed various holographic screens showing different explanations and images of people performing various postures.

"Mmm, they don't look particularly complicated. Let's get started." Kai turned to look at the large cat before continuing, "And you, go play over there; I'm going to be busy."

After the large cat meowed in understanding and settled in a corner of the gym, Kai quickly analyzed the information provided by Sage while looking for a mat, which he placed in the center of the gym. He then stretched a bit before asking.

"What do I need to do first, Sage?"

"The first step is pranayama, which involves controlling your breath, and there are different methods. Which one would you like to try?"

At Sage's question, Kai thought for a moment before responding as he sat down on the floor. "The best thing to do is to try them all, one by one, and then decide which one is the best."

"Understood. The first one is Nadi Shodhana, which involves..."

With Sage's guidance, Kai tried each of the breathing styles, but ultimately, the one that somehow felt best was the first one. So, he decided to stick with that one. Since this style required breathing through only one nostril at a time, instead of using his hands to close the other, he directly used his aura, which made it even better.

"Alright, let's go with this Nadi something. What's next?"

Once he felt somewhat accustomed to closing one of his nostrils with his aura, Kai asked Sage who immediately responded while displaying images of three yoga postures: one of a person standing on one foot with arms extended, another of a person arching their body backward with arms extended, and the last one of someone performing a squat.

"The first step is to activate the Muladhara Chakra, which is known as the root and is located at the base of the spine. According to the books, the best way to do this is by using the tree, mountain, and garland poses, along with the LAM mantra."

Following Sage's instructions, Kai assumed various postures while chanting the mantras and breathing through one nostril at a time, repeating the process several times since he didn’t feel anything unusual. However, just as he was about to give up and dismiss yoga altogether, he suddenly heard a distinct clicking sound in his mind, which made him open his eyes in surprise.

"Sage, did something happen to my body?" Kai asked while trying to check for anomalies in his body, causing Sage to start glowing in various colors before reporting.

"Your physical state is perfect. The only change is a slight increase in your aura, but it was minimal. Would you like to begin more precise tests?"

At Sage's question, Kai simply shook his head, then stretched a bit as he spoke.

"No, it's not necessary. Let's keep going. What's next?"

"Understood. The next one is the Svadhisthana Chakra, located below the navel. For this, you'll need the Cobbler's Pose, the Reclining Cobbler's Pose, and the Goddess Pose, along with the VAM mantra."

"Alright, let's get started."

Kai spent the rest of the day performing the poses and reciting mantras, making sure not to move on to the next chakra until he felt that clicking sensation, which eventually led him to the seventh and final chakra. He sat on the mat while Sage explained.

"The last chakra is Sahasrara, also known as the Crown Chakra. For this chakra, there are three poses, and as for the mantra, you can use the AUM mantra or remain silent."

"Okay, let's start with the first pose."

With great agility, Kai quickly placed his head on the ground and lifted his feet into the air, standing completely on his head, then recited the mantra with concentration. After that, he took the lotus position, and finally, the corpse pose, which was basically lying flat on the ground.

After repeating the same process for a while—longer than all the previous chakras combined—Kai somehow felt that he was on the verge of achieving something, that he was right at the edge, but for some reason, he couldn't quite grasp it. So, he decided to stay in the lotus position and meditate in silence, while letting his aura and Haki flow slowly through his body in sync with his breath.

Some time later, Kai somehow felt disconnected from the world, while his mind emptied of any fleeting thoughts, entering a unique state of concentration. This allowed him to sense his aura and Haki with incredible clarity.

Driven by curiosity, Kai decided to channel his Haki and Aura through each of the chakras, ensuring that each one was “balanced” with the same amount of Haki and Aura, until he finally reached the seventh.

But when his aura and Haki reached it, he immediately regretted it, as he heard a powerful click in his mind and started feeling himself weaken rapidly. He tried to stop immediately, but at that moment, his mind went completely blank, and he immediately fell unconscious onto the mat.

Chapter 45: What have I done?! (R-18)

Chapter Text

These past months as a hero had been almost a revival for Nemuri—going out on patrol, capturing villains, helping people, saving lives, seeing faces full of gratitude, feeling that she was really contributing to making the world a better place with her own hands. It was truly the only thing missing from her almost perfect life with Kai and his family, which made it impossible not to keep a huge smile on her face.

Although as a writer, she had received much love from the people. It was a real joy for her to see how her work was so well-received, especially when she received messages from her fans telling her how her books had changed their lives. But the truth was that feeling the gratitude of people up close was something much more special and, without a doubt, her true calling.

But it wasn’t just the return to being a hero that made her happy; what delighted her the most was that she was now a much better hero than before. Not only she was capable of solving cases faster and more efficiently, but she could also handle events that the old her would have found, if not impossible, extremely difficult.

Although her experience and new physical capabilities helped a lot with her new unstoppable streak of case resolutions that had all the media surprised. What truly made the difference was his blue-eyed love, his beloved Kai.

The [Accomplice] Kai had given her not only kept her safe in complicated situations, but the skill it had developed for her had elevated her quirk's utility several notches. Now, her sleep-inducing aroma not only affected men and women equally, but she could even control how her scent spread and the level of unconsciousness it would leave her targets in.

This alone had dramatically expanded her range of action. Now, she could not only work in teams more easily and be useful in complex terrains or with civilians, but she could also use her sleep aroma to leave a target in a state between unconsciousness and wakefulness. This greatly facilitates interrogations and similar tasks.

Even though her new abilities attracted some attention, she simply explained it as the result of seven years of experimenting with her quirk. Which led her to improve her control over it while also finding more creative ways to use it. This explanation, while not extinguishing all questions, served as a good excuse and allowed her to avoid the topic.

But if she had to name what most influenced his new record of cases solved, it would undoubtedly be the 'glasses' that Kai had given him. These glasses had an incredibly useful virtual assistant capable of identifying anyone he looked at and providing a wealth of information about the target. They could hack nearby cameras, offer night and infrared vision, or provide satellite imagery to give him a clear view of his surroundings. They could even analyze fight patterns and villain behavior, making it much easier to defeat or capture them.

All these improvements not only made Nemuri immensely happy, but also made her feel incredibly proud of Kai's amazing skills—the great man he had become—which only convinced her even more that the best decision she had ever made was to stay by his side.

…

In the middle of the night, Nemuri returned home and immediately noticed that the gym was open, and the lights were on. So she quickly headed there, only to find Kai sleeping on a mat with Salem by his side, which somehow brought a smile to her face.

“He’s really so careless sometimes, fufu.”

With a calm stride, Nemuri approached the sleeping boy and gently lifted him off the floor, carrying him like a princess after confirming that he wasn’t wearing the weights he used for training. They weighed several tons, something only he could lift. This immediately alerted Salem, who glanced at her for a moment before stretching.

As Nemuri carried Kai to his room, Salem followed closely, almost like a royal guard, until they reached the door. There, the enormous cat took a small detour to lie down in his bed, which was in the room next to Kai's. The boy had kicked him out of his room ever since he started growing as big as a large dog.

Once in the bedroom, Nemuri laid Kai down on the bed but couldn’t help noticing that he was all sweaty. This made her smile nostalgically as she remembered the old times, and she lovingly ran her fingers through the boy’s unruly hair. She then went to fetch hot water and several towels to clean him up.

Kneeling on the floor, Nemuri dipped the towels in the tub of hot water and proceeded to remove the black cotton sweatshirt Kai was wearing, all while trying not to wake him. But when she managed to take it off, the beautiful heroine audibly swallowed as she saw a torso that almost seemed sculpted from marble.

Kai’s bare torso was something she could only describe as the epitome of health and beauty—perfectly chiseled and incredibly tempting, to the point that her mouth watered just looking at it. But she was his older sister, and as such, she couldn’t have those kinds of thoughts, so she quickly splashed some water on her face to calm herself down.

After taking a deep breath a couple of times, Nemuri started to clean Kai. However, the more she felt his body, the more evident the 'heat' became, to the point where she could feel her lower parts getting wet, which forced her to slap herself in the cheeks. After all, she could not let herself be carried away by those intrusive thoughts.

(Calm down Nemuri, it's Kai, your baby, you can't have those kinds of thoughts about the child you raised, control yourself!)

A little anxious, Nemuri continued cleaning Kai with the towels, but the more time passed, the slower and more 'careless' her rhythm became. To the point where the towel started to 'slip' from her hands frequently, causing her to 'accidentally' feel Kai's body with her hands, although she decided to ignore those silly accidents.

(Well, it's just the lower part, nothing out of the ordinary. I've done these thousands of times; this time is nothing special. Besides, I'm only doing it because it's necessary for Kai to sleep clean and avoid getting sick…)

While Nemuri recited her internal monologue in an attempt to convince herself of something, her hands, clearly trembling, began to slowly lower Kai's black pants. But when she finally managed to remove it completely, she closed her eyes and repeated her internal monologue several times.

After a few deep breaths, Nemuri opened her eyes again and continued cleaning Kai's legs. All the while desperately trying to ignore the almost waterfall of transparent and viscous liquid that started to stain the lower part of her hero suit.

With trembling hands, Nemuri quickly cleaned Kai's legs, although 'strangely' she spent a lot of time 'cleaning' his crotch, which inevitably caused a dragon to wake up under Kai's boxers, making its presence known strongly, which broke something inside Nemuri.

Almost possessed, Nemuri quickly pulled down Kai's boxers, to then stare almost hypnotized as the rod of flesh stood erect and proud. At the same time, her hero suit became incapable of containing her love juice, which flowed like a fountain.

Full of nerves and anticipation, Nemuri grasped Kai's manhood, which caused a jolt to run through her entire body, shattering the last thread of sanity she had left. Immediately, she began to tear apart her hero suit with all her strength, somehow managing to expose her proud breasts and delicate vagina.

With one hand on her left nipple, Nemuri adjusted herself to be at the height of Kai's rod, which she began to smell with an expression of intoxication on her face. Meanwhile, with her other hand, she touched her delicate, light pink vagina, which was glistening due to the abundant amount of love juices it was releasing.

As she masturbated wildly, guilt, fear, and lust took over Nemuri, leading her to feel the greatest pleasure she had ever experienced in her life. However, her body demanded more, so she quickly climbed onto the bed and knelt over one of Kai's legs. She then slowly lowered her head until her mouth reached his penis, which, filled with nervousness, she inserted into her mouth. At the same time, her vagina touched Kai's leg, causing a jolt of pure pleasure to run through her entire body.

With a gaze crazed by excitement, Nemuri began to suck Kai's penis as if it were the most delicious candy in the world. Simultaneously, she moved her hips like a whore to rub her soaked vagina against Kai's leg. This caused intense waves of pleasure to course through her body like an endless tide.

With her eyes unfocused from pleasure and lust, Nemuri looked at Kai's sleeping face while feeling like she was in heaven. She was experiencing pleasure beyond words or anything she had ever heard of, having mini-orgasms every few seconds and a strong one every few minutes.

The endless waves of intense pleasure caused the sexy and lustful heroine to emit almost bestial moans, at the same time that she pulled her nipples hard and took Kai's penis deep into her throat. While resisting gagging, she left a pool of love juices on Kai's leg, leaving a large stain on the bed.

But Nemuri's wild lust reached its peak when she felt Kai's penis harden even more and twist in her mouth. This made her move her head faster and in larger arcs that brought her delicate cherry lips from the tip of Kai's penis to its base. At the same time, she rubbed her delicate vagina against the young man's leg with such speed and force that she started to feel pain. However, this only increased the pleasure she felt, adding a new dimension of sensations that fascinated her.

A few minutes later, as Nemuri's eyes rolled back in her head from the powerful consecutive orgasms she was experiencing, Kai released a thick load of semen into the mouth of the frantic beauty. This triggered the most intense orgasm she had ever felt in her life. It caused her to arch her back like a cat, while her juices shot out of her vagina like a high-pressure hose, staining the entire area with her lustful aroma.

With a gaze lost in lust, pleasure, and satisfaction, Nemuri fell to one side, lying on her back on the bed, looking like a lustful slut, with her torn and disheveled suit. Her large breasts were completely exposed, revealing her painfully erect nipples with red marks, evidence of the places where she had pressed them mercilessly. Meanwhile, her vagina, lightly red and totally soaked with love juices, visibly contracted with the remaining waves of pleasure.

Feeling completely fulfilled, Nemuri remained lying in the same position for a while, savoring the remnants of Kai's semen in her mouth with great pleasure. She was so reluctant to let it end that she moved it from side to side in her mouth, trying to leave the flavor imprinted so it wouldn't fade away.

Time passed slowly, until fatigue began to take over Nemuri's consciousness, who had a satisfied smile on her face. But at that moment, she suddenly came back to herself, opening her eyes in a panic, and then looked at Kai, who was still breathing steadily. This made her let out a sigh of relief, at the same time that a deep feeling of guilt enveloped her.

(What have I done?! Oh my God, what did I do?! I raped Kai! The baby I raised with my own hands! I’m a monster!)

The realization of her reckless actions hit Nemuri like a truck, causing her emotions to spiral out of control. Tears filled with guilt and regret welled up in her beautiful blue eyes.

(I should stay away from Kai. I’m a danger to him. When he finds out what I did, he’ll hate me forever and never forgive me…)

Tears streamed down Nemuri’s face as she looked at Kai's face and imagined scenarios where she lived without him, breaking her heart into a thousand pieces. She could no longer conceive of life without Kai—he was a fundamental part of her life. But what she had done was unforgivable; Alisa-san would never forgive her.

(I’m sorry, Kai. I’m sorry, Alisa-san. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me—I lost control… forgive me… forgive me…)

As Nemuri silently cried, begging for forgiveness, a horrible tangle of emotions—guilt, regret, and sadness—completely overwhelmed her, to the point where fatalistic thoughts began to fill her mind. But at that moment, the sleeping Kai suddenly turned over and hugged her.

Because of the position they were in, Nemuri's head ended up on Kai's sculpted chest, causing the heart of the beautiful blue-eyed woman to fill with terror. Fearing that the young man was awake and had realized everything, leaving her petrified in place.

But after several minutes, Nemuri only heard a soft, rhythmic breathing, accompanied by the calming melody of Kai's heartbeat, which somehow put her in a state of peace and tranquility that she hadn’t experienced in a long time.

(I’m sorry, Alisa-san, but I definitely can’t live without Kai. He means everything to me, so even though I know I’m a danger, I can’t stay away. So instead, I’ll give everything I have to keep my impulses in check from now on, and maybe even get a boyfriend…)

Nemuri’s stomach churned with disgust when the idea of being with another man besides Kai crossed her mind, so she quickly changed her thoughts.

(Scratch that, it would be a blatant lie. I’ll just make sure to get some really good toys that can calm my lust, even if I have to have them custom-made. But I’ll make sure something like this never happens again!)

After making her mental declarations, Nemuri gently extricated herself from Kai’s embrace, got out of bed, straightened her clothes a bit, and carefully carried Kai to another room. She then returned to take care of cleaning everything up.

Chapter 46: Significant changes were found

Chapter Text

The next day, Kai woke up feeling somehow “complete”, as if everything in his body fit perfectly together—something akin to being in the zone but much stronger. Additionally, he could instinctively sense his surroundings, somewhat like his [En], but less detailed, as if it were a “breath” or something like that—really strange.

“Am I in my room? Did Onee-chan bring me here? How long was I unconscious? It can't be too long, or I’d surely be in a hospital, although Onee-chan isn't home…”

As he talked to himself, Kai sat up in bed and looked around, quickly noticing that his vision seemed to have improved, allowing him to see far more details and even more colors than before. This inevitably made him call on his trusted assistant for a quick check of his condition.

“Sage.”

With Kai's words, a figure took shape beside him, but the black-haired boy could only stare utterly dumbfounded at the figure that appeared, as it wasn't the winged orb of light he expected but rather something like a fairy.

“What the hell are you?”

With eyes full of doubt and confusion, Kai asked as he analyzed the curious fairy. She was the size of his palm, with slightly reddish-blond hair, blue eyes, elongated ears like an elf, and four almost translucent wings on her back that seemed to be made of light. She was dressed in a blue gown that appeared to be made of light or perhaps pure energy.

“What do you mean, Master? Of course, I'm Sage, your faithful assistant.”

The beautiful fairy spoke with a smile and a melodious, cheerful voice as she flew in front of him, which only made Kai’s expression sour as he asked in a somewhat dark tone.

“Master? Sage? What happened to you? Why do you look like this, and why are you talking to me like that?”

“How do I look, Master?” the beautiful fairy asked while tilting her head cutely.

“There’s a mirror over there. Take a look.” Not knowing what to think, Kai just pointed to a mirror in the room as he spoke.

“Oh, I’ll check.”

After exclaiming while covering her mouth with one hand, the fairy quickly flew to the mirror, then gasped in surprise before flying back to Kai with an expression full of shock.

“Master, what happened? Why do I look like this?”

“If you don’t know, then I certainly don’t. Also, why are you talking like this? Why are you suddenly calling me ‘Master’?”

Sitting on the bed, Kai asked, full of confusion, which made the fairy seemed to sit in the air while putting a finger near her lips and tilting her head as if thinking deeply. Only to then respond with a cheerful smile.

“Mmm… Because it sounds cute?”

“Sounds cute?” Kai exclaimed almost speechlessly, to which the fairy nodded with a smile before exclaiming seriously.

“Yes, it sounds cuter.”

Hearing what appeared to be his new assistant, Kai could only sigh wearily before ordering with a serious expression.

“No, it doesn't sound cuter. Call me as you did before.”

“Why?!” Upon hearing her Master, the fairy replied with a pout on her face, something the blue-eyed boy ignored instead of ordering.

“Sage, make a complete scan of my physical condition and aura.”

With Kai's command, Sage’s wings began to glow slightly with different colors, and shortly after, a hologram filled with an immense amount of data appeared in front of him while the beautiful fairy responded.

“It’s done, Master.” Sage stuck out her tiny tongue at Kai, who raised an eyebrow in mild surprise, then ignored the fairy and focused on the information in front of him as he ordered.

“Give me a quick summary of the information.”

"Significant changes were found in all aspects. On one hand, your physique was almost remodeled; although you look the same, your senses are at least twice as sharp, as are your strength, reflexes, and so on.

Your aura also received a similar boost, and it seems to have undergone slight changes as well, although more thorough tests are needed to determine them precisely." Sage explained in a more serious tone as she flew to Kai's shoulder, where she calmly sat down.

For his part, Kai looked at the strange fairy on his shoulder with one of his eyebrows twitching slightly, but at that moment, there were more important things to focus on, so he decided to ignore her and ask instead.

"Is your change due to the changes in my aura that you mentioned?"

"That’s most likely the case, as all other abilities underwent different kinds of changes, especially my skills, like Alcatraz and Accomplice." Sage responded after her wings glowed for a few moments, which immediately led Kai to ask, somewhat concerned.

"What changes did Accomplice undergo?"

"Nothing that goes against your objectives, Master. In fact, you could say it's a good thing, as they can now use their aura to empower themselves for close combat, and the update cooldown time has been reduced to just 7 hours." Sage commented with a cute smile on her face, which allowed Kai to let out a sigh of relief.

"That’s good. Give me a list of the changes all abilities have undergone."

"Of course, Master," Sage replied with a smile, as a new holographic screen appeared in front of Kai detailing all his abilities and their respective changes.

"By the way, I told you to call me Sir, not Master."

While reading the information on the holographic screen, Kai did not forget to comment, which made Sage huffed in annoyance. She then crossed her arms under her chest and turned her head away, her face showing a cute pout with puffed cheeks.

"Hmph."

"They really did make me at least twice as strong, and the pacts of my abilities have lightened on their own. What a strange situation… We need to conduct thorough tests on my new strength."

Kai, who completely ignored Sage's tantrum, commented to himself, feeling a mix of surprise, curiosity, and joy, but at that moment, the beautiful fairy commented, somewhat confused.

"By the way, Master, I can somehow feel Salem’s presence in the other room without needing [En]."

"What?!"

Kai exclaimed in surprise as he turned to look at the fairy on his shoulder. After all, Sage had never been able to use his Haki before, as if they were two completely separate entities. Even though she knew it existed, and they had conducted many tests, she never managed to connect to his Haki.

"Yes, it’s a strange feeling. It’s different from En, but at the same time, similar. I can also sense the surroundings in a similar way, although less precisely than with En." Sage commented in an unsure tone while flying to hover in front of Kai, who quickly responded in surprise.

"Quick, Sage, show me what you’re sensing."

"Yes, Master."

Sage nodded, and at the same time, a hologram appeared in front of Kai, showing a kind of rough 3D map of the surroundings and highlighting a sphere of light in one of the rooms, which was labeled as Salem.

"You really can sense things with my Haki, although it seems it has changed as well. Or maybe it's finally complete? Can I now also sense the famous 'breath of all things'?…"

While analyzing the 3D hologram, Kai commented in surprise, but at that moment, an idea crossed his mind, causing an excited smile to form on his face as he exclaimed.

"Let's go, Sage! I think I have what I was missing for the advanced states of Haki!"

Without wasting a second, Kai jumped out of the room's window, although due to his drastically increased strength, he flew out much faster than he expected, even breaking the bed, which brought an ironic smile to his face.

"Damn, I need to get used to my strength. I really liked that bed…"

Shortly after, Kai arrived at the forest near his house, where he tried to focus on his mini-self, only to open his eyes in surprise at what he found. His mini-self was no longer in a fetal position but was now seated in a lotus position with its eyes closed.

But even stranger than the change in the mini-self's posture was its aura, which now appeared slightly different. Its edges were diffuse, as if they were fading into the void, which intrigued Kai, who quickly tried to take control of the aura, but to his surprise, his own aura activated at the same time.

(What's happening? Could this be the ‘union of mind, body, and spirit’ from yoga?)

Kai wondered to himself, noticing that his aura and that of his mini-self were strongly connected, like two sides of the same coin. Anything he did with his aura seemed to affect the mini-self's aura as well.

(Could it be…?)

Curious, Kai used Gyo on his eyes while clenching his fist in front of him and then immediately imagined that Armament Haki covered his arm, which caused his arm to instantly be covered in a jet-black color. He then deactivated Gyo, realizing that it was invisible to the naked eye.

"Something has changed with my Haki; it feels too fluid, too instinctive, as if it were just another characteristic of my aura and not of the mini-self like before…"

Completely surprised, Kai couldn't help but murmur to himself while Sage flew around his arm as if she were analyzing it deeply, her wings glowing slightly with different colors, before she commented.

"Master, I think I can also use that ‘Haki.’"

"Really? Try it."

Intrigued by Sage's words, Kai quickly responded while activating Gyo in his eyes, to which the beautiful fairy nodded, then clenched one of her tiny, slender arms, which immediately turned black.

"You really can use it…" Kai remarked as he carefully examined Sage's tiny arm, and she nodded while responding thoughtfully.

"Yes, it's similar to enhancement, but at the same time, it's different, almost as if a new category of aura suddenly awakened—quite strange…"

"Indeed…" Kai nodded, equally thoughtful, but he quickly shook his head and continued, "But we can investigate that later. For now, let's move on to Conqueror's Haki."

"Understood, Master. I'll make sure to record all possible data." Sage commented in a serious tone, to which Kai quickly nodded.

"I trust you, then."

After speaking, Kai wanted to make his mini-self open its eyes as before, but remembering how Armament Haki had worked, he simply closed his eyes, formed a clear intent in his mind to "intimidate," and then opened them.

The moment he opened his eyes, Kai clearly felt a strange “electric wave” emanating from him, which struck the nearby trees, causing them to sway, and even some received slight damage to their bark, something that surprised him greatly.

Kai's surprise wasn’t due to the effect of his Conqueror's Haki, as, although it was stronger, it wasn’t that impressive. What really surprised him was that he felt it come from within him, and therefore, he felt it as part of himself, which allowed him to control it instinctively.

Previously, that wave seemed foreign to him, as though he could control its activation by making his mini-self open or close its eyes; everything else was uncontrollable, which was quite problematic at first. However, over time, he managed to control its effects thanks to the Manipulation properties of his aura.

But now it was different. Now he felt that he could manipulate it instinctively, just as he manipulated his aura, as if it were an arm or a leg, which immediately led him to try “infusing” it into his right arm. This gave him a curious sensation, as if it were a different kind of enhancement, while he could see some sort of black lightning surrounding his arm.

Chapter 47: Why are you so small?

Chapter Text

Under Sage's watchful gaze, Kai approached a tree, his arm emitting intimidating black lightning. He then slowly threw a punch, making sure not to touch the tree. Just as he expected, the tree was completely destroyed, with splinters flying at terrifying speeds, taking down the surrounding trees they struck.

"It really is advanced Conqueror's Haki… the power boost is terrifying, like a [Ko] on steroids…" Kai remarked, deactivating his Conqueror's Haki and looking at the destruction with a hint of surprise.

"Certainly, and I think I can use that 'Conqueror's Haki' too," Sage commented while examining a hologram full of information that appeared in front of her. Kai added as he moved to another spot to continue testing.

"Let's try advanced Armament Haki. If it works the way I think it does, it will be quite terrifying, especially if I combine it with my aura abilities."

Soon after, Kai arrived at a more secluded spot, where he covered his right fist with Armament Haki. He focused all his attention on that sensation, trying to burn it into his memory, while simultaneously attempting to make it “flow” through his body, similar to how he maintained his Ten, which he now kept active all the time.

After a short time, Kai felt a strange sensation in his arm, though it was a bit faint. To avoid losing concentration, he quickly threw a punch towards the tree, though without touching it. Moments later, the tree exploded from within, leaving it completely shattered.

"It needs more work, but that effect at a distance, destroying the inside while leaving the outside intact, is definitely advanced Armament Haki. That slight delayed effect intrigues me—I could create interesting techniques if I can learn to control it…" Kai commented as he deactivated his Haki and analyzed the destroyed tree. Sage nodded, resting a hand on her chin.

"Indeed, some interesting abilities could come from that 'delayed action'."

"Now, the only thing left is to see if I can use 'future sight,' but I suppose the best way to test that would be against an opponent… well, let's leave that for later. For now, let's test the aura abilities."

…

A few hours later, Kai sensed Nemuri approaching the property, so he wrapped up his experiments and headed back to the house. He was somewhat surprised that Salem hadn't come looking for him, so he went to the large cat's room to check on him.

Upon arriving, Kai was utterly shocked to find a small cat with jet-black fur lying in a large dog bed on the floor, emitting the same voice as Salem, even with the same "intensity."

"Salem?" Kai asked hesitantly as Sage floated beside him, looking at the cat with equal curiosity.

Despite being called, the cat showed no signs of moving and instead continued lying in the bed, its body rising and falling rhythmically with its gentle breathing, forcing Kai to call out more loudly.

"Salem?!"

With Kai's loud voice, the small cat awoke from its slumber, then turned its head to look sleepily at the young man with blue eyes standing in the doorway, meowing in acknowledgment. It then got up from the bed and began stretching lazily.

"Why are you so small?" Kai wondered aloud as the small cat approached him, which made it aware of its new size, as it began to meow in confusion.

"Sage, examine Salem and try to figure out what's going on with him," Kai quickly ordered as he picked up the small cat in his hands, which looked up at him full of confusion.

"Right away, Master," Sage replied, flying towards the cat, placing her tiny hands on him while her wings glowed in different colors.

"Salem appears to be in perfect physical condition, but his DNA seems to have a slight difference, which has a pattern somewhat similar to 'quirks'." Sage commented shortly after, flying in front of Kai and showing him a holographic screen full of data. Kai could only ask, somewhat bewildered, while looking at the small cat in his hands.

"Did you awaken a quirk? How?"

In response to his master's question, Salem could only tilt his head cutely, as if he were also pondering a reason. Sage then commented thoughtfully while placing her hand on her chin.

"Could it be that Salem was somehow affected by the event at the gym?"

"It's very likely, although there's also the fact that he was already ridiculously larger than a normal cat, so it could very well be a combination of factors," Kai replied, equally pensive, which made Sage nod in agreement as she added.

"That is certainly a possibility, though a thorough investigation is needed to confirm it."

"You're right, although for now…" Kai turned to look at Salem, then asked with a tone of curiosity and uncertainty, "Can you return to your normal size, Salem?"

In response to his master's question, Salem meowed a couple of times, then began to tilt his head cutely as if he were checking something. It seemed he had found it because shortly after, under the surprised eyes of Kai and Sage, Salem began to grow in Kai's arms.

"Doesn't he seem bigger than before?" Kai asked uncertainly as he held the enormous cat in his arms, to which Sage nodded while replying.

"Indeed, he's about 8 centimeters larger than before."

"Can you make yourself even bigger, Salem?" Filled with curiosity, Kai put the cat back on the ground as he asked.

With an affirmative meow, the cat began to grow rapidly, soon reaching the size of a horse, causing Sage and Kai to look at each other with bright eyes before speaking simultaneously.

"We need to go outside!!"

"Let's go to the garden, Salem!"

As he hurried out of the room, Kai ordered with excitement, to which the enormous cat meowed in understanding while returning to his original size, then ran after his master with an evidently joyful stride.

"Well, the space seems big enough," Kai commented as he looked around, then turned to Salem and ordered excitedly, "Grow as big as you can, Salem!"

After an affirmative meow that sounded equally excited, the cat began to grow rapidly until it reached a height of about 5 meters, roughly the size of a residential streetlight, while in length, it was comparable to a bus.

"You look damn awesome, Salem!!!"

Seeing the enormous cat, which now resembled a giant panther with blue eyes, Kai exclaimed with excitement, to which Salem roared powerfully, equally excited, greatly frightening the gate guards and Nemuri, who had just arrived.

"What happened here?!!" Nemuri exclaimed, stunned, as she saw Kai sitting on the back of a monstrous black panther, to which the blue-eyed boy responded excitedly, shouting.

"Onee-chan, Salem awakened a quirk!!"

"What?!"

Everyone present couldn't believe what they were seeing and hearing. After all, it was extremely rare for an animal to awaken a quirk, to the point that only one of the guards had ever seen one during his years as a hero, apart from the world-famous Principal Nezu. It was a small dog that could extend its fangs.

"Kai, first, get down from 'Salem' so we can talk," Nemuri said, a tangle of emotions swirling inside her, before turning to the guards and speaking to them with a smile. "It seems everything is fine, it was just a scare, you can return to your posts."

"Of course, count on us if anything happens," one of the guards, a burly middle-aged man, commented with a smile, to which Nemuri responded in kind.

"Of course."

As the guards returned to their positions, Nemuri watched in astonishment as Salem shrank until he was about 30 centimeters tall, looking not much different from a normal cat. Salem leaped with great agility onto Kai's shoulder and stayed there, purring happily.

"Is that really Salem?" Nemuri asked as she walked inside the house, glancing at the small fairy on Kai's other shoulder.

"Yeah, I was pretty surprised too when I saw him so small a little while ago," Kai replied with a smile as he sat down on one of the sofas.

"And what's with that fairy?" Nemuri asked, full of doubts, while avoiding eye contact with Kai, who responded, sounding a bit unsure.

"It's Sage, though she's changed a bit."

"A bit? Going from a glowing sphere with wings to a fairy is more than just 'a bit'." Nemuri retorted, rolling her eyes before looking at the curious fairy and asking, "Are you really Sage?"

"I am indeed Sage, though I changed due to a certain incident yesterday," Sage responded in a serious tone.

Sage's words greatly frightened Nemuri, who began to sweat, terrified that the fairy had realized what she had done last night and would tell Kai—or worse, that he already knew. Her fear only worsened with Kai's question to the fairy.

"By the way, Sage, what happened after I 'fell asleep' at the gym?"

The moment Kai asked, Nemuri felt like the world around her stopped and everything started to crumble into pieces, which inevitably caused tears to well up in her eyes. But at that moment, Sage replied.

"The truth is, I don't know, Master. As soon as you 'fell asleep,' I was forcibly unsummoned until you called me again."

Sage's words almost made Nemuri cry with relief, but she had to hold back with all her strength, pretending to sneeze to wipe the tears from her eyes while Kai added thoughtfully.

"I suppose it was due to the change, though we need to figure out if my unconscious state affects you in any way."

"Indeed, though I must say it's unlikely. After all, I used to function 24/7, even when you were asleep," Sage commented as a holographic screen appeared in front of her, where she quickly arranged a virtual schedule, while Kai asked.

"By the way, now that you mention it, did the brute-force research stop?"

"Indeed, Master, but as soon as you called me, I reconnected to the servers and restarted all my operations."

"That's good," Kai nodded, satisfied, before noticing Nemuri, quickly realizing she had a somewhat strange expression, which led him to ask with a bit of concern.

"Are you okay, Onee-chan?"

"Yes, it's just that it's a bit hard to accept that Salem now has a quirk and even Sage looks so different." Nemuri commented in a calmer tone, which made Kai nod.

"It is definitely strange. By the way, did you take me to my room last night, Onee-chan?"

"Y-yes, when I got there, I found you sleeping in the gym, so I carried you like in the old days." Although Kai's question made Nemuri a bit nervous, she still managed to respond calmly, to which the blue-eyed young man thanked her with a warm smile.

"Thanks, Onee-chan," Kai said with a warm smile, which made Nemuri's heart race, before asking with curiosity, something that only made the beautiful woman even more nervous.

"By the way, Onee-chan, I was surprised you went out today; I thought you had today and tomorrow off."

"I am off, but I wanted to get something for the girls tomorrow, and I took the chance to buy a few things I was missing." Nemuri responded, seeming perfectly calm, as if there was nothing strange about the boxes in the car, to which Kai asked.

"Do you want me to help bring the stuff in?"

"That's not necessary, just make sure everything is ready so we can leave early tomorrow," Nemuri declined with a warm smile, to which Kai nodded before commenting as he got up.

"Alright, then I'll be training in the gym."

As the boy left the room with a cat and a fairy in tow, Nemuri could not help but let out a sigh of relief. She ran to the car and quickly brought in the boxes full of toys she had bought, then locked them up in her room.

Chapter 48: Are you sure we can’t?

Chapter Text

After discovering that Salem had awakened a quirk, Kai spent the rest of the day experimenting with the size-variable cat in the gym. He concluded that the quirk was quite intriguing, as Salem's strength only increased with his size but didn’t decrease when he shrank. This meant that the cat, even at his smallest size, was just as strong as he was at his normal size.

In his largest form, Salem's strength matched Kai's base strength, which was measured in tens of tons. This made the cat quite terrifying, especially considering that even at five meters tall, he was incredibly agile and fast.

"Sage, create a slot in the schedule to study yoga, chakras, and similar things more thoroughly. They might hold more surprises for us. Furthermore, don’t forget to check tonight if my unconscious state affects you now. Ah, and also remind me to create an Accomplice for Salem."

In the middle of the gym, Kai commented as he removed the weights from his wrists and ankles. Even though his house was sturdy enough to support him moving around, it would be a hassle to find a bed capable of holding that weight. Not to mention the potential for an unnecessary accident, as one of those weights could easily kill a person.

"Understood, Master. Everything is set. I also took the liberty of searching online and in the library for more information on the subject and created a theoretical framework. Additionally, I developed several experiments based on the hypotheses we discussed."

As Sage displayed a holographic screen to Kai, she cheerfully responded while sitting on the boy’s shoulder, and Salem shrank in size before jumping onto his free shoulder, meowing 'adorably'.

"Perfect."

As Kai left the gym, he nodded in satisfaction with Sage’s response. Despite now having a playful and sometimes annoying personality, Sage was just as, if not more, useful than before.

When Kai arrived home, he found Nemuri dressed in a loose black sweater and white shorts. She was absentmindedly scrolling through her computer with a glass of what looked like whiskey beside her. She seemed lost in thought. With a smile, the blue-eyed boy approached from behind and kissed her on the cheek, greatly surprising the woman.

“Kai?!”

“Haha, you were so focused, I couldn’t resist.” Kai replied after laughing as he took a seat at the dining table.

“Don’t scare me like that!” Nemuri responded, glaring fiercely at Kai. He quickly dismissed her look with a smile, commenting playfully yet accusingly.

“Isn’t it a tradition in this house to bother someone when they’re focused?”

“Hmph.”

Hearing Kai’s words, Nemuri could only huff in annoyance. After all, she was usually the one who teased the blue-eyed boy when he was concentrating. However, ever since Sage arrived, she hadn’t been able to do so because Sage always alerted him when she was nearby.

A short while later, a dark purple-haired woman, around 45 years old, brought a bunch of dishes to the table, to which the blue-eyed couple expressed their thanks. Meanwhile, Salem settled near his bowl, which was soon filled with heaps of kibble and large chunks of meat.

After a calm meal where they chatted about random things, Kai took his laptop and settled into his favorite couch, where he started working on the design of a new chip to upgrade his supercomputer. It had been a couple of years since he last upgraded it, and it was beginning to lag behind his current needs, especially now that Sage had been updated.

For her part, Nemuri continued to go through the messages her editor had sent her while a whirlwind of conflicting emotions tore through her heart. On one hand, she felt terribly guilty for what she had done, knowing it was unforgivable, but on the other, she was terrified of losing her beloved Kai.

This inner battle was affecting Nemuri so much that she had even started drinking, something she had only done in social situations before. But now, she felt she needed something extra to numb her heart, or she might go crazy from the immense weight of her guilt.

As time passed, Nemuri only sank deeper into her guilt and fear, drinking more aggressively to the point where she began to lose consciousness in the alcohol. She could no longer hold back, and tears began to fall from her face as a soft sob escaped her lips.

She felt like a traitor, one of those Kai despised so much, having betrayed his trust and, worse yet, the trust of Alisa-san. Furthermore, she believed she didn’t deserve anything she had and no longer deserved to be by Kai’s side. The only thing she felt she deserved was to die in a ditch like the perverted bitch she was.

The pain and guilt consumed Nemuri deeply, as tears streamed down her beautiful face like a waterfall. She felt stupid and like a horrible person, not just for what she had done. But she had even considered moving forward as if nothing had happened, something that could only cross the mind of someone as twisted as her.

Although Kai was completely focused on his work, he quickly snapped back to reality when he felt an urgent call from Sage. The fairy was flying in front of Kai with a grave expression while silently pointing at Nemuri, who was crying silently and drinking furiously, as if she were seeking to induce alcohol poisoning.

Alarmed, Kai rushed at full speed toward Nemuri, embracing her tightly and asking, almost in a panic.

“What happened, Onee-chan? Did someone hurt you? Tell me who it is; I swear I'll tear them apart with my own hands!”

“Kai…”

Feeling Kai’s embrace, Nemuri looked up to find his face filled with near panic, which only worsened her pain, causing her to cry even more desperately as she apologized between sobs, her voice filled with deep pain and guilt.

“Kai… I’m sorry… it’s all my fault… I’m a monster… I… I betrayed you…”

As Nemuri's words ended, Kai felt the world around him come to a halt. His eyes widened in disbelief, and his aura seemed to verge on losing control. However, managing to keep a shred of rationality, he quickly looked at Sage, whose wings were changing colors at a terrifying speed.

Moments later, Sage displayed several holograms in [In] mode in front of Kai so that only he could see them. The holograms showed various physiological changes in Nemuri during a certain timeframe, along with many recordings from the mansion’s hallway security cameras, as there were no cameras in the rooms.

Upon seeing the images of Nemuri carrying him to his room on one screen and her leaving with him in her arms, with her outfit clearly torn in suggestive areas, she returned to the room later. This, combined with the physiological data of Nemuri during those moments, made Kai feel a deep sigh of relief escape him. It wasn’t as bad as he had imagined.

Based on the data and images, it was obvious to assume that Nemuri had done ‘something’ while he was asleep—nothing too serious, honestly. It was something that, for some reason, had happened quite frequently with his partners in his past life. To the point that it wasn’t uncommon for him to wake up in the middle of the night because he felt an unusual warmth in his manhood.

But, even though it wasn’t something he considered a betrayal of any kind—certainly a relief—the situation was still quite delicate. While the act itself wasn’t very significant to him, the truly problematic aspect was who had done it, or, rather, the fact that it had greatly affected Nemuri. Otherwise, he would have happily played dumb and acted as if nothing had happened.

As he quickly thought about how to handle the problematic situation, Kai couldn’t help but curse a bit the event that, although it made him stronger, also brought him problems. If it hadn’t been for that strange state of unconsciousness, something like this would never have happened. After all, although he could concentrate to the point of entirely ignoring the world around him, he was a light sleeper who would have woken up the moment he was picked up off the floor. If Sage hadn’t woken him up when Nemuri arrived home.

But no matter how much he thought about it, Kai couldn’t come up with a viable solution or even what to say. After all, something like this was entirely outside his plans. Although he was unable to deny that he secretly harbored certain thoughts about his excessively attractive older sister, they were only fleeting thoughts, and he never intended to change their sibling relationship.

This extended to all the other girls as well. Kai never intended to start any kind of romantic relationship with them. After all, not only were such relationships problematic, but he knew himself very well and knew that he was an overly possessive and resentful person. Any kind of infidelity would mark the end of any kind of contact.

Because of this, Kai felt that the risk of starting a relationship with any of the girls was too high compared to the possible benefits. For him, a romantic relationship could be summed up in three things: companionship, affection, and sex, which wasn’t too appealing since he already received companionship and affection from the girls. And without a romantic relationship, his possessive tendencies would be much easier to control, making their relationship more stable in the long run.

As for sex, that was something that had never worried him. After all, even Daniel, at his worst, managed to get some sex from time to time, not to mention now. He was not only much more handsome but also immensely wealthy, with several high-value patents to his name, which were managed by his reliable aunt. This brought him immense amounts of money each year in royalties, not to mention his multimillion inheritance.

"It's okay, Onee-chan; don’t worry. I know you could never betray me."

Not knowing exactly what to say, Kai could only speak in a warm voice, trying to avoid mentioning that problematic event while feeling his possessive tendencies beginning to stir toward Nemuri, something that left him quite concerned.

"I did betray you... I betrayed your trust, and now you hate me. I shouldn’t be by your side anymore..."

In her drunken state, Nemuri spoke through her tears, filled with pain as her mind flooded with all kinds of fatalistic scenarios where she could no longer stay by her beloved Kai’s side. Kai, meanwhile, simply spoke as he unleashed his conqueror’s Haki to knock out everyone around them.

"No, you didn’t betray me, Onee-chan."

"YES, I DID, I, I…"

Filled with pain and regret, Nemuri tried to confess amidst her sobs, but at that moment, Kai suddenly kissed her on the lips, causing her mind to short-circuit as her eyes widened in astonishment.

"No, you didn’t."

Kai spoke again in a serious tone after letting go of Nemuri’s lips. She looked at him in surprise and disbelief, though deep in her gaze, something else could be seen—a certain passionate fire that she quickly tried to extinguish.

"What did you do, Kai? We can’t do something like this; we just can’t..." Nemuri spoke with her face completely red, creating an interesting contrast with the tear stains.

Kai, for his part, quickly embraced Nemuri and began stroking her beautiful hair as he asked warmly.

"Why can’t we?"

"Because I’m your older sister," Nemuri replied, both embarrassed and incredulous in Kai’s arms, feeling a bit confused about what to do or how to react, not to mention that her drunken state wasn’t helping.

"Are you sure we can’t?"

Kai asked in a warm voice, now not entirely sure of what he was saying. After all, on one hand, his possessive side was wreaking havoc on his mind, and at the same time, he knew that his relationship with Nemuri could no longer remain the same, forcing him to take action.

"We can’t… Alisa-san would never forgive me, and besides, I’m too old for you..." Nemuri commented in a somewhat hoarse tone, to which Kai softly added.

"Are you sure about that? Personally, I think Mom wouldn’t have minded, and besides, you’re just a beautiful Onee-chan, and I’ve always liked you."

"But..." Nemuri responded, filled with insecurities, but at that moment, Kai tightened his embrace a little, commenting.

"You don’t have to say anything now; just think about it."

"Alright..."

Nemuri replied in a low voice, her mind much clearer thanks to Kai secretly diluting some of the alcohol in her system. She then closed her eyes and let her consciousness drift away to the rhythmic sound of her beloved Kai’s heartbeat.

Chapter 49: why am I so unlucky?

Chapter Text

On his part, Kai, out of Nemuri's sight, had a complicated expression. Although he had achieved his goal of calming Nemuri and giving her something else to think about, he was fully aware that the problem was far from resolved and might have even worsened. However, in reality, he didn't know how to react and simply improvised on the spot.

After all, such an event had never even remotely crossed his mind, to the point where he doubted whether he would ever have children or even a stable partner in this life. In truth, all he wanted was to live peacefully and train to bring out his full potential, something he considered crucial in his plan of action.

His plan of action was quite simple; he just wanted to reunite with his mother once more. Although he was genuinely happy in this life, he couldn't shake the feeling that his relationships were unstable and fleeting. Like a beautiful trail of smoke that could disappear at any moment and bring him back to reality.

As a result, Kai felt that the only true relationship he'd ever had was with his mother. Due to his stupidity, he did not value it as he should have in his first life, and in this one, he did not have the chance. But ever since he saw her that day at the funeral home and heard her words, a crazy idea began to form in his head—next time would be the charm.

Although he wasn't sure if he could be reborn again, he had already done it once, so the chances weren't zero. Therefore, he needed to prepare for it because he couldn't allow his mother to lose her life tragically again. He had to ensure he could protect her.

The way he decided to prepare was very simple: hone his skills to the extreme. After all, there had been something that, from the beginning, seemed incredibly strange to him, and that was his absurd talent before awakening his memories. In just five years, he had reached a level close to the peak of skill that Daniel had achieved in engineering, not to mention that they were very similar even without the memories.

This inevitably led him to think that somehow Daniel had affected Kai, turning his hard-earned skill into a pure talent that Kai could exploit. So, following this line of thought, if he developed his strength to the extreme, it would have important potential for his next life—something that would be vital to keeping his mother safe.

Therefore, even if his new incarnation couldn't recover the memories of this life, he should still be able to keep his mother safe and make her happy. After all, another curious thing about himself before awakening his memories was that he was extremely attached to his mother, much more than he remembered being as Daniel. He wanted to believe this was due to his regrets and hoped that his possible third incarnation would inherit this trait.

But now, things have taken an unexpected turn. Nemuri had crossed a line that he didn't want to cross, forcing him to view this life from a different perspective. After all, the woman who had given him so much and sacrificed so much for him deserved to be treated with all the care and affection. His plans for his next life and his traumas were no excuse to be negligent.

But at the same time, he couldn't deny that his possessiveness was playing an important role. Somewhere within himself, he had already started to consider Nemuri as "his," and from his experience in his past life, he knew that could only end badly. After all, he had never seen those mythical lifelong relationships in real life—the only possible happy ending where he didn't end up rejecting Nemuri.

After a while, Kai realized that Nemuri had fallen asleep in his embrace. So, he quickly adjusted her before going to find Mrs. Yoshiko, the woman who had been working at his house for years, taking care of the household chores, and who had fainted a little while ago.

Even though he had confirmed it with his Observation Haki, Kai let out a slight sigh of relief when he saw the woman sitting unconscious in a comfortable chair near the kitchen. The woman liked to keep her own space to eat, out of respect, instead of joining them. Something that Nemuri and he accepted and for which they prepared a well-furnished place where she could feel comfortable.

Upon reaching her, Kai made Sage check the woman's condition and quickly concluded that she was in perfect health. He then helped her wake up with the help of his aura.

"Mr. Kai?" she asked, a bit confused upon waking, to which Kai responded with a small smile.

"Hello, Mrs. Yoshiko."

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Kai, for falling asleep during my working hours." The woman quickly stood up and then apologized, embarrassed, while bowing deeply.

"You don't need to apologize, Mrs. Yoshiko. I'm actually sorry for overloading you so much. How about you take the day off tomorrow? Also, I'd like to give you a small bonus from my side." Kai said with a smile on his face, causing Yoshiko to hurriedly decline, looking incredibly embarrassed.

"How is that possible, Mr. Kai? I am not overworked at all, and I definitely can't accept that bonus. The salary I receive every month is already incredibly high, not to mention the immense debt of gratitude I owe to Lady Yaoyorozu for helping my daughter. I can't ask for anything more."

"Don't look at it that way; think of it as a gesture of appreciation from me. Besides, Onee-chan and I will be leaving early tomorrow, so we won't be around all day. You can rest at home."

Kai responded while taking out his phone to transfer some money to Mrs. Yoshiko as an apology, which caused her phone to ring shortly after with a notification. This made the woman look at her phone, then widen her eyes in disbelief.

"Mr. Kai, I can't accept this much money." Yoshiko said, embarrassed, to which Kai casually replied.

"It's not much, just a small bonus, a bit of pocket money I earned a few days ago from selling a sword. It's better if you rest today; you must be tired. I'll have one of the guards take you home."

"But Mr. Kai..."

"Don't worry about it. Just buy something nice for your grandchildren or your husband and think of it as a gift from me."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Kai."

As the woman wiped the corners of her eyes, clearly moved, Kai quickly called one of the guards and asked him to take Mrs. Yoshiko to one of the cars in the garage. He then returned to the living room, where Nemuri was peacefully sleeping.

With a complicated expression, Kai carried Nemuri to her room, where he laid her on her bed, and then went to his own room, only to find his bed destroyed. This made him sigh in frustration, so he went to sleep in the guest room instead.

Once in bed, Kai couldn't help but let his mind drift into thoughts, trying to imagine what would come of today's events. But to be honest, he could not see a single good outcome ahead, which only made him sigh with a hint of sadness. He was so disappointed by the day's events that he even ignored the cat that timidly curled up on his bed.

"Sage, why am I so unlucky? Is it really so hard to live quietly and in peace while I train to be the strongest?" Kai asked in a somewhat sad and reflective tone, to which Sage softly responded as it landed on his chest.

"Master, as long as there are people involved, there will be problems. But as I understand it, humans can't live alone either, so it's an inevitable outcome. If it didn't happen now, you'd end up facing difficulties at some point."

"Certainly, it seems life is nothing but a collection of problems intertwined with each other..." Kai commented in an almost weary tone as he looked at the sky through the window, then added, "Sage, you know, Onee-chan will probably leave home tomorrow..."

"You're right, Master; it's the most likely scenario considering her personality," Sage replied seriously, to which Kai added, feeling even more tired.

"But you know, I never wanted something like this to happen. I never sought it out, and I even tried hard to prevent it. But still, it happened in the one moment I let my guard down... I really feel tired, Sage..."

"It's not your fault, Master," Sage said with a sad expression, while Salem snuggled closer to his master, sensing his sorrow.

"I know it's not my fault. In fact, I'm the victim in all of this, but still, I have to pay the price, or at least part of it. Now Onee-chan, the person who has loved and cared for me the most during this time, will leave me, which will undoubtedly lead to questions from the other girls. This is very likely to create a chain reaction that will end up leaving me alone."

In a soft and melancholic voice, Kai murmured as his gaze got lost in the stars, to which Sage could only reply in disagreement.

"I think you're exaggerating, Master. Although it's true that Nemuri's departure might provoke a strong reaction from the others, I think that would affect their relationship with her, not with you. After all, you said it yourself; you're the victim."

"That would be the logical thing to think, but you know, reality doesn't always follow logic, much less human relationships. Feelings themselves are illogical and irrational, and much more fragile than one might think.

Human relationships, especially one as peculiar as the one we all have in our unique family, work like a monolithic block. It only takes a small crack for the entire block to break into pieces.

But the problem is that Onee-chan's departure is a brutal blow, several orders of magnitude worse than a simple crack. After all, even if it might seem otherwise, Onee-chan is the true center of this family. She is the one who has actively kept this family together. I'm just a pessimistic and solitary guy who would eventually end up alone if it weren't for her.

So, although it's likely that what you say will happen initially, over time, Onee-chan's absence will be noticeable. There will no longer be anyone to organize the gatherings, no one to remember important dates, no one to make sure we're all present when it matters, and countless other things.

Without her, those bonds that now seem strong will gradually unravel, and what was once a family will soon become a group of strangers who barely recognize each other. Even more so, because everyone has something to belong to outside of this heterogeneous group that I arrogantly call a family.

Aunt Keiko has Momo, Aunt Yumiko has Nejire and her husband, and the Pussycats are an inseparable group. At the end of the list, there's only me, who has nothing—no friends, no family, nothing. I'm just a cynical, arrogant, and solitary bastard who only knows how to build things, nothing more."

Kai spoke in a tone full of melancholy as Salem moved to curl up on his chest, causing the young man with blue eyes to look at him with a somewhat sad smile as he asked.

"Will there come a time when even you will leave me alone, Salem?"

As Salem meowed as if swearing never to leave his master's side, Sage, unsure of what to say, quickly searched for information online but ended up finding too many contradictory things. After a moment, she could only comment uncertainly.

"But master, you could still learn to do those things to keep the family together..."

"Hehehe, that's not so easy. Although I have many talents, art and human relationships are not among them. They just don't come naturally to me, and even if I somehow managed to pull it off, in the end, would I still be myself? Or would I just be a distorted version of myself, trying to gain approval at the expense of my own identity?

Anyway, I guess ending up alone is my destiny. At least in this life, I have money and my powers to keep me from getting bored in the decades to come. Maybe in my next life, my mother can raise me properly so I don't end up being the failure I am now... But in this life, it seems very likely that the end of my life will be locked up with you in a dingy workshop creating strange things, Sage, hahaha."

As he lay on his back in bed with Salem on his chest, Kai spoke, filled with melancholy and self-loathing, which put an incredibly sad expression on Sage's face. Not knowing how to handle such a situation, she could only 'hug' Kai's cheek with her small body while sadly commenting.

"I'll always be with you, Master. Even if everything in this world abandons you, I will be your faithful follower forever and ever."

"Hehehe, it's good to have such a loyal assistant like you, Sage," Kai commented, somewhat amused amidst his melancholy, to which Sage didn't know how to respond, so instead, she remained silent while hugging her beloved master.

As he stroked Salem's soft fur, Kai slowly drifted off to sleep, his mind lost in his own melancholy and unresolved traumas, until he opened his eyes again with the first rays of sunlight. This only left him with a defeated expression as he set Salem aside and went to take a bath.

Chapter 50: Are you sure, Onee-chan?

Chapter Text

After leaving the bathroom, Kai put on a set of workout clothes and headed to the gym, where he trained intensely for a couple of hours, as if trying to release all his fears and frustrations through exercise. He focused entirely on himself, attempting not to notice Nemuri's movements in the house, knowing she had been awake since he got up.

When he finally felt calmer and ready to face the inevitable blow, Kai walked slowly back to the house, where he found Nemuri perfectly dressed with a suitcase by her side. This sight only brought an expression of understanding and melancholy to his face, which he quickly masked before approaching her with a smile.

(Well, here comes the first of many blows to come...)

"Good morning, Onee-chan," Kai greeted her as he always did, to which Nemuri responded with a serious expression.

"Good morning, Kai."

After a few deep breaths, Nemuri seemed to gather the courage to continue speaking with a serious and determined expression.

"Kai, although I imagine you already know or suspect it, there's something I need to confess to you."

Seeing Nemuri's expression, Kai knew there was nothing more to be done, so he could only remain silent with a calm expression on his face while Nemuri continued to speak with difficulty.

"Kai... I... I took 'advantage' of you when I took you to bed a couple of nights ago... I lost control and did something horrible."

"…"

For his part, Kai could only stay silent as he tried to maintain his calm expression, something Nemuri couldn't see as her gaze inevitably dropped due to guilt and shame. But she continued speaking nonetheless.

"And what happened last night gave me a lot to think about... I'm not a good guardian for you, and honestly, I don't think I should stay by your side any longer given how I am..."

(Well, it was good while it lasted. I shouldn't feel sad that it's ending; it was just a happy chapter in my life. The best thing for Onee-chan is to go back to her life away from me, so she can leave all this behind and be happy. Besides, I should see the positive side: being alone means fewer risks, and I can move more freely...)

As Kai got lost in his thoughts, trying to keep himself composed despite the inevitable blow he was experiencing, Nemuri continued speaking with a guilty and ashamed expression.

"But... I really love you, Kai. Even though I know it's wrong, even though it's illegal, and that Alisa-san will probably never forgive me for this, I can't stay away from you. You're the most precious thing in my life, and I can't imagine a future without you by my side. So, if you're truly okay with me and can forgive me for what I did, I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Upon hearing Nemuri's words, Kai could only feel disbelief. Although he couldn't say it was entirely unexpected, he was fully aware that something like this happening was highly improbable. After all, Nemuri would always try to do things the right way, and as a pessimist, he could only imagine the worst-case scenario.

But did that mean this was the best possible outcome? Not really. His relationship with Nemuri was now more complicated and unstable than before, not to mention that it was immoral and even illegal considering his age in this life. And that was without even mentioning that he would now have to deal with her possessiveness issues and more. But compared to her leaving, this scenario was a damn paradise.

For her part, Nemuri, hearing no response from Kai, began to panic a little, thinking she had misunderstood and made a mistake. She quickly lifted her head, on the verge of tears, only to find her beloved Kai with a strange expression, one that seemed to combine surprise, relief, and happiness, while his eyes appeared glassy.

"Kai?..."

Filled with nerves, Nemuri called out softly, which seemed to awaken the blue-eyed boy, who immediately jumped up to hug her tightly around the waist, his face buried in her voluptuous chest, as he asked.

"… Are you sure, Onee-chan?"

"Yes... Even though I know it's wrong, I can't lie to myself. I love you, Kai, and rather than suffer alone for 'doing the right thing,' I'd rather be selfish and be happy by your side. Even though I know it will be a complicated path filled with challenges, being with you, I know I'll be able to face any challenge."

With a smile on her face, Nemuri commented while hugging her beloved's head to her chest, causing tears of happiness and relief to start falling from her eyes. She had seriously considered leaving so that Kai could grow up like a normal young man. Since she had woken up in the middle of the night, she had been struggling with herself to make a decision.

She considered every option and the reactions they would provoke in her particular family and in her own future, but despite knowing that leaving was the healthiest and most logical choice in her situation, she didn't have the courage. She loved her Kai too much, and no matter what she had to do, even if it meant receiving the hatred and contempt of everyone, including her own family, she wanted Kai to be the man in her life. So, she chose to be happy, even if it meant doing things the wrong way.

"So, from now on, are we boyfriend and girlfriend, Onee-chan?" Kai asked softly, to which Nemuri responded with a small smile on her face.

"Well, yes, but I'd like us to wait a bit because, although it doesn't seem like it, you're only about to turn thirteen. My conscience would be a little more at ease if we waited until you're 15. I know it won't make the sin any lesser, but it would make me feel less guilty."

"That's fine, Onee-chan; I don't mind. We can even wait until I turn 18 if that makes you feel better," Kai commented in a soft, affectionate voice, to which Nemuri quickly replied in a low voice, with a bit of panic, knowing her self-control would never last that long.

"N-no, there's no need to wait that long. Fifteen is fine."

"Alright, then at 15, hehe."

As he hugged Nemuri and relaxed in her warmth, Kai commented, genuinely happy. After all, he truly loved Nemuri. He simply didn't want to start any kind of relationship out of fear, as it would exponentially increase the chances of their relationship ending badly, and they might never speak to each other again. But now that he had been forced into it, he realized it wasn't so bad, despite the enormous risk.

"By the way, Onee-chan, if you didn't want to leave, why the suitcase?"

After a while in peaceful and warm silence, Kai asked as he released Nemuri. But noticing the reluctant gaze of his spectacular older sister, now girlfriend, he quickly sat on a larger sofa and gestured for her to sit next to him.

"It's actually some things I promised to take to the girls. Didn't I mention it yesterday?" Nemuri responded as she approached Kai, but instead of sitting next to him, she sat on his lap and rested her head on the young man's strong chest.

"Oh, that's right, I forgot."

As he embraced Nemuri in his lap, Kai commented cheerfully, followed by a pleasant conversation where they talked about different things, including their future. Though Nemuri couldn't help but apologize repeatedly for what had happened, thanks to his quick wit, Kai managed to distract her by recalling happy moments they had shared, turning the moment into a series of nostalgic and joyful laughs.

"Well, Kai, we can't waste any more time. We have to go see the girls." In the middle of the pleasant conversation, Nemuri suddenly commented, noticing that the afternoon had arrived before she realized it.

"Eh? We're still going?" Kai asked in surprise, to which Nemuri replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"But of course, we're going."

"Even after everything that happened today?" Still incredulous, Kai asked as he looked at Nemuri's serious expression, who quickly responded before heading to the kitchen.

"Yes, even after everything that happened. You better get ready quickly. I made you something quick for lunch, and then we'll leave."

Seeing Nemuri enter the kitchen, Kai watched her back with a blank expression until she disappeared behind the door. At that moment, he could only laugh a little amused, then headed to his room, feeling quite foolish for all the drama he had caused the night before. But at the same time, he was also a bit concerned. After all, he had no idea that his emotional state was so fragile, something he needed to pay attention to from now on.

(Luckily, only Salem and Sage heard me... Wait, now that I think about it, where is Sage? Could it be that my unconsciousness is affecting her now?)

"Sage," Kai called out as he entered his room, causing the beautiful fairy to appear, who greeted him with a smile shortly after.

"Hello, Master."

"Does my unconsciousness affect you now?" Kai asked, somewhat worried, as that would greatly reduce his capabilities, to which Sage quickly shook her head.

"Not really, Master. Everything is just as before. I can function independently of your state of consciousness. It’s just that in the middle of the night, I made a significant breakthrough in one of the research projects, so I was conducting thorough tests to confirm the results."

"Which one?" Kai asked, immensely interested, as he entered the bathroom, to which Sage responded with a small smile on her face.

"The future sight."

"You figured that out so quickly?" Kai asked, surprised, as he began to shower. Sage responded while a hologram full of information appeared in front of him.

"It was actually much easier than I expected. By using intensification and manipulation, it's possible to force Observation Haki to surpass its limits, allowing you to perceive a few seconds into the future. Additionally, when combined with En, you can get very interesting results, which I’ve currently synthesized into something I decided to call [Absolute Perception Field]."

"Hey, is it just me, or are you just as bad at naming things as I am?"

While quickly showering, Kai commented as he glanced over the data on the holographic screen. Sage could only respond while tilting her head cutely.

"Do you think it’s a bad name, Master? I thought it was quite fitting, since within the [Absolute Perception Field], you can obtain data on almost everything—from detailed and precise spatial awareness to fluctuations in the energies of targets and changes in their emotions, positions, and intentions. It also allows for precise control over the activation of future sight, whether on a specific target or in a broader area."

"Well, as long as you don’t make us shout the name as part of a pact, it’s all good," Kai commented with an ironic smile, to which Sage quickly nodded.

"Understood, Master."

A little later, Kai finished his shower and quickly put on a casual outfit consisting of a black cotton hoodie, blue pants, and sneakers. He then quickly headed downstairs to the dining room with Salem in tow, as the sloth had just woken up. There, Nemuri was waiting for him with several simple dishes on the table.

"Thanks, Onee-chan," Kai thanked her with a smile as he sat at the table, to which Nemuri responded with a small smile after taking a sip of her hot coffee.

"Fufufu, you don't have to thank me. It actually felt pretty good to cook for you after so long, although hurry up—we were supposed to leave in the morning, and look at the time."

"I got it," Kai replied as he started eating quickly.

"By the way, Kai, could we keep all this a secret for now? Even though I know everyone will eventually find out, I want to be more prepared for that moment."

After hesitating for a moment, Nemuri commented with a rather embarrassed expression, which caused Kai to stop eating for a moment and then look at her intently, making Nemuri really nervous. But the boy soon smiled mischievously and then commented playfully.

"Don’t worry, Onee-chan; I understand it’s better not to mention it for now, hehe."

"You idiot! Don’t scare me like that!"

With a pout reflecting her annoyance, Nemuri exclaimed loudly as she playfully hit Kai's shoulder, who just smiled amusedly and went back to eating as if nothing had happened, only making Nemuri’s pout worse.

Although her pout didn’t show it, Nemuri felt a deep sense of warmth and tranquility flooding her heart. After all, she had come so close to losing the love of her life, and being able to have such a cheerful and casual conversation again really made her feel that it was real—that she could still stay by his side. At the same time, a new resolve formed within her to never let something like that happen again.

Chapter 51: Accompany

Chapter Text

After lunch, Kai left the house with Sage and Salem, who now refused to get down ever since they acquired their new forms, perched on his shoulders—something the blue-eyed boy could only surrender to for the moment. This brought an amused smile to Nemuri's face, who walked beside him while dragging the suitcase she wouldn’t let Kai carry.

Upon reaching the garden, Kai conjured a beautiful card in his right hand, adorned with golden-colored patterns from his [Aura Script] along the edges and back. In the center was the image of a point of light interconnected with various surrounding points, giving it a look similar to a karmic wheel or something of the sort.

“Kai, you know using quirks in public without a license is prohibited, right?”

Noticing the card in Kai's hand, Nemuri commented with a hint of amusement. The young blue-eyed man just smiled while scratching his ear, then responded in a condescending yet playful tone.

“Wait, Onee-chan, I think I heard you wanted to go to the mountain on your own.”

“Hehehe.” Without saying a word, Nemuri just grinned mischievously as she moved a little closer to Kai, who commented in amusement.

“That’s what I thought.”

After laughing a bit, Kai raised the card in front of him and exclaimed loudly.

“[Accompany] on, [Pussycats' base]!”

With Kai’s words, the card in his hands transformed into a bright light that enveloped them all, forming a barrier around them as they shot into the air at supersonic speeds. Curiously, this didn’t cause a sonic boom, as if it were merely an illusion, especially since, shortly after they rose into the air, the burst of light vanished from sight, becoming completely invisible.

One of his successful aura experiments over the years had been the skill cards, inspired by the Greed Island cards. Thanks to a combination of the intrinsic properties of materialization, pacts, and his Aura Script, these cards allowed him to perform relatively complex skills at a fairly low aura cost and with much greater ease.

Although the cards were incredibly useful, they were not without drawbacks. While the difficulty and cost of the card skills were indeed low, in return, Kai lost complete control over the abilities once activated. The cards would take all the aura cost upfront and execute automatically, with nothing he could do, even though only he could use them since none of the girls could activate them.

On the other hand, Kai also couldn’t conjure the cards indefinitely; they all had usage limits—some daily, others weekly, monthly, or even annually, depending on their complexity and power. For example, he could use Accompany 30 times per week, and the most special cards had additional conditions besides the pact all skill cards shared, which involved conjuring the card and saying the name out loud.

In the case of Accompany, besides saying its name aloud, he also had to say the name of the place he wanted to go to, and it was mandatory to do so out loud, or the card wouldn’t activate. The 'multiplier' of the pacts depended heavily on the risk involved. Moreover, the skill could only take him to people or places he had previously marked, and he had only 30 slots. If he wanted to add one more, he had to remove a previous one.

But because the danger of not being able to control the cards once activated was too great for him to accept, Kai later added another pact to forcibly cancel the ability mid-execution. However, in exchange, he not only lost all the aura that the ability had cost, but even that cancellation counted as an extra use. Moreover, that pact greatly reduced the maximum uses of the cards he perceived as more dangerous.

A short time later, in the Pussycats' base garden, a beam of light suddenly became visible in the sky. It soon struck the ground, revealing a translucent light barrier with Nemuri and Kai inside, with Salem and Sage on his shoulders.

“Kai, you know using quirks without a license is prohibited?”

Shino, who was training alongside Ryuko, Tomoko, and Chatora in the garden, commented with a small smile as she approached the group, to which Kai responded with a small, amused grin.

“Did I hear someone doesn't want a massage, or was it just my imagination?”

“...”

At Kai's comment, Shino could only remain silent, pouting as she looked at the blue-eyed boy, who soon added with a sly smile.

"That's what I thought."

"Hehehe, Kai has you wrapped around his little finger, Shino," Nemuri commented playfully as she approached, dragging the suitcase, which Shino quickly took while huffing in annoyance.

"Hmph, I think I heard someone doesn’t want their massage."

"Hey, you don’t get to decide that, right, Kai? Kai?! Hey! Don’t turn your head, look at me when I’m talking to you!"

Nemuri finally exclaimed loudly as she watched the boy who was looking away, pretending the situation had nothing to do with him, while Ryuko approached with an amused smile.

"Hello, my future husband. Your Ryuko Onee-chan has been waiting for you anxiously. You’re quite late today."

"I already told you, Kai won’t be your husband, just accept it."

At Ryuko's comment, Nemuri immediately exclaimed, although curiously, instead of appearing upset as usual, she now seemed more amused and relaxed about it. However, the beautiful blonde woman arrogantly responded.

"That has nothing to do with you, Nemuri. This is between Kai and me; you can’t fight true love."

"As his Onee-chan, I’ll never allow it."

While Nemuri and Ryuko were engaged in their typical argument, which now seemed more like a fun little game for Nemuri, Kai wisely slipped away, casually commenting.

"It’s really lively around here."

"Haha, you talk as if it has nothing to do with you," Chatora couldn’t help but comment amusedly, to which Kai quickly defended himself with a serious and innocent expression.

"I’m innocent, don’t accuse me of things I have nothing to do with, Chatora."

"Haha, if that helps you sleep at night."

While Chatora was amused by the whole situation, Tomoko couldn’t take her eyes off the little cat and the beautiful fairy on Kai’s shoulders, something everyone else had selectively avoided asking about for the moment.

"Kai, where’s Salem? Is that cat Salem’s offspring? And is that fairy real?"

Faced with Tomoko’s flood of questions, Kai quickly picked up little Salem from his shoulder, while Sage began flying around, greatly surprising the Pussycats as the blue-eyed boy explained.

"This little one is Salem, but he awakened a quirk and can now make himself smaller or larger at will. And the fairy is Sage, who for some reason changed and now looks like this."

"…"

Upon hearing the explanation, the Pussycats could only look at each other speechlessly. This made Nemuri laugh in amusement as she could not help but take out her phone to start recording them, while Shino asked in a voice filled with countless emotions.

"Let’s leave the fairy aside—your quirk has always been very strange, but how did Salem awaken a quirk?"

"I’m not exactly sure how it happened; I’m still investigating it. So, it’s better if you see for yourselves. Show them, Salem."

After the order, Kai placed Salem on the ground, who meowed affirmatively before starting to grow to his normal size. Although he did not stop there and kept growing until he reached his maximum size, all under the astonished gazes of the Pussycats.

"Incredible…" Chatora softly exclaimed while looking at the huge panther in front of him.

"Certainly, although Salem was already much larger than his parents, so it’s not that surprising he has a quirk…" Shino commented, equally surprised, to which Tomoko asked with bright eyes.

"Kai, do you think you could lend us Salem for some heroic deeds so we can look super cool?"

"Well, only if Salem likes the idea."

Seeing the cat-loving heroes' eyes light up like flashlights at Tomoko's question, Kai could only respond with amusement, which caused the Pussycats to turn and look at Salem with almost predatory eyes.

Feeling endangered, Salem quickly shrank down to his smallest size before leaping onto Kai’s shoulder, trying to hide from those people with dangerous eyes. At the same time, Ryuko approached with a smile, attempting to appear calm and composed.

“Salem, little baby, come to mama Ryuko, we just want to play with you for a bit.”

Upon hearing Ryuko, Salem's fur immediately stood on end, and in a panic, he quickly tried to hide inside Kai’s shirt. This prompted Sage, who had been silent until then, to ask in a low voice.

“Master, why does it seem like they want to eat Salem?”

“Well, they’re true cat fanatics. Even their hero names are inspired by cat breeds, so the idea of having a real cat with a quirk as a ‘companion’ must be pretty exciting for them.” Kai responded quietly. He found himself surrounded by all the Pussycats.

“Come on, Salem, we’ll look super cool and help a lot of people. We’re going to be heroes!” Tomoko said with high tension, causing poor Salem to tremble inside Kai's clothes. Kai could only comment with a smile.

“No need to intimidate Salem like that. And if you really want a cat companion, then you’re in luck, hehe.”

“Hey, we’re not intimidating him!” Chatora quickly defended himself, to which Kai responded with a mocking smile:

“If that helps you sleep at night.”

“…”

As Chatora was hit with his own words, Shino spoke in a calm and measured voice, though the small smile on her lips and the slight gleam in her eyes betrayed her excitement.

“We’re really not intimidating him, but more importantly, what do you mean we’re in luck?”

“Sage, show them.”

“Understood, master.”

With Kai’s order, Sage quickly created a hologram displaying a hyperrealistic 3D model of Nemuri's Accomplice, with various text boxes and graphs extending from it. At the top, there was a title that read “Accomplice Base Mode.”

Chapter 52: Battle Mode

Chapter Text

"As you already know, this is the Accomplice you are all familiar with and have lived with for the past few months, but now they will function as follows."

Kai explained as though he were giving a lecture, fully capturing the attention of everyone present. After all, everyone had greatly enjoyed what the Accomplices could offer, especially in their line of work. Not only had Nemuri experienced an incredible streak of case resolutions, but the Pussycats had also seen a significant increase in this area, as they enjoyed the same benefits she did.

For his part, Sage dramatically changed the hologram the moment Kai finished speaking, mimicking the way certain digital monsters evolve in an anime she had randomly found online. With impressive special effects, and a digital cocoon enveloped the small cat.

The Digivolution of the Accomplice was so cool that Kai could almost hear electric guitar riffs and felt the urge to start singing, but he quickly held back. After a moment, the hologram transitioned to show an imposing panther the size of a tiger, now with a title that read "Accomplice Battle Mode."

"Once your Accomplices are updated, they can take on this form, which I’ve simply named [Battle Mode]. In this mode, they have super strength, enhanced speed, and reflexes, and they can double in size if necessary. However, keep in mind that this doesn’t increase their strength and only gives a slight boost to their speed, allowing you to use them as mounts or for similar purposes.

That said, remember that Accomplices feed on your energy, and this 'Battle Mode' significantly increases their consumption. So, you can't overdo it, or you'll be out of combat from exhaustion. Also, the updates will take 7 hours each, so it's best to follow the schedule we used to create them."

As everyone present examined the hologram of the Accomplice with surprise, Kai explained seriously, causing everyone to summon their own Accomplices while looking at him with bright eyes. These were cats with the same eye and fur color as their hosts, leading Kai to comment playfully.

"I already told you we’d use the same schedule we used to create them, so I’ll update Onee-chan’s first, and then Shino, Chatora, Ryuko, and Tomoko will follow."

"That’s not fair! I’m last; let's redo the order! Nemuri, you should join in too." Tomoko quickly replied with a pout on her face as she looked at the others. After a moment of consideration, they nodded and took their positions, ready to start their important contest.

"Rock, paper, scissors!"

After several rounds of rock-paper-scissors, the new order was decided: Ryuko, Nemuri, Tomoko, Chatora, and Shino, leaving different expressions on the competitors’ faces—a thrilled Ryuko and a reluctant Shino trying to hide her reluctance.

"Then it’s settled; I’ll go first, hehe." Ryuko commented excitedly as she handed her Accomplice, a beautiful cat with golden fur and blue eyes, to Kai.

"Well, even though you’re going first, I can only perform the update at home since I need some special things to do it, so it’ll have to be another day," Kai replied, somewhat amused as he received the golden cat.

"Huh? Then what are we doing here? Let’s go!" Tomoko exclaimed happily, even before anyone else could react, causing everyone to smile cheerfully as they approached Kai, who could only ask, somewhat surprised.

"Weren’t we planning to spend the holidays here?"

"Fufufu, that was before. You can’t expect us to sit still after finding out that the Accomplices can be updated." Shino responded with a playful smile.

"Shino’s right. If you had told me this from the beginning, I would’ve called the girls to go to the house instead of us coming here, hehe." Nemuri added with a small smile, feeling truly happy to enjoy this moment she thought she might lose forever.

"Hurry up, Kai! I’m dying to see my Komugi super big!" Ryuko added excitedly as she hooked one of Kai's arms.

"I told you it wasn’t a good idea to name them..." Kai commented while shaking his head, then quickly added, "But alright, let’s go. Although, aren’t you taking anything with you?"

"You’re right! We forgot in all the excitement. Let’s grab our things quickly!" Chatora exclaimed, both excited and surprised at the oversight, before running toward the base, quickly followed by the others.

"Fufufu, they’re really excited."

Seeing everyone run toward the base, Nemuri commented with a beautiful smile on her face as she hooked one of Kai’s arms, just as Ryuko had done moments earlier, which made the blue-eyed boy smile as well. He then added while looking into the distance.

"Certainly, although I really feel like I was about to lose all of this."

"I feel the same way."

In the midst of a pleasant silence, Nemuri and Kai waited in the garden, while Sage settled back on Kai’s shoulder and Salem finally poked his head out from Kai’s clothes. He looked around nervously, but, noticing that no one else was there, he meowed softly as if letting out a sigh of relief.

After a while, the Pussycats returned, running with several suitcases in hand, and surrounded Kai with smiles on their faces. This prompted the blue-eyed boy to conjure the Accompany card in his hands once again, before happily saying.

"Alright, let’s go!, [Accompany] on, [Home]!"

After returning home, Kai was obliged to enter the room where the [Aura Script] pattern was on the floor due to Ryuko’s insistence. Her eyes were shining, practically radiating excitement. After boosting his aura, he proceeded to place a drop of his blood and all of his aura into the pattern, causing the Accomplice to be enveloped by a sphere of light, which soon transformed into an egg.

"Is it ready?!" Ryuko asked excitedly when she saw Kai return to the living carrying the egg, immediately drawing everyone’s attention as they started eyeing Kai almost predatorily.

"Yes, now we just have to wait 7 hours for it to hatch, and it’ll be ready. Although I’m pretty tired, so I’ll be resting a bit." Kai responded, his voice clearly sounding drained, which caused everyone’s excitement to diminish noticeably as Nemuri approached him with a hint of concern.

"Are you okay, Kai? If this is too much for you, take a break from updating the Accomplices; we can do it later."

"I’m fine, just a little tired. I’ll recover in a while, and by the time this one is ready, I can continue with yours, Onee-chan." Kai replied casually as he collapsed onto one of the sofas, while Shino and Ryuko approached, equally concerned.

"I’m sorry, Kai, I got too excited." Ryuko apologized, feeling a bit guilty for her earlier insistence, but Kai quickly waved his free hand to signal that it was no big deal.

"Don’t worry, I’m just tired. Besides, it’s better to update the Accomplices sooner rather than later."

"Do you want us to bring you something?" Shino asked in a soft and warm voice, something Kai didn’t hesitate to take advantage of, and he quickly responded with a smile.

"Some lemonade and fries would be great."

"Sure, give me a moment; I’ll go prepare it," Shino replied happily, quickly followed by Nemuri, who added.

"Let me help you."

"Of course."

As Nemuri and Shino went into the kitchen, Tomoko and Chatora approached Kai, where Chatora commented in a serious tone.

"If it’s really a burden for you, it’s better to do it at a slower pace. There’s no need to overexert yourself. We were just a bit excited, but we didn’t want to overwork you."

"You don’t have to worry, Chatora. I’m really fine, just a little tired. I’ll recover soon." Kai responded with a smile while using his optimized breathing technique to regain his aura, to which Tomoko asked while placing her hands on his shoulders from behind.

"Would you like a massage, Kai?"

"Well, since you’re offering, it would be rude not to accept, hehe." Kai replied playfully, bringing a cheerful smile to Tomoko’s face. She quickly began to massage Kai’s shoulders with impressive technique, while commenting.

"Fufu, you’re going to be surprised. I’ve been studying how to give good massages, so just relax and enjoy."

"Then that's what I'll do." Kai commented, amused and pleased with the luxurious treatment. At that moment, Ryuko took his feet and quickly removed his shoes, smiling as she said.

"Then I’ll give you a foot massage. I’m pretty good at it."

"Well, then I’ll be in your care." Kai replied with a smile as he looked at Ryuko, who quickly raised her arm while touching her bicep with her other hand, cheerfully saying.

"Leave it to me!"

"Then I’ll make you one of my famous cakes as a thank you." Chatora commented with a smile, to which Kai quickly responded with gratitude.

"Thanks, Chatora; I’ve really been craving one for a while."

"Haha, leave it to me."

As Chatora headed to the kitchen, Kai fully relaxed on the sofa, feeling quite satisfied as he was treated like a king. He spent the rest of the day laughing and chatting happily until, seven hours later, in the middle of the night, the egg began to glow and floated into the air. It then cracked open to reveal the Accomplice, who quickly ran towards Ryuko.

"Is it ready? It doesn’t look very different..." Ryuko remarked as she examined her Accomplice, holding it in her hands, prompting Kai to casually suggest.

"Give it the command to enter battle mode."

Filled with curiosity, Ryuko mentally ordered the Accomplice to enter battle mode. The golden cat quickly jumped from her arms to the ground, where it grew to a size comparable to a tiger, giving it a fierce and powerful appearance. Its golden fur made it look like a mighty panther made of gold.

"Komugi!!" Seeing her Accomplice transform, Ryuko exclaimed in delight, then jumped onto it, hugging it tightly while profusely thanking Kai.

"Thank you, Kai! You’re really the best. I love you—let’s get married when you turn 18, haha!"

"Haha, let’s go to the garden so you can test out your Accomplice," Kai responded, completely ignoring Ryuko’s ‘proposal,’ which made everyone present light up with excitement, especially the beautiful golden-haired woman, who was the first to run out with Komugi in tow.

Chapter 53: He wouldn’t just sit still

Chapter Text

Once in the garden, Ryuko excitedly commanded her Accomplice to grow, and it quickly reached a height just above that of a normal horse. At that moment, the beautiful woman with golden hair leaped gracefully onto her enormous golden panther, quickly noticing how comfortable it felt to ride, as if her body were specially designed for it.

"This is awesome!"

Ryuko exclaimed with excitement as her Accomplice ran through the garden, swiftly entering the forest, where it began moving between the trees with impressive agility, jumping between branches and rocks with unimaginable speed for its massive figure. It was nearly 2 meters tall and 5 meters long.

Meanwhile, the others could only watch with envy as the happy Ryuko enjoyed her ride through the forest. At that moment, Nemuri couldn’t help but comment in a slightly worried tone as she looked at Kai.

"Even though the Accomplices are amazing and will be very useful, what excuse are we going to give when people start asking questions? After all, even if we set aside the fact that Kai doesn’t have a license to use his quirk, a skill like this would attract too much attention, especially if all of us can use it..."

Nemuri’s comment caught everyone’s attention, and they couldn’t help but exchange worried glances. It would indeed be problematic in more than one way. Although the Accomplices performed most of their abilities inside their bodies, this 'battle mode' was too flashy and wouldn’t be easy to explain.

"Nemuri is right; it’ll be complicated to use the new update in public for now. It’s best to keep it hidden and only use it in emergencies."

Shino commented in a serious tone, though her expression couldn’t hide a hint of disappointment, which led everyone to nod in agreement. Chatora then added in a similarly serious, though equally disappointed voice.

"Certainly, it’s the best course of action, although it’s a shame. I guess it’s better to wait until Kai can apply for his license."

"Well, if you need me to apply for the license, I have no problem. I’ve got something similar to show." Kai commented casually as a copy of Salem appeared next to him. The cat quickly grew until it reached the size of Ryuko’s Accomplice, sparking Salem’s competitive spirit. The cat then grew even larger than the nen beast and roared confidently while looking down at it.

"Fufufu, Salem got jealous." Tomoko commented, amused at the scene, causing Salem to meow in annoyance and proceed to ignore the bothersome woman.

"Fufufu, while it’s nice that you want to get a license for our sake, by law, you can’t apply for one until you’re 15, so it’s not possible at the moment." Nemuri responded after laughing at the jealous cat, who also proceeded to ignore her after a frustrated growl.

"Really? Even though I’m emancipated, I can’t apply for a license?"

Kai asked curiously, as he had been legally an adult for a few years. Although he didn’t say it directly, it made him uncomfortable that his money wasn’t in his hands. So, he had managed to convince a judge to declare him legally an adult some time ago, something all the family happily supported.

"Yes, in the same way you still can’t vote or drink."

Shino answered with a small smile, looking in awe at Salem and the nen beast. Even though it wasn’t the first time she had seen them, Salem’s new ability to grow in size somehow made him look even more impressive.

"While I can understand the drinking part, it’s stupid that I can’t vote or apply for a license to use my quirk. I’m legally responsible for myself; what sense does that make?" Kai said, disagreeing, which led Chatora to explain with a smile.

"Well, that’s because it’s actually compared to the legal drinking age. It’s more for physical reasons, since it’s believed that using a quirk too much before the age of 15 could affect a child’s health and development."

"Really?" Kai asked, a bit surprised, to which Chatora nodded.

"Yes, although cases like that aren’t seen much anymore, in ancient times it was relatively common for a child to hurt themselves using their quirk or to overexert themselves and end up with lifelong injuries. So, the age limit was set because most cases happened during childhood, and it seems to have worked, since cases like that are very rare today."

"How curious; I didn’t know..." Kai commented as he watched Ryuko stroll on her Accomplice, a bright smile on her face, which led him to think, inspired.

"Just a question: are there the same quirk usage limitations for animals?"

"What do you mean, Kai?" Tomoko asked curiously, to which Kai quickly responded with a smile.

"Well, I was thinking, now that Salem has a quirk, and I’ll give him an Accomplice soon, what’s stopping us from saying that his quirk allows him to grow, have super strength, and create copies of himself to protect others? After all, the Accomplices already look a lot like him, and we could easily say his quirk is called something like 'Guardian Soul', something corny but believable."

Kai’s comment made everyone look at each other, a bit surprised, but shortly after, Shino couldn’t help but comment, her hand on her chin.

"Although it would undoubtedly be perjury, it would be hard to prove, so it’s a possibility. Still, I wouldn’t feel very comfortable using that excuse."

"Certainly, it could get us into trouble if we’re found guilty of perjury in court, and even if that’s not the case, we could lose our licenses for it." Nemuri quickly added thoughtfully, to which Kai responded casually while petting the massive Salem.

"Well, it’s either that or not use the Accomplices’ battle forms for two years until I can get my license. Besides, I won’t get a hero license since I don’t like those clauses that force me to follow the government’s orders in 'emergency cases' and all the other annoying things that come with it.

So, I’ll only get a civilian use license, and I’m not sure how useful that would be for the Accomplices. Not to mention, I’ll have to lie a lot anyway to avoid creating Accomplices for strangers, so perjury is inevitable. But don’t worry, in case of an emergency, you can blame me and say I tricked you. I doubt they could throw me in jail for it even if they wanted to, and since I won’t be a hero, I don’t care if they take my license."

"…"

Kai’s words left everyone in silence. After all, his comment touched on several sensitive topics within his unique family, such as his extreme aversion, distrust, and disdain for the government, as well as his reluctance to be a hero or help strangers—something they all considered a shame given his incredible power.

"Kai, how could you think we would let you take the blame in a case like that?" After a moment, Nemuri commented in a sad, accusatory tone, to which Kai simply responded cheerfully.

"Hehehe, don’t look at it like that. You all love being heroes, and I want to help you without being one, and especially without having to reveal my powers to the government. So the most effective solution is to let me carry the 'blame' if things go wrong. I lose very little, after all. If they’re even slightly smart, I highly doubt the Japanese government would want me to renounce my nationality, since I still have nearly a decade to decide, hahaha."

"…"

Seeing that everyone had once again fallen silent, Kai just shrugged, not giving it much importance. After all, he was sure he was right. His chips, a field he had focused on in recent years, were at the cutting edge of global technology, providing the country not only significant growth but also an important piece in the geopolitical game—something they wouldn’t want to lose so easily.

As for the time to decide his nationality, it was quite simple: Kai was actually a "Hafu," or, in other words, only half-Japanese. His mother had come to the country as a refugee during her childhood, one of the few in Japan. By law, he could only hold dual nationality, his father’s and his mother’s, until he turned 22. At that point, he would have to decide whether to renounce his mother’s nationality or, on the contrary, renounce his Japanese citizenship.

"What happened? Why so quiet?" Ryuko, who had just returned from her thrilling ride, asked curiously, to which Kai responded with a smile.

"Nothing really, we were just talking about how to explain the Accomplices. In any case, I’d better get started on the next update. Onee-chan, lend me your Accomplice."

"Oh, that’s right, it’ll be tricky," Ryuko commented with realization dawning on her face.

Nemuri, almost instinctively, summoned her Accomplice and handed it to Kai, who simply took it and quickly headed into the house with Salem on his shoulder, having shrunk to climb onto him. Shortly after Kai left, Shino approached Nemuri, her tone evidently concerned.

"Nemuri, Kai's attitude hasn’t improved at all recently. He despises the government too much, and that could cause problems in the future."

"I know, but I really don’t know what to do. Although he eventually changed his opinion about the hero system, when it comes to politicians and ‘traitors,’ he’s more resolute than ever. He despises them too much; I even think he doesn't even consider them human."

With an obviously worried expression, Nemuri explained while looking toward the house, to which Shino could only sigh, crossing her arms with evident concern.

"If it’s as you say, then it’s truly worrisome. And while I can understand his reasons, given what happened, I don’t understand how someone as intelligent as him can’t reason that not all politicians, much less the government itself, are bad."

"Honestly, I think it has to do with the fact that he sees them as traitors, which is why he despises them so much. Since he was a baby, Kai has had a deep hatred for anything related to ‘betrayal,’ and he reacts violently to it. But after Alisa-san’s death, it worsened significantly, to the point where I’m scared of what he might do if he finds out his suspicions are true."

Hearing Nemuri’s words, Shino moved closer, asking with a tone full of curiosity and concern.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Kai is convinced that more people were involved in the attack he suffered, and honestly, I also think so. After all, how did they manage to place that ball Kai mentioned among his things? How did they know where they were if it was confidential? How did they bypass Alisa-san’s quirk, which worked very similarly to Kai’s detection abilities?

Even though the case was supposedly solved, there are still many unanswered questions. Kai is completely sure the answer is that they were betrayed, and it wasn’t just one person. Someone close to them manipulated the ball, someone leaked information about Alisa-san’s quirk, and someone revealed their location to the attackers.

Kai has been investigating Alisa-san and Jiro-san’s close contacts for years, but so far, I think he hasn’t been able to confirm his suspicions, or else he would have done something already. He wouldn’t just sit still, and I’m afraid that his reaction might be to run off and take out the ‘traitors.’"

With an expression revealing her fear and worry, Nemuri spoke slowly, while Tomoko, Chatora, and Ryuko played with the latter’s Accomplice, perhaps in an attempt to give the two some privacy—something Shino sincerely appreciated as she asked with a serious expression.

"Why are you so sure his reaction would be so violent? Even though Kai is a bit vengeful, his ‘revenge’ usually just involves harmless pranks at most. I don’t think he’s the kind of person you’re describing."

"That’s because you haven’t seen him react to a ‘traitor.’ When Kai was little, there was an anime he loved, which was about young people surviving in the Stone Age using their scientific knowledge. At the time, it was his favorite show, to the point where he had everything you could buy related to it—from manga to clothes and figurines.

But suddenly, one day, the anime showed one of the characters betraying the others. I swear, I’ve never seen him so angry or out of control as he was that day. He was furious, to the point where he screamed at the TV, his eyes bloodshot, saying the character deserved to die.

It got so bad that, for the first time, Alisa-san put her foot down and forbade Kai from watching the show. But for the first and, I think, the only time, Kai disobeyed her. He managed to watch it online when he was left alone for a few hours while his babysitter went shopping. That’s when he discovered that not only did the character not die as he wanted, but he was forgiven and even had a ‘happy ending.’

That day, Kai, consumed with rage, destroyed and burned everything he had related to that show until there was nothing left. He even hacked the TV channel that aired it, the studio that animated it, and the original creator to get revenge, causing millions in damages. It was so bad that it made the news, and although they never found out who did it, Alisa-san and Jiro-san made anonymous donations to the victims to cover the damages.

That’s why I’m so scared. Kai isn’t himself when it comes to ‘traitors’; it’s almost like he’s possessed by something else. And the worst part is, he never regretted doing it. No matter how much they punished and scolded him, even when Alisa-san hit him for the first time, he still refused to apologize, even through tears. Now imagine him as he is now—not only better with technology but also incredibly powerful. What could he do if he confirms his suspicions?"

Hearing Nemuri’s story, Shino couldn’t help but open her eyes wide in astonishment. After all, the case had been quite famous, to the point that even almost a decade later, she remembered it. That case had sparked a massive campaign to improve online security across Japan, especially among heroes, since their work was too dangerous not to take preventive measures.

For his part, Kai, who had managed to overhear the entire conversation, couldn’t help but smile a little sheepishly, embarrassed by his actions back then. Though he believed he couldn’t really be blamed; after all, at that time, he was still a child, and didn’t know how to control his emotions. And seeing how pathetic their security system was, he couldn’t fight off his intrusive thoughts and ended up making a mess.

(Though I’m sorry, Onee-chan, the truth is, I’ve already confirmed some of my suspicions. And even though the trail went cold, and I’ve been stuck for a while trying to find the rest, I still managed to get my hands on a couple of very obedient and useful lab rats.

Or did you really think I’d risk creating a parasitic nen beast for you all without first confirming not only that it was possible, but also that I could make it harmless to your health? Hehe, that’s impossible. From the massages to the Accomplices, it’s all been a long process of analysis, research, and testing. After all, I can’t risk anything happening to my family.)

As he held the floating egg in the air, Kai thought to himself with a cheerful smile on his face, then descended with Salem to reunite with his beloved family.

Chapter 54: Distress signal

Chapter Text

Several months later, in the middle of a dark forest, the elongated shadows cast by the scant moonlight, combined with the amplified sounds of various animals, gave the place an eerie and mysterious feeling.

Suddenly, the forest's stillness was interrupted by four figures dressed in bright colors, moving with feline, superhuman agility through the trees and obstacles that crowded their path, crossing the forest at impressive speeds.

“The target changed direction, heading west of our position.” Ragdoll's voice quickly echoed through the forest. The other three figures nodded, then shifted direction.

As they got closer to their target, the Pussycats began to face more obstacles, as the terrain became increasingly rough, with fallen trees and large rocks greatly hindering their progress. However, thanks to their experience and incredible physical abilities, the famous group of heroes managed to overcome them.

“Huh?!” Suddenly, Ragdoll exclaimed in surprise, which caught Mandalay’s attention, who quickly asked as the full moon’s light illuminated her face.

“Is something wrong, Ragdoll?”

“The target has drastically increased its speed; it's leaving us behind.” Ragdoll commented gravely. Mandalay immediately issued a command with a serious expression.

[We can't let it escape; there are already more than 17 victims in its hands. Activate your Accomplices, Sentinel; cover us.]

[[[Understood.]]]

[Understood]

In response to Mandalay’s telepathic command came the voices of her three teammates, along with a synthetic male voice from her virtual assistant. At the same time, imposing panthers of different colors materialized in front of each of them, onto which they leaped agilely.

[Full speed ahead!]

[Yes!]

At Mandalay's order, the group advanced on their Accomplices, exponentially increasing their speed, quickly catching up with their target, which appeared to be a silver humanoid wolf running on all fours at blinding speeds through the forest.

[Pixie-Bob!]

[Got it.]

The moment they were close enough to their target, Mandalay gave the telepathic order. At the same time, the Accomplices vanished, causing Pixie-Bob to quickly extend her hand forward. This triggered two thick, flexible metal cables, which were coiled in some sort of reels at her waist, to shoot towards the 'wolf' from different directions. But somehow, it managed to dodge the attack with beastly agility.

[Damn it! Pixie-Bob, surround it! Ragdoll, Tiger, attack on my command!]

[[[Understood.]]]

After seeing the attack fail, Mandalay quickly gave the telepathic command, causing the team to swiftly split up. Pixie-Bob touched the ground with her hands, causing the earth to rise, forming a circular, compressed earth barrier around the wolf, which immediately tried to climb it, leaping at high speed.

With its incredible speed and agility, the wolf quickly reached the top of the high barrier, only to be struck by two powerful blows—one to the snout and another to the chest—delivered by two earth beasts that formed from the barrier. This sent it flying back toward the center of the area.

[Ragdoll, now!]

Just before the wolf hit the ground, Ragdoll, showing superhuman speed and strength, arrived through a tunnel prepared by her teammate and unleashed a powerful blow with her cat-paw glove. The blow was charged with a potent electric current, sending the wolf flying again while leaving it incapacitated, unable to move its muscles.

[Tiger!]

Showing impressive synchronization, thanks in large part to Mandalay's telepathic commands assisted by the reliable virtual assistant, Tiger managed to intercept the wolf in midair. At the same time, his arm stretched out as if made of rubber, then retracted rapidly, hardening along with his cat-paw glove, delivering a powerful blow to the wolf's head. This sent it crashing to the ground with a great impact, completely unconscious.

[Pixie-Bob, capture it.]

[Got it!]

Upon receiving the telepathic command, Pixie-Bob quickly ran toward the unconscious 'wolf' in the middle of a deep crater. She then shot her metal cables toward it, tying it up by its hands and feet. Afterward, she casually split the remaining cable with a flick of her hand, causing it to coil back onto the reels at her waist.

As the whole team gathered around the wolf again, Ragdoll made sure to scan the area for any potential dangers, which inevitably led her to notice something. As some sort of smoke began to rise from the wolf, she started losing clarity of its position through her quirk.

“Is something wrong, Ragdoll?” Tiger, who was closest to her, quickly noticed her odd expression and couldn’t help but ask.

“Yes, something very strange is happening. The ‘wolf's’ position in my quirk is becoming fuzzy.” Ragdoll responded, somewhat confused, as such an event was quite rare.

“Fall back and stay alert; we may have fallen into a trap.”

Hearing Ragdoll, Mandalay quickly ordered with a serious expression, prompting everyone to position themselves back-to-back, staying alert to their surroundings. But after a few minutes, the smoke dissipated from the wolf, revealing only a handsome man with silver hair.

“Isn’t that?!” Pixie-Bob exclaimed in surprise upon seeing the man's face, to which Ragdoll commented with a grim expression.

“Yes, it's him, and the wolf's location has become indefinite in my quirk.”

“So now we know how he managed to escape until now.” Mandalay nodded with a look of understanding, to which Tiger couldn’t help but add.

“We really have to thank Kai for the Accomplices. If it weren’t for them, this guy would’ve gotten away, and who knows how many more victims would have fallen into his hands before we managed to identify and capture him...”

“Indeed. Also, if Sentinel hadn’t identified his ‘hunting’ patterns, we’d be searching for him on the other side of the prefecture right now.” Pixie-Bob added with a small smile on her face. But just then, the cat-shaped communicators on their heads went off simultaneously.

[A distress signal has been received.]

“Sentinel, who is it, and in which direction?”

Hearing the announcement, everyone present shifted to serious expressions as Mandalay asked gravely. The virtual assistant quickly responded.

[The distress signal was sent by the heroes Water Horse, 56.2 kilometers to the west.]

“Kaede?!” Mandalay couldn’t help but exclaim, both surprised and concerned, to which Pixie-Bob quickly commented.

“Let’s respond to the call; it must be something serious!”

“Yes, I’ll take the villain to the police, and you can go ahead.” Tiger added quickly as he picked up the bound man from the ground.

“Come on, Mandalay, we can’t waste time.” Ragdoll added, looking unusually serious, which deeply moved Mandalay, who could only reply, visibly touched.

“Thank you, guys.”

“No need to thank us; we’re heroes, and we’re a team.” Pixie-Bob quickly responded in a serious tone, looking at their leader.

“I understand, thank you, but Tiger, it’s better if you don’t stay behind since you’re our strongest attack power. Now that Ragdoll has identified both of the villain’s ‘identities,’ we can leave him halfway at a police station, and if he escapes, we can easily capture him again. Besides, Sentinel has already sent the alert to the authorities along with the identity proof.”

“All right then, let’s use the Accomplices to get there as fast as possible. We can’t afford any delays.” Tiger agreed while putting the villain over his shoulder. After all, Mandalay was right—it wasn’t a good idea to split up now, especially when responding to a distress call from another hero.

"Sentinel, try to keep us covered."

[Understood.]

As Mandalay gave the order to their incredibly useful virtual assistant, four imposing, horse-sized panthers of various colors appeared before them. The team mounted them swiftly and shot forward at blinding speed toward the location of the distress signal, displayed in the lenses they all wore.

As she sped along atop her Accomplice, Mandalay couldn’t help but clench her cat-paw gloves in worry. The distress signal had been sent by her cousin, the only family she had left. Though they weren’t the closest, they were still family, and she knew her cousin had had a baby a couple of years ago. The last thing she wanted was to experience another tragedy, like with her beloved Kai.

The ride on the Accomplices was incredibly smooth. Despite their speed, easily rivaling that of a bullet train, the riders hardly felt any wind or movement. From their perspective, it felt like they were gliding on a cloud at the speed of a leisurely bike ride.

A few minutes after dropping the 'wolf' off at a police station, the Pussycats arrived at the location from where the distress signal had been sent, only to find a place littered with craters, water, and blood. A tall man covered in disproportionately large muscle fibers stood victoriously, his face smeared with blood, in front of two people in terrible condition.

The male hero lay on the ground, his body crumpled at an awkward angle. He was dressed in a hero suit with what appeared to be a red life vest, and his snorkel-like mask was shattered across his face. His arms and one of his legs were twisted in impossible directions.

But the woman was in far worse shape. She had been literally split in half below the waist, her face completely disfigured, and her arms shattered. Worst of all, she still seemed to be painfully breathing, her body suffering from violent convulsions.

“KAEDE!!!”

Mandalay screamed in shock upon seeing the horrifying scene, her voice drawing the villain’s attention. He turned to face her as she rode up on a giant panther, stopping just in front of the woman he had brutally attacked.

“Heh, more heroes? Sorry, but I’m not going to—”

The villain’s arrogant, condescending words were suddenly cut short by a powerful blow to his lower-left side, sending him flying through the air as he spat a mouthful of blood.

As the notorious A-grade villain, Muscular, was hurled through the air, he couldn’t help but glance with his one remaining eye at the spot where he had just been standing. There, a muscular man dressed in a skirt and top approached at blinding speed, his expression full of rage and one of his arms stretched back like rubber, ready for another strike.

Chapter 55: This is bad. Let’s go!!

Chapter Text

In the middle of the night, Kai was sleeping peacefully in his bed, while Salem curled up in a corner. Ever since Salem had figured out how to shrink, he loved sneaking in, and Kai had stopped caring as much. Suddenly, the blue-eyed boy felt a strong call from Sage, which made him open his eyes and sit up in one swift motion, fully alert.

“What happened, Sage? An attack?”

Alarmed, Kai quickly asked as a beautiful black Jian sword with intricate Aura Script engravings on the blade appeared in his hands. At the same time, he focused his Observation Haki to sense his surroundings, only to feel confused when he didn't detect anything unusual.

“No, Master, we're not under attack, but I detected an aggressive change in the physiological data of the Pussycats, especially Shino's. Her readings show signs of tachycardia, tachypnea, peripheral vasoconstriction, and other common symptoms of someone in panic or shock.”

“Connect to Sentinel. Show me what happened,” Kai quickly ordered in a serious tone as the sword vanished from his hands.

“Right away.”

With an equally serious tone, Sage responded instantly, her wings changing color rapidly before projecting several holographic screens. Some showed different angles of a battle against a particularly strong villain with raw, oversized muscles. But the one that caught Kai's attention the most was a video showing heroes in such terrible condition that it was hard to believe they were still alive.

“Damn, this is bad. Let’s go!!”

Upon seeing the images, Kai exclaimed with a grim expression, then jumped out the window without even bothering to put on clothes, wearing nothing but a pair of black shorts. At the same time, a card very similar to Accompany appeared in his right hand, though somehow the central drawing seemed to represent a magnetic field or something of the sort.

“[Magnetic Force] on, [Shino]!”

Still in the air, Kai shouted as he extended the hand holding the card, causing it to transform into a beam of light that enveloped him before shooting off at supersonic speeds. Moments later, he became completely invisible, disappearing from sight.

Magnetic Force was actually a twin ability to Accompany, sharing the same 30 destination slots. But unlike Accompany, which allowed him to bring anyone within a 20-meter range, Magnetic Force could only be used on himself. This made its aura cost lower, and it even had more weekly uses, allowing up to 60.

Shortly afterward, above Shino, a beam of light materialized out of nowhere, landing near her moments later and revealing Kai dressed only in shorts. He quickly approached Shino at blinding speed.

“Shino?”

In a concerned tone, Kai asked as he crouched down and placed his hand on Shino’s shoulder. She was kneeling on the ground in complete shock, staring ahead at what was left of a woman’s upper body on the ground.

“… Kai?”

Feeling his touch, Shino turned around, her face incredibly pale, and asked in a voice filled with disbelief and shock. This prompted the blue-eyed young man to pull her into a tight embrace as he spoke firmly.

“Don’t worry, I’m here. You can leave everything to me.”

“Kai…” Shino could only let out a trembling voice as she clung tightly to the man in front of her, as if seeking refuge, while adding through tears streaming down her face.

“Kai… my cousin, Kaede, is dead… and her little baby is only three years old…”

Realizing that the dead were Shino’s family members, Kai quickly turned to look at Sage, who immediately understood his intentions and approached the “bodies”, touching them as her wings glowed faintly.

[Master, they’re alive!!!]

Sage quickly informed Kai through the mental connection they rarely used, as they usually preferred speaking normally. When they didn’t, a simple glance was enough to understand each other’s intentions. The news caused Kai to open his eyes in surprise, and he immediately tightened his embrace around Shino while asking quickly.

[How much will the woman's toll cost?]

[11 hours, 23 minutes, and 12 seconds, Master.]

Sage responded after his wings briefly changed color, which made Kai’s expression turn complex. He then swiftly added.

[Damn, that’s nearly the limit. She’s only barely hanging on, but keep her stable—don’t let her die!!]

“Shino, calm down. Everything’s fine. Just give me a few moments, and I’ll fix everything.”

With the new information, Kai quickly commented in a firm tone, while at the same time pulling away from Shino. Who, still in her confused state, could only look at him with tear-filled eyes as he shot off at extreme speeds toward the villain, all while asking in a soft, tragic voice.

“Kai?”

(It’s probably not a good idea to use a sword since no one here uses them, and it would raise questions. Besides, this trash isn’t even worth summoning a sword for.)

In just a few moments, Kai reached the “muscle-bound” trash, while one of his arms became coated with advanced Conqueror's Haki, advanced Armament Haki, Intensification, and a powerful electric current. This caused it to glow with a potent electric light of an ominous dark purple color.

Without giving the trash’s brain time to process what was happening, Kai unleashed a powerful blow to his muscle-covered chest, sending the Class A villain flying upward at blinding speed, destroying him internally while knocking him unconscious.

After finishing off the trash, Kai moved at similar speed to the man with twisted limbs, picked him up, and brought him over to the upper half of the woman that Sage was trying to keep alive.

For their part, Ryuko, Tomoko, and Chatora watched, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets, as the villain was sent flying into the air at absurd speeds. Right after, a powerful electric current shot out from the guy and spread through the air like powerful lightning, frying him completely before he plummeted to the ground, all without understanding what had happened, as they hadn't seen anything.

Upon reaching the woman, Kai immediately summoned a card in his right hand, with intricate golden Aura Script patterns and the image of a spherical barrier amidst thick fog. At the same time, he issued a command to Sage, surprising Shino greatly, who still doubted whether Kai was really there.

“Sage, capture that trash. He should still be alive. I’ll take over.”

“Understood, Master.”

Following her master's orders, Sage responded swiftly as her light-made dress gleamed brightly for a moment, transforming into what appeared to be a female prison guard’s uniform—something that greatly surprised Kai, as it had never happened before.

But knowing he was racing against time, Kai chose to ignore the curious phenomenon. Instead, he quickly activated the card in his hand after Sage shot off at blinding speeds toward the muscle-bound villain, raising it into the air as he exclaimed loudly.

“[Isolation Veil] on, [10 meters], [15 minutes]!”

With Kai’s words, the card in his hand transformed into a beam of light, forming a translucent spherical barrier exactly 10 meters around him, enclosing the two “bodies” and Shino within it. Shino watched everything in stunned silence, now convinced that Kai was truly with her and not a hallucination brought on by her mental state.

The [Isolation Veil] card was a powerful ability that allowed him to do something somewhat similar to what a certain chameleon could, though at a much lower level. While it let him evade everyone’s senses, it only worked if no one touched the barrier. It could only be used 10 times a month, and he had to announce the radius and duration out loud, which could range from 1 to 20 meters and last from 1 to 30 minutes.

“Shino, the ability I’m about to use is powerful but problematic, so try to keep it a secret from strangers.”

Once he confirmed the card had activated correctly, Kai quickly looked at Shino and spoke in a firm voice. Shino could only nod her head, as her mind was in chaos with so many things happening in such a short time.

With Shino’s nod, Kai quickly summoned a new card. In addition to the usual intricate Aura Script patterns, it featured the image of a point of light with angelic wings, surrounded by a celestial crown, seemingly emitting a beam of light from the heavens.

“[Angel’s Breath] on!”

Without wasting a second, Kai shouted to activate one of the most powerful cards in his possession. However, it came with problematic pacts and could only be used three times a month. Moreover, it only worked on living people—if the person had died, it would be completely useless.

The moment Kai called out, the card transformed into a beam of light that soon formed a figure similar to the old Sage, but much larger—around 1.5 meters tall. It appeared as a glowing point of light with wings, though instead of Sage’s fairy-like wings, this being bore white, angelic wings.

“Heal her.”

Kai quickly pointed to the upper half of the woman lying on the ground and gave the command. The 'angel' immediately flew over the woman and hovered above her, then shot a soft blue beam of light that enveloped her completely. At the same time, Kai felt his Aura draining at an alarming rate.

Moments later, the 'angel' disappeared into nothingness, revealing a fully healed woman with her lower half exposed. Her beautiful, now fully restored face, bore a resemblance to Shino’s. Shino, witnessing the miraculous scene, stood in shock, tears streaming from her eyes as she covered her mouth with her hands.

After confirming that the woman had fully recovered, Kai turned toward the man, who was still in a terrible state. He felt utterly exhausted—not only from the immense amount of Aura he had lost, but also due to the “toll” he had to pay for activating the card.

The toll for using [Angel’s Breath] was quite simple: with a maximum duration of 12 hours, every time the angel healed someone, Kai was limited to only 50% of his Aura for the next few hours. The duration of this limitation depended on the severity of the injuries healed. Additionally, during the toll period, Kai was unable to summon the angel again.

Chapter 56: You’re part of my family

Chapter Text

When Kai reached the man, he knelt on the ground, and at that moment, a beautiful light of sky-blue color appeared around his right hand, his most powerful healing ability after [Angel’s Breath]. He had named it [Mystical Palm] in honor of the Jutsu that served as his inspiration.

Using his [Mystical Palm], Kai deactivated the man’s pain receptors before laying him on his back on the ground, restoring his twisted limbs to their correct positions. Then Kai began touching various parts of the man’s body with his light-covered hand.

Aside from his limbs, the man had several broken ribs, internal bleeding, torn organs, and more, but fortunately, and unlike the woman, he hadn’t lost any organs or limbs. Mystical Palm couldn’t regenerate them, and since Angel’s Breath wouldn’t be available for almost 12 hours, the man would likely have faced death if that had been the case.

The [Mystical Palm] ability had no contracts or limitations and was something Kai had developed based on his sheer skill. It combined the categories of Enhancement, Transmutation, and Manipulation, along with years of studying medicine and anatomy, not to mention exhausting practice with his handy lab rats—all in pursuit of what he liked to call "Nen super-surgeries," an ability that allowed him to heal himself or others without any side effects.

With Manipulation, in addition to moving things like bone fragments within organs and putting them back in place, Kai could also control things like bleeding or pain sensation. It functioned like a super-effective anesthetic, which was also incredibly safe, causing no side effects, something he had confirmed thanks to his lab rats.

Once everything was more or less in place with Manipulation, Kai quickly created Nen threads transmuted from his [Mystical Palm], which entered the man’s body to secure everything in place. These threads reconnected veins, nerves, arteries, and more. After that, Kai applied Enhancement. Combined with the threads, this brought the body’s healing factor to the extreme, healing the wound in seconds.

Meanwhile, Shino watched with tear-filled eyes as the visibly exhausted Kai healed her cousin’s husband at an incredible pace, using a different ability from the one he had just employed. At the same time, her heart was filled with a whirlwind of emotions, ranging from gratitude to relief and security.

But the most evident feeling in her heart, the one she had spent years trying to suppress, was undoubtedly love. She was captivated by the young man in front of her—he was incredibly handsome, capable, and sweet to her. This young man had given her things she had only dreamed of, time and time again, and he made her feel a sense of security she had never experienced before meeting him.

Although she wasn’t really a Shotacon, as others liked to joke, or so she wanted to believe, the truth was that as Kai had grown and looked more and more like an adult. She couldn’t help but feel attracted to him in more than one way, to the point that now he had become her sole fantasy during her nights of 'relief'.

She constantly dreamed of him; her heart raced when they were alone together, and she even kept a small box no one else knew about, filled with gifts and little reminders of their special moments together. But at the same time, she knew it couldn’t be. She was too old for Kai, and no one in the family would ever approve.

Moreover, Shino also felt inferior and unworthy of being by Kai’s side. He was too incredible—a tech super-genius with patents worth hundreds of millions and an amazing master smith with a brand that symbolized status and power. Heroes, martial artists, and collectors from all over the world fought over his creations.

But as if that weren’t enough, his powers were off the charts. Shino didn’t doubt that Kai could at least put up a good fight against All Might. While he might not be as strong as the No. 1 hero, Kai could do things All Might never could, making him better in many ways.

For all these reasons, Shino felt undeserving of being by his side. She was just a heroine with a broken quirk, which Kai had fixed using his extraordinary powers. And while she had her beauty—something she could confidently admit was far above average—it had been preserved and enhanced thanks to Kai’s care. In the end, she had nothing to proudly stand by his side.

But even for someone like her, who had nothing worthy to offer him, Kai was willing to run to her side in the middle of the night to take care of her and protect her. He did this to the point that, without even hesitating, he was doing things he hated most—risking exposing his powers and helping strangers—all for her sake. Because he had seen her sadness and weakness, and he was clearly exhausted from the effort.

This gesture from Kai had touched the deepest part of her heart, causing that almost uncontrollable flame she had spent years trying to extinguish to spiral out of control and explode into a raging fire that consumed her entirely. She loved this man, and there was nothing and no one who could change that now.

Meanwhile, Kai was methodically healing the man's most severe wounds as quickly as he could in his severely weakened state, but at that moment, he felt the man’s already faint vital signs plummet, sending him toward certain death.

(Oh no, you son of a bitch, you're not going to ruin my perfect ending. I said I’d fix everything, and I will, no matter the cost, so you’ll live, even if you don’t want to!)

[Sage!!!]

Somewhat angry that the man was about to die in front of him, Kai quickly called out mentally to his trusted assistant, who immediately appeared before him, wearing the same prison guard uniform.

[Sage, make sure to keep this guy alive while I heal him.]

Upon seeing Sage, Kai quickly asked through their mental connection, to which the beautiful fairy responded as she approached the man, placing her tiny hands on him just as her uniform turned back into her dress of light.

[Did you capture him?]

While healing the man, Kai asked mentally, and Sage replied while summoning a holographic screen in [In] mode in front of him.

[Yes, master, he's now registered as a new prisoner of Alcatraz.]

The holographic screen in front of Kai showed something very similar to a prison file, with various photos of the detainee, physical and biometric data, as well as the date and time of capture. This made the blue-eyed boy nod in satisfaction as he quickly congratulated her, causing a joyful smile on the fairy’s face.

[You did it perfectly; you're the best, Sage.]

[Hehehe.]

Alcatraz was Sage’s ‘Hatsu,’ one in which Kai had no involvement, as she had it since she first appeared, and he merely gave it the name. It contained several interesting abilities, but without a doubt, the most important was the capture ability. This was the sole reason he had stuck with plan A to fulfill his promise to Nemuri, and it had also allowed him to keep his handy lab rats alive, though they probably didn’t like it.

Although Sage could technically capture anyone, the ability had an important limitation: she could only capture people whom Kai had defeated or, at the very least, dealt the final blow to. Although it seems to have changed now, previously, Sage would turn into a pair of handcuffs that the prisoner had to wear for one minute. After which, the prisoner would acquire the Alcatraz mark and, in return, lose their freedom forever.

Once marked as a prisoner, Sage gained the power to do whatever she wanted with that person’s body, from temporarily or permanently deactivating their quirk to putting their consciousness to sleep and using them as a sort of puppet. She could also “isolate” them, which meant sealing the prisoners in a Nen space in another dimension, or at least, that was what Sage and Kai theorized.

The [Isolation of Alcatraz] was one of the abilities Sage and Kai had studied most in recent years, all with the intention of replicating it. After all, a Nen space in another dimension was a free pass to teleportation, something Kai had been trying to achieve for years, but so far, he hadn’t made a single breakthrough.

With Sage’s help, Kai managed to heal all of the man’s wounds, leaving him in perfect condition again, though the entire process took over 10 minutes. Since the [Isolation Veil] was about to fade, the blue-eyed boy, feeling truly exhausted, sat on the ground to recover a bit.

The reason Kai had summoned the veil, even though he had ensured, with his Haki and Sage’s help, that no one was around or that there were no cameras watching. He was cautious of a possible quirk that could see into the past or something strange like that. Even if someone found out that he healed the hero couple, as long as they didn’t see how he did it, he could always come up with something to minimize the potential consequences.

While it might seem silly that he didn’t care about ‘showing’ the power to take down the muscle-bound trash in one blow but was so cautious about his healing abilities, Kai was very aware that the implications were different. Possessing a power capable of killing would make others wary of provoking him, but pulling someone back from the brink of death would do exactly the opposite—desperate people didn’t care about consequences.

For her part, Shino, after witnessing with her own eyes how her beloved Kai had accomplished the impossible and healed her cousin and her husband, and seeing him so incredibly exhausted that his sculpted body was completely drenched in sweat. She could no longer contain herself. She leaped to embrace the boy with all her strength, burying her face in his firm chest.

"Thank you, Kai… thank you so, so much, you have no idea what this means to me..."

With a voice cracked and filled with a whirlwind of emotions, Shino thanked him as tears of relief, happiness, and for some reason, sadness fell from her eyes. This caused Kai to return the hug before speaking in a warm tone.

"You don’t have to thank me for anything. You’re part of my family, so something like this is only natural. But try to keep my abilities a secret—it could cause problems."

"okay…"

Through her tears, Shino responded, feeling deeply moved while also sensing a tinge of hypocrisy. After all, she had always felt it was a shame and even disapproved of the fact that Kai had no intention of using his incredible abilities to help others.

But now, seeing that the same person who refused to help others had put in his utmost effort to save someone just for her sake made her feel incredibly loved and special. She truly felt like she was an important part of his life and had a place in his heart, even if it was a small one. This filled her with immense happiness, though at the same time, she couldn’t help but feel guilty for it.

Time passed in silence as Kai gently stroked Shino’s slender back. She focused entirely on the sound of her beloved's heartbeat, feeling at peace and tranquil. Now that her Kai was here, nothing could go wrong. He could fix anything, and even if he couldn’t, as long as he was by her side, she knew she was standing on an immovable rock that would protect and keep her safe.

"Shino, I have to go. Some heroes and police are getting close, and it’s not a good idea for them to see me here."

After a few minutes, as the [Isolation Veil] was about to fade, Kai softly remarked, which caused Shino to look up and gaze directly into his eyes. Her expression was filled with doubt and indecision, as if she were debating with herself whether to do something. But after a moment, she sighed, slightly disappointed, and responded in a somewhat tired tone.

"You’re right. It’s not a good idea for them to see you here…"

"I’ll visit you later when the coast is clearer." Kai said as Shino released him and stood up, offering a small smile filled with emotions and meanings.

"I’ll be waiting, and if you can, bring Nemuri. I want to talk to her."

"Sure, I’m certain she’d make me bring her even if I didn’t want to" Kai replied with a slight smile as the [Magnetic Force] card materialized in his hand.

"Fufufu, you’re right. I’ll be waiting for you."

Shino replied, looking at the card in Kai’s hand with reluctance, not wanting to part from him. But she still managed to hold back, as her mind was very confused, and she had too many doubts. She needed to calm down and carefully think through what she was going to do. Perhaps a private conversation with Nemuri was what she needed most at this moment.

"Alright then, see you later."

With a smile, Kai responded as he held the card up in front of him, watching a holographic screen in [In] mode with a countdown that soon reached zero. At that moment, Kai exclaimed aloud just as the barrier began to fade.

"[Magnetic Force] on, [Home]!"

Meanwhile, Ryuko, Chatora, and Tomoko, who were outside the barrier, were feeling somewhat anxious about what had happened. Even though Sentinel had informed them that Kai was taking care of everything, they didn’t know exactly what was going on, so all they could do was wait, hearts in their throats.

But just as their limbs started tingling from the anxiety and uncertainty, they saw a beam of light shoot into the sky before disappearing moments later. At the same time, Shino reappeared along with the Water Horse heroes in perfect condition, causing them to erupt with joy as they rushed to hug their friend and leader.

Chapter 57: I love you (R-18)

Chapter Text

Upon landing in his garden, Kai could only lie on the ground with his arms outstretched, feeling truly exhausted in every sense. Not only had he used enormous amounts of aura, but the toll of Angel’s Breath was also brutal, cutting his already meager aura reserves in half, significantly worsening his situation.

On the other hand, healing the man hadn’t been easy either. Kai had to remain totally focused and steady to avoid making a single mistake, which, combined with his exhausted state, only served to drain his mental energy. Fortunately, he had managed to keep up appearances in front of Shino.

As the night air breezed over his body, Kai closed his eyes and breathed rhythmically to recover more quickly. But soon after, Nemuri, dressed in a modest black pajama set, came out into the garden, following Salem, who quickly ran over to his master to snuggle by his side.

“Kai?! Are you okay?!”

Seeing Kai on the ground, covered in sweat, Nemuri shouted in alarm before running toward him, full of concern. Kai, however, only responded with a smile, without opening his eyes.

“I’m fine, Onee-chan, I’m just tired. I’ll be better in a little while.”

“What happened? Why are you like this? But first, let’s get inside; you might catch a cold in this chilly air.” Worried, Nemuri spoke as she tried to lift Kai off the ground, to which he quickly responded.

“There’s no need to pick me up, Onee-chan. I’ll get inside on my own.”

“Are you sure?” Nemuri couldn’t help but ask as she watched Kai get up from the ground. He simply nodded before commenting.

“Yeah, I’m just tired. I used my quirk a lot, and it took a toll on me.”

Despite Kai’s words, Nemuri couldn’t help but hug him around the waist and place one of his arms over her shoulder, trying to help him inside. This brought a smile to the blue-eyed boy, who could only comment with a small grin.

“I’m really fine, Onee-chan, I’m just tired. There’s no need for this.”

“Don’t complain. Tell me why you’re so exhausted. Why did you have to go out in the middle of the night?”

As she helped Kai into the house, Nemuri asked with concern. Kai could only smile slightly amused, then responded while allowing himself to be helped.

“Something happened with Shino. I don’t know the whole story because I came and went quickly, but it seems her cousin and her cousin's partner almost died fighting a villain, so I went to heal them.”

Upon hearing the summarized story, Nemuri’s eyes widened in surprise and concern as she helped Kai onto a couch and immediately asked with urgency.

“What happened? Is everyone okay?”

“Yes, I managed to defeat the villain quickly and then healed Shino’s cousin and the partner. That’s why I’m so tired. Healing them was a challenge; they were more dead than alive. But since the police were getting close, I had to come back quickly, and I don’t know what happened after that,” Kai answered more seriously as Salem curled up beside him. Nemuri commented with worry.

“I need to call Shino.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to call her now. She’s probably busy with the police and the other heroes. Besides, you don’t need to worry too much. I made sure to heal the injured and defeat the villain. Even though I didn’t speak to anyone except Shino, I made sure everyone was okay. Oh, by the way, I’m supposed to visit Shino later with you, and she said she wanted to talk to you, though she didn’t say what about.”

“I see... but you’re right, it’s not a good idea to call her now.”

While petting Salem, Kai explained casually, which made Nemuri nod in understanding. She then sat next to Kai and gently hugged him, giving him a soft and loving kiss on the head.

“You know, Kai? I’m really proud of what you did. Even though it’s not exactly legal for you to defeat a villain on your own and all that, I’m truly happy you decided to help in that situation.” Nemuri spoke with a voice full of affection as she adjusted Kai into her lap, causing Salem to meow in slight annoyance before moving to lie on another couch.

“Well, they were Shino’s cousin and her partner. Besides, she looked really affected by what happened, so I couldn’t just let them die.”

While enjoying her soft and elastic “pillow” with his eyes closed, Kai responded without giving much importance to the topic, which Nemuri couldn't help but feel conflicted about. On one hand, she felt a bit uncomfortable because, after all, what the blue-eyed boy was essentially saying was that if they were not Shino's family. Worse yet, if she hadn’t been affected, he would have let them die.

Yet, at the same time, perhaps because she was already used to this side of Kai—someone who, despite being extremely special and protective with his family, was quite indifferent to the rest of the world—Nemuri couldn’t help but feel proud and filled with love for the young man resting on her lap. Despite his somewhat morally gray aspects, his good traits far outweighed the bad.

Moreover, Nemuri couldn’t deny that even though his attitude bothered her a bit, it also made her feel special and loved, a strange and paradoxical feeling. One that, as far as she knew, all the heroes in the family shared to some extent.

"Even though you say that, I'm still glad you decided to help a 'stranger' for Shino's sake. I even think you deserve a little reward..." Nemuri commented softly, a small blush forming on her cheeks, which caused Kai to open his eyes, smiling as he looked at her.

"Oh, I like how that sounds. What kind of reward will I get?"

"Hmm... I don't know, but for now, close your eyes, so I can think about it."

Blushing deeply, Nemuri responded, trying to sound calm, which caused a small smile from Kai, who quickly nodded and closed his eyes.

"Hehe, okay."

As Kai closed his eyes, Nemuri's mind became flooded with intrusive thoughts, while she carefully detailed every feature of her beloved's face, finding it simply perfect and fascinating, especially his lips. She began staring at them with desire, which soon consumed her entirely. After taking a few deep breaths, she leaned down to kiss them softly.

Feeling Nemuri’s lips on his, Kai refrained from opening his eyes and instead returned the kiss, which was soft and affectionate, almost like the first kiss of a teenage couple. Well, in fact, it was their first kiss.

At the same time, Kai couldn’t help but find the situation a bit amusing. After all, he was far too ‘innocent’ in this life, since, as Daniel, by the age of 13, he wasn’t even a virgin, not to mention that Nemuri seemed to have forgotten her promise to wait until he turned 15.

After several minutes, Nemuri pulled away from Kai’s lips, her face completely flushed, feeling as if her heart were about to leap out of her chest. At the same time, the lower part of her body was starting to suffer from a serious flood, but knowing she couldn’t cross that line just yet, she bit her lip seductively before commenting, trying to sound calm.

“Well, that was your reward. I hope you liked it because there won’t be more until you turn 15.”

Upon hearing Nemuri’s words, spoken in a tone that tried to conceal her reluctance and desire, Kai opened his eyes, then stood up and brought his face close to that of the beautiful blue-eyed woman. So close that their noses almost touched, while he asked with a small smile.

“Really, there won’t be more?”

“N-no, it was just a rare prize; there won't be any more until you turn 15.” Nemuri answered with a nervous voice, feeling like her heart wanted to jump out of her mouth. At the same time, her face began to feel incredibly hot, to which Kai asked as he brought his lips closer to hers, almost touching them.

“Really? Not even one?”

“N-no, there's no more”

Fighting against the desire that consumed her, Nemuri responded nervously, though at the same time, she didn’t move an inch from her spot, which only made Kai smile mischievously. He quickly added, trying to sound like a devil tempting a poor, innocent soul.

"Are you sure? Why not just one more? We already had one. What would change? Don’t I deserve a little extra reward?... It’ll just be one, so I can remember the taste well until I turn 15."

As she felt Kai's lips brushing against hers, with his breath caressing her skin, Nemuri sensed the last thread of her sanity snap. Overcome with desire, she wrapped her arms around the young man’s neck, his blue eyes gleaming, and began kissing him passionately.

Kai, though a bit surprised by Nemuri's sudden outburst, quickly reacted and reciprocated, engaging in a fierce battle of tongues and passion. At the same time, he wrapped his arms around the stunning body of his fiery girlfriend.

Overwhelmed by her overflowing passion, Nemuri ended up pushing Kai down onto the couch, while she lay on top of him, holding him tightly as if she wanted to merge into one with him. At the same time, she felt immense delight in tasting the lips and the delicious tongue of her beloved.

As time passed, the kiss grew increasingly passionate, to the point where Nemuri couldn’t help but start moving her hips. She felt Kai’s hands sliding up her back after firmly gripping her hips, then venturing under her blouse, delicately brushing against her skin.

Nemuri's excitement reached its peak the moment she felt Kai's hands slowly trace the outline of her voluptuous chest, only to squeeze them passionately. A surge of intense pleasure shot through her body, inevitably causing her pajama pants to become completely soaked.

As Nemuri let out muffled moans through the passionate kiss, Kai finally reached the sensitive nipples of his sensual girlfriend, which were painfully erect. He began to caress them, first gently, then with a bit more pressure, causing the fiery woman on top of him to tremble intensely.

Due to the intense orgasm she was experiencing from Kai's skilled actions on her nipples, Nemuri was forced to pull her lips away from his. Her back arched as a seductive moan escaped from her beautiful, alluring lips.

After several seconds, Nemuri lowered her head to look at Kai with a face full of conflicting emotions. However, upon seeing the warm and loving expression of the man she loved, her heart calmed considerably. She gently let herself fall onto his strong chest, speaking with a slight tone of regret in her voice.

"Kai… we can't do this. We made a promise, and even though I’m dying to explore more things with you, I know I’ll feel really guilty if we go through with it now..."

“Don’t worry Onee-chan, we didn’t do anything wrong; after all, we are boyfriend and girlfriend, and we want to be together as long as we can, so this is just another aspect of our relationship, although if you feel more at ease that way, I promise not to let something like this happen until I turn 15.”

In a soft, warm voice, Kai spoke as he gently stroked Nemuri’s back over her pajamas. This made the beautiful woman with dark blue hair tighten her embrace around him as she responded in a much more serious tone.

“It’s not ‘as long as we can’; I want to live until the last of my days by your side. I truly love you from the bottom of my heart, and I want to grow old by your side.”

Receiving this heartfelt confession, overflowing with love and sincerity, Kai froze for a moment. But soon after, he smiled joyfully, his heart feeling infinitely warm and grateful to have Nemuri by his side in this life.

"I love you, Nemuri."

As he held the woman in his arms tightly, Kai couldn’t help but speak, filled with love, which caused Nemuri to break down, hugging the love of her life tightly as tears of happiness overflowed from her eyes. Hearing Kai say something like that truly meant the world to her.

"I love you too, Kai, more than anything in the world."

Chapter 58: I missed you

Chapter Text

The next morning, Kai woke up in his room and then dragged Salem with him to the gym. Despite Salem’s annoyed meowing from being woken up, he trained diligently with his master. Afterward, he endured a quick bath and some time in the special dryer at the gym. Now that Salem could shrink in size, he didn’t have to spend as much time in the dryer, which was a relief for both master and cat.

Back in his room, Kai quickly showered and put on simple jeans, a short-sleeved white shirt, a pair of Italian leather shoes, and a sleek titanium mechanical watch. When he came downstairs, he looked unusually “elegant” and handsome.

Upon arriving in the main hall, Kai found Nemuri, who was wearing black pants that greatly accentuated her figure, along with an elegant white blouse. She was sitting at the main dining table with a small smile, waiting for him.

"You look very handsome, Kai."

Nemuri commented with a slight blush on her cheeks when she saw him, like a teenager in love, which made Kai smile. Noticing that Mrs. Yumiko was still in the kitchen, Kai quickly moved closer to give his lovely girlfriend a warm kiss on the cheek, as he had promised not to do more.

"And you look stunning, Nemuri." Kai added softly, making Nemuri’s blush deepen as she lowered her head and responded quietly.

"Thank you… silly."

"Hehehe."

Seeing Nemuri act so sweetly, Kai had to restrain himself from showering her with kisses. He then sat down and behaved normally, as he sensed Mrs. Yumiko approaching, something the beautiful blue-eyed woman quickly noticed. She immediately pulled out a makeup mirror from her bag to check her appearance.

"Thank you, Mrs. Yumiko."

When the woman responsible for preparing their meals finished setting down the sumptuous breakfast, Kai thanked her with a smile, which spread to Mrs. Yumiko, who bowed respectfully as she replied.

"It’s always a pleasure, Mr. Kai."

After breakfast, the blue-eyed couple took one of the cars from the garage along with Salem, who, since acquiring his quirk, would grow in size to chase after Kai if he left him behind. They then headed towards the airport.

Even though Kai had to ride as a passenger with Salem on his lap, as usual, he wasn’t allowed to drive until he got his driver's license, which he could only obtain when he turned 18. Although he could get a motorcycle license at 16, it would only be for bikes with an engine under 50 cc, so he decided to entirely ignore that option since he preferred to walk rather than ride around on a scooter.

After some time waiting on the private airstrip, Keiko and Momo disembarked from an impressive private jet, just as Kai was stepping out of the car. The mother-and-daughter duo quickly sped up with huge smiles on their faces.

"Kai!!"

With a happy smile on her face, Momo jumped to hug Kai, exclaiming excitedly. The blue-eyed young man caught her and spun to soften her impact so she wouldn’t get hurt, warmly greeting her at the same time.

"Welcome back, Momo."

"Hehehe, I missed you so much! Next time, you should come with us so we can avoid the annoying plane ride." Momo said cheerfully as she let go of Kai, who couldn’t resist responding playfully.

"So your true intentions are revealed—you only want me as your transportation. How sad."

"You should feel honored to be this young lady’s transportation, Fufufu" Momo replied, playing along as she mimicked the haughty pose of a character from a drama she liked, to which Kai imitated the male character and replied,

"Hmph! Just because fate has crossed our paths, don’t think I’ll always indulge you, princess."

While Kai and Momo performed their little play, Keiko arrived beside the blue-eyed young man with a small smile, wrapping him in a warm hug as she commented with a gentle smile.

"I missed you, Kai."

"I missed you too, Aunt Keiko." Kai responded as he returned the hug to the beautiful woman, now a head shorter than him. Shortly after, she let go and smiled as she commented.

"Well, let’s get in the car."

"Let’s go!" Momo exclaimed cheerfully as she grabbed Kai’s arm and got into the back seat of the car.

"Hello, Nemuri. I really missed you." Keiko said as she entered the car, hugging Nemuri. At the same time, Momo greeted from the back while clinging to one of Kai’s arms and snatching little Salem with the other.

"Hello, Onee-chan."

"Hello, Momo, you’re getting more and more beautiful." Nemuri greeted as she turned to look at Momo, who could only smile shyly while squeezing Salem tighter. The cat let out a grumpy growl but didn’t dare do anything more.

"Hehehe, thanks, Onee-chan. You’re looking beautiful too."

"Fufufu, thank you." Nemuri replied with a small smile, but shortly after, Keiko asked as she put her bag aside and removed her sunglasses.

"So, how about we go shopping for a bit and then have lunch at a nice restaurant?"

"Actually, we were planning to visit the Pussycats. Something complicated happened last night, and if it weren't for Kai, things could have gone pretty bad." Nemuri said seriously as they left the airport, causing Keiko to turn to Kai with surprise and concern.

"What happened?"

"Well, to be honest, I’m not sure about all the details either. Last night…" Kai began explaining everything that had happened while rescuing little Salem from Momo’s grip, ignoring her pouty face and Salem’s grateful meow. Keiko nodded as he finished, then spoke in a more serious tone.

"Then it’s best if we go visit her. The emotional shock must have been intense."

"But you were a real hero, Kai! You saved the day!" Momo added cheerfully, clinging even tighter to Kai’s arm, to which he could only respond with an ironic smile.

"More like a field medic than a hero, but if it makes you happier to think of it that way…"

After a while, the group arrived at Kai’s house, quickly unloading their things before flying with Accompany to the Pussycats' base, where they were warmly welcomed by the entire hero team. Over delicious cups of coffee, they recounted everything that had happened the previous night.

"So, the ‘wolf’ was the husband of the first victim?" Momo asked in surprise after hearing the truth about the incident, and Ryuko nodded with a serious expression.

"Yes, it was quite shocking when we found out. After all, the guy had completely convinced us that he was only staying alive to see the culprit captured. He was incredibly cooperative and even gave us all the ‘information’ he had ‘gathered’ about the culprit, and everything seemed very legitimate. If it weren’t for Sentinel, we would have been completely fooled."

"There are truly all kinds of villains…" Momo remarked with a complex expression on her face.

"And how did your cousin and her husband react when they woke up?" Keiko asked as she soothed her nerves with a good cup of tea, given how impactful the story had been.

"They were pretty shaken up, even thinking it was a dream at first, but after calming down a bit, they understood the situation," Shino explained with a calm expression that masked the turbulent storm of emotions in his heart.

"Though it’s uncertain if they’ll continue being heroes after this. They were deeply affected." Ryuko added with a complicated look on her face, to which Nemuri thoughtfully replied.

"Well, that’s to be expected. I suppose they’ll need a good therapist to process everything that happened."

"Certainly, especially Kaede. She suffered a lot, and although Kai saved her from physical scars, the psychological ones are inevitable." Chatora added in a serious tone, prompting the others to nod in agreement. At that moment, Shino turned to Kai and asked.

"By the way, Kai, would you be willing to meet with Kaede and her husband? They’re truly grateful and would like to express it to you directly, even if it’s in secret."

"Hmm, honestly, no. On one hand, it would be problematic, and on the other, I didn’t do it for them. I don’t even know their names. I did it for you, and if you're happy, that’s all I need. I just want my family to be okay—everything else doesn’t matter," Kai responded casually while playing with a tiny Salem, who was lying on his back on Kai’s lap, happily meowing as he tried to catch his master’s paws.

Meanwhile, everyone else couldn’t help but look at Kai with different expressions. The heroes and the aspiring hero felt touched by Kai’s willingness to prioritize his family above all else, but they also felt a bit uneasy about his indifference toward strangers.

In contrast, Keiko looked at Kai with shining eyes, feeling deeply moved. While she knew the heroes might think differently, for her, Kai’s mindset was a dream come true. Although helping others was fine, she preferred a man who would put his family first over a stranger any day.

Others might call her selfish, but what she wanted was a man who would run to her side when she needed him—not some foolish do-gooder who would sacrifice his time, happiness, and even his own life and family for the sake of "doing good," something Alisa had experienced firsthand.

As for Shino, she felt her heart race, and her face grew incredibly warm. Desperately, she tried to calm herself by drinking, something Nemuri couldn’t help but notice, but at that moment, a loud stomach growl echoed through the room, drawing everyone’s attention to Tomoko, who smiled cheerfully.

"Well, I think it’s time to find something to eat."

Seeing her friend, Shino, a bit grateful for the distraction, made a comment both to herself and to ensure that the others wouldn’t notice her expression. Everyone nodded in agreement, and then she asked with a gentle smile on her face.

"How about some sushi from our usual place?"

"Yesss! Sushi! Yum yum!" Tomoko exclaimed loudly, making everyone smile.

"Fufufu, then sushi it is." Shino said with amusement as she saw everyone smiling happily, especially Salem, who was looking at her as if she were some kind of goddess.

"So, who’s going to get it? Mr. Norota doesn’t do delivery."

Ryuko asked, glancing challengingly at everyone, as in her family, such disputes were only settled by the traditional method: rock, paper, scissors. But just then, Shino stood up and responded in a calm and casual tone.

"I’ll go."

"I’ll go with you," Nemuri quickly added, standing up to follow Shino, who, after grabbing the car keys, walked alongside her to the garage.

"It seems like things are a bit complicated for Shino," Keiko commented as she watched the two women leave, to which everyone present nodded in agreement.

"Certainly, though I didn’t notice it at first, she seems to be a bit affected by what happened. It was her cousin, after all." Kai added as he pulled Salem away from Momo and Tomoko, who were trying to kidnap him, prompting Chatora to comment thoughtfully.

"Yes, as the leader, it’s tough for Shino to show her vulnerabilities to us, but it’s a relief that Nemuri noticed."

"Indeed. I was getting a little worried because she’s been acting strange since yesterday. I hope Nemuri can help her." Ryuko added, a bit concerned, as she looked toward where Nemuri and Shino had exited.

"I think Onee-chan will know how to help her; she’s the best at this!" Momo chimed in with a smile, causing everyone to nod, while Tomoko commented cheerfully.

"Yes, Nemuri’s the best for this. She’ll know what to do."

"You’re right; Onee-chan will know what to do."

Visibly more relaxed, Kai smiled as he commented, and his smile quickly spread to the others. They soon began chatting cheerfully about Momo and Keiko's trip, more details of the wolf case, and other topics, enjoying themselves as a family.

Chapter 59: I’m worse than you

Chapter Text

The journey to the sushi restaurant, beloved by the whole family, passed in quiet silence. Nemuri drove steadily, while Shino gazed out the window, allowing herself time to organize her thoughts and feelings. Finally, she spoke in a tone laced with fear and insecurity.

"Nemuri... I... I don't think I can hold back my feelings anymore. What happened made me painfully aware of them, and I just can't ignore them any longer..."

"..."

Hearing Shino's words, Nemuri chose to remain silent. Instead, she placed a hand on her best friend's shoulder while pulling the car to the side of the road. This comforted the beautiful woman with the bob cut slightly, and she continued pouring out her bottled-up emotions.

"... I love Kai. I love him more than anything in this world. I really tried to avoid it, tried to extinguish that feeling, but I couldn't. I don't know what to do anymore. I know I shouldn't feel this way, I know it's wrong in every possible way, but I can't even look him in the eyes without feeling the urge to throw myself into his arms. I'm the worst. I'm sorry..."

With tears in her eyes, Shino spoke in a voice that was both melancholic and lost, desperately searching for an answer or even a clue, to the point where she looked for the person she knew would understand her. After all, the two of them had been painfully aware of her impure feelings towards Kai, although until now, neither of them had had the courage for a confrontation.

"... You know, Shino, I'm not in any position to judge you. In fact, I'm worse than you..."

After a moment, Nemuri said looking at Shino and speaking in a calm yet self-critical tone, as she wiped away Shino's tears with a tissue. This prompted Shino to ask in surprise.

"What do you mean? You and Kai...?"

After drying Shino's tears, Nemuri let out a long sigh, looking up at the sky through the window and gripping the steering wheel tightly as she gathered the courage to confess in a heavy tone.

"... It's more or less what you're imagining. I'm a terrible person, far worse than you can imagine... I took advantage of Kai while he was asleep."

"What?!" Shino exclaimed in disbelief, staring at Nemuri, who continued to speak while looking ahead with a bitter expression on her face.

"But the worst part isn't even that. The worst part is that, while I can't deny feeling guilty about it, I don't actually regret it. In the end, Kai found out, and after some back and forth, we ended up starting a relationship."

"What...?"

With a voice that seemed more like a sigh, Shino exclaimed as the world around her seemed to be spinning. She felt even more lost than before, since, although what Nemuri had done was something terrible and even unforgivable, she could not judge her, after all, she could have committed exactly the same sin if she had had the chance.

But what hurt Shino the most, though, was hearing firsthand that there might have been a way to find her own twisted happiness. But she'd rested on her laurels, and now someone else was with the man she loved, shattering her heart into a thousand pieces. Her tears began to fall again, but Nemuri turned to face her and spoke in a serious tone.

"This happened several months ago, and I've had a lot of time to think about all of it. I know this relationship is wrong, but I'm really not willing to leave Kai's side for anything in the world. Even if I have to quit being a hero, even if I have to live in hiding for the rest of my life, it doesn't matter. I love him, and I want to be with him forever.

But at the same time, I'm very aware of your feelings and that this relationship could end up destroying our family. So, I thought, 'If I'm already doing the wrong thing for my happiness, why not go further so we can all be happy?' I realized that the only thing holding me back was my 'morality' and worldview.

After deeply reflecting on myself, my feelings, and my limitations, I realized that I really wouldn't mind sharing Kai—especially with you. I mean, in a way, we've been sharing him for years, and he's made sure to make us both happy. I trust him more than anything or anyone, and I know he would never leave me for someone else, as long as I don't 'betray' him. I'm absolutely convinced he'll be with me until the day I die.

So, I'm officially proposing this, Shino: if you truly feel that Kai is the love of your life, if you're truly willing to face the challenges that such an immoral relationship will bring to our lives, and only if you're genuinely ready to take Kai as your husband and me as your true sister for life, then I am completely willing to share the love of my life with you and do everything in my power to make this work."

Upon hearing Nemuri's solemn words, spoken with a serious expression full of resolve that left no room for it being a joke, Shino was left completely speechless, not knowing what to say. What she had heard was wrong on so many levels that calling it depraved would be an understatement, yet at the same time, it was an incredibly seductive proposition.

To have Kai as her husband, to be his wife for life, to have Nemuri as a true sister and unbreakable ally, with a bond stronger than any other kind of relationship could offer—this was something that, for someone whose only remaining family was a cousin who had nearly died the day before if not for her beloved, was incredibly difficult to refuse.

"... I acc—"

With a strange expression on her face, Shino tried to speak with a voice filled with panic, joy, fear, and confusion. However, she was suddenly interrupted by Nemuri, who gently placed her hand on the lips of the beautiful woman with the bob cut, and then spoke in a serious tone.

"Don't decide now. You need time to think about it and process everything that it entails. Besides, although Kai and I have started a relationship, because of my own personal boundaries, it won't be consummated until he turns 15. So, you have time to think carefully and make a decision you won't regret."

Seeing that Shino nodded in understanding, Nemuri removed her hand, but continued to look seriously at her, speaking in an even graver, more solemn tone while staring intently into her eyes. She stressed not only the importance of her words, but also that there would be no room for debate on the matter.

"Furthermore, when I say it's for life, I mean it. I won't accept a half-hearted resolution, and I must be very clear to avoid any confusion or misunderstanding: if you decide to be part of our relationship, Kai will be the only man in your life. I will not allow you to have another relationship, under any circumstances. Kai deserves respect, and as his partner, I will ensure he gets it."

"..."

Upon hearing Nemuri's strong warning, a sharp pain pierced Shino's heart as she heard Nemuri refer to herself as Kai's partner, inevitably bringing to mind the image of herself in the same position. This filled her with a deep longing, but after a moment, she composed herself and responded in a more serious tone.

"... Alright, I'll think it over carefully. Although I'll tell you right now that no matter what happens, I have no intention of seeking another relationship."

"You don't have to do that. This is simply one more option. If you decide not to join, you're totally free to live your life as you see fit. Nothing will change between us." Nemuri commented with a small smile on her face as she handed Shino a box of tissues. Shino took it and began wiping her face while speaking.

"It's not what you think. The truth is, although this whole situation is really unsettling and confusing, there's one thing I'm completely sure of: I love Kai from the bottom of my heart, and what I feel for him is something I've never felt for anyone else.

Besides, although it doesn't feel quite right to admit it, and it may not seem like it thanks to Kai, we are already a little older and some would even say that we are past our time to get married, so I highly doubt that something like this will come up again in the future and especially not in our profession."

Shino's words couldn't help but bring a somewhat bitter expression to Nemuri's face. While they weren't pleasant to hear, especially the part about age, they were entirely true. It was almost like a professional ailment. Unless it was with another hero, it was rare for a successful heroine to get married, and if she did, those marriages often didn't last long.

Perhaps it was because men felt intimidated by heroines, or maybe the hero's job was too demanding and created tension in relationships. Or it could even be the consequence of young heroines avoiding getting involved in relationships to avoid losing popularity. In any case, it wasn't uncommon for a heroine to remain single until retirement, and there were even cases of some staying single for life.

"Well, while you're partly right, you shouldn't close off your possibilities like that. Just think it over calmly, weigh the pros and cons, and make the best decision for yourself. I think that's the healthiest thing you can do in the midst of all this craziness." Nemuri commented as she restarted the car, to which Shino nodded before asking a bit uncertainly.

"Nemuri... do you think Kai will accept me if I agree to share him with you? Does he know about this proposal?"

"Well... the truth is, Kai doesn't know. I don't want to bring it up with him unless absolutely necessary. As for whether he'll accept, I'm sure he will. Kai truly loves you like family, and you're an incredibly beautiful woman. I know you love him, too. Plus, when I said I'd do everything possible to make it work, that includes convincing Kai."

As Nemuri reentered the road, she responded with a somewhat mischievous smile, almost like a child caught in mischief, which somehow made Shino smile as well. She commented in a much calmer tone.

"You're really irresponsible for getting my hopes up like this when you still weren't sure."

"Hehehe, well, don't take it like that. I'm sure that if I explain our reasons and the rules of our relationship to Kai, he'll eventually accept. So don't worry, trust me—if you end up agreeing, I'll make it happen."

While looking ahead, Nemuri commented with a mischievous smile on her face, which ended up improving Shino's mood, who, with a happier smile on her face, commented while looking at who would possibly be her sister in the future.

"Then I’ll trust you, 'big' sister, fufufu."

"Hey! I don’t like how that sounds!"

Hearing the strange tone with which Shino said “big,” Nemuri couldn’t help but retort loudly, which made Shino smile even more mischievously as she quickly teased.

"So, you wouldn’t be the older sister? After all, you were the first, right?"

"Hmph, don’t try to play smart with me. Don’t forget, we’re the same age." Nemuri huffed, annoyed as she drove. Shino quickly responded with playful laughter.

"Alright, 'big' sister."

With sharp eyes, Nemuri turned to look Shino straight in the eyes, starting a small staring contest that quickly ended when the pair of divinely beautiful women burst into laughter at the same time.

""Hahaha!""

"Hehehe, thanks, Nemuri. I really needed to let off some steam. I feel a bit calmer now," Shino said as she wiped a few tears from her eyes from laughing so hard. Nemuri, doing the same, replied.

"You don’t have to thank me. We're family. As long as it's within my power, I’ll always be there for each of you. Though, I’d like to ask you to keep my relationship with Kai a secret for now. I want to find the right moment to tell the rest of the family since it's a delicate matter."

"I understand. Besides, there's also the issue of my possible addition to the relationship, which would make things even more complicated. But speaking of that, what about Ryuko? You know she’s pretty serious about Kai," Shino replied, her tone more serious, which made Nemuri nod in agreement.

"Yes, I know. Although not on the same level as us, Ryuko is definitely interested in Kai. But I suppose that’s a bridge we’ll cross when we get there. Who knows what the future holds? Though, to be honest, I wouldn’t mind sharing Kai with Ryuko either."

"Oh, so that’s why you’ve stopped fighting so often about Ryuko’s confessions! I knew something was going on, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it was!" Upon hearing Nemuri, Shino couldn’t help but exclaim with realization, causing Nemuri to smile shyly as she quickly added.

"Well, yeah, originally it bothered me because I knew she was partly serious, and the idea of losing Kai in the future terrified me. But, as you can imagine, that’s no longer a concern for me. So now, fighting is more of a fun little event between us."

The pair of beautiful women continued talking about various topics in a warm and cheerful manner. As they did, they both felt their already strong bond grow even stronger—not only becoming closer, but their trust and affection for each other also deepened, feeling more like sisters and best friends than ever before.

Chapter 60: The key to changing your future

Chapter Text

In an office that seemed like a physical metaphor of its owner’s personality—precise, orderly, and meticulously organized—there sat a thin man with sharp and rather elongated features. He was seated in his chair with his back as straight as a ruler. His eyes, behind rectangular-framed glasses, moved from one report to another at a speed that defied human capabilities.

Despite the office having a simple and minimalist decor in serious gray tones, the place stood out due to a curious fact: all kinds of All Might merchandise—from posters to books—decorated the space, reflecting the great fanaticism of the owner of this curious place for the number one hero.

The man at the desk dressed elegantly, wearing a white business suit with golden buttons, which greatly contrasted with his red tie with white polka dots and his dark green hair with three golden lines. His hair was perfectly combed, making him appear more like a dedicated office worker than a hero.

With terrifying efficiency, the man at the desk organized all the reports he had, almost as if he were preparing for an important conference. Among all the documents, three stood out in particular: one with the profile of a recently captured villain, another with the profile of the only active member of the former hero duo Water Horse, and the last one about a famous heroine known as Mandalay.

"This could be the key to changing your future, All Might."

Upon seeing his work, the man couldn't help but comment with a certain hint of emotion in his typically serious and cold voice. He then gave everything one last review, including his own personal presentation, after which he took his phone to make a call.

[Yes, hello?]

Shortly after, the intermittent ringing was cut off, giving way to a somewhat hoarse and calm voice—very different from the powerful and energetic voice the man was accustomed to—which caused a bitter smile on his face. But he quickly composed himself and spoke.

[All Might, this is Sir Nighteye speaking. There's something important I want to discuss with you. Is there a possibility we could meet?]

[Nighteye? Old friend, of course! Give me a few moments; I'll arrive at your agency quickly.]

Upon hearing the voice of his old sidekick, All Might couldn't help but respond with joy. Although things between them had been a bit tense after a certain event, they were partners for several years and great friends.

[Alright, I'll be waiting for you.]

After hanging up, Sir Nighteye reviewed his personal presentation one last time, even polished his shoes, and then sat at his desk with a serious expression. A few minutes later, a knock was heard at the door.

"Come in."

At Sir Nighteye's word, the door opened, revealing All Might, wearing a simple white T-shirt and brown pants. Unusually, he didn't say his iconic phrase upon arriving and instead sat across from Nighteye with a serious expression.

"It's been a while, old friend. How have you been?" All Might greeted in a somewhat unusual tone, much more restrained and soft, to which Nighteye responded seriously.

"It certainly has been a while, All Might, and things have been relatively well—nothing out of the ordinary."

"It's a joy to hear that…" All Might replied, then fell silent, not quite sure what to say. Nighteye quickly explained in a serious and solemn tone.

"All Might, actually, the reason I called you here is because I found a lead to change your future—even cure you."

Upon hearing Nighteye's words, All Might couldn't help but widen his eyes in surprise, then asked incredulously.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you remember I told you there was no precedent for my future visions to change? Well, that's no longer the case. One of my visions changed, and after investigating the event, I concluded that there's a possibility to cure you."

While All Might still looked at him in surprise, Nighteye quickly showed him the documents he had meticulously organized, then continued explaining seriously.

"Several months ago, a strange event occurred. While investigating a case of arms trafficking, I reviewed the future of one of the suspects to confirm the location of their base of operations, only to discover that the person was involved in a terrorist attack. But since he died in it, I couldn't obtain much information about it.

For that reason, I initiated an exhaustive investigation to stop the attack, but when I was close to getting a lead on the villains behind it, they were repeatedly captured and the attack never occurred—something that surprised me so much that I even refused to believe it for a while."

Nighteye showed All Might the profile of the hero Water Horse, who had taken the name of the old group he formed with his wife before she decided to retire, along with the profile of the captured villain. Then, he continued speaking.

"After investigating what happened with the capture of the group of villains, I inevitably arrived at the hero Water Horse, who used to form a team with his wife. But after a confrontation with a Class A villain, the wife retired, and they moved to another city, where the hero by chance discovered an arms transaction during one of his patrols and reported it to the authorities, which ended with the capture of the entire group."

Upon hearing the story, All Might widened his eyes in surprise, then carefully reviewed the profiles Nighteye was showing him, who continued explaining.

"Knowing that he was the key to discovering what had happened with the change in my future vision, I investigated the event of his battle against the Class A villain. Although the official report only mentioned that they had been injured and healed by an unknown vigilante with a healing quirk, the reality was quite different.

At first, I tried to interview Hero Water Horse and his wife, but I didn't get much from them, as they only mentioned what was in the official report. But by investigating their therapist, I discovered that the event had been much more complex.

The couple were not just 'injured'; they were literally on the brink of death, and it was truly a miracle that they survived—to the point that both were left with serious psychological traumas that forced the wife to retire and the whole family to move to an area with a low crime rate."

"Do you mean that the future changed because of that unknown vigilante? Is he the key you mention who can cure me?" All Might asked, absolutely shocked, as the implications of what Nighteye was talking about were too impactful for him.

"Certainly, I am convinced that this vigilante not only has an extremely powerful healing quirk but also that he is somehow capable of changing my visions, since that event ended up changing the future I had seen. If the Water Horse couple had died that day, my vision of the terrorist attack would have been fulfilled."

With a serious expression, Nighteye commented while looking directly into All Might's eyes, who couldn't help but notice a slight light of hope and optimism in his friend—something that pleased him greatly, as he was fully aware of the psychological torture it had been for him to see the future and not be able to change it in any way.

"Did you find the vigilante?"

After a moment, All Might asked in a tone that contained an infinity of emotions, at the same time, smoke was coming out of his body. He then appeared as a skinny weakling on the verge of death—nothing like his glorious hero form—which greatly affected Nighteye. After shaking his head to dispel his insecurities, he quickly explained.

"Not yet. The truth is, I've been looking for him for a while but haven't managed to find him anywhere. Moreover, since that specific event, there hasn't been another case that leads me to suspect his involvement, which led me to conclude that he's not a vigilante at all and his intervention is due to something else."

With a quick movement, Nighteye showed All Might the profile of the heroine Mandalay, belonging to the famous hero group Wild Wild Pussycats. Who have had an almost perfect streak of case resolutions in recent years, then explained in a serious tone.

"After a small investigation, I realized that the Wild Wild Pussycats were also involved in the event, where one of their members, better known as Mandalay, is actually a cousin of the wife of Hero Water Horse. This, along with the strange concealment they carried out about the event, led me to think that she is the key to finding that 'vigilante.'"

"…This is quite unusual; normally you'd have all the information ready before calling me." Upon hearing his old companion and friend, All Might couldn't help but comment, a little surprised, to which Nighteye nodded and then explained solemnly.

"In fact, I've already arranged an appointment with the heroine Mandalay, but the implications of the 'case' are too big, and it could involve an unknown person with the possible power to break my visions. So I don't know what could happen, and I decided to inform you first before attending the meeting, since if something happens to me, this information could be buried, and with it, the only hope to change your future."

"…Do you really think there is something else behind all this?" All Might asked with a serious expression while looking intently at Nighteye, who could only respond uncertainly.

"The truth is, I don't know. The fact that they're hiding the information is quite suspicious in itself, and honestly, this is the first time I've faced the possibility that my visions of the future might not be accurate, so I'd rather play it safe this time."

"I'll accompany you to that meeting," All Might commented seriously as he transformed back into his hero form, causing his voice to change midway, becoming much deeper and more powerful.

For his part, Nighteye looked into the eyes of the now gigantic All Might with an infinity of feelings. On one hand, he felt truly happy to be able to act once again alongside his idol, but at the same time, he felt insecure about the possible disappointment that this meeting might bring.

"I suppose there's nothing I can say to change your mind," somewhat resigned yet secretly happy, Nighteye commented, which elicited a powerful laugh from All Might, who quickly added.

"Hahaha, that's right, and there's nothing to worry about because I WILL BE THERE!"

"Then I'll count on you," Nighteye said with a small smile on his usually serious face, to which All Might confidently replied.

"Of course, partner."

Chapter 61: All Might?!

Chapter Text

In a private room of an elegant and minimalist-looking café, two incredibly beautiful women were gathered: one with long, silky golden hair and deep blue eyes, and the other with short brown hair and coffee-colored eyes. Both wore hero suits consisting of a skirt, top, and boots—the first in blue and the second in red.

"Do you have any idea what Nighteye wants?" Pixie-Bob asked while sipping from her cup of coffee, to which Mandalay responded by doing something similar.

"Honestly, no. He didn't tell me anything; he just asked for a meeting to exchange information about a case."

"Could it be that he's courting you? Hehe," Pixie-Bob inquired with a mischievous smile on her face, causing Mandalay to roll her eyes.

"Please, there's not the slightest chance of that."

"Fufufu, what will you do if it turns out he's super in love with you and desperate to win you over?" While covering her amused smile with her cat glove, Pixie-Bob commented teasingly, making her somehow resemble a playful cat.

"Well, nothing would happen. I'd simply walk out that door the moment something like that was mentioned." Mandalay replied while enjoying her coffee, not giving much importance to the remark, which only heightened Ryuko's mischief. She quickly commented knowingly.

"Of course, you already have more than enough with my Kai, fufufu."

"Now, what would you do if what he wants is for me to help him get closer to you?" Not wanting to delve into the tricky subject, Mandalay quickly tossed the ball back into her friend's court, who promptly responded with pride and amusement.

"Of course I'd reject him. I already have my future husband Kai—the most handsome, strong, intelligent, and loving—I don't need anyone else."

Hearing Pixie-Bob's words, a complex expression appeared on Mandalay's face. She not only felt guilty about her conversation with Nemuri, but also because keeping it secret from her lifelong friend and teammate could cause her to waste her youth hoping for something that might not happen.

"Are you serious, Ryuko?"

Hearing her friend's serious tone, Ryuko couldn't help but look at her for a moment, quickly noticing her complicated expression. After a moment of consideration, a look of realization appeared on her face, and she briefly explained in a calmer and more serious tone.

"Well, the truth is that—"

Pixie-Bob's words were cut off by a knock on the door. After briefly exchanging glances, almost as if agreeing to finish the conversation another time, the beautiful woman in the red hero suit spoke aloud.

"Come in."

At Mandalay's words, two men entered the private room: a muscular giant over two meters tall with blond hair and blue eyes, along with a man about 20 cm shorter with green hair streaked with gold, who wore an elegant white business suit.

"I AM HERE!"

""All Might?!!""

Announcing his entrance, All Might exclaimed his iconic phrase loudly, causing the pair of beautiful heroines to jump from their seats in surprise. Meanwhile, Nighteye approached and extended his hand toward Mandalay.

"Sorry for the interruption."

In response to Nighteye's greeting, Mandalay replied almost on autopilot and shook the extended hand cordially, while returning her gaze to Nighteye, who looked directly into her eyes. She then commented with a somewhat ironic smile on her face.

"I didn't know All Might would be coming..."

"Hahaha, well, I was in the middle of a little chat with my old partner and decided to accompany him. I hope you don't mind." All Might commented with a hearty laugh, to which Pixie-Bob responded while shaking Nighteye's hand.

"Of course not, we're just a bit surprised—we didn't expect it at all."

After sitting in their respective seats, Nighteye looked intently at the pair of heroines in front of him, trying to glean as much information as possible from their body language. Unfortunately, they just seemed a bit surprised by All Might's appearance, but not much else. So he immediately spoke after a waiter placed his cup of coffee on the table, who soon left the room and closed the door behind him.

"Well, first of all, I wanted to thank you for agreeing to meet with us when you're such busy people. Therefore, I'd like to get straight to the point and ask if you have any information regarding the vigilante with healing abilities that you mentioned in the report you submitted on the capture of the Class A villain, Muscular."

After speaking, Nighteye sipped his cup of coffee while discreetly focusing his gaze on the heroines in front of him, especially Mandalay. But to his disappointment, neither of them showed any apparent change and remained as relaxed as ever, while the heroine in the red suit asked in a calm tone.

"Of course, Nighteye, what do you want to know? I'll try to give you all the information I can."

In any other situation, that would have been the correct response—a calm and relaxed attitude without the slightest intention of hiding anything—something that would puzzle anyone, but not Nighteye. Perhaps due to his extensive experience as an investigator or his particular interest in the information, but to him, that attitude was nothing more than an obvious sign that the women in front of him were not willing to cooperate.

But he had already prepared for such a situation, and had even met the requirements to activate his future vision on Mandalay just moments ago. So he quickly tried to see her future to find the information he needed, but the moment the image began to form in his mind, it quickly shattered like a pile of glass.

Returning his gaze to the situation in the room, Nighteye couldn't help but notice that Mandalay was holding a beautiful Gladius sword with intricate carvings on its blade that seemed to be a mix between an electronic circuit and tribal runes, while she looked at him with an irate expression, as if ready to attack at any moment.

"What is the meaning of this, Mandalay?"

Seeing the weapon in Mandalay's hand, which had materialized out of nowhere and almost instantaneously even to his perception, All Might asked in a serious tone while looking directly into the eyes of the beautiful heroine, who asked in a dark and evidently offended tone.

"That's exactly what I'd like to ask the two of you: why did Nighteye try to look into my future without my authorization?"

"What do you mean?"

All Might quickly asked, trying to hide his discomfort, as he had noticed his companion's dark expression, which basically told him that he had indeed done it. Mandalay showed the sword in her hand while commenting in an evidently annoyed tone.

"I have ways to block clairvoyance against me, and just now Nighteye tried to spy on my future."

"So you came prepared against me..."

While analyzing the sword in Mandalay's hand, Nighteye couldn't help but comment in a grave tone, while his mind began to wander about the possibilities that the sword in her hand was the key to changing his predictions.

"Not at all, just a method of self-protection. But more importantly, what are your intentions with all this? Am I suspected of something?"

As she and Pixie-Bob analyzed All Might and his former partner, Mandalay asked in a solemn tone. After all, the situation warranted it, since, although she hadn't committed any crime, in front of the number one hero, that was irrelevant. If they accused them of something, possibly only Kai could save them—something they didn't want to resort to, as that would only translate into a world of trouble for the man she loved.

"I see..." Nighteye couldn't help but comment in a contemplative tone, but seeing that the heroines' expressions visibly worsened with each passing second, he quickly continued speaking.

"First of all, I'd like to apologize for my rudeness in trying to look into your future without consent, but I really need to save someone's life, and I know that the former hero duo Water Horse had a miraculous recovery from the brink of death, so I'm in a constant state of anxiety and acted hastily."

Upon hearing Nighteye's words, Mandalay and Pixie-Bob's expressions visibly relaxed, while the sword in the hands of the heroine in red dematerialized, which couldn't help but draw the heroes' attention.

"So that's why..." Mandalay commented before discreetly letting out a small sigh of relief before continuing. "But I must apologize; I don't think I can be of much help."

"Please, Mandalay, I know you know something. Although I still don't know why you covered up the event, I know you must have information about the incident that saved the Water Horse couple from death. Something like that hasn't happened again since then, and the person I want to save is not only important to me but to all of Japan!" Nighteye spoke quickly with an evidently agitated tone, but at that moment, All Might's powerful voice resonated in the room.

"The one who needs healing is me."

"""All Might?!!!"""

Upon hearing All Might's words, everyone present exclaimed aloud and then looked at him with expressions full of disbelief. At that moment, the muscular form of the number one hero burst into a cloud of smoke, soon revealing a thin, haggard man with a sickly appearance.

"How is this possible? All Might is in such a grave state?!" Pixie-Bob exclaimed loudly, absolutely shocked, followed closely by Mandalay, who added aloud.

"But there hasn't been any information about this!"

"We are keeping it a secret to avoid panic, but yes, I was gravely injured in combat."

As he spoke with a much softer and weaker voice than the heroines present could have ever imagined, All Might lifted his white shirt, which now hung large and loose on him, revealing a horrible scar that almost covered his entire left torso.

"This is the wound I received from an enemy attack four years ago. Half of my respiratory system was destroyed, and I lost my entire stomach. I became like this due to repeated surgeries and aftereffects, so I can only do my hero work for about three hours a day."

Upon witnessing the wound shown by All Might and his explanation of the injuries he received, Mandalay and Pixie-Bob were absolutely stunned, almost refusing to believe what they were seeing. After all, it was almost inconceivable that the Symbol of Peace, the invincible number one hero, could be in such a miserable state—something that inevitably appeared on their faces, which, besides surprise and shock, revealed a hint of fear.

For his part, Nighteye looked at All Might with undisguised surprise on his face. After all, the decision he made to tell them the truth was too great a risk, especially when they didn't even know if they had information about that "vigilante" or if they even intended to help them. But at that moment, Pixie-Bob and Mandalay looked at each other with solemn expressions, almost as if they were having a wordless conversation.

"Mandalay, I'll make a call," Pixie-Bob said after a moment in a serious tone to her companion, who quickly nodded.

"Alright."

"It seems they've decided to help us; thank you very much," All Might commented with a small smile on his emaciated face, to which Mandalay replied after shaking her head.

"Don't thank me just yet. For now, and seeing your sincerity, I'm willing to admit that I know who healed my cousin and her husband, but that doesn't guarantee that this person is willing to do it for you. But I'd like to know, why did you decide to risk letting me know something as delicate as this?"

Upon hearing Mandalay's question, All Might prepared to speak, but at that moment he coughed up a mouthful of blood, which immediately alarmed the female hero in front of him, who quickly asked, startled.

"Are you okay, All Might?!"

"Yes, I'm fine—just one of the effects of my current condition, don't worry," All Might replied with a dark expression, then explained while looking at Mandalay, who was sitting back down.

"Back to the topic, there are several reasons. First, the Wild Wild Pussycats hero group has been operating for several years with an impeccable reputation and countless cases solved, so at the very least, I can tell that you are responsible heroes. But mainly it was because of the sword that appeared in your hand, which, even to my perception, appeared instantaneously.

"The creator of that sword must possess a very powerful quirk, so it's most likely that the person who healed that woman is the same individual. You must be quite important to him or her to be willing to give you that sword and to heal your cousin when there hasn't been any public appearance from this person. But mainly because that's how desperate I am—my time is running out, and the world still needs a Symbol of Peace."

"I understand, All Might; you're sharp..." Mandalay replied while looking at the Symbol of Peace in front of her with a complicated expression. He responded with a smile that looked more like a grimace in that skinny form.

"Well, over time I learned a couple of things."

"Well, we should wait for Pixie-Bob then; she shouldn't take long to return."

Chapter 62: So there’s no chance?

Chapter Text

After a while, Pixie-Bob entered the private room of the café, now accompanied by a handsome young man taller than her, with black hair and blue eyes. Upon entering the room, he greeted everyone with a smile.

"Pleasure to meet you; my name is Saito Kai."

As Kai sat between Shino and Ryuko, All Might and Nighteye couldn't help but look at the boy with surprise and confusion. They didn't quite understand what the young man was doing in front of them, somewhat refusing to believe that someone so young could be the person they were seeking.

"Mandalay? Who is this young man?"

"… Who is this young man?"

Confused, Nighteye tried to ask as he looked at the beautiful red-clad heroine, only to be surprised when the young man repeated his words at the same time, almost like a chorus member. He just looked at him with a slight smile on his face, which led All Might to comment with a more serious expression.

"I suppose you're the 'vigilante.'"

"And I suppose you're All Might; you've changed quite a bit since the last time I saw you," Kai commented with a smile while analyzing All Might's 'voice,' immediately noticing something strange.

(His 'voice' is really odd; it feels weak but at the same time powerful. What a strange feeling…)

"So you're already aware of everything," Nighteye commented while looking somewhat warily at the young man in front of him. All Might then asked with a sudden realization on his face.

"Kai-shonen, by any chance, are you Iron Palm's son?"

"Oh, so you still remember me; it's truly an honor."

As Kai responded cheerfully, Nighteye couldn't help but widen his eyes in disbelief. He remembered the former No. 5 hero and, above all, his tragic end—not to mention the rumors about the mental stability of the sole survivor of the attack, his only son, which circulated for quite some time until the topic cooled down.

"How could I forget you? It's not every day a five-year-old asks to see all my power," All Might commented in a much calmer and happier tone, to which Kai smiled amusingly before replying calmly.

"Hehe, well, I needed a reference for the strongest."

"Hehe, you've grown a lot; I didn't recognize you for a moment." All Might smiled with some nostalgia as he recalled that curious moment and the expression the boy had.

"Well, that's a strange habit we youngsters have," Kai responded calmly. But at that moment, All Might coughed up a mouthful of blood, which led Kai to comment a bit more seriously.

"I see you're quite ill."

"Well, yes, I suppose you've already heard about it," All Might explained while wiping the blood from his lips. Kai added as he stood up from his seat.

"Actually, no. They only told me that you were in bad shape and needed my help. May I examine you?" Upon reaching All Might, Kai extended his hand as he asked, causing Nighteye to narrow his eyes. But the scrawny blue-eyed man nodded quickly.

"Then I'll be under your care."

With a mental command, Kai summoned Sage in [In] mode, making her invisible to everyone. He then examined All Might, quickly obtaining an invisible hologram in front of him that showed all his physical data, which greatly surprised him.

[Sage, are you sure this information is correct?]

Through his mental connection, Kai quickly asked Sage for confirmation. Although he didn't remember very well the injuries mentioned in the original work—since he only heard about it once and didn't pay much attention—if what he was reading was correct, it was practically a miracle that All Might was still alive.

[I'm certain, Master. This person has no stomach, and his respiratory system is a disaster. Additionally, his liver and kidneys are in terrible condition. Furthermore, his muscles and bones suffer from significant deterioration, and there are signs of various problems like hypertension, cardiovascular stress, and deficiencies in his immune system, etc. It's truly a mystery how he's still alive.]

With a serious expression, Sage explained through their mental connection, causing Kai to nod with a complex look. After all, healing him wasn't going to be easy, so he needed to get all the benefit he could from this "project."

"You're literally at the brink of death..."

With a solemn expression, Kai commented while looking directly into All Might's eyes, surprising the others present. Despite already knowing the severity of the injuries, the blue-eyed young man's demeanor made them quite nervous.

"So there's no chance?" All Might asked in a somewhat resigned tone. Kai shook his head and then replied seriously.

"It's not that there aren't any chances; it's just that it will be quite complicated, especially reversing all the changes that were made to your body so you could survive. Plus, there's a certain risk involved."

"Is it really possible?" Nighteye asked hastily while staring intently at Kai, who nodded as he took a seat.

"Yes, it's possible to heal him, but as I mentioned, it will be complicated. Moreover, to do it, I first need to reverse all the changes that were made to his body, so you can imagine the risk involved."

"How can we trust your words?" Nighteye asked seriously. Kai simply shrugged and responded casually.

"Well, it's difficult, but I suppose you'll have to take the risk. You were the ones who sought me out, not the other way around. Though I can give you a small demonstration of my abilities."

"What kind of demonstration?" Nighteye asked curiously, silently accepting the young man's words. Kai quickly approached and extended his hand while asking.

"May I examine you?"

"Sure."

With Nighteye's consent, Kai quickly touched him while Sage examined him. He then looked at the information on the hologram, noting that the man was in fairly good health except for a slight discomfort in his left shoulder.

"Well, you have a minor injury in your left shoulder. Let me treat it."

As his right hand glowed with a faint sky-blue light, Kai looked at Nighteye, who nodded gently. He then placed his hand on the green-haired man's shoulder, removing it shortly after while speaking.

"All done. How does it feel?"

"Quite good; my shoulder feels like new," Nighteye responded while rotating his shoulder in small circles, secretly feeling incredibly excited about the possibility of healing the Symbol of Peace.

"How high is the risk?"

Looking directly at Kai, All Might asked in a solemn tone. The blue-eyed boy replied after Sage showed him a hologram with information, which to the others seemed as if he were deep in thought.

"Well, I'd need to run more detailed simulations, but I'd say there's a 3% chance of death and a 20% chance that I won't be able to heal him and can only improve his condition slightly. His state is really complex, and the modifications to his body were too aggressive. It'll be quite difficult."

Though great excitement welled up in All Might and Nighteye upon hearing Kai's words—after all, it was the most hopeful prognosis they had ever heard—the green-haired man quickly composed himself and asked in a serious tone, while scrutinizing the young man in front of him for any signs of inconsistency.

"How certain are you of those percentages?"

"Quite certain. Although with more detailed simulations they might vary a bit, they shouldn't be far off; they might even decrease," Kai replied seriously, meeting Nighteye's gaze. Nighteye quickly commented while adjusting his glasses.

"But from what I know, you literally brought the Water Horse couple back from the brink of death."

"Well, that's because I healed them while they were still wounded. Honestly, if I had treated All Might before anyone else, the risk of not being able to heal him would be significantly lower. Most of the risk comes from the changes I have to reverse even before I can start healing him."

Finding the young man's explanation reasonable, Nighteye nodded in understanding, then asked while taking out his phone to check his schedule.

"How long would the entire procedure take?"

"It would be best to do it in several sessions, so in total it would take about 15 days," Kai replied after thinking a bit, to which Nighteye nodded while noting it in his phone.

"I see. We'll have to choose the timing carefully to avoid alerting the public..."

"Kai-shonen, can you really heal me?" Suddenly, All Might asked while looking intently at Kai, who returned the gaze firmly while replying.

"Yes, I can. Although there are risks involved, healing you is within my capabilities."

"Then I'll trust you, Kai-shonen. Although the risk is a bit high, my situation is truly too critical, and my activities as the Symbol of Peace have been severely affected and are starting to be noticed," All Might commented in a serious tone, somehow displaying his imposing presence as the Number One Hero in his scrawny form. But at that moment, Kai commented with a smile.

"Well, since you agree, I think it's a good time to talk about my fees."

""Kai?""

At Kai's words, two female voices called out softly from both sides, simultaneously discreetly tugging at his shirt—something the blue-eyed young man casually ignored while looking directly at All Might, who nodded while asking.

"You're right, Kai-shonen. You need payment for your efforts. What amount are we talking about?"

"Oh, I don't want money; I really don't need it. What I want is something else. I want a one-on-one duel with you if I manage to heal you and maintain confidentiality about my quirk," Kai spoke with a smile on his face, causing two female voices to exclaim loudly.

"What are you talking about, Kai?!" Shino asked, evidently shocked, to which Ryuko quickly added while tightly hugging one of Kai's arms.

"Don't joke about that; All Might is in a league of his own!"

"Exactly. All Might is in a league of his own, so I want to measure myself against him to see how far I am from the top," Kai commented with a defiant smile on his face as he looked at All Might, to which Nighteye asked in surprise.

"Are you serious, kid?"

"Very serious, and that's my price. What do you say, All Might? I'm already capable of delivering a punch similar to the one you showed me that time, and I ask for a duel at full strength if I heal you."

"You really haven't changed at all, Kai-shonen," All Might commented, feeling quite surprised inside, to which Kai responded with a smile.

"Well, my goals haven't changed since then."

"Then I agree, Kai-shonen. I'll have a duel with you if you manage to heal me," All Might replied in a serious tone, which greatly pleased Kai, who quickly stood up from his chair to extend his hand to the scrawny man in front of him.

"Then it's a deal, and don't forget to keep my quirk confidential as well."

"It's a deal," All Might responded while shaking Kai's hand, then they began a conversation about schedules, which ended up determining the date when the procedure would begin.

...

"I didn't know you had met the boy before," Nighteye commented while looking at All Might after Kai, Shino, and Ryuko left the room. All Might replied while recalling the events of that year.

"Yes, it was several years ago when, unfortunately, his parents died. I felt very guilty about it since Iron Palm was a good friend, so I wanted to meet him to apologize. But when I told him he could count on me for anything, do you know what he asked me?"

"To see one of your punches?" Nighteye asked in understanding, to which All Might nodded.

"Exactly."

"His quirk is almost miraculous in healing, and it must also give him considerable combat power if he wants to have a duel with you. So he must be quite arrogant with his power and wants to compare himself to you, believing that what you showed him was your best punch," Nighteye commented in a critical tone, to which All Might could only smile a bit uncomfortably while commenting.

"Well, if what he says is true, then he wouldn't be that far from reality. He told me he wanted to see the minimum necessary to be the strongest, so I got a bit excited and ended up unleashing a punch at 80%."

"80%?!!! And he thinks he can replicate it?!!! If what he says is true, that kid is a monster," Nighteye exclaimed with eyes completely wide in astonishment, to which All Might commented thoughtfully.

"He certainly is..."

Chapter 63: Make the most of those 15 days

Chapter Text

Upon leaving the café, Shino and Ryuko clung to Kai's arms as they walked toward a less crowded alley, displaying various expressions on their faces ranging from concern to slight annoyance.

"What was that all about earlier, Kai?" Shino asked in a slightly annoyed tone, to which Kai could only chuckle mischievously.

"Hehehe."

"Don't play dumb, start talking. Why do you suddenly want a duel with All Might?" Tightening her grip on Kai's arm, Shino questioned more sternly, to which the blue-eyed young man casually replied.

"Well, actually, I've been thinking for a while about how to test my current strength, and this opportunity fell into my lap, so I couldn't waste it. You see, even though I know I'm very strong, I don't know how strong exactly, and that's kind of dangerous, you know?"

"Seriously, sometimes I don't understand your train of thought, Kai," Shino commented after letting out an exasperated sigh, to which Ryuko quickly added while nodding her head.

"Yeah, Kai, sometimes you come up with some really crazy ideas."

"Hehehe, well, strength is vital for survival. Besides, didn't you notice? The fact that All Might is in such a critical state can only mean one thing: there are beings equal to or even stronger than All Might. That's why things are serious, and there's only one Symbol of Peace; the second place doesn't even come close to him.

"Moreover, did All Might really win that fight at the cost of his injuries? Or did he lose and barely manage to escape by the skin of his teeth? If it's the first one, that's fine, but if it's the second one, we practically have the sword of Damocles hanging over us. And even if it was really the first one, this event only shows that the Symbol of Peace is not invincible.

"That's why I need to improve as soon as possible, and the first step is to experience firsthand the true power of All Might, to get an idea of what I'm lacking. Also, that way, I could more clearly estimate the threat that could come knocking at our door."

With a slightly more serious tone, Kai explained as he stopped in a place without cameras or onlookers, which visibly darkened Shino and Ryuko's expressions. After all, they had thought about it too, although they tried not to dwell on the idea too much, since it was too terrifying that there could be a villain stronger than All Might who could attack at any moment.

"Did you also want to heal him to have an extra layer of defense against that possible villain?" After a moment, Ryuko asked as she clung to Kai's arm, almost as if seeking security.

"Well, that too."

Seeing Kai's smile, Shino couldn't help but squeeze his arm tighter, while asking with a sharp look and an accusatory tone.

"You didn't even think about that, did you?"

"Hehehe, well, heroes always arrive late; it's better to rely on oneself," Kai commented with an amused smile as the Accompany card appeared in his hand, to which Ryuko remarked somewhat dissatisfied.

"I've always wondered where you got that saying from. We heroes continuously patrol our areas and prevent many crimes and tragedies before they happen, you know?"

"Blame my mother; she always said, 'Heroes always arrive late, so it's better not to expose oneself unnecessarily'" Kai commented while remembering his mother, adding to himself.

(That was an iconic phrase from my mother, although in my past life she replaced 'heroes' with 'police'; the essence is the same...)

"So it was Alisa-san. That makes sense then; she always told others somewhat harsh truths," Shino commented after letting out a small sigh, to which Kai could only look away with a slight grin.

"Hehe, sorry."

"It's okay; we're human too, and we can't always arrive on time, so Alisa-san's advice isn't wrong. It's better to avoid putting oneself in danger deliberately," Ryuko said while watching Kai lift the Accompany card.

"By the way, Kai, how much of what you said at the meeting was true?" Before Kai activated the card, Shino asked while looking at his profile, to which the blue-eyed boy casually replied.

"Most of it, although I exaggerated the percentages a bit. Actually, it would be difficult for him to die at my hands, and the chances that I can't heal him are around 10%, but it was better to give myself some leeway."

"I see..."

As Shino muttered softly, Kai activated Accompany and then flew off to the Pussycats' base, where he left Ryuko and Shino. He then went to find the others so they could all have a small family chat about what had happened.

In the end, Kai had to endure scolding from Nemuri, Keiko, and Yumiko, who didn't agree at all with his idea of the duel. Meanwhile, Tomoko, Momo, and Nejire looked at him like an idol, while he simply remained silent, having a conversation with Sage through their mental connection.

[Sage, we need to prepare the plan very well and make the most of those 15 days I got to acquire all possible information about All Might's quirk.]

[Understood, Master. I've already prepared all the servers for that purpose, and I've also expanded the order for new clusters with the new chips; they should arrive in a few days] At her master's question, Sage answered while sitting on his shoulder.

[Perfect. We'll need as much computational power as possible to maximize the information we gather] Kai replied, pleased, which inevitably led Sage to ask somewhat confused.

[But Master, is it really necessary to risk revealing your powers to the government just to obtain information about his quirk? Not to mention the duel you requested.]

[Well, although it's certainly a risk, the truth is that the gains far outweigh it. Even though I don't remember the details of his quirk very well, I do recall two very important aspects: first, it can be passed on to others at will, and second, it becomes stronger over time by accumulating energy.

If we manage to replicate those two characteristics with Aura, not only could I massively increase my raw power, but I could also give Aura to the girls. So it's extremely important to do, and it's worth the risk on its own.

As for the duel, the reality is that it's really important to measure myself against All Might. Also, if they were able to find out that I healed Shino's cousin, others might be able to as well. So it's important to set a precedent that it's not a good idea to mess with me, and facing All Might head-on is a good way to do it.]

In response to her master's words, Sage nodded in understanding, then added through their mental connection in a thoughtful tone.

[I understand, Master. I'll make sure to structure the corresponding research projects, and I'll also start fine-tuning your abilities for the confrontation with All Might.]

[I trust you then] Kai replied with a satisfied smile on his face, which sent the wrong message to the women around him.

"What are you laughing at, Kai?! Do you think it's funny to face All Might?!" Nemuri exclaimed angrily in front of him, to which Keiko added with her hands on her hips.

"This isn't a game, Kai. You could really get hurt in that 'duel'."

"Yes, Kai-chan, I understand that it's important to heal All Might, but you can't face him; it's very dangerous," Yumiko scolded with a worried expression while crossing her arms under her voluptuous chest. Kai commented in a calm tone.

"Relax, All Might is the Symbol of Peace, so I won't die. It's a great opportunity to test my limits; I've never been able to use all my strength before, and not knowing my limits can be dangerous. Besides, it's important for my goals."

Upon hearing Kai's words, a complicated expression appeared on everyone's faces, leaving them in a silence that was broken when Keiko sat next to the blue-eyed young man, commenting in a worried voice.

"That may be true, but we can't help worrying. All Might is an unbeatable force, and an accident could happen in a confrontation."

"Yes, Kai, I can't help feeling that this is an unnecessary risk you're taking," Nemuri added, equally concerned, while sitting on the other side of Kai, who responded with a slight smile.

"As I told Shino and Ryuko earlier, the fact that All Might is in such a critical state is a very important warning sign that we can't ignore, so it's important to prepare ourselves."

"…"

Kai's words couldn't help but deepen the worried expressions on their faces. But at that moment, Nejire energetically jumped up and cheerfully asked.

"But it's really impressive that you can heal All Might, Kai. When are you going to heal him?"

"We agreed to start next month since we have to prepare the facilities and ensure confidentiality." Kai replied casually as the jealous Salem jumped up and settled on his head. Momo then added with evident pride on her face.

"Hehehe, you're going to be the hero of the number one hero, Kai! You're the best!"

"More like his doctor, but whatever makes you happier," Kai commented amusedly while looking at Momo's cheerful expression. He then turned to Nejire and asked.

"By the way, did you finally decide to enter UA this year, Nejire?"

"Fufufu, actually, the recommended students' exam is next week!" Nejire replied cheerfully, which immediately caught Momo's attention. She asked with sparkling eyes.

"Really, Nejire Onee-chan? You're entering UA?"

"Yes, I'll be a great heroine! Fufufu."

"Then I suppose I'll prepare a couple of gifts for when you get in," Kai commented with a smile, which made Nejire's eyes light up brightly. She quickly asked excitedly.

"Really? Really? What are you going to give me?! A Sentinel?!"

"Hehehe, it'll be a surprise." Kai replied with a mischievous smile on his face, which made Nejire pout in annoyance as she exclaimed.

"You're stingy!"

"Yes, Kai, you're stingy, and I also want something when I get into UA." Momo quickly joined Nejire's protest, demanding, with a smile on her face. Kai commented with a grin.

"Yes, there will be something for you too."

"Fufufu."

Evidently happy, Momo smiled excitedly, then pulled Nejire aside to ask her everything she could think of about entering UA. Meanwhile, the adults gathered around Kai to talk about all the details of the mission to heal All Might and the subsequent duel.

After the excitement settled down, they all ordered a sumptuous meal, during which everyone ate happily while chatting about random topics. Afterwards, they watched a movie together in the small theater that had been set up at the Pussycats' base, spending a pleasant and peaceful time together as a family.

Chapter 64: It’s time to start

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

A month later, in a secluded location fully equipped with the best medical technology available, the entire gang was gathered along with All Might and Nighteye. As well as a couple of very short elderly people dressed in what appeared to be hero suits.

The old woman wore what looked like an orange-brown nurse's outfit with a white line down the center, along with a lab coat and a huge syringe she used as a cane. The old man, on the other hand, wore a more classic suit with a white base, yellow boots, belt, and cape, as well as a wooden cane.

"Are you sure you can heal Toshinori, boy?" the old man in the hero suit asked in a serious tone, looking Kai directly in the eyes. Kai couldn't help but ask in confusion.

"Is it just me, or have you shrunk since the last time I saw you, old man?"

"Eh?! Do we know each other?"

Upon hearing Kai's question, the semi-retired legend Gran Torino could only ask, looking incredibly surprised. This caused Nighteye to cover his face, while All Might, in his scrawny form, briefly explained with an expression somewhere between scared and uncomfortable.

"Sensei, this is Saito Kai, son of Saito Jiro, Iron Palm."

"Oh! So you're Iron Palm's kid," Gran Torino exclaimed loudly with a look of realization on his face, eyeing Kai differently.

"Well, yes, that's me. And as for whether I can heal All Might, I'm quite sure. I've been running simulations during this time, and at the very least, I can tell you it will be hard for him to die, and I'll at least improve his condition if I can't heal him."

Kai responded, feeling somewhat amused by the antics of the curious old man. After hearing him, Gran Torino shifted to a serious expression, making his previous actions seem like mere acting, and then commented in a deep, grave voice.

"I hope you're aware of the responsibility that entails, boy."

"Quite aware, and don't worry, I won't let the Symbol of Peace die; things would get rather troublesome if that happened. But let me be clear: this is a one-time deal because it's All Might; after this, I won't heal anyone else."

As he stared intently at the old man, Kai spoke in a serious tone, causing various expressions among those present, especially the heroes, who could only remain silent. Shortly after, Nighteye adjusted his glasses and spoke in a serious tone.

"We understand, but I think it's time to begin."

"Certainly." Kai nodded in agreement toward Nighteye, then looked at All Might and commented seriously.

"It's time to start; let's go."

"I trust you, Kai-shonen," All Might said seriously, to which Kai could only roll his eyes casually.

"No emotional blackmail, please."

Upon hearing Kai, All Might and his associates exchanged wry smiles, then bid farewell and watched the Number One Hero follow the blue-eyed boy until he disappeared. At that moment, they followed Kai's family to a waiting room; they had been unusually quiet since they arrived.

After preparing All Might on the operating table, Kai anesthetized him using the Mystical Palm, rendering him unconscious. He then summoned Sage, who quickly examined All Might and presented all the information to her master.

[Well, his condition hasn't particularly changed during this time, so we'll proceed as planned. I'll take care of healing him, while you make sure to keep him alive and extract as much information as possible about his quirk.]

After verifying all the information, Kai ordered Sage through their mental connection, to which the beautiful fairy nodded with a serious and focused expression.

[Understood, Master.]

With everything said, Kai and Sage began working in complete silence, starting with All Might's respiratory system, as it was a complete mess, and would be the most noticeable improvement. This would increase confidence in his abilities not only from All Might but also from his associates, allowing him to continue extracting information from his body.

Once all the changes were decided, leaving only open wounds, Kai quickly materialized the Angel's Breath card, as he needed to regenerate a lung and a good part of the respiratory tract.

"[Angel's Breath] On!"

As soon as the angel appeared, Kai quickly ordered it to heal All Might. The angel positioned itself over him and then released a beam of light that completely enveloped the scrawny man, while a large amount of aura was drained from Kai.

Although [Angel's Breath] was really powerful and could heal wounds and illnesses, it still had its limitations. First, scars didn't count as wounds or illnesses, so it didn't heal them, which forced him to reopen the wound before being able to heal it. Also, it couldn't heal congenital diseases and things like that, since it didn't detect them as something 'abnormal.'

After a few moments, the angel disappeared from sight, and different holograms appeared in front of Kai, showing updated information about All Might as well as data about his quirk. This led him to issue an order through the mental connection as he sat on the floor to recover.

[Sage, we can still afford to lose a bit more time. Carry out the planned experiments with his quirk, but make sure not to leave any traces.]

[Understood, Master.]

Satisfied with Sage's response, Kai nodded and then closed his eyes to focus on his breathing, trusting completely in his capable assistant. After a couple of hours, he got up and left the room, carrying All Might on a stretcher to an adjacent room, where he connected him to a couple of monitors and provided oxygen.

After giving a quick glance at the data collected by Sage, Kai unsummoned her and then left the room. He found his own family along with All Might's associates, who wore expressions of deep concern as they looked at him intently. He smiled calmly as he explained.

"The first intervention was a success. All Might should wake up in a few minutes, but you can see him now."

"Is All Might really okay?" Nighteye asked, looking intensely at Kai with a pale complexion. The blue-eyed boy nodded.

"Yes, he'll wake up in a few minutes, and you'll be able to see for yourselves."

"I understand." Nighteye nodded and hurried toward the room, followed closely by the elderly heroes. At that moment, Gran Torino turned to look at Kai and spoke in a serious tone.

"Thank you, boy. You don't know what this means to us and to the world."

"Don't worry about it, old man," Kai replied nonchalantly. The elder nodded and then followed the others into the room.

Once Gran Torino disappeared from sight, Kai turned to look at his family. They all rushed to embrace him tightly, maintaining a comfortable silence that lasted until Nemuri spoke in a low, relieved voice.

"We were so worried; it's such a relief that you were able to heal him without problems."

"I didn't heal him completely. For now, I only fixed his respiratory system; there's still quite a bit to do."

Kai replied with a smile, while Salem, who had been in his small form in Tomoko's arms, quickly jumped onto his shoulder, meowing with happiness and relief. It had been a real torture to be with those females who couldn't stop squeezing him as if he were a doll.

"You're a real hero, Kai." Momo commented, evidently moved, so much so that Kai didn't have the heart to correct her, so he simply remained silent for a moment before speaking in a warmer voice.

"Let's go to the waiting room."

Once in the waiting room, everyone sat around Kai while Shino prepared tea with Chatora's help. They each received a cup and talked calmly to soothe their nerves for a while, until All Might suddenly entered the room in his muscular form, followed closely by his associates.

"Kai-shonen! Thank you so much! I didn't even remember what it felt like to breathe so freely; I feel like a new man!" All Might spoke in a powerful and joyful voice as he approached Kai, who indicated an empty seat in the room while speaking.

"It's good that you feel that way, but don't get overconfident. For now, I've only fixed your respiratory system; there's still a lot of work to do. You're still far from being 100% recovered. But for now, sit down and tell me how you feel."

"I feel wonderful! Now I can breathe deeply without any pain, and I even feel like the time limit of my muscular form has doubled!" All Might replied joyfully. He took a deep breath, creating a strong gust of wind in the room, and immediately sat in the chair Kai had indicated.

"It's good that you can breathe freely now, and you're right about the time limit. According to my calculations, you should now be able to maintain your muscular form for 5 to 6 hours."

After sipping some tea, Kai commented in a serious tone, to which All Might thanked him again with a big smile on his face, while the others took their seats, casting grateful glances at Kai.

"Thank you so much, Kai-shonen!"

"It's still too early for that; this is only the first session. We still have to address your stomach, liver, pancreas, kidneys, etc., not to mention your heart problems, hypertension, immunodeficiency, and so on. There's a lot left to do." Kai replied indifferently while being showered with admiring looks from his family, especially Nejire and Momo, who looked at him with shining eyes as if he were some kind of idol.

"Hahaha, I suppose you're right; there's still more to do." All Might responded with a smile. Kai quickly added in a somewhat amused tone upon seeing how restless the Symbol of Peace was.

"If you want, you can move around a bit to stretch; we can postpone the next intervention a little."

"Hahaha, alright, I'll go for a walk and defeat a couple of villains!"

As if he'd been waiting for it, All Might responded in an excited tone, almost like a child eager to try out his new toy. He then disappeared from the place at incredible speed, leaving behind a powerful gust of wind.

"Boy, I must say your quirk is really impressive; no one had been able to heal him before." After a moment, Gran Torino looked at Kai and spoke while receiving a cup of tea from Ryuko, to whom he nodded in gratitude.

In response, Kai only smiled diplomatically and remained silent, giving a clear message that he was not willing to continue the topic—something that brought a bitter smile to Gran Torino's face. After all, his little scheme had been discovered instantly.

"By the way, young man, would you mind if we thoroughly examined All Might before the next intervention?" To lighten the mood, the old woman asked in a cordial tone, to which Kai casually nodded.

"That's fine by me; I have no problem with that. We can even delay the second session a couple of days so you can examine him thoroughly and clear up your doubts."

"I didn't mean it that way, young man," the old woman commented with a slightly uncomfortable smile, to which Kai casually waved his hand.

"Oh, don't worry; I didn't mean it with any double meaning. I understand it's an important matter, and you want to be sure. It's better for me as well; it will avoid suspicions and things like that, although please avoid talking about me, as we agreed."

"I understand; we'll keep our part of the deal."

The old woman nodded in understanding, then began a more technical conversation with Kai about the details of All Might's condition. Even though he hadn't officially studied medicine, his medical knowledge was not far from that of an experienced surgeon with multiple specializations.

This was mainly due to one of the benefits of Enhancement he had discovered over time. Although Enhancers were generally simple-minded in the original work, Kai found that besides increasing his thinking speed and perception, Enhancement could also improve his learning abilities and similar skills.

But even though this improvement should have technically increased his IQ, the reality was that aside from things like learning much faster and performing complex calculations in his mind almost instinctively, not much had changed in other aspects. So it was hard to say if he was actually smarter or not.

After a cordial conversation, Nighteye and the elders said their goodbyes when All Might returned, agreeing to reschedule the second session for a couple of days later. Following that, Kai took his family home using Accompany, where they enjoyed a delicious dinner and played several board games together.

Notes:

I have been posting this novel on other platforms for a couple of months, but since it was removed from RR, I asked my patrons where else I could post and they recommended this site. If my work is liked on this platform, I will try to keep the same posting schedule, one chapter every other day.

Chapter 65: The fight is about to start

Chapter Text

Several months later, an elegant yacht with sleek lines and a gleaming white hull could be seen in the middle of the sea. It featured a beautiful main deck made of wood with steel accents, highlighted by an infinity pool with glass edges, giving the sensation that the water merged with the sea. The pool was surrounded by elegant loungers with white cushions, inviting relaxation under the sun.

Around the stunning infinity pool were five beautiful women sunbathing on the loungers. They wore elegant and sexy bikinis of different colors, which greatly accentuated their lush and voluptuous figures.

Meanwhile, inside the pool were two lovely teenagers, accompanied by a beautiful woman with turquoise-green skin. They swam cheerfully, engaging in casual conversations with smiles on their faces and playing with a small cat that meowed pleadingly for help.

Away from the captivating pool scene and inside the yacht's impressive bar stood Kai. Dressed only in waterproof shorts, he was preparing various drinks with the help of Chatora, who wore similar shorts and a white sweater.

After some time, Kai and Chatora finished all the drinks and placed them on two trays to take to the pool. As they did so, Kai commented while looking at the only ally he had had in these difficult times.

"Thanks for the help, Chatora."

"Don't worry about it" Chatora replied with a smile while picking up one of the trays. Kai then remarked with an annoyed expression on his face.

"Seriously, thanks. Those darn women are going to be the end of me one of these days. They only know how to take advantage of me with the excuse of 'the great emotional stress' caused by my duel with All Might, and they've turned me into their slave."

"Hahaha, well, that's their way of punishing you for doing something so reckless." Chatora said cheerfully as he accompanied Kai out of the bar. The blue-eyed boy responded with a mischievous expression.

"Heh, you'll see. Revenge is a dish best served cold; they'll beg for forgiveness when this is over."

"Hahaha!"

At Kai's comment, Chatora could only smile amused as they headed to the main deck to deliver the drinks to the girls. All the while, Kai secretly delighted in plotting his 'terrible and vicious' revenge against his 'cruel tormentors.'

"Oh no! All this worry about my Kai facing the Symbol of Peace has left my shoulders so stiff that I might not be able to get up from this chair. Who will help me in this terrible situation?"

With a mischievous expression on her face, Nemuri exclaimed in an overly dramatic performance, sending mocking glances at Kai. He could only respond with a venomous look before obediently approaching to give her a massage.

Once he finished, Kai stretched audibly, ignoring the laughter-filled kiss Nemuri blew him as thanks. Just then, he heard a cheerful, sing-song voice laughing elegantly while pretending to be in pain, which was none other than Yumiko.

"Oh no, all this stress has left my legs so sore. Could Kai-chan perhaps be moved to help me?"

With a less-than-pleased expression, Kai spent the rest of the trip fulfilling the girls' 'irrational' demands until they reached an island. At that point, everyone changed into summer clothes, while Kai donned a black sports outfit before disembarking with the whole group.

Because Kai wanted a duel against All Might—who was practically a walking calamity—it was decided that the duel would take place on an uninhabited island to avoid any concerns about the surroundings. This location was where the guests could safely watch through the countless screens located in a control room.

(All Might sure has resources. But if I had to guess, I'd say this was arranged by Principal Nezu over there.)

"Hello, everyone! We've been expecting you!"

With his iconic, powerful voice, now evidently full of vitality and energy, All Might greeted them, accompanied by his close associates—the same ones they had seen quite frequently several months ago. But now there was someone extra: Principal Nezu of the prestigious U.A. High School, where Nejire was now a student.

"Hello everyone, although I didn't expect to see you here, Director Nezu." Kai greeted cordially before looking at the curious rat/bear, who raised his paw cheerfully while greeting with his peculiar voice.

"Hey, it's the little animal loved by all—the Director Nezu! Long time no see, Saito-kun."

"Indeed, it's been a while." Kai responded casually. However, inside, he was incredibly excited to be able to use all his strength for the first time. He quickly turned to look at All Might and commented with a smile.

"What do you say we get started right away, All Might? It's the first time I'll be able to test all my power, and I suppose you must feel something similar, since I've noticed you haven't increased your hero activities much."

"So you noticed, Kai-shonen. On the recommendation of my associates, I decided to increase them little by little due to certain circumstances. But you're right; I also want to test my strength now that I've recovered." All Might responded with his characteristic smile, to which Kai quickly replied excitedly.

"Then let's go! Where is the duel location?"

"About 50 kilometers to the west. Do you think you can keep up with me?"

All Might commented in a challenging tone, wanting to test Kai's speed a bit. He had already experienced one of Kai's 'casual' punches after he healed him completely and realized he truly had the ability to fight him.

"Hehehe."

Upon hearing All Might's little challenge, Kai laughed with disdain in his eyes. At the same time, electric sparks began to crackle around his body, lifting his hair, and then he shot into the air before anyone—except the Symbol of Peace—could perceive what was happening.

Seeing Kai disappear from the spot, leaving only a powerful sonic boom behind, All Might could only smile wryly. He then turned to look at the others and bid them farewell with his powerful voice while raising a hand in a goodbye gesture.

"Well, it seems Kai-shonen is really excited, so we'll see each other later."

After saying goodbye, All Might crouched slightly and then shot into the sky, leaving a powerful sonic boom in his wake, possibly even more potent than Kai's. This left the others looking at each other with ironic smiles on their faces.

"His speed is truly incredible..." After a moment, Nighteye couldn't help but comment, genuinely curious to know the details of the boy's quirk, which he guarded very carefully.

"Indeed, that boy is a monster," Gran Torino added, equally surprised. He then turned to look at Nemuri and Shino, who were closest, and bowed his head in apology.

"I'm sorry about that."

"No, it's okay; you're right after all..." Nemuri commented with an ironic smile on her face as she looked in the direction where Kai had disappeared.

"Well, why don't we head to the observation room?" Nezu suggested cheerfully, feeling a bit surprised inside by the boy's terrifying potential. Everyone nodded and followed him as he led the way.

Before long, the group arrived at an imposing, almost futuristic-style building constructed in the middle of the deserted island. It had a facade of glass and polished steel that blended harmoniously with the natural surroundings, reflecting the golden rays of the sun.

Upon entering the building, the first thing that caught the visitors' attention was an immense hyper-realistic hologram located in the center of the room, which showed a real-time 3D image of a platform where Kai and All Might stood.

Around the enormous hologram were elegant and comfortable leather seats equipped with electronic tablets that emitted small holograms with different perspectives of the platform.

"They really went all out with this room; it's truly impressive," Ryuko commented, somewhat surprised as she looked around. Director Nezu responded with an 'arrogant' attitude, although with his appearance, he could only come across as adorable.

"Well, you don't see someone capable of giving All Might a fight every day, so I couldn't afford to overlook any details."

"Although we are fully aware of Kai's capabilities and understand what you're saying, why are you so sure that Kai is telling the truth, to the point that you even built something like this?" While sitting in her chair, Yumiko asked somewhat curiously, to which Nighteye casually replied.

"Well, we didn't believe him, but we believe in All Might, and he told us that the boy could back up his words."

"I see." Yumiko nodded in understanding. At that moment, Tomoko commented excitedly while looking at the hologram in the center.

"The fight is about to start!"

"Oh, that's right! Come on, we can't miss Kai's fight!"

Realizing that Tomoko was right, Nejire exclaimed full of excitement and then dragged Momo with her to a couple of seats, which gave Salem the opportunity to escape from her arms. He then ran and hid behind Keiko, looking evidently frightened.

Meanwhile, the others quickly settled into their seats to stare intently at the hologram, where they could see All Might and Kai stretching as if they were actually there. They locked eyes for a moment before launching toward each other at blinding speeds. Thanks to the impressive technology of the room, the image slowed down enough for them to see in great detail what was happening.

As imposing electric bolts surrounded Kai's body, his right fist collided head-on with All Might's, generating a powerful shockwave that culminated in a potent gust of wind that swept the area, leaving a significant crater on the reinforced platform.

The first impact was followed by a flurry of high-speed blows, giving the impression that the pair of opponents had multiple arms. This exchange ended after a powerful strike that sent them a few meters backward, at which point Kai commented cheerfully.

"What do you think, All Might? Did I pass the test?"

"You're really strong, Kai-shonen," All Might remarked with a smile full of meaning as he stared intently at Kai. Kai laughed joyfully and then replied with a challenging smile on his face.

"Hehe, then let's get serious."

When Kai's words ceased, the spectators could see how the lightning surrounding him changed from its former pale blue color to an ominous dark violet, increasing in power and quantity. Simultaneously, his blue eyes lit up with an electric glow similar to his lightning, and a jet-black Jian sword appeared in his hand, adorned with intricate patterns that seemed to combine electronic circuits with tribal runes.

Moments after the incredible light display, Kai vanished for an instant, then reappeared beside All Might, delivering a diagonal slash starting from Kai's left hip upwards, causing a slight expression of surprise on the Symbol of Peace.

With great calm and composure, All Might dodged the attack by jumping to his left. At the same time, a diagonal line of black light shot out from Kai's sword, leaving a deep cut in the ground as it passed and even managing to split the clouds in the sky—creating a scene that widened the eyes of all the spectators.

Immediately after the slash, Kai sent various cuts in All Might's direction at great speed, initiating a striking exchange of shockwaves and flying slashes that shot out in all directions, ravaging the island.

Chapter 66: What exactly is his quirk…?

Chapter Text

In the duel viewing room, everyone watched the hologram with expressions full of surprise and astonishment. However, in the case of the younger ones and a certain cat that had managed to get its own chair at some point, excitement could be seen in their bright eyes.

"This goes beyond my wildest expectations..." Gran Torino pinched his arm hard before continuing, even more surprised, "And I'm not dreaming..."

"What exactly is his quirk...?" Nighteye looked toward the girls who had come with the monstrous boy, then asked with a solemn expression, "Why does his record only list 'Force Control'?"

"Well, Kai refused to update it," Nemuri looked momentarily at the people gazing at her full of doubt, then turned back to the hologram and continued, "According to him, the government already sold him out once, so there's no need to give them more opportunities by handing over information about his quirk. Besides, his quirk allows him to do the same as his father, only better, so technically it's not a lie."

A bitter expression emerged on the faces of all present. Although Kai's argument was a bit weak, it revealed the deep distrust he felt toward the government and his unwillingness to cooperate with it. Everyone knew the boy had his reasons; after all, a well-known politician was involved in the tragedy of his parents.

"Although we tried to explain to him in many ways that that politician didn't represent the government as a whole and that the fact he was captured was proof of that, he always responded that it was only because the case became famous and that he isn't much different from the others in the government, just a bit more stupid."

Shino added with a complex expression on her face, to which Nejire commented while staring intently at Kai in the hologram at the center of the room.

"Yes, Kai-chan always tells me never to believe in those leeches who only know how to live off others, and that if any of them approach me when I start out as a hero in the future, the first thing I should do is destroy their balls, and he'll take care of the rest."

"Yes, he tells me the same, and he always says that as a hero, I will be directly antagonistic to the government, since I represent a private force that protects order without a direct subordination relationship. Therefore, those leeches will try to manipulate me to follow their stupid agendas." Momo added while playing with the different perspectives on the tablet in her seat, trying to find the angle where Kai looked best.

"That's quite a unique way of viewing the hero system and a very questionable way of seeing the government..." the elderly woman added in a grave tone. Nighteye adjusted his glasses, then looked at the girls with sharp eyes and commented in an accusatory tone.

"Although Recovery Girl is right, we're getting sidetracked. What's really important here is what his quirk actually does—not only can he heal others, but he's also super strong, releases electricity, and then there's that sword that appeared in his hand out of nowhere, and the sword capable of blocking my perception."

"Well, and why should we give you that information? It seems you've forgotten that this duel is the payment Kai requested for healing the dying Symbol of Peace; you're not in a position to be asking those questions, Nighteye." Keiko responded haughtily while looking at Nighteye with disdain, who added in an angry tone.

"Well, well, well, it seems you've forgotten that you're one phone call away from having a big mess with the government for hiding relevant information about a minor's quirk."

"And you seem to ignore that you're threatening the family of the 'monster' who is fighting hand-to-hand with the Symbol of Peace. Kai is a very jealous and protective person, so you'd better watch the tone you use with us, or you'll have an 'All Might' pointing a sword at your neck."

With an evident expression of anger on her face, Keiko retorted, adding emphasis on the word 'monster', as an imposing jet-black panther materialized out of nowhere and growled at Nighteye with powerful murderous intent, standing protectively beside Keiko.

"Calm down, Keiko; Kai said it was okay to tell them a bit about it. There's no need for you to be looking for a fight like that."

"Hmph."

Seeing that the scene had heated up to the point where the elders and Nighteye were about to respond to Keiko, Nemuri quickly intervened, after which the beautiful black-haired woman only huffed, annoyed, as the panther beside her disappeared. Director Nezu turned to look at her and thanked her.

"Thank you very much for calming the situation, Kayama-san." Director Nezu turned his gaze toward Nighteye before continuing, "And Nighteye, it's best that you keep calm and a cool head."

"..." With a dark expression, Nighteye nodded, then returned his gaze to the hologram at the center of the room. Nemuri commented with a small cordial smile on her face.

"There's no need for thanks; rather, I'd like to apologize for Keiko's attitude—her temper is a bit delicate, and she's very protective."

"I'd also like to apologize for Nighteye's threats; they were empty threats," Nezu responded, slightly bowing his head, to which Nemuri smiled and then added cordially.

"That's a relief then."

"But you mentioned that Kai-kun thought it was okay for you to tell us a bit about it, so I'd like to ask you to share with us some more information to understand what we're seeing," Director Nezu added in his almost childlike voice while raising one of his paws, to which Nemuri nodded in agreement.

"Sure, what do you want to know?"

"If it's not too much, I'd like to know what Kai-kun's true quirk is."

"Well, that's something I can't tell you, since I don't know; none of us know," Nemuri replied while slightly shrugging her shoulders, to which Director Nezu asked, looking surprised.

"Kai-kun hasn't shared it with you?"

"Stop playing mind games, Nezu; that doesn't work with us," Keiko retorted, annoyed at Director Nezu's words. He quickly asked with an innocent expression.

"I don't know what you mean, Yaoyorozu-san."

"Yeah, whatever you say."

"Come on, Keiko, you can't blame him for trying; you know how he is," Yumiko stepped in to calm things down, to which Keiko huffed, annoyed, then looked at Kai in the hologram while Director Nezu laughed innocently.

"Hmph."

"Hehehe."

"Director Nezu, I'd like you not to try to play those kinds of tricks; otherwise, we won't be able to have a pleasant conversation," Nemuri commented in a more serious tone while looking directly into the curious animal's eyes, who responded, trying to play innocent.

"I don't know what you mean, Kayama-san, but I'll try not to make comments like that again."

"That's a relief then," Nemuri nodded, satisfied at Nezu's words, who shortly after commented in a more serious tone.

"But continuing from before, since you don't know what Kai's quirk is, if it's not too much, I'd like you to tell me a bit about what you do know."

"Alright, but in exchange, I want everyone present to promise to ensure that the information doesn't leak. In return, we will commit to the same regarding what Kai discovered about All Might's 'unique' quirk when he healed him," Nemuri commented with a businesslike smile while looking at All Might's group, who quickly looked at her alarmed.

"What do you mean by that?" Gran Torino asked while staring at Nemuri, who quickly responded with a smile.

"Well, it turns out that when Kai healed All Might, he inadvertently discovered something incredible: All Might's quirk wasn't something he was born with, since he was born quirkless. So his quirk was something given to him later, and according to Kai's own words, it must be something that has been done several times in the past—about seven times, to be exact."

"What?!" Nezu, Nighteye, Gran Torino, and Recovery Girl exclaimed in surprise while looking at Nemuri and the girls as if trying to bore a hole through them, disbelief written on their faces. The girls responded with small, cunning smiles.

"How is it possible for him to discover something like that?" Gran Torino asked with a grave expression, not believing for a single second that the secret of One for All had been discovered 'by chance' by a child.

"Well, to know that, I'd have to tell you more about Kai's quirk, so first we'd have to commit to each other not to reveal our secrets." Nemuri responded with a small, cunning smile, which left All Might's close ones in complete silence.

"..."

The four looked at each other full of doubts and confusion, but after a moment, they nodded among themselves, as they had no other options. Shortly after, Nezu took the floor to speak on behalf of their group and commented in a grave and serious tone, very different from his usual attitude.

"Alright, we commit to keeping the information about Kai-kun's quirk secret, but we really hope you do the same with All Might's quirk; revealing that information could collapse our society."

"That's a relief then; we also commit to keeping this information confidential, and don't worry—apart from those present, no one knows anything about it." Nemuri nodded in satisfaction as she spoke, to which the entire family nodded in agreement.

"Now I'd like to know how the boy could discover the secret of All Might's quirk," Gran Torino asked in a serious tone, to which Nemuri responded with a cunning smile.

"Well, actually, we weren't 100% sure; it was a supposition we had, and we only confirmed it with your reaction, so I'm sorry for lying to you a bit."

"You really caught us there. But I suppose it was something we couldn't escape from; after all, you revealed the entire secret with so many details that we could never think it was just a supposition. But how did you manage to arrive at such an accurate supposition?" Gran Torino commented with an ironic smile, although his eyes held hidden vigilance toward those present. Nemuri responded with a smile.

"Well, according to Kai, the first step to healing someone is to check their condition. But with All Might, he noticed something very strange: he had two bones in his pinky finger instead of one—something quite rare nowadays and commonly associated with quirkless people—which led him to study his body more carefully. He noticed that his quirk factor was different from anything else he had seen; in his words, it seemed somehow 'out of place.'

"Moreover, to heal, Kai also uses another of his abilities to monitor his patients in real time, which allows him to sense presences at a very detailed level. So, during the first intervention, he concentrated completely on All Might's presence for a long period, which led him to notice seven small fragments of other presences totally different from All Might's—something that became increasingly evident with subsequent interventions.

"With all that information, we did some research and found records of a hero named Nana Shimura, who had abilities very similar to All Might's, only weaker if you removed the part where she could apparently float. Additionally, we found an even older hero named Daigoro Banjo, who had the same characteristics but with a black whip instead of floating.

"With all that data, we came to the supposition that all the heroes we found records of with abilities similar to All Might's were actually former holders of his quirk, and their secondary abilities were actually their own quirks. Due to the dates, we supposed that Nana Shimura passed it on to All Might."

"Nana..." Gran Torino let out a melancholic sigh as he remembered that great woman, which led Yumiko to ask curiously.

"You knew her?"

"Yes, she was a great hero and died too young," Gran Torino replied in a low voice, to which Yumiko responded empathetically.

"That's a shame."

"But then, what can Kai-kun's quirk do? You've mentioned very disparate abilities that apparently have nothing in common, and that, added to the abilities he's showing in battle, makes it even harder to believe it's just one quirk." Nezu asked as he looked at the girls, filled with genuine curiosity.

"Well, actually, we believe that Kai's quirk is a singularity since he can do the same as his parents but better, in addition to possessing a very powerful extra ability. Kai can materialize anything with which he is very familiar and, under certain special conditions, give unique properties to what he creates."

Seeing that Nemuri's throat was a bit dry from her explanation, Shino signaled for her to go get a drink from a nearby vending machine while she herself explained a condensed version of Kai's true capabilities.

"Anything?!!" Nighteye exclaimed loudly in astonishment—a sentiment shared by Nezu, Gran Torino, and Recovery Girl, who looked at Shino with disbelief. She nodded with a serious expression while explaining.

"Yes, anything, like swords, lightning, and things like that. But with Kai's incredible creativity, he has managed to develop his quirk to create amazing things, like the sword capable of blocking clairvoyance."

"His quirk is truly insane..." Recovery Girl commented in a soft voice while looking at the young man in the hologram.

Chapter 67: He can even do that?!

Chapter Text

In the midst of exchanging high-speed attacks with All Might, Kai couldn't help but form a huge, almost maniacal smile on his face. After all, he was genuinely enjoying finally being able to test the limits of his main ability—the one he believed was his Hatsu before the appearance of Sage—which he decided to simply call [Lightning Mantle], without overcomplicating things.

Lightning Mantle was actually the combination of four categories of Nen with Haki. He used Haki for defense and attack; Transmutation to create electricity that helped increase his speed; and Emission to send electric attacks at a distance. Meanwhile, using Enhancement and Manipulation, he boosted his body to the maximum and pushed beyond his limits while simultaneously healing the damage this caused in real time.

But that was [Lightning Mantle] before 'merging' his Aura and Haki. After that, somehow this ability had undergone a qualitative change, now having two forms: the original and the one he used in combination with advanced Armament and Conqueror's Haki, which for some reason made his lightning change color.

With the second form, Kai could not only further increase his strength, speed, and the destructive power of his lightning, but even his Armament and Conqueror's Haki became more powerful. This basically turned him into a super-speed killing machine, and the light effects were much more impressive.

…

Having become accustomed to the way All Might fought—where not only did his intentions change at absurd speeds, but he was even able to react and alter his visions of the future—Kai began to deliver increasingly dangerous blows to the Symbol of Peace, even managing to inflict a couple of superficial cuts that barely dripped a drop of blood.

But as the smile on Kai's face widened due to his evident improvement, All Might suddenly increased his power, intercepting one of Kai's slashes with a powerful punch. He caught Kai by surprise and sent him flying through the air at great speed, shortly after crashing hard into a nearby small mountain, creating a huge crater and releasing an immense cloud of dust.

Feeling quite surprised, Kai quickly got out of the crater he was in, then launched himself at full speed toward All Might, starting the exchange of blows anew. But this was no longer a game of dodging and attacking; now both opponents were attacking and blocking each other's attacks while moving around the island at even higher speeds than before.

Similarly, the repercussions of the attacks became almost cataclysmic, with tornadoes, gales, shockwaves, and slashes that sliced through the terrain as if it were butter. A furious earthquake threatened to trigger a tsunami, while the island completely lost its original shape.

“Electric Slash”

Suddenly, Kai announced in a low voice while taking advantage of a small opening he saw with his future vision, sending a slash of dark light that released ominous dark violet lightning. It was even stronger and larger than those he had released before and reached All Might at a shocking speed, almost instantaneously, taking the Symbol of Peace by surprise.

Surprised, All Might quickly crossed his arms to shield himself, only to be violently thrown through the air, destroying everything in his path. He then crashed into a mountain, making the entire holographic image in the viewing room tremble, in a manner very similar to how Kai had done moments before.

Emerging from the crater, All Might looked deeply at the boy who seemed like a god of lightning and who was brazenly smiling at him. Immediately after, he leaped into the air and launched an apocalyptic punch while shouting loudly.

“California Smash!!!”

All Might's punch created a powerful shockwave that generated a violent gust of wind, which shot out in Kai's direction. Kai quickly sent a flying slash to intercept, but unlike previous times, this time his slash was overwhelmed, forcing him to move at high speed to dodge.

“Sword Field, Sage”

With a serious expression, Kai announced in a low voice, and dozens of swords appeared around him. At that moment, Sage—who had been present all along in [In] mode—quickly took control of the swords, then sent them at full speed toward All Might. He immediately raised one of his fists as several flying slashes and swords aiming to stab him shot out in his direction.

“Detroit Smash!!!!”

Along with his shout, All Might struck downward with unmatched force and speed, generating a powerful vertical shockwave that ended up creating a mighty tornado around him. This deflected the swords and overwhelmed the slashes, keeping him safe inside.

Using a speed that made him disappear for a moment, All Might appeared near Kai, then sent a powerful punch toward the boy's head. Kai calmly moved his head to one side, then delivered a powerful slash toward the Number One Hero's chest, but to his surprise, his sword was repelled by a shockwave that emanated from All Might's chest.

(You've got to be kidding me, he can even do that?!)

With fluid movements, Kai quickly jumped back while staring open-mouthed at how the Hero of Peace had moved his pectoral muscles at absurd speed, generating a shockwave that repelled his sword. But All Might didn't let him escape and quickly approached to force him into close-quarters combat.

Finding himself pinned down by All Might, Kai quickly concluded that his sword was putting him at a disadvantage in such close combat. He swiftly replaced it with two impressive black military knives with beautiful Damascus steel patterns and Aura Script engravings, engaging in close-quarters combat with All Might, using the knives to 'stab' the shockwaves that came from increasingly unexpected places.

At the same time, Sage sent the swords she controlled to attack All Might. She calculated his movements and those of her master with the help of the Absolute Perception Field, or the AP Field, as her master had decided to call it, thus avoiding injuring him by accident. However, since the Symbol of Peace stayed so close to Kai, their effectiveness was greatly reduced, which put an irritated expression on her beautiful and delicate face.

Using his knives coated with Haki, Kai managed to cause several wounds on All Might, although it wasn't free, as he received several powerful blows in return. However, thanks to Armament Haki and Sage—who healed all his injuries—he was in perfect condition, though the depletion of Aura and Haki was brutal.

Wishing to settle the duel once and for all, Kai quickly dodged a punch from All Might by ducking. At the same time, his military knives were replaced by an imposing greatsword, with which he delivered a powerful blow to the Number One Hero, taking him by surprise and sending him flying through the air. Although, thanks to the 'pseudo-armor' of shockwaves he could create by moving his muscles, the damage was minimal.

Without losing a single moment, Kai made his greatsword disappear, then conjured—for the first time in the fight—a sword that did not follow a design suitable for combat, being a flamberge-type sword. Apart from the typical Aura Script design that all his swords shared, different chains hung from its hilt, which wrapped around the blade of the sword.

“Conqueror's Shackles”

With Kai's announcement, the chains that wrapped around the blade loosened and then vanished, while powerful chains appeared around All Might, wrapping around him. At that point, Kai plunged the sword into the ground, which somehow seemed to trap All Might in the air.

With All Might trapped, Kai proceeded to spread his legs and flex his knees while bringing his hands together near his waist, leaving a space between them. The dark violet electricity around him began to crackle intensely, at which point Kai announced loudly.

“Kame...!!!”

At Kai's words, a dark violet ball of energy began to form in his hands, emitting large amounts of light. Kai then exclaimed loudly again.

“Hame...!!!”

With the second word, the energy ball aggressively grew in size, releasing erratic dark-violet electric rays that traversed the destroyed battlefield, emitting a powerful and ominous glow far superior to the previous one.

“Ha!!!!”

As he shouted forcefully, Kai extended his hands toward the sky in All Might's direction, causing the energy ball to transform into a gigantic dark violet energy beam that shot toward the trapped Symbol of Peace in the air.

Just before the energy beam hit him, with a serious expression on his face, All Might exerted all his power, managing to break the chains on the upper part of his body. Immediately after, he punched the air with a powerful strike that released a potent shockwave.

“New Hampshire Smash!!”

With the punch to the air, All Might shot toward the ground at great speed, narrowly avoiding the beam, which only managed to graze one of his iconic 'antennae,' evaporating the tip. He then landed powerfully on the ground, where he quickly freed the lower part of his body.

Once free, All Might clenched his fist tightly, then launched an apocalyptic punch into the air, which released a brutal shockwave accompanied by a furious gust of wind in Kai's direction. Kai looked visibly exhausted as the black Jian sword reappeared in his hand; he then delivered a slash, holding it with both hands.

“Texas Smash!!!!!”

“Electric Slash!!!”

When the two attacks made by beings of colossal power collided, a powerful earthquake shook the island, while the sky seemed to have been split in half. Terrifying dark violet lightning and colossal shockwaves impacted the terrain, leaving it completely destroyed and unrecognizable.

After a moment, the apocalyptic clash of energies ceased, and shortly after, the dust cloud cleared, revealing All Might standing victorious and exuding a heroic aura. His hero costume was torn in several places, and bloodstains marked different parts of his body. Meanwhile, Kai sat on the ground breathing heavily, looking incredibly exhausted, although unlike his opponent, he appeared in perfect condition without the slightest scratch.

“You're really something else, All Might. I give up, hahaha,” Kai commented amusedly before lying down on the ground with his limbs outstretched, feeling completely fulfilled after using his Lightning Mantle to exhaustion.

“You're truly powerful, Kai-shonen. This has been one of the most challenging battles I've had,” All Might remarked as he looked at the young man on the ground with a gaze full of meaning. Kai then added cheerfully.

“Hahaha, it was very liberating to use my attacks without holding back. It was like stretching after a long time; it feels great.”

“I understand what you mean, Kai-shonen. So, are you satisfied with your payment?” After a moment, All Might shook his head before commenting with a smile.

“Quite satisfied; it was totally worth the effort. I might even heal someone for you just once in exchange for another duel like this,” Kai replied with a smile on his face as he sat back down on the ground, although secretly he felt a little disappointed.

(So he didn't attack? What a pity, I wanted to test that ability...)

“Hahaha, I'll keep that in mind, Kai-shonen,” All Might said with a relaxed smile as he approached Kai, who looked at him curiously while asking.

“By the way, All Might, how did you manage to find a solution to everything I did? Halfway through, I was running out of ideas.”

“It's experience, Kai-shonen, experience,” All Might replied with a casual smile as he sat near the young man, who couldn't help but comment with a curious expression on his face.

“Experience?... My mother is always right after all, hahaha.”

“What did your mother say, Kai-shonen?” All Might couldn't help but ask curiously, to which Kai replied somewhat nostalgically and amusedly.

“She said that the only thing that can beat intelligence is experience. So if I was the intelligent one in this case, you were the experienced one, and from the beginning, I was destined to lose. But it doesn't matter; it was fun, hehe.”

“Those are very wise words, hahaha,” All Might couldn't help but laugh amused at the curious phrase, at which point Kai extended one of his hands while commenting with a smile.

“They really are, but let me heal you.”

“Thank you, then, Kai-shonen.”

With All Might's acceptance, Kai's hand lit up with a sky-blue light, healing all the wounds of the Symbol of Peace, which were nothing more than superficial injuries. This allowed him to realize that he hadn't really caused any real damage to the beast in human form he had faced, which inevitably brought a somewhat bitter smile to his face.

Chapter 68: A potential ‘super’ villain.

Chapter Text

After healing All Might, Kai got up from the ground and dusted off his clothes, still looking quite exhausted. At that moment, the Symbol of Peace asked curiously while doing something similar.

"Kai-shonen, could you tell me the name of your quirk?"

"Sure, but in exchange, I want you to tell me yours. It's one of the great mysteries of the internet after all," Kai replied with a smile as he stretched his shoulders a bit.

"That seems fair, but you have to promise to keep it a secret," All Might responded in a serious tone, to which Kai nodded and then commented similarly.

"Alright, but in return, you must keep mine secret."

"I understand, I accept the deal, and the name of my quirk is One for All," All Might said while looking at Kai, who nodded and added with a smile.

"One for All? A curious name, though I suppose it's because it can be passed from one to another."

"How do you know that?!" All Might asked in surprise as all alarms went off in his head, but Kai quickly replied with a small smile.

"Hehehe, I didn't know; I guessed, and you just confirmed it for me. Which explains why your quirk factor is so strange and there are so many fragments of other 'voices' in your 'voice.'"

All Might stared intently at Kai for a moment, almost as if he wanted to confirm that he wasn't lying. Then he smiled bitterly and spoke while looking at the sky, emitting an air of melancholy and duty.

"You got me there, and yes, you're right. My quirk is a sacred torch passed down from generation to generation with a purpose, given to me by my mentor Shimura Nana."

"Oh, I know something about her. She was a heroine about 40 years ago. To confirm my suspicions about your quirk, I investigated people with abilities similar to yours and found her," Kai commented in a serious tone, to which All Might could only smile with melancholy.

"She was like a mother to me, and I hope I've been able to fulfill the mission she gave me."

"... Well, I don't really know what to tell you, so I'll tell you the name of my quirk. I call it [Spiritual Aura]," Kai said, a bit uncomfortable with All Might's melancholy, which immediately caught the hero's attention. He quickly asked with curiosity.

"That's a curious name... but what does it actually do? I see you have super strength, super speed, you release lightning bolts, can intimidate, anticipate my movements, create swords, can heal, etc.—very different things from each other. They almost seem like different quirks."

"Well, actually, all those are just applications of my quirk, which is a powered-up combination of my parents' quirks. Through it, I can use my energy to reproduce things I'm very familiar with and sometimes give them special properties, like the sword that blocks clairvoyance."

"Reproduce things you're familiar with? Was that your mother's quirk ability?" All Might asked, confused, since he knew Iron Palm's quirk and he couldn't do that.

"Hehehe, no. My mother's quirk allows me to sense presences, and what you defined as 'intimidate' is actually my father's quirk. Remember he could harden himself with his quirk? Well, it's the same; only I took it further." Kai commented with a smile, which greatly surprised All Might, who quickly added.

"Now that you mention it, it's true. Your father's quirk was Force Control, but after years of training, he could harden and greatly improve his defense. So, according to your explanation, what happened was that his constant martial arts training 'familiarized' him with hardening his body, and he could use his energy to reproduce that effect?"

"That's what I think, too. After all, my quirk initially did the same as my parents', only a bit better and more powerful. So, according to my theory, if my father had been an electrician instead of a hero and martial artist, he could have created lightning over time." Kai nodded and then explained, which led All Might to ask, somewhat curious and doubtful.

"That's impressive, but how did you discover all that, Kai-shonen? Your father spent years training his quirk and never realized it."

"Well, that was thanks to my hobby. My father's job example doesn't come out of nowhere. Ever since I can remember, I've been an engineering enthusiast, and my parents spoiled me a lot. So I had all kinds of equipment and tools to build things, which led me to become very familiar with electricity, and over time I could produce electrical sparks.

"So I came up with that theory, and since my quirk is more powerful than my parents', it took me not only much less time to test it, but the result was more powerful. What you saw today is the result of years of ideas and training."

Without showing the slightest change of expression, Kai recounted the excuse he had thought of long ago—one that at least sounded logical and that, although it gave a certain amount of information about his abilities, still left him plenty of room to play and surprise a possible 'well-informed' enemy. This led All Might to nod in understanding, believing a bit of what the boy was saying.

"You're really incredible, Kai-shonen. You're very intelligent to notice something like that and to be able to take your quirk to this level."

"Nah, I just have strange ideas, and I'm very stubborn," Kai commented amused at the same time that bluish lightning began to run through his body again, since, thanks to his breathing, he had managed to recover a bit.

"You're quite humble, Kai-shonen," All Might said while looking at Kai with approval, who just stretched a bit while responding.

"No, I'm just realistic. But we'd better head back; I've recovered enough to return."

"If you say so... but you're right; it's better that we go back."

All Might responded with a smile on his face, then took a leap, quickly followed by Kai. A while later, they landed on the island where the observation room was, which they entered shortly after, only to find their associates on the edge of their seats watching the final part of the encounter.

Not wanting to distract the spectators, All Might and Kai sat on a couple of chairs away. Salem then jumped onto Kai's lap, as he was the only one who noticed they had returned, earning several pets from his master as a reward.

After a while, the holographic screen finally showed the final confrontation between Kai's slash and All Might's punch, which caused such destruction that it ended up destroying even the last camera. Everyone was anxious and worried to know the outcome.

"What did you think of the duel?"

Just at that moment, All Might's powerful voice was heard from behind, which led everyone to look in that direction. The Symbol of Peace smiled with an extended hand, while Kai was asleep in a nearby chair with Salem on his lap.

"""All Might/Toshinori!"""

Upon seeing All Might, everyone exclaimed aloud. Shortly after, the girls ran to the sleeping Kai's side to check his condition, only to let out relieved sighs upon noticing that he was only asleep with a peaceful expression on his face without the slightest scratch. As if he hadn't had an apocalyptic battle just moments ago.

"Hahaha, it seems you liked it." All Might commented with an amused tone upon seeing everyone's expressions, to which Gran Torino commented with a complex expression.

"That battle went beyond what I expected."

Meanwhile, Momo took Salem from Kai's lap, while Ryuko gently shook Kai, managing to wake him up afterward. At the same time, Nemuri bowed respectfully and spoke to the group, who turned to look at her—not without first glancing at the monstrous boy who rubbed his sleepy eyes.

"Thank you very much for everything. We'd like to chat more, but Kai seems really tired, so we'd like to take him to the yacht. If it's alright with you, we could meet later to continue our conversation."

"That won't be any problem, although I'd really like to have a conversation later." Nezu responded while raising one of his paws in the air, his mind filled with deep thoughts as he looked at the blue-eyed boy.

"Of course, Director Nezu. Then we'll take our leave."

With Ryuko and Shino helping the sleepy Kai, the group quickly left to head to the yacht. Inside the room, a sepulchral silence reigned, but after a moment, Nighteye adjusted his glasses and then spoke in a solemn tone.

"That boy is a real monster; that fight went beyond my wildest expectations."

"Certainly, Kai-shonen is truly terrifying. For a moment, I felt as if I were facing All for One. He showed very different powers, as if they were different quirks." All Might commented with a serious expression, to which Gran Torino asked with a sharp look.

"Do you think he's related to All for One? After all, somehow he knew the secret of your One for All."

"Although I considered it for a moment, I doubt it very much. After all, if that were the case, he wouldn't have healed me, and we've already performed all possible tests. Kai-shonen didn't play any tricks; I'm in perfect condition, and even now I'm a bit stronger than before. Besides, I was a personal friend of his father, and we investigated everything we could; his background is clean."

All Might shook his head and explained, which led everyone to nod in agreement. But at that moment, Director Nezu spoke in an unusually serious and solemn tone, attracting everyone's attention.

"Although Kai-kun really doesn't have a connection with All for One, he is still a potential threat. He's too strong at such a young age. How strong will he be in a couple of decades? And if we add the opinion he has about the government, things could get really complicated."

"What opinion does he have about the government?"

Upon hearing Director Nezu, All Might couldn't help but ask curiously. Nezu explained what he had heard moments before, which put an expression of concern on the Symbol of Peace's face, who couldn't help but comment in a grave tone.

"It's really complicated, and the problem is that there really are people like that among politicians, which can lead to a serious problem if circumstances allow it..."

"Certainly. Besides, from what I've investigated, the boy, despite being the son of a great hero like Iron Palm, is quite indifferent toward strangers. We all saw how he handled healing All Might and the demands he made, which only adds fuel to the fire." Nezu added in a serious tone, to which Recovery Girl added with a dark expression.

"I agree with that. If he were a person with a heart to help, he would have saved countless lives with his magnificent medical abilities. But as far as we know, he has only acted twice: once to save the only remaining relative of someone close to him and All Might."

"So what we have is a potential 'super' villain." Nighteye commented in a serious tone while adjusting his glasses, to which Director Nezu added with a sly smile on his face.

"That, or the next Symbol of Peace."

"!!!"

Upon hearing Director Nezu's words, everyone present couldn't help but look at him with wide eyes. The curious animal smiled cunningly, then explained in his typical adorable tone of voice.

"Although it's true that Saito-kun isn't exactly the most willing to help people, he's not a bad boy either. After all, despite having such overwhelming power at the tender age of 14, he has no record of any kind. What's more, he doesn't even have a single ticket on his record.

This speaks of a quality equal to or perhaps even more important for being a great hero: self-control. Think about it for a moment—how would you yourselves be with so much power at that age? Or how many people would have the mental fortitude not to let themselves be intoxicated by such great power? Moreover, although All Might is now healed, he's not getting any younger."

"... Are you implying that I should pass on the One for All to him, Director Nezu?" After a few moments, All Might asked while looking intently at Nezu, who shook his head and then explained with a smile.

"Not really. In truth, I don't think he needs it. Besides, the One for All would be the counterbalance that could stand up to his power if things go wrong."

"Well, that may sound good, but how do you intend to turn the boy into a hero? He doesn't seem very interested in it." Nighteye commented while looking at Nezu, who smiled 'evilly' while responding.

"With my revolutionary educational theories, of course. Hehehe."

Chapter 69: One for All really doesn’t seem like a quirk at all

Chapter Text

After arriving at the yacht, Ryuko and Shino took Kai to one of the rooms, where the blue-eyed boy fell asleep the moment he touched the bed. This brought affectionate smiles to the faces of the pair of beautiful women, who looked at each other somewhat amused.

"It seems he really gave it his all, fufufu." Shino commented playfully in a low voice, to which Ryuko nodded equally cheerfully.

"Yes, he looks so cute all tuckered out, but let's let him rest. Let's join the others."

After a couple more giggles, the pair of beautiful women left the room to meet up with the others on deck. Meanwhile, a black cat with blue eyes discreetly slipped into Kai's room and settled next to his master on the bed.

...

The next day, Kai opened his eyes with the first rays of the sun. He sat up in bed while stretching, and after a moment, he got up and headed to the bathroom, wanting to take a good shower while summoning his reliable assistant.

"Sage."

"Yes, Master." As she materialized, the beautiful fairy spoke with a small smile on her face, to which Kai asked a bit more seriously.

"Were you able to obtain all the data on my performance and All Might's?"

"Yes, Master. From his combat method to how his special cells worked, which helped clarify several doubts about his strange quirk." Sage replied in a serious tone while showing Kai a holographic screen summarizing the data.

"One for All really doesn't seem like a quirk at all..."

While reviewing the information, Kai couldn't help but vocalize the thought that had been circling in his head since he first analyzed One for All. After all, that quirk was too strange; more than a quirk, it seemed like a super-sophisticated DNA editing 'device'.

The curious conclusion Kai reached about One for All was due to how it worked. Based on the tests and data Sage had obtained, Kai determined that this 'quirk' functioned almost algorithmically, following a set of structured steps that seemed to have a specific objective, especially since there were a couple of extra 'unnecessary' steps.

The way One for All worked was that upon entering a new body, it mutated by referencing the unique characteristics of the new DNA, strengthening itself in the process. At the same time, it modified the new host's DNA to adapt to its existence. In return, it allowed the use of different abilities, such as 'accumulation', which did not function like any normal accumulation quirk and was possibly the result of several mutations.

The accumulation of One for All worked by turning the host's entire body into a kind of energy generator. It modified all the body's cells to exponentially increase their production of what he decided to call 'bioenergy', which was the power source of quirks.

That was why, despite supposedly being 'accumulation', All Might never ran out of energy. It wasn't because there was so much energy that it never depleted; it was because he wasn't accumulating energy in himself. What One for All did was progressively modify the body's cells to increase their capacity and maximum production of 'bioenergy', which resulted in All Might's brutal set of abilities.

But as if that weren't enough, One for All had the ability to modify itself to integrate the abilities of other quirks into itself, creating perfect copies of those abilities that integrated seamlessly into its structure. However, according to a small experiment by Sage, this meant that a person with a quirk would suffer great physical stress due to this, which could bring serious health problems.

But that's where the strange extra 'unnecessary' steps of the One for All came in. Although he still lacked data to confirm his theory, Kai knew from the little he saw of the series that when All Might passed on his quirk, he began to lose his abilities quickly, which didn't make sense—after all, the modifications were already made.

Furthermore, even though all the genetic information was there along with the necessary quirk factor, All Might couldn't use the additional 'abilities' in One for All aside from 'accumulation', which was quite strange, to say the least.

This led Kai to consider a possibility: One for All didn't abandon the previous host but actually duplicated itself in the new host's body. Then, it began to reverse the changes to take away the abilities, giving the false appearance that the quirk had 'abandoned' the previous host. The question was, why did it do this? From how it worked, there was no real need to do so.

This led him to realize two things. First, there was a vital part of how One for All functioned that he didn't know, or even about quirks themselves. Second, and more importantly, that quirk was too strange and gave him an evil feeling, so it was better to dismiss any idea he might have about having it. Although, well, he never wanted it in the first place, so that part was easy.

"Well, with this, we have what we need to start our little research project to replicate the 'accumulation' of One for All to enhance the girls' quirks and maybe mine." After turning off the shower, Kai commented while drying himself, to which Sage responded with a serious expression while displaying a different holographic screen.

"Understood, Master. I'll begin exploring the possibilities of using aura to reproduce a similar effect, using invasive medical means, and developing external devices."

"That's fine, but focus mainly on using aura. Using external means might work for the girls, but not for me." As he left the bathroom, Kai ordered in a serious tone, to which Sage quickly nodded.

"Understood, Master."

"Also, run several simulations of the battle with All Might, but with me going all out."

Kai added in a serious tone, since, although it was likely that All Might hadn't shown all his power either, he wanted to see how his other abilities would have worked. He preferred not to show up unless absolutely necessary. After all, they would be his trump cards, and he had already made a strong impression; any more than that could cause serious problems.

"Understood, Master. I'll run a complete simulation and even adjust All Might's parameters to use all his power according to the estimates we can make with the current information." Sage nodded seriously while her wings glowed in various colors, to which Kai nodded, truly satisfied.

"Perfect."

After changing clothes and ending up in simple black shorts and a white hoodie, Kai headed to the yacht's main living area. The main living area was decorated in a minimalist and modern style, with comfortable sofas and a huge screen at the front, where Ryuko was playing an adventure video game.

"Good morning."

In a casual tone, Kai greeted the beautiful woman on the main sofa, who was dressed in a simple white summer dress that seemed to highlight her almost divine beauty. She turned to look at him while patting the spot next to her with a smile.

"Good morning, Kai. Let's play a bit."

"Sure."

Comfortably, Kai took a second controller from a nearby cabinet, then sat next to Ryuko, who smiled cheerfully before switching the game to a fighting one, speaking in a challenging tone.

"Hehehe, today you're going down."

"We'll see about that," Kai responded with a slight smile, then chose a character and started the battle, easily defeating Ryuko, who quickly retorted with an annoyed look.

"Hmph, I was just warming up. Next time, I'll play seriously."

"Hehehe, let's see then."

After several consecutive defeats, Ryuko let the controller drop onto the sofa with exasperation, then lay down with a pout, resting her head on Kai's lap, though she turned her head away so as not to look at him.

"You're so annoying..."

"Hehehe."

At Ryuko's comment full of frustration, Kai could only smile amused while stroking her silky golden hair, which greatly relaxed the beautiful heroine. After a moment, she asked in a low voice.

"Did you enjoy the duel with All Might?"

"Quite a bit. It was a good experience, although I'm still far from what he can achieve. Eventually, I'll surpass him; it's just a matter of time." Kai responded casually without stopping his stroking of Ryuko's hair, who, after remaining silent for a moment, couldn't help but ask with a tone full of mixed feelings.

"... Kai, would you really not consider becoming a hero?"

"The truth is, no. That profession doesn't hold any appeal for me. I like being anonymous as much as possible, and besides, I'm quite rich." Kai once again expressed his answer to the question that everyone in his family had asked him at least once.

"But with your abilities, you could save so many people..." Ryuko commented in a disappointed tone, as, although she had heard the same answer several times, it still seemed a shame to her.

"Well, maybe so, but why bother? After all, I'm an unstable person with severe mental problems; why would anyone ever need my help?" Kai responded with a scornful tone, which brought a look full of pain to Ryuko's face.

To this day, if there was something in their family that she considered the greatest tragedy that could have happened to them, aside from the death of Kai's parents. It was undoubtedly the media circus that was made around Kai's 'mental stability'. Something that, no matter how much they tried to silence, was not possible—although many 'celebrities' ended up either in jail or without a career in the process.

Whether he used it as an excuse or if it had really impacted him, Kai always ended conversations about being a hero with that phrase. It was almost as if he were expressing that his father's years as a hero had been for nothing. In the end, all he gained was a tragic death and he, as his only son, the stigma of being crazy.

"Kai, you know that doesn't represent the majority... It's just a minority who were swayed by what the press said, and many of your father's fans defended you tooth and nail. Besides, a lot of time has passed..." After a moment, Ryuko explained in a low voice, to which Kai only smiled while stroking her golden hair.

Kai's silence could only bring a sigh from the beautiful heroine, who closed her eyes while different feelings fluctuated in her heart. In her eyes, Kai was the perfect man; he had everything she had always dreamed of in a husband: he was handsome, rich, capable, strong, and, above all, protective and home-loving. But there was a small flaw, one that she couldn't help but feel a little itch about: his indifference toward strangers.

But at the same time, she understood that for Kai, being a Hero was a somewhat delicate subject, since it wasn't just his indifference toward strangers; there were also unresolved feelings that Kai refused to let go of, to the point that, even though he had never mentioned it, not even once, they, who had been his family for many years, could easily notice it.

"...But you know, although I won't be a hero, you already are, and just as you strengthened yourselves with the help of the Accomplices, over time I'll create new things to empower you. So, in the end, the people I don't save, you'll end up saving, and who knows, maybe you could even become the next symbol of peace or something like that."

After a moment of silence, Kai commented with a smile while stroking Ryuko's hair, who couldn't help but turn her head to look directly into his eyes. After a moment, she threw herself and hugged him without saying a word.

With a somewhat amused smile on his face, Kai began to gently stroke Ryuko's slender back, who hugged him tightly. After a moment, she whispered in a voice full of feelings.

"You're really the best, Kai."

"Hahaha, not at all. I just want you all to be happy, and being heroes makes you happy; I'm more than willing to help." Kai commented warmly while returning Ryuko's hug, who seemed to melt in his arms, then commented in an almost dreamy voice.

"Kai... let's get married when you turn 18."

Kai couldn't help but open his eyes in surprise at Ryuko's typical confession, which was now loaded with feelings and reflected the seriousness with which she said it, putting him in a real bind. After all, he had promised not to mention his relationship with Nemuri, which left him with few options to reject the proposal of such a charming woman.

"... The future is uncertain, and many things can happen; it's better we live calmly and see what life has in store for us."

Not being very sure what to say, Kai tried to take the diplomatic route, but to his surprise, Ryuko freed herself from his embrace to look him straight in the eyes for several seconds, which seemed like hours. She then gently placed her forehead against his while closing her eyes, and she commented with a tone full of determination.

"I'm serious. I want you to be my husband and the father of my children. So from now on, I'll try to win you over with all my might and make you fall at my feet so we can have a lovely wedding when you're older, so get ready, hehehe."

After saying what she needed to say, Ryuko laughed mischievously, which somehow made her look like a naughty cat, then jumped off the sofa and ran cheerfully out of the room, leaving Kai with his eyes completely wide open.

"Sage." After a moment, Kai called Sage, who immediately appeared at his side. With a serious tone, he ordered.

"Read Ryuko's feelings."

"Immediately, Master."

Along with her response, Sage quickly used the AP Field to determine Ryuko's feelings, since although Kai could vaguely sense feelings with his Observation Haki, they were very diffuse to him, almost as if they were musical notes. While he could differentiate two very different notes, he couldn't name them, even if his life depended on it.

"Master, they are love, joy, embarrassment, and hope." After a few moments, Sage responded while looking at her master, who couldn't help but open his eyes in surprise.

"What...? Are you sure, Sage? No negative feelings? Anger, anxiety, rejection? None of that?"

"No, Master. In general, Ryuko is in a very good mood." Sage shook her head while responding, which only worsened Kai's confusion. He couldn't help but comment, stupefied:

"I really don't understand women... although I think I should talk about this with Onee-chan..."

Chapter 70: Are you thinking of retiring?

Chapter Text

After a couple of days playing at sea with the yacht and a conversation between the girls and Principal Nezu, the little vacation ended. So everyone returned to their usual routines, giving Kai the opportunity to talk to Nemuri about what happened with Ryuko. Although she hadn't done anything unusual during the trip apart from that conversation, it was better to be prepared.

"So that's what happened... and what did you tell her?"

After hearing the whole story, Nemuri murmured thoughtfully, then looked at Kai and asked in a serious tone, who was sitting across from her on one of the cozy sofas in their comfortable home.

"Well, she caught me off guard, and since I couldn't talk about us, I simply said the future was uncertain and things like that, and she replied that she would try to win me over..." Kai responded with a complex expression on his face, to which Nemuri nodded calmly before commenting with a smile.

"Looks like I need to talk to her."

"Yeah, it's for the best, though it’ll be a bit complicated, but I guess it was bound to happen eventually. By the way, when will we do it?" Kai commented thoughtfully, prompting Nemuri to tilt her head cutely while asking.

"Do what?"

"Talk to Ryuko." Kai couldn't help but roll his eyes at the distracted Nemuri, who commented with a sly smile on her face.

"Oh, I'll talk to her. You don’t have to worry about that."

"What do you mean I shouldn’t worry? This is something that involves both of us; I won’t let you face the tide alone." Kai replied in a serious tone while looking intently at Nemuri.

Upon hearing her beloved's words, a beautiful smile couldn't help but form on Nemuri's face. She quickly stood up, then sat on her boyfriend's lap, hugging his neck and giving him a loving kiss on the cheek. As Kai's fateful 15th birthday approached, she lost more of her inhibitions, and it became more difficult to contain her impulses.

"Fufufu, you don't need to worry. Let me handle this. I want to talk to her woman to woman."

"Are you sure? Things could get pretty complicated when she finds out." Kai asked, not entirely convinced, while holding Nemuri's slim waist. She smiled confidently as she replied.

"I'm absolutely sure. Leave it to me, and if things get complicated, I'll call you immediately."

"...I suppose that’s fine then..."

Not looking entirely convinced, Kai responded while gazing at Nemuri, who was smiling happily like a schoolgirl in love, so much so that she couldn't contain herself and gave her beloved a quick kiss on the lips. She then stood up and left the living room with hurried steps, leaving the blue-eyed boy confused, feeling her leave the house in one of the cars shortly after.

After a moment, Kai could only shake his head while smiling somewhat amused, before grabbing his computer to start working on his new project—one he wanted to have ready by the time Nejire graduated, as it would be the next major upgrade for the girls' equipment.

A couple of hours later, Kai could feel Momo and Keiko return, carrying a bunch of bags with the help of the guards. He quickly set his computer aside and went out to meet them, while Salem, who had at some point arrived at his side, jumped onto his shoulder.

"Welcome back." Kai greeted the mother-daughter pair with a smile, who responded with cheerful smiles on their faces.

""I'm back.""

Seeing little Salem on Kai's shoulder, Momo quickly kidnapped the poor cat, who immediately began meowing in protest, while Keiko asked the guards to leave all the items on the floor and return to their positions, which they quickly did.

"What did you buy?" A bit curious, Kai asked upon seeing the large number of bags, to which Keiko responded with a smile.

"Fufufu, just some unimportant things for the house and some clothes. We'll check them out now."

While several panthers appeared out of nowhere to start picking up the bags, Keiko took one of Kai's arms and led him inside the house, followed closely by Momo, who was happily 'torturing' Salem with petting and kisses.

Upon reaching the house, Keiko and Momo sat on the sofa while Kai went to prepare some tea, since Mrs. Yoshiko was on vacation. They then put on the episode of the drama they were hooked on, just as Kai returned carrying a small tray.

"My ladies," Kai spoke playfully while imitating an elegant waiter, which made the mother-daughter pair smile as they took their cups.

"Fufufu, thank you, young man," Momo commented playfully, trying to act elegant, which made Keiko smile, who added while patting the spot on the sofa between the two of them.

"Mrs. Yoshiko is truly missed."

"True, but she comes back tomorrow." Kai commented while sitting between the mother and daughter, just as Salem took the opportunity to escape from Momo and jump onto his shoulder.

"By the way, where's Onee-chan?" Momo asked while looking around, to which Kai responded with a shrug.

"I don't know, she left a while ago and didn't say where."

"Well, she must be busy with something. Let's keep watching the drama; it's about to end." Keiko commented as she resumed her favorite drama episode, hugging one of Kai's arms, looking really excited.

"Yeah, Azumi is about to find out Haruto loves her." Equally excited, Momo hugged Kai's other arm, her eyes glued to the TV.

Meanwhile, Kai couldn't help but shake his head in amusement at the mother-daughter duo addicted to dramas, a habit they picked up several years ago, which somehow brought them closer together. So much so that school was no longer as important for Momo, and it wasn't uncommon for her to skip school to accompany her mother abroad—something that Kai couldn't help but be thankful for since he only attended for her.

...

"That was a great ending..." Several hours later, Keiko commented while wiping her tears as the TV displayed the drama's credits, to which Momo added, doing the same.

"Yeah, Azumi finally got to be happy with the love of her life..."

Kai, for his part, just rolled his eyes, as if they had ever watched a drama with a different ending, but Momo recovered rather quickly before commenting excitedly, as if she hadn't been crying just moments before.

"Well, it's time to try on the new clothes!"

"Fufufu, you're right. Do you want to go first, or shall we both go?" Keiko responded playfully, looking at her beloved daughter.

"Mmm... let's go one at a time!" After thinking for a moment, Momo answered cheerfully, to which Keiko asked with a smile.

"Alright, so do you want to go first?"

"Yes, I'll be right back."

With her answer, Momo quickly searched through the bags in a corner, grabbed some, and ran to her room, which only made Keiko smile amused. She then rested her head on Kai.

"By the way, Aunt Keiko, is it just me, or haven't you been going to the office lately?"

"Fufufu, you're only noticing now? I've only gone to the office one day this week." Keiko commented with a soft laugh, her eyes still closed, which made Kai ask, somewhat surprised.

"Are you thinking of retiring?"

"Honestly, yes. I feel I've achieved enough in my career, and I've been preparing for this for years. Moreover, Momo has been missing many classes to accompany me, but if she gets into UA like she wants, that won't be possible, and I want to enjoy my time with my little one before she grows up."

As she hugged Kai's arm, Keiko responded with a tender and determined tone, which made Kai nod, who then commented while using his other arm to stroke his beautiful aunt's silky black hair.

"If that's what you want, you have all my support. Besides, it's also good for you to retire early and enjoy life. We're already rich enough to live multiple lifetimes, so even if your company goes bankrupt, it won't affect our lives much."

"Fufufu, thank you for supporting me, Kai, although if my company goes bankrupt, I might have to live off you." A beautiful smile formed on Keiko's face as she opened her eyes to look at Kai with a playful glint, to which he responded, half amused and half serious.

"Hehehe, don't worry. I have more than enough for you to live like a queen. Besides, you're talking to a renowned blacksmith, so money isn’t a problem."

"Oh great blacksmith, thank you for accepting this poor woman, fufufu." Keiko commented happily, though Kai's words made her heart skip a beat, which led her to hug his arm tighter, pressing it deeply into her voluptuous chest.

"Hehe, you have nothing to thank me for. As long as I exist, my family won't lack anything." Kai commented cheerfully while taking the remote to put on a song on the TV—after all, Momo was approaching.

Keiko, for her part, had to lower her gaze to hide the deep blush on her face, just as Momo returned to the living room, wearing a red skirt and a simple white blouse, accompanied by an elegant black purse. Runway music started playing.

With a cheerful smile, Momo began to show off her new clothes, spinning several times and looking like a real professional model—something she learned from Yumiko and Nejire—which led Kai and Keiko to applaud amusedly.

"You look beautiful, Momo." Kai commented with a smile, which made Momo smile cheerfully and then respond a little shyly.

"Hehehe, thank you. But now it's your turn, Oka-sama."

"Well, I suppose you're right. I'll be right back." Keiko responded with a smile, although her cheeks were slightly flushed. She then got up, took a couple of bags, and went up to her room.

After that, a fun fashion show began, where the girls showed off their new clothes and various accessories they had bought, something that lasted until Nemuri arrived, who had a big smile on her face, looking quite excited. It was then that they ordered some food and started a harmonious chat full of smiles.

...

"Oh, by the way, Kai, Principal Nezu contacted me and said he wanted to meet with both of us." In the middle of dinner, Nemuri remembered something and turned to tell Kai, who quickly asked confused.

"What does he want with us?"

"I don't know. He didn't tell me." Nemuri shook her head as she replied, to which Kai commented with slight annoyance.

"He probably wants me to heal someone, how annoying..."

"Well, it’s possible, but I don't think that's the case. Nezu has no family, so unless it's something of All Might's level, I highly doubt he'd seek you out. Furthermore, he has a lot of influence and contacts around the world, so he’d exhaust those options first, and I would have found out." Keiko commented in a serious tone, which led Kai to ask, confused.

"Then what does he want?"

"Maybe to recruit you both for UA?" Momo asked with a slight smile on her face, which secretly made Nemuri and Keiko nod, to which Kai casually commented.

"Well then, he's wasting his time. I have no intention of joining."

"Well, for my part, if he really wants to recruit me for UA, I wouldn’t mind considering it. I'd like to contribute to the next generation of heroes." Nemuri commented with a smile before taking her chopsticks to her mouth, prompting Kai to ask.

"So, you'll meet with him then?"

"Yes, I want to see what the meeting is about. Will you join me?" Nemuri asked casually while looking at Kai, who could only sigh before replying resignedly.

"I guess it can't be helped then..."

Chapter 71: I’m very pleased with the terms.

Chapter Text

A few days later, Nemuri dragged Kai to Principal Nezu's office. He greeted them cheerfully and invited them to enjoy some fine tea while he chatted about random topics with Nemuri. Kai, not wanting to say a single word, remained silent as he sipped his tea.

"But it's a pleasure that you agreed to meet with me, Kai-kun." Principal Nezu said, turning to Kai with a small smile in the midst of his conversation with Nemuri.

"I'm not going to heal anyone, and I don't want to join the UA."

Completely defensive, Kai responded with a sour face, which could only put a bitter smile on Nemuri's face, but oddly enough, this didn't seem to bother Principal Nezu in the slightest, who simply smiled nonchalantly before casually commenting.

"Hehehe, I didn't want to talk to you about healing anyone, Kai-kun."

"I'm also not joining the UA." Kai responded quickly before taking another sip of his tea, causing the principal to smile 'wickedly' as he continued.

"Really? That's a shame. At our institution, you could develop to the next level."

"Heh, no, thanks. I'd prefer to do that on my own." Kai smirked somewhat mockingly at Principal Nezu, who responded by feigning a look of pity.

"Oh, is that so? That's unfortunate because at our institution you could not only obtain your license more easily, but you'd also be guided by the best heroes in the country. You could train with top-notch equipment in the most challenging environments, not to mention you could advance your technological skills to the next level. With our resources and connections, even launching a couple of satellites wouldn't be too much trouble."

Hearing Principal Nezu's words, Kai's eyes couldn't help but narrow as he looked at the curious animal. Simultaneously, his Conqueror's Haki began to emerge at low intensity, giving him a dangerous, almost murderous aura. He commented in a grave tone.

"You've been investigating me, Principal Nezu. I don't like that very much."

For his part, Director Nezu fought against his instincts that wanted to force him to hastily flee from the dangerous young man in front of him. Instead, he formed a small, calm smile on his face as he commented in his typical cheerful tone.

"Not so much investigating. I just happened to hear that your aunt Keiko has been pulling some strings to send a few satellites, though without much success due to the significant inspections required. I suppose she didn't want your technology to be leaked."

"What is it that you really want, Principal?" Kai asked seriously, eyeing the curious animal, who took several documents from his desk and handed them over while explaining.

"Not much, really. It's just that my instincts as an educator won't let me leave a gem like you unpolished, without bringing out all its brilliance. Why don't you read these documents and give me your opinion?"

With a skeptical look, Kai took the documents and quickly scanned them. Shortly after, he widened his eyes in surprise and looked at Principal Nezu with suspicion.

"Why are you being so generous? A special license without the governmental limitations of the typical hero license, the possibility of launching two satellites by the end of the year, a customized workshop with the best resources, training zones tailored to my needs, and even licenses for confidential patents. All this sounds too good to be true, Principal."

"Hehehe, well, UA has always been characterized by offering the best learning experience for its students, and you're a very special person, Kai-kun. You deserve that bit of effort. Besides, this is just the beginning; there will be even better things in the future."

Principal Nezu commented with a self-satisfied smile, secretly sighing in relief that the terrifying aura emanating from the young man had subsided. Kai couldn't help but ask, both confused and suspicious.

"And what do you gain from all this, Principal Nezu?"

"What I've always gained during my years at the helm of UA: the satisfaction of personally polishing a future prominent hero and the influence that comes with it."

With a confident demeanor, Principal Nezu spoke in a clear and concise tone, offering reasons less pure than he normally would. He knew that for the young man before him, this type of response was more appropriate than preaching about the future, responsibility, society, and so on.

"I see. And although it's very tempting, I'd prefer to decline. I don't want to be a hero for any reason."

After pondering for a moment, Kai ultimately decided to refuse. Despite the substantial offer, the idea of being a hero was genuinely repellent to him. Besides, much of what they offered he could eventually achieve on his own with some effort, although the license was indeed tempting.

"Oh, that's a pity. After all, a license like the one you can obtain with our help is reserved for individuals at All Might's level. Getting it any other way is quite difficult. Moreover, it would be a shame to miss out on this plan for your second year." With a mysterious smile, Principal Nezu slid a new folder toward Kai, who opened it curiously, instantly almost salivating at what he saw.

"Is this real?" Kai asked, looking at Principal Nezu, who nodded confidently and explained.

"Yes, quite real. Your power level is high enough that it doesn't make sense for you to waste time patrolling or doing trivial tasks. After serious consideration, I've concluded that once you obtain your license in your second year, it would be best for you to undertake 'special missions' during your internships, joining raids against villains who pose a significant threat."

"…"

Upon hearing this, Kai couldn't help but fall silent and delve deep into thought. Although he wasn't interested in being a hero, he was keen on measuring himself against other powerful individuals to develop his skills—something not easily done on his own. Additionally, if things went wrong, he could find himself in endless trouble for being a 'vigilante' or even a 'villain'. When he added all the previous benefits, the offer became quite hard to refuse.

Meanwhile, Nemuri couldn't help but smile at seeing Kai consider being a 'hero' for the first time. She was well aware that her beloved Kai would never be a conventional hero running around saving people. But eliminating a dangerous villain was also a form of heroism, and ultimately, he'd be indirectly helping people with his incredible power.

After some time, as Kai seemed to be wrestling deeply with his thoughts, the principal turned to Nemuri and handed her another folder from his desk, speaking in a cheerful tone.

"I'd also like to extend an invitation for you to join our faculty, Kayama-san."

Smiling, Nemuri took the folder and began reviewing the offered terms, feeling very satisfied. Although money wasn't a concern for her, it was a way to acknowledge her importance, and the pay was quite good. But what attracted her most was the clause stating she would always have at least four hours of classes per week with Kai's class if he decided to join, along with considerable freedom.

"I'm very pleased with the terms, Principal Nezu. I'd like to be part of the UA from now on." After a moment, Nemuri responded with a smile, which greatly delighted Principal Nezu. He quickly added.

"That's excellent news, Kayama-san. I'm sure you'll be an outstanding teacher and will greatly contribute to the next generations of heroes."

"Thank you very much, Principal. I hope so." Resisting the urge to roll her eyes at the chameleon-like principal before her, Nemuri spoke in a cordial tone.

"And what do you say, Kai-kun?" With Nemuri on board, Principal Nezu turned to Kai with a smile, knowing he had won this round.

"… I'll think about it." Kai said after a moment of silence, his expression complex. He then took a sip of his tea and remained quiet.

"Hehehe, I'll be awaiting your response, then."

Principal Nezu replied with a small smile before beginning to discuss with Nemuri the details of her joining the faculty and her future classes. Meanwhile, Kai sipped his tea in silence, deeply contemplating his next steps.

(Should I really enroll? Although UA is irrelevant to my current 'level', Nezu is influential enough to get me that special license and easily facilitate the launch of military satellites—exactly what I've been trying to achieve for years. It would be really useful to establish a connection with him, especially for the project I'm working on. Plus, those 'internships' are exactly what I want.

But on the other hand, I don't want to be a hero or get involved with the protagonist. I've already confirmed he exists and nearly had an existential crisis because of it. Although, since I've healed All Might, there shouldn't be any reason for him to pass on One for All—or at least, I hope that's the case.

There's also a certain event that could be highly beneficial for my abilities. If my memory serves me, at some point, a guy with the power of teleportation attacks—something I've been trying to figure out for years. If I could capture him or at least obtain data on how he does it, I might discover what's missing for me to achieve it with aura and finally create the 'inner palace'...)

"Well, Principal Nezu, we'll be in touch. I'll begin my duties in the next term." Nemuri said with a smile, placing a hand on Kai's shoulder and pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Once again, it's a pleasure to have you with us. I hope we can meet your expectations." Nezu replied, adorably raising one of his paws as Nemuri and Kai stood up.

After saying their goodbyes, Kai got into the car with Nemuri, slipping back into his thoughts. This brought a beautiful smile to the face of the lovely blue-eyed woman, who decided to remain silent. She started the car and chose a calm route so as not to distract her beloved.

(Regarding that event where the guy with the teleportation quirk appears, if I recall correctly, it happens inside UA itself. That shouldn't be possible; the place has the best security systems in the world and is the safest place in Japan. This can only mean one thing: there are moles inside the UA.

This completely changes the perspective. Nejire has just enrolled, and Momo wants to join as well. Having a mole inside could put them in danger, so I need to eliminate the moles as soon as possible. The problem is, is Nezu one of them? Hard to tell. As far as I know, he's super intelligent, so either he's part of the plot or they somehow fooled him, which makes the whole issue even more complicated.

The thing is, I'm not sure if that event will actually happen, and I don't remember all the details. But I do recall that attack was related to All Might's enemy who could steal quirks, connected to a crazy guy with hands on his face who seemed to lead the attack...

Damn, there are too many variables in all this. For now, I should increase security measures for the girls, especially Nejire and Onee-chan, since they could be in potential danger. Also, just being near UA unsettles me, so I need to find a way to deal with that as soon as possible, or it could become a problem...)

Chapter 72: Something to cheer him up

Chapter Text

Upon returning home, Kai got out of the car without saying a word and went straight into his forging workshop without looking back, where he began to forge a sword while considering all the possibilities of joining UA. For some reason, forging calmed him and allowed him to think with much more clarity, something he needed at the moment.

Meanwhile, Nemuri stared at the workshop door with an expression full of countless emotions until she saw smoke rising from the extractor vent. She then headed to the main house, where she found the whole family gathered—except for Yumiko, who was traveling—chatting in a calm mood.

“Nemuri! What happened? Did everything go well?” Shino, the first to notice Nemuri’s arrival, quickly got up from her seat and asked with a face full of concern and anticipation.

“Well, you could say it went well. I accepted to join UA as a teacher starting next term, and Kai said he would consider joining since Principal Nezu offered him a lot of things he wanted.”

With a smile on her face, Nemuri sat on one of the couches and spoke in a somewhat cheerful tone, which greatly brightened the expressions of the heroes present, especially those of the aspiring heroes.

"That’s great! Onee-chan will be my teacher! Hehe." Nejire commented with an excited smile, to which Momo quickly added with a happy grin.

“And if Kai is willing to consider it, it's very likely he’ll join too, hehe.”

“We have to celebrate!” Tomoko added cheerfully while raising her arms, to which Keiko, sitting beside Momo, added in a serious tone as she sipped her tea.

“It’s better not to, it won't be a pleasant time for Kai.”

“Keiko’s right. For Kai, being a hero is a complicated matter, so it's better not to put too much emphasis on it for now.” Ryuko added with a somewhat worried expression, prompting Chatora to chime in with a serious look.

“Ryuko’s absolutely right, the mere fact that he’s not here shows it. He’s forging something, isn’t he?”

“Yes, he went into the workshop immediately after arriving and barely said anything after the meeting.” Nemuri replied in a slightly concerned tone while receiving a cup of tea from Mrs. Yoshiko.

“He must be really troubled by the decision…” Shino added with a worried expression, causing a silence to fall over everyone present, but after a moment, Nejire commented in an unsure tone.

“Why don’t we do something to cheer him up?”

“That sounds like a good idea. Kai will probably spend several hours in the workshop, so we can prepare something for him.” Chatora added thoughtfully, which quickly prompted nods of agreement from the others. Then Tomoko asked with a smile.

“Why don’t we make his favorite food?”

“Let’s do that. I’ll make his strawberry shake.” Ryuko quickly added with a smile, to which Shino immediately followed with an eager tone.

“I’ll make the teriyaki.”

“I’ll do the fries!” Nejire quickly exclaimed, followed closely by Keiko, who added with a smile.

“Then I’ll handle the tonkatsu.”

“Then I’ll make a super special cake.” Chatora added in a calm tone, knowing that no one present could compete with him for that dish.

“I’ll make gyoza!” Tomoko quickly exclaimed with a cheerful grin, leaving Momo without much to choose from, which caused her to pout, at which point Nemuri asked with a smile.

“How about you help me make ramen, Momo?”

“Yes, I’ll help you, Onee-chan!”

Filled with excitement and gratitude, Momo responded with a cute smile on her face, which made everyone present smile as well. Soon after, they all got up and went to the kitchen together to start preparing their respective dishes in an animated and fun way, which brought an endearing smile to Mrs. Yoshiko’s face.

After a couple of hours, Kai finished a beautiful bastard sword with an alluring Damascus steel pattern on the blade. A benefit of using aura and his super strength for forging was that he could accomplish in hours what would take days and do it much better.

After inspecting the steaming, handle-less sword one last time, Kai placed it on a rack on the wall that held several handle-less swords before leaving the workshop much calmer and with a decision made.

When he arrived at the main hall of his house, Kai smiled as he saw his whole family gathered with heaps of food—his favorite dishes—while they looked at him cheerfully, sitting around the main dining table. At that moment, Nemuri spoke with a joyful smile on her face.

“We made something for you, come and eat.”

“Thanks, there was no need.” Kai commented with a genuinely grateful smile on his face. After all, this small gesture meant a lot to him.

“It’s just a small detail, enjoy it.” Shino added with a smile, prompting Kai to nod as he grabbed a fry and tasted it, unable to resist commenting with a smile.

“These are pretty good.”

“I made those!” Nejire commented cheerfully, genuinely happy that Kai enjoyed her cooking, which made the blue-eyed boy smile and nod.

“Thank you, Nejire.”

“Hehe, you’re welcome.” Nejire smiled shyly, making everyone present smile warmly.

“Why don’t you try the ramen, Kai?” Momo asked a bit nervously as she looked at Kai, who knowingly smiled and picked up the bowl of ramen to taste it before commenting with a small smile.

“It’s delicious.”

“Hehe, I helped Onee-chan make it.” Momo commented, equally shy, to which Kai replied as he looked at Nemuri and then at Momo.

“Thank you, Onee-chan, thank you, Momo.”

“Fufufu, anything for my Kai,” Nemuri commented with a playful smile, to which Momo quickly nodded cheerfully.

“Yes, anything.”

“Thanks.”

After that, Kai tasted each of the dishes and thanked everyone who had prepared them, while Salem, who had woken up at some point, was feasting on meat and kibble, courtesy of Mrs. Yoshiko. Thanks to his incredible appetite—most likely a result of his quirk—Kai ate everything easily before looking at his family, who were all watching him curiously.

“Thanks again, it was really delicious, and to stop your wondering, after thinking it through, I’ve decided to join UA, though I haven’t decided yet if I’ll go as far as to graduate.”

Kai explained in a serious tone while looking at his family, causing Nejire, Momo, and Tomoko’s eyes to light up, but remembering the earlier conversation, they held back from celebrating aloud.

“Are you sure about this, Kai? You don’t have to force yourself.” Keiko asked, concerned, while looking at Kai, who nodded and responded in a serious tone.

“It will be complicated, but I feel it’s necessary. Going will allow me to gain some important benefits, especially the license, which will be very important for you to use the upgrades I’ll be creating for you in public, like the Accomplices and what’s to come.”

“Although I can’t deny that I’m happy you decided to join UA, you don’t have to force yourself to do it just for our sake.” Ryuko commented, feeling a bit guilty, to which Kai shook his head before explaining.

“You don’t need to feel guilty about this. The truth is that the idea of participating in raids against powerful villains also attracted me quite a bit.”

“That’s a relief, Kai, but above all, we want you to be happy with the decision you’ve made and not feel pressured.” Chatora added in a serious tone while looking at Kai, who replied with a small smile.

“I know, Chatora, and don’t worry, I’ll eventually get used to it. I went to school for three years even though I didn’t want to; this won’t be much different.”

“Well, Kai, I’m really proud that you decided to face this situation calmly and made a decision that left you satisfied.” Nemuri commented with a smile on her face while looking at her beloved, all the while holding back the urge to run over and smother him with kisses.

“I feel the same way, Kai. You’re a very mature person, and I feel this will be the first step toward a much healthier future.” Shino added with a smile, feeling that the future looked really bright.

“Hehe, it’s not that big of a deal; they just offered me too many benefits for me to refuse.” Kai replied cheerfully, to which Keiko nodded in understanding before adding in a serious tone.

“But you have to be careful with Nezu, Kai. That animal is very cunning and loves playing smart.”

“I know, I realized that from the benefits he offered me. He must have investigated me well to be able to target so precisely everything I wanted or needed, though I still have to figure out how he did it. Sage and I didn’t find any breach in our security.” Kai commented in an equally serious tone, to which Keiko replied with a smile.

“He probably deduced it from the conversation we had, your patents, the strength you showed, and other small details. That animal is pretty good at that.”

“I see, I’ll have to pay closer attention to him from now on.” Kai commented thoughtfully, at which point Nejire, Momo, and Tomoko sneaked up to him.

“Are we really going to study together at UA, Kai?” Momo asked with contained excitement, to which Kai turned to look at her and replied with a smile.

“Yes, we’re going to study together.”

Unable to hold back their excitement any longer, Nejire, Momo, and Tomoko threw themselves at Kai, hugging him with smiles full of joy, at which point Nejire commented with genuine happiness.

“Finally, we’ll all be studying in the same place! We’ll be able to go together from now on!”

“Hehe, you’re right. We can all go together.” Kai replied, amused, as he gently stroked Nejire’s beautiful blue hair and Momo’s black hair.

“Kai, why don’t you do your internships with us? We can submit the paperwork to UA.” Tomoko, who was hugging Kai from behind with her chin resting on the boy’s head, asked with a small smile on her face. This caused all the heroes in the family to open their eyes in surprise and excitement.

“That sounds like a good plan, though according to what Principal Nezu told me, I might be able to join raids against powerful villains, so I’m not sure how it will turn out.” Kai responded with a smile, causing Tomoko’s hug to tighten a bit around his neck as she commented excitedly.

“Hehe, it’ll work out somehow. Tomorrow I’ll go talk to Principal Nezu to get everything set up.”

“Hehe, if that makes you happy.” Kai replied somewhat amused, to which Tomoko added cheerfully, like a little girl excited about her present.

“Yes, a lot!”

After that, the family joined in a group hug around Kai, genuinely happy with the outcome of everything, while also wanting to express their unconditional support for the blue-eyed young man. Although he hadn’t admitted it, everyone was sure that the main reason for accepting the offer was for their sake.

(Well, I guess now I have to start planning how to tackle the challenges UA will bring and how to ensure Nejire and Momo’s safety, plus I need to speed up the development of the new defense systems for everyone…)

Meanwhile, Kai began thinking about all the future challenges, completely determined that his family wouldn’t suffer a single scratch, even if the rest of the world went to hell.

Chapter 73: If you don’t want soup.

Chapter Text

A couple of weeks later, in the middle of the main living room, Kai was sitting on a comfortable sofa with Salem and Sage by his side, while carefully reviewing his computer. All the details he remembered about the attack on UA were written, though it was not much, just very vague things.

(Is that attack really going to happen?... Hard to say. If I recall correctly, that attack was aimed at All Might, and I highly doubt that now, healed and at the peak of his power, the Symbol of Peace is willing to retire and pass on his power. This is both good and bad at the same time.

While it's good that Momo won't face that attack, the problem is that I won't be able to identify the rats that easily, nor will I have the opportunity to get close to the portal guy. And I really need information about his quirk and how it works.…

Though, if the portal guy has something against All Might, he's bound to end up attacking him, and I might hear news about it, which would give me a good lead to follow, so not all is lost.)

While Kai was deeply contemplating his next steps at UA with a hand on his chin, Sage suddenly informed him that Nemuri, Shino, and Ryuko were approaching, which pulled him out of his thoughts. He then looked in the direction they were coming from, quickly noticing the three beautiful women entering with serious expressions.

"Kai, are you busy? There's something we want to talk to you about."

With a serious tone, Nemuri asked as she looked at Kai, who immediately closed his laptop and put it aside, then asked with an equally serious expression, while extending his Observation Haki to the maximum, trying to notice anything unusual. But there was nothing—aside from the three women in front of him, the guards at the entrance, and himself, there was no one else on the property.

"What happened? Is it serious?"

"It's not exactly serious, but it is something a bit important that we need to talk to you about." Nemuri replied as she sat in front of Kai along with Shino and Ryuko, prompting Kai to quickly ask, slightly concerned.

"So, what happened?"

"Kai…"

Nemuri tried to express what she had planned for so long, but in the moment of truth, she felt fear and her words got stuck in her throat, which worried Kai even more, who wanted to get closer. But at that moment, Nemuri gathered her courage and spoke in an insecure tone.

"Kai… What do you think of Shino and Ryuko?"

"Eh?"

Hearing Nemuri's question, Kai couldn't help but exclaim in confusion, then look at Shino and Ryuko, who looked unusually beautiful, dressed as if for a party and even wearing light makeup that enhanced their divine beauty to the extreme.

Shino was wearing a beautiful black dress that reached mid-thigh, accentuating her voluptuous figure and revealing her long, attractive legs. Ryuko, meanwhile, wore a white blouse with a subtle neckline and an elegant black mini-skirt accompanied by stockings of the same color, making her slender and curvaceous figure look even more attractive.

"Yes, what do you think of Shino and Ryuko? Do you think they're beautiful? Are you attracted to them in any way?"

Noticing that Kai spent a moment analyzing Ryuko and Shino's beauty, who both looked embarrassed, happy, and expectant, Nemuri asked with a small smile, feeling more confident about achieving the goal she had planned for so long.

"What do you mean, Onee-chan? Why are you asking something like that?" Kai, for his part, asked, somewhat confused, while aggressively searching his memories to see if he had made any mistake without realizing it.

For her part, Nemuri couldn't help but smile lovingly as she looked at the worried Kai, who seemed to be looking for ways to apologize for something he hadn't even done. This, for some reason, filled her with a warm, reassuring feeling while also giving her the confidence she needed to speak clearly.

"Kai, I think it's best to be straightforward with you. I want Shino and Ryuko to be your girlfriends, and I want the four of us to be a family in the future, with you as our man."

"What?!"

Hearing Nemuri's words, Kai couldn't help but exclaim in astonishment, opening his eyes wide, not believing what he had just heard. But without giving him even a second to think, Nemuri finished him off with her next words.

"Just like you heard, we love you, and after talking and thinking deeply about it, we decided that the best thing for us is to share and be happy, the four of us together. But this isn't an open relationship of any kind. No one else can enter our relationship unless there's unanimous approval in a serious discussion about it. Also, we decided on this because we love you and will do everything we can to make you happy and make this work for everyone."

"…"

For his part, Kai looked at the three stunning women in front of him, each possessing unmatched beauty and even better personalities, compassionate, loving, and who had been his family and support in his new life. Each, on her own, was the perfect woman to start a family with, and they looked at him with eyes full of love and anticipation, and he didn't know what to say.

[Sage, am I dreaming?] Doubting reality itself, Kai asked his reliable assistant, who quickly replied in a serious tone through their mental connection.

[No master, this is definitely happening.]

[I see…]

Kai commented with his mind spinning, seriously doubting whether his policy of keeping the girls' privacy out of his view had been a good idea. But noticing a hint of sadness in Shino and Ryuko's faces, Kai asked, full of doubts and confusion.

"I don't understand this. You are amazing women, any man would die to be with you. Why go to the extreme of participating in a relationship like this with me?"

"Because we truly love you, from the depths of our hearts, and in my particular case, because I feel I couldn't be happy by anyone else's side. You've given me so much and have been so special to me that it was impossible for me not to fall in love with you, and no matter how or when, I want to be by your side."

With a deep blush on her perfect-featured face, Shino spoke in a serious and determined tone while looking Kai directly in the eyes. She tried to show that she was speaking from the heart and that there was not even a hint of a lie in her. This was what she wanted, and the decision she had made after thinking about it for a long time.

"I feel the same way. I really want you to be my husband and to be by your side forever. Honestly, I've never even considered other options. For a long time now, no one else interests me. All other men seem like nothing compared to you, so I didn't hesitate for a moment when this opportunity arose. If you're willing to accept me, I'll do everything I can to make this a happy family."

For her part, Ryuko spoke with a smile full of love on her face. She hadn't needed even a minute to think about it when Shino and Nemuri approached her to propose this crazy relationship. After all, she'd been considering doing something similar with Shino. In the end, she knew there would be many rivals for Kai's love, so sharing him with people she cared about and trusted deeply was something she was willing to do.

"Well, I guess it's my turn. In my case, it's firstly because I love you and want you to be happy. Besides, our relationship is already somewhat immoral and practically illegal, so if I'm already doing things wrong for my happiness, I might as well do things wrong so we can all be happy and have a huge happy family. Plus, I've always wanted to have sisters, hehe."

With a genuinely happy smile on her face, Nemuri spoke while looking at Kai's stunned and incredulous expression, finding it authentically charming to the point where she wanted to kiss him right then and there. But since they were in the middle of something important that would mark their lives forever, it was better to wait, and it's not like she couldn't do it later.

"I don't know what to say. I can't say the idea doesn't sound attractive, but I feel it's going to be very difficult to make this relationship work. Are you really sure about this? I'm sure you know, but I'm a possessive, jealous person who's not easy to deal with."

After a moment of processing what he'd heard, Kai spoke in a serious tone while looking intently at the women in front of him, who smiled happily upon hearing that he wasn't against it. Nemuri quickly commented with a happy smile.

"We've known you our whole lives, so we made this decision with that in mind, and we're willing to do whatever it takes to make it work."

"Yes, also, we made this decision because we don't want to be with anyone else, so it's not a problem for any of us." Ryuko added with a beautiful smile, to which Shino quickly nodded.

"Ryuko is right. I'll also avoid interacting with other men to prevent misunderstandings that could lead to problems." Shino added, genuinely happy, smiling in a way that made her even more beautiful than she already was.

"Well, it's not like you have to isolate yourselves to make me happy…" Kai commented, a bit uncomfortable, which made the girls smile. At that moment, Nemuri made a discreet sign to Shino and Ryuko, then stood up and sat on her beloved's lap.

"Does this mean you agree?" While looking directly into her beloved's blue eyes, Nemuri asked in an almost seductive voice, causing Kai to just sigh a bit before commenting.

"Well, if you're truly determined and happy with the idea, I don't see why not try it. But let's take it slow at first to see if this can really work."

Hearing Kai's comment, Nemuri hugged him excitedly, then gave him a deep kiss on the lips. At that moment, Shino and Ryuko sat beside their new boyfriend, looking incredibly nervous and excited, to the point that their hands were sweating from anticipation.

"Why don't you give the girls a kiss to seal the deal?"

After the kiss, Nemuri licked her lips seductively, then leaned close to her beloved's ear and whispered in a voice filled with lust. This caused a shiver to run down Kai's spine, who seemed to realize that Nemuri's motivations for fostering the relationship weren't as pure as she had said.

"I suppose that makes sense…"

Kai spoke softly, then turned to look at Shino, who looked back at him with a nervous expression, full of desire and anticipation, which somehow made her incredibly charming and attractive.

"Then I'll be in your care from now on, Shino." Kai spoke seriously while looking into Shino's eyes, trying to find any sign of regret, but all he found was happiness and excitement.

"I-I'll be in your care too."

After replying in a voice full of nervousness, Shino closed her eyes, preparing for her first kiss with the man she loved. So Kai reached out to gently caress her face, then leaned in to her soft lips, initiating a gentle kiss that the beautiful heroine responded to with excitement. Causing the blue-eyed boy to feel her soft, delicate lips in their entirety.

After a moment, Kai pulled away from Shino, who opened her eyes, which were now teary and soon filled with tears, greatly worrying Kai, who quickly asked with concern.

"Are you okay, Shino? Did you feel bad? There's no need to force yourself."

"N-no, that's not it. It's just that I'm so happy that I couldn't hold back. I was so afraid you'd reject me, that this moment would never come, that now that it's happened, I feel like this is possibly the happiest day of my life."

With a voice that revealed the deep happiness she felt, Shino explained while looking at Kai full of gratitude, which caused the blue-eyed boy to look at her tenderly while wiping her tears, then comment in a warm voice.

"You're a wonderful woman, Shino. I'm completely sure there are thousands of men who would give anything to be by your side, so I feel incredibly fortunate that you want to be by my side."

Hearing her beloved, Shino couldn't contain herself and ended up hugging his arm while pressing her face against his shoulder, as tears of happiness started falling down her face. She then expressed her deepest feelings.

"I love you, Kai. I love you more than anything in the world, and I swear I'll do everything possible to be a good woman for you, to become the woman you can be proud of, so we can be happy forever."

"You don't need to do anything, Shino. You're already more than I could ever ask for, and I'm incredibly proud of you—of who you are, of what you've achieved, and of allowing me to be by your side. So let's just focus on being happy."

"I love you so much. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me..."

With a voice filled with deep love, Shino spoke while clinging to Kai's arm, who gave her a gentle kiss on the head, then spoke warmly.

"Let's be happy together, Shino."

"Yes, we will."

Hearing her beloved, Shino exclaimed with an incredibly beautiful smile, then took the tissues Nemuri offered her with a happy smile. The beautiful brown-haired heroine then commented cheerfully.

"I think it's Ryuko's turn now. I know she's dying for a kiss."

"Hehe, you're right." From the other side, Ryuko commented with a cheerful voice, then gently took Kai's face to make him look at her.

"I love you, my future husband."

After making a sincere confession, Ryuko took the initiative and gave Kai a deep French kiss, making her feel like her heart was going to burst out of her chest from excitement. She had fantasized so much about this moment, longing to taste his lips, his warmth, his tongue, everything, and it turned out to be even better than her wildest fantasies.

"You're incredibly delicious, darling..."

While licking her lips seductively, Ryuko commented in a voice full of ecstasy, drawing the attention of Nemuri and Shino, who clung to Kai protectively, which only made Kai smile. He quickly commented, trying to distract the girls' attention.

"Well, now we just need to define how we'll carry this relationship forward…"

"In fact, we had talked about it earlier and came to the same conclusion as you: it's better to take it slowly at first, start by spending more time together to see how we feel about everything and if we can really make it work."

While resting her head on Kai's shoulder, Shino explained in a soft voice, receiving unanimous agreement from the girls, who quickly looked at Kai, who nodded in agreement before commenting in a more serious tone.

"Certainly, that's for the best. Let's take it slow and see how it goes. Although it can be quite complicated, it's better to be prepared for it."

(Seriously, how did I get myself into all of this…?)

Kai couldn't help but think to himself, feeling that one of his mother's sayings was hitting him hard: [If you don't want soup, you'll get two serving.] After all, he hadn't even wanted a serious relationship in this life, and now he had three amazing girlfriends willing to “share” him—literally the dream of any man.

(Life is such a strange thing…)

Chapter 74: First time – part 1 (R-18)

Chapter Text

A month later, in the middle of an ordinary cinema, Nemuri found herself intimately holding onto her beloved's arm, barely paying attention to the movie he was watching with interest. She felt both excited and nervous, hardly able to believe that this day had finally come.

A week ago, Kai and Momo had turned 15, a moment the entire family celebrated with joy and tons of gifts. However, for her, Shino, and Ryuko, that event had been a milestone in their lives, filling them with happiness, yet also anticipation and nervousness.

After a long discussion between the three of them, they all concluded that each one wanted to go at her own pace, as things had been going well so far. Nothing had changed except for a few more kisses and hugs than usual, and they wanted to strengthen their relationship a little more before taking the next step. However, they gave Nemuri the green light to enjoy her hard-earned moment.

After thinking about it deeply, Nemuri decided to have the date of her dreams: a simple, casual teenage date, watching a movie, grabbing a bite to eat, and buying some trinkets—the kind of date she had fantasized about in her youth. The problem was that she was no longer a teenager, and the desire and anticipation of what would happen later were consuming her.

At the end of the movie, Kai and Nemuri left the cinema, with Nemuri still clinging intimately to her beloved's arm, pressing it tightly into her voluptuous chest while resting her head on his shoulder. He was now taller than her, and she wore a casual outfit consisting of a gray wide-necked sweater and a stylish black mini-skirt that accentuated her long legs and sensual curves.

Meanwhile, Kai was wearing a short-sleeved black shirt that highlighted his well-toned physique, paired with simple blue jeans, which made him look incredibly handsome and only deepened the intense desire that Nemuri had harbored for so many years.

"The movie was great, don’t you think, Nemuri?" Kai asked with a smile, looking at Nemuri, who quickly lied with a smile on her face.

"Yeah, it was good. I really liked it."

"I did too. That director is pretty good; he really nailed the adaptations of your books." Kai commented cheerfully as they left the cinema, followed by other people. Nemuri added with a small smile.

"Yeah, he’s pretty good, though a bit grumpy. We had a few arguments when we were casting."

"I see, but I think it was totally worth it. It’s been one hit after another." Kai said casually as he began walking toward a shopping mall, to which Nemuri responded happily.

"You're right about that, although I must admit that when I started writing, I never imagined I’d be this successful."

"Well, your works are really good, so it doesn’t surprise me. By the way, when you finish this story, we can think of the next one together." Kai replied with a smile as they entered the mall, bringing a beautiful smile to Nemuri's lips as she quickly responded.

"Hehe, of course, though I really think you should accept being listed as a co-author, Kai. Without you, I’d never have gotten this far."

"Hehe, don’t worry about it. I just threw out a few random ideas; it’s no big deal. You’re the one who wove it all into a plot that captivated the masses. You’re the real author." Kai said without much importance, to which Nemuri could only smile ironically, as it wasn’t the first time they had had this conversation, and it always ended the same way.

Shortly after, the blue-eyed couple arrived at an elegant ice cream parlor in the mall, where Kai ordered a strawberry ice cream for himself and a rum raisin one for Nemuri. They sat down at some chairs off to the side, and Kai asked with a small smile.

"Are you enjoying our date?"

"Fufufu, it’s perfect, better than I imagined."

Genuinely happy with the moment, Nemuri smiled brightly, though when she saw her beloved's smiling face, a mischievous idea crossed her mind. Making sure no one else was watching, she licked her ice cream in a sensual manner while staring directly into his eyes, then commented, full of lust.

"Although I’m eager to 'taste' what’s next."

"Oh, really? And here I was, wanting to take you shopping and have a nice dinner like a good boy. Such a naughty girl."

With a mischievous smile on his face, Kai responded while looking at Nemuri with unrestrained desire, sending a rush of excitement through the beautiful hero's body. Unable to bear it any longer, she quickly set her ice cream aside, took his hand, and hastily dragged him out of the mall.

Soon after, Nemuri led Kai by the hand to a love hotel. After choosing the most expensive room, they quickly ascended in the elevator, where Kai took the opportunity to pin her against the wall, whispering seductively while gently caressing her face.

"My beautiful girlfriend turned out to be quite impatient. What happened to our date?"

"I can't wait any longer. I’ve been waiting too long for this. We can finish the date later…"

With a tone filled with lust and urgency, Nemuri responded while looking at Kai with eyes glazed over from excitement, which led the young blue-eyed man to kiss her deeply, full of passion and desire. This completely unraveled the beautiful woman, who embraced him tightly, even pulling him closer to her with one of her sensual legs.

Not long after, a clear bell sound rang in the elevator, announcing the imminent opening of its doors. Kai quickly stopped the kiss with Nemuri, who swiftly fixed her appearance, hiding what no one else, but her beloved Kai, could see.

When the doors opened, the pair of lovers quickly walked down the long hallway, swiftly arriving at their room. In a rush, they hurriedly opened the door, entered, and slammed it shut, immediately starting a new kiss filled with desire and passion.

In the middle of the kiss, Kai quickly helped Nemuri remove her sweater, revealing a tiny black bra that barely covered her seductively erect nipples, while her impressive breasts defied gravity with their incredible elasticity, fully igniting his desire.

Incredibly tempted by Nemuri’s seductive and voluptuous chest, which seemed like a delicious fruit ready to be harvested, Kai squeezed them firmly, sending a surge of pleasure through Nemuri’s body. This made a muffled moan escape her lips amidst the passionate kiss.

Meanwhile, Nemuri didn’t remain idle and began to unbutton Kai's shirt. However, in her deep excitement, she was unable to undo the buttons and ended up tearing them off. This revealed Kai's chest, which looked as though it had been sculpted from marble, his muscles perfectly defined and incredibly enticing to the beautiful woman.

As she delighted in caressing her beloved’s enticing muscles, Nemuri guided him to the bed without breaking the kiss for even a second, almost as if she needed it to survive. But once they arrived, Kai swiftly laid her down on the bed with a quick motion, able to fully admire the flushed and lust-consumed face of his beloved.

“You’re gorgeous.”

As he expressed his most sincere thought about the woman he loved, Kai quickly climbed onto the bed to start a new kiss. The kiss soon moved to Nemuri’s neck, causing her to tremble slightly from the mini-orgasm it triggered, while she exclaimed, full of desire and passion.

"Kai, I love you, I desire you, make me yours for all eternity."

With expert movements, Kai quickly trailed down Nemuri’s neck, swiftly reaching her incredible chest, which was nearly as large as his head. He then gently slid aside the tiny bra, revealing her nipples, colored a seductive shade of pink, painfully erect to the point of trembling slightly.

Without wasting a second, Kai expertly sucked on Nemuri’s nipple, immediately following it with a gentle bite that sent a powerful tremor through Nemuri, who moaned wildly as an overwhelming orgasm surged through her body. She pressed her beloved’s head against her chest, lost in the sensation.

While kissing Nemuri’s seductive nipples, Kai began to caress her long, slender legs with the tips of his fingers, soon reaching her skirt, which he started to lift slowly, greatly heightening Nemuri’s passion, desire, and pleasure.

"Kai… I can’t take it anymore, make me yours."

With a voice broken by violent waves of pleasure and deep lust consuming her, Nemuri exclaimed while releasing her beloved from her chest. He looked into her eyes for a moment, filled with desire, before reaching for some condoms from a nearby table. Nemuri quickly stopped him by taking his hand.

"No... I want to feel you 'completely.'"

"Are you sure?" Kai asked in a serious tone, looking into Nemuri's beautiful blue eyes, to which she quickly nodded.

"Yes, completely. I want our first time to be with nothing in between."

"Alright."

Looking into Nemuri's eyes, Kai nodded with a voice full of desire, which brought a beautiful smile to the spectacular woman’s face. She quickly sat up on the bed and helped him unbuckle his pants, soon revealing his erect manhood, making her audibly swallow.

"It's bigger than before..." Nemuri commented as she gazed at the impressive rod of flesh in front of her, with a look full of lust and desire.

"Hehe, I guess so."

For his part, Kai commented, somewhat amused, and then started a deep kiss while he finished taking off his clothes and laid Nemuri down on the bed. Then he knelt on the bed and looked once again at his beautiful girlfriend, who had her beautiful breasts exposed, while her skirt was no longer there. Her delicate pussy was covered by a tiny black thong that had an opening in the center, which revealed in all its splendor its attractive pink color and abundant moisture.

Quickly, Kai took his manhood and placed it over Nemuri's wet vagina, as she gazed at him, consumed by desire, speaking in a soft, erotic voice.

"Do it."

After lubricating his penis with Nemuri's abundant fluids, which had even reached the bed, Kai slowly inserted it into his beloved's delicate pussy, quickly noticing an incredible tightness. This surprised him a little, something that Nemuri seemed to notice and commented with a smile full of love and lust.

"For the past year, I stopped using toys to be at my best for our first time."

"She really is an incredible woman, in more ways than one." Genuinely surprised, Kai couldn’t help but comment as he gazed at Nemuri's seductive face, to which she responded with love and desire.

"It's just a small token of my love and commitment, I'll do whatever it takes to make us happy, so now devour me!"

"At your command, my love."

Quickly, Kai fully inserted his manhood into Nemuri, becoming one for the first time, reaching deep inside the beautiful woman, to the point where he could even feel the entrance to her uterus contract at the tip of his penis.

At the same time, Nemuri let out a moan that sounded more like a beastly scream, trembling violently as large amounts of love juices flowed from her pussy. She experienced the strongest orgasm of her life, filling her with a pleasure so intense it felt like it was melting her brain, leaving her in a daze.

"Kai, I love you, I love you, I love you!!!"

Nemuri exclaimed loudly as she clung to her beloved's torso, who began to caress her head gently with affection, remaining completely still. This allowed Nemuri to calm down about 5 minutes later, at which point, for some reason, a deep desire to cry flooded her.

"I love you so much, Kai... you're the best thing that ever happened to me. Please, never leave me. I'll do anything, but please stay by my side forever."

With a voice full of feelings, Nemuri commented as waterfalls of tears fell from her eyes and she clung to Kai with her arms and legs, as if she were afraid that he would leave her. She buried her face in his neck, all while her lover tenderly caressed her long hair.

Chapter 75: First time – part 2 (R-18)

Chapter Text

"I won't leave you for anything in the world, you know me, and besides, you know I love you from the deepest part of my heart, so you don’t have to do anything special, just be yourself and let's live happily together. That's all I need and want from you."

With a voice full of love, Kai spoke softly while trying not to focus on the incredibly warm and pleasant sensation he was feeling in his manhood. This caused Nemuri to initiate a deep French kiss that ended several minutes later, just as Kai was about to lose his mind.

“Kai, I want you to fill me, I want you to come inside me.” Nemuri said with a serious expression as she gazed lovingly at her man, who couldn’t help but ask, surprised yet solemn.

“Are you really sure about this, Nemuri?”

“Yes, I’m completely sure, but don’t worry. I know we can’t have a child right now, so I made sure to take all the precautions, although I hope we can have one in the future.”

In a serious tone filled with love and longing, Nemuri spoke while staring intently at Kai, which caused some concern in the blue-eyed young man. He had never had a child, and the arrival of one would be a significant change. However, he didn’t show it on his face and instead responded seriously.

“Alright, but we must be aware that something unexpected can always happen. But if that’s the case, I’ll take full responsibility, and we’ll raise the little one together.”

Kai's words brought a beautiful smile to Nemuri’s tear-streaked face, and for a moment, she even regretted taking the pill. But after a moment, she pushed those thoughts away, as Kai was still young. They still had to live a little more of their life as a couple before taking on the challenging task of becoming parents, not to mention that they had not even told the whole family yet.

“I really love you, Kai. You are without a doubt the love of my life, and the only one I want to live with until the last of my days.” Nemuri spoke, genuinely moved and full of love. To which Kai responded with a soft kiss, then spoke in a similar tone.

“I love you too, and I truly hope we are together forever.”

In response, Nemuri initiated a loving kiss with the love of her life, which soon became filled with passion as Kai began to move his hips at a gentle rhythm. Causing soft moans to escape Nemuri’s lips in the middle of the kiss.

Shortly after, Nemuri had another orgasm, though this time it was much lighter, allowing her to fully feel the love and care with which Kai treated her, something that filled her with deep happiness. But at the same time, she knew it was time to let her desires run free, so she immediately spoke in a voice full of lust.

“Kai… don’t hold back, make a mess of me, mark me as yours, so I can never forget it.”

“Hehe, don’t regret it later.” Kai said with a smile full of lust on his face, to which Nemuri responded with a defiant expression.

“Fufufu, never!”

“Well, you asked for it.”

With a mischievous smile on his face, Kai began to kiss Nemuri's nipples, while at the same time, he increased the rhythm of his thrusts significantly. He quickly caused his beautiful girlfriend to start releasing powerful moans, and her pussy to gush large amounts of love juices.

“Kai, bite me! Mark me! Let the whole world know that I belong to you!”

In the midst of the overwhelming pleasure coursing through her, Nemuri cried out loudly, feeling her lover’s manhood pounding her uncharted womb. This brought her a new dimension of pleasure she had never experienced before, making her lose all sanity and unleashing her deepest desires.

Kai quickly and sensually bit one of Nemuri’s large breasts, causing a violent orgasm to ripple through her, while great amounts of love juices gushed from her pussy, triggering a powerful squirt that made her scream in ecstasy.

“Harder! Harder! Break me! Pierce my womb, I want it to know that it belongs only to you!”

Incredibly turned on, Kai quickly began making calculated movements with his manhood inside Nemuri’s belly, soon perfectly targeting the entrance of her womb, and then he started to push with precision, successfully violating that sacred space. This caused Nemuri to open her eyes and moan wildly, urgently exclaiming.

“Kai, come! Come inside me! Fill me with your semen! Impregnate me! Make me your woman!”

After several powerful thrusts, which sent Nemuri into violent orgasms to the point where her consciousness began to blur, Kai whispered in her ear with restrained breath.

“I’m about to come, Nemuri.”

“GIVE IT ALL TO ME! I WANT IT ALL! FILL ME!”

Upon hearing her lover, Nemuri’s mind completely collapsed, and she screamed at the top of her lungs, clinging to him with all her strength using both her hands and legs. In response, Kai gave a few more thrusts before releasing his entire load deep inside his beloved, lustful girlfriend.

As she felt the hot load filling her, Nemuri felt her brain completely melt from the deep love and pleasure flooding every inch of her being, even baptizing her soul with an unforgettable feeling. This caused her to experience the strongest squirt of her life, her whole body trembling violently as if she were being electrocuted, before falling unconscious, though even in that state, she refused to let go of her lover.

After some time, Kai separated from the unconscious Nemuri, then laid down onto the bed and pulled her close. He began gently stroking her hair, while at the same time using his aura to calm the arousal that seemed to be spiraling out of control, until about 15 minutes later, the beautiful woman opened her enchanting blue eyes.

As she opened her eyes, Nemuri dreamily looked at her lover holding her, wondering if it was a dream, until the memories of what had happened just minutes before returned to her, bringing a charming smile to her face. She clung tightly to Kai and then spoke in a warm voice, full of love, feeling somehow ‘complete.’

“Thank you, Kai, that was the best moment of my life.”

“It was a very special moment for me too.” Kai replied with a small smile, before softly kissing his lover’s lips. Nemuri smiled happily, then clung to him with her whole body, wanting every inch of her skin to be in contact with the warmth of her beloved.

As she draped her leg over Kai, Nemuri couldn’t help but notice his raging erection, which caused her lust to reignite powerfully. She licked her lips erotically, then bit her lower lip and spoke while lowering one of her hands to grab him firmly.

“It seems you’re still not satisfied…”

“Hehe, it seems that way.” Kai replied with a small smile, which made Nemuri straddle him, ending up in a cowgirl position, and then spoke while adjusting her beautiful hair back.

“Then let’s go for round two.”

After using her right hand to position her lover’s cock beneath her wet pussy, Nemuri slowly lowered her body, managing to take him in completely. A deep pleasure hit her, and she felt so full that it almost seemed like she was going to run out of air.

“Stay there. This time, I’ll do all the work, fufufu.”

With a lustful smile, Nemuri spoke as she looked at Kai, who seemed hypnotized by her erotic body, which looked like a work of art, with large, bouncy breasts, a slim waist, a flat stomach, and wide hips. This gave her an hourglass figure.

Delighted by her lover’s expression, Nemuri began to move, guided by her lust and the pleasure she felt, allowing her large breasts to sway freely in front of her lover, who seemed to greatly enjoy the show. This brought her deep pleasure and a tremendous sense of pride, prompting her to increase her pace, starting an erotic symphony of wild moans escaping her beautiful cherry-colored lips.

...

As the first rays of sunlight began to emerge, Kai and Nemuri watched them through the smart window that completely replaced one of the walls of the beautiful suite they had rented. They embraced in the spacious jacuzzi, with Nemuri resting her head on her lover’s firm chest.

“Kai… this moment is undoubtedly the happiest of my life. You have no idea how much I dreamed of living it, and it’s even better than I expected.” Nemuri said, her voice full of happiness as she listened to the calm heartbeat of her lover, which seemed to lull her lovingly.

“It really is a magical moment.” Kai commented as he hugged the beautiful woman in his arms. After a moment, Nemuri spoke with a more serious tone.

“Kai, I want you to give Shino and Ryuko an equally special moment. They truly love you, and I want them to feel the happiness I’m feeling right now.”

“… I’ll try.”

With a complex tone, Kai responded after a moment of silence, as his relationship with them was just beginning, and it was quite complicated for them to be as special to him as Nemuri was. However, he really liked them and loved them in his own way, so he would do his best to make them happy.

“I know it might be a little difficult for you to adapt to this relationship, but I want you to give them the chance to win you over. Don’t hold back in the slightest for my sake. I know you love me, and I want you to also come to love them.”

As she watched the beautiful sunrise with a calm expression, Nemuri spoke in a soft, relaxed voice, expressing her deepest thoughts, which made Kai reflect deeply. After a moment, he asked with a more serious tone.

“… Nemuri, why are you so intent on forming this relationship?”

“I already told you, I want us all to be happy.” Nemuri replied with a small smile as she took her lover’s hands and brought them to her chest, feeling somehow more secure and protected.

“Are you completely sure it’s just for that?” Kai asked seriously, causing Nemuri to remain silent for several minutes. But after a moment, she took a deep breath to gather courage and began to confess.

“… While it’s true that my main motivation is for all of us to be happy and form a big family, I must confess that there’s also a bit of selfishness on my part. For some reason, I feel incredibly happy and proud when I see the impact you’ve had on the girls’ lives, seeing in their eyes how genuinely in love they are with you. Knowing that you mean so much to them that they’re willing to give up everything to be by your side.

“Seeing all that makes me feel like I’m the luckiest woman in the world, that my man is the most valuable there is, that he’s irresistible. And although it sounds twisted, it makes me feel like I did a great job raising you. Plus, it allows me to see new sides of you that make me fall in love all over again, just like the first time…”

As she adjusted herself to maximize the skin-to-skin contact with her lover, Nemuri spoke in a soft, somewhat guilty voice. Kai tightened his embrace around his beautiful girlfriend, wanting to convey security, as he asked her.

“Are you sure that’s all?”

“… No… There’s something else.” After thinking it over for a moment, Nemuri let out her voice with difficulty. At that moment, Kai gave her a tender kiss on the head, which gave her the courage she needed to confess.

“…The truth is, it excites me a lot to see you with another woman. That’s always been a little fantasy of mine, and that’s why I thought it wouldn’t be bad to try it if the girls agreed. But the truth is, the day I saw them kiss you with my own eyes and steal the lips that were supposed to be mine alone, I realized that it was more than just a fantasy—it was a twisted desire.

“Just seeing that kiss made me orgasm, and since that day, I haven’t been able to stop fantasizing about watching you make love to them, about making love to you right after, doing exactly the same positions and in the same places so you can compare me to them, and then having to do even crazier things to keep you loving me.

“That’s what I am, I’m a pervert who fantasizes about the love of my life sleeping with other women, who actively desires to feel the adrenaline and passion of knowing that at any moment, you could get bored of me and leave me for someone else. Even though I know you love me and wouldn’t do that if I didn’t ask you to, I can’t help it. It’s such a forbidden and attractive pleasure for me that I ended up creating this immoral relationship… Are you disappointed in me?”

With a voice filled with shame and guilt, Nemuri confessed her darkest desires, filling her with fear about her lover’s response but, at the same time, with deep arousal. She was so turned on that she could feel rivers of love juices flowing from her pussy, making her feel even worse. But at that moment, her lover lifted her as if she were a doll and turned her around, then sat her on his lap and looked directly into her eyes.

“While you’re certainly a pervert, I’m not perfect either. You know I’m possessive, jealous, arrogant, pretty antisocial, and a long list of other flaws. And while I actively try to control myself, it’s not that easy. So, we’re just a couple of imperfect people who want to be happy together. Besides, your fantasy doesn’t directly affect my possessiveness, and to be honest, any man would kill to have a pervert like you by his side.”

With an understanding smile, Kai spoke as he wiped away the few tears that had formed at the corners of his beloved’s beautiful eyes. She looked at him in surprise, and after a moment to process everything he said, she hugged him tightly, pressing her explosive body against his as she spoke with happiness and determination.

“I love you, Kai. Thank you for understanding me, and I swear I will never let you feel bad. I have no interest in any other man, and I don’t even see the girls in a sexual way. I’m yours and will be yours forever, and I’ll make sure everyone knows it…”

“You’re the best girlfriend in the world, Nemuri. I really love you.” Kai returned his beloved’s embrace, and she responded, tearfully yet sounding incredibly happy.

“And you’re the best boyfriend in the world. I love you from the bottom of my heart…”

Chapter 76: I’d like to see you try.

Chapter Text

In front of the iconic gates of the prestigious UA, an excited Nejire and Momo could be seen, wearing their hero costume and school uniform respectively. They hugged the arms of an evidently annoyed Kai, who was also wearing his uniform and kept his Conqueror's Haki active so that no one would approach him.

"Kai, stop making that face and releasing your intimidating aura, we're about to go in." Momo commented with a smile as she looked at Kai, to which Nejire quickly added with a serious expression.

"Yes, Kai, you're about to take the entrance exam, this is an important moment."

"I still haven't forgotten that you two sold me out..." Kai remarked, clearly annoyed, which caused a playful giggle from the two beautiful teenagers.

"Hehe, let it go already, we told you not to do it, but you were stubborn, so we had to call for backup." Momo responded playfully, to which Nejire quickly added in a 'strict' tone, fitting of an older sister like her.

"Hehe, yes, Kai-chan, you can't go around threatening the principal just because you don't want to take the entrance exam, that's wrong."

"I didn't threaten him, I was just subtly exercising my influence." Kai replied, sounding like an innocent man being accused of a crime he didn't commit, which made Momo and Nejire roll their eyes.

"Yeah, sure, your 'influence,' scaring him with your intimidating aura and a terrifying expression is your influence?" Momo commented sarcastically as she looked at Kai, who responded with a proud smile on his face, as if he had nothing to be ashamed of.

"Exactly."

"Hehe, that's not right, Kai-chan, you can't use your quirk to scare others." Nejire said again, trying to sound strict, although it didn't really come out very well.

"It's not a crime if they don't notice. Besides, I was very subtle." Kai responded casually, as students wanting to enter the place took a wide detour around him due to the intimidating aura surrounding the group.

"Yeah, very subtle, that's why the principal's fur stood on end." Momo commented, rolling her eyes, to which Nejire quickly added to end the conversation.

"Well, let's leave that aside now, Kai's already gotten scolded by everyone, so for now, stop emitting that intimidating aura and smile."

After a sigh, Kai could only deactivate his Conqueror's Haki in silence. After all, he'd already gotten an hour-long lecture when Principal Nezu came to his house to talk about the entrance exam and ended up scaring him a bit accidentally. And although the principal didn't give it much importance, his family certainly did, especially Shino, Ryuko, and Nemuri, who apologized profusely on his behalf. Honestly, he didn't want to go through that again anytime soon.

"Hehe."

Noticing that the intimidating aura had ceased, Nejire smiled in satisfaction, then let go of Kai's arm and inspected the appearance of the blue-eyed young man with great attention to detail. She buttoned a loose button and adjusted the collar of his uniform, before moving on to Momo and doing something similar.

"You both look perfect. Good luck on the exam, I'll be cheering for you with all my might." Nejire said with a smile after nodding in satisfaction, to which Momo responded with a happy smile on her face.

"Hehe, thanks, Onee-chan."

"See you later, Nejire." Kai said with a smile, followed by a warm hug from Nejire to each of them, before flying off into the air to meet her internship schedule.

"See you, good luck."

After Nejire disappeared, Momo led Kai to a classroom set up with individual desks arranged in rows and columns facing the front of the room. Each desk had ample space for writing and an office chair with a backrest, all seemingly made of a metallic material, adding to the futuristic aesthetic of the room.

Some students were already seated in the classroom, while at the teacher's desk stood a man with a peculiar appearance, even by heroes standards. His body seemed to be composed mostly of a material resembling cement, with a square head and fingers, black eyes without pupils, a flat nose, and a large mouth. He was dressed in a typical red hero costume.

With some curiosity, Kai stared at the teacher for a moment, but Momo quickly dragged him to his seat, where she then sat in hers. They waited in silence, with Kai lying on his desk and Momo sitting upright and elegant, until the last person arrived.

The last to arrive was a student with the right half of his hair white and the other half red. He had a prominent burn mark on the left side of his face, and displayed an irritated and angry expression that practically radiated hatred.

(Uwaaa, that guy looks like a hassle, but he seems familiar, so he must be one of the 'characters,' though it's been so long that I don't even remember, so it's better to stay away from that obvious mountain of problems in human form.)

Seeing the young man, Kai couldn't help but think to himself as he felt a certain sense of familiarity. However, his thoughts were interrupted when the hero, who looked more like a cement block in humanoid form than anything else, stood up from his place and began to speak.

"Well, students, the time has come. On your desks, you will find a package containing a booklet with the questions and an answer sheet, a pencil, a sharpener, and an eraser. Remember that it is strictly forbidden to use anything other than what is provided in that package, and don't forget that breaking this rule will cause you to automatically fail the exam. If you're caught cheating, not only will you automatically fail, but you'll also be banned for life from UA. Any questions?"

After looking at the clock on the wall, Cementoss got up and informed all the students, as he had done many times in the past. Though it was only a formality since all the information regarding the exam had been sent to the candidates beforehand. But to his surprise, for the first time since he'd been in charge of overseeing this exam, he saw a hand raised.

"Yes?" Cementoss asked as he looked at the black-haired, blue-eyed young man who had raised his hand, who asked in a tone that made it seem like he'd rather be anywhere else.

"What's the minimum score to pass?"

"That information was sent to you more than a month ago, so you should know that to pass, you need to answer at least 90% of the questions correctly."

"90%?!" Kai exclaimed in surprise and turned to look at Momo, who averted her gaze and covered her face with one hand, as if she didn't know him, while muttering to herself in evident annoyance.

"That damn Nezu is a tyrant, I'll complain to customer service."

Cementoss was quite surprised by the whispers of the black-haired young man, but he quickly dismissed him as a troublemaker, someone who most likely wouldn't pass the exam. At the same time, he wondered why anyone would recommend a kid like that in the first place.

"If there are no further questions, you may begin. You have one hour to complete this part of the exam."

All the students started opening their packages and taking out their booklets, then reading the questions seriously. Meanwhile, Cementoss occasionally glanced at the black-haired, blue-eyed boy, who had an annoyed expression as he opened his package. Only to then start answering the questions at an impressive speed, while casting venomous looks at the girl next to him from time to time.

(So, he already knows he’s going to fail and is answering randomly, hoping for a miracle. Seriously, who recommended him? I've never seen anyone like this at UA.)

About 15 minutes later, the black-haired boy put the booklet and answer sheet aside, then lay down on his desk and closed his eyes indifferently, which greatly offended Cementoss, who couldn't help but comment with evident disapproval in his tone.

"Student, I demand that you show respect for the exam. If you have no interest in taking it, you may leave, but don’t distract the other examinees with your attitude."

"I'm already finished, but you said I had an hour, so I'm just killing time." Kai responded without even opening his eyes, his tone full of disdain, causing one of Cementoss’s eyelids to twitch violently.

"Then hand in your sheet and wait outside." Cementoss replied, clearly angry. Kai simply got up from his seat and responded without much interest.

"Fine."

With an annoyed expression, Cementoss watched as the bothersome black-haired youth handed him the answer sheet and then left the room while 'waving' at the same girl from before, something that a hero and teacher like him couldn't allow. He quickly reprimanded him with a strict tone.

"Student, I won’t tolerate any more disrespect. If you act like that again, I’ll expel you from the premises immediately."

As Cementoss stared at the young man in front of him, he suddenly felt a terrifying pressure engulf him. At the same time, the boy's gaze became dangerous as he spoke in soft, measured words, staring directly into his eyes.

"Oh, really? I'd like to see you try."

Outraged, Cementoss wanted to get up and teach the arrogant boy a lesson, but to his surprise, his body refused to respond. He felt paralyzed with fear, as if he were standing before a dangerous predator that could tear him apart at any moment. But just then, the voice of the girl was heard, reprimanding him in a strict and angry tone.

"Kai, behave and wait outside."

After being scolded, the boy seemed to reflect for a moment, and shortly after, the pressure that had surrounded him vanished as if it had never existed. The black-haired boy left the room like a scolded dog, kicking the floor without saying a word. This allowed Cementoss to let out a sigh of relief, which he managed to hide from the other students, though he could still feel the cold sweat running down his back from that brief confrontation.

(That boy is dangerous. I need to inform the principal as soon as possible.)

With a serious expression on his square face, Cementoss thought to himself, then waited impatiently for the exam to finish. When it ended, he gave the students a 10-minute break, which he used to go to a secluded spot where he urgently called the principal.

[Hello, Cementoss. Is something the matter?] Nezu’s voice was heard on the other end of the line after the call connected, and Cementoss quickly explained the complicated situation.

[Principal, there's someone very dangerous taking the recommendation exam. He's a black-haired, blue-eyed boy, terribly disrespectful, and my instincts are screaming not to get near him. I think it’s best to expel him immediately and bring in reinforcements in case things get dangerous, because I don't think he'll take it kindly.]

[Hahaha, you're mistaken, Cementoss. If you did that, he’d probably be so happy that he'd invite you out to eat and even make a generous donation to your agency] Principal Nezu said, clearly amused, which greatly surprised Cementoss, who quickly asked, confused.

[What are you talking about, Principal?]

[The boy you're referring to is named Saito Kai. I recommended him myself, but he only accepted very reluctantly, so he's basically looking for excuses to get kicked out. He despises the idea of being a hero so much that he can’t help it, and he tends to react defiantly to authority figures. So just ignore him, and he’ll calm down.]

Principal Nezu explained in a serious tone, which led Cementoss to ask, full of confusion and disapproval.

[But why recommend someone like that, Principal? No matter how talented he is, if his attitude isn't appropriate, he shouldn’t be allowed into UA, let alone become a hero.]

[While you're right about that, Cementoss, there are always exceptions, and this boy is one. The country would benefit immensely if we manage to turn him into a hero. After all, Saito-kun can go toe-to-toe with All Might at full power and come out unscathed while managing to injure him.] Director Nezu explained in a much more serious tone, taking the cement hero completely by surprise.

[What?!! Are you sure about that, Principal?! No matter how I look at it, that sounds impossible!] Cementoss exclaimed loudly, absolutely astounded, to which Principal Nezu explained in a solemn tone.

[I witnessed it with my own eyes. It happened about a year ago. But just wait for his physical tests; they’ll surprise you. Also, don't worry. Saito-kun isn't a bad person; he's just very withdrawn and defiant towards authority. But he's not dangerous or anything like that. He’s very intelligent and loves his family deeply, caring for them like no one else. So, I hope we can pass some of that love on to others and inspire him to become a hero. I hope you can help me with that, Cementoss.]

[It’ll be difficult, Principal, but I'll keep an eye on him from now on and decide from there] Cementoss replied in a more serious tone, though he didn’t sound entirely convinced. Nezu thanked him with his typical adorable attitude.

[Thank you very much, Cementoss. I'll be keeping an eye on things, and don't hesitate to call me if anything happens.]

[Of course, Principal. Goodbye, I need to start the next part of the exam.]

Chapter 77: New work partner.

Chapter Text

After hanging up the phone, Cementoss returned to the classroom, where he found all the students sitting properly. The student who should be Yaoyorozu Momo was quietly scolding Saito Kai, who simply remained silent, looking away as if it had nothing to do with him.

“Well students, you should have received the next packet by now, so you can begin. You have one hour to complete the exam.”

Although Cementoss was prepared for another scene from the terrifying blue-eyed boy, he miraculously behaved correctly and 15 minutes later, he stood up, handed in his answer sheet, and left the room without saying a single word from start to finish. He didn’t even look at him, although he still had an incredibly annoyed expression on his face.

Due to everything the principal had told him, Cementoss decided to look at the answer sheet of the terrifying blue-eyed young man. Only to realize that exactly 90% of the answers were marked, not one more, not one less, which left him somewhat speechless. But since the questions were different for each student, he didn’t know whether they were answered correctly or not, but now he was a bit curious about this troublesome student.

The rest of the day passed without incident, as the students quietly answered their exams. As for Kai, he continued doing the same thing, leaving the room 15 minutes after the exam started, until all the exams they had to take that day were finished. Cementoss then saw through the window how the black-haired couple left the UA facilities, casually walking down the street, with the young girl holding one of the blue-eyed boy’s arms.

...

Upon arriving home using Accompany, Kai and Momo were greeted by the now-retired Keiko, as everyone else was busy with their respective jobs. She warmly smiled at them, then hugged them while asking in a cheerful and calm tone.

“How did my two loves do on their exams?”

“It was actually pretty easy, Oka-sama, I managed to answer all the questions without much difficulty.” Momo replied cheerfully as she returned her mother’s hug, a happy smile on her face.

“Fufufu, congratulations Momo, you did a great job. I’m very proud of you.” Keiko praised with a big smile, which greatly pleased Momo, who couldn’t help but laugh happily.

“Hehehe.”

“And how did it go for you, Kai?” Keiko asked with a concerned smile as she looked at Kai’s annoyed expression. He responded casually.

“Annoying, plus there was a block of cement with a face that I almost ended up hitting.”

“What happened?” Keiko asked worriedly while looking at Momo, who responded with an accusatory expression as she glanced at Kai.

“Kai almost ended up fighting with the teacher, so I had to scold him.”

“What did he do to you, Kai?” Keiko asked, staring intently at Kai, knowing that although he was a bit grumpy with strangers and tended to scare them off so they wouldn’t bother him, he had never had a problem like this before.

“Nothing, he just wanted to kick me out of UA, so I wanted to see if he was that capable. But in the end, Momo didn’t let me.” Kai replied, clearly annoyed, which made Keiko angry. She couldn’t help but comment through gritted teeth.

“Who does that trash think he is to believe he can kick my Kai out when he’s doing them a favor by attending their stupid institution? Don’t worry, Kai, I’ll make sure to teach Nezu how to properly educate his people.”

“Oka-sama, don’t spoil Kai like that!” Momo scolded her mother with an angry expression, which caused Keiko to hide her face in Kai’s chest and ask innocently.

“Spoil him? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You!”

Momo could only get even more upset by her mother’s childish behavior, which had only worsened since her retirement. But at that moment, Kai gently stroked her hair, calming her greatly, and then commented with a smile.

“Come on, let’s not make a fuss over this. The guy didn’t do anything else afterward, so let’s leave it at that.”

“Hmph.” Momo huffed angrily, then hid her face in Kai’s arm, which made Keiko smile amused as she briefly commented in a more cheerful tone.

“Well, let’s leave it at that then. Let’s go inside; a delicious meal awaits you.”

“Let’s go, I’m starving.” Kai commented, genuinely hungry, then entered the house, luxuriously escorted by the beautiful mother-daughter pair, who intimately hugged his arms.

After Mrs. Yoshiko served the meal, Kai ate voraciously. Then, after a quick bath, he headed to his workshop with Keiko, while Momo decided to read something in the library at home, as she didn’t want to get ahead in the drama she was watching with her mother.

“Well, let’s pick up where we left off. Last time we agreed to go with a modular structure made of graphene and high-strength polymers. Should we continue with the deployment system, or should we focus on control instead?”

While reviewing the different tactical drone prototypes in front of him, Kai commented as an incredibly detailed hologram of the drone’s structure appeared in the middle of the workshop. Keiko, his new ‘work partner,’ nodded thoughtfully before commenting in a serious, focused tone.

“I think it’s better to focus on the control system for now. For deployment, there are several pre-existing options available, so we can take one of those and adapt it to our needs.”

“Certainly, we shouldn’t waste time on that. As for the control system, do you have any ideas? I was thinking about training a hybrid AI, something that combines deep neural networks for real-time analysis with genetic algorithms for optimizing tactics. The idea is that the system becomes more efficient as it accumulates combat experience.”

Kai commented as a graphical representation of the algorithm he was thinking of using appeared in the hologram, to which Keiko responded by showing a different algorithm, quickly catching the attention of the blue-eyed boy.

“Well, I was thinking of a more swarm-based approach. Instead of a single centralized AI making all the decisions, we could design a decentralized network where each drone has its own basic AI that constantly communicates with the others. It would be something similar to how swarms work in nature.”

“You want each drone to have simple interaction rules and emergent behavior algorithms?”

Analyzing the algorithm with interest, Kai asked, noticing certain interesting parts of it, to which Keiko nodded with a smile and then explained her idea in more detail.

“Exactly. The simple interaction rules would be things like following the lead drone, avoiding collisions, prioritizing nearby targets, etc., while the emergent behavior algorithms would make them harder for enemies to predict and much more adaptable.”

“Also, since the decisions would be made in a ‘community’ and local way, it would give the swarm much more flexibility, as losing a node in the network could be easily replaced. Not to mention, it would be more error-tolerant and much more resistant to cyberattacks or electromagnetic signal jamming.”

“It’s a good idea. I like it, although we would need to work on developing a secure and robust network so that it doesn’t get overloaded or easily interfered with. Plus, we’d have to design several safety systems to prevent it from going out of control.” Kai nodded thoughtfully, his mind wandering among the possibilities, to which Keiko added with a smile.

“Certainly, though I really like your algorithm, especially the way you combine deep neural networks for data analysis, genetic algorithms for optimization, and decision trees for efficient decision-making. Maybe we could merge our ideas and create something much more complete and flexible.”

“Well, I don’t see why not. Although we’d have to make a few tweaks here and there, it’s possible.” Kai nodded with a smile as he reviewed the specific data of the algorithms to combine them, to which Keiko cheerfully commented.

“Then let’s get to work to have it ready as soon as possible. We haven’t even thought about the weaponry the drones will have yet.”

“Well, I’ve actually been jotting down some ideas, but let’s leave that for later.” Kai said with a smile, before sitting down next to Keiko and starting to define the details of the new control system.

Meanwhile, Keiko couldn’t help but look at Kai’s focused expression, with happiness written all over her face. Retiring had truly been the best decision she could have made. Now, not only was she living much more peacefully and relaxed, but she could also spend more time with Momo and help Kai with his ‘projects,’ which she wouldn’t dare say out loud, but it was the best part.

Working with Kai was so smooth. He understood her easily, his ideas were also fascinating, and his focused expression was incredibly attractive. It was such an exciting way to work that she had never had the chance to experience before. Truly, a genius can only be happy alongside another genius.

But as if that weren’t enough, she now truly felt fulfilled while working. Even though her career had always been a success and had brought her astronomical amounts of wealth, influence, and fame, the truth was that she had not been happy doing it for many years. But now it was different. Now she was actively working to improve the life, career, and safety of her beloved daughter, her beloved family, and she could even share a bit of the load with her beloved Kai.

By the time night came, Kai left his workshop with a smiling Keiko, who was hugging one of his arms, to return to the main house, where the whole family was waiting for them in the main room. Upon seeing him, they quickly greeted him with big smiles.

“Did you have fun at UA?” After greeting him, Nemuri asked with a smile, only for Kai to respond completely disinterested in the topic.

“Let’s talk about something else. The important thing is that I took the exam.”

“Alright.”

Seeing Kai’s attitude, Nemuri decided not to bother him further about the subject, and instead, they started talking about random things from everyone’s day and trivial topics while enjoying a delicious dinner. At one point, however, Nejire seemed to remember something and turned to look at Kai, asking with a small smile.

“By the way, Kai, I made some new friends at UA, and there’s someone who would like to meet you.”

“Who is it, and what do they want?” Kai asked casually as he ate, to which Nejire responded with a smile.

“His name is Togata. He has a very interesting quirk that lets him pass through things, and he’s gotten really strong recently.”

“Oh, and what does your new friend want from me?” Slightly interested by the quirk description, Kai asked while looking at Nejire, who quickly responded excitedly.

“He wants to train with you.”

“Mmm, it could be interesting. One of these days when I’m free, I might try it. His quirk sounds interesting, and I’d like to test a couple of things.” Kai replied after thinking about it for a moment, to which Nejire nodded with a smile.

“Alright, I’ll let him know.”

Chapter 78: Anyone else?

Chapter Text

It had been a while, and the moment Kai feared the most had arrived. Now, he had to wear the U.A. uniform and go to classes with it, something that had him in a terrible mood. He felt like the uniform was too small for him and itchy, which only added to his irritation.

With a terribly irritated expression, Kai went down the stairs and arrived at the dining room of his house, where the Pussycats, Keiko, and Momo were having breakfast, chatting happily among themselves. Since Nemuri was absent due to a meeting at U.A. before classes started.

After Mrs. Yoshiko served him his sumptuous breakfast, Kai began to eat voraciously without uttering a single word, which only made the others smile bitterly. They didn’t like seeing him like this, although Keiko couldn’t help but look suspiciously at Shino and Ryuko, as the way they were looking at her Kai irritated her a bit. Not to mention that lately, they had been closer to him than ever, which made her a little suspicious and annoyed.

“Thank you, Mrs. Yoshiko, it was delicious.” Kai said after finishing, thanking Mrs. Yoshiko, who was collecting the dishes.

“It’s my pleasure, Mr. Kai.” Mrs. Yoshiko replied with a smile on her face, bowing respectfully before continuing with her tasks, at which point Shino asked with concern.

“Kai, are you sure you want to go? You don’t have to force yourself if you really don’t want to.”

“It’s fine, I’m just a bit irritable. When I get back, I’ll forge something, and it’ll pass.” Kai commented while forcing a smile at Shino, which only made her even more worried.

“Do you want us to come with you, Kai?” Ryuko asked with a small smile, to which Kai shook his head before replying.

“No, it’s fine. Nejire shouldn’t take long, and she’s very excited to go to school together.”

Recently, Shino and Ryuko had been trying to spend more time with Kai to strengthen their relationship, which had turned out to be quite satisfying for them. Being close to him, going out for occasional walks, or simply sitting to watch a movie while holding hands had been very happy moments for them, almost a confirmation that they were on the right path.

However, since they still hadn’t mustered the courage to confess, they had to do it in secret, which, in a way, had added an extra touch of risk to their relationship. Something they were enjoying quite a bit, especially Ryuko, who found the whole situation incredibly exciting, to the point that several fantasies started to roll through her mischievous mind.

After a while, Nejire arrived at the property accompanied by Yumiko, and everyone went out to greet them. Nejire couldn’t help but smile, incredibly happy to see Kai and Momo in their uniforms, then she ran over to give him a hug with boundless enthusiasm.

“Kai, Momo, you both look great in your uniforms! I can’t believe we’re finally going to the same school!”

“Fufufu, I’m excited too, Nejire nee-chan.” Momo replied with a small smile on her face, just as Yumiko reached them and greeted them with a smile.

“You really do look great. I hope you enjoy yourselves at U.A., fufufu.”

For his part, upon hearing Yumiko, Kai quickly disappeared from his spot and reappeared in front of Yumiko with an incredibly serious expression. He touched her face and asked with a trace of anger in his voice, which he was trying to hide.

“Why are you so exhausted, Aunt Yumiko?”

“It’s nothing, Kai-chan, just adult things that shouldn’t worry you.” Yumiko replied with a small smile, placing her hand over Kai’s on her cheek, feeling warm by his concern.

“What did they do to you?” Kai asked seriously, looking directly into Yumiko’s beautiful blue eyes, which she had made up to hide terrible dark circles, something that only enraged Kai further.

After looking into Kai’s eyes for a moment, Yumiko knew that if she didn’t tell him what was going on, he would search for answers on his own, and who knows what he might do with what he found. Even though Kai wasn’t particularly violent, he was very protective, and she didn’t want him getting into trouble because of her.

“It’s okay, I’ll tell you when you get back from school.” After a small sigh, Yumiko responded in a somewhat complex tone, to which Kai nodded before using his Mystical Palm to heal her exhaustion.

“Alright, then I’ll expect to hear about it when I return, and you can use your room as much as you want, even permanently.” Kai commented while looking into Yumiko’s eyes, who now looked much better, smiling softly at him.

“Thank you, Kai-chan, I’ll do that.” Yumiko replied with a smile, genuinely grateful to have Kai in her life, while feeling a little regretful for being so distant from him because of her work.

After saying goodbye to everyone, with Ryuko giving Kai a furtive kiss when no one was paying attention because they were focused on Yumiko, Nejire and Momo hugged Kai, while an excited Salem climbed onto his master’s shoulder. They went to one of the cars in the garage, where a guard drove them to U.A.

“Kai, thank you for helping Mom. Ever since she came back from her trip, she’s been really sad and hasn’t wanted to tell me why.” Midway through the ride, Nejire suddenly looked at Kai with a serious expression, to which he responded in an equally serious tone.

“There’s no need to thank me, Nejire. You know Aunt Yumiko is someone very important to me, so I’ll do everything I can to help her with whatever she needs.”

“Thank you.” Nejire hugged Kai tightly, as she had an intuition about what had happened and felt very uneasy about it. But now, with Kai, she knew everything would be alright.

“If you need anything from me, just say the word, I’m ready for whatever you need.” Equally concerned, Momo commented with a serious expression, to which Nejire responded by hugging her tightly.

“Thanks, Momo. I know I can count on you two.”

The rest of the trip was quiet, with Momo and Kai stroking Nejire’s beautiful blue hair. This cheered her up again by the time they arrived at U.A., where Momo and Nejire intimately took Kai's arms and entered the building, drawing the attention and envy of the students and even several teachers.

...

In Class 1-A, the classroom had an elegant and futuristic style, with most of the students interacting with each other. They all had unique features that set them apart from one another, and they wore their uniforms properly with big smiles on their faces, a product of having taken the first step toward fulfilling their dreams.

Suddenly, the door opened, and two students with black hair, a boy, and a girl, entered, walking intimately close to each other. They possessed overwhelming beauty and elegance, which caught the attention of everyone present, leaving the classroom in complete silence.

The girl was tall and attractive, with a very mature and voluptuous physique for her age. Her beautiful black hair was tied in a high, pointed ponytail. Over her perfectly stylized and symmetrical facial features, with elongated eyes, rested a strand of hair that seemed to accentuate her perfect features while wonderfully contrasting with her white skin, which looked almost like porcelain.

Meanwhile, the young man was in no way left behind, being a head taller than the girl beside him. His short hair, though not particularly styled, suited him perfectly and greatly highlighted his hypnotic blue eyes and features that seemed carved from marble.

Curiously, the young man had an adorable black cat on his shoulder, which looked around curiously. Along with his uniform, this made him look exceptionally handsome, elegant, and charming, like a cold CEO with a heart of gold. Several girls in the room couldn’t help but have heart-shaped eyes as they looked at him.

With a steady and calm pace, the couple soon reached their seats, which were side by side thanks to a certain animal, where they settled in. The young man looked out the window with a lost expression, while the girl took out a small book to start reading, which caused, after a while, the conversations in the classroom to resume. Though the impressive couple, who seemed straight out of a fairy tale, were still bathed in constant curious glances from the other students.

Soon, the door opened again, and a young man with disheveled blonde hair, wearing the uniform in a messy way, walked in arrogantly, looking around challengingly until he reached his desk, slumped into his chair, leaned back, and put his feet up on the desk. However, unlike before, all the students ignored him and continued with their business, except for one.

A student, who was a spectacle of rigidity and precision, with short dark blue hair and silver-rimmed glasses, possessing a large and robust body, approached the rebellious blonde and began scolding him while moving his hands in a strange, robotic manner.

“THE DESK IS NOT FOR PUTTING YOUR FEET ON!!”

“HUH?! WHAT DO YOU WANT, FOUR EYES?!”

The messy blonde replied with a raspy voice as he angrily glared at the human robot in front of him, just as the door timidly opened again. A freckled young man with green eyes and hair of the same color, which seemed to shoot in all directions, entered the room.

“I TOLD YOU ALREADY, YOU CAN’T PUT YOUR FEET UP THERE! DON’T YOU THINK IT’S DISRESPECTFUL TO YOUR FELLOW CLASSMATES?!?” The young man with glasses scolded with a strict tone, while moving his arms strangely. The messy blonde responded irritably.

“NO, I REALLY DON’T THINK SO. ANYWAY, WHICH MIDDLE SCHOOL DID YOU COME FROM, ‘DISCOUNT EXTRA’?!”

Just as the young man with glasses was about to respond, all the students felt as if a mountain had fallen on them, leaving them frozen in their places and abruptly stopping the argument. While they heard a deep, magnetic voice, which sounded clearly angry.

“Shut up, you irritating bastards.”

“HUH!?!! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, F…”

The rebellious blonde, with evident cold sweat on his face, tried to continue his bravado, but his words were abruptly cut off. His eyes went white as he collapsed to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut, leaving all the other students staring wide-eyed in shock.

“KACCHAN!!!!”

The freckled young man with green hair who had just entered ran toward the blonde with a worried expression, shouting what seemed to be his name. He knelt down to take the blonde in his arms, then immediately turned his gaze toward the source of the voice, where he saw a young man with black hair and blue eyes glaring at them with irritation.

“WHAT DID YOU DO TO KACC…?”

The green-haired young man shouted in concern at the blue-eyed young man but met the same fate as the blonde, falling face-first onto his companion, his eyes turning white. At that moment, Kai spoke again, sounding incredibly irritated, sending chills down the spines of everyone present.

“Anyone else?”

“…”

Hearing the question, the entire classroom fell into complete silence, as no one dared to respond to the terrifying young man. Satisfied, Kai nodded, and the terrifying pressure that had been suffocating them disappeared entirely, as if it had never existed in the first place, allowing everyone to let out a sigh of relief.

But the sense of relief soon turned into conflicted expressions. After all, there were two students on the ground, and they needed to help them. So, after a moment, several students who didn’t want to be overcome by fear, knowing they needed to be brave to become heroes, got up to help. But at that moment, a small sigh was heard in the silent classroom, followed shortly by a melodious voice.

“Kai, you really need to stop doing that. You’re going to scare everyone again.”

“…”

Chapter 79: It was definitely a terrible idea.

Chapter Text

After shaking her head, Momo stood up from her seat and went over to her unconscious classmates, while Kai looked away as if he had nothing to do with it. At that moment, two tasers emerged from the palms of her hands, which she turned on, sending out audible electric sparks. Without any warning, she ‘woke up’ her classmates with them.

(Do you seriously wake them up like that?!!!)

The same question appeared in the minds of all the students watching the scene, but they wisely chose to stay silent. After all, it was evident that the two were a couple—a very peculiar one at that—so it was better not to make too much of a fuss, or they might end up being the next ones on the ground.

“WHAT THE HECK…”

“KACC!”

Soon, the blond and the green-haired student jumped up and looked around in confusion, shouting loudly. Their words got stuck in their throats when a monstrous pressure fell upon them, as if from a bloodthirsty demon, making them break into a cold sweat. However, the situation was lightened by an innocent and melodic voice.

“Huh? What happened here?”

The voice came from a young girl with short, curly brown hair that framed a round, friendly face. Her large brown eyes sparkled with an optimistic and determined spirit, while her cheeks seemed flushed, giving her a warm and welcoming appearance.

Behind the girl stood what appeared to be a giant worm with a human face—a masculine, ugly, and tired face with long hair and an unkempt beard. He looked at the whole scene with cynical eyes before unzipping himself, revealing his thin body dressed in a black jumpsuit and what seemed like bandages around his neck. He then spoke in a low, tired voice.

“Mmm, it took you eight seconds to calm down. Life is short, kids, and all of you lack common sense.”

The man finished emerging from his sleeping bag and pulled out a dark blue gym uniform with white stripes that formed the letters “U.A.” in a stylized square, as he continued speaking in the same monotone voice.

“I am your homeroom teacher, Aizawa Shouta, nice to meet you. It’s a bit rushed, but put this on immediately and head straight to the campus exit.”

Although a bit confused by the events, the students obeyed and headed to their respective changing rooms and changed into the new uniforms before rushing to the campus exit, where Aizawa was waiting for them.

“Well, next we’ll be conducting a Quirk apprehension test.” Aizawa announced to the class, greatly surprising the students, who exclaimed loudly.

“A Quirk apprehension test?!!”

“When will the ceremony be? And when will we meet the counselor to guide us?” The young girl with brown hair and flushed cheeks asked in surprise, to which Aizawa replied while turning his back to them.

“If you want to be a hero, you won’t have time for those absurd things. All of you should know that the school’s reputation is based on campus freedom, so this ‘freedom’ also applies to us teachers.”

“...”

The students looked at Aizawa with blank expressions, not understanding what he meant, but he continued speaking in his tired voice.

“Long jumps, 50-meter dashes, endurance runs, etc.—these are all activities you’ve known since middle school. Physical tests where the use of your Quirks was prohibited. The country still lacks a standard for measuring Quirk power, although that’s the ministry’s negligence.” Aizawa turned to the scruffy blonde and then asked.

“Bakugo, how far could you throw the ball in school?”

“67 meters.” the blonde replied irritably, prompting Aizawa to point at a white circle marked on the sandy ground as he tossed a ball to Bakugo.

“Now try it using your Quirk. You can do whatever you want as long as you stay within the circle. Don’t hold back.”

“Got it.”

After agreeing, Bakugo stretched a bit and proceeded to throw the ball with all his might. Just as he released it, a powerful explosion occurred in his hand, sending the ball flying while he shouted loudly,

“DIE!!!”

“First of all, one must know what they are capable of.” Aizawa said while looking at a smartphone that displayed the number ‘705.2m.’ He then showed it to the students while continuing.

“This is a rational indicator of what forms your ‘hero foundations.’”

The students looked at the number in astonishment, and wide smiles spread across their faces as several excited voices could be heard.

“Incredible!!! This looks fun!”

“705 meters?! No way!”

“We can really use our Quirks? This is the hero department!!!”

“Seems fun…, is that what you think?” Aizawa commented in a disappointed voice, before his attitude shifted to something more sinister as he continued.

“So, you plan to spend three years here having fun? What happened to becoming heroes? …Fine, then there’s a new rule. The one who comes in last will be expelled immediately.”

The students' smiles faded, turning into anxious and worried expressions at Aizawa’s words, but in the case of the green-haired student, his face showed nothing but pure terror.

“Our ‘freedom’ is based on doing whatever we want with the students.” Aizawa used his hand to lift the hair from his forehead, revealing a maniacal smile and red-pupiled eyes as he continued.

“Welcome to the HERO DEPARTMENT!!”

“Expelled?!! This is our first day; that’s irrational!!” Ochako Uraraka, the last girl to arrive in the classroom, shouted loudly as she looked at the strange teacher.

“Mass accidents, natural disasters, egotistical villains—Japan is full of ‘irrationality,’ and it’s the job of heroes to restore ‘rationality.’ You’re at U.A.; the only thing you can expect from your time here is one test after another. That’s ‘PLUS ULTRA,’ so I hope you surpass those tests and reach the top.” Aizawa said with a mocking smile directed at the students, thus commencing the physical tests.

The first was the 50-meter dash, which was done as a competition between two students. Different students took turns, achieving varying results, but when it was Kai’s turn to ‘compete’ against a student with a thick, muscular tail, all the students were dumbfounded, especially the boy with the tail.

“Impossible!!!”

“What happened?!!”

“I didn’t see him! Before I knew it, he was at the finish line!!”

Even Aizawa had a stunned expression on his face as he looked at his smartphone, which showed an impressive reading.

“50 meters in 0.17 seconds—that’s almost the speed of sound.”

“The speed of sound?!”

“Amazing!”

“His Quirk must be one of the best for speed, without a doubt!”

After hearing Aizawa’s words, several students commented in disbelief, while Bakugo had a face full of hatred, and All Might, who was hiding in a corner observing everything, laughed ironically at Kai’s spectacle.

The tests continued, with Kai leaving the students and Aizawa more and more speechless with his incredible results in every test, which only worsened Bakugo’s expression, especially since Momo also outperformed him in several tests, something inconceivable to him.

On the other hand, the green-haired student, Midoriya Izuku, was having a terrible showing. He was undoubtedly the worst in the group, unable to excel in any of the tests, which gave him a desperate expression as he tried, unsuccessfully, to accomplish something.

When it was his turn to throw the ball like Bakugo had done earlier, everyone had different results, but the most notable was Uraraka, who, thanks to her Quirk, achieved a score of ‘infinity.’ As for Kai, he managed to throw the ball a distance of about 3 kilometers.

When his turn came, Midoriya stood in the circle with an anxious and desperate expression, looking around as if searching for ideas. Then he focused on the ball in his hands. After staring at it for a moment, he seemed to reach a conclusion, and with an expression that revealed a bit of madness and resignation, he threw it.

“46 meters.” a robotic voice announced the result.

“What?! I’m sure I…” Midoriya muttered in disbelief, at which point Aizawa commented in an irritated tone while his bandages and hair floated in the air, catching the green-haired boy’s attention.

“I erased your Quirk… That test isn’t rational; even someone like you can get in.”

“You erased my Quirk?…” Midoriya said slowly and incredulously, but when he saw Aizawa’s yellow goggles, he was shocked and shouted out loud.

“A Quirk that can erase other Quirks just by looking at them—the Erasure Hero: Eraser Head!”

“From what I can see, you can’t control your Quirk, can you? Are you planning to incapacitate yourself again and make someone else save you?” Aizawa asked in a disdainful voice.

“T-that’s not my in…” Midoriya quickly tried to deny it, but Aizawa cut him off, catching him by the neck with the bandage and dragging him toward him.

“Your intentions don’t matter. The point is that your actions force others to do it. In the past, there was an unbearable hero who saved more than a thousand people from a disaster by himself and created a legend. Even if you have the same will, you become useless after saving just one person. Midoriya Izuku, with your power, you won’t be able to become a hero.”

While Midoriya stared at Aizawa with stubbornness, he, on the other hand, closed his eyes and commented in a calm, tired voice.

“I’ve returned your Quirk. Throw the ball and let’s be done with this.”

Midoriya mumbled a bit to himself, while Aizawa put some drops in his eyes. Then, he made up his mind at random, but this time he wasn’t stopped, and the ball flew with great speed, showing a reading of 705.3m on Aizawa’s phone.

“Teacher, I can still move…”

With teary eyes and a somewhat proud expression on his face, Midoriya turned to Aizawa, holding his hand in a fist near his chest. Aizawa looked at him, slightly surprised, noticing how his right hand’s index finger was fractured. Midoriya could not use his Quirk because it would break the bones in the areas where he applied it. To avoid being incapacitated, he chose to sacrifice just one finger, giving the ball a boost by applying his Quirk at the last moment of the throw.

On the other hand, Bakugo couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Midoriya had been ‘Quirkless’ all his life, but now not only did he have a Quirk, but he also achieved a higher mark than him. That, coupled with the fact that since arriving here, he was no longer the admired genius he had always been, with several people achieving better results than him. His mind broke, and he flew toward Midoriya with the help of his explosions, yelling.

“WHAT IS THIS, DEKU?!! HOW CAN A ‘QUIRKLESS NOBODY’ LIKE YOU…?!”

But Bakugo was stopped in his tracks by Aizawa’s bandages wrapping around him. As he erased Bakugo’s Quirk, he commented in an annoyed tone.

“Damn it, don’t make me use my Quirk so many times, my eyes are dry!!”

The drama didn’t last much longer, and the physical tests quickly resumed. But Midoriya's performance was even worse after the ball throw, mainly due to the constant pain in his finger that didn’t allow him to focus or even move too suddenly.

When the tests finally ended, Midoriya, with his green hair hanging low and an ashen expression, was perfectly aware of his abysmal performance and the consequences it would have.

“It’s time for the results…” Aizawa commented in a relaxed tone as a holographic screen was projected from the phone in his hand, showing the students’ rankings.

“Oh, by the way, the expulsion thing was a lie.” Aizawa said with a mocking tone and expression before continuing.

“It was just a trick to make you all give your best.”

“What?!!” several students, including Midoriya, exclaimed in shock.

“Come on, guys, you just had to think about it a bit. Of course, it was a lie.” Momo commented aloud, incredulous at her classmates’ surprise, as she held Kai’s hand. Kai, however, was staring into space with a blank expression, as if wanting to escape reality.

(Seriously, how long has it been since I felt such a strong sense of derealization? Experiencing firsthand something I saw in my past life as an anime is not good for my mind. Why is the protagonist here? Why did All Might pass on his Quirk to him? I healed him; he shouldn’t have needed to do that. I’m doubting my life right now. It was definitely a terrible idea to come to U.A…)

Kai’s mind wandered between his thoughts and feelings as he tried to ignore the world around him in a crude attempt to avoid questioning the reality before him. Meanwhile, the other students stared at their rankings on the holographic projection screen.

1. Saito Kai

2. Yaoyorozu Momo

3. Todoroki Shoto

4. Katsuki Bakugo

….

20. Midoriya Izuku

Chapter 80: That bastard needs to die.

Chapter Text

Upon returning home, Kai was tempted to rush to his workshop to forge something and calm down. Knowing that Yumiko needed him, Kai restrained himself and instead entered the main house accompanied by Momo and Nejire, as Salem had run off into the woods to play for a bit.

Upon entering, Kai found Yumiko sitting on a couch, drinking tea with Keiko while watching a movie, as Nemuri had some matters to attend to at UA and couldn’t return, while the Pussycats were working.

Noticing his arrival, Keiko paused the movie and stood up with Yumiko to greet them, welcoming them with a warm hug and soft smiles on their faces. Keiko then sat back on the couch with Momo and Nejire, while Kai went upstairs with Yumiko.

“Now, tell me, what happened?” Kai asked in a serious tone as he looked at Yumiko, who couldn’t help but show a bitter smile on her face, something he had never seen before.

“Kai… I think I’m about to lose everything.” Yumiko replied softly, trying to hold back her emotions, which caused Kai’s eyes to narrow dangerously before he asked in a dark tone.

“What did they do to you?”

“I… found out that Haruto has been cheating on me and has another family. But what’s worse is that he’s financially compromised the company without my knowledge. I just found out that we’re under a preventive seizure because we haven’t fulfilled a debt that covers almost all of the company’s assets, and the only shareholder of that company is the woman he cheated on me with. I don’t know what to do. I’m about to lose everything.”

Yumiko began recounting the harsh blow she had received, as tears started to fall from her face, feeling truly desperate, finishing her explanation with a shaky voice. But at that moment, a horrifying pressure shook the ground for miles around, so powerful that even the objects in the room started to break.

“That bastard needs to die, Sage!!”

With a voice that sounded like an inescapable death sentence, Kai spoke, calling out to his assistant as his eyes glowed dangerously, while dark violet lightning surrounded him. This caused the beautiful fairy to appear, but now her beautiful blue dress made of light was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a black wedding dress, and her expression showed no emotion.

“His position has been identified, Master. We can leave immediately.” Sage spoke with a voice laden with murderous intent, but at that moment, Keiko stumbled into the room, barely conscious.

“Kai! Stop! Don’t do something crazy, we can solve everything!”

Barely holding on to her consciousness, Keiko screamed with all her strength, catching Kai’s attention just as he was about to leap through the window. It allowed him to see that his beloved aunt was bleeding profusely from a fork brutally embedded in her leg.

Feeling incredibly guilty, Kai deactivated his electric aura and rushed to catch Keiko as she collapsed unconscious into his arms. He then looked around the room, finding it in ruins, with Yumiko unconscious on what remained of the couch.

“What a mess…”

A little calmer now, Kai used the Mystical Hand to heal Yumiko, while Sage checked on everyone else on the property, all of whom were unconscious, including Salem. She healed the minor injuries and other small problems caused by her master's outburst, now wearing her blue dress again, which had changed at some point.

After laying all the girls in their respective beds and the guards in the guest house, Kai discarded the things he had damaged and tidied up a bit before sitting on the couch with a complex expression on his face, while Sage sat on his shoulder.

“Sage, draft a plan to recover Yumiko’s company. Don’t worry about the cost. Also, start a full investigation into that bastard and add him to the target list. We need to figure out a way to make him disappear without raising suspicion.”

“Understood, Master.” Sage replied before disappearing to handle the tasks her master had assigned her. Kai sighed with conflicting emotions.

“I messed up big time. I shouldn’t have lost control like that, but I saw myself in Yumiko for a moment. Even though the betrayal is more painful, and the legal trick is different, the situation is too similar, and my emotions got the better of me…”

Feeling terribly guilty, Kai began browsing his phone for replacements for the things he had broken, but his mind kept wandering to the memories he thought he had moved past. Suddenly, he felt a warning from Sage, letting him know that Yumiko was approaching.

“Aunt…”

Seeing Yumiko enter with a panicked expression, Kai spoke with a complicated look, but at that moment, Yumiko simply hugged him tightly. After a while, she sat next to him, resting her head on his shoulder as she spoke in a soft tone.

“Kai, thank you for getting so angry for me. It really made me feel how important I am to you and how much you care. It made me so happy, but please don’t do anything crazy. I could never forgive myself.”

“…I’m sorry, I lost control.” Kai sincerely apologized in a guilty tone, to which Yumiko responded by lifting the arm she was resting on and placing it over herself, pulling him into an embrace while she hid her face and spoke.

“I know, and that’s why I was so happy. I felt alone, abandoned by the world, ugly, and stupid because of everything that happened. But seeing you so angry for my sake really woke me up. I still have you; I still have my family. And even if I lose everything, I won’t be alone. Thank you, Kai, you don’t know how much it means to me.”

“You won’t lose anything. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure your life’s work isn’t stolen by that trash. You have my word.”

Upon hearing Kai’s serious and determined tone, Yumiko couldn’t hold back her tears and began to cry softly. Kai gently stroked her beautiful blue hair and tightened his arm around her, letting her release all the pain she was carrying.

After some time, Yumiko managed to calm down a bit, feeling much more at peace now that she had vented and knew she could count on Kai’s support. She separated from him and began to wipe her tears with the handkerchief he offered her.

“Thank you, Kai. I really needed to let it all out.”

“Don’t worry, I’m here for whatever you need. But it would be better if you could tell me a bit more about what happened so we can think of a way to solve the problem.” Kai spoke softly as he gently rubbed Yumiko’s small back, who soon nodded and began to explain.

“Alright, I’ll tell you what happened. I had been suspecting for a while that something strange was going on with Haruto. He was very nervous, acting strangely, and even started drinking excessively, but I couldn’t pinpoint what it was. But everything changed a couple of months ago when I discovered that my Accomplice had developed its ability.”

“It developed its ability? Finally?”

Kai interrupted, a bit surprised, as this practically confirmed one of his theories about how Accomplices develop their abilities. Although he imagined them as abilities to complement their quirks, some turned out to be quite curious, and it was hard to know if they were truly ‘complementing’ the quirks.

For example, there was Keiko’s case. Despite having the same quirk as Momo, her Accomplices had developed very different abilities, with Keiko’s Accomplice allowing her to speed up her thoughts, similar to Kai’s bullet-time effect with his electric aura.

But in Yumiko’s case, the Accomplice hadn’t developed any ability, and since she never used it, there was the question of whether it was because of that or because she didn’t feel a need for an ability. Now, with her Accomplice developing an ability when she started having doubts about her husband, it practically confirmed that it was based on the host’s desires.

“Yes, it’s a strange ability. Basically, it allows me to know if someone is lying when I touch their skin.” Yumiko responded with a small, pain-filled smile on her face, letting Kai know how she had discovered everything.

“So, you interrogated him.” Kai commented in a serious tone, to which Yumiko solemnly nodded before continuing to explain.

“Yes, I told him it was a game and started asking him questions to see if the ability was working. And he lied when I asked if he had ever cheated on me.”

With a forced smile, Yumiko wiped away the tears that had started to accumulate in her eyes again. After taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, she continued explaining.

“At that moment, I was in shock, to the point where I didn’t want to believe he was really lying to me. So, I dropped the game and went to sleep, stunned. But the thought wouldn’t leave my mind, so I kept asking tricky questions from time to time. This led me to discover that he had been in a relationship with his assistant for over four years, and she was pregnant.”

As she confessed her discoveries, Yumiko broke down in tears. Kai quickly hugged her and comforted her for a while until the beautiful blue-haired woman calmed down and wiped her eyes before continuing her story.

“Thank you, Kai. And as I was saying, that news was devastating to me. I couldn’t believe it, so I hired a private investigator to confirm it. He gave me explicit proof of his infidelity. But what was worse, he mentioned that he had noticed serious problems with the company’s cash flow and recommended a contact of his who specializes in such cases.

“At first, I didn’t believe him because I didn’t notice anything strange with the company, and Haruto had managed it very well from the start. But since I knew he was a damned liar, I decided to get to the bottom of it and called the investigator. A few days ago, he sent me all the information he had uncovered. We’re practically bankrupt, and that woman is, in effect, the owner of everything I worked so hard to build.”

Although she was initially undeniably sad, as Yumiko continued talking, her words became filled with anger, ending with a grave tone, full of hatred and helplessness. She clenched her fists so tightly that they started to bleed, prompting Kai to quickly heal her as he asked in a serious tone, trying to keep his rage under control.

“Do you have the documents the investigator sent you?”

“Yes, I’ll send them to you.” Using her phone, Yumiko sent all the documents to Kai, who immediately instructed Sage to take them into account before beginning to analyze them.

“Does he know you found out?”

While reviewing the documents, Kai asked an important question, to which Yumiko shook her head before answering.

“No, I haven’t had the courage to confront him yet.”

“That’s good because this is a bit complicated. This fraud is very well set up; the other company has a seemingly legitimate cash flow, the debts are well-backed, and your company’s financial situation is truly critical. However, there are ways to tackle this, as he must have submitted falsified financial statements to hide all of this from you. There’s also his relationship with the sole shareholder of the other company, which a judge would take into account.

“The problem is that this legal process could take at least three years to resolve, and even if we win, your company would be severely affected, with its reputation damaged before the banks, minority shareholders, and potential investors. Plus, we can’t forget that you’ll still have to pay the legitimate debts owed to the company’s real creditors.”

After studying the documents for a moment, Kai couldn’t help but comment with a grave expression. The problem was quite serious, and the worst part was that he would have to work even harder to make that trash disappear, as they would be the prime suspects if anything happened to him.

“So, there’s no way? Do I have to resign myself to losing my life’s work?” Hearing Kai, Yumiko asked in a tragic, pain-filled voice, but the blue-eyed boy quickly looked at her with a serious expression and spoke with authority.

“I said it’s complicated, not impossible. Leave it to me. I’ll make sure you get back everything they stole from you with interest. And start preparing the divorce papers, we’re going to destroy him when he least expects it.”

Chapter 81: A real family

Chapter Text

After the girls woke up, Kai profusely apologized for his outburst of anger, although since Nejire was present, and it was a delicate topic, he diverted from the actual reason. However, Yumiko personally spoke with Keiko, explaining everything that had happened, so she requested that everyone gather while Momo and Nejire watched a teen drama.

“You should have told me as soon as it happened, Yumiko. I will contact my lawyers and several renowned experts on the subject to study the case and find the best solution. However, I must say that Kai might not be too far off from the truth; it will be quite complex.”

With a serious expression, Keiko spoke while looking directly into Yumiko’s eyes, who was sitting across from her. Yumiko responded with a small smile on her face, showing that she was genuinely happy that Keiko had decided to support her without a second thought, something that deeply moved her.

“I’m sorry, but I was in shock. I didn’t know what to do, and I was very scared. But thanks to Kai, I’m much calmer now and confident enough to express it.”

“That’s good. In these cases, the best thing is to remain calm. But don’t worry, I will do everything I can to get back what is yours.” Keiko commented with an encouraging smile on her face. She then turned to Kai and spoke with a serious and concerned tone.

“As for you, Kai, although I understand losing control over what they did to Yumiko, I hope you can keep a cool head and not do anything reckless. We can solve this without resorting to extreme measures.”

“I know, Aunt Keiko. I just lost control for a moment. I’ll stay calm. I’ve already had Sage contact a couple of experts who are fans of my weapons to help us with this, and I was thinking we could even call in a few favors we’re owed for the chips.” Kai responded with a smile as he looked at Keiko, who nodded with a satisfied expression and added.

“I was thinking the same thing. There are several politicians and some judges who owe us favors. I even have a contact with the president of the central bank, which could be useful to us.”

“Well, I was actually thinking of a less ‘legitimate’ route—putting pressure on the woman. She might be the key to resolving this more easily, as she, being the sole shareholder, has full control over the company. With a bit of pressure and some money, we could ‘buy’ the company from her and gain much more room to maneuver to solve the financial problems, which are quite severe.” With a cold and predatory tone, Kai explained with a wicked smile, which quickly spread to Keiko, who added, smiling similarly.

“That’s a good idea. Holding the preventive seizure in our hands would prevent the creditors from tearing the company apart. Using our reputation in the tech industry and our contacts, we should be able to renegotiate the debt, which would avoid most of the problems, although it would still be somewhat complex to regain trust.”

“Well, that blow is inevitable, but with a major restructuring of the executive board, the exit of the president, and our entry, we should be able to accelerate the process considerably.” Kai added with a small smile, to which Keiko nodded in agreement. At that moment, Yumiko added in a dark and visibly indignant tone.

“But I don’t want to pay that woman to give back what she stole from me. She took my husband, my company, and now she’s going to take even more money from me? I can’t agree to that—my heart won’t allow it.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that, Yumiko. It won’t be your money. I’ll act as an ‘investor,’ so, in any case, it’s my money. And don’t worry—I’ll make her cough up every cent she swallows. I’ll make her taste hell.” Keiko responded with a smile full of bad intentions as she looked at Yumiko, who couldn’t help but show a bit of doubt in her expression.

“… Although I don’t want that woman to take anything else from me, I’m really not sure if I want her to go through ‘hell.’ After all, she’s pregnant, and that child is innocent. Besides, like it or not, he’ll be Nejire’s sibling. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened…”

“You really are too good of a person, Yumiko—more than is good for you. They didn’t show you that compassion. They tried to take away everything you’ve worked for your whole life…” Keiko commented bitterly, shaking her head at Yumiko’s words. The beautiful blue-haired woman could only respond with a complicated smile.

“I know. They tried to take everything from me, but I can’t harm an innocent child. He doesn’t deserve that. In any case, let them pay—they’re the ones who did this. Besides, there’s still Nejire. This is going to be very hard for her. I’m scared of how she might react…”

“Well, that part is complicated…” Hearing Yumiko, Keiko couldn’t help but comment with understanding, as the smiling image of Momo came to her mind.

As Yumiko and Keiko talked with complex expressions, they quickly noticed that Kai had fallen strangely silent. They turned to look at him, only to see him grinning widely while staring at a holographic screen displayed by Sage.

“Kai...?” Yumiko called softly, both curious and concerned, at which point Kai replied with a small mischievous smile on his face.

“Aunt Yumiko, when we get your company back, remind me to upgrade its security system. The current one is way outdated, hehehe.”

“You managed to bypass their security?! What did you find?” Keiko asked, both excited and curious. Kai made a hologram identical to his appear in front of each of them and responded with a small smile.

“We have the real financial and operational data of both companies, along with other important details. So, while this can’t be used as evidence in court, we now have the enemy completely exposed, hehe.”

“Hehe, this will be very useful.” Keiko commented with a wicked smile, much like Kai’s, as she reviewed the data with malice. Kai and Yumiko did the same, paying close attention to the information and occasionally making remarks about what they found.

…

“Onee-chan has arrived.” Kai suddenly commented after a while, sensing Nemuri’s approach. Keiko turned to look at Yumiko and asked seriously.

“Do you want to discuss this with the others?”

“… Yes, I think it’s for the best.” Yumiko sighed after thinking for a moment and nodded with a determined expression, to which Kai and Keiko nodded back with serious faces before heading downstairs together.

A little while later, everyone greeted Nemuri with a smile, but to avoid having to repeat the story, they waited for the Pussycats to arrive while chatting casually together in the living room. Once the entire family was gathered, all the adults went upstairs and listened to the story with different expressions.

...

“If you need anything from us, don’t hesitate to ask. We have some savings and a certain reputation due to our hero ranking. We’re at your complete disposal.” After hearing the entire story, Shino spoke seriously while staring intently at Yumiko, who was wiping away her tears with a handkerchief.

“I’m at your full disposal as well. We could even create a fund between all of us to pay off a good part of the debt.”

Nemuri added with a serious expression, containing the anger she felt toward that piece of trash. At the same time, she felt somewhat relieved that Kai hadn’t gone out and killed him as he had initially wanted, something that both scared her and, for some reason, made her proud. But they still had to talk about that with him and the girls on their upcoming night escape.

“That’s a good idea. I think between all of us, we should be able to pool a good amount of capital and rescue the company.” Chatora added seriously with an incredibly dark expression. Tomoko then added with her typical lively voice, trying to lighten the mood.

“Yes, and that way, we could be shareholders in the company. I’ve always wanted to be part of a fashion company!”

“That sounds good. I also like the idea of being part of a fashion company. We could use our contacts and our names to create a brand that we all back, which could be very beneficial for the company.” Ryuko added with a small smile on her face, although her tightly clenched fists spoke only of the anger she was holding inside.

“I like those ideas. Plus, with Kai, we could improve production efficiency to reduce costs and increase profit margins, which would be key to revitalizing the company’s image with the banks.”

With a small smile, Keiko added as she looked around at everyone, feeling genuinely happy to witness firsthand that they really were a family and were willing to support each other in times of difficulty. This was the irrefutable proof that their bond was genuine and not just words, making her feel incredibly grateful for her life and the decisions she had made to reach this point.

“It sounds like a good plan. I’ll start working on the numbers for how much we each need to contribute and a small market study on the viability of the new clothing brand. Additionally, we could create a division that no longer focuses on fashion and can add to the business model by exploiting our copyrights in relation to clothing.”

While typing and reviewing the company data on his computer, Kai commented in a focused tone, leading everyone else to nod with excitement in their eyes, especially Nemuri, who quickly added with a smile.

“That’s true. My contract with the company that handles marketing my IPs is about to expire soon. I can easily renegotiate with them so that the clothing part is done by that new division.”

“We can do the same. Although it’s not as big as Nemuri’s, we still have a lot of fans in Japan who buy our merchandise.”

Shino added in a thoughtful tone, sparking a serious conversation about the company’s potential new business ventures. The conversation was interrupted when Yumiko, who had been quietly observing the scene from the beginning, spoke in a tearful and deeply moved voice, with tears falling from her eyes like waterfalls.

“Thank you so much, everyone. I really don’t know how to repay all the support you’re giving me.”

“Fufufu, you don’t need to worry about that, Yumiko. We’re family. We’re here to help each other in times of need.”

With a comforting smile on her face, Nemuri commented as she approached Yumiko, something everyone else imitated, initiating a group hug around the beautiful blue-haired woman, making her feel immensely happy and secure.

“Thank you, everyone… really, thank you so, so much…”

Amidst her tears, Yumiko continued to thank them while everyone did their best to console her. After a long while, her tears finally subsided, allowing them to have a serious conversation about their plan of action. They even started thinking about ways to explain everything to Nejire, though they didn’t come to any concrete decisions, as it was quite a complex and delicate matter.

…

After the emergency family meeting ended, Yumiko went to her room, took a long bath, and then came downstairs to eat with the whole family in the main dining room, where she found Nejire happily chatting with Momo, Kai, and everyone else. A warm feeling filled her heart, bringing her peace and serenity, as she now knew that although she had lost one family, she still had another that loved and supported her unconditionally, and it was more real than anything else.

“By the way, Nejire, I’ve been thinking of living here for a while. What do you think?” As they talked about their day and random things, Yumiko suddenly commented while looking at Nejire, who smiled excitedly before asking with bright eyes.

“Really? We’re going to live in Kai’s house? We’ll always be together, and we can always go to school together?”

“Yes, that’s right. Do you like the idea?” Yumiko asked with a small smile as she looked tenderly at her beloved daughter, the driving force of her life, who nodded excitedly before exclaiming loudly.

“I love it!”

Right after speaking, Nejire jumped to hug Momo and Kai, smiling brightly as they began to affectionately stroke her silky light blue hair. The cheerful girl then commented, filled with excitement and joy for the beautiful future.

“From now on, we’ll have sleepovers every day, and we’ll always go to UA together!”

“Hehe, yes, though each of us will sleep in our own room.” Kai commented somewhat amused as he playfully poked Nejire’s little nose, who immediately pouted in protest.

“But why?!”

“Because we’re grown up now, Onee-chan, fufufu.”

As she played with Nejire’s puffed-up cheeks, Momo commented playfully, quickly turning the conversation into a long debate where Momo and Kai tried to convince a stubborn Nejire that they could no longer sleep together. All under the watchful eyes of the adults, who smiled tenderly and with amusement at the heartwarming scene.

Chapter 82: Meeting in secret has its charm.

Chapter Text

In the middle of the night, while everyone slept, Kai was leaning against a tree, breathing deeply with his special breathing method, his aura expanding and contracting in unison. This ceased shortly after Nemuri approached with a mischievous smile on her face.

Besides being freshly styled and made up, Nemuri wore a light-brown blouse with a slight neckline, covered by a black leather jacket, paired with dark jeans and black leather boots. Giving off a unique rebellious and sensual vibe that highlighted her natural beauty.

“Fufufu, meeting in secret has its charm.”

As she approached her beloved boyfriend, Nemuri commented with a playful smile, which made Kai smile in amusement. He moved away from the tree he was leaning against, then embraced his charming girlfriend and greeted her with a passionate kiss.

“You look stunning.” Kai commented with a sly smile on his face, to which Nemuri replied as she hugged her beloved closely.

“Fufufu, I’m glad you like it, but come on, they must already be waiting for us.”

“You’re right, let’s go.” Kai agreed, and at the same time, the Accompany card appeared in his left hand, which he quickly activated after ensuring no one could hear him.

“[Accompany] on, [Pussycats Hideout]!”

Shortly after, Kai and Nemuri landed in the forest near the Pussycats’ base, where Shino and Ryuko awaited them. Shino wore an elegant dark green jumpsuit with an attractive neckline, while Ryuko sported a sensual tight jean miniskirt and a short white blouse with a deep neckline and wide, long sleeves that slightly revealed her belly button.

“I missed you so much, darling.” With a happy smile, Ryuko quickly reached Kai, greeting him before giving him a deep, passionate kiss.

“You look beautiful, Ryuko.”

After the kiss, Kai commented with a small smile while looking Ryuko up and down. She gave a small spin to show off her outfit in all its glory, which she had chosen with great care.

“Fufufu, thank you, you look very handsome too.”

After her spin, Ryuko remarked, eyeing her sexy boyfriend with a nearly predatory gaze as he wore a simple, tight-fitting polo shirt that revealed his sculpted physique, along with dark pants and casual leather shoes.

“Yeah, you look very handsome, Kai.” Shino said as she hugged Kai with a lovely smile before giving him a tender kiss that lasted a few seconds, at which point Kai commented with a smile.

“Not more than you; you look spectacular.”

“Fufufu, thank you.” Shino replied, with a slight blush on her cheeks, at which point Nemuri commented with a big smile on her lips.

“Well, let’s go so we can relax; it’s a bit uncomfortable here.”

“You’re right, let’s go!” Ryuko cheerfully added as she hugged Kai tightly from the front, at which point Shino and Nemuri grabbed Kai's arms with amused smiles on their faces.

“Hahaha, alright, let’s go.” Kai, equally amused, quickly summoned the Accompany card and activated it.

“[Accompany] on, [Safe House]!”

Shortly after, the group landed near a small private villa hidden beside a beautiful lake. The villa had a two-story rustic and cozy design, clad in stone and white stucco, adorned with ivy climbing its walls, a tiled roof, and a beautiful wooden terrace, while the lower level connected directly to the lake through a wooden pier.

The group entered the house familiarly, then walked over to the comfortable sofas in the main living room, arranged in front of a beautiful fireplace. The wooden floors, stone walls, warm chandelier lighting, and ‘candles’ on the walls gave the place a cozy and romantic air.

Once in front of the sofas, Nemuri quickly extended one of them, turning it into a comfortable bed, where she sat with a smile, then placed a pillow on her lap, patting it as she looked at Kai.

Quickly, Kai lay down on the 'bed' with his head on Nemuri's lap, at which point Shino and Ryuko laid down on either side of him, then hugging him intimately while resting their heads on his shoulders.

“You know, I think we should go out and do something; you look too beautiful to just stay here.” While gently stroking Shino and Ryuko's heads, Kai commented with a somewhat amused smile on his face.

These clandestine gatherings began shortly after Shino and Ryuko joined Nemuri and Kai's relationship, since at that time they were given the villa. They happened several times a week, and even daily when the girls’ schedules allowed. Their purpose was simply to spend time together, but interestingly, they developed a rather curious dynamic that even Kai sometimes didn’t fully understand.

Everyone wanted to strengthen their relationship and see if it could really work, so they were always present at the gatherings and did everything together. However, the girls always came incredibly well-prepared, freshly styled and made-up, and it was common for them to buy clothes just for the occasion, despite Kai himself not putting much effort into it.

Though they occasionally went out to restaurants, karaoke, and other places, they often just stayed at the villa, talking, watching movies, or the like, which sometimes made Kai feel a bit out of place. After all, it was common sense for him that if a girl put so much effort into her outfit, it was because she wanted to go out. But the answer he usually received was the same.

“Well, it might be a good idea, but we’re not in the best mood because of Yumiko. It’s better for us to spend our time here, calmly and peacefully. Besides, we dressed up for you, not for anyone else, so it doesn’t matter if we’re here or somewhere else.” Nemuri replied calmly as she delicately caressed her beloved’s face, filled with love and care, as if handling delicate porcelain.

“Yes, darling, Nemuri’s right; it’s better for us to stay home today. Besides, I wore this because I knew we’d stay here and be just us; I couldn’t go out with this neckline.” Ryuko remarked while tugging her blouse slightly, which caused one of her lovely nipples to momentarily peek at Kai, making the trio with blue eyes—Nemuri, Kai, and Ryuko—smile mischievously.

“I think the same; having you find me beautiful is all I need. Besides, I’m really worried about Yumiko, but also about you, Kai; I don’t want you to do something crazy about this.” Shino said with a slightly worried tone as she hugged Kai tightly, which made Nemuri and Ryuko’s expressions grow more serious.

“Yes, Kai, we also wanted to talk about this with you. We want you to tell us the truth about what you plan to do with this case, especially regarding Yumiko’s husband.”

“…”

While delicately holding Kai’s face and looking him directly in the eyes, Nemuri asked with a serious, solemn tone, which couldn’t help but bring a bitter smile to Kai. Though he had no intention of changing his plans for that rat, he didn’t want to lie outright to the people who were doing so much to be by his side and make him happy. Hiding information was fine; outright lying was something he didn’t enjoy as much.

“Kai, please, don’t do anything crazy, don’t soil your hands unnecessarily. No matter what he did, he will still be Nejire’s father, and your actions would end up indirectly hurting her.” Leaning on her elbow to meet her beloved’s eyes, Shino commented in a serious tone, and then Ryuko added while positioning herself similarly.

“Darling, please don’t do anything on your own; let’s solve this together. We’re also very angry and won’t allow him to get away with it; we’ll do everything to make sure he rots in jail.”

“…I suppose that’s fine; the guy’s end will be rotting in a jail.” Kai commented in a reluctant tone after a tired sigh, making the three beautiful women smile brilliantly. At that moment, Nemuri deeply kissed her beloved.

After letting go of Kai, Nemuri licked her lips in pleasure, and Ryuko quickly seized the moment to kiss her beloved with passion, a scene that made Nemuri feel a pleasant tingle. This intensified greatly when Shino followed with a passionate kiss, intertwining her tongue with that of the love of her life.

“Fufufu, how rare to see you use your tongue, Shino; you’re really happy.” Noticing the curious event, Ryuko commented playfully, to which Shino responded with a blushing face and a happy smile.

“Yes, I was really worried, but now I feel much more relieved.”

“I understand; I also felt the weight in my heart because of it.”

Holding back her lust, Nemuri nodded with a smile on her face, at which point Ryuko tightened her hold around Kai, to the point where she captured one of the blue-eyed boy's legs with her own, and then commented happily.

“Fufufu, I love you, Kai.”

“I love you too; this decision of yours really shows me how important we are to you.” Shino added with a big smile on her lovely face, mimicking Ryuko, squeezing Kai’s arm between her large breasts and trapping one of his legs with hers.

“I’m truly proud of you.” Nemuri added with a similar smile, then gave Kai a loving kiss on the forehead, to which he responded in a serious tone.

“I’d do anything for you.”

“““Hehe.”””

(Like leaving him in a jail cell with a lovely collar from Sage, hehe.)

As the girls laughed happily, Kai added to himself with a small smile since, although he could leave him alive honoring the girls and all the care and love they showed him—not to mention that he was Nejire’s father—letting him go without the Alcatraz mark was entirely non-negotiable. Not to mention, if the opportunity arose, there was something Kai had been preparing for years that he might just test on that rat.

With the issue that most worried the girls “resolved”, the rest of the night unfolded as usual: watching a series they were hooked on, amid endless kisses, embraces, laughter, and a few sensual touches here and there, filling the odd and inseparable group with a sense of peace and joy that allowed them to completely relax.

...

In the early hours of the morning, Kai used his aura to give Ryuko and Shino a special massage, which would allow the couple of hours of sleep they would have to be even more restorative than eight full hours. Something that somehow began to work as a kind of thermometer of their relationship, since the girls had to bare their backs for it.

Initially, Ryuko and Shino were quite shy, covering their fronts carefully during the massage. But over the months, those inhibitions faded, and now they bared their upper bodies without shame in front of him, proudly revealing their attractive chests. Well, that was Ryuko’s case, as Shino still had an attractive blush on her cheeks and couldn't help but cover her nipples.

After the massage, Shino and Ryuko gave their beloved one last passionate kiss, then arranged their clothes. At which point each of them intimately hugged Kai's arm to leave the village, where Kai activated Accompany, taking them back to the meeting place, and then secretly accompanying them to the base.

“See you later, fufufu.” Shino said with a grin after giving her beloved a quick goodbye kiss, something Ryuko quickly mimicked, although with a more passionate kiss that involved some tongue, before cheerfully commenting,

“Goodbye, darling, we’ll visit you later.”

“Goodbye to both of you, rest well.” Kai commented with a smile, which gave way to a last, short goodbye kiss, and then the pair of beautiful women ran back to their base with big smiles on their faces.

Once Kai confirmed his adorable girlfriends were back in their rooms, he quickly returned to the safe house using Magnetic Force, where a sensual Nemuri awaited him, dressed in a tiny, erotic black babydoll that showcased her sensual body and seemed to exude an aura of infinite lust and desire.

“Welcome back.”

After greeting him with a voice full of desire, Nemuri didn’t even let Kai speak. Instead, she jumped toward him, clinging to him with her hands and legs, and then initiated a passionate kiss. The blue-eyed young man responded by entwining their tongues, squeezing her luscious backside, and hurriedly walking toward the master bedroom.

Chapter 83: Hero costumes.

Chapter Text

In the next day's class, Kai had the entire morning to adjust his thoughts and feelings, which he more or less managed; after all, he had already overcome derealization once before, so he had experience. Besides, it wasn't as if he completely remembered the plot or what was going to happen; he only recalled some key points, but not much more, and all those extra details he was unaware of made him feel a bit better.

Once the morning classes were over—which were normal classes like those in any high school, that is, something completely useless for Momo and Kai—they proceeded to the hero classes. According to what Kai had heard, the teacher was All Might, so the moment he sensed his presence approaching, he focused entirely on his "voice," quickly noticing the obvious.

(He has weakened; his presence feels fainter, and he no longer has the hidden presences within his own, something the protagonist does have. So it's a fact—he really passed on his quirk, which rules out any coincidence. The question is, why did he pass it on? He shouldn't have had the need now that I managed to heal him...)

[Sage, when you have the chance, study All Might's body carefully and compare it with the data we obtained from the green-haired one. Extract everything you can to see if we can confirm or dismiss our theories.] Kai quickly ordered his reliable assistant, who was on the desk in [In] mode, working with several holographic screens. She promptly nodded and replied in a firm tone.

[Understood, Master.]

"IT IS I... Through the door like a normal person!"

With a somewhat comical performance, All Might greeted from the classroom door, where he held onto the frame and leaned his body forward, supported by the tips of his toes. He wore a different hero costume than the one Kai had seen before, which had a classic hero vibe, even sporting a blue cape and everything.

Apart from the cape, the costume consisted of a bodysuit—red on the upper part and blue on the lower part—which featured large white lines on the sides and circles of the same color on the chest and shoulders. It was accompanied by the same belt he used in his normal hero suit—with a buckle shaped like a minimalist eagle— yellow boots, and a pair of bracelets that covered much of his forearm, also yellow.

"I can't believe it! All Might is really going to teach us!"

"It's the Silver Age costume!"

Several students exclaimed loudly, full of excitement, while All Might walked into the classroom, stopping behind the teacher's desk, at which point he spoke loudly, full of enthusiasm.

"Hero Studies! For our class, we will build your heroic foundations through various trials. So we'll start with simulated battles. And to begin the battles, we have prepared the costumes you submitted in your applications to match your quirks!"

Along with All Might's words, many hidden compartments opened in the walls of the classroom, which were separated into numerous square shelves and closed with doors that had different numbers on them, which lit up the students' eyes like flashlights.

"AMAZING!"

"OUR HERO COSTUMES!"

"Go get changed, and then we'll head out! Meet at Beta Grounds! The costume you wear on the battlefield is of vital importance, boys and girls!"

After All Might's words, all the students ran towards the shelves and took out bags that contained their costumes, immediately afterward running to the changing rooms with excited expressions on their faces, although there was an exception to this.

Still at his desk, Kai remained silent with Salem on his shoulder, who now had a small tie similar to the UA uniform's, which the lazy cat didn't like at all. But since his master's females made it themselves, he was forced to wear it, which he accepted as a small price to pay to accompany his master all the time.

The reason why Kai was bringing Salem to UA was very simple: he wanted an excuse in case he ended up using a very crazy ability. After all, to avoid problems, he had updated his quirk registration and had registered it as a mix of his parents' abilities, calling it [Empathic Force Control]. So, unless the situation required it, he would only use his Haki during his time at UA.

As for being allowed to bring Salem, that part was simple; he just had to convince Nezu, although in exchange he was forced to participate in the sports festival, something he originally didn't want to do. But oh well, he only agreed to participate, not to win, so he just had to fool around for a while and get eliminated quickly. After all, he didn't need the publicity from the event, and no one among the students could give him a decent fight even if he only used Haki.

After a while, Kai ended up completely alone, since even Momo forgot about him in the midst of the excitement of officially wearing her new costume, which had been designed by Yumiko and produced by himself with the help of Keiko, which had quite a few interesting features—something they were also doing with the costumes of the other heroes in the family.

Without haste, Kai took out a brand-new physical education uniform from his desk and changed in the same classroom. After all, even though he had ideas for an armor with Aura Script, he felt incredibly ridiculous using it at UA, so one of his demands to enroll was that he wouldn't wear a hero costume, something Nezu didn't like much. But since he had no intention of yielding, the animal had to accept it and give Kai the special permission not to have one.

After changing, Kai left the classroom and walked slowly through the corridors until he reached a large archway that connected to the field where all the students gathered. They looked radiant and full of excitement wearing their respective hero costumes, all in different shapes and colors.

For her part, Momo wore a suit that was a kind of tight red bodysuit with golden details on the edges that left more than half of her back and arms exposed. Momo also wore a deep V-shaped neckline that accentuated her chest. The neckline had a thick golden metallic-looking border and was held at its ends by two thick red straps that reached up to her neck, intersecting at a kind of choker with a metallic decoration at the front. Similar to the one at the tip of her neckline.

Meanwhile, the lower part was tight-fitting pants that reached her red boots, which had on their outer sides two enormous and stylized openings with golden borders, exposing her skin and running from her knees up to near her hip. There, she wore a kind of double-crossed golden belt with several compartments to store different objects.

With a somewhat embarrassed expression, Momo stood at the end of the corridor through which Kai was walking, as she had forgotten him in her excitement and only realized when everyone gathered, and she didn't see him. And although she intended to go back for him, she preferred to stay and wait for him, as she didn't want All Might to consider her disrespectful.

"I'm sorry, Kai, I left you behind." Momo apologized to Kai with a timid voice and her face slightly flushed, which made Kai laugh amused. He responded in a casual tone.

"Hahaha, don't worry about that nonsense. I understand you're very excited; at home you were dying to put on your costume."

Upon hearing Kai, Momo blushed even more, while hugging one of the arms of the blue-eyed young man, then walking by his side to where the others were gathered. But at the moment they arrived, the robot-like boy, Tenya Iida, who wore a white armor that covered his chest, arms, and legs, with a black suit underneath and a helmet that covered his entire face, came running up. He scolded in a strict voice.

"Saito-kun, according to school rules, it is forbidden to attend hero classes without your respective hero costume without prior authorization from the teacher in charge!"

"Huh? When did I ask for your fucking opinion? Did the costume give you the nerve to meddle in my affairs or what?" Kai asked in an irritated tone, at the same time that a suffocating pressure reached Iida, who couldn't stay on his feet and fell sitting on the ground with cold sweat running down his back.

"Kai-shonen, don't intimidate your classmates." Noticing what was happening, All Might commented with his charismatic voice in a reproachful tone, to which Kai responded in a defiant tone, looking directly into his eyes.

"Then he shouldn't be giving opinions no one asked for."

Kai's defiant attitude took all the students by surprise, who began to look at him as if he'd grown an extra head, something the blue-eyed boy ignored completely. But upon feeling that Momo was looking at him dangerously, he deactivated his Conqueror's Haki and withdrew to the back with her. After all, if Momo complained, he'd have to face a wave of scolding at home, and a robot boy and a weakened All Might weren't worth it.

"He better not bother me again, or I won't be so lenient next time."

As he walked away, Kai commented in an irritated tone, while Momo pinched him sharply with an annoyed expression on her face. This caused a soft sigh from the Symbol of Peace, who then commented seriously.

"Kai-shonen, we will have a meeting after class."

"Sounds great to me; there's also something I want to ask you." Kai replied while subtly looking at Midoriya, something All Might noticed, and an ironic smile couldn't help but form on his face, understanding what the problematic boy was referring to.

"Iida-shonen, excuse Kai-shonen's attitude; he's been a bit irritable these days, but he's not a bad person. And regarding his costume, he has a special permission given by the principal, so don't worry about that." All Might helped Iida up while speaking in his typical heroic tone.

"Very well, All Might-sensei." Iida responded in a calm tone after getting up, but under his mask, he occasionally shot glances at Kai, who now completely ignored him.

Iida wasn't the only one sending glances at Kai; practically the whole class was doing it. After all, the boy was strange: he was incredibly handsome and emitted a distant aura, which looked incredibly good with the adorable black cat on his shoulders. But although he was very quiet, every time he spoke he was incredibly aggressive and rebellious, something similar to Bakugo, although he was genuinely scary.

But the one who looked the most at the young man with the cat on his shoulders was none other than Bakugo, who looked at him with undisguised hatred, while clenching his fists and teeth tightly. But the strange atmosphere stopped when All Might spoke again.

"Well, let's get back to class. Today we'll be doing indoor simulated battles. Does anyone know why it's important?"

"Because there are more indoor battles than outdoor ones." The one who answered was Shoto Todoroki, who had two-toned hair, the right half white and the left red, to which All Might responded in an enthusiastic voice.

"Exactly, Todoroki-shonen! Therefore, for this test, you'll be split into teams of two, of villains and heroes!"

"What about formation training?"

At All Might's words, a question was heard from one of the students, a girl with green hair, white skin, and an appearance that slightly resembled a frog, with larger than normal hands and mouth. Although curiously, she was strangely attractive, wearing a tight green hero costume with black boots that had webbed flippers resembling frog toes, which greatly accentuated her voluptuous figure.

"How is the winner determined?" Momo quickly added in a serious tone while raising one of her hands, her other hand occupied by holding one of Kai's arms.

"Can I blast them away?"

Bakugo, the unkempt blond, asked with his head down, wearing a sleeveless black hero costume that had a rather 'rebellious' style, while around his arms he wore huge grenade-like bracelets.

"Will there be expulsion threats like in the exercises with Aizawa-sensei?"

Uraraka joined the round of questions with a nervous voice, wearing a tight suit that revealed her surprisingly good figure, which was black with pink details on her chest and shoulders. Accompanied by pink knee-high boots quite large for her size, a pair of oval bracelets on her wrists, and an equally pink belt, plus a kind of helmet with a pink-tinted visor.

"Uhhh, I'll answer you all."

With a clenched fist in front of him, All Might commented in a strange voice, and immediately after, he took out a small notebook and began to read its contents, which greatly amused Kai, as he looked rather silly.

"For this training, we will have some 'villains' guarding a nuclear weapon they are trying to detonate. The heroes must stop them and their nefarious plan before it's too late. If the heroes capture the villains or reach the nuclear weapon before time runs out, they win. If the villains manage to maintain the nuclear weapon the whole time or capture the heroes, they win. The teams will be decided by lottery."

Once he finished reading the content of the notebook, All Might took out a box where each student drew a ball with a letter. Kai ended up in a team with Momo, although he cheated a little to achieve it. After the teams were formed, All Might proceeded to take out two boxes, one in each hand, which had the words "heroes" and "villains" written on them.

After finalizing the groups and their roles, the battles were carried out while the other students watched the combats from a control room full of screens alongside All Might, making occasional comments about what they saw.

Meanwhile, Kai watched in complete silence through the screens the scene of Midoriya fighting against the annoying blond, ending with the green-haired boy breaking his arm to create a huge hole in the building and winning by a hair. This caused him slight dizziness, since it had happened almost exactly as he remembered.

Although that dizziness didn't prevent him from sending Sage to collect data while Momo, with a serious expression, gave a complete explanation about why the robotic four-eyes was the best in the match, earning the admiration of the other students and leaving All Might speechless.

******

On my pat*n or K*-f* (lordanl) you can find the image of Momo's costume publicly, along with images of the other characters.

Chapter 84: I'll face them.

Chapter Text

Later, in the control room, all the students were present except for five people: Midoriya, who was in the infirmary, and the four people who would have a match. Among them was Eijiro Kirishima, a young man of average height with spiky red hair and a muscular build, who wore a hero suit consisting of two dark red gear-shaped shoulder pads, dark pants, and boots. This left the upper part of his body bare.

Next to Kirishima was Hanta Sero, who was tall and slim, with black hair down to his chin that spiked downward and an irregular fringe that reached halfway down his forehead. His hero suit consisted of a tight-fitting black jumpsuit adorned with shoulder pads shaped like tape dispensers, very similar to the natural shape of his elbows due to his quirk.

The two had been assigned the role of villains, so they would be protecting the nuclear bomb. As preparation, they secured the bomb with several lengths of tape produced by Sero's quirk, which allowed him to produce tape that came out of his elbows. Meanwhile, Kirishima stood at the entrance of the hallway leading to the room to prevent anyone from entering, ready for battle.

Meanwhile, outside the building were Momo and Kai, who patiently waited until the preparation time was over, calmly talking about what they wanted for dinner and things like that. With poor Salem in the arms of an excited Momo, serving as a sacrifice to calm her, until All Might informed them that it was time to start.

"Kai, I want to face them. In the last few years, my only opponents have been you, Salem, and the girls, so I want to measure myself against them and see what level I'm at." With a serious yet excited expression, Momo commented as she returned poor Salem to Kai, who received him amused while nodding with a small chuckle.

"Hehehe, go ahead, better for me."

In the control room, everyone was surprised by Momo's words and watched the holographic screen attentively to see what she would do. Although some students, especially some girls and a robust young man whose head looked like a rock, couldn't help but occasionally glance at the adorable black cat with blue eyes who was starting to play with their handsome and terrifying classmate.

As Momo entered the building, various support equipment began to emerge from her exposed skin, which adhered to her body on their own, soon leaving her fully equipped with a technological and elegant red armor that highlighted her feminine figure.

"Wow, that's awesome!"

"She looks super heroic with that armor."

"Her quirk is really impressive!"

The armor was one of the prototypes inspired by the armor of a certain genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, which Kai had been working on for a while as support equipment for the girls. Recently, Keiko had joined the project, and its development had accelerated greatly, although they still had some problems with the power source.

But thanks to the ability of Momo's Accomplice, which allowed her to overcome the biggest limitation of her quirk: the inability to create anything without knowing the molecular composition of the object, including every small element that composes it. She was able to be the first to use the armor effectively, as she could replace all the parts she needed without much trouble, including the batteries.

To overcome the limitation of Momo's quirk, the Accomplice developed an ability that allowed her to have a sort of “database”, capable of registering anything she touched for at least a minute—time that increased depending on the complexity. Then she could produce it through her quirk with nanometric precision. However, it only had 20 slots, and if she wanted to add something new, she had to delete a previous one. Moreover, she could only register things that she could create with her quirk; if it was beyond her physical limits, it wouldn't work.

"As a man, I can't let you get past here!"

When Momo reached the hallway leading to the room, she found Kirishima blocking the way. He exclaimed loudly, full of confidence, while his skin became rough and cracked, as if it were some kind of stone or mineral. He then struck his fists together, creating an almost metallic sound.

Without saying a word, Momo attacked, propelled by her armor, managing to land a powerful blow on Kirishima's face, who could only survive thanks to his quirk. This initiated a brutal flurry of high-speed blows from Momo, which cornered the young man, who could only cover himself until his quirk reached its limit, at which point he fell unconscious to the ground.

[The armor's energy has dropped to 67%.]

Upon hearing the message from her personalized virtual assistant, Momo nodded in satisfaction. She then left the building and found Kai, at which point the armor detached from her body, simultaneously activating the self-destruct system, disintegrating into simple dust particles—one of the things that had taken Keiko and Kai the most work to develop.

"That was a great fight, but I'll give you the final honors." Upon reaching Kai, Momo commented with a beautiful smile on her face, to which the blue-eyed boy asked with an amused smile while Salem climbed back onto his shoulder.

"What happened to 'I'll face them'? You still had plenty of battery left."

"Hehehe, I know, but this fight gave me several things to think about. Besides, if you don't do anything, they'll probably deduct points." Momo replied with a small smile on her face, to which Kai could only comment somewhat amused.

"If you say so."

As he spoke, Kai activated his Conqueror's Haki, causing Sero, who looked nervous in the room, to fall unconscious to the ground, which automatically gave them the victory—something that was announced by All Might through the communication equipment, while the students excitedly commented among themselves about the impressive “battle”.

"Those two are really incredible."

"Yeah, their quirks are insane."

"Exactly, what's up with Saito-kun's quirk? Not only does it give him super strength and super speed, but he even has that strange ability to make others faint—not to mention he's really scary when he's angry."

"Yes, and Yaoyorozu-chan is not far behind; that armor that came out of her body is impressive and very powerful."

While several students were talking excitedly, one person in the control room was not enjoying what he saw, and that was Katsuki Bakugo, who watched with clenched teeth and bloodshot eyes the young man who walked casually holding hands with who seemed to be his girlfriend.

...

At the end of the class, Kai was in an empty classroom where All Might had asked him to wait. Bored, he sat behind a desk and began playing with Salem, balancing a tower of pens, which the bow-tied cat would amusingly knock down every so often.

Some time later, All Might arrived after visiting Midoriya in the infirmary. Seeing Kai casually playing without paying attention to him—even though he knew Kai could sense him from afar—he could only shake his head with an ironic smile on his face. He then dragged a chair, sat in front of Kai, and spoke in a serious tone.

"Kai-shonen, do you know why I asked you to come?"

"To ask me to heal your successor?" Kai asked casually, trying to play dumb to change the subject.

"Recovery Girl has already taken care of that. What I want is for you to explain why you have that attitude with your classmates." All Might replied with a serious expression, to which Kai could only comment casually.

"Very simple: because that guy is annoying. Nobody asked for his opinion, and he came to bother me with his stupid robotic movements, as if it were his job or something."

"Iida-shonen was just talking about the rules. Besides, he wasn't the only one; yesterday you made Bakugo-shonen and Midoriya-shonen faint." All Might retorted in a serious tone, which brought a small smile to Kai's face. He commented in a slightly mocking tone.

"So it's about your successor, but don't worry about that. Although he has an annoying face, I won't do anything else to him. Everything happened because that annoying blond was screaming like a bitch, so I shut him up, and your little one got involved to defend him. So I just gave him a small lesson."

Kai's words made All Might grimace, not only because of how he described the situation but also because of the evident disdain with which he referred to Midoriya—even when he knew he was his successor, something he had to discover in the same way he discovered the secrets of One for All. But he quickly regained his composure and commented in a serious tone.

"It's not really about Midoriya-shonen; it's about your attitude. Why does being a hero bother you so much, Kai-shonen?"

"Yeah, whatever you say. And honestly, I don't know—it just bothers me. But don't worry about that; that's not the problem, since I won't be a hero. The license that Nezu promised me is like yours; it only serves to keep me out of trouble if I use my powers in public. Besides, over time I can get used to this place, and it will be easier to cope with."

Kai replied with a smile that made it clear he didn't believe All Might's words, then added while activating his Conqueror's Haki.

"Although if you're not satisfied with that, we can always fight a bit so you can let out your anger."

"Stop trying to change the subject, Kai-shonen. There's a reason for your annoyance, and you know it better than anyone." All Might completely ignored Kai's pressure and looked him directly in the eyes while speaking, to which the young man could only remain silent.

"..."

"So you're afraid to admit it, Kai-shonen?" Feeling that the pressure had disappeared, All Might commented with a challenging smile on his face, which seemed to make the blue-eyed young man reflect deeply.

Kai knew that All Might was right; not knowing was just an excuse. He knew perfectly well why he despised the idea of being a hero, and although he wasn't attracted at all to anything in the hero world—apart from the fights, obviously—his annoyance really came from his father, "Iron Palm."

If it weren't for him, Kai could still have his mother in this life; that whole event would never have happened. And even if he could never have recovered his memories, it was an acceptable price to pay as long as his mother could have a good life.

But even with that, Kai really couldn't hate Jiro, his father, mainly because he was the personification of the ideal father he had dreamed of in his past life. Despite being silly, naive, and a real nuisance in many cases, he was responsible, serious, kept his word, loved and respected his mother, and most importantly, his mother really loved him and was happy with him.

Moreover, most likely due to the deep shame and self-loathing he suffered all his life as Daniel for having as a father a complete scumbag he would have liked to kill with his own hands. Knowing about the heroic acts of Jiro—his real father—made him very proud. As if in some way all his actions were irrefutable proof that this time he was the son of someone valuable and, therefore, he was also a valuable person and not the trash of his past life.

Due to all that tangle of contradictions, the solution his mind came up with to at least cope was to transfer that hate to his job. If Jiro were not a hero but a doctor, firefighter, or anything else, things would have been very different. At this moment, he would still be in his workshop happily creating things, with his mother helping him and giving him her incredible advice, in addition to her unconditional love and care.

Although Kai knew perfectly well that hating being a hero was stupid, he couldn't do anything about it. After all, the greatest remorse of his two lives was losing his mother, so he played dumb with the subject, stalled it, and tried to ignore it as best he could. Besides, his mind wasn't exactly an example of mental health, so it was just another problem on the list to work on over time.

"It's not fear; I just understand how illogical it is. I really despise being a hero and everything it entails—that's why this place bothers me so much. But I have my reasons for entering UA, so it will only be a matter of getting used to it." Kai commented with an emotionless face as he leaned back in his chair, at which point All Might commented in a grave tone.

"Kai-shonen, you have incredible abilities; you could do a lot of good in the world if you become a hero."

"That's what differentiates us, All Might. I don't give a damn what happens to the world; I don't plan to do anything for it, neither good nor bad. It doesn't deserve my attention. I never believed that crap that it's the duty of the strong to protect the weak; they should already be grateful enough that I'm not a crazy megalomaniac who kills them for pleasure. But help them? Please, they don't even help themselves.

"Besides, the first thing they'll do is attack me when I can't 'help them', as if it were my damn obligation to do so. And you'll witness that firsthand, All Might. Remember my words: passing on your quirk was a mistake, and soon you'll regret it. Society will turn against you, despise you, and hate you if things go to hell. Everything you built and fought for will be destroyed in an instant."

Chapter 85: A difficult person to deal with.

Chapter Text

Kai's words greatly impacted All Might. Although he had seen people with similar thoughts, it was rare for someone so powerful not to want to use his strength for good or evil. Furthermore, Kai's “prophecy” certainly made him feel somewhat uncomfortable because if his suspicions were correct, this was the second time someone with the ability to see the future had told him something like that. But he truly felt that Midoriya would be the best successor for him and that it was the best time to pass it on.

"I don't think I'll regret it, Kai-shonen. Society isn't as dark as you think. Although it's undeniable that there are people like the ones you mention, it's also undeniable that there are more good people. There will always be more who will fight for justice, and even if you were right, I didn't do what I did seeking recognition or gratitude. I did it because it was necessary, and I wanted to do it, so no matter what happens, I will never regret being the symbol of peace." With a solemn tone filled with a strong sense of duty, All Might commented while staring intently at Kai.

"Hehehe, how naive, All Might. Although I suppose such a mentality is important for someone to become the symbol of peace and sacrifice himself for a bunch of ungrateful useless people. But let time pass, and life will show you how wrong you are." Kai put on a mocking smile while looking at All Might, who couldn't help but reply in an angry tone.

"Ungrateful useless people? Is that how you perceive people, Kai? That's terribly wrong. Thanks to other people, you eat, have a house, and different things reach your hands because there are people who work tirelessly to make that possible. Besides, they're not ungrateful. Someone who has never helped anyone has no right to say that!"

Without getting up from his chair, Kai put his feet on the table and crossed his arms while giving All Might a mocking expression and commented with a tone full of disdain. Meanwhile, Salem stared intently at the symbol of peace, ready to attack him at the slightest movement against his master.

"Hehehe, and here I thought I had helped you. But well, that comment can only come from a naive person like you who has spent decades drowning in false gratitude and glory. You've never seen the real reality, or, failing that, you've forgotten what it's really like. You're intoxicated by your power and success; you don't know what the real world is like, nor what people are truly like.

"Those who 'love' you and 'support' you today are the same ones who will kick you tomorrow when you're down. But you're incapable of seeing it because you've never tasted failure. But don't worry; that will change soon, and when it happens, you'll realize that saying 'I did it because it was necessary, and it was what I wanted to do' is pure garbage. You're just a human, a very powerful one—or well, you were—but a human, after all.

"Like everyone else, you expect recognition or, at least, a drop of gratitude. And when you don't receive it, you'll know true despair. Besides, humans don't work out of the goodness of their hearts; they do it because they have to. But just as I live off the result of that work, they also benefit from my work. It's called social cooperation, and it's what underpins humanity's success as a species."

"That's a dangerous way of thinking, Kai."

All Might's anger was palpable as he spoke and looked at Kai, exuding an incredible pressure worthy of the number one hero. But the blue-eyed boy only responded casually while rocking in his chair, as if he were addressing a random person and not the very symbol of peace.

"Oh, is that so? And what will you do about it? Don't deceive yourself. In the state you're in, you won't be able to defeat me."

Along with his words, a crushing pressure emanated from Kai, which even managed to exert pressure on the invincible symbol of peace, making him step back and surprising him greatly. At the same time, the things around them began to crack and break, as the pressure was now physical.

"…"

With a serious expression, All Might deeply analyzed the young man who was playing with his curious cat having a casual smile on his face, deeply considering his options. But at that instant, the brutal pressure disappeared as if it were a lie, at the same time he heard a much more cheerful and calm voice from Kai, as if he hadn't been threatening him a second ago.

"Hehehe, just kidding. Although we won't reach an agreement in our ideologies, since you think I'm wrong, and I think the same of you, that doesn't mean we have to be enemies. After all, I don't want to be a villain or anything like that. Rather, tell me, why did you choose Midoriya? I don't see any positive aspects in the boy."

Witnessing the radical change in attitude of the dangerous boy, All Might could only look at him deeply for a while, who simply placed his cat on his lap and began to stroke its belly without even looking at him, entirely ignoring him. This led the symbol of peace to let out a sigh loaded with meanings, then sit down again and comment in a bitter tone.

"You're quite a difficult person to deal with, Kai-shonen."

"Well, I won't deny it, hehe. But seriously, tell me, why did you pass on the quirk to him? Is it because he doesn't have a quirk, and they're a bit rare now?" Kai turned to look at All Might again and asked with a small chuckle.

"So you even know that... but no, it wasn't because he doesn't have a quirk. It was because I truly believe he will be my worthy successor." All Might replied with a somewhat bitter smile on his face, to which Kai couldn't help but comment with a surprised expression.

"Really? Him? The boy doesn't even have self-esteem."

(He really despises him...)

Kai's comments about Midoriya put a grimace on All Might's face, who shortly after explained with a firm tone, convinced that he had made the best decision.

"It's true that Midoriya-shonen has serious self-esteem problems, but that will change in the future. The important thing is that he cares about people and wants to help from the bottom of his heart."

(Not like you...)

All Might added to himself, not wanting to say it out loud, as that could again unleash a conflict, and just that pressure had been more than enough to realize that the boy had not only become stronger. But that he himself had also weakened greatly.

"Well, I'll spare the comments about the legitimacy of someone without self-esteem not caring about sacrificing themselves for others, since I don't want to keep fighting with you. But why do you need a successor? You could continue being a hero for at least a few more decades. I remember informing you that your quirk delayed your aging."

As he spoke, Kai lowered his feet from the table and put Salem on his shoulder, then leaned over the table and stared intently at the symbol of peace, full of curiosity. All Might shortly after commented with a somewhat bitter smile due to the boy's sarcastic comments about his successor.

"It was actually thanks to you that I came to a decision. Initially, I had the thought of continuing to be the symbol of peace for a couple more decades, but in that duel I realized how important creativity was, and a different perspective could really improve One for All. Besides, this is the best moment. Japan is as peaceful as it can be now, and that will give me the necessary time to raise my successor."

(Not to mention that I really felt pressured in our duel, so in a few more years, will I still be able to stop you if you get out of control? If I can't, at that time it would be too late to try to train a successor, if I can even try in the first place, since you know that One for All can be inherited. So this is the best time. It's necessary to have a counterbalance for you, Kai. You're too powerful, and your mentality is definitely not the best...)

All Might added to himself while looking deeply at the blue-eyed boy, who shortly after asked with a tone between curious and amused.

"But why the green-haired kid? Is he your secret son or something?"

"You have quite an imagination, Kai-shonen, but that's not the case. The truth is that I met Midoriya-shonen shortly after the interventions ended when I stopped a robbery at a store. The boy was in front of a child about five years old, using his body as a shield to protect him from the attacking villain.

"Luckily, I arrived in time and prevented a tragedy, but that made me take some interest in him, so we had a little chat, and when he asked me if he could be a hero without a quirk, I told him no, and I could see in his expression how all his dreams and illusions died. But, for some reason, I couldn't stop paying attention to him, and do you know what he did?"

"He gave up?" Kai asked without looking too interested, to which All Might nodded, then explained with a small smile.

"Yes, he gave up on being a hero, but not on helping people. He started training to enter the police academy."

"I didn't expect that." Kai commented, feeling genuinely surprised, which excited All Might a bit, who quickly continued.

"Neither did I. Honestly, I expected several things, even that he would end up hating me and become a delinquent, but he didn't. His goal never changed, and that passion for helping people really moved me, so I decided he would be my successor, since he will already have the power with the One for All. What's more important is what's in his heart."

"Wow, super moving story with the boy. You should adopt him and say he's your secret son; it will generate fewer questions when you reveal the quirk to the public, hehe." Kai commented amusedly, to which All Might replied in a serious tone.

"That's not funny, Kai-shonen. Midoriya-shonen has his parents with him."

"Really? His attitude practically screams 'absent father.'" With a mocking smile, Kai commented while looking at All Might's uncomfortable expression, who replied while slightly averting his gaze.

"Well, it could be that his father hasn't been very present in his life."

"Hehehe, I knew it, and you should take advantage; it's the perfect excuse. You just need to spend some time with his mother, and the media will do the rest." Kai commented with a 'malicious' smile on his face, which caused a shiver to run through All Might, who quickly replied in a serious tone.

"K-Kai-shonen, I don't like those jokes. I would be incapable of destroying a family for something like that!"

"Hehehe, what family? Didn't you just say that the father wasn't with him? The guy probably has another family somewhere else where he does spend time. Just give me a few days, and I'll have all the information ready for you. Besides, I volunteer to make sure those proofs casually reach the green-haired boy's mother, and you can be the hero who consoles her. After all, our great symbol of peace can't end his days alone."

Genuinely amused, Kai commented, smiling wickedly while taking out his phone, which caused a powerful shiver to run through All Might's body, who had never been 'attacked' in that way, not even by his teacher and mentor. So he quickly replied, although a hint of panic could be heard in his voice.

"K-Kai-shonen, that's very wrong. You can't meddle like that in other people's family affairs. Besides, I don't want to have any kind of relationship. The only thing I need is my commitment to the people as the symbol of peace!"

"But aren't you retiring? That won't be your job anymore; it will be your successor's. Besides, be honest, wouldn't you like to raise your successor with your own hands as his father? I think the boy would love the idea, and the poor mother, who has faced a life full of difficulties alone and abandoned, trying to raise a little one without a quirk in a world full of them. Just imagine how hard it must have been... and a woman like that needs the love and protection of a great hero like you."

Like a demon trying to tempt a poor and innocent soul, Kai spoke with a wicked smile while staring intently at All Might, who was now evidently in panic, since apart from Gran Torino, no one dared to talk to him like that. After all, he was the invincible symbol of peace who instilled admiration and respect, not to mention that the idea sounded a bit tempting, since a woman capable of raising a young man like Midoriya had to be someone wonderful.

"K-Kai-shonen, I hope we leave this topic here. I'm not interested, and I hope you can fix your attitude with your classmates!" All Might quickly replied before leaving the room hurriedly, as if fleeing from something, which caused a hearty laugh from Kai.

"Hahaha, if you're interested in the idea, you know where to find me. I'll have all the information ready at that time!"

Hearing Kai, All Might greatly accelerated his pace, quickly disappearing down the hallway, at which point Kai couldn't help but comment amusedly while jotting down a couple of things on his phone.

"Hehehe, All Might, All Might, I've got you. Let's see if you dare to play Mr. Righteous with me from now on, hehe."

After finishing, Kai stretched a bit, then left with Salem on his shoulder and went back to his classroom to collect his things. Only to sense Momo energetically speaking with a group of students who surrounded her seat and showered her with praise for her performance.

Curious, Kai peeked stealthily into the classroom, where he saw Momo with a beautiful smile on her face, looking genuinely happy with her classmates. Knowing that his presence would only ruin her fun, Kai decided not to enter and instead began to stroll around the facilities.

Chapter 86: New workshop.

Chapter Text

While wandering aimlessly, Kai soon sensed Nezu's 'voice' nearby. Having nothing better to do, he decided to approach and soon found him alongside a strange, short man with disproportionately large hands, wearing an odd yellow helmet on his head that resembled an excavator shovel.

"Oh, Kai-kun, what a pleasant coincidence! We were just finishing up the final touches on your private workshop."

Upon noticing Kai, the principal commented while raising one of his paws, causing the curious man beside him to turn and look at the incredible young man who was worthy of the principal's putting so much effort and resources just to get him to join the most important academy in the country, and one of the most prestigious in the world.

"That's great news. The morning classes are too boring, and Momo won't let me skip them." As he walked toward Principal Nezu, Kai commented with a slight smile, which brought a somewhat bitter smile to the hero beside them.

"Hehehe, well, your educational level is quite superior to that of many teachers, so it's only natural. But come in and take a look; the official handover will be next week."

For his part, the principal commented with his typical adorable demeanor, then guided Kai inside the workshop. Meanwhile, Salem stared fixedly at the curious bear/mouse, like a predator watching prey, something that stopped the moment he felt the warning pressure from his master clashing against him.

After reprimanding Salem a bit, Kai looked around, finding a spacious place with a minimalist and elegant design divided into several sections. One area had a predominantly white color and featured a cozy living room in a corner, with comfortable sofas, a coffee maker, a teapot, and even a vending machine for snacks.

Near the living room was another room that shared a similar design, which seemed more like an office, with elegant desks, state-of-the-art computers, and stylish ergonomic chairs. One of its walls had a panoramic window, offering a view from above of the most prestigious academy in the country.

To the left of the office was what appeared to be a small meeting room, with an elegant table in the center surrounded by various chairs and several holographic screens displaying all kinds of information. This room also had huge intelligent panoramic windows.

The whole place, which looked more like a high-level office than anything else, was connected by a reinforced door with various security measures to what did look like a workshop. It was a spacious area with a predominantly gray tone, filled with different workstations, as well as all the tools and machinery that Kai could imagine—even better equipped than his own personal workshop, as it even had things he doubted he could ever use.

"This place is truly impressive."

As he toured his new personal 'workshop', Kai couldn't help but comment with a bit of surprise in his tone. After all, this was far from what he initially thought it would be and was truly a place where he would be interested in working in the mornings. To the point that he would borrow several ideas to improve his own workshop at home, which already needed an expansion now that Keiko was working with him.

"Hehehe, it's good that you like it. It's also equipped with its own state-of-the-art server that uses the latest chips you designed. Additionally, Yaoyorozu-san served as a consultant for the entire project, so you could work with her here remotely or even in person, since I suppose she is now working with you."

With a smile on his face, Principal Nezu commented with his arms behind his back as he walked beside Kai, who nodded in understanding. He knew that Keiko had helped a bit with the workshop, but since it was a surprise, she never told him anything about the place. As for her coming personally to the workshop, it was unlikely, though not impossible.

"Well, only time will tell, but I'm really satisfied with this. My mornings will be very productive from now on." Kai commented with a smile, now feeling strangely much better about being at U.A. Perhaps it was true that the environment plays a big role in one's mood.

"Hehehe, I look forward to the results of your work, Kai-kun." Nezu commented cheerfully, to which Kai nodded while studying the machinery more closely.

"Don't worry; I'll keep my part of the deal. Once a month, I'll complete an order for U.A."

"Hehehe, glad to hear that." Principal Nezu laughed cheerfully, while the hero accompanying him couldn't help but doubt whether the young man before him deserved such an investment, as this workshop was even better than his own.

After checking out the tools and machinery a bit, Kai bid farewell to Principal Nezu. But as he was about to leave, a human-shaped volcano of energy came running into the workshop, almost crashing into him. Since he had sensed her beforehand, he easily dodged her while simultaneously observing her curious appearance.

The person was a short girl with an athletic build and curious pink hair curled up to shoulder-length, with yellow eyes that had cross-shaped pupils. She wore a plain black sleeveless shirt with a work overall whose upper part was tied around her waist and strange goggles around her head.

"Sensei, the secure network has been properly connected to the general network!" Upon entering the workshop, the curious girl exclaimed loudly while pointing at a tablet she was carrying. The hero with the excavator helmet nodded, then casually congratulated her.

"Well done, Hatsume."

"Sensei, who are they giving this luxurious workshop to?" With a look full of desire, Hatsume Mei asked while looking directly at her Sensei, who pointed towards Kai while commenting casually.

"To that boy over there."

At her Sensei's words, Mei turned to look in the direction he was pointing, only to find a handsome young man, quite a bit taller than her. He had an adorable black cat with matching eye color on one of his shoulders, looking at her curiously.

"Oh, so you're the big shot they built this workshop for. Nice to meet you; I'm Hatsume Mei from the Support Course. If it's too much space for you, I'm more than willing to help you with that." Upon noticing the young man, Mei briefly introduced herself with a huge smile, which made Kai smile somewhat amusedly. He introduced himself after a chuckle.

"Hehehe, I'm Saito Kai, a student here, and I'll keep your proposal in mind."

"A student? You're from the General Course, not the Support Course?" Upon hearing Kai's unusual introduction, Mei couldn't help but ask while tilting her head, confused. Nezu responded while raising one of his paws.

"Kai-kun is from the Hero Course, although he doesn't like to admit it, hehe."

"Hero Course? Then why are they giving him this luxurious workshop?" Mei quickly asked, full of confusion, to which Nezu responded casually.

"Oh, because he's the designer of the PhotonEdge chips."

"Oh!! You designed those babies?! I'm a big fan!"

Upon hearing Principal Nezu, Mei exclaimed excitedly while approaching Kai with shining eyes. He simply smiled meaningfully while looking at Nezu, who only laughed amusedly, which earned him a burst of Conqueror's Haki that made his fur stand on end.

"Well, thanks for your support, I suppose." Kai responded casually to the excited pink-haired girl, who quickly and boldly asked.

"Hey, don't you have a couple of latest-generation chips to spare?"

"No, I don't have any to spare." Kai could only reply while rolling his eyes. At that moment, Mei quickly grabbed his blazer to ask with predatory eyes.

"And how about a discount?"

"I don't handle that." Kai quickly replied, somewhat amused. Mei then approached him dangerously, pressing her ample bust against him, and asked with a somewhat intimidating look.

"And how about sponsoring a young and talented inventor?"

"Well, at the moment I'm not looking for that type of investment opportunity, but when they officially hand over the workshop to me, I could take a look at the work of that 'young and talented inventor'." Genuinely amused by the pink-haired girl's behavior, Kai commented while looking at her curious pupils. Mei quickly exclaimed excitedly.

"Alright, Saito-kun! I'll show you my best babies then!"

For his part, Nezu watched the entire interaction with a small smile. Although the fact that she was a beautiful girl interested in technology might have contributed. Seeing someone naturally aggressive and with practically zero social life outside his family engage in such a casual conversation with another young person his age was a very good sign.

"Well, I have to go; they're waiting for me."

After a moment of answering several of Mei's questions about his chips, Kai said goodbye and left the workshop. He headed to the classroom to collect his things, then walked to the main gate of U.A., where he could sense Nejire, Momo, and Nemuri gathered, most likely waiting for him.

"Kai!" With a smile on her face, Nejire happily hugged one of Kai's arms. He smiled amused while commenting.

"Hehehe, you're being overdramatic; anyone would think we haven't seen each other in years, and we just had lunch together a few hours ago."

"Hehehe, I still missed you."

With an innocent smile, Nejire commented cheerfully, feeling much more relaxed now. Although she knew something was going on with her mother, she now looked much better and knew that everyone was supporting her. Moreover, living all together was something she had wanted for years, and the fact that it was finally coming true made her very happy.

"Where were you? We were waiting for you." Nemuri, who was wearing her hero costume, commented with a small smile, to which Momo quickly added.

"Yes, Kai, I waited for you in the classroom, but you never came."

"Well, I saw you enjoying yourself with the other students, so I decided to go for a walk and ended up meeting Principal Nezu, who showed me my future workshop." Kai replied with a small smile, which prompted a guilty smile from Momo, who commented in an apologetic tone.

"I'm sorry; I didn't realize."

"Oh, you don't have to apologize. I was quite happy to see you having fun and didn't want to ruin your moment. After all, I haven't been the most pleasant person with them." Kai commented casually while walking with the girls to a secluded place without cameras. Momo added with a small smile.

"You know, you could have joined; everyone is very interested in you."

"Maybe another time." Kai replied with a diplomatic smile on his face. At that moment, Nemuri hooked one of his arms and asked with a small smile and a casual tone that, for some reason, sounded eerie.

"I heard you were causing trouble today, and All Might had to call you after classes."

"Hehehe."

For his part, Kai could only smile innocently as they reached a suitable place. He quickly conjured the Accompany card and activated it, not allowing Nemuri to say another word. This only made the beautiful heroine smile amusedly since it was not as if she could not continue with the topic if he activated it.

"[Accompany] on, [Home]!"

Upon arriving home, they all walked together to the main house, where they were greeted by Keiko and Yumiko—the latter looking much calmer and happier. Not only had it been very comforting to receive the full support of her entire family, but she had also talked at length with Keiko, which had helped her a lot.

"Welcome back." Keiko greeted with a small smile, then proceeded to hug everyone, something Yumiko imitated while commenting in a cheerful tone.

"Welcome back; it really feels good to be able to welcome you home."

"Hehehe, I see that retirement life is seducing you." Nemuri commented amused while hugging Yumiko, who responded with a small grin.

"The truth is, yes; it's a very attractive life, fufufu."

"I think you should retire like Aunt Keiko, Mom!" Nejire exclaimed excitedly, then hugged her mother tightly. Yumiko began to stroke her daughter's soft and silky hair while responding in a warm tone.

"Yes, that could be a very good idea..."

Chapter 87: Class representative.

Chapter Text

On a comfortable king-size bed, Kai gently stroked Nemuri's hair as she slept completely naked beside him, hugging him. At the same time, he stared off into the ceiling of his safe house, his mind wandering over the events that might start occurring very soon.

(Well, we've more or less gathered enough information about the rat's lover, so soon we can put the 'forced acquisition' plan into practice, so everything is fine on that front. Also, Aunt Yumiko seems much calmer now and is taking things quite easily, which is one less concern.

(So I should focus on the attack on U.A. Now that the green-haired boy has All Might's quirk, it's quite likely to happen, so I must prepare adequately. Although I don't know when it will occur, I do remember it happened shortly after classes started, so it shouldn't be long.

(The thing is, that attack is very strange, to the point of almost not making sense. Why would someone with the power to bypass U.A.'s security do something so pointless? They achieved nothing but putting everyone on alert about their existence, which would hinder any future movements... unless that was what they were aiming for.

(Following that line of thought, it's quite probable that the mastermind is a narcissistic megalomaniac craving attention and sees the attack on U.A. as some kind of greeting or introduction, which would make the whole event more sensible. Also, based on that, I could conclude several things.

(First of all, the pathetic, traumatized idiot with the hands is a disposable pawn because no one, not even the most foolish, would risk sacrificing a truly important piece in a 'presentation'. So the mastermind doesn't care about his fate; maybe he even sees it as a test and wants to 'kill two birds with one stone' by sending him as the leader of the attack.

(Although it could also be that he's so arrogant as to think he could save him at any moment, which would align with a narcissistic megalomaniac, but that would be too stupid. If he's capable enough to infiltrate U.A., he must have some intelligence, so it's unlikely.

(Therefore, the guy with the portals is either capable enough to escape if things go south, or the mastermind has a replacement for him—maybe even both. After all, he's supposed to be able to steal quirks and has lived a long time, so he must have something similar to portals or even something better under his control...

(In any case, capturing the idiot with the hands won't be very beneficial, since it's unlikely he has important information. So it would be best to 'let him escape', and he might end up leading me to the real big fish. That son of a bitch makes me very nervous, and it's better to get rid of him permanently as soon as possible, or who knows what trick he might pull later. Besides, it would be fatal for my plans if I or the girls lost our quirks.)

While Kai fine-tuned the details of his plan in his mind, Sage suddenly informed him that it was time. He quickly moved Nemuri a bit, waking her up. At that moment, the beautiful woman stretched pleasantly, revealing her sensual and voluptuous body.

"Your massages are really the best thing you could have created, Kai. It feels better than sleeping eight hours." With a smile on her face, Nemuri commented while looking at the love of her life, immediately giving him a loving kiss on the lips.

"It's good that you like them, but we need to bathe and get going."

When the kiss ended, Kai commented with a smile as he sat on the bed and then tried to get off, revealing his sculpted body. This caused Nemuri to lick her lips seductively, then hug her beloved's back tightly, pressing her voluptuous breasts against him, while whispering in a seductive voice.

"Don't we have time for a quickie?"

"Well, it's not that we don't have time, but do you want to risk being seen arriving at the house?" Kai asked with a small 'evil' smile, which put a complicated expression on Nemuri's face. Shortly after, she released him and got up from the bed, then dragged him to the bathroom with a smile.

"We can have a quickie while we bathe, hehe."

After a quick and refreshing bath, Nemuri and Kai got dressed, with Kai wearing a simple black sports outfit, while Nemuri put on a modest pajama set with pants and a dark blue blouse. They then left the villa holding hands.

"[Accompany] on, [Home's Hideout]!"

In the darkness of the early morning, the blue-eyed couple landed in the middle of the forest near their house. At that moment, Kai carried Nemuri princess-style, then ran at high speed through the forest, quickly reaching the garden.

"Well, I'll be in the gym." As he set Nemuri down on the ground, Kai commented with a smile, then gave a quick kiss to the beautiful woman, who nodded happily.

"Fufufu, that's fine; I'll be in the library then."

...

Upon arriving at U.A., Kai walked calmly to the gate with Momo and Nejire hooked onto his arms, and Salem on his shoulder. However, unlike other times, the entrance was now crowded with people—journalists, to be more specific—who aggressively approached any student passing by with questions regarding All Might.

When he got close to the group of reporters, Kai activated his Conqueror's Haki at low power, terrifying the pair of people who were coming to approach them, which allowed his group to pass through the sea of journalists easily, making the pair of beautiful aspiring heroes smile amusedly.

"Fufufu, sometimes your intimidating aura is very useful, Kai." After crossing U.A.'s reinforced gates, Nejire commented with a small laugh, to which Momo nodded happily, although she didn't forget to warn in a serious tone.

"It certainly is, but remember that it's illegal to use your quirk without a license, Kai, so don't do it so often."

"It's only illegal if they notice; besides, I can afford the fine, hehe." Kai responded casually with an amused smile, earning an accusatory look from Momo.

...

"That guy is pretty scary..." A young reporter commented with a drop of cold sweat on his forehead, to which a nearby young woman added, her eyes dreamy and a strong blush on her cheeks.

"I'd say he's rather fascinating—super handsome and elegant, with a dangerous aura around him. He's almost the perfect representation of a cold CEO, but that little kitten on his shoulder gives him a touch of tenderness that only reveals that he's a romantic with a tough facade, and only his true love can enjoy that tenderness..."

"He's really a dream man; I'd like to know his name..."

Another reporter commented in a dreamy voice as she looked at the place where the fascinating blue-eyed boy had disappeared, to which more enamored reporters joined to form a small discussion group about the true character and hidden tenderness of the cold CEO. Meanwhile, a young cameraman commented in an irritated tone.

"I just have to say that all riajuu should explode! How dare he bring two beauties hanging on his arms! Leave something for the rest of us, damn son of a bitch!"

"That's right! That's right! I propose we investigate this case to the last consequences and expose this immorality!" Another young reporter quickly joined the just clamor of injustice, which was quickly seconded by several men present.

"“I support the motion with all violence!!”"

Soon, two groups formed—one of men and the other of women—who started a heated discussion about the blue-eyed boy. But noticing that more students were approaching, they quickly declared a temporary truce and returned to their job of harassing the poor students to obtain all the information they had about All Might and his new role as a teacher.

...

While Kai casually played with Salem on his seat, earning all kinds of looks from the other students, especially the girls, Aizawa entered the classroom carrying a stack of papers. He then sat behind his desk and spoke in his typical tired voice.

"I hope you've rested from yesterday's battle trial. I took the liberty of looking at your notes and evaluations." Aizawa unloaded the stack of papers he was carrying onto the desk, then looked at Bakugo and continued speaking.

"Bakugo, stop acting like a 7-year-old child; you're wasting your talent."

"I know..." Bakugo replied with an irritated expression on his face, at which point Aizawa turned to look at Midoriya and commented in an accusatory tone.

"And you. Do you plan to always wreck your arm, Midoriya? If you keep saying, 'I can't modulate my ability, so I have no chances', you'll never get very far. I said it before; don't make me say it a third time. Once you get over that obstacle, you'll be much more flexible, so I need to see you make an effort."

"Yes, sir!" Midoriya replied loudly with a determined tone, to which Aizawa nodded, then looked at the whole class and commented.

"Now we're going to announce something to the whole class... I'm sorry to tell you this, but... we have to choose a class representative."

"Finally, something school-related!!!" Upon hearing Aizawa's words, much of the class jumped excitedly, then began to raise their hands full of excitement while exclaiming loudly.

"Ohh! Ohh! I'll be the class rep!! Choose me!!"

Kirishima, the red-haired young man who was brutally beaten by Momo, exclaimed full of excitement while raising both hands. At the same time, a girl next to him, who had short black hair with the tips of her ears elongated as if they were a pair of cables, added in a calmer tone, also raising a hand.

"I want to as well"

"Oh, you mean that position exists for me."

A young man with golden hair and strange mannerisms—almost a parody of aristocratic behavior—added in a voice that tried to sound elegant. At the same time, a curious girl with pink skin and hair, with the sclera of her eyes black and her irises bright yellow, added full of excitement.

"That would be being the leader!! I'll do it! Me, me!!"

"Silence!! This is a task carried out with responsibility, where it must be used with everyone. Just because you want to do it doesn't mean you can! It's a great job that requires great esteem and trust from everyone around you... A true leader who will be elected by democratic vote reflecting the will of the people! That's why it must be chosen by vote!!"

Suddenly, Iida, the young man with robotic movements, exclaimed loudly and in a serious tone, attracting the attention of the students, although the fact that he was raising his hand with all his might greatly undermined his speech.

After a couple more discussions, it was decided that the new representative and class leader would be elected by popular vote, ending with a small list on the board with the names and respective votes in favor of each student.

"I got three votes?!!" Noticing his number of votes, Midoriya exclaimed loudly, full of disbelief, while other students lamented, and Momo commented with an expression full of surprise.

"I got 5 votes...?"

"Congratulations, now you're a full-fledged class rep, hehe." Kai commented amusedly while looking at the happy Momo, who quickly hugged him full of excitement, while exclaiming in a singsong voice.

"I feel so happy!"

Momo's intimate hug and Kai's expression attracted the attention of almost all the students present. After all, it was the first time they had seen that expression on the usually intimidating blue-eyed young man, since generally, he was only seen bored, annoyed, or with a distant gaze, which inevitably led them to speculate about the relationship between the pair of teenagers.

"Well then, Yaoyorozu will be the representative and Midoriya the sub-representative."

After a while, Aizawa commented as he emerged from his yellow sleeping bag, while Momo and Midoriya stood in front of the class, with Momo having a huge smile on her face, while Midoriya seemed to be on the verge of a panic attack.

Chapter 88: A bit arrogant, isn’t he?

Chapter Text

At lunchtime, Kai and Momo were eating in the cafeteria as usual, although this time Nejire wasn't with them since she had gone to the agency where she was doing her internships. In her place, however, there was a curious addition at their table today.

Next to Momo was the intriguing pink-skinned girl, who was chatting animatedly with her. Momo couldn't help but wear a beautiful smile at having a friend for the first time. Meanwhile, Kai was silently eating his enormous portion of food, which was almost double that of Momo's—a rather terrifying amount in itself.

"You really eat a lot, Yao Momo. How can you maintain that figure?" The pink-skinned girl asked in a sing-song voice, to which Momo responded with a small smile and an elegant demeanor.

"It's because of my quirk, which converts lipids into various atoms to create things. So the more I eat, the more I can create."

"Wow, that's impressive! I'm so jealous—you can eat all the sweets you want and never gain weight!" The girl commented with an envious look, then curiously eyed Kai's food as he ate alongside Salem. At that moment, Momo spoke with a smile.

"Kai, allow me to introduce you to Ashido Mina, our classmate."

"Nice to meet you. Saito Kai." Kai greeted with a slight nod before calmly returning to his meal, causing Ashido to force a smile as she replied awkwardly.

"Uh, likewise! I hope we get along well from now on."

"Same here." Kai responded casually without paying much attention to the girl, prompting Momo to look at Ashido with an apologetic expression.

"I'm sorry, Ashido-san. Kai isn't very sociable. I hope you can forgive him."

"It's okay, no worries. I've met people like that bef—"

With an awkward smile, Ashido began waving her hands in front of her as she spoke. But at that moment, a loud alarm echoed throughout the cafeteria, greatly alarming the students present.

"What's happening?! What's that alarm?!" Ashido asked with a bit of panic. Just then, a synthetic voice announced over the cafeteria loudspeakers.

[Level 3 security has been breached. Students, please evacuate properly.]

Hearing the synthetic voice, the students completely panicked and hurriedly stood up from their seats while screaming hysterically, so Ashido quickly stood up and extended her hand towards Momo, while exclaiming loudly.

"Yao Momo, let's go! We have to evacuate!!"

Along with Ashido's voice, a monstrous pressure filled the entire place—so terrifying that it stopped all the students in their tracks. Kai's irritated voice then resonated throughout the area, instilling terror in everyone who heard it.

"Silence!..."

Feeling unprecedented terror, Ashido looked at Momo almost begging for help, only to find her calmly rising from her seat with a megaphone in her hand, which she put in front of her mouth. She began to speak in a serious and authoritative tone, drawing the attention of the terrified students.

"Fellow students, please calm down. It's just reporters who have snuck into the facilities. Please remain calm and evacuate in an orderly manner to avoid accidents."

With Momo's words, the pressure that threatened to crush those present disappeared, at which point a small airport glow stick appeared in Momo's hand, with which she began to guide the evacuation. She was accompanied by Ashido, who couldn't help but take a couple more glances at the blue-eyed boy who was eating peacefully with his cat, as if nothing had happened.

After all the students had left, with Momo leading Class 1-A as their representative, Kai walked toward the entrance with Salem on his shoulder, only to find it completely destroyed. Director Nezu was observing the scene with his hands behind his back, accompanied by several teachers, including Nemuri, who was looking at the scene with a serious expression.

"Could ordinary reporters do something like this?" Nemuri asked gravely, to which Director Nezu replied in an unusually serious tone.

"Someone investigated it, and this attempt might be a declaration of war..."

"Just sue the news channels that sent their reporters here and charge them a fortune—that'll teach them a lesson. As for the joker who did this, initiate a large-scale hunt to send a message. Count me in, in exchange for skipping the sports festival."

Approaching calmly with his hands in his pockets, Kai commented in a casual tone, catching the attention of everyone present. Nemuri quickly approached him to speak in a strict tone befitting a teacher, although a small smile crept onto her face.

"Kai, what are you doing here? You should be in your classroom."

"Well, someone bypassed UA's supposedly impenetrable security. I couldn't miss such an event, hehe." Kai responded with a small chuckle, at which point Director Nezu turned to look at him and commented in a more cheerful tone.

"Kai-kun, it's good to see you're okay."

"Long time no see." Recovery Girl, who was also present, greeted him with a small smile. Kai nodded in return.

"It certainly has been a while."

"Well, young man, this isn't a place for students. Please return to your class." Nemuri said as she gently pushed Kai, who simply let himself be led away while commenting loudly.

"If you're interested in the idea of the hunt, you know where to find me, Nezu. And by the way, I have some patents that might interest you for improving security."

After Nemuri escorted Kai back into the facilities, another hero present—who wore what looked like a bulky astronaut suit—commented in a synthetic, robotic voice while looking at the spot where the boy had disappeared.

[A bit arrogant, isn't he?]

"Well, he actually has the ability to back it up, but now isn't the time for him to act; he might end up creating a big problem." Nezu replied seriously while looking in the same direction as the hero in the astronaut suit.

"Certainly. Also, he hasn't been the friendliest with his classmates, from what I've heard." Recovery Girl added in a serious tone, to which Nezu nodded with a small smile.

"That's true, but he hasn't caused any problems so far, apart from knocking out a couple of students. Besides, today's event showed that as long as it benefits his family, the boy is willing to help in his own way."

“Well, you might be stretching it a bit by calling it ‘helping’ to basically terrify all the students, but it was certainly effective, especially since that Yaoyorozu girl knew how to capitalize on the moment and resolve the situation.” Recovery Girl commented with a forced smile on her face, which made Nezu smile mysteriously, who soon added.

"Hehe, that's just a glimpse of Yaoyorozu-kun's capabilities and how well she adapts to Kai-kun's actions—something with much potential to exploit."

"If you say so..."

Recovery Girl responded somewhat dryly, while the hero in the astronaut suit could only remain silent, not understanding what the director and the academy's nurse—the most prestigious in the country—were talking about.

...

Days passed, and before Kai realized it, it was Monday again. Instead of heading to his classroom, he continued walking accompanied by Momo, Nejire, and Nemuri until they reached what would be his new workshop. Waiting for them were Director Nezu, the same hero with the excavator helmet, and the curious pink-haired girl, Mei Hatsume.

"Kai-kun, it's a pleasure to see you again." Nezu greeted while raising one of his paws. Kai responded with a cordial smile.

"Likewise, Director."

"Well, although you've already seen it, let's go in to make the official handover of the workshop." Director Nezu commented in his typical adorable tone, causing everyone present to enter the workshop, at which point Nejire commented happily.

"This place is great—it's even bigger than your workshop at home!"

"Certainly, it's quite impressive." Nemuri added as she looked around, somewhat surprised by the blatant favoritism Kai was receiving.

"Although it's a shame you won't be attending class with me anymore." Momo said in a somewhat disappointed voice, to which Kai responded with a small smile.

"Don't worry about that; I still have to attend afternoon classes."

"But it's still a bit sad." Momo commented and then let out a light sigh, at which point Nejire added with a cheerful smile.

"But look on the bright side—we now have an exclusive meeting place at UA, hehe!"

"Well, you're right about that." A small smile crossed Momo's face as she spoke, but at that moment Hatsume Mei commented with a cheeky smile.

"Saito-kun, I could take care of your workshop in the afternoons."

"Thanks, but no, thanks." Kai replied, rolling his eyes at the pink-haired girl's comment, which only made her laugh. She soon added cheerfully.

"By the way, Saito-kun, thanks for the opportunity—I got a good deal!"

"Congratulations." Kai said casually, causing Hatsume to smile. Just then, Power Loader—the hero with the excavator helmet—commented.

"Well, we need to finish the official handover. If you don't have any additional requests, I'd like to get back to my work."

"Oh, don't worry. If anything comes up, I'll handle it myself. Thank you very much for your effort; the workshop is very well-equipped, and I like it a lot."

Kia responded with a small smile and a cordial tone towards the hero, which made Nezu smile mysteriously, while Power Loader looked at the blue-eyed young man with a bit of surprise. After all, he had heard about the boy's not so glorious exploits.

"No worries; I was just doing my job." Power Loader replied in an equally cordial tone. Hatsume then exclaimed excitedly.

"I also worked a lot on it, Saito-kun, so you should let me play in it from time to time!"

"Maybe someday. I saw some of your work—you have talent with hardware." Kai replied casually, but before Hatsume could say anything, Nemuri commented in a serious tone.

"Well, we should get going, or we'll be late for class."

"Oh, you're right—it's already quite late." Momo said with concern as she looked at her phone, to which Kai added with a smile.

"Well then, I'll see you at lunchtime. Now that we can eat here, Onee-chan can join us, right?"

"You're right! We'll all eat together this afternoon!" Nejire exclaimed happily while looking at Nemuri, who responded with a small smile.

"Then we'll all eat together."

After a brief farewell, the girls left the workshop, followed by Power Loader, who was dragging a reluctant Hatsume. Director Nezu then guided Kai to the main office of the workshop, where several documents and a couple of access cards awaited.

"Well, Kai-kun, now you just need to sign the handover documents for the workshop, and here are your access cards. Take good care of them." Nezu said as he handed the cards to Kai, who quickly stored them and replied while reviewing the documents.

"It's a pleasure doing business with you, Director Nezu."

A short time later, Nezu left the workshop with the duly signed documents, leaving Kai alone. He quickly activated his [En] to thoroughly examine the entire workshop. Not finding anything suspicious, he promptly called his reliable assistant.

"Sage."

"Yes, Master?" The beautiful fairy who appeared beside Kai responded with a small smile. Kai quickly gave his orders in a serious tone, a dangerous smile forming on his face.

"Scan every corner of this workshop for anything suspicious. Take control of the local network and use it to infiltrate UA's system. It's time to start the hunt."

"Immediately, Master." With a smile mirroring her master's, Sage replied as her beautiful wings began to shine in various colors.

Chapter 89: The USJ.

Chapter Text

Days later, Kai was in his workshop, quietly working on a small, uninteresting device, wearing a simple black work overalls. Suddenly, Sage informed him that it was lunchtime. He quickly put away the prototype he was working on and left the workshop, while Sage put all the tools back in their place and tidied up with the help of a couple of nen beasts, which were blue-eyed panthers.

Once in the living room of what he had now decided to call his office, Kai entered the workshop's elegant bathroom, took a quick shower, and put on his uniform again. He then sat on one of the comfortable sofas, so cozy that they had become Salem's favorite place to sleep while he worked.

After a while, Nemuri entered the workshop while stretching, but the moment she saw Kai, she jumped towards him with a mischievous smile, staying in a cowgirl position on her lover's lap. At which point, she gave him a deep and passionate kiss.

"Phew, my dose of Kaisium has been properly recharged." Nemuri remarked with a sly giggle after the kiss, still on top of Kai, who just laughed amused before commenting playfully.

"Hehehe, Momo and Nejire are less than ten meters away."

Hearing Kai, Nemuri quickly got off his lap and hastily fixed her appearance. She then sat across from Kai with a calm and serene expression, as if nothing had happened. Just then, Nejire opened the door and exclaimed with a smile.

"We're back!"

""Welcome back.""

For their part, Nemuri and Kai greeted in unison, while looking at the pair of girls accompanying Momo. One was Ashido Mina, who was now quite good friends with Momo and, therefore, came to the workshop quite often, while the other was the curious and strangely attractive frog-like girl from the class.

"Thank you very much for having me today, kero." Upon arriving at the place, the frog girl greeted with a slight respectful bow, to which Nemuri responded with a small smile.

"You're a very charming girl."

"Thank you very much, Midnight-sensei." The frog girl replied with a small smile and a slight respectful bow.

"Hi, Saito! Midnight!"

For her part, Mina entered greeting happily, then sat down on one of the sofas with familiarity. After All, she had realized that as long as they were not in the classroom, and she did not mention anything related to the heroes, Kai was not scary at all. He even joked, which surprised her quite a bit the first time.

"As cheerful as always, Ashido." Nemuri commented with a small smile, which made Mina giggle happily.

"Hehe."

"Kai, let me introduce you. This is Tsuyu Asui, our classmate." Momo, who was standing next to Tsuyu, introduced her with a smile.

"Nice to meet you, Saito Kai." Kai responded casually, while Salem stretched lazily before jumping onto his master's lap.

"I know; Saito-chan is quite prominent in our class, although not always in a good way." Tsuyu commented with a small smile as she sat on one of the sofas Momo had pointed out, causing tense expressions on the other girls.

"You're quite direct." Kai remarked with a small smile, studying the frog-like girl intently. She nodded casually and explained without much concern.

"Well, I always say what's on my mind."

"That must have caused you quite a few problems." Kai said as he began to stroke the lazy Salem's back. Tsuyu nodded in agreement.

"Certainly, I've lost many friendships because of it, kero."

"I can imagine. But tell me, if I'm so 'prominent', what are you doing in my workshop?" Kai played along, asking as he looked directly at Tsuyu, who returned his gaze and replied.

"Well, even though you're quite intimidating, the truth is you're generally very calm and also very handsome—not to mention you have a lot of privileges at the academy and seem to know All Might personally. So I'm very curious about you; that's why I came."

"Hahaha, I like you."

Hearing Tsuyu, Kai couldn't help but laugh somewhat amused. Although her direct way of saying things could be a bit uncomfortable, he much preferred someone like that over a fawning bastard full of insidious plans who would end up stealing everything he'd worked for.

"That's a surprise; I thought you'd make me faint." Tsuyu commented genuinely surprised by the unexpected reaction of the terrifying blue-eyed boy, who commented with a small giggle.

"And yet, you still came? You’re quite interesting, hehe"

"Well, Yaoyorozu-chan is here, and she can handle you quite well, so I didn't think anything bad would happen. Besides, Ashido-chan comes here quite often and nothing has happened to her so far." Tsuyu answered in a serious tone, causing an embarrassed smile on Momo's face. Kai responded amused.

"You're really something, but we'd better eat; the food is about to arrive."

For their part, Nejire, Momo and Nemuri looked at each other with curious expressions on their faces, feeling somewhat surprised by the conversation. But soon after, three people entered the workshop carrying carts full of food, which started a pleasant lunch where everyone chatted quietly among themselves. Although, Tsuyu was quite surprised to find out that Nemuri was the person who had raised Kai.

After lunch, Nemuri and Nejire said goodbye with small smiles, at which point the group of Momo, Tsuyu, Mina and Kai left for the classroom. When they all entered together, they inevitably attracted the attention of those present, to the point where several surrounded Tsuyu and began to ask her questions in low voices. But Aizawa soon entered the classroom, so everyone returned to their seats.

"For the fundamental heroic skill we'll study today, it has been decided that you will be supervised by a team of three: myself, All Might, and someone else." Aizawa explained in his typical tired voice once he reached his desk, greatly exciting the students.

"Sensei! What are we going to do?" Sero, the guy with tape on his elbows, asked while raising his hand, to which Aizawa responded while showing a card with the word ‘rescue’ on it.

"Be the hero everyone needs. It could be a flood or any other disaster—it's the rescue training!"

"Rescue training... sounds a bit tough this time." Kaminari commented while looking at Mina, who replied excitedly.

"Totally!!"

"Come on, dude, this is what being a hero is all about! I'm pumped!" Kirishima added energetically. Tsuyu chimed in with a small smile.

"If it's a flood, then that environment is my specialty, kerokero."

"Don't get ahead of yourselves. As I was saying, this time it's entirely up to each of you whether or not to use your costumes. After all, some of your suits might not be suited for the task at hand."

Aizawa explained as he raised his hand and pressed the button on a remote control, causing shelves with the students' hero costumes to pop out from the walls, at which point he added.

"The training area is quite far, so we'll go by bus. That's all—go get ready; I'll be waiting outside."

After speaking, Aizawa left the classroom, at which point the students ran out to grab their costumes, then headed to the locker room. Meanwhile, Momo approached Kai carrying the suitcase with her costume.

"See you outside, Kai."

"Alright, see you outside." Kai bid farewell with a smile to Momo, who smiled happily before leaving the room. At that moment, he began a conversation with Sage through their mental connection.

[Sage, is everything ready?]

[Yes, master. I'm actively monitoring the entire UA security system. The moment someone tampers with it, I'll know immediately.] The beautiful fairy, who had been in [In] mode from the beginning, quickly responded while displaying a hologram with the relevant information, also in [In] state.

[Perfect. Stay alert. Today's main objective is to discover the rats and mark the guy with the hands. The optional objective is to obtain all possible data on how the portals work.] Kai commented satisfactorily as he changed into his PE uniform. He then picked up Salem and spoke to her in a serious tone.

"Well, Salem, you'll be my 'arsenal,' so don't forget the training."

After Salem meowed in response, Kai took off the tie that the girls always put on him, then put it over his shoulder and left the room with a serious look, soon meeting Momo, who was wearing her hero costume.

"Kai, you're here, let's go!"

With a cheerful smile, Momo hugged one of Kai's arms and boarded the bus, where she sat beside him. The bus set off while the other students engaged in noisy chatter among themselves. However, a subtle reminder of Conqueror's Haki when they started shouting too loudly was more than enough to keep the volume at a moderate level.

...

"INCREDIBLE! IS THIS THE USJ OR SOMETHING?!"

Kirishima exclaimed loudly upon entering the place, full of excitement. He then glanced nervously at Kai, but strangely, the intimidating boy only had a serious expression as he looked around. At that moment, a hero in an astronaut suit explained in his synthetic voice.

[Accidents involving floods, landslides, fires, etc., etc. This is the practical training area I've created to simulate all kinds of accidents and disasters, and its name is the ‘Ultimate Space for Jams’.]

“It’s the space hero ‘No. 13’! He’s the chivalrous hero who does a phenomenal job helping with humanitarian aid!” Midoriya exclaimed loudly, filled with excitement, to which Uraraka added with a happy smile on her face.

"Wow, I've always liked No. 13!"

"I AM HERE!!"

Suddenly, All Might landed nearby, wearing his red Silver Age suit, greatly exciting the students. Shortly after, he confidently entered the facilities and spoke in a firm and confident tone.

"Sorry for the delay, young ones, but I had to resolve some issues on the way."

"It's good you've arrived; we were about to start." Aizawa commented in his tired tone while looking at the bothersome hero, who seemed to have a strange fascination with being late. All Might just smiled brightly before turning to the students.

"Today I'll be your support during the rescue training! I hope you give it your all, young heroes!"

"Yes!!" The students responded enthusiastically, their eyes shining.

"Wow, this just keeps getting better!" Mina exclaimed excitedly, raising her hands in the air—a sentiment shared by almost everyone present. At that moment, Aizawa spoke in his tired voice.

"It's good that All Might has arrived, but it's time to begin the training."

[Certainly, but before we start, just one more thing... or two... or three... or four...]

No. 13 nodded and began to speak, but suddenly started counting on his fingers as the numbers increased, leaving everyone present with blank stares. Quickly setting that aside, he continued explaining.

[I'm sure all of you are already aware, but... my quirk is called 'Black Hole'. No matter what kind of material gets sucked into the vortex, I'm afraid it ends up turning to dust.]

"That's a quirk that's perfect for removing debris and saving people trapped by disasters!" Midoriya commented cheerfully. No. 13 nodded and then explained, his tone sounding more serious despite being robotic.

[Indeed. However, it's also a power that could very easily be used to kill, and in that sense, it's no different from the quirks of everyone here. Naturally, in this superhuman society, quirks are strictly regulated, and therefore, the requirements for their legal use are enforced.

[That said, please don't forget that each of you possesses a quirk that can be twisted. One misstep is all it takes to accidentally kill someone. During Aizawa's physical strength test, you learned the true potential of the power each of you possesses. And during All Might's battle test, I believe you experienced the real sense of danger that comes with using those powers against each other.

[This lesson will serve as a refreshing start. Let's begin studying how to wield these quirks for the sake of human life. The existence of your quirks isn't emphasized to hurt others. Please — leave this exercise having fully understood that your quirks exist to help people! That's all! You all have my gratitude for listening attentively and patiently!]

No. 13 finished his monologue with an elegant bow, as if he were some kind of performer. Several students began to applaud excitedly, especially the trio of Midoriya, Uraraka, and Iida, who lately seemed very close.

"That was amazing!" Uraraka exclaimed, full of excitement, while Iida loudly congratulated and applauded vigorously.

"Bravo! Bravo!"

But just as the excitement for the interesting training filled the students, a dark blot suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the training field. It immediately caught the attention of Aizawa, All Might, and Kai. The blot soon expanded, becoming a kind of black portal from which emerged an ugly face wearing a hand-shaped mask.

Chapter 90: It’s three against three.

Chapter Text

"Aizawa, No. 13, protect the students!!"

Alarmed, All Might quickly shouted out loud, then dashed toward the portal and launched a punch at the guy with the hand-shaped mask. But just before he could land it, a hand that looked more like a jet-black claw emerged from the portal and stopped his punch cold, greatly surprising him.

"Gather together and don't move! We have villains!!"

At the same time, Aizawa adjusted the protective goggles hanging around his neck, then turned to look at the students with a grave expression and exclaimed loudly.

Aizawa's words greatly shocked the students, who watched with panicked expressions as the portal widened and dozens of villains began to emerge from it. Meanwhile, All Might became embroiled in a high-speed fight with what appeared to be two jet-black monsters with exposed brains.

Panic quickly began to spread among the students, but just at that moment a monstrous pressure filled the place. The voice that normally inspired fear in Class 1-A resounded in the area with a serious, power-laden tone, while the villains who were approaching them began to fall to the ground like a bunch of puppets whose strings had been cut.

"Salem!"

Upon hearing Kai, everyone present turned to look at him, only to see the small cat that the boy always carried jumping from his shoulder and growing in size until it measured an impressive five meters in height. At the same time, powerful electric arcs surrounded it, and from its fur formed an impressive jet-black Jian sword with a curious relief on its blade that seemed like a combination of an electronic circuit and tribal runes.

At that instant, an enormous black shadow with elongated, intimidating red eyes suddenly appeared in front of the group, greatly surprising everyone. But just as No. 13 and Aizawa were preparing to activate their quirks, a powerful jet-black flying slash shot toward the shadow, at the same time that Kai's voice was heard.

"Salem, go and help All Might."

With Kai's words, the enormous five-meter panther shot off at blinding speed toward All Might, leaving an electric trail in its wake, while Kai's slash appeared as if by magic at the other end of the USJ dome.

Similarly, Kai shot toward the gigantic shadow, which tried to engulf him with its black mist, only for the blue-eyed boy to kick the air and abruptly change direction, dodging it. He then accelerated in the air, kicking it a couple more times, quickly ending up behind the shadow.

Without wasting a single second, Kai swiftly cut with his sword what seemed to be a large metallic collar glimpsed within the mist, causing the 'shadow' to be hurled at high speed toward the ground in the distance.

Meanwhile, the students watched Kai's impressive performance in shock, almost unable to believe what they were witnessing—especially three people: Bakugo, the blond with explosions; Todoroki, the guy with red and white hair; and Midoriya, All Might's successor.

"I'll take care of this one; I'll leave the ones below to you. They're probably drugged, so don't underestimate them." Kai briefly commented as he looked at the surprised Aizawa. Immediately afterward, he kicked the air and shot off to pursue the shadow, disappearing from the spot.

The reason Kai assumed that the villains still standing after a direct hit from his Conqueror's Haki were drugged was very simple. Over time, he had determined the three reasons someone could be 'immune' to his Conqueror's Haki, two of which he already knew from the original series: having great willpower or a certain level of power.

But the last one was a discovery he made thanks to his lab rats: there were certain types of narcotics that granted resistance to his Haki—especially stimulants, opioids, amphetamines, and hallucinogens, the latter being the most effective in avoiding intimidation.

While fighting at high speeds with the two monsters with exposed brains, All Might had a serious expression on his face. After all, the monsters had extremely annoying quirks, almost specially selected to deal with him—especially one of them, who was capable of nullifying his punches.

"HAHAHAHA!!! IT SEEMS THAT THE GREAT SYMBOL OF PEACE CAN'T MATCH MY NOMUS!!! SHOCK ABSORPTION AND ENERGY EXPLOSION WERE ALL THAT WAS NEEDED TO FINISH OFF THE NUMBER ONE HERO, HAHAHAHA!!!"

The guy with the hand-shaped mask exclaimed loudly in a crazed tone, as if he were in ecstasy, while All Might was forced to dodge a punch from the large, robust-bodied Nomu that could absorb his impacts. The second Nomu took advantage of this moment to extend its hands and send a powerful energy beam in his direction.

But just then, an imposing five-meter-tall blue-eyed panther appeared right next to the Nomu that could shoot laser beams. This Nomu had no eyes and was much thinner and more streamlined, with an almost feminine body. The panther sank its enormous claws into the Nomu's back while its fangs dug into the monster's neck, its electricity wreaking havoc inside the creature.

At the same time, in the distance, a monstrous jet-black flying slash cut one of the dome's walls in half. Moments later, a figure covered in darkness with a strange large metallic collar fell forcefully to the ground, creating a small crater. It quickly recovered and wanted to approach the madman with the hands, but had to stop upon seeing the terrifying young man who had struck him arrive in front of him.

"It seems that, although you can 'deflect' my slashes, that stupid collar is your weakness. Interesting to know." Kai commented as he landed softly on the ground not far from the impact site of the dark figure, holding the beautiful jet-black Jian sword in his hand.

"Kai-shonen!"

Seeing the boy, All Might exclaimed with some relief and evident surprise in his tone, then quickly approached Kai. At that moment, Salem arrived at his master's side, somehow bearing a confused expression on his feline face. After all, the piece of flesh he had managed to tear from the neck of the strange prey was now regrowing as if by magic. Which quickly led him to a realization that made his blue feline eyes shine with excitement.

"It's three against three; I'll take the one with the portals. Which one do you want?"

While the three Nomus grouped in front of them, Kai asked as electric blue lightning began to crackle around his body, lifting his hair. All Might quickly responded without considering it even for a moment.

"The one that shoots lasers; the other will be easier for your pet with his electricity."

"Understood. Salem, your prey is the big monster with eyes; the one without eyes is All Might's."

Upon hearing the response, Kai quickly nodded and commanded Salem, who roared powerfully in return. At that point, the three disappeared at speeds that could not be followed by the human eye, and the monsters responded with their own attacks, initiating the second round of the battle.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU, BASTARD?!"

"[Trace] on!"

The guy with the hand-shaped mask, absolutely indignant, roared loudly with such force that his vocal cords strained, making him sound like a wounded animal, while he looked full of anger at the brutal repercussions of the clash between six colossal forces—a moment that Kai took advantage of to activate a very special card, using the madman's screams as cover.

With a fluid movement, Kai kicked the air and dodged a jet of dark mist sent by his opponent, simultaneously sending his own slash at the shadow's neck, forcing it to dodge. He then pointed with his left hand at the madman with the hands, holding the [Trace] card between his index and middle fingers. Apart from the typical golden Aura Script pattern, the card had in the center the image of a kind of magic circle launching a beam of light in the middle of the night's tundra.

Having been activated, the card quickly transformed into light, but this time, unlike normal cards, it was in [in] state. It rapidly formed a kind of arrow of light, which shot off in a straight line, soon hitting the skinny body of the madman with the hands and disappearing into nothingness—something that no one else could see.

"He's the proud son of my master."

Suddenly, the guy with the hand-shaped mask heard next to him a tired voice that seemed to be responding to his question. Alarmed, he turned to look, only to be met with a punch that hit him square in the face and sent him flying, but he was quickly captured mid-flight by Eraserhead's bandages.

"You son of a bitch! My quirk!!" With a strange voice due to the blow, the madman with the hands exclaimed loudly upon noticing that he couldn't activate his quirk, which led him to see that Aizawa's hair was rising unnaturally in the air.

...

[Students, let's retreat!]

For his part, No. 13 commented in a serious tone while dealing with the few villains who hadn't passed out when the pressure from the terrifying blue-eyed young man exploded, using his Black Hole. He felt that he finally understood part of what Principal Nezu and Recovery Girl had said that day.

But suddenly, several spears emerged from the ground, impaling No. 13. A villain who had been playing dead stood up victoriously, which caused the other villains—who were still clinging with all their might to whatever they could to avoid falling into the Black Hole—to be freed and laugh wickedly.

"Hahaha, if we take these kids as hostages, those monsters will have to surrender! Let's go!!"

The villain who had been playing dead exclaimed loudly with a voice full of delight, as if he could already see the moment of his victory. But just then, a red metallic fist reached his face, sending him flying unconscious, at the same time that a melodious female voice commented with elegance.

"Drugs are harmful to your health, you know?"

After making that comment, Momo—who now wore her full armor—shot off to confront the remaining villains. At that moment, a wave of ice trapped a bunch more villains, and an iconic shout filled the air.

"DIE!!!"

With Bakugo's shout, a powerful explosion went off in a villain's face, while Kirishima, Sero, Tsuyu, and Mina jumped to face other villains, initiating a free-for-all battle that quickly finished them off. Meanwhile, Midoriya, Uraraka, and Iida ran to the side of the impaled No. 13.

"No. 13!!"

Midoriya exclaimed in panic as he reached the hero in the space suit. Iida used his engine kick to tear off the suit's helmet, revealing a beautiful woman with short hair, who had a slight trace of blood at her mouth.

"No. 13, are you okay?" Uraraka quickly got in front of the woman—who was taller than her—with the help of her quirk. The hero responded with a voice full of pain.

"No, but they didn't pierce any vital spots, so I'll recover. Though, don't try to remove them, or I might bleed out."

"That's a relief."

Iida commented with genuine relief, a feeling shared by everyone present. But as they were about to check the hero's condition further, a strong impact resounded on the roof, which attracted everyone's attention, revealing a scene that left them speechless.

Looking toward the source of the sound, the group of students saw a huge hole, and on the ground stood the victorious All Might with his fist extended. A few meters away was Kai's terrifying panther, which had greatly changed the perception most had of him as an adorable cat.

The blue-eyed panther held by the neck—with its enormous jaws—the monster it had been fighting, which now looked like a piece of coal missing an arm and a leg. It trembled slightly due to the enormous amounts of electricity coursing through it, preventing its healing.

Meanwhile, Kai was not far away, with his foot on the neck of the portal guy lying on the ground, missing one of his arms and also trembling slightly. His mind was filled with thoughts about what had happened, especially the part about the three monsters.

(Am I remembering wrong? Or is there an extra one now? Moreover, I seem to recall that this portal guy wasn't that strong and his greatest asset was his portals, but this bastard has super strength and super regeneration—although not at the level of the other two. Definitely, this guy isn't someone the others could handle; maybe he's at the level of that trash with muscle fibers...

(But anyway, I managed to obtain good data and even discovered a couple of rats who were stealthily tampering with the security system, so I should start acting now to buy time for the Alcatraz mark to set and play dumb with this guy's arm that 'conveniently' ended up near the bastard with the hands...)

Chapter 91: Things will be complicated from now on.

Chapter Text

Shortly after, All Might landed near Aizawa after checking on the students' condition. He then asked in a serious tone, while gazing into the distance with deep eyes at the black-haired boy who was now casually sitting atop the villain.

"Have you been able to communicate to ask for help? No. 13 sustained serious injuries, although the students are fine."

"Communications were blocked until a moment ago, but I managed to call for help now; assistance shouldn't be delayed." Aizawa commented grimly as he finished tying up the hand-crazed maniac, now unconscious.

"That's good..."

All Might nodded, somewhat relieved and somewhat bitter at the same time, since present there was possibly the best 'doctor' in the world. But he quickly shook his head to put those thoughts aside for the moment and commented in a dark tone.

"I can't believe they infiltrated UA..."

"Yes, we need to start a thorough investigation into this." Aizawa said solemnly, an equally grim expression on his face, but he quickly added seriously.

"I'll help Saito secure the villain."

"I'll join you." All Might commented casually, to which Aizawa nodded without giving it much importance.

After ensuring that the hand-crazed maniac was truly incapacitated, the pair of heroes walked over to where Kai was. Upon arrival, Aizawa commented in a serious tone while activating his Quirk, looking at the villain beneath the boy, causing his hair to rise into the air.

"Saito, let me secure the villain."

"Sure."

Without giving it much importance, Kai nodded casually and then got up from the portal guy; after all, the Alcatraz mark had already been set. So Aizawa proceeded to restrain the villain with his bandages, but just at that moment, a black mist lunged at him at high speed.

Immediately, Aizawa felt himself being pulled back rapidly, at the same time seeing a flying slash shoot towards the mist, which was sent flying at high speed through the air, only to then disappear into nothingness.

"Damn it, they escaped!"

Noticing that the hand-crazed maniac was no longer there, Aizawa commented with a grim expression, while All Might opened and closed his fist with a similar expression. After all, his hand had hit the back of his own head thanks to a strange black portal that appeared in front of him when he tried to grab the villain at the moment he saw the black mist envelop him.

"Isn't your Quirk supposed to disable other Quirks?" Kai asked in a serious tone while releasing Aizawa, who responded grimly as he removed his goggles.

"Yes, but I don't know what happened; somehow he managed to circumvent my Quirk."

"Well, at least we have the monster that Salem is playing with, and also the one All Might sent flying, although we'll have to find it first."

After a sigh, Kai commented while pointing at the enormous panther that was fiercely shaking the monster in its jaws. After all, the massive cat was really indignant because not only did it taste awful, but it no longer magically grew more flesh, which had previously really excited it to the point of being willing to ignore its horrible taste. Which was a thousand times worse than the premium meat it was given at home.

"And Salem, if you stop electrocuting it, it'll regenerate."

Then, Kai spoke to the enormous panther while rolling his eyes, imagining what was in its stupid head. Salem quickly stopped emitting electricity and released the Nomu, then held it down against the ground with one of its huge claws, while staring at it intently, waiting for the flesh to reappear.

"Kai-shonen, what exactly is your pet?"

Staring intently at Kai, All Might asked in a serious tone. After all, he had seen that 'cat' a couple of times, but never imagined it would have the power to easily defeat the monster that was causing him trouble, to which the blue-eyed young man responded casually.

"It's a normal cat, or well, it was, but a few years ago it somehow awakened a Quirk and became quite terrifying as you can see. That's why the principal let me bring it; it's like my assistance animal."

Although Aizawa looked surprised at the enormous panther that roared happily upon seeing the monster's flesh regrow, All Might, for his part, looked at Kai full of suspicion. After all, that electricity seemed too familiar; it was too much of a coincidence that both the master and the pet could do such similar things, to which the black-haired, blue-eyed boy just smiled amusedly without the slightest intention of explaining.

The reality behind Salem's impressive strength was somewhat complicated, as it was due to a combination of factors. First, the ability that the black cat's Accomplice developed turned out to be quite similar to Kai's [Lightning Mantle], although much weaker, since it could only use two aura categories: Enhancement and Transmutation.

But that ability alone didn't make him so outrageously strong and fast. The final ingredient was that Salem was the only one to whom Kai had updated the Accomplice to add his most recent ability. Which Kai and Sage had taken almost a year to decipher, using practically 90% of their computational capacity and extensive tests on lab rats, which almost cost them their lives, although he eventually managed to save them.

The ability ended up being named [Vital Reactor], which gradually allowed adding a mutation to the genetic code similar to what One for All added to turn its user into practically a 'bioenergy reactor'. And although it was quite complicated to do at first and the final result was much weaker than that of One for All, the real benefit was immense.

First, the user's base Quirk power was greatly enhanced, as the greater amount of energy increased its capacity. Additionally, like All Might, they had super strength, super speed, enhanced reflexes, etc. But an unexpected surprise was that the abilities of the Accomplices were also enhanced, as they could feed on more energy, as was the case with Salem, whose strength increased several times with his version of [Lightning Mantle].

But although it had such good results in Salem and Kai had tested it with lab rats and himself for a good while, the blue-eyed boy had no intention of updating the others' Accomplices in the short term. Since it was too important and experimental a change, he hoped to gather much more data before doing so.

…

Shortly thereafter, the UA hero faculty squad rushed into the USJ, ready for battle. Among them was Nemuri, who had an expression full of rage as she looked around erratically, quickly finding Momo dressed in her armor, at which point she ran towards her at superhuman speed.

Although it was hard to say that the girls possessed super strength, the years of continuous massages from Kai and his specialized training methods had ended up improving the strength, skill, reflexes, and speed of everyone in the family to a superhuman level, even those who hardly trained like Yumiko and Keiko. Although in their case, it was hard to say if they were really superhuman or just very good.

"Are you okay, Momo?"

Visibly worried, Nemuri quickly asked the girl who was still wearing her full-body armor, who responded with a serious voice, befitting a heroine in training like herself, although a hint of enthusiasm could be glimpsed in her tone.

"I'm fine, Onee-chan. All Might, sensei, and Kai took care of the dangerous ones; we only dealt with the weak ones."

"That's a relief." Nemuri let out a sigh of relief, at which point Kai returned with Salem on his shoulder and commented in a joking tone.

"How sad, nobody worries about me anymore."

""Kai!""

Upon hearing his voice, Momo and Nemuri exclaimed excitedly, at which point Momo jumped to hug the blue-eyed young man, throwing her facade of a heroine in training out the window. Meanwhile, Nemuri bit her lips trying to restrain herself, as she didn't want to arouse suspicion from her colleagues or the other students; after all, she knew that if she hugged him, it would be very difficult to stop herself from doing something more.

…

After a while, the police and medical assistance arrived, who took all the villains into custody and helped No. 13, the only one seriously injured. All while All Might sent accusatory glances at Kai, who didn't lift a finger to help her and ignored him completely while lying in Momo's lap under a nearby tree, as she gently stroked the blue-eyed boy's hair.

"It's truly a shame that someone with so many wonderful abilities is so indifferent to people..." In a distant corner, All Might commented with a disappointed tone, to which the principal, who had arrived at the scene along with the other teachers, responded with a casual smile on his face.

"Well, it's true that he's not the most willing to save lives, but I think this case is a small victory."

"What do you mean, Principal?" All Might asked somewhat confused, to which the curious animal responded with a 'wicked' smile on his face.

"Well, today Kai-kun fought against the villains on his own and even saved Aizawa-san, so if you look at it from a certain perspective, he was the hero today, albeit in his own way."

"Although you may be right, Principal, I don't think those were Kai-shonen's intentions for doing what he did." All Might replied while looking off into the distance at his proud successor, who was talking with his good friend, Detective Naomasa Tsukauchi.

Although the boy hadn't played a major role in today's incident, All Might felt he couldn't have made a better decision in choosing him as his successor instead of someone like Kai. After all, his actions showed that his intentions were always in the right place, and combat ability was something they could work on in the future; the most important thing was the foundation.

"That's quite likely the case, but does that really matter now? The results were the best: no students were injured, and only one teacher was seriously hurt, but those injuries aren't life-threatening, and in a couple of months, she'll be back in service. Now imagine what could have happened if he hadn't been there. Although you might have eventually solved the case, how sure are you that no one would have been hurt in your current state?"

For his part, Principal Nezu commented in a serious tone while looking at the blue-eyed young man. He preferred a thousand times to work with someone like Kai than with someone like All Might. After all, although those like All Might were a great asset on the side of good, the reality was that they were easy to manipulate, especially by villains. And there was only one almighty symbol of peace who could emerge unscathed from any situation; others weren't doing so well on that path.

Meanwhile, those who were like Kai were much more stable; as long as they were offered remuneration they found acceptable, they would accept the job and carry it out without being influenced by outsiders. And although he hadn't yet been able to determine how loyal the young man was to his word, at least so far the boy had shown that he had professional ethics.

After all, he had healed All Might without tricks and had brought him to his peak, just as he had promised. Even the first thing he did in his new workshop was accept a request from the academy for one of the third-year students, instead of starting to use it for his own purposes. And from the blueprints he had sent for approval, he was doing an impressive job, earning several praises from Power Loader.

"Well, it's hard to speculate about something that didn't happen, but it certainly would have been complicated for me. Those Nomus' Quirks seemed to have been specifically selected to deal with me; both had impressive strength and speed, and their combination at close and long range was too good. Additionally, they had super regeneration, and one could nullify my shockwaves." All Might explained with a grim expression, to which the principal couldn't help but ask with a similar expression.

"Do you think 'he' is behind this?"

"Most likely. The way the attack occurred, the monsters that seemed to have multiple Quirks, and more importantly, my instincts scream that it was him. This is very much his 'style'; I feel this was a kind of 'greeting' from him..." All Might replied with a grave and grim expression, to which the principal couldn't help but comment solemnly.

"So he's really not dead... things will be complicated from now on..."

In the end, the event was resolved without many more complications, although UA would close its doors for a day to conduct an internal investigation and make improvements to the security system. So Kai returned home in the company of Momo and Nemuri, without paying much more attention to the matter, his mind wandering on the best way to hunt the rats he had detected.

…

"You really were the hero today, Kai. I'm so proud!"

In the middle of the main room of the safe house, sitting next to Kai while hugging him intimately, Ryuko commented with a huge smile on her face, full of genuine happiness and pride. Shino, who was sitting on the other side of the blue-eyed boy, added with an expression full of fascination.

"Yes, you saved all the students with your actions. I really would have loved to see you."

"Fufufu, you should have just seen the expressions everyone had; that was the best part."

While straddling Kai's lap and hugging him tightly, burying her face in his neck, Nemuri commented with a small happy smile. After all, although it was true that Kai hadn't wanted to do anything for the injured No. 13, the fact that he had fought for the students' safety was a great first step. Besides, they also understood that revealing Kai's 'medical' abilities would bring endless problems, and No. 13's injuries weren't serious enough to warrant taking that risk.

"It wasn't that much; I just hit the portal guy, and in the end, he ended up escaping, although sooner or later, I'll find him." Kai said casually, not giving much importance to the matter.

"Darling, it might not have been much for you, but your actions meant a lot to others. Also, you shouldn't worry too much because the villain escaped; teleportation Quirks are so rare that even All Might couldn't prevent his escape." Ryuko commented in a more serious tone, to which Nemuri added as she pulled away a bit from Kai to look him in the eyes.

"Ryuko is right; teleportation Quirks are incredibly rare, to the point that no professional hero is known to have one, so it's a shame it has fallen into the hands of villains."

"Certainly, such an ability in the hands of heroes would greatly facilitate work in so many situations." Shino nodded while commenting with a bit of regret in her voice. At this point, Kai decided to change the conversation and commented with a smile.

"Well, putting that aside, we have a date this weekend, Shino. Where will we go?"

"Fufufu, that's right, what do you want to do, Shino?" Completely drawn to the topic, Nemuri quickly asked with a big smile while looking at Shino, to which Ryuko added in a cheerful tone.

"Yes, tell us, so I can think of something different for my turn."

"It will be a surprise; you'll find out later." Shino replied with a shy smile on her face, which made everyone present smile.

Chapter 92: Move.

Chapter Text

Friday soon arrived, so once again Kai was in his seat in the classroom. There was always a brief daily session with the homeroom teacher before classes began, and for some reason, Nezu hadn't allowed him to skip that nuisance. According to Nezu, it was important because that's when significant announcements and the like were made.

After a while, Aizawa entered the classroom. All the students fell silent and sat properly in their seats, except for Kai, who simply remained sprawled over his desk as always—something the teacher ignored, as usual. Once he was behind his own desk, Aizawa began to speak.

"The U.A. Sports Festival will be held soon!"

With an unusually serious tone, Aizawa announced as he looked sternly at the students, who quickly became excited. Several couldn't help but stand up from their seats and exclaim with enthusiasm.

"IT'S FINALLY HERE!"

But as they reacted in their excitement, they abruptly stopped and turned almost robotically to look at Kai. He had lifted his head and wore a dark expression on his face. Likely because the class representative, Momo, was staring at him sharply without blinking, the terrifying young man refrained from making people faint.

Seeing this, a couple of students couldn't help but sigh in relief, congratulating themselves for having made the right decision in voting for Momo as class representative. She was the only one who could restrain the frightening boy whom even Aizawa, for some reason, pretended didn't exist despite all he did.

"Is it really okay to hold the sports festival right after villains infiltrated the school?"

The tense moment dissipated when one of the students—a girl with short black hair and what appeared to be two sound cables extending from her earlobes—asked in a somewhat worried tone while looking at Aizawa. He replied in his tired voice.

"On the contrary: continuing with the festival means the school is confident everything is under control regarding crisis management. For example, I've heard that police presence will be five times greater than normal. What you should be thinking about is... the academy's sports festival presents a great opportunity for all of you. This event won't be brought down by something like villains."

Aizawa paused briefly to look at the students, then added in a much more serious tone, a hint of pride seeping into his weary voice.

"Our sports festival is one of the biggest events in Japan! In the past, the Olympics were the sporting festival that stirred the nation's enthusiasm, but now, as you know, its scope and participation have diminished, and it's lost much influence. So what's taken the place of the Olympics in Japan is the U.A. Sports Festival!"

"The country's top heroes will surely be watching us, scouting us for recruitment." Momo commented, clenching a fist in front of her, to which Kai could only roll his eyes, as if she would ever lack a hero agency eager to “recruit” her.

"I think I'll follow the tactic of being an assistant to a professional hero after graduation." One of the students—blond-haired with a curious black lightning-shaped streak—said cheerfully, looking at the classmate next to him, the girl with the earphone jacks. She retorted with a sarcastic comment.

"But many people get stuck as assistants and lose the chance to become heroes themselves forever. You seem just that kind of idiot, Kaminari."

As young Kaminari huffed in annoyance, Aizawa spoke up loudly again, immediately capturing the students' attention. They looked at him with serious expressions.

"Naturally, joining the team of a famous hero will give you high status and more experience, but remember, time is limited. If you're noticed by a professional, it puts you in a position to have a brilliant future. This is an opportunity you have once a year—for a total of three chances. If you aspire to be heroes, this is an event you can't overlook!"

After the grand announcement, there were a couple more notices until the session with the homeroom teacher ended. Kai, after bidding farewell to Momo, casually began walking toward the exit behind Aizawa, determined to make quick progress on the commissioned project he was working on. He wanted to finish it as soon as possible to focus on his own goals.

...

At lunchtime and after a shower, Kai welcomed the girls who had come to eat, these being Momo, Nemuri, Nejire, and Mina, the latter now being a regular visitor. After a casual greeting, everyone began to eat.

"Hado, since you've experienced it before, what are the sports festivals like?" An excited Mina asked in the middle of the meal, looking at Nejire. After thinking for a moment, Nejire replied with a smile.

"Hmm... they're fun. Plus, they're a good opportunity to receive invitations for apprenticeships and internships. That's how I met Ryukyu."

"Well, I guess for the current champion they must be 'fun'..." Mina commented with an ironic smile at Nejire's sweet expression. At that moment, Nemuri added with a small grin.

"You don't have to worry so much about it. Although they're a good opportunity, you don't necessarily have to win to get noticed. It's better to show what you're capable of, and there will be heroes interested in you. And even if you don't catch attention this time, you still have two more chances to do so. For example, there's a third-year student who only managed to attract a hero's attention in his second year and is now considered a strong contender against Nejire for the championship."

"You mean Togata-san, Onee-chan?" Momo asked with a slight smile, to which Nemuri nodded while bringing her chopsticks to her mouth. Nejire added cheerfully.

"Togata has become really strong lately, but he's still not my match, fufufu."

"It's not like I have illusions of winning. After all, the star this year will be Saito. There's no one in our class, and I highly doubt there's anyone in the entire academy who can stand up to him." Mina commented with a small smile, looking at the gluttonous Kai, who was battling with Salem over a piece of meat the cunning cat wanted to steal.

"Me? Don't worry about that. Although I have to participate, I have no intention of standing out. I'll find some random excuse to get out of it as soon as possible." Kai commented casually while staring down Salem, who was showing his belly in submission. This greatly surprised Mina, who quickly asked.

"Why would you do something like that? It's a great opportunity, and there's no one who can beat you in the first year."

"Because it's a damn nuisance; I like being anonymous."

Without giving it much importance, Kai replied casually while shooing Salem away to eat his own meat. This greatly surprised Mina, who turned to look at the other girls, discovering that they all had sly little smiles on their faces. She then looked back at Kai, who had started to turn his back on them.

As Kai ignored the girls, determined not to fall into any of their plans, lunch passed quietly amid casual conversations, mainly focusing on Nejire's experiences in previous sports festivals. When lunchtime ended, after saying their goodbyes, Kai, Momo, Mina, and Nemuri walked to the classroom, as Nemuri would be teaching the class today.

...

When the class ended, Kai stretched casually while the other students left the room. Suddenly, a crowd formed at the entrance as Uraraka was about to exit, which greatly surprised the curious girl. She couldn't help but exclaim loudly.

"W-What's happening?!"

Noticing the hustle and bustle, Momo, as the class representative that she was, quickly walked to the door to understand what was going on. She was a little surprised by the large crowd, but she quickly composed herself and asked with a serious and elegant tone.

"Excuse me, but do you need something from our Class 1-A?"

"They came to observe the enemy. They want to see the ones who survived the villains' ambush. They're examining us before the big battle."

In response came Bakugo's voice, who commented in a rather calm tone. He didn't dare get too worked up with the representative, or the watchdog might jump at his throat before he realized what was happening. And even if that didn't happen, he wasn't in the mood to be knocked out today. But since he still had some bite to show, upon reaching the crowd, he added in a much more aggressive tone.

"There's no point in trying, so why don't you all just get the hell out of here, damn rabble."

"Bakugo-san, don't call the other students 'rabble'." In response came Momo's voice, who spoke in a reproachful tone with her arms crossed, causing Bakugo to look at her for a moment, then comment with annoyance in his tone.

"Whatever."

"I came to see what you're made of, but I didn't think you'd be this arrogant. Are all those enrolled in the Hero Course like this?"

Suddenly, from the back of the crowd, a young man with indigo hair stepped forward, quickly standing in front of Bakugo. Bakugo glared down at him as veins began to throb on his forehead, letting out an irritated grunt.

"I'm a bit disappointed. So that's all you are, huh?" The indigo-haired youth remarked cynically as he looked at the gathered Class 1-A students. He then added in a more serious tone.

"There are a lot of people who are in the general education department or other departments because they failed to access the hero course, did you know that? And, based on the results of the sports festival, they can even enter review to be transferred to the hero course and the opposite can also happen..."

The young man's words caused a nervous expression on Midoriya's face, something he quickly noticed. He began to look at all the other students, then added with a slightly arrogant tone, having a defiant grin on his face.

"Spying on the competition? At least I, from General Studies... will wipe the floor with you if you take it lightly. Consider this a declaration of war."

Just then, Kai, with a sleeping Salem on his shoulder, arrived next to Momo. Kai handed Momo her suitcase, while extending his hook arm for her to take it, which she did with a small smile, then walking together to the exit. At which point, Kai commented in a casual tone as his Conqueror's Haki began to emerge from him.

"Move."

Feeling an overwhelming terror, the students began to visibly tremble, then quickly walked away from the place. At which point Kai nodded in satisfaction, then deactivated his Conqueror's Haki while Momo pinched his arm and looked at him with accusatory eyes, something he ignored completely as he continued walking casually.

Meanwhile, several students who didn't run away—such as the indigo-haired boy and another with silver hair, without eyebrows and with strange yellow eyelashes surrounding his eyes like a mask—looked with serious expressions at the young man who walked calmly. The indigo-haired boy wanted to speak but, after a moment, decided to remain silent and instead walked away while several Class A students stifled their laughter and gave thumbs up to the terrifying blue-eyed boy.

Chapter 93: Beach date (R-18)

Chapter Text

In the middle of a secluded beach with white sand and a crystal-clear sea that revealed the ocean floor, there was a solitary couple on a delicate red blanket. They chatted cheerfully with each other while eating some appetizing sandwiches under a large umbrella that shielded them from the sun.

"This beach is truly beautiful." Kai, who was wearing a casual outfit of black shorts and a white sweater, commented while holding one of the sandwiches prepared by his adorable date.

"Yes, it really is. It's my favorite place in the world, and I wanted you to see it." Shino, who was dressed in a beautiful white summer dress accompanied by an elegant wide-brimmed straw hat, replied with a slight smile on her face as she looked at the sea.

"Thank you for that; I'll make sure to keep this place safe from now on." Kai said in a tone that greatly broadened Shino's smile, who responded in a light and cheerful tone.

"Thank you, I know you will."

"But you know, I imagined the date would be at a place like a cat shelter or something; this was really unexpected." Kai commented somewhat amused, to which Shino nodded happily before explaining with a smile.

"I actually thought about it, but this place is more special to me. Besides, Salem might get jealous if you come back smelling like other cats."

"Haha, you're right, Salem is a drama queen." Kai couldn't help but say with a laugh while imagining the fuss the lazy cat would make about it. But at that moment, Shino asked in a somewhat uncertain tone.

"…Kai, I really appreciate you giving me this chance, but… are you really sure you want to be with me?"

Not too surprised by the sudden question, Kai remained silent and instead stood up from his spot. He approached the beautiful woman who had been working for years on her severe self-esteem issues and sat next to her, guiding her to rest her head on his lap, leaving her hat aside.

"You know, Shino, you are a magnificent woman, and believe me, I'm the only one winning here. Not only are you incredibly beautiful, but you're also serious, diligent, understanding, and caring. You have the complete package, and I assure you any man would go crazy for the mere chance to be by your side."

As he affectionately stroked Shino's silky and carefully groomed hair, Kai spoke with a voice that expressed his sincerity, which deeply moved the beautiful heroine. With a low and choked voice, she shared her fears and insecurities with the man she loved.

"Kai... I really don't feel worthy of being by your side. You are so incredible, so young, so strong, so capable, and I'm just a simple hero. Moreover, my beauty and even my quirk are things in which you have a lot to do, so I have nothing valuable to offer you."

"Listen, Shino, the truth is that even without me, you would still be incredibly beautiful and a great hero. You have everything needed to stand out in the world on your own merit; I just added a little cherry on top. And you say you have nothing valuable to offer me? I couldn't disagree more with that.

"You are a very valuable woman, Shino. Women like you, especially in today's world, are incredibly rare. You are conscious, respectful, and know how to make yourself respected. Plus, you care greatly about me and everyone fortunate enough to be around you. And if you don't believe me, ask anyone; you're a fundamental part of our family."

While looking at the sea, Kai spoke in a firm and calm tone while stroking Shino's hair. She couldn't contain her tears and began to cry silently, her heart filled with infinite happiness at hearing those words from the most important person to her. She thanked him with a moved voice.

"Thank you, Kai... you don't know how important it is for me to hear you say that."

"You have nothing to thank me for; I just told the truth. You're a valuable woman, and I truly appreciate that you want to give me the chance to be by your side." Kai spoke warmly as he wiped away Shino's tears. She smiled happily, and the blue-eyed boy added with a grin.

"But we're on a date at the beach; we have to have fun."

"Hehe, you're right. Forgive me for my outburst." Shino said with a beautiful smile on her face. Kai quickly shook his head, then looked her directly in the eyes and spoke in a serious tone.

"There's nothing to forgive. Now that we're in a relationship, the first thing we need to work on is trust. So you can trust me and seek my support even for the most insignificant thing that comes to mind. I will always be there to support you and help in any way I can, and for what I can't, I'll find a way to do it."

Feeling her cheeks blush and her heart wanting to leap out of her chest, Shino lowered her head shyly, then thanked him in a low voice, which somehow made her look incredibly adorable.

"Thank you, I will."

"Hehe, that's what I hope. Now, let's have fun." Kai said with a smile as he stood up and extended his hand to Shino, who took it timidly and rose from the ground.

"What do you think about swimming a bit?" After helping Shino up, Kai asked with a smile, to which the beautiful woman nodded with a small grin.

"I like the idea."

With a slight blush on her face, Shino took the hem of her dress and quickly removed it, revealing an elegant red bikini that showcased her impressive figure. She had large breasts, almost on par with Nemuri, a slim waist, and a toned stomach, leading to a pair of long, slender legs ending in small and delicate feet.

For his part, Kai couldn't help but carefully observe his girlfriend's dreamlike body, absolutely tempted to have a taste. This made Shino blush deeply, while simultaneously giving her a boost of confidence in her attractiveness like she'd never felt before.

"Do you like it?" Between shy and happy, Shino asked in a low voice while straightening her back, so her beloved could appreciate her in every detail.

"You're gorgeous..."

Looking Shino up and down, Kai commented in a low voice that revealed his desires, which made Shino smile joyfully. She quickly approached him, pressing her generous bust against his chest, then whispered in a seductive voice near the ear of his beloved.

"Now I'm all yours to do whatever you want."

"Don't tempt the devil, woman; you don't know the terror of doing that." Kai replied with a 'wicked' smile while firmly squeezing Shino's slender waist. The beautiful woman smiled amusedly and tried to sound scared, though not very convincingly.

"Oh no, could it be that this big bad wolf wants to devour me?"

"Hehe, that's right, Little Red Riding Hood; this big bad wolf wants to devour you whole."

Playing along, Kai spoke in a deep voice, trying to sound menacing, which made Shino smile brightly. After giving her beloved a light kiss on the lips, she ran laughing toward the sea, pretending to be scared.

"Oh no, a big bad wolf is going to eat me, help..."

Equally amused, Kai took off his shirt and followed closely behind Shino, entering the sea with her. They began to swim and play cheerfully, chasing each other amid laughter, until after some time, Kai finally caught her in his arms.

"Oh no, the big bad wolf caught me. What will become of me?" Shino said in a playful tone while lovingly hugging her beloved's neck. Kai smiled and replied.

"You're going to be completely devoured, Little Red Riding Hood; surrender."

"Hehe." Shino giggled, then initiated a loving kiss with her beloved, which quickened her heart as she began to feel her body rapidly heating up.

Soon, the kiss transitioned from being soft and affectionate to passionate and full of desire, igniting Shino's repressed desires completely. She wrapped her legs around her beloved while clinging to his head with her arms, as if wanting to be as close as possible to him.

At the same time, Kai began to walk out of the sea carrying Shino, never breaking the passionate kiss. They quickly returned to the umbrella, where he gently laid her down, then started exploring her magnificent body with his hands, causing an overwhelming lust to fill the beautiful woman.

Consumed by lust and desire, Shino stopped the kiss, then looked directly into Kai's eyes with pleading, at the same time moving her small bikini with her right hand, revealing to the world her delicate pussy, which throbbed with passion. It had as its only adornment a seductive transparent liquid that made it shine slightly, being completely shaved.

"Please, I desire you."

At the sound of Shino's desire-filled voice, Kai quickly lowered his shorts, revealing his erect manhood. The sight made the beautiful brown-haired woman swallow hard as she opened her legs wider in invitation—one that the blue-eyed boy quickly accepted, inserting his penis into his spectacular girlfriend's pink, pristine pussy.

The moment Shino felt her pack's masculinity passing through her, a deep happiness, mixed in equal parts with an unparalleled pleasure, went through her body, but her delight did not end there. Immediately after, her beloved tore her little bikini from her chest and then began to suck on her tiny, erect nipples.

For his part, Kai couldn't help but marvel at Shino's small nipples and tiny areolas, which looked unusually attractive on her enormous breasts. As he firmly thrust into her interior, causing a cascade of love juices to pour out of the beautiful woman.

"Kai... harder."

Amidst seductive moans, Shino begged with a voice full of desire, so Kai quickly increased the pace of his thrusts, causing the beautiful woman's moans to increase in volume. She clung with her legs to her lover's waist, not wanting him to separate from her.

"Kai... your cock is delicious; my pussy feels like it's in heaven!"

Amid her passionate moans, Shino began to shout, filled with ecstasy, which greatly surprised Kai. It didn't match her usual serious demeanor, yet it was incredibly sexy to hear the typically reserved Shino talking dirty, prompting him to tease her even more.

"How much do you like it?" With a mischievous smile and a seductive voice, Kai asked while thrusting even harder. Shino quickly responded, overwhelmed by pleasure.

"I love it! Your cock is exquisite; I've never felt so much pleasure in my life. I love you! I love your cock!"

"So you love my cock more than me?" Both amused and excited, Kai asked while firmly pinching one of Shino's tiny nipples. She shouted her response.

"You! I love you more! Your cock just makes you even better!"

"That didn't sound very convincing; seems I'll have to punish this lustful Little Red Riding Hood." Kai commented in a playful voice. To his surprise, Shino hugged him tightly and exclaimed with desire.

"Yes, punish me! I've been very bad—punish me!"

Inadvertently discovering a secret of his sensual girlfriend, Kai could not help but smile wickedly. He then separated from her for a moment and put her on all fours, immediately after inserting his penis again deep inside her warm interior, causing a beastly moan to come out of Shino's delicate pink lips. While she arched her back like a cat and a jet of love juice came out of her pussy.

"Yes, punish me more! Spank me! I've been very bad!"

Following the wishes of his unbridled girlfriend, Kai quickly spanked her round and sensual ass, which caused an orgasm to run through Shino's body. She couldn't help but scream out loud as she moved her hips to the rhythm of her lover.

“Yes, punish me!! Punish me more!!”

Measuring his strength, Kai spanked the crazed and sensual Shino, causing an endless number of intense orgasms to run through the beautiful hero's body. This made her mind clouded by pleasure and unable to think of anything other than furious and aggressive sex. At one point, however, her lover grabbed her by the neck to lift her up and whisper in her ear.

"I'm going to come; where do you want it?"

"Inside! I want it all inside me!" Shino quickly commented in ecstasy, her expression warped with pleasure, at which point Kai ordered in an arrogant and dismissive tone.

“Then beg for it properly.”

“Please, I beg you, cum in my dirty pussy, bless me with your semen!!!”

Lost in desire, Shino begged without the slightest concern for her appearance or dignity, feeling the greatest pleasure she had ever experienced in her entire life, to which Kai responded with a small arrogant giggle.

"Well done; here's your reward."

When she felt her lover's warm semen filling her inside, Shino's vision became blurred. At the same time her whole body felt like it was being brutally electrocuted by the excessive orgasm she was feeling, which deformed her face, with her eyes rolled back while her tongue sensually came out of her mouth.

"Hehehe, so you can do an 'ahegao'."

Seeing Shino's face, Kai couldn't help but comment full of desire, but when he noticed that the beautiful woman had lost consciousness, he quickly let her rest under the umbrella. Then he took a blanket from the bag they had brought, with which he covered the spectacular naked body of his girlfriend.

Chapter 94: Did you have a good time?

Chapter Text

After some time, Shino slowly opened her eyes, only to find herself naked in the middle of the night with just a blanket to cover herself, which filled her with unimaginable terror. But shortly after, the memories of what had happened returned to her, allowing her to let out a sigh of relief, while a deep blush spread across her face.

Filled with shame and a bit of fear because Kai was not by her side, Shino timidly began to look for him. Only to find him approaching with two roasted fish on a stick, a warm smile adorning his attractive face. This greatly quickened the already racing heart of the beautiful heroine.

"You're finally awake. I caught some fish and cooked them with a bit of the salt we brought. I hope you like them."

With a smile on his face, Kai spoke calmly as he sat next to Shino, who was timidly covering her naked body with the blanket. He then offered her one of the fish in his hands, which Shino accepted with a small smile, thanking him in a low, moved voice.

"Thank you."

"Hehe, I hope you like it." Kai smiled casually before taking a bite of his fish, something Shino quickly imitated.

As she took the first bite of the fish, Shino felt as if she were tasting the most delicious food she'd ever had in her life. Its flavor was so memorable; despite having just a bit of salt, the meaning behind this small gesture from her beloved was the only seasoning she needed—to the point that she would have eaten it with the same pleasure even if it were still raw.

"It's delicious." Shino commented in a soft and melodious voice, to which Kai responded with a joyful smile.

"Hehe, glad you like it."

After finishing the fish, Kai and Shino buried the sticks in the sand. Kai then gently embraced Shino and lay down with her on the sand while they silently watched the stars, feeling each other's warmth. This made them feel calm and happy, as they sensed their relationship strengthening in real time.

After a while, while resting her head on her beloved's sturdy chest, Shino spoke in a low voice, feeling embarrassed and somewhat nervous that she might have left a bad impression on Kai—something that terrified her and compelled her to explain herself.

"Kai, I'm sorry for my outburst. I lost control for a moment, but I'm not a lustful or easy woman. Actually, this is the first time I've been with a man."

Kai couldn't help but open his eyes, genuinely surprised, since given their age, he never expected this from any of the girls. To prevent his possessive tendencies from flaring up, he avoided even asking, as it was better not to know. This immediately led him to tighten his arm around Shino while asking in a serious tone.

"Are you serious, Shino?"

"Yes... that was my first time."

With a voice barely above a whisper, Shino nodded embarrassedly while hiding her flushed face in her beloved's chest. This caused a furious storm of feelings to sweep through Kai's mind, who couldn't help but speak with a bit of guilt in his tone.

"I'm sorry; I should have been more careful..."

"You have nothing to apologize for. It was the best moment of my life, and I'm extremely happy that my first time was with the man I love—even at this age, fufufu."

Feeling the genuine concern from her beloved, Shino's heart filled with warmth as she hugged him tightly. Kai could only begin to caress one of his beautiful girlfriend's shoulders before speaking in a tone full of emotion.

"You're truly a wonderful woman, Shino. You don't know how happy it makes me that you decided to give me something so important. I feel like I don't deserve it."

"Don't say that. For many years, it was my dream that you would be my first man, and I couldn't be happier that it finally came true."

Filled with happiness, Shino looked directly into her beloved's blue eyes and expressed her deepest feelings with a soft and warm voice. Kai responded by initiating a loving kiss that filled the beautiful heroine's heart with love and warmth, which was followed by a deep desire that culminated in a passionate night of love that ended with the first rays of morning light.

After putting on her dress—completely naked underneath since her bikini had disappeared at some point, and they couldn't find it—Shino intimately took Kai's hand and led him to her discreet cabin not far from the beach, which was the inheritance left by her mother.

Upon arriving at the cabin, Shino entered the bathroom with Kai, where they bathed together amid warm kisses and caresses, which ended in one more quick round before going out to change. At that point, Kai couldn't help but notice that his beautiful girlfriend was limping slightly, so he quickly activated his Mystical Palm.

"Let me heal you."

"Thank you." Shino said with a cheerful smile, so Kai quickly healed her, leaving her as good as new and resolving her slight limp.

Still in her underwear, Shino gave her beloved a grateful kiss before putting on a fresh light-blue summer dress, while Kai donned a white shirt and black jeans. Afterwards, they went out hand in hand to enjoy a small date in the city before returning home.

...

Upon returning home using Accompany, the couple was greeted by Nemuri and Ryuko, who had excited smiles on their faces and came running to hug them the moment the translucent light barrier disappeared. The beautiful woman with golden hair then asked excitedly.

"How was it? Did you have a good time?"

"Yes..." Shino replied, a deep blush on her cheeks, causing Ryuko and Nemuri to smile. They exchanged a glance before quickly dragging them into the living room.

"Well, it seems you had quite a bit of fun."

Sitting next to Kai, Nemuri commented with a smile that tried to hide the excitement coursing through her, while hugging his arm tightly and pressing it into her ample bust. Kai could only respond a bit uncomfortably, as he still wasn't fully accustomed to the strange relationship the four of them had.

"Well, yes, it was memorable."

"Fufufu, I can imagine. Now I can't wait for my turn." Ryuko said while sitting on Kai's lap like a pampered cat, which didn't please Salem much. The lazy cat could only snort in annoyance before jumping onto his master's shoulder.

"But now that I think about it, Kai, you were really surprised when I told you it was my first time. Didn't Nemuri tell you that none of us had been in a relationship before?"

Suddenly, Shino asked curiously while intimately hugging Kai's left arm. He opened his eyes, absolutely stunned, then turned to look incredulously at Nemuri, who looked equally surprised before asking.

"You thought I'd been with someone before, Kai?"

Knowing that he was in huge trouble, Kai chose to remain silent and suffer the punishment, at the same time, a small smile couldn't help but form on his face. Nemuri stood up and began to reprimand him indignantly while pacing back and forth in the living room.

"I can't believe it! You've known me all my life; you know I've always been single and only by your side. I spent almost ten years with you 24 hours a day. How could you believe that I'd been with someone before?"

"Sorry..." Kai apologized in a low voice, but just as Nemuri was about to continue her scolding, Ryuko hugged Kai protectively and protested.

"Nemuri, don't blame Kai. It's understandable that he might have thought so. We're at an age where it's normal to assume we might have had relationships at some point."

"But I feel offended by that assumption. Somehow, I feel like Kai was doubting my love, and I don't like it." Nemuri replied angrily. Ryuko quickly got up from Kai's lap to hug Nemuri, speaking in a softer tone.

"There, there, I understand, but you don't have to feel that way. Kai loves you, and you know it. He just didn't ask because he wanted to avoid problems."

"I know, but..."

Looking genuinely sad, Nemuri replied with watery eyes. Kai quickly stood up and went to the beautiful woman with dark blue hair, giving her a deep kiss that caught her off guard. He then spoke in a serious tone while looking directly into her eyes.

"Forgive me, Nemuri. I know it was my fault. I didn't ask because I didn't want my possessiveness to create problems between us, but now I feel immensely fortunate and happier than ever. Do you forgive me?"

"Hmph, dummy."

With an annoyed pout, Nemuri huffed while lightly hitting Kai's chest. He quickly lifted her and sat down with her on his lap, which made Ryuko and Shino smile amusedly. They sat on either side of him, resting their heads on his shoulders, and began a casual conversation about their plans to make the most of the one week they'd have alone, since Keiko was officially retiring, and it wouldn't be so easy afterward.

"By the way, how is it that such beautiful women like you never had a relationship before?" Kai suddenly asked, unable to contain his curiosity any longer. Shino replied in a serious voice.

"Well, in our case, it was a combination of factors. First, it's not good for a young heroine's popularity to be involved in a relationship, so it's very common for them to remain single, at least publicly. Also, Chatora's 'transformation' was quite complex and costly, which prevented all of us from trying our luck in love.

"Not to mention that those who didn't know about Chatora's transformation had the wrong ideas about our relationship, which somehow acted as a shield. And those who found out couldn't accept it easily, let alone our sisterhood, which was basically a giant red flag for us."

"Yes, things were quite complicated in our youth, and when everything finally stabilized, we met you and stopped looking altogether. Although, avoid mentioning it in front of Chatora; he really feels guilty about it." Ryuko added cheerfully while moving her head against Kai's shoulder, annoying Salem, who was forced to find a new spot.

"I understand, and I won't mention it. Don't worry; I was just a bit curious."

"We know." The pair of beautiful heroines with golden and brown hair responded in unison, then laughed at their synchronization.

"As for me, although the popularity aspect played a role, the main reason was that when I was younger, I was too 'extroverted', and that scared away all the good men and only attracted trash, with whom I never wanted anything to do. Then I focused completely on you and didn't think about anyone else until today."

While resting her head on Kai's chest, Nemuri replied in a casual voice, which made Shino and Ryuko smile mischievously. They quickly commented in teasing voices.

"I didn't know that 'extroverted' is now a synonym for 'perverted'." Ryuko said while covering her mouth with one hand, looking like a playful cat. Shino added slyly.

"The great R-18 pervert now calls herself 'extroverted'... Love really transforms people, fufufu."

"Do you two want to fight me or what?"

With an angry expression, Nemuri asked aloud while glancing between Shino and Ryuko, who simply laughed teasingly, almost starting a fight. But at that moment, Kai gently stroked Nemuri's hair and managed to calm her, initiating a warm and peaceful conversation.

Chapter 95: A SMASH!!!

Chapter Text

The following Monday, Kai finished the final adjustments of the order placed by UA, then sent it off for review, allowing him to stretch and relax. He now had the rest of the month to take care of his own business. After a quick shower, Kai put on his uniform again and waited for the girls to arrive while tweaking the document for his next project.

After a while, Sage informed Kai that the girls were approaching, so he put everything away and closed his laptop. But at that moment, he noticed something strange with his Observation Haki: there was a 'voice' he didn't much like among the approaching group, one that seemed a strange amalgam of other 'voices', and it seemed to worsen over time.

"We're here!!" Mina exclaimed excitedly upon arriving, then confidently jumped onto one of the comfy sofas, while Momo stayed near an annoyed bundle of nerves with green hair.

"Kai, let me introduce you to Midoriya Izuku, a classmate of ours." Momo presented with a slightly awkward smile on her face, to which the human-shaped bundle of nerves quickly bowed respectfully and spoke.

"N-nice to meet you, Saito-kun."

"Well, I suppose you know I don't like you very much, so if you came, it must be for something. What do you want?"

Kai asked, not being particularly friendly, which brought an ironic smile to Mina's face. Generally, the blue-eyed boy was quite amiable in his workshop, and Midoriya wasn't a bad guy, so she couldn't understand why Kai disliked him so much.

"I-it's about the sports festival, I want you to give me some advice since our quirks are so similar!" Without rising from his bowed position, Midoriya exclaimed loudly and nervously, to which Kai remained silent while staring fixedly at the green-haired youth.

"…I suppose All Might didn't tell you anything useful."

After a while, Kai commented with a slightly annoyed tone, which made the green-haired youth visibly tremble. He stood up with a panicked expression, which only caused the blue-eyed boy to let out an exasperated sigh; he really couldn't understand what All Might saw in him.

"… Seriously, I don't know which of you is worse." Kai remarked somewhat exasperated, feeling that Midoriya's true quirk was to irritate him; his mere presence got under his skin. But at that moment, Momo spoke up in a somewhat complicated tone.

"Kai… couldn't you give Midoriya-san a little advice? The sports festival is a very important opportunity to catch the recruiters' attention."

"…"

With a serious look, Kai gazed directly into Momo's eyes, who, although she looked a bit embarrassed, held his gaze. So the blue-eyed boy could only let out an exasperated sigh before getting up from his sofa, all under the surprised and confused gaze of Mina, who didn't understand what All Might had to do with the whole matter.

"Well, this is only because Momo asks me, so pay close attention and don't make it a habit, understood?!" Kai spoke in an annoyed and authoritative tone, to which Midoriya instinctively straightened his posture and responded like a soldier.

"Yes, sir!"

"Alright then, first of all, you're right—our quirks are somewhat similar, and that's why I can say that the way you use yours is very stupid. You think of your strength as if it were some kind of 'final blow' or something, and it's not like that. Your strength is part of you, so the most logical thing is to distribute it evenly throughout your body."

After explaining in a serious tone, Kai moved at great speed around the room, appearing and disappearing from the girls' sight, then ended up in front of Midoriya and asked with a serious tone.

"You should be able to move like that; why don't you?"

"B-because my body can't handle it." Midoriya responded quickly, both surprised and nervous, to which Kai could only shake his head before explaining, somewhat irritated.

"No, idiot, it's because you don't know how to use your quirk. Your body isn't damaged by using your quirk per se; it gets damaged because you lack the training to withstand the consequences of using it. Pure action and reaction; for every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction. Look."

Casually, Kai threw a punch toward Midoriya's face, stopping just before making contact, causing a large amount of air to slam into the freckled boy's face, distorting it, while Mina exclaimed in surprise.

"A SMASH!!!"

"Something like that, but the point I want to highlight is that All Might's punches aren't exclusive to him, nor to you, Midoriya; it's something that anyone with a certain level of strength, speed and good technique should be able to do. And as you can see, my arm is in perfect condition." Kai explained while clenching and unclenching his fist, then continued as he walked to his laptop.

"So you need to condition your body to withstand the reaction of using your power, so the solution is simple: don't use all of it. Or do you think All Might and I are using all our power 24 hours a day? If that were the case, we'd be walking calamities. Therefore, you could copy a bit of how I use my 'Force Control', which, by the way, was developed by my father."

After finishing typing on his computer while explaining, a holographic screen appeared in the center of the room, displaying a representation of a human surrounded by an aura. Kai began to move his arms, which the hologram emulated in real time.

"Well, look carefully at the screen; it's a graphical representation of how it works."

After saying that, Kai walked to the center of the room, then took a basic karate stance, movement followed by the figure on the holographic screen while the aura around him intensified greatly.

"The first thing would be to use your power throughout your body; in your case, it would be to use an amount of power you can handle without placing any strain on your body, then, just at the moment you strike, increase the power only in that area to a level that's a small load but not enough to cause damage, like this."

With impressive skill, born from years of training and monstrous natural talent, Kai sent a classic karate punch forward, releasing a powerful gust of wind that tousled everyone's hair. The aura of the figure on the holographic screen showed how the aura around the fist intensified greatly, standing out from that surrounding the whole body.

"Additionally, you should start a training routine that allows you to improve the way you control your power and at the same time adapts your body so you can gradually increase the amount of power you can use."

While explaining, Kai dropped the stance, then casually walked to a printer in the room, from which he took a stack of sheets containing a training routine for both the body and the quirk, developed by his father—although it was only a basic version, something he used when he was in high school.

"This is a routine my father created; use it as a reference or ask All Might for advice. In any case, that's all the advice I have for you. Thanks for coming."

Quickly, Kai handed the stack of sheets to the stupefied Midoriya, then walked to the door and pointed at it, so the green-haired boy could only nod almost robotically. Then leave the room with a blank expression, his mind trying to process what he had seen.

After closing the door, Kai dropped onto his sofa, evidently annoyed, then looked at Momo and asked with an unfriendly expression.

"Happy now?"

"Kai, don't be like that. Midoriya is a good person, and his quirk is really powerful, so it would be a shame if agencies weren't interested in him because of the self-destructive way he fights. Your advice is really valuable to him, and as class representative, I must look out for the well-being of my classmates. Besides, you like to compete with talented people; you even help Togata-san from time to time—this isn't very different…"

With a guilty expression, Momo sat next to Kai and hugged one of his arms, speaking in a warm tone, to which Mina could only watch the scene with an uncomfortable expression on her face. After all, she didn't want to be a third wheel, but the workshop was so cool that she always ended up coming; besides, she really considered Momo a good friend and liked spending time with her.

"Alright, let's leave it at that. Let's eat; the food is already arriving."

After a sigh, Kai commented, still looking somewhat irritated, since, to some extent, Momo was right. Although the green-haired boy was incredibly annoying, he had All Might's quirk, and that quirk was a valuable source of information—to the point that, thanks to Midoriya's body still adapting to his quirk, he had been able to obtain much data on the transfer and evolution capabilities of One for All.

For her part, Momo smiled cheerfully, then looked at Mina, who seemed quite uncomfortable. She quickly got up and sat next to her, feeling somewhat guilty for unintentionally making her a third wheel. They began to have lunch, and after a while, the beautiful pink-skinned girl asked somewhat curiously.

"By the way, why didn't Nejire-chan and Midnight come?"

"Because Onee-chan is at a teachers' meeting during lunch, and Nejire-nee-chan is in her internships." Momo replied while elegantly wiping her mouth with a white napkin, to which Mina could only comment with a dreamy tone.

"The internships… the first step to becoming a hero. I hope a good agency takes an interest in me."

"Well, for that, you need to give a good performance at the sports festival; most internship offers come from there and from apprenticeships." Momo replied with a smile. Mina seemed to realize something, then looked at the silent Kai and asked in a somewhat embarrassed tone.

"Saito… could you give me some advice to stand out?"

"Melt someone's face off; that'll definitely get you in the news."

As if it were nothing important, Kai commented casually while the lazy Salem, who had been sleeping in the office, stretched lazily at the door. Salem then ran off to his bowl in a corner, which was filled with piles of meat and kibble.

For her part, Momo couldn't help but laugh softly at Kai's joke. Meanwhile, Mina could only make a blank face; Kai really liked to make not-so-nice jokes, but the fact that he was joking only meant he was now in a better mood, so it was time to throw a 'tantrum' to get what she wanted.

"Yao Momo… Saito is intimidating me!" With a tearful expression, Mina clung to Momo while speaking in a sorrowful tone, which made the beautiful black-haired girl smile. She quickly looked at Kai and commented in a teasing tone.

"Kai, you made poor Ashido-san cry; now you should help her so she can stand out at the sports festival."

After looking at Momo for a moment, Kai could only sigh, somewhat regretting having voted for her. After all, he had brought problems upon himself without knowing it. Although, well, she got five votes, so she would have won anyway—it was an inevitable fate.

"… Alright, after classes we'll meet in the gym, and I'll write a training routine along with some ideas so you can give a good performance at the cultural festival."

"Yay!!"

Upon hearing Kai, Mina quickly exclaimed excitedly while stretching her arms, which at the same time made Momo smile contentedly. Momo felt a comforting warmth in her heart upon seeing how Kai was always by her side and supported her, even when he didn't like it much. This genuinely made her feel his love and how important she was to him. There really was no better man in the world than her Kai.

Chapter 96: Fighting style?

Chapter Text

At the end of classes, Momo and Mina showed up at Kai's private gym at UA—one he almost never used, but since it was part of his perks upon enrolling, he could use it as he pleased. But for some reason, not only did they arrive; other students showed up as well.

Among them was Tsuyu, whom he had already met and got along with relatively well, so that was fine. But in addition to her, there were three other people. One was a petite girl with fair skin and a slender build, short black hair, and what appeared to be two cables hanging from her earlobes.

Besides the girl, there was Kirishima—a robust boy with red hair who could harden his body—and another thin student with blond hair and a curious black lightning-shaped mark on the left side of his bangs. All of them were looking around somewhat uncomfortably due to the way the terrifying blue-eyed boy was staring at them.

"Well, can I know why all these people are here, Momo?" Kai asked as he stared directly at Momo, who only smiled shyly but quickly responded in an almost childlike tone, like a girl caught doing something mischievous.

"Hehehe, well, they were also unsure about the sports festival and needed a few tips."

Upon hearing Momo, Kai could only sigh exasperatedly while massaging his temples, now genuinely regretting having voted for her—to the point where he was very tempted to find the other three people who voted for her to "thank them" very specially for such an immense "favor".

"You're going to be my downfall..." Kai muttered under his breath, to which Momo just gave a sweet smile, like an innocent child.

"Hehehe."

"Well, since it is what it is, let's go one by one. Tell me your names and what you're feeling insecure about, and I'll give you my perspective."

After one last sigh, Kai spoke while staring intently at the uncomfortable strangers in front of him. At that moment, Mina spoke up excitedly, trying to lighten the mood while also showing the others that Kai was just a grump and not as bad as he seemed.

"I'll go first! Ashido Mina!"

"An introduction wasn't necessary, but fine. What are you feeling insecure about?" Kai could only roll his eyes at the energetic pink girl, who quickly replied with a huge smile on her face.

"Everything! I don't know how to be more attractive to the agencies!"

Hearing Mina, Kai could only facepalm while sighing, then looked at the energetic pink-haired girl and commented casually.

"Alright, show me what you can do. I don't know what could make you more 'attractive' to the agencies, but I suppose that as long as you're more effective, that should increase your chances."

"Okay, then I guess I'll start with the basics. My quirk is Acid, and it allows me to shoot acid from my body. Also, I can control its solubility and viscosity." Mina responded as a whitish liquid began to seep from her hands. Kai nodded with a hand on his chin, then asked.

"And how do you usually use it?"

"Well, I generally just spray it on an enemy or use it to skate like this." Taking advantage of her special shoes, Mina began to skate around the gym, to which Kai asked curiously.

"And what fighting style do you use?"

"Fighting style?" Mina tilted her head cutely, prompting Kai to ask with a blank expression.

"Don't tell me you want to be a hero and don't even know how to fight properly?"

"Hey! I do know how to fight; I just don't get what you mean by 'style'." Mina exclaimed, looking somewhat offended. Kai just shook his head, then placed his hands behind his back and commented casually.

"Then try to hit me. I'll only use the strength of a normal human, and I won't use my arms. If you manage to land even one hit on me, I'll do anything you want."

"Really?!" Mina asked, surprised and excited, to which Kai nodded casually before responding.

"Really. So go ahead and try to hit me."

"Hehehe, I'll gladly accept this gift."

Mina commented with an evil smile on her face, while Momo could only shake her head. After all, she herself had fallen for the same trick who knows how many times. Meanwhile, the other three students, who were hesitant to speak up, wore different expressions: the boys were filled with curiosity and anticipation, while the girl watched Kai skeptically.

"Go ahead, give it your best shot." Kai said with a slight smile as he looked into Mina's curious yellow eyes with black sclera. She quickly exclaimed excitedly.

"Here I come!"

Right after speaking, Mina accumulated acid in her hands and skated across the floor using her quirk, starting to circle around Kai, who simply stood still without moving an inch. Mina quickly hurled the accumulated acid at him, making sure to dilute it so as not to hurt him.

"You don't have to dilute it—go all out."

While dodging with minimal and fluid movements, as if he were dancing rather than evading, Kai commented calmly. Mina hesitated a bit but, seeing Momo's nod, quickly exclaimed in a serious tone.

"Then I'll give it everything I've got!"

Using the same tactic, Mina launched acid at Kai again, but this time it was corrosive enough to melt the floor. The blue-eyed boy casually dodged it with minimal movements, preventing the acid from even coming close to grazing him.

After repeating the same tactic a few more times, Mina realized it was utterly useless—Kai could dodge anything she threw at him. So, using her great mobility, she approached him to try to land a punch, but Kai, with the same ease as before, dodged by slightly moving his head.

Feeling frustrated by Kai's faint smile, Mina began to use anything that came to mind, flinging acid everywhere and throwing all kinds of strikes. She ended up adopting an almost acrobatic style that primarily used her legs, as they were longer and stronger, allowing her at least to make that annoying Kai move a bit more—but still, she couldn't even graze him.

...

"Well, that'll do. As you could see, you don't know how to fight. You were just throwing random punches without any technique or strategy. Plus, you waste too much energy and leave too many openings for a counterattack."

After some time—and without even a single drop of sweat on his face—Kai commented calmly to the severely exhausted Mina, who was breathing heavily on all fours on the ground. After taking a couple of deep breaths, she could only mutter in a low, ragged voice.

" Damn...you..."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. First of all, you need to work on your stamina—you didn't last at all. You also need martial arts training. Later, I'll give you the names of styles that suit your acrobatic leg-based approach so you can find a good teacher. As for your quirk, you need to think of more effective ways to use it.

"For example, you could expel large amounts under pressure, like an 'acid gun'. You could also coat your fists and kicks with a more acidic and viscous version to increase your destructive power, and you could experiment from there—like creating whips, armor, barriers, etc. You could even use a slippery version to destabilize the enemy or something similar. In short, you have a lot to think about."

Ignoring the exhausted Mina, who ended up collapsing on the floor, Kai explained casually. He then turned to look at the other students, who were watching him with various expressions, and asked nonchalantly, still with his hands behind his back.

"Who wants to go next?"

"Me! Kirishima Eijiro! Saito, I was really impressed by what you did at the USJ, and I want to get a few tips from you!" Kirishima exclaimed loudly, looking at Kai with determined eyes. Kai nodded casually before asking.

"Do you have something specific in mind, or do you want to try hitting me?"

"Actually, I'd prefer a little sparring match. My style is more based on counterattacks." Kirishima hardened his body and clashed his fists together forcefully, producing a metallic sound. Kai commented casually as he approached one of the punching bags in the gym.

"Well, I understand why you prefer that style, considering your quirk. But that could cost you dearly one of these days, since your defense might not be very effective against certain types of people—like me."

After speaking, Kai threw a casual punch toward the punching bag, stopping just before touching it. Moments later, the bag exploded violently, sending its stuffing everywhere, which greatly surprised the students—especially Kirishima, who observed the scene with a serious expression. Meanwhile, Momo could only smile, amused to see Kai showing off like that.

"As you can see, this simple punch would let me find out if you're as tough inside as you are outside. And if by chance you're not, you're a dead man. And even if you were, what do you think would happen if that punch hit your head?" Kai asked with a slight smile on his face, which appeared especially terrifying from the students' perspective.

"But anyway, just keep that in mind. You shouldn't blindly trust your defense and should look for an 'ace up your sleeve' in case it's not effective. Besides, Momo already defeated you once because you couldn't withstand her blows. So you should work on improving your combat style, as it's also terribly predictable given your quirk. And, of course, work on your hardening—if you use it well, you could do interesting things."

With a calm stride, Kai reached the gym wall, then turned to look at Kirishima and commented casually.

"For example, you could harden selective parts of your body to create powerful and lethal attacks that don't consume too much energy, like this." With terrifying speed, Kai drove his index finger into the gym's reinforced walls, leaving several holes. He then commented casually.

"As you can see, a single finger would be more than enough to kill or incapacitate an enemy, which would undoubtedly be much more efficient than hardening your entire body. Although, if you like doing it that way, you could also do more interesting things than just being a punching bag before counterattacking. You could, for example, become a sort of reinforced tank that charges at your enemies, or something like that.

"In any case, the first thing you need to refine is your technique and learn martial arts that specialize in strength. You could even learn something like Aikido or similar arts to surprise the enemy by deflecting their attacks. You could also use it to deal with annoying opponents like me, who can break through your defense."

With a complex expression on his face, Kirishima watched Kai walk slowly until he stood once again in front of him, hands behind his back. Kai then asked with a slight smile—which by this point was becoming a bit irritating.

"So, what do you say? Still want to fight me?"

Upon hearing the question, Kirishima could only look silently at the blue-eyed boy for a moment. But after taking a deep breath, he clashed his fists together forcefully again, exclaiming loudly.

"As a man, I still want to! I want to see how far I am from the best student in the class!"

"Hehehe, I like that attitude. You're an interesting guy, Kirishima—you remind me a bit of myself."

With an amused smile on his face, Kai commented as he looked into the red-haired boy's eyes, finding him much more agreeable. Then he assumed a casual boxing stance, which led Kirishima to ask, somewhat surprised.

"Really? I thought someone like you was always at the top."

"Well, although I certainly can't complain about what life has given me, I wasn't born as powerful as I am now. My strength is the result of years of training and hard work. But let's leave that for another time—let's fight."

After speaking, Kai threw a jab that seemed straight out of a textbook. Kirishima quickly covered himself with his hands, but the power was much greater than he expected; he felt his arm ache as he was pushed back several centimeters.

Realizing that this was far from all the power the blue-eyed youth possessed, Kirishima wanted to shout for him to take him seriously. But he quickly understood that if he did, he probably wouldn't even realize how he lost, considering the speed and strength Kai had shown at the USJ weren't very different from All Might's—not to mention his strange ability to knock people out.

Quickly, Kirishima approached again and sent a punch with all his might at Kai, who defended him in a similar way as he had done. But to his surprise, he felt as if he had hit a metal plate with his bare hands, to the point where his fist hurt. But even so, the blue-eyed boy did not move an inch.

"You can harden yourself?!"

Kirishima asked excitedly—partly because someone so strong could do the same as him, and partly because, unlike himself, he couldn't see anything unusual about Kai, who looked exactly the same as before. Kai replied with a small chuckle.

"Hehehe, I can do many things."

Chapter 97: Why do I have to do this?

Chapter Text

The days passed, and soon the weekend arrived. Kai found himself sitting in his comfortable armchair, with a miniature Salem sleeping on his lap. Keiko sat beside him behind a small table, wetting his hands in a bowl of water, while Yumiko brushed the heel of one of his feet with a tool that looked like some kind of file.

Although he was currently enjoying a luxurious pedicure and manicure at the hands of possibly the richest and most beautiful women in Japan, Kai's face showed only a dark expression as he stroked Salem with his free hand. After all, there was a “horde” of people touching his things in his gym, which he didn't like at all—especially on the day he had his date with Ryuko.

"Kai, don't be angry with Momo. She's very excited to help her friends stand out in the sports festival. Being the class representative went a bit to her head, and she lost sight of things a little."

As she took Kai's hands to start trimming his nails, Keiko commented in a warm voice. Yumiko added in a similar tone as she placed Kai's foot into the special water-filled basin on the floor, then took the other foot and began to "file" the heel.

"Don't be mad at Nejire either. She's very excited to help Momo's friends, and that's why she offered to help them train."

"... I told them they could use the UA gym..."

Kai responded in a dark tone, genuinely annoyed, which caused awkward smiles to form on the pair of beautiful women. They seemed to be at the peak of feminine beauty, combining the sensuality of a woman in her thirties with the softness and firmness of someone in their early twenties-perfect faces without the slightest wrinkle in sight.

"Well, your gym is better equipped and reinforced, and there's also the training arena you built a few years ago. Besides, there's a curfew at UA, so I suppose the girls thought it was better to bring them here..." Keiko replied as she filed Kai's freshly cut nails.

"... I don't like having strangers in the house..." Kai added irritably, to which Yumiko commented with a slight smile while checking his feet to make sure they were perfect.

"Well, Mirio-chan and Yuyu-chan have come over several times, and you didn't mind. Now there are only a few friends of Momo."

"... They're different; I actually like them." Kai looked away and responded evasively, which brought amused smiles to the pair of women. Shortly after, Keiko commented with a small smile.

"I thought I heard that a couple of your classmates also got along with you."

"It's just two—well, three if we include Ashido—but there's a bunch of people I don't know." Kai replied as he leaned his head back on his armchair, at which point Sage activated the massage functions, so his master could relax.

"Look on the bright side; you might come to like them if you get to know them. Besides, Momo avoided bringing the guys you don't like, so this could be an opportunity for you to make friends. Momo has been very happy with her new friends, just like Nejire."

As she began to cut Kai's toenails, Yumiko commented with a small smile. Kai opted to remain silent, since the only reason he hadn't kicked them out the moment they arrived was because none of the four nuisances from his class were there—the ones who had the special talent of irritating him just by their presence.

Knowing it was best to let Kai think for himself, Keiko and Yumiko just exchanged a small smile, then continued with their tasks, relaxing into a calm and comfortable silence. It was interrupted when a message arrived on Keiko's phone. She calmly dried her hands before checking it.

"Fufufu, we have good news. Some of the promissory notes can be contested, so we have everything we need to initiate operation 'Buyback'." With a beautiful smile on her lips, Keiko commented excitedly, then looked at Yumiko, who now had a serious expression and quickly asked.

"When do you plan to confront that woman?"

"It's up to you. We already have everything we need to pressure her, and we've managed to gather the liquid funds, so you decide when we start working." Keiko replied in an equally serious tone as she put her phone away again. Yumiko fell silent while she began to play with Kai's toes, wearing a complex expression.

"... I guess the time has come. I'll also have to confront him and Nejire..."

After a while, Yumiko spoke in a tone filled with various feelings, prompting Keiko to rise from her seat and gently hug Yumiko to comfort her. At that moment, Kai moved Salem from his lap, then leaned forward and gently caressed Yumiko's face.

"Don't worry, we're here for anything you need. As for Nejire, I'll do something about it, and if you don't want to face that trash, you can leave it to me. I'll give him a beating in your name and slam the divorce papers in his face." Kai commented in a warm voice, as if he wasn't saying anything wrong, which somehow made the pair of beautiful women smile.

They knew perfectly well that Kai was a strange person, and that phrase encapsulated perfectly who the blue-eyed young man was. Despite saying he didn't want to be a hero, he was the first to come to the defense and protection of anyone in the family. Capable of running out in the middle of the night and snatching someone from the jaws of death just for Shino's sake. Moreover, they knew he wasn't as indifferent as he tried to appear.

"It's not necessary for you to do it. This is something I must do myself, and I don't want you to dirty your hands with someone like him, though I would like you to accompany me and be my support at that moment." Yumiko said as she gently placed her hand over Kai's on her face. The blue-eyed boy quickly nodded, then spoke in a serious tone.

"Don't worry, I'll be there, even if you didn't want me to."

"Keiko, I'd also like you to come with me. Although it would be comforting to have the whole family, I don't think you all have the time, nor would it be good to have so many people there." Yumiko looked at Keiko and commented seriously, to which the beautiful black-haired woman quickly nodded.

"Don't worry, I'll be there with you. Now I have plenty of time, hehe." Keiko replied with a small smile, and Yumiko nodded with a similar smile as she commented.

"Thank you, Keiko. You know, I'm starting to like having free time; maybe I'll imitate you and retire after all this is over."

"Yes, let's be free housewives and have Kai support us like the good 'wives' we are, fufufu." Keiko joked with a mischievous smile while looking at Kai, who quickly played along and commented just as amused.

"Of course, my pockets are deep, and I wouldn't mind a private designer, hehe."

For her part, Yumiko couldn't help but look closely at the pair of smiling 'jokers', quickly noticing that there was a hint of emotion in Keiko's words, which made her feel something strange in her heart. Something she hadn't felt in who knows how long, but she quickly shook her head and joined in the joke.

"That sounds tempting. These days here have made me realize how wonderful it is to have free time for myself and to be with Nejire. Besides, I never gave myself time to be a housewife; maybe this is my moment to relax a bit, fufufu."

"Hehe, that sounds like a good plan."

With Kai's comment, the calm and cheerful atmosphere returned to the room. After a moment, Keiko and Yumiko repositioned Kai in his armchair, then continued with the manicure and pedicure amid pleasant and casual conversation. Meanwhile, Salem happily jumped back onto his master's lap.

...

"Seriously... Why do I have to do this?"

With an exasperated expression, Kai commented while looking at the eight people in front of him. Among the eight were some acquaintances like Tsuyu, Mina, and Kirishima. As well as those who had been in the gym, like Denki Kaminari, the blond-haired boy with a black lightning-shaped streak, and Kyoka Jiro, the girl who had some kind of cables coming out of her earlobes.

But in addition to those “acquaintances”, there were some he hadn't spoken to even once: Uraraka, the girl with brown hair and rosy cheeks; Hanta Sero, the guy who had tapes on his elbows; and Mashirao Ojiro, a robust guy with blond hair who had a muscular tail on his back.

"Because it's good to help your classmates, Kai." Mirio Togata—an old acquaintance of Kai, friend of Nejire, and someone he occasionally trained with—commented with a smile and enthusiastic tone.

With an exasperated expression, Kai turned to look at Mirio beside him, who was a young man slightly shorter than him, with a muscular body, blonde hair and strange oval blue eyes without a visible sclera. Mirio simply smiled happily as he began to pat Kai's shoulder familiarly.

"Don't make that face; let's help your classmates a bit, hahaha."

"Seriously, if it weren't somewhat fun to train with you, I'd have kicked you out of my house long ago..." Kai grumbled, something the young Mirio easily ignored with a smile. At that moment, Momo, who was on the other side, commented while using her secret weapon against Kai: puppy eyes.

"Please, Kai, just help us a little..."

"Pretty please, Kai-chan..." Nejire, who was next to Momo, quickly joined in the plea, acting just like her.

"..."

Hearing Momo and Nejire, Kai could only look at them fixedly, cursing that none of the heroes were home today, as he could have thrown the task at them. But now he was alone to endure the annoyance. After a sigh, he turned to look again at the students, making a mental note to get back at Momo since she'd been very bothersome lately and needed a lesson.

"Well, what do you need from me? I thought I'd given my opinions to several of those present here."

"I want you to see my progress and give me your thoughts!" Mina exclaimed, somewhat amused. After all, it was delightful to see how Momo and Nejire handled the “terrifying” Kai so easily.

"Alright, then step aside. Those who have the same idea, form a group with her."

After casually nodding to Mina, Kai quickly addressed all the students, prompting Tsuyu, Jiro, Kaminari, and Kirishima to join her—now much calmer than during their time in the gym. After all, Momo was really nice, and the blue-eyed boy turned out not to be as terrifying as he seemed, and his advice was genuinely helpful.

Seeing that the group of those he knew had formed, Kai turned to look at the three remaining strangers, who appeared a bit uncomfortable. But at that moment, the boy with the tail stepped forward and spoke in a firm tone.

"Saito, I came because I wanted to have a little match with you. I heard from Midoriya that your quirk is called Force Control, so I would like to train a bit with you."

Chapter 98: Revenge tastes very sweet.

Chapter Text

"Saito, I came because I wanted to have a little match with you. I heard from Midoriya that your quirk is called Force Control, so I would like to train a bit with you."

"Well, it's something like that, but what does my quirk have to do with it?" Kai asked, somewhat confused as he looked at the tailed young man in front of him, who quickly replied with a serious expression.

"Because that's the name of my favorite hero's quirk and my inspiration: Iron Palm."

"Oh? A fan? What's your name?" A small smile appeared on Kai's face as he asked, which brought similar smiles to the faces of Nejire and Momo. The tailed young man quickly responded.

"Ojiro Mashirao."

"Well, Ojiro, wait with the group over there; we'll have a match later as you wish." Kai replied casually, pointing to Mina's group. This greatly surprised all the students, as Kai seemed somehow kinder. Ojiro quickly nodded and walked over to the group.

"Alright, thanks in advance."

"It's fine, it's no big deal." Kai responded casually to Ojiro's thanks, then turned to look at the two remaining people. He eyed the girl and asked, though no longer as kindly.

"And you, the girl who's close to the biggest nuisance at UA, what do you want?"

"Deku-kun is a great person, you know?" Uraraka replied with an incredibly uncomfortable expression on her face. Kai responded casually.

"Could be, but that doesn't change the fact that he's a nuisance. But never mind, what do you want?"

"Well, I heard from the girls that the advice you gave them was very useful, so I wanted to know if you could help me a bit too. This is a very important moment for me, and I need to stand out in the sports festival..." Doubting whether it had been a good decision to come, Uraraka spoke in a subdued tone. Kai commented casually, not paying attention to the girl's feelings.

"Alright, then later we'll see where you're lacking. And that leaves you—what are you after?" Kai looked at the young man, who seemed to have tape rolls on his elbows. He responded in a serious tone, not wanting to be knocked out suddenly.

"Well, I'd also like to practice a bit against you and have you tell me what flaws you see in me."

"I see. Then we'll do it this way." Kai nodded, then turned to look at Mirio and commented in a strict tone.

"Mirio, since you're so keen on helping, you'll face the group that wants to assess progress."

"Alright, I'll take care of that." Mirio quickly responded, raising an arm confidently. Kai swiftly turned to look at Nejire and commented casually.

"And you, Nejire, since you took part in this, you'll face those seeking advice."

"Got it! Leave it to me!" Nejire responded cheerfully, raising her arms enthusiastically. Kai nodded in satisfaction before looking at Ojiro and saying,

"Ojiro, we'll have a match, so we'll move aside a bit."

"Sorry for the trouble." Ojiro bowed his head in gratitude, then approached Kai under the somewhat surprised gazes of the others, as it was evident that he was being treated with a certain preference.

"Don't worry." Kai nodded casually toward Ojiro, but at that moment, Momo raised her hand and asked in a timid voice.

"Kai, what about me?"

"Oh, Momo, I have special training for you. Salem!" Kai spoke with an evil grin on his face, then called his lazy pet. This made Momo break into a cold sweat, and she hurriedly replied with evident panic in her voice.

"Kai, I don't want to train with Salem! He's too rough!"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Kai commented casually as he looked toward the entrance of the main house, where Salem was running to find his master, evidently happy. Kai spoke to him in a 'malicious' tone.

"Salem, train a bit with Momo. Show her what happens when you bother a calm guy too much."

After meowing cheerfully, Salem quickly grew in size to match that of a normal panther. At the same time, Momo exclaimed with an almost panicked expression.

"Kai, forgive me! Salem doesn't know how to hold back!"

"Don't worry, I'll leave you as good as new afterward."

Kai responded casually while walking briskly and gesturing for Ojiro to follow him. Momo wanted to protest, but at that moment, an excited Salem leaped toward her with extended claws, forcing her to create her armor to defend herself as they gradually moved deeper into the forest.

"Kai!!"

As Momo's lamenting screams echoed from deep within the forest, Kai reached a secluded spot to have his match with Ojiro. Meanwhile, Mina approached Nejire and asked in a low voice, covering her mouth with one hand as if trying to prevent someone from reading her lips.

"Nejire-chan, why did Saito suddenly start treating Ojiro nicely?"

"Because Kai is happy to meet a fan of his dad, fufufu." Nejire responded with a cheerful smile and without lowering her voice in the slightest, greatly surprising those who could hear her. At that moment, Kai's voice echoed, sounding quite annoyed.

"Nejire, speak out of turn again, and you'll be next!"

"Fufufu, Kai-chan got angry; I can't tell you more." Nejire responded with an amused smile on her face, covering her mouth with one hand due to Mina's utterly stupefied expression. She then walked toward Uraraka and Sato, speaking cheerfully.

"Alright, guys, we're going to have a little training match. Attack me with your best!"

"Uh... you're going to advise us?" Uraraka asked a bit uncomfortably. Nejire responded with a small smile.

"Oh no, I'm not very good at that, so Kai will do it. He's able to know anything that happens around him, even if he doesn't see it directly with his eyes. By the way, my name is Hado Nejire, third year at UA."

"You're our senpai?!" Uraraka and Sato exclaimed in surprise. Nejire nodded cheerfully, then commented with a small giggle while pointing at Mirio, who was joining the other group.

"Fufufu, yes, Togata is also a third-year. So don't hold back—come at me with everything! Kai will tell you later what you need to improve."

...

As all the students lay on the ground, exhausted and covered in bruises, Kai began to speak casually without a single drop of sweat on him, looking incredibly fresh and calm. This only brought bitter smiles to the faces of the battered students.

"Well, I saw significant improvements in Mina, Tsuyu, and Kirishima, but I can't say the same for Kaminari and Jiro. Although there were improvements, you still have a way to go, especially in the physical aspect—you need to train a lot."

While the praised ones smiled happily, Kaminari and Jiro could only smile bitterly. At that moment, Kai turned to look at Uraraka and Sato, whom Nejire was healing using the ability of her Accomplice. It allowed her to accelerate healing in herself and others by utilizing the large amount of bioenergy her body produced—so much that it even served as a reference for the [Vital Reactor].

"As for Uraraka, you're lacking in spatial awareness and martial arts training; you don't even know how to throw a proper punch. Also, consider using support equipment to improve your mobility. Your quirk has a lot of potential to exploit; later, I'll give you a specific list on that." Kai spoke casually as he looked at Uraraka, who nodded now that she was healed. He then turned to look at Sato and continued.

"As for Sato, you're quite good: good technique, decent agility, and creativity in using your quirk. However, as you may have noticed, you're lacking in offensive capabilities. Using a weapon could help you. Also, working on your spatial awareness and training in a martial art more focused on speed would do you good. By the way, you and Uraraka could work together on that; with your quirks, you could use some very effective three-dimensional movement tactics."

As his last wounds were being healed, Sato nodded with a serious expression. After all, he had been given a tremendous beating and hadn't even been able to touch the cheerful blue-haired girl, making him painfully aware of how far he was from being a professional hero. At that moment, Kai looked at all the students and commented casually.

"Although you're still quite weak, I must say that, overall, you're not that bad. If you train properly, you'll likely stand out in the Sports Festival and attract the attention of a couple of agencies.

"Keep in mind that the flashiest ones will attract more attention. Even so, that doesn't mean being flashy is necessarily good—unless you want to live off merchandising. In that case, be as flashy as you can.

"Anyway, that's all from me. Later, you'll receive an email summarizing this information, detailing viable tactics for you, and a small training routine, along with the names and some basic moves of martial arts suitable for you. So I hope you'll leave me in peace because next time I'll charge you a fortune for this consultancy. Goodbye."

After speaking, Kai began to walk toward where Salem was 'playing' with Momo, leaving behind all the students along with Nejire and Mirio. They could only shake their heads at Kai's behavior before continuing to help the students.

"Togata-senpai, your quirk is really amazing; it seems invincible." Kirishima commented as he looked at Mirio, who smiled cheerfully and replied.

"Hahaha, it might seem that way, but it's not easy to control. It took me years to be able to do something useful with my quirk. Also, it's not invincible; to this day, I haven't been able to beat Kai even once."

Upon hearing Mirio, all the students turned to look at him in surprise. Tsuyu commented while Nejire finished healing her.

"Saito-chan is really powerful; he'll be a great hero in the future..."

"That's hard to say. Kai only entered UA because they gave him a bunch of benefits. The truth is, being a hero bothers him quite a bit; that's why he's so harsh with you." Nejire commented with a slightly disappointed tone, which led Mina to ask in surprise.

"Even though his father was one?"

"I'd say it's precisely because his father was one that he doesn't want to be one. But anyway, don't pay attention to that. I can only tell you that Kai is really a great man, but I suppose you already know that." Nejire commented with a small smile. Jiro nodded with a serious expression.

"Although I wouldn't go so far as to say he's a 'great man', the way he treats Momo and that he even decided to help us shows he's not as bad as he seems, though he's quite terrifying."

"Yes, but once you get used to him, he's really a good friend. He even helped me create this training suit, so my clothes wouldn't fall off when I use my quirk, and he's also helped me a lot to improve my skills."

As he showed the students his seemingly normal sportswear, Mirio commented cheerfully. This caused the other students to look at each other, all aware that there was more to the story, which led them to look at Ojiro, who seemed to understand what was going on.

...

A little later, Kai arrived where Salem was 'playing' with Momo, not giving much importance to the conversation the others had about him. After all, sooner or later, they would find out that his father had been Iron Palm and that he was 'crazy', which would hopefully prevent him from having to keep wasting time with them. Although he liked a couple of them, it wasn't enough to have them at his house all the time.

"Kai... I curse you..."

In a voice that almost seemed to come from a specter, Momo muttered while lying on the ground completely exhausted, disheveled, dirty, and bruised. Her armor was in pieces, and piles of destroyed equipment surrounded her. Salem had her trapped as if she were prey and was cheerfully gnawing on what was left of her leg armor; revenge tasted very sweet for a lazy cat.

"Hahaha, I hope you learned your lesson. Now let her go, Salem."

"Hmph."

Seeing the scene, Kai commented amusedly, to which Momo could only huff in annoyance. The black cat with blue eyes reluctantly released his sweet prey and shrank back down to jump onto his master's shoulder, looking quite reluctant and discouraged—they definitely didn't let him have enough fun.

"Hahaha, don't look at me like that; you brought this on yourself."

As he laughed shamelessly at Momo's pout, Kai approached the bruised girl and began to heal her with his Mystical Palm. She closed her eyes, as if refusing to look at him. After a while, when she was fully healed from scratches and bruises, Momo asked in a contemplative and solemn tone, still without opening her eyes.

"Kai... will you really never try to help someone? Are you truly capable of seeing a tragedy happen before you and doing nothing to prevent it?"

Noticing that the question was serious, Kai sat on the ground next to Momo, remaining silent for a moment as if pondering his words. After a while, he began to speak in a contemplative tone, very similar to Momo's.

"Well, I suppose you already know, but I can only tell you that it depends. If it's a real tragedy and the only way to prevent it is for me to act, the first thing I'd consider is the consequences of doing so. If they're not too serious, I'd act; if they are, I'd try to help as much as possible without harming myself.

"Although, as you well know, that only applies to strangers. If it involves any of you, I'll do whatever is necessary to ensure your well-being, regardless of the consequences that brings. But I imagine that's not the answer you want to hear, and I can only tell you that I'm sorry. I'm not a 'hero', and I never will be."

Upon hearing Kai's answer, Momo remained silent for a long time. Although she knew that would be his response, it hurt a bit to hear it. She respected and valued true heroes greatly, like Uncle Jiro, but at the same time, she could understand him in a way. After all, Kai had lost too much due to his father's heroism.

"Well, I'll be at the house; I hope you come back soon." After a while, Kai stood up from the ground while speaking. At that moment, Momo extended her hand to grab his, then commented in a soft voice.

"I ended up like this because of you—carry me."

"Hahaha, alright, allow me to be your steed, sweet princess."

Somewhat amused by Momo's spoiled behavior, Kai imitated a character from a drama that Momo liked. She responded with a small smile as Kai picked her up in a princess carry.

"Hehehe, it's good that you know your place, commoner."

Chapter 99: Thank you for fulfilling my dream (R-18)

Chapter Text

Amid a beautiful wooden terrace overlooking a lake, under the starlight, stood a gorgeous woman with straight golden hair, sapphire-blue eyes, and a curvy, slender body. She was wearing an elegant dark blue spaghetti-strap dress with a slit up the leg, having the romantic candlelit dinner she had always dreamed of.

In front of her sat a handsome young man with perfectly groomed jet-black hair and mesmerizing blue eyes, dressed in an elegant gray formal suit over a white shirt and a brown tie that matched his leather shoes. He was serving her a glass of wine with a slight smile.

"You are devilishly handsome, did you know that, darling?" With a dreamy look, Ryuko remarked as she took her wine glass and gazed intently at the young man before her, who smiled warmly before replying.

"I doubt I'm more handsome than you; you look stunning."

"Fufufu, you're quite the charmer, but you know, you should wear a suit more often—you look enchanting." Ryuko commented with a slight grin before tasting the exclusive wine Kai had procured for the occasion, who responded with a small smile.

"I wouldn't say I'm precisely a charmer; I'm just speaking from the heart."

"Hehehe."

A timid little laugh escaped from Ryuko's beautiful cherry-colored lips, while a slight blush appeared on her cheeks, enhancing her charm by several levels. After a moment, the beautiful golden-haired woman looked into her lover's eyes with fascination, then commented in a dreamy voice.

"Thank you for fulfilling my dream, Kai. This night is what I've always dreamed of since I was a little girl."

"Hehehe, it's too soon for that. First, you have to try my culinary skills." Kai remarked with a slight grin, causing Ryuko to ask in surprise, as she knew Kai could cook but rarely did since Nemuri didn't like him doing it.

"You cooked?"

"Yes, I had to slip away early from the training group Momo organized to finish on time. But let me present the 'Amuse-bouche': Kumamoto oyster with champagne pearls and cucumber air."

Pointing toward the entrance of the safe house's terrace, Kai responded cheerfully and with perfect pronunciation. At that moment, Sage came flying onto the terrace with two beautiful plates floating around her. Each holding an appetizing oyster on a bed of ice with translucent champagne spheres along with a light white foam, which was the cucumber air.

"How did you learn to make something like this?"

Ryuko asked, surprised, as the plate landed gently in front of her, to which Kai answered with a slight smile while Sage placed her hands on her hips with a proud expression on her face.

"Well, Sage searched for recipes, and we practiced a bit. I hope you like it."

"You're really amazing, Sage." Ryuko commented with a smile as she looked at the beautiful fairy, causing Sage to smile cheerfully and respond a bit shyly.

"Hehehe, Master was the one who prepared them."

"You're a sweetheart." Ryuko said cheerfully as she looked amused at the curious fairy, who smiled happily before bowing like a proper waitress and commenting in an elegant tone.

"I'll be at your service."

After speaking, Sage quickly disappeared, at which point Kai pointed to Ryuko's plate while commenting in a serious and elegant tone, acting like a gentleman.

"Please, madam, honor me with your opinion."

"Fufufu, alright." Ryuko responded with a slight smile before taking a small taste of the oysters, at which she opened her eyes in surprise and then commented.

"This is exquisite, Kai. I didn't know you had so much talent for cooking."

"Hehehe, neither did I. I almost never cook; I even had a plan B to order a complete dinner from a restaurant not far from here, in case it didn't turn out well." Kai replied cheerfully before trying his own creation, finding it quite decent.

"Fufufu, the girls will be very jealous when they find out you prepared all this for me." Ryuko commented with a mischievous smile on her face, resembling a playful cat, to which Kai could only shrug helplessly.

"Well, Nemuri never liked me cooking, and the same goes for Shino, so there was never an opportunity."

"Hehehe, those two are quite 'traditional', but after tasting these delights, I think they'll change their minds a bit." Ryuko commented with a slight grin as she finished eating her oysters. At that moment, Sage arrived with two more plates floating around her.

"Looks like the entrée has arrived: Wagyu A5 tartare with black truffle emulsion and quail egg yolk cured in soy."

As the plates landed in front of them, Kai commented elegantly while looking at Ryuko, who happily nodded, thus beginning an elegant romantic candlelit dinner, filled with casual conversations and cheerful giggles.

...

"That was delicious; you're really good at everything, Kai."

After dinner, Ryuko commented, looking genuinely satisfied while savoring the wine. At that moment, soft music played as Kai stood up from his seat, then approached the beautiful blonde woman and spoke with a slight smile.

"Not at everything, but that doesn't matter. May I have this dance?"

"Of course."

With a huge smile on her face, Ryuko elegantly extended her hand to take Kai's, then rose from her seat and began a smooth and fluid dance on the terrace under the candlelight. This warmed the beautiful woman's heart, who looked almost hypnotized at the young man she was dancing with until she could no longer contain herself and jumped to cling to his neck, initiating a passionate kiss.

In the midst of the passionate kiss, Ryuko crossed her legs around her beloved, revealing one of her attractive legs through the slit of her elegant dress. Kai began to walk toward the house while holding her elastic and perfectly shaped rear, but at that moment, Ryuko broke the kiss to speak with a panting voice filled with desire.

"Let's not go inside; let's stay here..."

"Hehehe, how naughty..." Kai commented with a slight smile, which colored Ryuko's already red face a bit more, while a mischievous smile appeared on her beautiful face.

"Yes, that's right; you have a very naughty kitten in your hands. What are you going to do?"

With a voice laden with lust, Ryuko commented as she used her hands to slide down the straps of her dress, soon exposing her beautiful breasts. Although smaller than Nemuri's and Shino's, they were still incredibly attractive, especially because they looked incredibly elastic and soft, with a pair of delicate pink nipples in a pointed shape.

"I suppose I'll have to devour this naughty kitten."

While leaning his beautiful girlfriend against the terrace railing, Kai whispered in a deep voice into Ryuko's ear, who visibly trembled with excitement for a moment before exclaiming with a voice full of urgency and unusual desire.

"Devour me now, right here; it was a mistake to wait so long—I need you inside me now!"

As she spoke, Ryuko moved her dress forcefully to expose her lower part, tearing it in the process and revealing a sexy light blue thong visibly damp, which she slid to the side using one of her fingers. This allowed her beloved to contemplate her expectant and wet vagina of an attractive pink color, adorned by a small amount of golden hair on the upper part, perfectly trimmed and arranged.

Quickly, Kai released his manhood from his suit, causing Ryuko to swallow audibly, partly from anticipation and partly from the fear caused by its size, which even made her doubt whether it would fit inside her. But the excitement was so overwhelming that she opened her beautiful legs even wider with the mentality that if he destroyed her, Kai could put her back together.

"You're a very naughty kitten."

In a seductive voice, Kai whispered into his beautiful girlfriend's ear while introducing his manhood into Ryuko's warm and delicate pussy. Which turned out to be incredibly tight, to the point that he even had difficulties entering, causing a small moan of pain from Ryuko.

At that moment, Kai quickly activated his Mystical Palm to deactivate Ryuko's pain receptors, but she took his hand to stop him while speaking with a voice that was painful but determined.

"No, I want to feel this—I need to feel this. Don't take it away from me, darling."

"Are you sure?" Kai asked in a serious tone while looking directly into Ryuko's eyes, who nodded with a slight smile before hugging him tightly as she responded with a voice filled with countless feelings.

"Completely; I don't want to miss absolutely anything from this moment, and I want to remember it until my last days."

"Alright, I'll try to do it slowly." Kai responded in a tone full of warmth while embracing Ryuko's small back, who melted in his arms while replying with a voice full of love.

"Thank you, Kai; I love you."

"I love you."

With his response, Kai initiated a warm kiss with Ryuko, who corresponded in the same way, while he slowly pushed his manhood into his beloved's narrow femininity. This caused some painful moans from Ryuko, until after a while, the pair of lovers were completely connected.

"I've dreamed of this so many times, but it's better than I could have ever imagined." With her face completely red, Ryuko commented in a low voice while looking with eyes full of love at her beloved, who, after a loving kiss, commented with an affectionate smile.

"Thank you for letting me experience this with you, Ryuko."

"Fufufu, I wouldn't experience it with anyone else. This naughty kitten is only for you to spoil." Ryuko commented cheerfully while a mischievous smile formed on her face, which made Kai smile warmly, who couldn't help but comment while caressing his beloved's beautiful face.

"You're truly a wonderful woman, Ryuko."

"And you're my dream husband. I really feel so happy by your side; starting this relationship was the best decision I could have made." Ryuko commented with a beautiful smile on her face, one that expressed her happiness and anticipation for the future, to which Kai commented with a slight smile.

"I'm also very happy to have you by my side."

"Do you want me to confess a secret?" Ryuko asked with a mischievous smile on her face, which immediately piqued Kai's curiosity, who quickly replied.

"Tell me."

"You know, what I like most about this relationship—obviously apart from having you by my side—is having to hide. It's so exciting!" Ryuko commented with a mischievous giggle, which gave the illusion that cat ears and whiskers adorned her beautiful face, causing Kai to approach with a similar smile.

"Oh, really? How interesting to know."

Kai's movement caused a seductive moan to escape from Ryuko's attractive cherry-colored lips, as she felt pleasure coursing through her body and her libido reaching a new peak. She grabbed the lapels of Kai's suit to pull him into a kiss full of passion, using her tongue to explore her beloved's mouth.

"Kai, make love to me; I desire you."

After separating from her beloved's lips, Ryuko commented while looking with almost predatory eyes at Kai, who responded with a passionate kiss while beginning to move within his beloved's warm interior.

At the same time, Kai began to caress Ryuko's exposed beautiful breasts, which were a bit larger than his hands and had a hypnotizing elasticity, to the point that they seemed like two top-quality stress balls. Her hard and pink nipples added a touch of femininity and sensuality so attractive that Kai couldn't help but lose himself in them.

As the minutes passed, Ryuko's moans began to become louder and wilder, while she felt waves of ecstasy traversing her body, eroding her sanity to the point that she began to feel that her clothes were itching. This forced her to start tearing her expensive dress carelessly, ending up completely destroying it and remaining completely naked except for her sensual thong.

"Kai, take all this off; I want to feel your skin—I want to feel you with every part of my being..."

With a panting voice, Ryuko spoke while tearing her beloved's suit with one hand and using the other to shred the only piece of clothing left on her body, her tiny and sensual thong. Kai then responded by ripping off his clothes in an instant, remaining totally naked along with Ryuko.

Chapter 100: Thank you for accepting me. (R-18)

Chapter Text

"You're a very lustful and mischievous kitty."

Kai whispered into Ryuko's ear as he quickened the pace of his thrusts, his hands exploring every inch of her slender body. In response, the beautiful golden-haired woman cried out loudly, feeling an orgasm surge through her body from the crown of her head to the soles of her feet.

"Yes, I am your exclusive lustful kitty! So put a collar on me and train me to fulfill all your desires!"

Even as he increased the speed of his thrusts, Kai couldn't help but look at Ryuko with a bit of surprise. After all, that wasn't the most common fetish around, not to mention he could now confirm that his three girlfriends had rather peculiar tastes. Then again, he wasn't the sanest guy in the world either. Besides, to maintain a relationship like the one they had, you had to be a little 'crazy', and the crazies were the most fun.

"Then I'll have to get a collar for my little kitty."

As he gently stroked Ryuko's neck, Kai remarked in an authoritative and lustful tone. This caused the beautiful woman to visibly tremble, her entire body covered in goosebumps, and the pupils of her blue eyes fully dilated.

"Yes, I want a collar, one just for me that makes me yours..."

Clinging to Kai, Ryuko moaned between gasps filled with ecstasy, then increased the pace of the thrusts on her own. At that moment, Kai lifted her while sweeping everything off the table, laying her upon it to begin a passionate session.

"Kai! I'm about to come! I'm coming! Finish me off!" After a while, Ryuko exclaimed loudly as she clung to the head of her beloved, who was kissing her breasts.

"Where do you want it?" Kai quickly asked as he began kissing Ryuko's neck. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, exclaiming loudly at the same time.

"Inside! I want it all inside!"

As Ryuko soared to the heavens from the most wonderful orgasm of her life, making every millimeter of her body tremble, she suddenly felt a warm fluid completely filling her inside. This caused her powerful moan to transform into an almost primal howl, while her body began to shake so violently it seemed she was convulsing.

After several minutes of intense tremors and ecstatic cries—resulting from such an aggressive orgasm that it even caused her nose to bleed and a cascade of love juices to gush like a high-pressure hose from her pussy—Ryuko finally calmed down. She stretched out on the table, feeling truly fulfilled, as if she had been born only to experience the happiness she felt at that precise moment.

"You scared me a bit there."

Kai said as he wiped the blood from his beloved's face, checking a hologram with Ryuko's physical information. Her reaction had genuinely frightened him, so he quickly summoned Sage to examine her. Fortunately, it was nothing serious, just a big rush, so shortly after, the beautiful fairy disappeared from sight along with the hologram.

"Hehe, sorry, I got too excited. It was the best thing I've ever experienced in my entire life."

With an almost dreamy voice, Ryuko commented as she hugged her beloved with her arms almost without strength and brought him closer to her body, wanting to fully feel his warmth and be connected to him a little more. At which point, Kai commented with a small smile.

"Well, I was really scared for a moment; I even had Sage check you."

"I'm sorry. Ever since I was little, when I get excited, my body speeds up. Although this time was a bit exceptional. Don't worry; they've done very rigorous tests on me, and there's nothing wrong. My body is just like that."

With an authentically loving expression, Ryuko explained in a warm and caring tone while gently stroking the silky black hair of the man she was sure was the true love of her life. Kai commented with a somewhat concerned voice.

"Even so, I'd like to start a complete study with Sage's help to confirm."

"Alright, run all the tests you want, but..." Ryuko said with a smile, but quickly a deep blush covered her cheeks. She then added shyly.

"...I want my collar as a reward..."

"Hehe, you little pervert, but I'll make a collar for you with my own hands." Kai chuckled softly, to which Ryuko responded with an affectionate kiss, releasing the last of her fears and inhibitions. After a moment, she added with a mischievous smile.

"Darling, you can detect anyone who approaches, right?"

"Yes, I can." Kai replied, giving Ryuko a suspicious look, imagining what his perverted girlfriend had in mind. She quickly added with an even bigger smile.

"And this area is quite private, isn't it?"

"Very much so. The nearest villa is more than ten kilometers away, and it's also mine, so it's empty." Kai replied with a slight smile, which seemed to excite Ryuko even more. She quickly added with radiant eyes.

"That means that if, say, some kitty wanted to take a walk in the open air, no one but her owner could see her, right?"

"Exactly. That perverted kitty could wander around without anyone but her 'owner' seeing her." Kai replied with a mischievous smile, at which point Ryuko asked with an excited expression, like a child about to receive a prize.

"Darling, wouldn't you like to take a walk around to get to know the villa?"

"That sounds like a good plan." Kai replied, amused as he looked at Ryuko, who gave him a radiant smile before patting his shoulder and speaking with excitement.

"Then let's go, darling! Let's bathe and get ready to take a comforting moonlit walk."

Upon hearing Ryuko, Kai couldn't help but tilt his head, feeling confused, as he had imagined a completely different outcome. But he quickly composed himself and asked with a smile while separating his body from Ryuko's.

"Then let's go. Do you want us to bathe together?"

"Hmm... that sounds too tempting..." Sitting on the table, Ryuko thought deeply as her eyes roamed over her lover's perfect body. But after a moment, she shook her head and responded with a smile.

"But better not. If I bathe with you, I won't be able to control myself. I'll bathe in my room and you in the main room, so we'll get ready and meet in the living room. Remember to wear something elegant."

"Alright, then I'll wear the blue suit. What do you think?" Kai agreed, then asked as he helped Ryuko down from the table. She responded with a big smile.

"That's perfect! Let's go!"

Looking very excited, Ryuko quickly pulled Kai by the hand into the villa. Shortly after, they stopped in front of one of the doors on the second floor, and she kissed him affectionately for a few seconds before commenting with a little grin.

"Well then, get ready and wait for me downstairs. As soon as I'm ready, I'll come down to find you. And remember, don't spy on me—turn off your 'sixth sense'."

"Alright, I won't 'spy' on you, and I'll dress super elegantly." Kai replied cheerfully, causing Ryuko to give him another kiss before commenting excitedly.

"Seriously, turn off your 'sixth sense'. I'll know if you spied on me."

"I promise, it'll be a surprise for me." Kai said, amused by Ryuko's behavior, earning one more kiss from the beautiful woman, who quickly added.

"Alright, I trust you. Wait for me!"

After speaking, Ryuko gave her beloved a final kiss before running to the room and closing the door, which brought an ironic smile to Kai's face. After shaking his head, he extended his observation haki to the maximum to check if anyone was nearby. Upon confirming that there wasn't, he quickly reduced it to a minimum, wanting to keep his promise and let Ryuko surprise him.

In a short time, Kai reached the main room of the villa, which was the largest and had all the amenities—from a small private terrace to a jacuzzi in the bathroom—where he took a good shower. He then began to put on one of his elegant suits, which the girls had given him.

Although they always stayed together, the four of them, when they were in the safe house, everyone actually had a room in the villa. The girls used theirs for little more than storing things they wanted to keep in the safe house, like clothes, perfumes, accessories, and so on, since they generally used the main room, which was Kai's. Until now, only Nemuri and Shino had used the items they had in their rooms.

Once perfectly dressed and groomed, Kai looked at himself one last time in the mirror while applying a cologne that Yumiko had given him—though, truth be told, almost all his perfumes were gifts from her. He then left the room and descended the elegant wooden stairs connecting the two floors, sitting on the sofa in front of the fireplace while reviewing some data with Sage about the project he was working on.

After a while, Kai received a warning from Sage that Ryuko was on the stairs. He quickly turned his gaze just as the beautiful fairy disappeared along with the holograms. But what Kai saw on the stairs left him completely stunned.

On the stairs stood a radiant Ryuko, perfectly coiffed and made up with impeccable attention to detail—perhaps even better than when they had their romantic dinner earlier. But what was truly surprising was that the beautiful golden-haired woman wore only cat ears on her head, being completely naked.

As a satisfied smile formed on her face upon seeing the look on the love of her life—which confirmed that he hadn't spied on her, and she had been able to give him the surprise she wanted—Ryuko finished descending the stairs. She quickly approached Kai, who was looking at her with his mouth open. She gently closed his mouth with one of her hands while taking his hand with the other and commented with a small mischievous smile.

"Come on, darling, it's time for our walk."

"Let's go..."

Almost on autopilot, Kai responded softly as he looked Ryuko up and down. She seemed to exude an aura of blinding happiness as she led him to the villa's door, full of excitement. But before opening the door, she quickly asked with contained excitement.

"Darling, can you confirm that there's no one outside? I don't want anyone but you to see me."

"Alright, there's no one."

Having composed himself a bit, Kai confirmed after extending his [En] to the maximum, wanting to be completely sure there was no one. At that moment, Ryuko nodded excitedly, then commented with a radiant smile while hugging Kai's arm against her sensual and naked body.

"Then let's take our walk, darling. Your little kitty is dying to have her first stroll."

"Then let's go."

After nodding, Kai opened the villa's door, which caused a slight tremor to run through Ryuko's body. She pressed Kai's arm tightly against her naked body as he began to walk outside.

Upon reaching the open air, a surge of excitement violently coursed through Ryuko's body, as a significant amount of love juices began to flow from her delicate pussy, running down her long, slender legs.

"Darling, let's take a little walk..." Ryuko panted heavily, looking at Kai with an expression full of lust. The blue-eyed man nodded with a smile.

"Of course."

As Ryuko held on to her lover's arm with all her might and looked around nervously, the couple took a short walk under the moonlight. They returned to the villa when the excitement for the beautiful golden-haired woman became so overwhelming that even a couple of drops of blood appeared from her nose.

Once inside, Kai wiped the slight trace of blood from Ryuko's face. She gazed at him with unbridled desire, her love juices dripping uncontrollably onto the floor. Soon after, she exclaimed full of lust while lowering the zipper of his pants.

"Kai... fill me."

With Ryuko's words, in the middle of the room, a task full of passion began, in which Ryuko begged Kai to keep his clothes on at all times, with him sitting on one of the sofas. She, being completely naked apart from her cat ears, rode him as if her life depended on it, reaching endless brutal orgasms that made her convulse violently, until she felt like her lover's semen filled her once again.

Feeling full and complete once more, Ryuko collapsed onto Kai, feeling whole and happy. She whispered with a smile full of love and gratitude into the ear of the man who loved and accepted her as she was, with whom she didn't need to hide her dark secrets.

"Kai... I love you. Thank you for accepting me..."

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to know you as you really are. It means a lot to me and made me very happy. I love you." Kai whispered back in a voice filled with affection as he gently stroked Ryuko's back. She whispered softly as her eyes closed from exhaustion.

"I truly love you, Kai. You're the man of my life..."

With those words, Ryuko fell peacefully asleep with a beautiful smile on her face. After a while, Kai carried her to the second floor, cleaned her, and laid her on the bed. He then gave her a massage that would help her recover all her energy and eventually lay down beside her, closing his eyes.

"Rest, my perverted little kitty."

Chapter 101: I’ll be number one.

Chapter Text

Soon, another week passed, and during that time, Kai's house was besieged by those who called themselves 'the representative's training group', whom Momo personally trained with great dedication. She even managed to get Kai to give them advice and have small sparring sessions with them.

Although Momo's insistence on bringing strangers into the house was quite annoying for Kai, he could intuit the reason she did it. It was undoubtedly the same reason the beautiful girl wanted to leave her 'mark' on the world by being a hero—something that, although Kai didn't share, he could understand. After all, at one time, he had similar thoughts.

Because of that, and because Momo had the lucidity not to invite those who irritated him, Kai ultimately decided to let her have her way and occasionally helped the group. Moreover, he only gave her a symbolic punishment of training with Salem a few times, since no matter how much he understood her, it was important that her actions had a price—one she could remember. Besides, now that the cultural festival had arrived, he wouldn't allow more situations like that.

...

In a secluded corner of what seemed to be a locker room, Kai was playing with Salem, determined to ignore all the people around him, especially the looks Momo was giving him. Unfortunately, only the Pussycats had been able to come to support them, since Nejire was busy with a mission during her internship, and it was not good for Keiko and Yumiko to go to such a crowded place.

"What a shame, I wanted to wear my hero costume..." Mina commented in a disappointed tone, sitting next to Momo. Ojiro, the guy with the tail, sitting across from her and not far from Kai, replied casually.

"To be fair, we can't."

"But having someone like Saito with us, I don't think the costumes would make much difference, honestly." Kirishima said while looking at the young man determined to ignore them, to which Momo responded with a small laugh.

"Fufufu, 'fairness' is sought not for us in the hero course, but for the other courses that don't have the same opportunity to obtain a costume, since a flashy costume could draw a lot of attention."

"Oh, so that's why they allow support equipment but not costumes?"

Uraraka, who was sitting at another table with Midoriya and Iida, commented cheerfully while patting the curious device around her waist. Jiro nodded, sitting on the other side of Momo, and then explained while pointing to the fourth annoyance of UA according to Kai—a blond-haired, blue-eyed boy who acted like an aristocrat.

"Yes, although you have to make a request, and it's easier if it's something created within UA. From what I read, this is mainly done for two reasons: one, so that the students of the support course can showcase their capabilities, and two, because there are people who require the assistance of support equipment to use their quirks, like Aoyama."

While the students were conversing on different topics, the young man with half-white, half-red hair and a huge scar on the left side of his face, Todoroki, walked up to where Midoriya was. He then spoke in a serious tone, drawing the attention of everyone present, who turned to look at the unusual scene.

"Midoriya."

"What's up, Todoroki?"

Somewhat surprised by the sudden call, Midoriya turned to look at Todoroki and asked, a bit confused. The young man with two-toned hair responded casually but seriously, with one of his hands in the pocket of his PE uniform.

"Objectively speaking, I believe I'm above you in terms of practical strength."

"Eh?! Ah, yes, of course."

Feeling confused by the sudden outburst from the young man in front of him, Midoriya replied in an uncertain tone. Todoroki then added while looking directly at the green-haired boy, who had lowered his head.

"But even so, you managed to get All Might's eyes on you, didn't you?" Todoroki's words alarmed Midoriya, but the young man with the large facial scar continued speaking.

"I don't feel the need to meddle in that, but I'm going to defeat you." Todoroki turned to look at Kai in a corner and then commented in a more serious tone.

"And you too, Saito."

In response, all Todoroki got was an uncomfortable silence, while the black cat that the terrifying young man always carried turned to look at him, somehow expressing mockery and disdain on its cute feline face. But at that moment, Midoriya, still with his head down, began to speak.

"I have no idea what you want from me by telling me all this. You're definitely stronger than I am; I think the vast majority of people are probably no match for you. Besides, everyone—even the guys from other departments—is aiming for the top with all their might."

As he spoke, Midoriya began to clench his fists and fill with emotion, to the point where he raised his face to look directly at Todoroki, then announced with strength and determination.

"So I can't give up either, so I'll go for it with all I've got!"

The confident announcement from the usually shy and nervous Midoriya greatly surprised the students, especially Todoroki and Bakugo, who looked at the green-haired young man with different expressions—surprise and challenge in Todoroki's case, while in Bakugo's, only irritation was visible.

"Well, guys, it's our time to enter; please, let's do it in order."

Suddenly, Momo's voice was heard in the locker room, completely shattering the tense moment. The students quickly nodded, then got up from their seats with different expressions, but they all shared something in common: they were determined to do everything possible to start their careers on the right foot. Well, everyone except Kai, who had to be dragged out of the locker room by Momo.

...

"UA's Sports Festival!! Where the apprentices of the hero world aim for each other's throats—and also for the top! Our great annual contest! And let me guess, you all came to see them, right? The miraculous newcomers who, with nerves of steel, took care of a massive villain attack! From the Hero Department, the first-year class!! You're here for Class 1-A, aren't you?!"

As Kai exited through one of the stadium doors where the cultural festival would take place, a powerful voice resonated in the stadium, coming from a prominent professional hero and UA teacher, Present Mic. This caused great euphoria among the audience, especially in a certain group of heroes with colorful costumes and robotic cat ears, who carried a large banner with the names of two students.

"Whoa, there's really a lot of people..."

Seeing the enormous number of attendees, Midoriya commented nervously while looking around, at which point Iida commented to himself in a somewhat worried and serious tone.

"Can we give our best with so many eyes watching from all directions...? This is also another link in the academy's great hero training system."

"Wow, they're really praising us... I'm starting to get nervous. How about you, Bakugo?" Kirishima, with a somewhat anxious expression, commented while looking around, then looked at Bakugo next to him and asked with some excitement. The blond replied with an arrogant tone.

"There's no way I'm getting nervous; you just have stage fright, loser."

"They haven't been here long, but they're full of talent—Hero Course! Class 1-B!!" Present Mic continued announcing the students who entered through different doors, placing special emphasis on the hero courses, then introduced the others more quickly.

"Following them are Classes C, D, and E from the General Education Department! F, G, and H from the Support Department are also here! And the Management Department, Classes I, J, K! All the first-years are gathered!!!"

After the students gathered in front of an elevated platform that served as a stage, the entire stadium could see one of the women publicly recognized as one of the most beautiful heroes in the world. She entered, walking with a firm yet elegant step, as if she were on a runway.

"It's Midnight!!!"

Suddenly, one of the students shouted as if he had seen his greatest idol, which caught Kai's attention. He turned to see where the voice was coming from, finding someone incredibly short, the height of a small child, with hair that looked more like a bunch of purple grapes than anything else.

(Mmm... that guy seems familiar for some reason, but I don't remember from where. Was he a 'character'? But he's not in the class, how strange...)

While Kai tried to search his memories, among the students and the multitude of spectators, a great commotion had arisen due to Midnight's appearance. Despite having changed her costume to a more 'modest' one and her long retirement, not only had she not lost followers, but on the contrary, they had grown like foam, becoming even more famous than before.

Seeing the commotion, Midnight couldn't help but smile mischievously at Kai, who simply rolled his eyes. At that moment, she forcefully whipped the typical BDSM whip—one of the few things she used from her old costume, along with her handcuff-shaped bracelets—which caused a loud noise.

"Silence!!" Midnight announced loudly, with a serious and authoritative tone, which instantly silenced the entire stadium. She then began to announce in a similar voice.

"Bakugo Katsuki! Representing the first-year students!!"

Upon hearing his name, Bakugo began walking toward the stage, while several students from Class 1-A looked confused, especially Midoriya, who couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

"Huh? Kacchan?"

"Well, he was first in the entrance exam, so it makes sense." Sero, who was near Midoriya, explained in a low voice, but was still overheard by a girl from the General Course who was nearby. She commented with an expression full of disdain.

"Yes, from the Heroics entrance exam."

Shortly after, Bakugo reached the microphone on the stage. He casually glanced at an annoying guy with black hair and blue eyes who was playing with a black cat, then commented in a flat, emotionless tone.

"I promise that I'll be number one."

Bakugo's words generated a great stir among the students, who began shouting all sorts of things at him. The blond responded with an arrogant expression, simultaneously making a throat-slitting gesture with his thumb.

"You'll be perfect stepping stones, I'm sure."

While Bakugo's taunts provoked an even greater reaction among the students, he couldn't help but look at Kai, who didn't even glance his way and instead simply played with his cat. As if he couldn't even perceive his existence—which greatly angered him. But at that moment, Midnight's voice resonated again through the speakers.

"Alright, with that, we can move directly to our first event...! In the 'preliminaries,' as they're called! A lot of good people end up drowning in their tears here every year!! And this year's first round of destiny is..."

As Midnight spoke, behind her appeared a huge holographic screen showing the names of different tests changing rapidly, as if it were some kind of roulette. Shortly after, it stopped, displaying a single name in large letters, [Obstacle Race], at which point the beautiful heroine pointed to it and spoke with an alluring smile.

"...This one!!"

Seeing the next test, the students looked at each other surprised, but the holographic screen quickly changed to show different images. At the same time, Midnight explained in a serious tone, perfectly executing her role as a judge and captivating both the students and the spectators—not only those in the stadium but even those at home couldn't help but look at the woman of almost divine beauty with hearts practically in their eyes.

"It's a race among the 11 classes! The track makes a ring of almost 4 kilometers around the stadium! We always talk about our freedom on campus, fufufu..." Midnight turned to look at the students, and with a soft smile on her face, added.

"Well, this is what it's about! You're free to do anything—anything—as long as you stay on the track!"

With Midnight's words, the students quickly approached one of the doors that automatically opened, at which point the beautiful heroine began the countdown for the first major event.

"Let's begin then... On your marks... Get set... Go!!!"

Chapter 102: Don’t ask.

Chapter Text

At Nemuri's words, all the students started running as if their lives depended on it, which inevitably caused a huge jam at the narrow gate—something that didn't affect Kai in the slightest. He simply stayed casually in his place, while Salem watched with curiosity and mockery at the guys squeezing past each other to get through.

However, for Momo, things were very different. The moment Midnight gave the starting signal, she immediately produced and equipped her armor, which was heavily inspired by a certain millionaire, playboy, philanthropist hero. It allowed her to easily fly over the students, and although it wasn't as fast as the armor that served as inspiration, she could still easily leave the others behind.

Similarly, all those who participated in the representative's training group showed the immense improvements they had achieved in the short time they had been receiving almost Spartan training. This was the case, for example, with Uraraka, who, thanks to the 3D maneuverability device on her waist, could make the best use of her quirk, flying and controlling her direction with the device.

Meanwhile, Kai just watched the circus without the slightest intention of moving, despite the Pussycats, who somehow were sitting right next to the door, waving their banners and cheering at the top of their lungs. At that moment, Shino and Ryuko looked at each other with conspiratorial smiles, and Mandalay sent a telepathic message to her sister.

[Plan A didn't work; it's time to initiate Plan B]

[Understood!]

With a mischievous smile on her face, Ryuko responded to the telepathic message, looking like a cat about to play a prank. She took her phone and quickly sent a message to the most special contact on her list, which was saved as [Husband] along with a bunch of heart and kiss emojis.

Almost instantly, in front of Kai appeared a holographic screen in [In] mode courtesy of Sage, since he didn't have his phone. The whole family was on the special list where the incredibly capable fairy had to inform him no matter what if they tried to communicate with him.

Seeing the message Ryuko had sent him, Kai couldn't help but open his eyes, surprised. After all, she had sent him a provocative image in erotic lingerie with cat ears and the gothic-style black velvet choker that he had personally made and that he now wore everywhere. It had a pendant carved in the shape of a minimalist Pixie-Bob cat's head. In addition, the photo came with a message that said.

[This kitty wants to see her owner win, meow]

With a surprised expression, Kai couldn't help but look at Ryuko in the stands, who winked at him playfully, which made him doubt whether he should really go and kick teenage butts. But after a moment, he recomposed himself and shook his head, firm in not falling into the temptation of the treacherous plan his perverted girlfriend had prepared.

[Plan B failed; it's time for Plan C]

Seeing her beloved's expression, Ryuko instantly knew what he was thinking, so she quickly informed Shino through the mental connection, who already had her phone in hand. Shino responded in a serious tone, while sending a message to her contact [Darling] with a slight blush on her cheeks.

[Right now.]

Now in front of Kai was an invisible holographic screen showing an image of Shino in a tiny and transparent black maid outfit, which left practically everything in view. She had cat ears on her head and a choker similar to Ryuko's, although with the head of a minimalist Mandalay cat instead, along with a message that said.

[This maid will serve her master with all her heart for winning the sports festival.]

Knowing it was an orchestrated plan, Kai gave Shino a meaningful look, who smiled at him shyly. He then looked away with dignity, not letting himself be bought by such a macabre plan, while Sage made sure there was no record of the little incident.

[Hehehe, it seems we'll have to use Plan C] Seeing Kai's attitude, Ryuko commented cheerfully through the mental connection with Shino, who quickly replied in a similar tone.

[No, it's better if we bring out the heavy artillery; Kai is going to play dumb to see what we're planning.]

[Then let's go all out; today our husband will fall one way or another, hahaha] Ryuko commented with an 'evil' smile on her face, something that rubbed off on Shino, who looked amused at her boyfriend, while taking her phone and sending a new message.

Seeing the new message, Kai couldn't help but be completely stupefied. After all, in the photo this time were his three girlfriends, with Ryuko and Shino in the same outfits, while Nemuri wore a black Playboy bunny suit that left her enormous breasts exposed, on which she had heart-shaped nipple covers. On her neck was a black choker with a pendant carved in the shape of a minimalist Saluki dog's head.

In the photo, Nemuri was sitting in an elegant chair resembling a throne with her legs crossed and her hands on her knees, having a sensual expression on her face. Ryuko and Shino stood at her sides with one knee on the armrests of the chair and their hands on Nemuri's shoulders, with Ryuko having a mischievous expression and Shino looking somewhat shy.

As if they wanted to show it off, on their visible hands, all the girls had on their ring fingers platinum ring with personalized black diamonds matching their respective collars. The message accompanying the provocative photo made Kai dizzy for a moment.

[Your loved ones hope to jointly relieve your fatigue after winning the UA first-year sports festival.]

With a look expressing his incredulity, Kai looked at each of his beautiful girlfriends, who returned mischievous smiles. Although in Shino's case, a slight shy blush could be seen on her face, which led the blue-eyed boy to shake his head, somewhat amused, then disappear from sight, moving at absurd speeds.

Although much of his change of mind was due to being offered too much—basically any man's dream—and he didn't want all the girls' effort to be in vain, the reality was that since he was at it. He might as well take the opportunity to free himself from having the girls making plans to make him stand out in the future. After all, he was quite sure that sooner rather than later, things would soon go south and his 'fame' would resonate once again.

For their part, the girls, knowing they had achieved their goal, looked at each other with complicity and victory. But at that moment, Tomoko, who had been watching with curiosity the constant exchange of glances of her friends and companions, quickly hugged Shino while cheerfully asking.

"How did you do it?"

"W-what? What do you mean, Ragdoll?" Shino asked back somewhat nervously, while quickly hiding her phone, to which Tomoko asked with a small smile.

"How did you convince Kai to take the sports festival seriously?"

"It's a trade secret, fufufu." Ryuko commented somewhat amused, which caused Tomoko to jump on Ryuko to hug her and start asking insistently.

"Come on, tell me, tell me, pretty please!"

"Fufufu, if you're a good girl, maybe I'll tell you." Ryuko commented with a smile while playfully stroking Tomoko's beautiful turquoise-green hair, who couldn't help but pout grumpily while complaining.

"Stingy!"

Meanwhile, Chatora, who had been watching the whole event discreetly, couldn't help but shake his head with a small smile. Really, neither Shino nor Ryuko were the best at hiding things, and for a long time, he had had his suspicions. But even if it was what he imagined, he was 100% willing to support his best friends and companions in their madness if that was what made them happy.

...

Using his absurd base speed, combined with some emission to accelerate even more, Kai advanced down the track at great speeds, quickly catching up to the leaders in the race, who were all from Class 1-A. Midoriya was at the front running, showing for the first time in public decent control of his quirk.

Head to head with Midoriya was Todoroki, who propelled himself using his ice, while Bakugo followed closely with a crazed expression. Bakugo used the explosions in his hands to propel himself forward and fly, all the while shouting all kinds of insults with an almost torn voice.

After watching how the people he had given advice to were applying them correctly, Kai nodded somewhat satisfied for not having wasted his time, then accelerated again to catch up to Momo, who was much further ahead—so much so that they would very likely change the competition rules to prevent something like that from happening again.

Not long after, Kai stopped near the entrance gate to the stadium, where Momo landed and unequipped her armor, which fell to the ground turning into dust. She then took Kai's offered arm, with a big smile on her face, looking genuinely happy, and they walked together down the hallway under the stands, re-entering the stadium where they were met with great euphoria from the fans.

"Who would have expected this result?!!!"

As Momo and Kai entered the stadium, Present Mic's excited voice resounded throughout the arena, which was flooded with cheers of euphoria from the stands. Momo waved to them with a cheerful and shy smile on her face, while the hero announced the result aloud.

"The winners are Yaoyorozu Momo and Saito Kai!!! It's a tie between the two best students of class 1-A of the hero course!!!"

With Present Mic's announcement, a new wave of excited cheers filled the stadium. The Pussycats joined in on, waving their banners as if their lives depended on it, while smiles full of happiness and pride could be seen on their faces.

"What made you change your mind, Kai?" Momo asked happily as she walked beside Kai, hugging one of his arms, to which the blue-eyed young man could only respond casually while shrugging his shoulders.

"Don't ask; they offered me too much."

"Fufufu, alright." Momo responded somewhat amused, soon arriving in front of Nemuri, who looked at them with shining eyes full of pride, while holding back her desire to run to hug them and cover them with kisses.

After a while, through the door entered Midoriya, Todoroki, and Bakugo, with the green-haired young man looking in the best condition, since Todoroki was forced to use his heat to thaw his almost frozen body. While Bakugo's arms visibly trembled as he looked filled with shock and hatred at Midoriya and, incidentally, at Kai, who completely ignored him.

Not long after, several more students entered the stadium, among them Mina, who quickly skated up to Momo and Kai, then tried to 'complain' with a huge smile on her face. After all, she had done much better than she expected and also wanted to tease the grump who had tired of saying he didn't want to stand out.

"Don't ask; they offered me too much."

Just before Mina could speak, Kai spoke in a firm tone, then looked away, leaving the cute pink girl in shock, which made Momo smile amusedly. She quickly released Kai's arm, then approached her friend, while the blue-eyed boy walked away to start casually playing with Salem, so Momo could have a pleasant chat with her friends.

Chapter 103: Kai isn’t your boyfriend?!

Chapter Text

"You did a great job, Ashido-san." Upon reaching Mina, Momo congratulated her with a cheerful smile on her face.

"Hehe, I think so too! Even though I wasn't among the first, I think I did pretty well." Mina commented happily while raising her arms with excitement. At that moment, Jiro approached and added with a smile.

"Well, I'd say the training did us a lot of good."

"Jiro-san, I also saw that you did quite well." Momo said cheerfully, to which Mina nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah, yeah, I saw it too! You did great against the robots, and the way you used your quirk to run was super cool."

"Hehe, thanks. Although I have to say, I still have a lot to master; I made many mistakes. But even so, I feel satisfied. I know that next year, when I manage to master everything I have on my plate, I'll do much better."

Jiro nodded with a smile as she looked at the amplifiers Kai had created on her forearms and boots. This not only allowed her to make powerful ranged attacks but also enabled her to move at high speed using sound as propulsion.

"By the way, Kaminari did pretty well too. Propelling himself using electromagnetism turned out to be more useful than I thought, although he's still an idiot and did worse than me." While looking at Kaminari in the distance, who was boasting in front of Kirishima, Jiro commented in a mocking tone, to which Mina added with a sharp and somewhat teasing look.

"Although it's true that the way Saito recommended improving your speed is similar, aren't you paying a lot of attention to Kaminari, Jiro?"

"What?! What makes you think that?! He's just an idiot that's fun to tease." Jiro immediately retorted defensively, looking genuinely offended, which only made the pair of girls laugh as they gazed at her with 'knowing' expressions.

"Hey, Yao Momo! You can't tease me with your boyfriend right there!" Jiro replied annoyed while pointing at the smiling Momo, who responded in a cheerful and casual tone.

"Fufufu, Kai isn't my boyfriend yet."

"What?! Kai isn't your boyfriend?!"

With surprised expressions on their faces, Jiro and Mina asked in unison, looking incredulously at Momo, who nodded casually as if it were something obvious, then asked somewhat confused.

"Of course he's not. We're still too young for that. Why are you so surprised?"

"But you're always together, you hug all the time, you even live together. No matter how you look at it, he seems like your boyfriend..." Mina commented, feeling somewhat incredulous, to which Momo nodded understandingly.

"Oh, it's because of that. Well, that's because we've been together since I can remember, so being by his side feels, how should I say... 'natural'?. Besides, it's not like we live just the two of us; there's also Oka-sama, Onee-chan, Nejire-nee-chan, and Aunt Yumiko."

"Somehow that sounds very romantic..." Jiro commented in a soft voice, to which Momo nodded happily.

"Hehe, now that you mention it, you're right."

"Yao Momo, by 'yet', do you mean you'll go out with Saito in the future?" Mina asked in a low voice while looking at Momo, who nodded again with a smile, then explained as if it were something very obvious.

"Of course. Kai will be my husband in the future. Even mom approves and supports me with that."

"...Your worldview makes me a little dizzy. The world of the rich is something else..." Jiro commented in a low voice while looking incredulously at Momo, who looked back somewhat confused. But at that moment, Mina asked with a bit of concern in her tone.

"...Yao Momo... Aren't you afraid that another girl might snatch Saito away from you by 'waiting until you're older'?"

"Snatch Kai away from me? What do you mean?" Momo asked back while tilting her head cutely, looking quite confused, to which Mina replied, looking even more worried about her friend's romantic future.

"I mean that another girl might get ahead of you and take Saito away with her."

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that. Kai would never leave me alone; he'll always be by my side." Momo responded with a smile full of confidence on her face, which caused Jiro to ask in a low voice, as she seriously doubted that her friend had understood what Mina was trying to say.

"Yao Momo, are you sure Saito won't end up 'marrying' someone else?"

"Eh? Kai marrying someone else?"

Just as Jiro expected, Momo asked back with a truly surprised expression, then turned to look for Kai. Momo found him not far from her, standing and playing with Salem, while a pink-haired girl with various bulky support equipment was talking to him full of excitement, and he responded from time to time.

"Kai marrying someone else...?"

With an expression between surprise and nervousness, Momo whispered the question again, quickly realizing that an unpleasant feeling seeped into her heart, filling her with panic. Before she knew it, she had run to Kai's side and taken one of his arms, then looked vigilantly at the pink-haired girl.

"Oh, you are..."

Seeing the girl who had suddenly grabbed Kai's arm, Hatsume Mei commented cheerfully, then tried with all her might to remember the name, at which point the blue-eyed boy replied while rolling his eyes

"Yaoyorozu Momo."

"Oh yeah, that's right! Yaoyorozu!"

Mei nodded energetically at Kai's comment, who could only roll his eyes again, although inside he was somewhat worried. After all, he had heard the girls' conversation, and the direction it took was somewhat problematic. But for now, it was better to play dumb until he could talk to the girls to decide how to handle it.

"You're the girl from the workshop." Momo commented suspiciously, to which Mei nodded energetically, then exclaimed loudly.

"That's me, Hatsume Mei, great inventor from Support Class H and collaborator with your family company!"

Hearing the girl, Momo turned to look at Kai with an inquisitive expression, to which the blue-eyed boy explained casually:

"She's talented, so I contacted the CIO (Chief Innovation Officer) to look at her work, and he liked it quite a bit. So now she receives significant funding from the company."

"I see..." Momo commented in a low voice, then looked at the smiling Mei, who was gazing at Kai with shining eyes.

"Saito, I managed to get special permission from the principal to take exams soon to validate the common subjects and be able to dedicate myself to working on my babies."

"My workshop is off-limits."

Knowing what Mei wanted, Kai quickly replied in a serious tone while looking directly into the curious eyes of the pink-haired girl, who smiled 'flirtatiously'—or at least what she imagined was flirtatious—then spoke with a soft voice.

"Saito... just a little won't hurt..."

The behavior of the pink-haired girl greatly annoyed Momo, who couldn't help but frown. But just as she was about to speak, Nemuri's voice resonated through the stadium speakers, announcing the end of the competition, as the last of the students had managed to enter the stadium.

"And so the race ends! Please, look at the results!"

With Nemuri's words, the holographic screen behind her changed to show the respective finishing positions of the students, with Kai and Momo tied for first place, Midoriya in second, Todoroki in third, and Bakugo in fourth. The top 20 positions were practically monopolized by Class 1-A, with Aoyama, the blond mock-aristocrat, being the only one from the class outside the top 20, finishing in 42nd place.

"The top 42 have earned the right to advance!! I'm sorry for the students who didn't make it, but don't worry—we've prepared other opportunities for you to shine. But for those who passed, now the real competition begins! From now on, all the press will be watching, so give it your all!!!"

Nemuri's announcement brought different expressions to the faces of the students, especially Bakugo, who had a face full of hatred. Meanwhile, Momo looked at Mei for a moment with a bit of wariness, somehow now much calmer, knowing that her outburst was exaggerated and a product of the panic of facing a new feeling. After all, her Kai would never be snatched away by some random girl, and she was completely sure of that.

Her confidence came from the fact that she knew Kai too well. Although he was very good with them, with others it was a completely different story. When he met someone new, he would naturally go on the defensive, which made him pragmatic, unpleasant, and even quite manipulative. So the barrier for him to open up to someone was extremely high—so much so that, in his entire life, she only knew of one person who had surpassed it, and that was Togata, a man. Moreover, Kai had never sought to start a relationship with anyone.

Therefore, thinking it over, although from now on, she should keep an eye on that pink-haired girl, the danger was minimal. If she had to be on guard against someone, it would be someone like Nejire, someone very close who had passed the barrier from the beginning. But that would be unnecessary; after all, they had reached an agreement a long time ago regarding that matter.

"Now here's the second game. I already know what it is, but what will it be? What will it be?" While Midnight spoke in a playful tone, the holographic screen behind her once again showed names changing at high speed, until she announced loudly.

"As I said, here it is!"

When she finished speaking, Nemuri pointed to the holographic screen behind her with an enchanting smile on her face, causing countless blushes among the students and spectators. At that moment, the holographic screen showed the name of the event: [Cavalry Battle], prompting Midnight to explain what it was about.

"Participants can form teams of two to four people. It's basically the same as a normal cavalry battle, but with the difference that each person will be assigned a value depending on the results of the last game!"

"In other words, each team is worth a different amount of points depending on who's in it!" Uraraka exclaimed with realization, to which Mina added cheerfully.

"I get it!!"

"You two, be quiet while I speak." Nemuri retorted with a slightly annoyed expression, causing the pair of girls to try to make themselves as small as possible. The beautiful heroine then resumed her explanation.

"Although you're right, the assigned points start from 5 for the last positions, so 42nd place is worth 5 points, 41st place is worth 10 points! And the points for first place are..." Nemuri made a dramatic pause, looking at Kai and Momo before announcing the result.

"Ten million! Since it's a tie, each one is worth five million points!! It's survival of the fittest, with real chances for the last to catch up to the first!!"

Upon hearing the exaggerated score, all the students turned to look at the pair of black-haired individuals with predatory eyes. No matter what place they had finished in, if they managed to defeat even one of them, it was almost a direct victory. But just at that moment, a terrifying pressure fell upon them like a mountain, as a voice that seemed to come from the very depths of hell resonated with a mocking tone.

"So you want to come after us? Interesting. I didn't know there were so many 'intrepid' souls unafraid of death here..."

Chapter 104: Iron Palm’s son.

Chapter Text

The words of the terrifying blue-eyed young man threw a bucket of cold water over the minds of all the students, who instantly understood that those 10 million points were sealed. Now they could only fight among themselves for the leftovers, so they quickly began to seek their own groups while Kai laughed casually.

Meanwhile, in the stands, the attending heroes began to look at each other in confusion, at which point one of them—a robust-looking man with blond hair, dressed in a white and green jumpsuit, a yellow cape, and a strange headband with wings on his forehead—commented with some disgust in his tone as he gazed disapprovingly at the young man on the screens.

"What is this 'unafraid of death' talk? Is that what a hero should say?"

"Who is that boy? Why is he so arrogant?"

Another hero, a slim man with brown hair and a mask that resembled a dragonfly, asked irritably. A nearby hero commented thoughtfully while staring intently at the young man on the screen, hand on his chin, lost in his memories.

"For some reason, the surname 'Saito' feels incredibly familiar..."

"Wasn't that Iron Palm's surname?!" Upon hearing the comment, a nearby heroine with light-brown hair and a flamingo-shaped scarf exclaimed with sparkling eyes, which drew surprised looks from all who heard her.

"Hair as dark as coal! Eyes as blue as sapphire!! That's Iron Palm's trademark!!!"

Soon, a middle-aged man with a reptile-shaped helmet covering his entire face commented excitedly as he watched the young man in the arena. But at that moment, a voice filled with disdain and scorn was heard from the back.

"So we have before us Iron Palm's disgrace, the killer kid."

"You son of a bitch, do you want to die?!"

The hero with the reptile helmet retorted, full of rage, as he looked back. He found a man seated arrogantly with orange hair styled in a Mohawk, street clothes full of studs, patches, and tears, several piercings in various parts of his face, and two huge gauges in his ears.

"Hehehe, does the truth hurt a fan that much? The kid is crazy, and the fact that he was the only survivor is too strange. Everyone knows it; don't try to cover the sun with a finger."

"The only crazy one here is you!! How dare you accuse an innocent victim of something like that?! Can you still call yourself a hero?!"

The man with the reptile helmet retorted indignantly, while several of those present began to look at the despicable individual with equal parts contempt and anger. However, several around them chose to look away, as if silently agreeing with the mohawk guy.

"Hehehe, I'm just stating a fact. That old fans of a fallen hero want to play blind is another matter."

The mohawk man responded mockingly, which further angered those glaring at him, to the point where several stood up from their seats to teach him a lesson. But at that moment, several heroes serving as event security approached to calm the situation.

"We cannot allow any disturbance at the event; please follow us."

A tall and robust man with short gray hair, wearing a tight red hero suit with a V-cut on the chest, revealing his muscles. White gloves and boots, and what seemed to be a thin hose coming from his back connecting to one of his gloves. He commented in a serious tone while looking intently at the people who had stood up.

"Fine..."

The man with the reptile helmet commented with contained anger, which elicited a mocking laugh from the mohawk man. At that moment, the hero in the red suit looked at him and remarked sharply.

"You too, come with us."

"What?! Why me?" The mohawk man replied angrily, to which the hero in the red suit responded firmly, looking directly into the guy's eyes.

"Because you are the cause of this incident."

"I refuse! I was just stating a fact! Those guys were the ones who wanted to cause problems!" The mohawk man commented arrogantly and full of superiority, to which the hero in the red suit replied seriously, though slightly annoyed.

"This is the last warning: follow us, or we will have to use force."

"Heh, I want to see how you..."

The mohawk man responded condescendingly, but before he could finish his words, he was suddenly enveloped in a red substance that looked like blood, which quickly hardened, immobilizing him and sealing his mouth. He was then lifted off the ground by what seemed to be a robust humanoid dog with a muzzle and carried like a sack.

As he was taken away by the heroes, the mohawk guy couldn't help but look one last time at Iron Palm's son in the arena, only to find him staring directly at him with a slight smile on his face—one that, for some reason, gave him a powerful chill, to the point where he began to sweat cold while his body refused to stop looking at the boy, until he disappeared from view when he exited through the stands' door.

"So the boy is Iron Palm's son?"

"He's like the second coming of Iron Palm!"

"Is he really crazy?"

"You can't be criticizing a victim!"

"Is it really safe for someone like that to be at UA?"

"Do you want to fight Iron Palm's fandom or what?!"

The gossip that Iron Palm's son was competing in the sports festival soon spread like wildfire among the stands, which inevitably generated endless discussions that soon reached the ears of the Pussycats. They could not help but display dark expressions while clenching their fists, filled with anger and impotence. Although there were voices defending Kai, those labeling him as crazy or a murderer were unbearable to hear.

This was especially the case for Shino and Ryuko, who began to feel incredibly guilty for having set up their whole 'plan' to make Kai win the festival and stand out, as that had undoubtedly caused this to happen. But at the same time, they knew this was something inevitable; it would eventually occur, and only Kai's excellence could silence all that gossip.

For her part, Nemuri, who managed to hear some of what was being said in the stands, had an incredibly cold expression on her face, casually glancing at all those spreading nonsense, as if storing them in her memory. Meanwhile, the students preparing for the start of the next game couldn't help but look at Kai with different expressions, especially Momo's training group, who had already learned the whole story.

With a casual expression, as if he couldn't hear what was being said about him, Kai lifted the irate Momo, who seemed about to shout at the stands, and then seated her on his shoulders, while Salem jumped onto his head. At that moment, the beautiful black-haired girl commented in a worried and angry tone.

"Kai... don't pay attention to them..."

"Don't worry about that; I knew something like this could happen and came here despite it, so it doesn't affect me. Besides, in a way, it's something inevitable; this is the 'hero legacy' my father left me."

"..."

In a casual and calm tone, Kai explained as he walked toward the competition area, leaving Momo in silence, not knowing what to say in response. She felt incredibly angry and powerless at the same time; after all, it had been so complicated for Kai to relax about heroism, but now, most likely, all that hard work had been lost thanks to some loudmouths who didn't know what they were talking about.

Meanwhile, at Kai's mansion, Keiko and Yumiko were watching the giant cinema screen in front of them with expressions full of indignation, while using their virtual assistants to take notes and make all kinds of calls. The world of heroes and showbiz was about to receive a new wave of upheaval after almost a decade of tranquility.

"Well, it's time to start."

Just as the counter on the holographic screen reached zero, Nemuri commented in a much more serious tone, and although she still maintained her previous style, it was evident to anyone that she was not in a very good mood. At that moment, Present Mic's voice resonated throughout the stadium, extinguishing any trace of discussion and reigniting the public's excitement.

"After 15 minutes forming teams and strategies, 13 cavalry teams have been formed!!"

"There are some very interesting teams..." The guest commentator, Aizawa, commented in a serious tone as he looked at the teams in the arena, at which point Present Mic exclaimed full of excitement.

"Now, raise your battle cries! It's time for a bloody battle at UA!! Light the signal fire!!!"

With the announcement, all the cavalry groups—which generally consisted of three students acting as the horse and one as the rider—approached the demarcated area in the arena. At that moment, Present Mic announced with excitement and anticipation.

"I won't ask if you're ready or not; now begins the countdown to the battle royale!! Three!, Two!!, One!!..."

"Start!!!"

Nemuri announced loudly, which initiated a massive charge of students trying to steal the headbands marked with a point value on the heads of each team's 'riders.'

Although many teams began to fight among themselves, there was one person who especially caught Kai's attention—a young man with short blond hair and violet eyes who was shouting stupidities with exaggerated expressions, moving from one side to the other copying quirks.

[Sage, study that guy; I'll approach him in a bit so he tries to copy me.] Kai quickly ordered his reliable assistant through their mental connection, who promptly responded in a serious tone, standing by his side in [In] mode.

[Understood, master.]

The reason for Kai's interest in the boy was very simple. Although he had more or less identified how One for All made modifications to give quirks to its bearers. The problem was that so far he had not discovered how to copy his own quirk to give it to someone else. If One for All was rare, his own quirk was a damn mystery.

Unlike the quirks he knew, his quirk was too strange, to the point that he couldn't identify his quirk factor responsible for his Aura and Haki. Although his body wasn't precisely the most normal in the world—with his muscles and bones being excessively strong and compact, and a myosin that was freaking insane, allowing him to have base strength, speed, and endurance that easily surpassed strengthening quirks—his Aura and Haki were a complete mystery.

Although he had done some tests, the most he could replicate in others was his strength—something not very useful now that he had the [Vital Reactor]. But if that guy managed to copy his quirk, or at least his Aura, it would be a gigantic advance in his somewhat stalled project of giving Aura to the girls. Although, now that he could give them his pirated version of One for All with the next update of the Accomplices, it wasn't so high priority, so he'd take it easy.

As Kai casually watched the blond boy with Momo on his shoulders, the ground suddenly turned soft, as if it were quicksand. At the same time, a group came running toward them, led by a man with beige-colored hair and a face that resembled a skull—lipless, with exposed teeth. He served as the 'horse' for another man with gray hair, no eyebrows, and enormous eyelashes that framed his eyes like some sort of mask.

“Those 10 million points are ours!!!”

Chapter 105: My apologies.

Chapter Text

“Those 10 million points are ours!!!”

The gray-haired guy shouted loudly, but to his surprise, Kai casually leaped into the air, avoiding the liquid ground. After all, while he could walk on water using his aura—simply a matter of enhancing the surface tension of a liquid to support his weight—his Haki couldn't do that, and he was only willing to use his Haki and physical strength in public.

“There it is!! The first attack on the pair with 10 million points!!! Will they achieve their goal?!!” The excited voice of Present Mic echoed through the loudspeakers, causing an ovation from the stands.

While in the air, Kai turned toward the group that had 'attacked' him with an annoyed expression. In that moment, a deep terror invaded the students, who became completely motionless where they stood, like statues, nervously watching the young man in the air.

“Go play horsies somewhere else; otherwise, your participation in this event ends here, understood?” As he landed on the ground, Kai spoke in a dark tone that resonated throughout the arena, while his Conqueror's Haki spread, terrifying all the students.

“Whoa, whoa! What's going on here? Why does everyone look like they've just met the devil?!! Is Saito that terrifying?!!” Present Mic asked loudly over the loudspeakers, to which Aizawa commented in his typical tired voice.

“He certainly is. He's undoubtedly the strongest first-year student and very likely the strongest in the academy, but in this case, I suppose those expressions are due to his quirk.”

“Oh, how terrifying! But what will the students do against the strongest?!!!” Present Mic announced loudly, his voice echoing throughout the stadium, which greatly excited the audience.

The cavalry team that had tried to attack Kai quickly nodded with expressions of terror, then slowly backed away. At that moment, Kai deactivated his Conqueror's Haki and began to casually walk toward a corner.

“Looks like they've chosen to retreat this time!!” Present Mic commented in a commentator's voice, though much less animated than before, to which Aizawa added in a serious tone.

“A wise choice. Saito and Yaoyorozu are not easy opponents to deal with—one with immense strength and the other with the ability to create anything that might help her. They have power and flexibility, so the wisest thing in these circumstances is to retreat.”

…

“Why do you have to scare people like that?” Momo asked in a slightly accusatory tone while squeezing her thighs around Kai's neck. He replied casually.

“That's how my quirk is; I'm supposed to use it to win. Or what do you propose we do to win this?”

At Kai's question, Momo could only remain silent. After all, he was right, and there wasn't much she could say in response. So instead, she began to pet Salem while looking away and loosened her grip on Kai's neck, which made him smile amusedly.

After a while, as Kai chatted about random things with Momo, the blond-haired guy with the ability to copy quirks approached stealthily from behind, which made Kai smile somewhat amused, deciding to play dumb.

(How can he imagine that a group of four people can be stealthy...? Thinking really isn't one of his strengths.)

Shortly after, the boy managed to get close enough to touch him, at which point he began to laugh hysterically, full of arrogance.

“Hahahahaha!!! Class 1-A is so basic!!!!”

[Sage]

As he turned to look at the crazy guy, Kai quickly called his trusty assistant, who promptly showed him a hologram in [In] mode, while responding through the mental connection.

[No luck, Master. He couldn't copy anything; his quirk didn't react to you.]

[That's a shame, but start a research project on it. Also, gather all the information you can about his quirk and remind me to have the guy try to copy One for All; I'm interested in what might happen.] Kai commented with a slightly disappointed tone while looking at the bewildered face of the blond-haired guy, who didn't seem to understand why his quirk didn't work.

“Why didn't it work?!!”

“I'd like to know that too, but oh well, goodbye.”

With Kai's words, a powerful pressure hit the blond guy's group like a truck, blanking their minds. Shortly after, they fell unconscious to the ground like puppets whose strings had been cut, which shocked not only the students but the entire stadium, as it seemed the blue-eyed boy had 'killed' them with a glance.

“What happened?!! Monoma's group has fallen to the ground!!! We have the first elimination!!!” Present Mic announced excitedly, to which Aizawa commented in a tired voice.

“Most likely Saito's quirk; that quirk is really powerful.”

“Kai, let me do something; you can't do everything yourself.” Momo commented with a slight pout on her face, which made Kai smile amusedly as he replied casually.

“Alright, alright, then take care of the explosive nuisance that's flying towards us.”

“Umu.”

Momo nodded with genuine enthusiasm and happiness, sporting a beautiful smile on her face. At the same time, a futuristic red armor emerged from her arms, quickly attaching itself to her body automatically with a mechanical sound.

“DIE!!!”

When he was close in the air, Bakugo shouted loudly while extending his right hand toward Momo’s neck, where she carried the coveted 10 million-point band. Leaning slightly to the side, Momo dodged the attack while grabbing Bakugo’s wrist with her left hand and placing her free palm near the explosive boy’s stomach.

“My apologies, Bakugo-san.” Momo apologized in a calm tone while activating the repulsor in her right palm, which sent Bakugo flying through the air. At that moment, he was caught midair by Sero's tape.

“Bakugo, we told you not to mess with Saito and Yao Momo!” Mina, who was part of Bakugo's team, exclaimed loudly, looking incredibly angry, to which Kirishima, another team member, added.

“Yeah, they're on another level—not something we can handle!”

“SHUT UP, BASTARDS!!” Bakugo shouted full of rage while holding his aching ribs, wondering at the same time if they were fractured.

“But look at this interesting team...” Kai commented casually while looking at Kirishima, Mina, and Sero—the members of Bakugo's team—which caused everyone's skin to crawl.

“Saito... this is...”

Mina felt especially uneasy under Kai's gaze and tried to explain herself, knowing how much Bakugo annoyed the terrifying blue-eyed boy. But at that moment, Momo squeezed her thighs around Kai's neck and reprimanded in a serious tone.

“Kai, leave them alone; they’re free to team up with whoever they want.”

“Of course they can...” Kai commented casually as he walked off in another direction, which prompted an irritated scolding from Momo.

“Don’t do anything dumb, or I’ll tell Onee-chan on you.”

“Tell on me for what? What did I do?” Kai replied nonchalantly, playing the innocent, to which Momo scoffed mockingly.

“Yeah, right, like I don’t know you...”

A playful argument broke out between Momo and Kai. Meanwhile, Kirishima, Mina, and Sero could only wear complex expressions as they watched the scene. At that moment, Kirishima spoke in a more serious tone, to which Mina and Sero nodded, while Bakugo remained unusually silent.

“...Let's go somewhere else.”

While Kai and Momo were playfully arguing, they were suddenly attacked by a huge ice pillar. Kai punched the pillar, making it explode into a thousand pieces, revealing on the other side Todoroki atop Iida, along with Kaminari and Hatsune Mei, as well as a few other teams that wanted to try their luck.

“Kai, I want to do it.” Momo quickly spoke loudly while taking her guard over Kai's shoulders, who responded with a slight smile.

“Alright, I'll leave them to you; just tell me what you want me to do.”

“Stay on the left side and keep your distance; we're in a defensive battle.” Momo ordered in a serious tone, to which Kai nodded, while Salem meowed as if asking for her task.

“You won't do anything either, Salem; I'll handle this.”

At Momo's serious words, Salem could only meow indifferently, then lie down on her master's head and close her eyes for a little nap. After all, her master was able to keep her fixed on his body without the slightest movement, even when moving at full speed.

“Iida, move forward!” Todoroki ordered in a serious tone while clinging tightly to the young runner, who responded in an even more serious tone as he activated his quirk again.

“Understood.”

“Hatsume, the protection.” Todoroki quickly ordered Mei to his right, who used one of her gadgets to create a grounding pole while responding.

“My baby is ready!”

“Kaminari!” Todoroki quickly announced loudly, to which the spiky blond-haired boy quickly responded.

“Got it, 1.3 million volts!”

With Kaminari's shout, a powerful electric current struck all the nearby teams, including Kai, who didn't even move from his spot, receiving the current without flinching. For her part, Momo simply used her quirk to create an electrical insulator between her and Kai, allowing her to completely avoid the attack.

As the electricity halted all the other groups, Todoroki used Mei's grounding pole to freeze the ground and trap all the other teams, which caused great excitement in the stands. At that moment, Present Mic spoke with enthusiasm.

“Todoroki took care of the crowd in an instant!”

“He froze them right after Kaminari's electric shock stopped them; I suppose he considered the number of people who avoided the same tactic in the obstacle race.” Aizawa commented casually while watching the arena, at which point Present Mic asked somewhat confused.

“But why isn't Saito using his power to knock out the opponents? Is it due to some limitation?”

“I doubt it; most likely Yaoyorozu wants to showcase her skills, so Saito is just going along with it.” Aizawa explained in a serious tone, which generated several discussions and cheers among the audience.

“I'll only be useful for one more minute.” While staring intently at Kai and Momo, Iida commented in a serious tone, which caused everyone to turn to look at him a little surprised, but he continued speaking.

“So I entrust the rest to you!”

“Iida?”

Todoroki asked somewhat confused, at which point Iida bent down a bit, getting into a more suitable position for a sprint, while activating his quirk at full power and speaking in a serious tone.

“Hold on tight!”

Immediately after, Todoroki's team shot off at great speed toward Kai and Momo, thanks to Iida's quirk and the floating boots Mei had created. But to the entire team's surprise, Kai casually jumped to the left, dodging them, while Momo extended one of her armored hands.

“My apologies, Todoroki-san.”

Just as he was in front of her face, Momo apologized with a smile and activated the repulsor in her glove, while the ice-and-fire boy widened his eyes, stupefied. Instinctively, he activated his flames, which didn't help much against the blow he received, nearly knocking him unconscious.

“““Todoroki/-kun/Cold Guy!!”””

The entire group exclaimed with concern as they tried to move away and supported Todoroki as best they could. He looked around with unfocused eyes, feeling the world spinning. But at that moment, in the corner of his vision, the imposing form of a hero enveloped in flames appeared, causing his mind to reel.

“Did I try to use my left side...?” As he regained his composure, Todoroki murmured softly, at which point Iida asked with a concerned tone.

“Todoroki-kun, are you okay?”

“Yes, I'm fine, and sorry, guys—it didn't go as I expected.” Todoroki commented while looking into the distance at Kai and Momo, who had gone back to chatting among themselves as if nothing was happening, since no one dared to approach them anymore.

“Don't worry, Todoroki. Saito and Yaoyorozu are way too strong, but at least we tried.” Kaminari responded confidently, looking quite well despite having used his strongest attack just moments before.

“The electric guy is right, Cold Guy; don't worry, hahaha!” Mei commented cheerfully, to which Iida nodded seriously.

“Yeah, Todoroki-kun, we have to stay strong to at least take second place.”

“You're right; we still have a lot to do. Let's go, guys!” Todoroki nodded with a determined expression, and his entire group agreed firmly.

“““Yes!”””

Chapter 106: Why do you love him so much?

Chapter Text

"Time’s up!! The second round, the cavalry battle, is over!!" Present Mic announced loudly as the timer hit zero, bringing the entire battle to an abrupt halt and causing a great ovation from the stands.

"The four teams that have advanced to the final round are: In first place, Team Yaoyorozu!!!" Present Mic declared tensely while the cameras focused on the black-haired pair casually walking toward the exit, the girl happily holding onto the boy’s arm, who carried a cat on his shoulder.

"In second place, Team Todoroki!!!" With Present Mic’s announcement, the cameras shifted to focus on that team, allowing the spectators to see Todoroki’s dark expression. However, the hero kept talking.

"In third place, Team Midoriya!!!"

The cameras turned to the green-haired boy’s team, composed of Uraraka, a young man with a bird’s head, and, lastly, one of the nuisances of Class 1-A according to Kai—the poor imitation of an aristocratic blonde with a laser quirk—then Present Mic announced the last team.

"In fourth place, Team Bakugo!!!"

With that announcement, the cameras focused on Bakugo and his team, who, unlike their leader, looked rather cheerful. Meanwhile, the rebellious blonde youth wore a face filled with hatred, as if he were about to kill someone, darting his gaze between the green-haired boy and the black-haired boy, as though deciding whom he hated more.

"These are the four teams that will advance to the final round!!!!" Present Mic spoke with great excitement, prompting a strong ovation from the audience, before adding in a calmer tone.

"Now we’ll take a one-hour lunch break before the afternoon’s activities! See you then!"

With Present Mic’s last announcement, both the students and the audience left the stadium, leading to a small gathering of Class 1-A at the exit, where everyone began exchanging their opinions. It was at that moment that Kai quickly said goodbye to Momo.

"See you later, Momo."

"Alright, see you a bit later." Momo said her farewells casually before approaching Mina, who was standing off to the side near the security rails, her face looking sad.

"Sorry, I knew Saito wouldn’t like me teaming up with Bakugo, but I really wanted the chance to move on to the next round and stand out…" As soon as Momo reached her, Mina spoke in a low voice, sounding somewhat guilty and keeping her head down.

"Don’t worry about that. You have every right to team up with whoever you want and to think about what’s best for your career. Don’t worry about what others think." Momo replied with a small smile, placing one of her hands on Mina’s shoulder. Mina raised her head and spoke softly.

"Yeah, I know, but I still feel a bit bad. You see, I like Saito, even though he’s grumpy and sometimes a bit scary. He’s a good guy; he makes me laugh. I have a lot of fun when we eat together in his workshop, and his advice helped me a lot…"

"Fufufu, it’s good that you think so highly of Kai. And don’t worry about him. Although he can be a bit childish and grumpy at times, especially in class, it’s not like he’s really angry that you teamed up with Bakugo. He might not have liked it, but it’s not that serious." Momo said playfully as she looked at the worried Mina, who couldn’t help but ask in surprise.

"Are you serious? He’s really not mad? Then why did you start fighting with him?"

"Ah, that’s because he’s very vindictive and might have made you guys suffer a bit for teaming up with someone he doesn’t like. Like making you ‘train’ with Salem or something like that. And Salem, while very cute in his small form, doesn’t know how to hold back, so fighting against him is quite painful." Momo answered with amusement, watching Mina’s surprised expression, who quickly asked.

"Then why did he leave like that?"

"Because I told him I wanted to eat with all the girls to console them for not making it through, so he went to the workshop." Momo commented with a smile as she leaned on a fence next to Mina, who asked curiously.

"Why not eat in the workshop like always?"

"Well, Kai is extremely protective of his workshop, and since I want a private moment just for the girls, it’s better to do it in the cafeteria." Momo explained casually, to which Mina asked curiously.

"What do you mean by ‘extremely protective’?"

"Mmm, well, to Kai, his workshops are very special places, and he takes care of them as best he can, so he would never agree if I asked to use them without him. He even banned me from entering the workshop at home once." Momo explained casually, surprising Mina a bit. Mina couldn’t help asking.

"He banned you from entering?"

"Yes, on one occasion I accidentally broke a Galileo compass that Kai had in his home workshop, and he prohibited me from entering for almost a year. And even after he let me back in, he wouldn’t take his eyes off me, and that lasted a couple of years until he got over it." Momo recounted, half amused, half nostalgic about that event. Although she felt bad at the time, now it was just a funny anecdote to her.

"Now I understand what ‘extremely protective’ means…" Mina muttered quietly. Shortly after, she asked, looking a little uncomfortable.

"But if he’s like that with you, why do you love him so much, Yao Momo?"

"Mm?" Momo turned to look at Mina, a bit confused, but seeing her expression, she realized Mina was serious. So Momo decided to express a bit of her feelings.

"Well, although Kai certainly isn’t perfect and has several ‘oddities’ that can be quite exasperating at times, the truth is that his virtues far outweigh them. Also, if we set aside his boundaries, like his workshop and a few other things, he’s always there for me when I need him. He’s like my older brother: he spoils me, teaches me, protects me, takes care of me. In short, don’t you have siblings, Ashido-san?"

"Well, I have an older brother, but I don’t see him that way…" Mina answered, feeling a bit awkward, causing Momo to chuckle softly and ask with a knowing smile.

"You never saw him that way? Not even once?"

"Well… when I was little, I did have the idea of marrying my older brother, but at that time I didn’t understand how relationships worked, and the idea of being with my brother for life sounded great. But when I learned what that actually implied, that idea died off." Mina explained more seriously, making Momo nod in understanding.

"That’s exactly what I went through. For as long as I can remember, I wanted to always be with Kai and have him be my husband, since I always saw him as my greatest ally and my personal hero. But unlike you, I didn’t have any ethical, biological, or moral problems. Kai isn’t my brother, so I allowed myself to explore my emotions, and over time I realized that what I felt was truly love, and that I want to start a family with him."

"Yao Momo, and are you really sure that Saito feels the same way about you?" Mina asked in a more serious tone, causing Momo to sigh and then speak in a more subdued tone.

"To tell the truth, until just a few hours ago, I had never questioned it. For me, being with Kai was so natural that I thought that when we graduated, we would naturally get married. I’d work as a hero for a good while, fulfill my dream, and then retire to have our children…"

"…You’ve got your life pretty planned out…" Mina commented with a complicated tone, feeling strange for some reason. Momo responded in a soft tone filled with affection.

"You have no idea how much. Even Mrs. Yoshiko has been secretly teaching me how to cook and do household chores, and little by little I’ve been taking care of Kai’s things. For example, yesterday I was ironing his shirts just how he likes them, with starched collars and cuffs and neatly pressed folds…"

"But you guys are really rich, why would you have to do something like that…?" Mina couldn’t help asking, confused, as she looked at Momo, who returned her gaze with equal confusion, as if not understanding the question.

"What does money have to do with that? As his wife, how could I allow another woman to take care of Kai’s things, his intimacies, his secrets? That would be like giving away my place in his life…" Momo stated, sounding both puzzled and serious. But her expression quickly turned into a nostalgic smile, full of affection and devotion, as she added warmly.

"You know, I used to envy Mrs. Yoshiko a bit because Kai trusts her a lot and treats her very well. Not only does he pay her a fortune, but she also knew things about Kai that I didn’t, and that bothered me. Besides, it was thanks to her that he always looked ready for anything, always so handsome and elegant, which made me feel jealous, as if she were his greatest ally and not me.

But now that I’ve gradually been taking my place, I’ve started to learn little details about him that make me feel even closer, like we’re truly the perfect accomplices. It makes me think about our future life together: having his meal ready when he comes out of the workshop after building something that will make a lot of money, then going out to take a walk and watch a movie. And when the kids come along, we’d all play together in the garden with Mom and the girls…"

"And I suppose Saito didn’t know anything about these plans…" Mina murmured, leaning her elbows on the rail she was resting against and sneaking a glance at Momo, who couldn’t help but give a bitter smile as she softly replied.

"…You’re right, we made up a whole story without taking Kai’s opinion into account…"

"‘We’?" Mina asked, confused, as she looked at Momo. The beautiful black-haired girl let out a small laugh and answered with her typical elegant manner.

"Don’t worry about that. More importantly, I need to correct that mistake."

"Certainly, you have to talk to Saito and ask for his opinion, but…" Mina nodded seriously, though her expression was somewhat strange. She quickly recovered and asked.

"What will you do if he doesn’t agree?"

"…That’s a big question, and honestly, I don’t know. I don’t even want to think about it. That would be a devastating blow…" Momo replied, sounding worried as she lifted her head to look at the sky again.

"But what happened to all that confidence you had a while ago? Where did that ‘Saito would never leave you’ go?" Mina asked with a smile, trying to cheer her friend up. Momo couldn’t help but smile sweetly as she answered.

"It hasn’t gone anywhere. I know Kai loves me, well, he loves all of us, and he’d never abandon any of us for anything in the world…" Suddenly, Momo’s expression turned bitter as she added in a worried tone.

"But that’s more like family love. In my particular case, it’s as if I were his little sister."

"So now you’re afraid he might not love you romantically." Mina said in understanding. Momo nodded and commented worriedly.

"More than just that, but yes, now I’m afraid, and I don’t know what to do."

"But that’s something you can’t run away from. You have to face it." Mina answered seriously, and Momo could only nod with a sigh, then speak in a low voice while lowering her gaze.

"Yes, we have to talk seriously and confront Kai properly…"

Hearing Momo’s words, Mina couldn’t help looking at her strangely and confused. But just when she was about to ask, Jiro and what appeared to be a floating uniform arrived.

"We were looking for you. Where were you?" Jiro asked as she looked at Momo and Mina leaning against a security rail. At that moment, a melodious female voice was heard, seemingly coming from the ‘floating uniform’.

"Yes, when we left the stadium, we didn’t see you."

"Actually, we were waiting for you. Yao Momo wants to have a girls’ lunch." Mina said with a cheerful smile. Momo nodded with a smile.

"Yes, I wanted all the girls to eat together in the cafeteria."

"Oh, but I just saw Ochako-chan and Tsuyu-chan heading to the cafeteria with Iida and some of the other boys." the floating uniform commented happily, to which Momo replied with a small smile.

"Well, if that’s the case, we four could have lunch together."

"That’s fine by me. Tsuyu and Uraraka are pretty close to Midoriya and his group now, so they’ll probably have lunch with them." Jiro said casually. Momo smiled slightly and noted.

"They certainly are quite close now, but let’s leave that aside. Let’s head to the cafeteria, and you can tell me how you felt during the cavalry battle."

"Well, it wasn’t bad. Actually, it went pretty well. My speakers worked quite effectively, but Midoriya’s, Todoroki’s, and Bakugo’s teams were too strong…" Jiro said seriously, prompting Mina to add, somewhat uncomfortably.

"In my case, I didn’t feel like I contributed much to the team. Most of it was Bakugo flying here and there with his explosions."

"I had a lot of fun, though in the end they took my headband before I realized it, and we got disqualified."

Amid this cheerful conversation—where they exchanged their experiences from the cavalry battle, some gossip, and a few scattered giggles—the girls walked toward the cafeteria, drawing looks and sighs wherever they passed. All the while, Momo wore a happy smile on her face. After all, for the first time in her life, she had friends her own age apart from Nejire.

Chapter 107: Make a deal.

Chapter Text

After separating from Momo, Kai began to casually walk through the campus toward his workshop, but when he was close, All Might appeared within his detection range and swiftly approached him at high speed. This surprised him a bit because since their last conversation, the number one hero had been avoiding him like the plague.

"I am here!" All Might said his iconic phrase as he landed. At that moment, Kai asked, somewhat confused.

"And what's this about? What do you want from me, All Might?"

"Well, Kai-shonen, actually, I wanted to thank you for the help you gave Midoriya-shonen. It really helped him a lot, and his results today prove it." All Might thanked him with his typical heroic smile, to which Kai shook his head casually before explaining.

"I didn't do it because I really wanted to. Being the class representative means a lot to Momo, and since she asked me to give your boy a couple of tips—because it looks like you're terrible as a mentor—I just taught him a basic technique from my father, nothing more."

"You're quite direct, Kai-shonen..." All Might commented, somewhat crestfallen. But he quickly regained his enthusiasm and noted with a look of realization.

"But you're right. Iron Palm's Force Control had many similarities with One for All, so it's only logical that the techniques your father developed would be useful for Midoriya-shonen."

"I don't like where that comment is heading…" Kai remarked, shooting All Might a sharp look. All Might smiled a bit uncomfortably, but just then the blue-eyed boy spoke with a slightly irritated tone.

"But if what I'm imagining is correct, it turns out there's something I want from you. So I'm willing to make a deal."

"Oh, that's a relief, Kai-shonen. Do you want another duel?" All Might asked more cheerfully, but Kai shook his head and then explained.

"No, now you're too weak for that. Actually, I have a very important matter at hand, and I want your support in it. If you agree, I'll train your boy for a couple of weeks after we return from the apprenticeship."

"What do you have in mind, Kai-shonen? It sounds serious." All Might asked gravely. Kai nodded with a more serious expression and commented.

"If I tell you, it's because you've agreed. Otherwise, I won't say a word. That's how serious the situation is."

"It's hard to accept without knowing what it's about…" All Might replied a bit evasively, to which Kai nodded and began walking as he spoke.

"You're right. Follow me to my workshop. I'll give you some superficial information so you can make a decision."

"All right." All Might nodded understandingly and followed Kai to his workshop with a serious demeanor. After all, if something could worry someone of the blue-eyed boy's caliber, then it was quite grave.

Once inside his workshop, Kai showed All Might a sofa where he could sit, while he went over to the coffee machine and turned it on. At that moment, he turned to look at the number one hero and asked, pointing to the table where the coffee machine and a heater stood.

"Coffee or tea?"

"Green tea, please."

All Might responded casually. Kai nodded and then poured some water from a nearby dispenser into a teacup, took a tea bag out of one of the drawers, placed it in the cup, and heated it using his electricity. Then he set it down on the table in front of the number one hero.

"Your quirk is really convenient."

"Quite." Kai nodded casually as he poured himself a cup of coffee from his modified coffee maker. At that moment, All Might asked in a serious tone after taking a sip of his tea.

"So, what is it that you have at hand, Kai-shonen?"

"Well, here's the thing: I want you to come with me to hunt down a 'villain'." Kai explained with a smile, greatly surprising All Might, who couldn't help but ask, confused and astonished.

"Are you serious, Kai-shonen?"

"Very serious." Kai nodded with a serious expression. Meanwhile, Salem, who had been on his shoulder the entire time, jumped down to lie on the sofa.

"I never expected you to ask me something like that, but I don't understand. Why do you need to 'hunt' a villain yourself? You need a license for that. And why would you need my help? Is he that strong?" All Might asked, full of doubts. Kai answered evasively after setting his cup down on the table.

"I want to hunt him myself because I consider him especially dangerous, and for that reason, I'd like your support."

"But I need more information. Although if he's a villain, you could leave him to me, and I'll take care of it." All Might responded kindly, to which Kai shook his head and then explained.

"No, I want to go personally. Things could get complicated, and I don't trust your strength as much anymore. You're too weak."

"…Then maybe I could organize a raid with more heroes, if that's the case…" All Might suggested with a bitter smile, but Kai again shook his head and spoke seriously.

"No, that might alert the guy I want to hunt, and it would be counterproductive. In any case, what I want is for you to help me hunt down a villain. I assure you that if he turns out not to be a villain, you can walk away, and I'll still train your boy for a couple of days. What do you say?"

"…Hmm, fine, all right. But if it's something I can't agree with, I'll try to stop you." After thinking for a moment, All Might agreed. After all, he wanted to know what the boy intended, or else he might go off and do it alone.

"Good, so let it be clear that since he really is a villain, you agree." Kai confirmed, looking into the symbol of peace's eyes, who nodded seriously.

"Yes, I agree."

"All right, then let me tell you. By investigating what happened at the USJ recently, I managed to identify a rather dangerous individual who I suspect has the ability to steal quirks. So what I want is to hunt him down because his existence makes me very uneasy, and I want your help with that." Kai explained seriously, greatly surprising All Might, who couldn't help but stand up and shout in astonishment.

"What?!"

"Just as you heard. After I managed to track down that guy with the hands, I quickly realized he was receiving orders from someone else at a distance. So I focused on finding that person and managed to infiltrate several of their systems, which led me to conclude that they have the ability to steal quirks and give them to others. That's how they've managed to build an army of what they call 'Nomus.'" Kai explained seriously, a version very close to reality, and then took a sip of his coffee.

In truth, thanks to [Trace], a skill card that was basically a pirated version of Tomoko's quirk—allowing him to mark a target and know its position and weaknesses at all times for up to three months—Kai had identified their hideout. With Sage's help, he infiltrated all systems within a 10-kilometer radius, allowing them to notice a remote connection. They followed it and discovered what he'd just explained to All Might.

"…Kai-shonen, do you know where this person is?" After a moment to absorb all he'd heard, All Might asked with an incredibly serious expression, to the point that his usual heroic smile had vanished. Kai answered seriously.

"Not yet, but I'm very close. So soon I'll have the exact location of this individual, and I'll go hunt him down. What I want is for you to back me up in case things go wrong. Also, I'll ensure that my family organizes a raid to capture the guy with the hands."

"Kai-shonen, don't get involved in this. Give me the information you have, and I will personally take care of putting an end to that villain." All Might said, looking directly at Kai, who could only sneer mockingly before shaking his head and speaking seriously.

"That's not going to happen. I got the information myself, and I won't rest easy unless I deal with him personally. So you have two options: either you come with me in exchange for me training your boy, or I go alone. I'm not willing to negotiate."

"Don't get involved in this. That person is far more dangerous than you imagine. Leave him to me." All Might spoke with deadly seriousness, looking almost threateningly at Kai. This greatly angered the boy and the cat beside him, both now covered in crackling electricity as a brutal pressure filled the room. Kai spoke in an angry tone.

"I already told you that's not going to happen, and if you think you can force me to give up the information, try it. Let's see how that ends."

"…"

All Might, for his part, looked sharply at the cat and the obviously enraged boy before him, which inevitably made him think. After all, the boy alone was already quite dangerous and had grown stronger since their duel. He doubted he could defeat him in his current state. And with the cat, who was also quite strong, the odds were heavily against him.

After staring at Kai for a moment, All Might sighed tiredly and sat down again, taking another sip of his tea. This allowed the blue-eyed boy to calm down somewhat and pick up his coffee cup again, while the cat lay down on his lap, looking more relaxed.

"…The name of the 'guy' you're talking about is All for One, also known as the symbol of evil since the birth of quirks. At one time, he dominated all of Japan, and One for All was created to put an end to him. I thought I had finally achieved that, but it wasn't the case. He's returned once more, and I have to finish him." After a few moments, All Might explained gravely, and Kai nodded, then commented casually.

"I read a conspiracy theory on the internet that said something similar, so it turned out to be true. Who would have thought the day would come when you'd regret passing on your quirk so soon. Will you ask the boy to give the quirk back to you?"

"I don't know yet, I'm not even sure if it's possible since it's never been attempted. And I really want to nurture my successor. But it's too soon for him to face someone so dangerous, and the same goes for you, Kai-shonen. That villain has lived a very long time and is extremely dangerous, which is why I want you to leave him to me." All Might said seriously, recalling the words Kai had told him some time ago. The boy then spoke firmly.

"I've already told you that's not going to happen. You're too weak now, and even if you recover your quirk, from what you're telling me, he already escaped once. So no matter what happens, I'm going to hunt him down myself, with or without you."

Hearing the boy's words and tone, All Might could only remain silent as he considered them. After all, Kai was right. He still didn't know if he could get his quirk back. Moreover, Kai-shonen was incredibly powerful and had a whole range of abilities that made him a real challenge.

If he was so confident he could "hunt him down", he must have something to back that confidence. Besides, it would be hard to get the information from him if he wasn't willing to share, and All Might didn't want to push him into becoming a villain or vigilante over this.

But just as All Might debated what to do, Kai went into his office and came back with a folder, placing it in front of the symbol of peace. Then he returned to his seat and commented with a confident smile, as if he had just presented the key piece to achieving his goal.

"Also, as a bonus for your cooperation, I've prepared this little gift."

Hearing Kai's words, All Might couldn't help but look at the folder in confusion before picking it up and opening it. He couldn't help but widen his eyes in astonishment. After all, the first thing he saw were photos of a man who strongly resembled young Midoriya. The man was accompanied by a woman with light-brown hair and two small children, plus another on the way, along with a complete report about him.

"This is…?" All Might asked, stupefied. Kai smiled amusedly and then cheerfully explained.

"Yes, that's exactly what it is: Midoriya Hisashi, your boy's biological father. He's currently in Canada, happily 'married' with two beautiful children and another on the way."

"…Kai-shonen, I told you I wasn't interested…" All Might said with a complex tone, not knowing what to think. Kai commented playfully.

"Check a bit further into the files, you'll find something interesting."

Now curious, All Might flipped through a couple of pages filled with evidence of Midoriya's father's infidelity. He reached a section showing two photos, taken at different times, of a woman with dark green hair. In one, she looked young, slim, and very beautiful; in the other, older and slightly overweight. Next to them was a representation of the same woman looking incredibly attractive, even more so than in her younger years.

"What is this, Kai-shonen?" All Might asked in a complex tone, his eyes fixed on the woman's photos. Kai responded with a small, business-like smile.

"Well, that's Midoriya Inko, your boy's mother. The picture on the left is her a few years back, the one in the middle is current, and the last one is a representation of the result of a non-invasive treatment I would personally perform. What do you think?"

"…Kai-shonen, let's drop this subject. I'm really not interested. As for your proposal, I accept. Let me know when you find the location." All Might quickly stood up and spoke with a serious tone. Kai spoke casually.

"Wait a second, I'll give you a copy of the data I've obtained so far."

"All right."

All Might nodded and remained standing near the door, watching as Kai went to his office for several folders. His gaze couldn't help but drift toward the folder on the table until the black-haired boy soon returned. With a meaningful smile, Kai picked up the folder with Midoriya's family information and placed it on top of all the others.

"Well, I'll contact you when I have the information. By the way, try not to let this leak. If it does, I'll blame you because you're the only one who knows right now." Kai commented as he handed over the pile of folders to All Might, who nodded seriously.

"I know, Kai-shonen, and don't worry, I'll make sure it doesn't leak. I'm the one most interested in All for One's whereabouts."

After a casual goodbye, All Might left the workshop with the folders, the first of which contained information about Midoriya's family—something he had 'forgotten' to tell Kai-shonen to remove—earning a mocking chuckle from the blue-eyed boy.

(Well, now I have an 'accomplice' and support, as well as a legitimate excuse to closely study the adaptation of One for All. So it's a win-win for me. Now I just have to pinpoint that bastard and finish making the preparations to kill him. Although I really need to work on my patience to put up with that green-haired nuisance…)

Chapter 108: The matchups.

Chapter Text

After reviewing some things on his computer with Sage, Kai ate something quick, and then returned to the stadium, where everyone had already come back. He was the last to return, but when he arrived, his eyes couldn’t help widening slightly in surprise at the clothes worn by the girls in his class and some others.

“…What happened to your uniform, Momo?” Kai asked while holding back laughter as he saw Momo in an orange cheerleader uniform with the letters U.A. on the chest. She responded with a dark expression on her face.

“I was tricked by Kaminari-san. He said that it was an order from Aizawa-sensei and Kan-sensei that the hero course’s female students had to come dressed like this, and I even made the uniforms with [Creation]…”

Hearing Momo’s explanation, Kai glanced briefly at the girls from the other class, who were wearing exactly the same outfit. Some had an expression similar to Momo’s, while others seemed to be enjoying it quite a bit. He then started walking toward where Kaminari was standing, smiling wickedly alongside the small boy whose hair looked like a bunch of purple grapes.

“You look good, but let me deal with a little matter concerning Kaminari.”

“Don’t hit him too hard. He still has to participate in the festival.” Momo commented with a slight smile, greatly surprising the nearby girls. At that moment, Kai spoke casually.

“Don’t worry, if I go too far, I’ll heal him.”

Shortly after, Kai reached the smiling Kaminari and placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. At the same time, he used his Conqueror’s Haki to emit a terrifying pressure, causing the electric boy to visibly tremble. Kaminari turned to face Kai, filled with panic, and spoke in a halting voice.

“H-hello, Saito.”

“You know, the prank was fine and all, and I might even have found it funny, but why did you have to involve Momo?” Kai said in a dark voice, staring into Kaminari’s trembling eyes. The terrified boy, legs shaking, replied.

“I-I let myself be tempted and didn’t consider the consequences, Saito.”

“Wrong, very, very wrong. Because of that foolish decision, I’m now obliged to at least take one of your arms off, or people will think they can make fun of Momo whenever they want, and that just can’t happen.”

Kai commented with a demonic smile as he gripped Kaminari’s shoulder tightly, to the point of making it crack. At that moment, Salem jumped off his shoulder and grew in size to stand in front of the little grape-haired man, who was slowly backing away, his face completely pale.

“M-mercy, Saito. I’m still young; it was just a little joke. I swear I’ll never do it again.”

Utterly terrified, Kaminari pleaded, completely drenched in cold sweat and with violently trembling legs. He truly felt he was facing a demon disguised as a human, mainly due to the terrifying pressure Kai exuded. In response, Kai smiled even more wickedly and commented.

“You know, since we’re classmates, and you’ve been to my house, and it would look bad for Momo if one of the students under her care were absent from the festival, I’ll let you participate, and after the tournament, I’ll only break your arms. How does that sound? I’m very generous, aren’t I?”

“M-mercy, Saito…”

Nearly crying, Kaminari begged for mercy, completely convinced that the terrifying blue-eyed boy was capable of carrying out his threat. At the same time, he cursed mentally the moment he let himself be convinced by the pervert from Class B, who until just a few moments ago, seemed like a nice guy to him.

Meanwhile, not far from there, the girls of Class 1-A gathered around Momo, watching the scene with various expressions. That was when Jiro turned to look at the relaxed high-class girl and asked in a worried tone.

“Momo, are you sure about letting Saito handle Kaminari? Look at him, he’s about to burst into tears.”

“Don’t worry, girls. Kai is just scaring him; at worst, he’ll just break his leg and that’s it. He won’t do anything too extreme.” Momo answered with her typical elegant mannerism, appearing quite happy, causing all the girls to turn to her, dumbfounded.

“And you don’t think breaking a leg is something extreme?” Mina asked, full of incredulity. Momo nodded casually and then explained.

“Well, it might sound bad without context, but we’re talking about Kai, someone who could kill him with a casual punch. So, taking that into account, do you think it’s very extreme that he only breaks a leg? Besides, that would be the worst-case scenario; he’ll probably just hit him a bit and that’s it.” Momo explained with a small smile, which inevitably made the girls nod. After all, Saito was indeed a very strong and therefore very dangerous guy.

“Though you’re right, we can’t allow Saito to do something like that.” Jiro commented seriously, which made Mina smile wickedly and nod, adding with a mocking tone.

“Yeah, we can’t let Kaminari get hurt, right Jiro?”

“Hey! What is that supposed to mean?!” Jiro quickly snapped back defensively. At that moment, Tsuyu commented with a more serious tone.

“I think we should stop Saito right now.”

“Yes, we should go…” Uraraka agreed, and Momo could only sigh and nod, then spoke while walking toward Kai.

“Alright, I’ll talk to him.”

Upon reaching Kai’s side, Momo placed her hand on his shoulder, causing the blue-eyed boy to turn and look at her. At that moment, she spoke with a small smile as she looked into his eyes, wanting to show how much she appreciated him defending her.

“Kai, let him go. Don’t do anything to him. We’re at the sports festival, and I’m not mad about it; it even seems kind of fun.”

“If you say so…” Kai commented casually while delivering a light punch to Kaminari’s shoulder, causing the poor boy great pain, though he didn’t dare move. Momo then turned to look at the electric boy and spoke in a serious tone, staring directly into his eyes.

“And Kaminari-san, I hope there won’t be any more pranks like this in the future. It was really in poor taste.”

“O-of course, Yaoyorozu-sama, I would never think of doing something like that again.” Kaminari quickly responded with a firm tone, trying to hide his pain. Momo nodded, satisfied, then took Kai’s hand and walked away.

“I trust you, Kaminari-san.” Momo commented casually as she left. Salem returned to her master after electrocuting the annoying dwarf a bit. At that moment, Present Mic announced to the entire stadium.

“The lunch break is over!!! We will now reveal the final game!!! But before that, we have good news for those who didn’t reach the semifinals. This is a sports festival! So we prepared games for everyone to participate in!! And when they’re over, we’ll start a one-on-one tournament between the 14 finalists!!!!”

Upon hearing Present Mic’s words, a visible excitement appeared in most of the finalists. At that moment, Midnight climbed onto the stage again, holding what looked like a box with a hole in the top, and then spoke in an enthusiastic tone.

“Now we will draw the tickets to determine the matchups, and since the first group only has two members, they will get a free pass to the next round!! Additionally, the 14 finalists can choose whether to participate in the recreational games or not. We are sure some of you will want to rest and save your strength. So now we’ll go with the second group, team Todoroki.”

With Midnight’s words, Todoroki and his team went up on stage, where each of them reached into the box that Nemuri placed on a table and drew a numbered ball. This was quickly followed by the other finalists, who were called up by the beautiful hero.

...

“And these are the matchups after the draw!!”

Once all the finalists had drawn their respective lots, Midnight announced loudly. At the same time, all the stadium’s screens showed the pairings, with Kai and Momo at opposite ends of the second round, indicating that they would not meet until the final.

“Damn, I’m up against Todoroki. My championship dreams end here…” Seeing her opponent, Mina couldn’t help commenting, disheartened. Momo responded with a small laugh.

“Fufufu, don’t worry. Have more confidence in yourself. You’ve improved a lot with the training.”

“It’s true I improved, but do you think it’s enough to beat someone like Todoroki?” Mina asked, somewhat discouraged. Momo smiled and asked.

“Well, look at it from the following perspective: What’s the main objective of participating in the sports festival?”

“Umm… to catch the attention of hero agencies…?” Mina answered hesitantly, to which Momo nodded, satisfied, then explained.

“Exactly. So, do you think there’s anyone else among the finalists against whom you could better showcase your skills than Todoroki-san? I think not. Your quirk is a very good countermeasure against his ice, plus you’re agile, fast, and your technique has improved a lot with training. So far from being a bad thing, I think what you have before you is a great opportunity.”

“Well… seen that way, it really is a good chance to shine…” Mina commented, somewhat pensively. At that moment, Uraraka, who was nearby, spoke rather gloomily.

“In my case, I really did get a bad matchup, since I won’t be able to touch Kaminari-kun…”

“Certainly, although he’s an idiot, Kaminari is dangerous with his electricity. Touching him means Game Over.” Jiro agreed with Uraraka’s words, and the invisible girl added cheerfully while waving her cheerleader pom-poms.

“Don’t give up, Ochaco-chan!”

“Though I think you could use your ability to fly to force him to use his most powerful attack. After that, it’ll be an easy win.” Tsuyu commented with a serious expression while looking at the other matchups, and Momo nodded in agreement.

“I agree with that idea. Although he can now use his attack a couple of times, you should find a way to force him to use all his power.”

“Yes, you’re right. I’ll try asking Deku-kun for ideas; he’s good at that kind of thing!” Uraraka commented cheerfully, then ran off to find Midoriya. This caused the girls to exchange amused glances. At that moment, Mina teased in a mock-dreamy tone.

“Aww, love…”

Shortly after, the recreational events began. The girls of Class 1-A and 1-B, already dressed as cheerleaders, decided to stay and cheer, although some from Class B chose to participate in the games since they still wanted to show off a bit to the recruiters.

As for Kai, he decided to return to his workshop to kill some time. At that moment, Sage showed him a hologram in [In] mode of a message sent by Ryuko, informing him that they had escaped and wanted to meet him in a secluded place. Kai quickly sent them a map of how to get to his workshop, then took one last look at the matchup brackets before heading to his workshop.

Group 1: Aoyama Yuga vs. Midoriya Izuku
Group 2: Seto Hanta vs. Kirishima Eijiro
Group 3: Bakugo Katsuki vs. Tokoyami Fumikage
Group 4: Todoroki Shoto vs. Ashido Mina
Group 5: Kaminari Denki vs. Uraraka Ochaco
Group 6: Iida Tenya vs. Hatsume Mei

Chapter 109: Get lost!

Chapter Text

Between laughter, Momo had been cheering on her classmates who were participating in the recreational games alongside Mina, Jiro, Hagakure, Uraraka, and Tsuyu, as well as a few girls from Class B. Although it was embarrassing, it was a very fun and memorable moment for her, to the point that she did not forget to take some pictures.

Once the recreational games were over, Momo began walking toward the stadium exit, accompanied by the other girls. At that moment, Mina commented with a cheerful smile, wiping the sweat from her forehead at the same time.

“It was way more fun than I imagined, hehehe. Now I even feel bad about the scare Saito gave Kaminari.”

“Well, he really did go a bit overboard; Kaminari was about to cry at that moment.” Tsuyu nodded in agreement and commented in a casual tone, at which point Momo spoke up with a slight smile.

“The prank was quite unpleasant, so he needed a reprimand. But putting that aside, Hagakure-san, Jiro-san, Tsuyu-san, was it really okay not to participate in the recreational games? You could have shown more of your abilities.”

“At first I thought about participating, but the truth is that I felt it wasn’t the right time. The chances of showing anything attention-grabbing in these games are low, and I’m still having trouble adjusting to my amplifiers. I could end up hurting someone unintentionally, which would be counterproductive.” Jiro explained in a calm tone, as it hadn’t really motivated her. Tsuyu added in a serious tone.

“In my case, it’s because I don’t particularly like recreational games. Although they can draw attention, I’ve already had my chance and I prefer to watch and learn for next year.”

“I didn’t participate because I wanted to be a cheerleader, hehehe, though also because with my quirk, it’s hard to stand out among so many people. I do better in stealthy situations and those kinds of things.” Hagakure commented in an upbeat voice. At that moment, Mina asked thoughtfully while looking at the floating cheerleader uniform.

“Now that I think about it, Saito can know everything that’s happening around him without needing to see it, right Momo?”

“Yes, that’s right, but why the question?” Momo nodded and asked, looking somewhat confused by the sudden question, something shared by the other girls who looked at Mina curiously. That’s when the cheerful pink girl commented with a ‘wicked’ smile.

“No, I was just thinking, if Saito can know everything that goes on around him, then he should also be able to know if there’s something invisible, right?”

“You’re right.” Momo nodded while turning to look at Hagakure, as did all the other girls. At that moment, Mina added in a ‘wicked’ tone.

“Then he should be able to ‘see’ Toru, and if we take into account her ‘hero costume’…”

“No!!”

Upon hearing Mina’s words, Hagakure could not help but exclaim loudly as she crouched down and hugged herself. This caused a look of realization to cross the girls’ faces, and Momo commented thoughtfully.

“There’s certainly a very high possibility that he ‘saw’ her…”

“Noo!! Now I can’t get married!!”

Hagakure exclaimed, her tone on the verge of tears, prompting the girls to surround her to console her. But right at that moment, a group of young people walked by their side, among them a student with striking indigo-colored hair, who couldn’t help but glance at the small scene.

“…”

Noticing a particular girl, one who possessed an enchanting beauty, with beautiful black hair and a body so developed and voluptuous that it didn’t seem appropriate for her age, the indigo-haired young man could not help but stop. At the same time, a pair of blue eyes filled with arrogance and superiority flashed in his mind, causing him to grit his teeth, filled with rage. He couldn’t contain himself and ended up speaking in a dark tone while staring at her fixedly.

“… Must be great to have everything solved from the start, huh? Being able to have fun because by your side you’ve got the guy who was gifted so much power by heaven that he can be arrogant everywhere…”

Upon hearing the comment, Momo could not help but turn around in the direction of the voice, finding an indigo-haired boy staring at her intently. She asked, clearly trying to hide her anger.

“Are you talking to me?”

The moment the indigo-haired young man heard Momo’s response, a malicious smile formed on his face. That answer was all he needed to prove that he only required an opportunity to show what he was made of. After all, his quirk, [Brainwashing], allowed him to control anyone who responded verbally to him.

“Who else? Don’t you always hang around with that blue-eyed bastard who goes around mocking those of us who weren’t so lucky in life? Anyway, for now, bow down before me to apologize on behalf of that bastard.”

With a grave tone, the indigo-haired boy ordered while looking at Momo with a satisfied smile. But to his surprise, somehow in the girl’s hand appeared an elegant short dagger with a curved black blade bearing an impressive relief that seemed like a combination of an electronic circuit and tribal runes. With astonishing speed, she was in front of him in an instant.

Without a word, Momo delivered a powerful slap to the indigo-haired young man, sending him to the ground, blood flying through the air. At that moment, she spoke in a tone full of rage, staring intently at the stunned youth on the floor.

“You dare try to control me?! You dare say that Kai’s power was heaven-sent?! You dare say you want to be a hero and declare ‘war’ on us?! All you do is complain, but do you even know what a training routine is?! Have you ever in your life lifted anything besides your lazy backside?!!!

“Just look at that scrawny body!! You dare judge Kai, claiming his power is a handout, when you’ve never done anything to improve yourself!! The power Kai has was earned at the cost of years of sacrifice, blood, sweat, and tears!! He has trained for the last 10 years until his bones broke time and time again, without resting a single day, as if his life depended on it!!

“Tell me, what have you been doing?! Watching anime late into the night?! Complaining about how unfair the world is?! Swearing that if you had a better quirk you’d be a hero?! Do you even know how to throw a punch correctly?!!! Look, I don’t know your name and I don’t care, but for your own good, you’d better never dare belittle Kai’s effort and pain in front of me again, or I won’t be responsible for my actions!!! Now get lost!!!!”

Momo scolded with a voice charged with rage, ending by stomping the ground so hard that she cracked it beneath her foot. The indigo-haired boy could only get up and walk hastily toward the exit, drenched in cold sweat, while the beautiful black-haired teenager took deep breaths, trying to calm the whirlwind of emotions in her heart.

“Yao Momo, calm down, it’s over, it’s over.”

Quickly, Mina rushed to Momo’s side and hugged her tightly, speaking in a soft tone in an attempt to calm her, something that was quickly echoed by the other girls, who ran to their class representative and hugged her. At that moment, Momo’s eyes filled with tears, and she spoke in a low, trembling voice.

“… How dare he say that Kai’s power is gifted? After everything he’s suffered, after all he has sacrificed, after all he’s done…”

“It’s alright, it’s alright, Yao Momo, he’s just a dissatisfied fool who wanted to take it out on someone.” Jiro commented in a warm tone, trying to calm the tearful Momo, which was followed by the desperate attempts of the other girls to do the same.

…

After a while, the girls sat down in a secluded area of the garden around a now calmer Momo. It was then that Mina asked in a soft, calm tone, sitting next to Momo while gently rubbing her back.

“Do you feel better now?”

“Yes, girls, I’m sorry for the outburst. It’s just that so many memories came flooding into my head at that moment that I couldn’t control myself…” Momo replied as she dried her tears with a handkerchief she created using her quirk. At that moment, Tsuyu couldn’t help but ask somewhat curiously.

“But Momo-chan, why did those criticisms affect you so much?”

“… Because I don’t think it’s fair for someone who has never seen the way Kai trains to dare criticize him. For him, it’s more than training—Kai tortures himself every day without rest; it’s almost heartbreaking to watch. Especially when he was younger. One time, he even begged me to keep it a secret that he had broken an arm, so they wouldn’t forbid him from training…”

Momo explained with a strange expression that seemed to mix melancholy, pain, and regret. Uraraka couldn’t help but ask, surprised.

“He broke an arm training and kept it a secret?!”

“…Yes, and I really doubt it was the first or last time something like that happened because he handled it too calmly, as if he were used to it.” Momo replied with a bitter expression, causing Hagakure to comment, full of surprise and a bit of fear.

“But that’s very dangerous, he could have ended up with lifelong aftereffects.”

“Yes… it could have happened, and if any of the adults at that time had found out, they would never have let him train alone again. That’s why he begged me not to tell anyone, and the next day, he went back to ‘training’ as if nothing had happened…” Momo commented with a somewhat regretful voice. At the same time, a small mirror appeared from her hand, and she began checking her appearance in it.

“Why didn’t you say anything? Even now, he might be carrying the consequences of that.” Mina asked in a serious tone, looking at Momo, who couldn’t help but look up at the sky before speaking again as memories returned to her.

“Well, that was because I was very young at the time and believed Kai could do anything. So when he swore that everything was fine and that he wanted it to be a little secret between the two of us, I agreed. Although, obviously, back then he didn’t control his powers as well as he does now; otherwise, he would’ve noticed me the moment I entered the gym. That’s why, even today, I regret it a bit…

“Although luckily, he didn’t end up with any aftereffects. Kai heals incredibly fast and, at the insistence of all of us, he’s had some medical check-ups in recent years, and I always make sure the doctor examines his arms thoroughly. But apart from being absurdly strong, he has no aftereffects, which is a big relief.”

“…Momo-chan, if it’s not too bold of me, I’d like to understand: why is someone like Saito capable of going so far? What drives him to do something like that?”

Tsuyu asked the question all the girls wanted to ask, in a serious tone while looking at Momo, who sighed heavily, a mixture of emotions swirling in her chest. She looked at the sky for a few minutes, and the girls chose to remain silent, wanting to give her space, until after a while, Momo began to speak.

“Kai’s parents’ death was devastating for him. He never returned to being the same after that day. Also, as you saw, the world wasn’t kind to him either. They accused him in the worst way, called him crazy, unstable, and some even went so far as to claim that Kai was the murderer of Aunt Alisa and Uncle Jiro.

“Even though he denies it vehemently, that undoubtedly left a deep mark on him, and I think in some way he blames himself for what happened. He was there at that moment and saw his parents die before his eyes at the hands of a villain without being able to do anything. That’s why he wants to be the strongest in the world. That’s why he trains so relentlessly and without rest, to the point of self-torture, almost as if he were punishing himself, all so he never has to go through the same thing again…”

“…”

Momo’s words were met with a sepulchral silence from the girls, especially Mina and Jiro. After all, following Nejire’s comment, a conversation with Ojiro, and some internet research, they quickly learned the whole story of Saito Kai: the sole survivor of the attack on the former Japanese No. 5 Hero, Iron Palm, and his only son, as well as the ruthless stir that the media created against him.

“Now I can even understand his attitude a bit…”

Uraraka couldn’t help but comment quietly because although she didn’t like the blue-eyed young man very much—especially because of how he treated someone she held dear, Midoriya—understanding that his life had been so difficult inevitably made her sympathize with him a bit.

“I can see why you got so mad. Even I’m starting to get angry just remembering that annoying guy!” Mina commented in a serious voice, clenching her fists before her. At that moment, Jiro asked in a serious tone.

“Yao Momo, do you think there’s something I can do to help? Even though it wasn’t exactly a pleasure for Saito to help me, the truth is he still did, and I feel I should thank him somehow.”

“I feel the same way. His advice and especially the training routine he recommended have given me great results. Of course, I’m also grateful to you for all the help you gave me. Before, I didn’t even know how to throw a punch correctly, nor was I even aware of it.” Tsuyu said seriously while looking directly at Momo. That’s when Uraraka commented in a somewhat uncomfortable tone.

“The same goes for me. Although I really think Saito-kun should treat Deku-kun better, he’s not a bad person and Saito-kun treats him very poorly. I don’t think he deserves it.”

“Of course I’m in too! Just tell me what I have to do and I’ll do it!!” Mina added in a determined tone, clenching her hand confidently. At that moment, Hagakure added in a somewhat timid tone.

“Eh, although I wasn’t in the ‘class representative’s training group’, I’d also like to help in some way!”

“Thank you, girls, I really appreciate that you want to help, but you don’t need to do anything special. Kai is a very proud person, so anything you do would only backfire. Instead, be a little patient with him. The whole hero thing is complicated for Kai.

“Although I’m aware that I haven’t handled this in the best way either, I’ve been talking to Mom and several therapists to help me improve, so don’t worry. I’m sure that little by little, I’ll be able to help him leave this behind.”

Momo commented with a beautiful smile on her face as she looked at her friends—the only ones she’d had in her entire life apart from Nejire and Kai. But she quickly focused on Uraraka and spoke with some doubt in her voice.

“As for the way Kai treats Midoriya-san, honestly, I don’t know the reason behind it very well, and it’s really strange. Under normal circumstances, Kai wouldn’t bother with someone like Midoriya-san. Though now that I think about it, Midoriya-san somehow reminds me a bit of Uncle Jiro…”

Chapter 110: What do you want from me?

Chapter Text

After arriving at his workshop, Kai left Salem on a couch and headed to his office to check on the interception of the electronic devices belonging to the rats he had discovered at the UA, wanting to see if there was anything new. Unfortunately, there was nothing.

Aside from selling the USJ maps and disabling security by pretending it was an electromagnetic attack, the rats hadn’t done anything else and had kept a low profile, although he had confirmed that they had ghost accounts with several million dollars abroad.

[Sage, start putting together the attack plan. In one month, if we haven’t managed to get anything new out of them, we’ll throw them into Alcatraz.] Kai ordered his trusted assistant through their mental connection, who nodded with a serious expression.

[Understood, Master. I already have most of it ready, but I still need to adjust the timing of the attack. How would you prefer it?]

[Easy, just set it up so it looks like they ran off together. Fabricate some evidence and let a bit of what they did reach the right people, but don’t leave anything explicit. Let the investigators come to that conclusion on their own. That way, we’ll pass unnoticed.] Kai responded casually as he turned off his computer, since he could sense Ryuko and Shino approaching. Sage nodded and answered in a cheerful tone.

[Understood, Master. I’ll arrange everything, so the discovery occurs naturally for any potential investigators.]

[I trust you.]

As he left his office, Kai commented with a small smile through their mental connection, which made Sage smile happily before disappearing to carry out her master’s orders.

“Darling!”

Upon entering the workshop, Ryuko exclaimed excitedly, wearing her blue hero costume as she threw herself toward Kai, who caught her in midair and spun around a couple of times to kill the momentum. At that moment, Ryuko began a passionate kiss as if she had missed him for years, even though they had only been apart since dawn.

“Kai.”

Wearing her red hero costume, Shino, who walked over normally until she reached Kai, commented with a small smile on her face the moment Ryuko ended her kiss. She then embraced him herself and began a kiss, not as passionate but rather affectionate.

“What’s going on? Why so much excitement?” Kai asked, somewhat confused, while holding his beautiful girlfriends by the waist. That’s when Ryuko spoke with a tone between anger and frustration.

“It’s because we were worried about you, after everything they said about you in the stands.”

“Yes, Nemuri also wanted to come, but since she was busy being the judge, she couldn’t, and around lunchtime, we were busy dealing with the guy who started it all, so we didn’t manage to come all together.” Shino added, somewhat worried, which made Kai smile broadly. He started walking toward one of the couches while speaking in a cheerful tone.

“You didn’t have to worry about that. It’s something inevitable given the circumstances. They’re simply the consequences of being a public figure, even if it’s not intentional. But, anyway, thanks for worrying about me.”

“What do you mean, ‘thanks’? Why are you treating us like strangers? It’s only natural that we’d worry about you, darling.” Ryuko commented, somewhat annoyed, as she sat down next to Kai on the couch. Shino added in a similar tone.

“Yes, Kai, don’t insult us like that. Even if we weren’t in a relationship, we’d still worry about your well-being, not to mention now.”

“Alright, I’m sorry. I spoke too much. I was just happy you came to see me.” Kai spoke with a smile, tightening his embrace around Shino and Ryuko, which visibly melted the pair of heroines, who let their bodies fall against their beloved with eyes full of guilt.

Seeing the regretful looks on Shino and Ryuko’s faces, Kai couldn’t help feeling a small sting in his conscience. After all, he knew it was very likely something like what had happened would occur, and he stood out hoping the guilt would cause the girls to stop trying to make him stand out in the future. But now that he had achieved it, the looks of his beautiful girlfriends pained him.

“There’s no need for those expressions. It’s not that big a deal.” Kai commented warmly as he gently stroked Shino and Ryuko’s shoulders reassuringly, causing the pair of beautiful heroines to hug him tightly.

“But we feel guilty. If it hadn’t been for us, you wouldn’t have gone through that…” Shino said in a sad, melancholic tone full of guilt, as she hid her face in Kai’s chest.

“This time we really screwed up, darling…”

Ryuko added equally sadly, looking down. Kai quickly removed the sort of robotic cat ears from their heads, then gently laid their heads on his lap. At that moment, he began massaging their scalps softly, using slight electric discharges that had a relaxing effect, all while speaking in a comforting tone.

“There’s no need to worry about that. I’m not so fragile that something like that would affect me.”

“Even if that’s the case, it doesn’t absolve us of our guilt…”

As a relaxing sensation ran through her body from the crown of her head to the tips of her toes, Shino commented amidst pleasurable moans, to which Ryuko added, almost purring like a cat, with light spasms from the pleasant tingling.

“Yes, darling… forgive us for being so foolish. We focused so much on wanting to see you shine that we forgot everything else…”

“Alright, alright, don’t overthink it. What’s done is done. For now, just relax and enjoy.”

Not long after, Shino and Ryuko fell asleep thanks to the pleasant massage, until after a while, Kai woke them gently, as their rest was over, and it was time for them to return to the stadium.

…

“Darling, we’ll see you later. We’ll go back with Tomoko and Chatora.”

While fixing her appearance in the office mirror along with Shino, Ryuko commented with a small, happy smile on her face, looking much calmer and more relaxed. At that moment, the beautiful red-clad hero added with a similar smile.

“Yes, although you know, I think Chatora is starting to suspect us.”

“Do you think we should talk to avoid problems?” Kai asked as he walked over to his girlfriends and embraced them by the waist, who leaned on his chest with complex expressions.

“I don’t know. I’m a bit afraid of how they’ll react…” Ryuko commented worriedly and somewhat fearfully, hugging Kai as if seeking security, to which Shino added, doing something similar.

“Yes, it’ll be a bit complicated. Although Chatora might understand, and Tomoko lives in her own world, Keiko, Yumiko, and the others might react pretty badly…”

“Certainly, it might not be the best reaction, but you know, I think they’ll understand. Also, we can’t hide forever, especially not from the family. Delaying the moment will only make things worse, and who knows what could happen.” Kai commented seriously while gently stroking Shino and Ryuko’s shoulders, who had expressions full of doubt.

“Darling, but you know we still can’t make our relationship public because of our careers. It would be a scandal…” Ryuko commented softly as she listened to her beloved’s rhythmic heartbeat, which filled her with peace and security. Kai responded seriously.

“I understand that, but with strangers, it’s more manageable. The issue is that we practically all live together in the family. Look, if Chatora started to suspect, it’s only a matter of time before the others do too, assuming they don’t already have their suspicions. The real problem would be if they find out through other means rather than us confessing it directly, as it should be.”

“Kai is right. That would indeed be serious. Thinking about it, maybe even Keiko suspects something. The other day, she was looking at me a bit strangely…” Shino said insecurely, and Kai could only sigh and comment in a warmer tone.

“See? It’s only a matter of time before this blows up in our faces. Why not meet tonight at the safe house and decide how to talk to everyone and clear things up?”

“I guess that’s best, though I can’t deny I’m very scared of what might happen…” Ryuko responded in a low voice, hugging Kai tightly, to which Shino added with a guilty tone.

“I’m also terrified that the family will fall apart because of us.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out somehow, and I’ll always be here to protect you. There’s no need to worry. Besides, from the start we knew this wouldn’t be easy. This is just a small obstacle on the road.” Kai commented firmly, tightening his arms around Shino and Ryuko, who nodded seriously.

“You’re right. From the beginning, we knew this would be complicated, so we can only stand firm and accept the consequences of our actions.” Shino commented in a resolute, determined tone. At that moment, Ryuko couldn’t help but sigh, but shortly after she pulled herself together and spoke firmly, albeit slightly disappointed.

“… I guess it’s for the best, although it’ll be a shame to lose the thrill of having to hide…”

“Well, that won’t be completely lost. After all, besides the family, no one else can know.” Kai commented with a small smile, knowing very well Ryuko’s curious fetish, causing her blue eyes to gleam mischievously.

“That’s true as well, fufufufu.”

“Well, it’s getting late. We have to go, or Chatora’s suspicions will be confirmed.” Shino quickly commented seriously while letting go of Kai to check her appearance one last time in the mirror, alerting Ryuko, who immediately did the same.

“Well, Kai, see you tonight.” Shino said goodbye with a smile, then gave Kai a quick kiss on the lips, something Ryuko immediately did afterward, before saying goodbye with a smile.

“See you, darling. We’ll be supporting you with all our hearts.”

“Goodbye, see you tonight.” Kai said goodbye, somewhat amused, as he watched his beautiful girlfriends hurry out of the workshop. He then looked at the time on the smart glass of the panoramic window in the office.

“Well, it’s about time for me to head out, too.” Kai commented softly as he stretched lazily, then left his workshop while all the lights inside turned off.

Shortly after, Kai returned to the stadium with Salem on his shoulder and quickly searched for Momo’s ‘voice’, quickly finding it in the stands along with the other girls, so he began walking there. But to his surprise, a ‘voice’ he hadn’t felt in many years was approaching rapidly.

“So you’re the strongest of the first year.”

Before long, a burly man with a beard and a fire mask, dressed in a blue hero suit with flames in various places, spoke in a dark tone, a voice full of authority, as he stood imposingly with crossed arms in front of Kai. Kai simply looked at him without giving much importance and asked casually.

“What do you want from me?”

“You have an impressive quirk. You’re so fast, you vanish from sight. You could shatter Shoto’s ice with a single blow, and you can even knock others out with a glance.” Endeavor said firmly and seriously, at which Kai could only roll his eyes before asking again, with a hint of annoyance.

“So, what do you want from me?”

“You will surely be Shoto’s final opponent, and he has the duty to surpass All Might. Therefore, you’ll be very instructive for him and serve as a solid stepping stone for his future. That’s why I want you to use everything you’ve got so that he’ll bring out his full potential.” Endeavor commented with an arrogant, confident tone, which only caused Kai’s expression to become somewhat disgusted and puzzled. Kai then spoke in a slightly sickened tone.

“What the hell are you talking about? Go find some other idiot who cares about your bullshit. Leave me alone, you narcissistic son of a bitch.”

“I see you have plenty of guts, kid.”

Endeavor commented in a pissed, arrogant tone, while looking at Kai with bloodshot eyes. Kai took a determined step forward until they were face to face, as they were about the same height. He returned the look with disdain and spoke with similar arrogance.

“Guts are for when you’re facing someone who poses a threat. I can split you in half using just one hand, you carnival torch.”

“I’d like to see that, you arrogant brat.”

As his flames rose furiously, Endeavor replied in a dark, wrathful tone. But at that moment, a brutal pressure hit him like a truck, somehow pushing him back a few centimeters, while he listened to the boy’s voice, loaded with murderous intent. The boy was looking him straight in the eyes with a macabre smile.

“Whenever you want, however you want, you son of a bitch. And if you want, right here and now. It’ll be a pleasure to make you a head shorter.”

Due to the boy’s words and the brutal pressure forcing him to his knees, Endeavor’s back was drenched in cold sweat—something that happened to him with no one else but All Might—causing the Number Two Hero to clench his fists in indignation. But just then, the boy spoke in a mocking tone, leaving him a bit confused.

“Look at that, you’re one lucky guy. They’ve come to save your ass.”

Chapter 111: That boy is dangerous.

Chapter Text

"Kai-shonen!"

Right after Kai spoke, All Might’s somewhat worried voice echoed in the hallway. A moment later, he appeared on the scene, then placed his hand on Kai’s shoulder and spoke in a calmer tone, thus ending the staring contest that seemed to have formed between the boy and Endeavor.

"What happened here, Kai-shonen?"

"Well, this pathetic excuse for a hero here came to confront me and spew a bunch of nonsensical nonsense, so I was just about to teach him why that’s not a good idea." Kai turned to look at All Might and responded casually, a relaxed smile on his face, causing Endeavor’s expression to visibly tense.

"Kai-shonen, you can’t speak about people that way. Besides, this person is Endeavor, the number two hero in Japan."

"Well, thanks for the info. I’ll make sure to forget it as soon as possible." Kai commented with a mocking tone, looking amused as more veins bulged on the flaming hero’s head. All Might could only offer an ironic smile before turning to Endeavor and asking.

"Endeavor, what’s a hero like you doing in the students’ entrance area?"

"I just wanted to have a word with this villain-in-the-making." Endeavor spoke in a dark tone, staring directly at Kai’s mocking grin. Kai then commented in a disdainful tone.

"Says the one who sneaks into the student zone to confront a first-year student. Yes, very heroic of you."

"Motherf—" Endeavor exclaimed, offended, but at that moment All Might raised his voice, cutting him off abruptly.

"Endeavor! Kai-shonen is right. You shouldn’t be here, and your presence could cause you serious legal and reputational problems, so you’d better come with me to the exit."

"…"

Upon hearing All Might’s words, Endeavor stared at him silently with bloodshot eyes. After a moment, he snorted irritably and began walking toward the exit, causing All Might to smile wryly and start walking behind him while saying goodbye.

"See you later, Kai-shonen. Try not to cause trouble."

"Don’t worry, and try to keep the number two hero well monitored and in check, number one hero, hehehe." Kai commented with a mocking tone, which turned into a small chuckle as he saw the rabid dog’s flames crackle violently. This made All Might’s smile falter, and after a moment, he spoke again in a nearly resigned tone.

"Seriously, Kai-shonen, don’t cause problems."

"Hahaha, fine." Kai replied, amused, and then walked off with Salem on his shoulder toward the stands where Momo was.

Meanwhile, Endeavor couldn’t resist looking back to stare intently at the dangerous boy’s retreating figure. After a moment, he turned his gaze forward and commented in a dark, yet evidently serious tone.

"That boy is dangerous."

"He certainly is." All Might replied seriously, which greatly surprised Endeavor. He couldn’t help but look at All Might and speak in a solemn tone.

"For even you to acknowledge it, he must be even more dangerous than I imagined."

"He is, in more than one sense. But that’s why he’s here. Principal Nezu made a great effort to get him to enroll. We can’t allow someone like that to fall into the villains’ hands." All Might replied seriously as he walked alongside Endeavor, who could only remain silent, his mind full of deep thoughts.

"…"

…
…
…

By the time Kai reached the stands, he found the entire Class 1-A seated in their chairs, except for Midoriya and that blond guy with the laser from his stomach—one of the class’s biggest annoyances—since they had the next duel. Momo was surrounded by her friends: Mina, Jiro, and the invisible girl. Meanwhile, Uraraka and Tsuyu had their own group, along with the annoyance known as Iida.

Seeing Momo so entertained with her friends, Kai chose to sit in the corner seat and not draw much attention, then started playing with Salem, who wisely chose to remain silent so as not to alert anyone and keep all his master’s attention for himself.

"Audience! The finals you’ve all been waiting for are about to begin!!"

After some time, Present Mic announced loudly, provoking a great ovation from the crowd. This greatly alarmed Momo, who began to look around with worry written on her face. This allowed her to notice Kai in a corner playing with Salem, bringing a pleasant smile to her face. She quickly stood up and walked toward him, attracting the attention of the girls next to her.

"The first match, from the Hero Course: Midoriya Izuku!!!"

While Present Mic announced excitedly and the green-haired boy entered the stadium, Momo reached Kai’s side and sat down next to him. She then asked in a tone tinged with mild reproach.

"Where were you? I was worried because you didn’t arrive."

"I’ve been here for a while, but I didn’t want to interrupt you, so I stayed here." Kai replied casually as he placed Salem back on his shoulder, causing Momo to hug his arm and comment with a small smile.

"You’re such a dummy. Of course you wouldn’t have interrupted me. You should have come to say hello."

"Better not. I’m fine here." Kai commented casually while looking toward the cement arena at the center of the stadium, to which Momo could only respond in a playfully reproachful tone, tapping Kai’s cheek with her index finger.

"You’re so mean, did you know that?"

...

"Versus, also from the Hero Course: Aoyama Yuga!!!"

With Present Mic’s words, Aoyama entered the stadium, acting as if he were some kind of idol, throwing rose petals into the air and smiling for the cameras. Midoriya, who was already on the combat platform, looked incredibly nervous. At that moment, Present Mic spoke again.

"The rules are simple: immobilize your opponent or knock them out of the bounds! You can also make the other say ‘I give up’. It doesn’t matter if you get hurt—we have our Recovery Girl standing by! Set aside ethics and morals for the moment! But of course, endangering the other’s life is crap! It’s forbidden!! Heroes only fight to capture villains!!"

After a great ovation from the audience, Aoyama finally stood in front of Midoriya on the combat platform. Present Mic quickly announced with enthusiasm.

"Ready?!… Start!!!!"

With the starting signal, Aoyama quickly placed his hands behind his neck and then fired a laser in Midoriya’s direction. Midoriya swiftly dodged by moving to the side, then rushed forward at high speed toward the blond boy, catching him off guard. In that instant, Midoriya landed a powerful blow to the boy’s stomach, damaging his belt and knocking him unconscious onto the ground.

"Winner: Midoriya Izuku!!" With Aoyama’s fall, Midnight quickly declared the end of the match in a firm tone, causing a great stir in the stands and a proud, beaming smile to form on All Might’s face. Present Mic then announced excitedly.

"An instant victory! Such strength, such control—that was Midoriya Izuku!!!!"

"He really improved a lot in controlling his quirk. I’m genuinely surprised. Also, I felt a certain familiarity with that fighting style." Aizawa commented with a hint of surprise in his tired voice. He then looked over at the black-haired, blue-eyed boy in the Class 1-A stands, imagining what might have happened, which inevitably brought a smile to his face.

Shortly thereafter, Aoyama was carried out of the combat arena on a stretcher, while Midoriya looked on nervously before exiting the stadium himself. At that moment, Present Mic began to announce the next fight with a voice full of excitement.

"And now, we have before us the second match! From the Hero Course: Sero Hanta!!!" With Present Mic’s words, Sero entered the stadium wearing his PE uniform, waving to the cheering crowd. Present Mic spoke again:

"Versus, from the Hero Course: Kirishima Eijiro!!!"

With the announcement, Kirishima entered the stadium and greeted in a manner similar to Sero’s, then met him on the combat platform. Present Mic announced in a raspy, almost rock-like voice, filled with excitement.

"With that, we begin the second match! Ready?!… Start!!!"

"Well, let’s see if all that training paid off!" Sero exclaimed loudly as he sent his tape to wrap around Kirishima and try to pull him out of the ring. But the red-haired boy quickly hardened his arms, managing to cut through the tape and free himself.

"Sero tried to throw him off the platform, but Kirishima is no easy opponent and quickly broke free!!!" Present Mic commented excitedly. Aizawa added in his typical tired tone:

"Kirishima is a close-combat fighter specialized in defense, and Sero focuses on skill and great mobility. This fight will be tough for both of them."

"That’s not gonna be so easy, Sero!"

Kirishima shouted loudly as he hardened his feet and buried them deeply into the cement. Internally, he was a bit worried because Sero was the worst type of opponent he could’ve faced.

"We’ll see about that!"

As he sent his tape out again, Sero responded confidently, though fully aware that things wouldn’t be easy since his only real option would be to get Kirishima out of the ring. He simply didn’t have the power to defeat him any other way.

But to Sero’s surprise, Kirishima seemed to anticipate his attack, intercepting his tape midway and yanking it hard, sending Sero flying through the air in his direction. In an unexpected move, Kirishima then pulled his feet out of the cement.

Quickly, Sero launched his tape at the ground, then turned to send his tape at Kirishima again. But to his surprise, what he found coming at him was a block of cement approaching at high speed. He barely managed to dodge it by using his tape to pull himself toward the ground.

"Wow, wow! Things are heating up, folks! Sero tried a quick tape move, but Kirishima read him like a ’90s action comic book! Yet the kid’s got enough reflexes to dodge at the last second! This is a battle of strategy and raw power—I can’t even blink!" Present Mic shouted excitedly, standing up on the table, causing a great ovation from the public.

"That was close…" Sero commented with cold sweat on his forehead. Not giving him a second to think, Kirishima started hurling blocks of cement he ripped from the floor at high speed, forcing Sero to dodge and run.

In the midst of his run, Sero quickly used his tape to catch one of the cement blocks in the air. He then spun rapidly on himself and flung it back at Kirishima, who was forced to cover himself and was even pushed back a few centimeters by the impact.

"Not bad, Sero." Kirishima said in a cheerful and challenging tone, making the tape-wielding boy smile confidently. Sero quickly added in a similar tone, a big grin on his face.

"Well, you’re not the only one with ideas."

"What an impressive display of reflexes and tactics from both sides! Sero dodging and responding under pressure, while Kirishima keeps up the offensive with sheer brute force! This is a showdown of on-the-fly strategies, where every move counts and there’s no room for mistakes!" Present Mic fulfilled his role as commentator to perfection, amplifying the audience’s excitement. At that moment, Aizawa added in a tired yet intrigued voice.

"Their performance really surprises me, especially Kirishima’s. I didn’t expect to see such a display from him."

The duel continued with an exchange of debris. Sero didn’t give Kirishima a chance to get close, though occasionally the tape user tried to catch the red-haired boy off guard to knock him out of the platform with his tape.

Soon, the cement platform was in ruins, making it much harder for Sero to move around, causing his expression to grow serious. At that moment, Kirishima hurled a large amount of debris, forcing Sero to use his tape to propel himself elsewhere. But mid-flight, Kirishima smiled, sending a stone he had secretly sharpened. It struck Sero’s tape with precision, unsettling his opponent.

Surprised, Sero quickly raised his other elbow to send out more tape and avoid hitting the ground. But that brief moment of distraction proved fatal, as Kirishima, unwilling to waste the opportunity he had created, hardened his body—especially his legs—and shouted loudly, charging forward at great speed like an enraged bull.

"Iron Juggernaut!!"

Chapter 112: Ashido vs Todoroki.

Chapter Text

“Iron Juggernaut!!”

Kirishima’s surprising speed was more than enough to leave Seto with no chance. He took the full brunt of the charge, was knocked unconscious, and at the same time sent flying through the air. But when he left the combat zone, he was caught in midair by what seemed to be a hand made of cement, which softened his fall. At that exact moment, Midnight exclaimed loudly.

“The winner, Kirishima Eijiro!!”

“I won!!”

A cheerful Kirishima couldn’t help but shout excitedly while waving to the thrilled audience. At the same time, memories of his training with Kai passed through his mind. Although it hadn’t been the most pleasant in the world, it had truly helped him a lot.

+++

In what looked like a field created solely and exclusively for fighting, Kirishima was kneeling on the ground, breathing heavily, with several bruises and scratches across different parts of his body. In front of him stood a relaxed Kai, stretching comfortably after giving a beating to the poor young man before him.

“Well, even though your punches have improved, you’re still too slow, so your only destiny is to be relegated to being a human shield. Therefore, if you face someone who isn’t willing to attack you head-on, you’ll have nothing to do, which basically seals off any path for you to become an independent hero.”

“…Really…Is there…No way?” Kirishima asked between heavy breaths, the result of his exhaustion, to which Kai casually commented.

“Well, you don’t have technique, nor agility, and much less speed, so all you have left is to use your head—not just to use your quirk creatively, but also to create opportunities for yourself.”

“…What do you mean?” Still obviously tired, Kirishima asked curiously as he sat down on the ground, to which Kai responded in a casual tone while picking up a leaf from the ground and tossing it into the air.

“Look, the worst opponent for you is one like this leaf.” Kai began swatting at the air, trying to grab the leaf, but each movement created a current of air that made it drift away, almost as if it were evading him. At that moment, he added in a calm tone.

“The one who tirelessly flees the fight, or in other words, the average villain. That’s why you have to be smarter, study how they act, and predict their next move.”

When Kai finished speaking, he delivered a slightly off-target punch near the leaf, but the wind created by his movement pushed it right into his hand, as if he had anticipated its trajectory. He then explained while casually playing with the leaf.

“What you need is to learn to predict your enemy. And of course, you also need a way to surprise them, which means you need a more creative way to use your quirk. Aside from hardening yourself, it also noticeably improves your strength, at least from what I’ve seen. But don’t get your hopes up—that doesn’t guarantee you anything. It only gives you an opportunity. And so Momo won’t say I never teach you anything, I’ll show you a little trick.”

With a calm motion, Kai rolled up one leg of his black sweatpants, showing Kirishima his incredibly defined calf muscle, which was quite impressive. Then he took a stance with his legs apart, putting tension on the exposed leg.

“Watch closely how this works. It’s not something especially difficult or complicated, but it can help you achieve something like a ‘charge’ or similar move to get close to an enemy.”

As Kai spoke, his calf muscle seemed to swell and contract, accumulating tension before releasing it all at once. He stomped on the ground with such force that it cracked, and immediately after, he shot forward at terrifying speeds, as if launched by a spring, stopping several meters away.

“You could try to replicate something like that using only your brute strength enhanced by your quirk. You could even attempt something crazier, but first study very well how your quirk works and don’t do anything stupid, or else Momo will drive me insane with her scolding. Understood?”

“Yes, I understand.” Kirishima nodded and responded thoughtfully, causing Kai to laugh for a moment, amused, as he adjusted his pants again.

+++

Meanwhile, in the stands, Kai couldn’t help but cover his face with one hand upon hearing the ridiculous name the redhead had given to the trick he’d shown him. It made him wonder if it was time to cross that idiot off his list of acquaintances. After all, Kai himself was already pretty bad at coming up with names, and hanging around with that idiot might worsen his problem.

“Did you teach him that, Kai?” Momo couldn’t help but ask curiously, seeing how Kai was acting. He answered evasively while turning his back.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t know anyone capable of saying those names out loud with so much pride.”

“Fufufu, alright.”

Momo commented in a somewhat amused tone, although her expression was filled only with love and pride. Then she rested her head on Kai’s shoulder with a warm smile. Meanwhile, Present Mic’s excited voice echoed throughout the stadium, which was roaring like crazy.

“This was a display of pure strategy and determination! Seto kept Kirishima at bay with those precise and calculated moves, but he didn’t count on the redhead’s cunning! Kirishima took advantage of the slightest lapse and unleashed his masterful blow! ‘Iron Juggernaut’! An explosive attack that broke through every defense! It’s incredible how Kirishima turned a tactical duel into a pure force charge, securing the victory! What an intense battle!”

…

Soon, the next battle began. This time it was between Bakugo—another of Class 1-A’s troublemakers—and Tokoyami, a strange guy with a black bird’s head who liked to speak in a sophisticated manner, very similar to how characters in epic anime speak. There weren’t many surprises, and Bakugo ended up winning since Tokoyami’s quirk, a sentient dark specter, was weak against light and therefore against the blond’s explosions.

“Now we continue with the next fight!!!”

After a short break, during which Mina walked toward the locker room, Present Mic announced with great excitement. This caused Momo to cling nervously to Kai’s arm, at the same time staring intently at the dueling platform. At that moment, the presenter hero announced.

“From the Hero Course, Todoroki Shoto!!!”

With the announcement, Todoroki stepped into the stadium with an expression full of hatred and eyes almost bloodshot. Present Mic enthusiastically announced again.

“Versus, also from the Hero Course, Ashido Mina!!!”

Looking visibly nervous, Mina entered the stadium and began waving to the audience, who cheered with all their might. She then walked to the combat platform, where Todoroki awaited with an expression that scared her a bit.

“Ready?!!!… Start!!!”

With Present Mic’s announcement, Mina quickly used her quirk to slide across the ground, trying to approach Todoroki. But at that exact moment, Todoroki lifted his gaze and spoke in a dark, hate-filled tone.

“My apologies.”

As he spoke, Todoroki stomped the ground forcefully, causing it to freeze at high speed. A huge amount of ice shot forward toward Mina, who barely managed to jump to the side using her agility. Even so, half of her body ended up frozen, and the ice didn’t stop there—it started forming a giant iceberg in the air.

But just as the iceberg reached the stands of Class 1-A, it exploded into a thousand pieces, creating a sort of snowfall over the stadium and leaving the enormous iceberg sliced in half. This caused all the spectators to turn their heads toward that place, quickly noticing a young man with black hair casually lowering his extended fist. Present Mic’s electrified commentary followed, making the stands go wild.

“What just happened here?!! A brutal ice attack was repeatedly destroyed by a single punch!! This is Class 1-A, this is the first year of U.A., ladies and gentlemen!!!”

Among those who looked on in surprise was Todoroki himself, half of his body nearly frozen by the brutal effort. He stared at the terror of Class 1-A with a deep look. But his gaze was interrupted when he was struck by a powerful kick covered by some sort of incredibly hard gel, sending him flying off the platform.

Alarmed, Todoroki quickly used his ice to create a barrier and avoid falling off. Then he looked back at the spot he had been just moments before, only to find a smiling Mina with a good part of her uniform corroded, revealing her attractive pink skin. That immediately gave him the information he needed: the girl had freed herself from his ice using her acid.

“Darn, I thought I had it!”

Mina commented with a tone full of excitement. She then began skating toward Todoroki at high speed, looking somewhat rushed. After all, she had seen in class what Todoroki’s frozen state meant—his power decreased, so she had to finish him off before he used his fire to melt the ice or else she’d be done for.

“What do we have here?!! This is unexpected! Todoroki seemed to have control, but what a surprise Ashido gave us! With an incredible kick and using her ingenuity to free herself from the ice, she’s put him on the ropes! What a way to seize every opportunity—her agility and speed are impressive! The pressure is at its peak, one of the most critical moments of the battle!” Present Mic quickly commented in a rough, almost rock-like voice, once again provoking a powerful roar from the stands.

Todoroki, for his part, still refusing to use his fire side, quickly froze everything around him to send attacks of ice shards toward Mina, who easily dodged them with her impressive skill and technique. She never stopped moving, skating rapidly closer to him.

Feeling his body failing him due to overcooling and the nearly paralyzing pain where he’d been kicked, Todoroki began running along the platform’s edge while sending freezing attacks—each weaker than the last—toward Mina. She started dodging them with almost acrobatic movements, jumping and sometimes using her acid like a whip to change her position mid-air, never once stopping her approach.

“What determination from Todoroki, staying strong despite his body beginning to fail! But Mina doesn’t fall behind, showing impressive skill while dodging every attack and closing in at full speed!” Present Mic commented excitedly, unable to hide his surprise at the impressive performance by the first-year girl.

Although Todoroki was fully aware that he needed to heat himself up to fight and win the battle, the look from his father in the stands was almost painful, making him even more stubborn about winning with only half of his power. But at that moment, Mina put her hands together and shouted loudly, then launched a high-pressure stream of corrosive acid in his direction.

“Acid Shot!!”

Since he couldn’t use his ice due to his nearly frozen state, Todoroki almost instinctively used his fire, managing to protect himself from the attack. But in doing so, he lost his internal battle, causing an image of his father’s mocking smile to appear in his mind, filling him with insane rage. He quickly sent an attack at Mina using his fire as well.

The abrupt change in temperature caused a brutal shockwave that hit Mina head-on. She barely managed to cover her body with a super-resistant version of her acid, but she still couldn’t avoid being sent flying off the platform. She then collided with the stadium wall and fell to the ground, at which point the acid became liquid once more.

“The winner, Todoroki Shoto!!”

Midnight quickly announced the winner and then ran to Mina’s side. Although she looked a bit dazed, she was in perfect condition, even if her acid had further damaged her already scant clothing, revealing even more of her appealing pink skin.

“What an unexpected turn of events! Todoroki, pushed to the limit, finally unleashes his true power in an explosion of rage that shakes the entire stadium! What an intense showdown, both fighting with everything they’ve got, but in the end, that last attack from Todoroki was devastating! This is what makes these battles unforgettable!”

Despite having won, Todoroki didn’t look satisfied at all. Instead, he just stood there, looking at his hands with hatred. But right at that moment, a powerful shout echoed through the stadium, accompanied by a burst of fire shooting into the sky.

“WELL DONE, WELL DONE!!! YOU FINALLY GOT IT!! YOUR FIRE IS THE KEY TO VICTORY! YOU, WHO CARRY MY BLOOD, WILL BE THE ONE TO FULFILL MY DESIRE!!!!”

Hearing his father’s words, Todoroki could only clench his fists in frustration, then walk heavily and painfully toward the stadium exit. Meanwhile, Nemuri reached Mina’s side and asked seriously as she crouched beside her.

“Are you alright? Can you stand up?”

“Yes, just a little dizzy.” Mina replied, sitting on the ground as she adjusted her hair, still damp with her acid. Nemuri nodded and then commented with a smile as she stood up.

“Alright, then head to the infirmary for a check-up.”

“I will.” Mina nodded, then tried to fix her clothes a bit and started walking toward the exit, where she found Momo waiting with a smile, holding a white blanket to cover her.

“Thank you, Yao Momo.” Mina thanked her with a moved smile as Momo covered her with the blanket. Momo commented with a small giggle.

“Don’t worry about it. What’s more, congratulations—you really impressed the audience.”

“Even though I lost…?” Mina asked with a disappointed tone. Momo nodded with a small smile, then cheerfully explained.

“Yes, even though you lost, Kai praised you—and you know how grouchy he is.”

“Really?” Mina asked, surprised, with a strange sparkle in her eyes. Momo nodded happily, then spoke as she began guiding Mina toward the infirmary.

“Yes, he said you did pretty well, although he complained that if you had used your acid correctly, you would have won with that first kick, hehe.”

“Hehe, typical.” Mina responded somewhat amused, but at that moment she spotted Jiro and Hagakure—the girl with earphone jacks and the invisible girl—which brought a smile to her face.

“You were amazing, Mina-chan!!” Hagakure commented excitedly as she approached, and Jiro nodded, commenting with a cheerful smile.

“Yes, it was really impressive…”

Chapter 113: I’m not a porcelain doll.

Chapter Text

After accompanying Mina to the infirmary, Momo returned with the girls to the stands of Class 1-A, where she found Kai in the same corner where she had left him. Curiously, Kai was now talking to Ojiro, which surprised and pleased her in equal parts. She quickly approached the pair of young men and greeted them with a smile.

"Hello again, I didn’t expect to see you two talking."

"Well, actually, Ojiro was just telling me something that happened to him in the cavalry battle. Apparently, there’s a guy with indigo-colored hair who has the ability to control people when they respond to him." Kai commented in a slightly interested tone, prompting Momo to reply seriously, fully aware of whom he was talking about.

"That quirk is dangerous..."

"Yeah, the truth is I don’t remember much of what happened; I only recall the end, where luckily I managed to free myself from the control and found myself as part of his team. But it’s a fact that he managed to control us in some way, and I lost my memories after I answered one of his questions." Ojiro commented with a serious expression, causing Momo to nod and then ask curiously.

"But Ojiro-san, why did you come to tell Kai about this? Are you afraid he might have other intentions?"

"Yes, actually, when we left the stadium after the event, I heard him cursing Saito and the fifth place we got, quite angrily. So I thought it would be best to tell him so he could be on guard. After all, that power is quite dangerous." Ojiro nodded and explained his reasons, which earned him a cheerful smile from Momo, while Kai placed his hand on his shoulder and commented in a casual tone.

"I understand. Thanks for the information. In the coming days, stop by my workshop. I’ll lend you a key to my gym so you can train there; there’s equipment that might be very useful for you."

"Oh, I really didn’t do it expecting something in return, so I’d feel a bit uncomfortable accepting something like that." Ojiro said, looking visibly uneasy, to which Kai replied casually, not giving it much importance.

"Don’t worry about it. I like you, and that’s why I’m lending you my gym. There you’ll find some data about my father’s martial arts, so you might like it."

"Iron Palm’s martial arts?!" Ojiro asked, visibly excited, causing a small giggle from Momo, while Kai responded as he took out his phone to check something.

"Yes, the same one, but don’t say it too loudly, or they’ll start again with the ‘he’s crazy’ thing."

"Oh, sorry..." Ojiro apologized with an embarrassed expression, to which Kai waved his hand casually as he commented.

"It’s fine. That’s part of being a hero. It doesn’t just affect you, but also those close to you."

Not knowing very well how to respond to Kai’s words, Ojiro could only say goodbye with an uncomfortable expression, giving way to Momo, who sat down casually and then rested her head on Kai’s shoulder. At that moment, the blue-eyed boy asked in a serious tone.

"You know the guy Ojiro was talking about, don’t you, Momo?"

"...Yes, we had a small altercation, but nothing serious, don’t worry." Momo answered in a somewhat uncomfortable tone, since even though she had gotten very angry, she didn’t want him to do anything. Kai then asked again, a hint of anger in his voice.

"Did he try to control you?"

"...Yes, but the [Will Keeper] appeared and nothing happened, don’t worry." Momo replied while gripping Kai’s arm tightly.

Among Kai’s defensive and counterattack abilities, there was what he defined as the ‘Keeper line’, which were conjured swords with strong pacts and limitations whose sole purpose was to block different powers or situations, such as control—like the [Will Keeper], or clairvoyance—like the [Secrets Keeper], which was the sword capable of blocking things like Sir Nighteye’s future vision.

The way the ‘Keeper line’ swords worked was very simple: they could not be used actively under any circumstances, and their aura consumption was relatively high. In exchange, they were summoned automatically when the user became a victim of the particular attack they were meant to defend against, appearing in the person’s hand and preventing the attack.

"I’ll look for him later." Kai commented in a dark, visibly angry tone as he looked toward the center of the stadium.

"Don’t do anything, Kai. It’s not worth dirtying your hands with someone like that. Will you promise me?"

Momo asked with a somewhat worried expression. After all, this was something different than with Kirishima. Kai wouldn't do anything too extreme against him for his joke, but against the indigo-haired boy, who knows what an angry Kai could do to him with how jealous and protective he was.

"...But he tried to control you. Who knows what could’ve happened if not for the [Will Keeper]..." Kai commented with a dark expression as he stared at Momo, who responded in a serious tone, meeting his gaze.

"But nothing happened. Besides, it’s not like he could have done much. I was with the girls, and apparently he just wanted to control me, so I’d apologize because he was frustrated about having been eliminated."

"..." Kai remained silent, staring intently into Momo’s eyes, who returned his gaze firmly, determined to prevent a tragedy. She then asked in a serious tone.

"Do you promise me?"

"..." Kai opted to remain silent, then looked away from Momo, who quickly took his face in her hands and made him look at her. At that moment, she spoke in a serious tone.

"Kai, you’ve already done more than enough with the [Accomplice]. I’m not a porcelain doll. I’m going to be a heroine, and you have to let me fight my own battles. You can’t spend your whole life defending me from everything and everyone. So promise me you won’t do anything. This is my fight. Trust me—let me show you I can handle things on my own."

"...Alright, do what you want. But if things get complicated, you can’t stop me from getting involved." After a sigh, Kai could only respond in a somewhat defeated tone, to which Momo smiled charmingly, then cheerfully commented.

"You’re really the best. But let’s change the subject. Who do you think will win between Kaminari and Uraraka?"

"Kaminari. Uraraka has mobility and some attack power, but she doesn’t have a good defense against electricity." Kai responded after shaking his head, feeling somehow defeated. Momo commented with a small, delighted smile.

"You’re right about that."

…

"Ladies and gentlemen, we’re at the penultimate match of the first round!!!" Present Mic announced loudly, renewing the audience’s enthusiasm, which began cheering again. The hero announcer then continued.

"...From the Heroes Course, Kaminari Denki!!!!!"

Just like all his classmates, Kaminari entered the stadium with a ‘cool’ smile on his face, waving to the audience before walking to the platform. Present Mic then announced his opponent.

"Versus, also from the Heroes Course, Uraraka Ochaco!!!!"

Looking especially shy, Uraraka quickly reached the combat platform, but curiously, she now wore what looked like bulky gloves on her hands and large bracelets that looked like weights on her wrists. This caught Kaminari’s attention, as he also had a pair of special wristbands, though much more discreet—the ones he was still paying off to the terrifying blue-eyed boy.

"Ready?!... Begin!!!"

With Present Mic’s announcement, Kaminari was covered by an electric aura at the same time Uraraka rose quickly into the air with a jump, simultaneously using the device on her waist. It was a bulky yet elegant belt, white and planed, with pink details and tiny but powerful boosters that helped her move freely in the air.

Once Uraraka reached a great height, she deactivated her quirk and used her belt to propel herself even further. She dived downward at the platform, aimed her right hand at the ground and struck it like a meteor as she shouted excitedly.

"Star Impact!!!"

Uraraka’s punch almost completely destroyed the platform, causing a small earthquake and kicking up a thick cloud of dust. Meanwhile, back in the Class 1-A stands, Kai couldn’t help but cover his face with one hand, then asked in a tone between annoyed and regretful.

"Why am I surrounded by idiots? Why does everyone have to give such cheesy names to everything?"

"Fufufu, that’s part of the romance of being a hero. Besides, you do it too, Kai, so don’t complain too much."

Momo commented, amused and somewhat proud to see the attack, since that move was only possible thanks to the impressive devices Kai had developed for Uraraka. These not only allowed her to fly, but were also smart enough to let the girl attempt such madness and come out unscathed.

"I do it out of necessity. Saying the name makes them more powerful. They do it just because they like it, so don’t compare us, please."

Kai responded in an ‘offended’ tone, which only made Momo laugh. But at that moment, the dust settled, revealing Uraraka on the ground, wrapped in what looked like a fine black thread coming from one of Kaminari’s wrists. He looked quite battered, with a trace of blood on his cheek, most likely from debris.

"Winner, Kaminari Denki!!!"

With Midnight’s announcement, Kaminari moved his wrist slightly, causing the black thread enveloping Uraraka to return to the bracelet on his wrist. Then Nemuri approached the unconscious girl on the ground.

[We need medical assistance; she’s unconscious.] Upon noticing Uraraka’s state, Nemuri quickly used the earpiece in her ear. Several people then entered carrying a stretcher.

"What did Kaminari do?" In the stands, Momo asked somewhat confusedly while looking at Kai, attracting the attention of all the students, who also wanted to know. The blue-eyed boy answered casually.

"Not much. Kaminari just jumped right before Uraraka touched the ground and managed to stay on the platform using the reinforced alloy cable in his wrists. Even though Uraraka’s belt prevents most damage, her body still suffered from doing something so reckless without proper training. So he took advantage of that, wrapped her in the cable while she couldn’t move, and electrocuted her."

"I see… so Uraraka was reckless to attempt such an attack. But, well, it’s not like she had many other alternatives. Her fighting style is based on contact, and that wasn’t an option against Kaminari’s electricity." Momo commented understandingly, prompting Kai to reply casually after yawning lazily.

"If she had listened to me and adopted the heavy projectiles I recommended, things could’ve been different."

"Although that would be powerful, it’s understandable she chose not to. After all, what you recommended were practically ‘ kinetic bombs’ of several tons, and once fired, she completely loses control over them. That’s very dangerous." Momo commented with a small smile, inadvertently making all the students nod as they listened curiously to the conversation. Kai could only shrug and respond without much interest.

"And because of that mentality, she lost. In a complex situation, that mentality will undoubtedly cost her life. But well, that’s not my problem."

A bitter smile inevitably formed on Momo’s and the students’ faces. But at that moment, Present Mic announced the next match, which was between the only person who didn’t belong to Class 1-A or even the Heroes Course, Hatsume Mei, and Iida Tenya, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.

The fight was quite comical, with Mei completely playing around with the speedster boy and making him use one of her babies. The entire fight turned into a live demonstration of the young inventor’s inventions, as she announced each one and its specifications as she used them. She even explained the one she gave Iida, and then left the battlefield when she was satisfied.

"I like that girl, hahaha"

Kai couldn’t help but comment between laughs, while poor Iida shouted at the top of his lungs in the arena that he had been tricked. The students watching couldn’t help but show ironic smiles, although Momo’s face formed an expression full of vigilance and worry.

"Would you let her enter your workshop, Kai?" Momo asked in a kind tone, trying to hide her emotions, prompting Kai to ask in a somewhat puzzled expression as he turned to look at her.

"Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." Momo answered with a small smile that made Kai’s skin crawl. He quickly responded in a serious tone.

"Alright then… and no, I wasn’t thinking of letting her into the workshop."

"That’s good…"

Looking genuinely pleased, Momo commented quietly as she leaned her head back against Kai's shoulder. Kai couldn't help but secretly sigh in relief, while making a mental note to talk to the girls about the problem that very night, or things might get out of hand. After all, he had never seen such a scary Momo before, he actually feared for his life for a second and that was when he was supposed to be stronger.

(We can't delay explaining things to the family any longer, this is already getting out of control and the consequences can only get worse from now on. Besides, I'm really worried about Momo's reaction to the news and therefore, Keiko's, and also this Yumiko and the damn problem with that rat, the confrontation is supposed to be at the end of the month... Shit, why can't the problems come one at a time?)

With his mind full of complex thoughts, Kai said goodbye to Momo and began to walk towards the dressing room, since there was little time left before his fight with the green-haired boy started. He wanted to calm his thoughts, since there was something he wanted to try, and for that, he needed to be calm and focused.

Chapter 114: Royal Silence.

Chapter Text

[Sage, is everything ready for the tests?]

As he entered the locker room, Kai asked the beautiful fairy who flew beside him in [In] mode through their mental connection. She responded while showing him a holographic display containing all the data related to the next “experiment.”

[Everything is ready, Master. The “Royal Silence” project can move into the testing phase at any time.]

[Perfect, let’s hope things go well. Even though it won’t be the most powerful ability, it’ll be quite useful if it works as we expect.] Kai commented with a pleased tone, then sat down on the floor in a corner, taking a lotus position while Salem settled into his lap.

…

(Really… I’m such a damn coward…)

One of the strange things that happened to Kai when he tried to meditate was that, for some reason, he almost always ended up thinking about everything he had done. He would go over it several times until he finally let it go, allowing him to relax his mind. After a moment in the lotus position, he couldn’t help but mock himself for his recent actions.

Fear had consumed him, preventing him from thinking clearly and causing him to act almost erratically, making up all kinds of excuses to justify himself. Although he felt he couldn’t be judged too harshly for it—after all, it was a deep, primordial existential fear, one that didn’t even let him sleep at night and that he tried to ignore with all his might.

That profound fear came from knowing he was in a world he remembered as an anime, which inevitably made him wonder: Was he real? Was what he was experiencing real? Would he someday wake up in a hospital bed after a coma? But if those were the only questions, it would still be okay, since he had lived with them for years and could handle them. The real issue was that there was another question, just as or even more terrifying, that constantly crept into his mind, especially when he was in that classroom.

If this world were real, was it possible to change it, or was everything already decided and he could only be a spectator? Although there were reasons to believe things could indeed be changed and that he was the master of his own destiny—like the fact that he had healed All Might or saved Shino’s cousin, who he was sure would have only met death if he hadn’t arrived—there was one crucial event that shattered all his hopes: All Might had passed his Quirk on to the “protagonist”.

The moment he realized this—that even though he had healed All Might, the hero still passed on his Quirk—all the alarms went off in his brain, filling him with profound existential terror. It was the realization that everything was decided, and he could only change the circumstances, not the outcomes. The results were fixed. What had to happen would happen, one way or another, so those who had to die would die, no matter what he did.

This fear had been torturing him relentlessly and was almost winning the battle. That’s why he didn’t want to participate in the sports festival and came up with tons of excuses to justify himself—because he was terrified that no matter what he did, that damn blond would take first place. That was the only thing he remembered from that entire arc and the last thing he remembered from the series, or in other words, his last chance to see if things could change or not.

For that reason, he cowardly wanted to leave it all to Momo, to see if she could change things. After all, she should be stronger than the “character”. He had trained her for years, improved her Quirk, and given her weapons so powerful that no average student or hero could stop her. If she failed, he intended to reassure himself that he had changed something by killing All For One, when he would no longer be able to verify if he truly had or not.

But the moment the girls decided to push him to win, he invented a couple of excuses for himself and decided to play along, since that was the push he needed. The support of the women he loved was what he lacked to face his fear and see with his own eyes whether this so-called “destiny” was real or not. Besides, he was the strongest, not even All Might could stop him. It was now or never if he wanted to determine whether things would change.

(But it’s time to stop being one. Now I just have to check if the results can really change. But no matter what happens, I must stand firm. Even if the blond annoyance takes first place despite my participation, it’s because it’s ‘destiny’ and not because this is fake or unreal. So if it is ‘destiny’, I just have to find a way to break it…)

After coming to terms with himself, Kai felt much more relaxed, so he began to breathe deeply using a technique he himself had optimized from his original technique that enhanced his aura and combined it with yoga breathing techniques. At the same time, he focused entirely on his own “voice”, which quickly allowed him to “see” his mini-self once again.

Over time, and most likely thanks to his hard training along with his constant yoga practice, his mini-self had changed. Although it was still in the same lotus position, somehow it had become much more “large” and “alive”, to the point that he could now see it breathing in sync with his own breathing. Its aura was also much denser and stronger.

At the same time Kai focused completely on his breathing, his aura began to fluctuate rhythmically, expanding and contracting as if it were some kind of lung—something that shortly thereafter also began happening to the mini-self’s aura. This continued for a while, until the two auras synchronized, entering a sort of resonance, causing them to fluctuate violently for a time until they calmed down. Both ending in a serene and fluid state, as if they had automatically entered the [Ten] state.

After a while, Kai opened his eyes, which shone briefly with a dark, electric light that quickly disappeared. He then stood up as Salem jumped onto his drowsy shoulder. At that moment, he left the locker room and quickly reached the hallway connecting to the stadium entrance, just as Present Mic’s voice announced with excitement.

“Give a big round of applause to the invincible Demon King of the Hero Course, Saito Kai!!!!”

Hearing Present Mic’s introduction, Kai couldn’t help but smile wryly, even in his state of complete concentration. Deciding to play along a bit, he activated his Conqueror’s Haki at low power and walked toward the exit, instilling fear in everyone who looked at him, which for some strange reason greatly increased the audience’s excitement.

“Uwaa, he’s really scary, I’m getting goosebumps just looking at him!” Present Mic commented with an excited tone, to which Aizawa added in a voice that, although it sounded tired, also felt much more focused and serious.

“Certainly, and something like that can be quite effective in a fight, as it distracts the enemy and makes them more prone to making mistakes, if they don’t surrender without fighting.”

“And facing the Demon King is the hero-in-training with colossal strength, Midoriya Izuku!!!” Shortly after, Present Mic announced excitedly, and Midoriya entered the stadium wearing a serious but determined expression.

“I’ll do my best, Saito-kun!” Midoriya said firmly as he took his guard. Kai responded casually, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“Let’s see what you’re capable of.”

“Ready?!!... Start!!!”

With Present Mic’s announcement, Midoriya tried to run toward Kai, but at that very moment, a monstrous pressure fell upon him like a mountain, threatening to snatch away his consciousness. However, following the advice All Might had given him, he quickly bit his lip and increased the power of One For All coating his body as much as he could, which allowed him to remain conscious.

Quickly, Midoriya jumped at Kai at high speed, throwing a powerful punch that caused a small shockwave, stirring the air around them. Kai dodged it by the narrowest margin, moving casually to the side.

“I guess a certain good-natured guy with antennas told you how to stand your ground, heh heh.” Kai commented in a slightly pleased tone, as he had expected something like that. He quickly contacted Sage through their mental connection.

[All set?]

[All set, Master.] Sage responded as she placed her hand on the back of Midoriya’s neck. Kai replied with satisfaction, while simultaneously evading another punch from the green-haired boy.

[Then let’s begin.]

Kai concentrated completely on Midoriya’s “voice”, then isolated what he interpreted as different voices, directing all the power of his Conqueror’s Haki toward those voices in an attempt to “intimidate” them. The effect was immediate, as Midoriya’s next punch was much weaker than all his previous attempts.

Seeing the look of absolute disbelief on Midoriya’s face, Kai couldn’t help but smile, satisfied. After all, his experiment had been successful, and that only proved the hypothesis they had been working on for a while was correct: There was more than just a physical and genetic component to Quirks—there was something “spiritual”.

This hypothesis arose as one possible explanation for why All Might lost his abilities after passing on his Quirk. If what was actually passed down was the spiritual aspect of the Quirk, it would make sense that he could no longer use his abilities. But it had been set aside because it sounded too absurd, even though Kai himself had a mini-self that was the source of his Haki.

But once All Might lost his Quirk, the data from his body and Midoriya’s showed that. Although he was correct in thinking One For All duplicated itself to be transmitted to the next host, he was mistaken in assuming that the Quirk undid the changes in its former wielder’s body. Although the number one hero grew weaker in real time, his body remained exactly the same.

Additionally, there was the fact that Midoriya now had the “voices” that All Might once had in his own “voice”, along with an extra one that was incredibly similar to that of the Symbol of Peace. This was more than enough evidence to verify Kai and Sage's theory. They only needed to conduct an experiment to be sure, so they decided to use Haki since it was the most practical option.

Project [Royal Silence] was actually the idea of using Conqueror’s Haki to affect the spiritual part of Quirks and thus deactivate them in a manner similar to Aizawa’s ability. They used the data collected from the homeroom teacher and several hypotheses to form an idea of how to do it, deciding that the first guinea pig would be Midoriya Izuku.

The choice of the green-haired boy hadn’t been random; he was, until now, the only one in whom they could detect something separate to attack. In everyone else, their Quirks were part of themselves, so Observational Haki detected them as a single entity, making things difficult. No matter what they tried, the best they could achieve was to make the test subject faint.

…

Meanwhile, Midoriya was beginning to have a panic attack as he felt One For All slipping out of his control, to the point where he could barely activate it slightly. That made him look at the smiling young man who stared at him with those eerie blue eyes and a malevolent smile on his face. But at that very moment, his mind drifted to a conversation he had with All Might some time ago.

+++

In the UA’s counseling room, All Might sat on one of the sofas wearing an elegant business suit that looked a bit large on his slimmer physique, which, unlike when Kai saw him, was now more muscular and solid—very similar to that of a seasoned boxer, though still smaller than his hero form.

“Midoriya-shonen, what do you think of Kai-shonen?” All Might asked seriously to a nervous Midoriya dressed in the UA uniform, who quickly answered nervously.

“H-he’s really scary and very strong.”

“I see… Midoriya-shonen, do you remember why I wanted to pass One For All on to you?” All Might nodded and asked again seriously, to which Midoriya responded more firmly.

“To become the next Symbol of Peace.”

“Exactly, but there’s something else in the reason I decided to entrust you with One For All, and that is Kai-shonen. Because he, despite his age, wields a power capable of competing with me at my prime, and as you’ve seen, he’s not exactly heroic. Depending on the circumstances, he could even fall onto the path of evil.” All Might spoke seriously while looking straight into Midoriya’s eyes, who wore a stupefied expression, but the Symbol of Peace continued speaking.

“So, Midoriya-shonen, your greatest rival is none other than Kai-shonen, and you must face him with the goal of surpassing him because if he really ends up falling into the hands of evil, you will be the only one capable of stopping him!”

+++

(I can’t lose, I can’t give up, I promised All Might!!!!)

Chapter 115: That can’t be.

Chapter Text

"AHHHH!"

Determined not to fail the expectations of his idol—the one who had given him the opportunity to inherit his power and continue his legacy—Midoriya screamed at the top of his lungs, trying to activate One for All by any means possible. At that moment, as though responding to his call, eight shadowy figures suddenly appeared in his vision, which somehow cleared his mind, causing One for All to activate throughout his entire right arm.

"Smash!"

Without a single second's hesitation, Midoriya hurled a punch with all his strength toward Kai, who wore a look of surprise on his face, unleashing a brutal shockwave shaped like a massive compressed-air cannon that shot toward the blue-eyed boy.

Meanwhile, Kai was shaken by what he felt from those strange presences, as they had suddenly become much stronger and more vivid. At the same time, he could briefly sense that in some way they were "rejecting" his intimidation. Without delay, he communicated with his reliable assistant, at the same time he raised his hand to take hold of the sword that had begun forming from Salem's fur.

[Sage, do you have the data?]

[Yes, Master, I have everything. This will be incredibly useful for our research. I'm recording in real-time how the green-haired boy's 'voice' is synchronizing with the others.] With her hand still on Midoriya, Sage replied in an excited tone, to which Kai quickly responded with similar enthusiasm.

[Perfect!]

Simultaneous with his response, Kai brought his hand down at high speed, cutting the cataclysmic air cannon in half. As a result, two completely different parts of the stadium were struck by enormous masses of compressed air, though these were much weaker than the original, so they caused no damage but greatly surprised both the audience and the commentators. Present Mic seized this moment to comment with excitement.

"What a shocking display of raw power! The young Midoriya just showed an incredible power he'd been keeping hidden until now, but it seems it wasn't enough to dethrone the Demon King!"

Once the impact from the exchange of blows subsided, what remained on the combat platform was an imposing Kai standing tall with a beautiful jet-black Jian sword in his hand, etched with designs that appeared to be a blend of electrical circuits and tribal runes. He seemed to be looking down at a badly injured Midoriya, whose arm had shattered from the attack.

"That was impressive, though you're still considerably weaker than All Might. I guess your Quirk put its own limit on you, so you couldn't use more of your power, or else you'd be left without an arm." Kai commented casually, wanting to see if that strange event in which the presences had manifested so strongly might happen again. Midoriya responded in a voice full of pain.

"I haven't given up yet!"

As he spoke, Midoriya activated One for All throughout his body, then charged at high speed toward Kai, intending to strike with the only good arm he had left. He pushed through the fierce pain surging in his broken arm, only to miss once again because the terrifying blue-eyed young man dodged with maddening ease. However, unwilling to give up, Midoriya continued his assault.

"This is incredible! What are they feeding kids these days?! We're witnessing a martial arts masterclass from none other than the Demon King, Saito Kai and incredible resistance and tenacity from Midoriya Izuku!"

Present Mic commented excitedly as he watched Kai dodge the continuous attacks with the bare minimum of movement, prompting Aizawa to add in a serious tone—one that couldn't conceal a hint of what seemed like pride.

"It's definitely something worth watching. Nowadays, very few heroes possess such a high level of martial arts mastery. The last time I saw something like this was many years ago, and I think we've just found a worthy successor…"

While evading Midoriya's desperate attacks, Kai carefully studied his "voice", quickly noticing something that disappointed him greatly. This was soon confirmed by Sage via their mental link.

[Master, the synchronization has stopped.]

[Thought so. Oh well, we'll have more chances in the future. For now, let's finish this.]

Kai commented in a calmer tone, at the same time tilting his head to one side, letting Midoriya's attack pass by. He immediately followed upwith a diagonal upward slash across the young man's chest, taking him by surprise and sending him crashing against the stadium walls at high speed, causing a small crash.

"Winner, Saito Kai!"

Immediately, Midnight announced it in a firm tone, though she did not forget to give Kai a little smile before rushing to check on the green-haired boy. Meanwhile, Present Mic's excitement-filled voice echoed throughout the stadium.

"What a great match, what an incredible demonstration of power, determination, and technique! Midoriya gave it his all, but he still came up short against the invincible Demon King!"

While the crowd roared wildly, Kai walked out of the stadium. At that moment, Midnight reached Midoriya's side and quickly examined his condition, immediately noticing that the slash on the young man's chest had not penetrated more than a couple of millimeters into his skin. It wouldn't even require stitches, let alone leave a scar.

Although she had known this ever since she saw Kai make the cut as she'd watched him train for years and could tell a killer cut from a blunt one. Confirming it with her own eyes still filled the gorgeous heroine with pride. She quickly began thinking of ways to reward her beloved while calling in medical support, a feeling shared by a pair of heroines with robotic cat ears in the stands.

As the unconscious Midoriya was being carried away on a stretcher, Kai arrived at the hallway leading out of the stadium, where Momo was waiting for him with a smile. She instantly took hold of one of his arms quite intimately, then spoke in a cheerful tone.

"Congratulations, Kai, and thank you."

"The kid is pretty weak, so it was nothing, really. But why are you thanking me?" Kai asked, a bit curious, as he walked back to the stands with Momo, who answered with a proud smile.

"Because you let him show a good fight and practically didn't injure him at all. The injuries he has, he caused himself."

"There's no need to thank me for something so trivial. Even though I don't like him, it's not like I'm going to kill him at the first opportunity, especially with so many witnesses around. Besides, I did play around with him for a while because I was interested in his Quirk, that's all." Kai responded with a slight smile, prompting Momo to press his arm more tightly between her ample chest, then speak in a tender tone.

"Even if that's the case, the truth is I've been wanting to thank you for everything you've done for me during this time. I know I've been a bit of a handful and went overboard a couple of times because I got caught up in the excitement of making Class A the best in this festival, so at the same time, I wanted to apologize."

"And where is this sudden attack of self-criticism coming from?" Kai couldn't help but ask, half amused and half curious, to which Momo replied in a more serious tone as she stopped walking, turning to look him straight in the eyes.

"Well, the truth is, I've known from the start and wanted to talk to you about it when all this was over. But watching you fight Midoriya, I found myself surprised you didn't destroy him in a single blow. It only took me a second to realize that for my sake, you've been doing a lot of things you normally wouldn't do.

"The idea of leaving my mark in the academy blinded me, and like a horse with blinders, I kept pushing ahead, ignoring everything else. And while I'm very aware of the amazing results we achieved—Class A dominated the festival and monopolized the finals—I never thanked you even once for it. So I decided to apologize and thank you now. Really, thank you, Kai. Without you, none of this would have been possible."

"Hahaha, don't worry about it. I just had to put up with them for a couple of weeks, it wasn't anything extreme. Besides, it's not thanks to me. All I did was rough them up a bit and build a few support items, nothing special. You're the one who really trained them and helped them with their martial arts, tactics, physical conditioning, and so on. You're the best class representative those guys could've had. No one but you could have achieved such an impressive result."

While hugging Momo, Kai spoke in a warm, affectionate tone, sending a wave of warmth through the beautiful girl's heart. She couldn't help but sob quietly, hiding her face in his chest as he gently stroked her back. After a while, she gathered her courage to speak in a firm voice while looking straight into his blue eyes.

"Kai, I love you."

"I love you, too." Kai answered with a small smile as he gently wiped away Momo's tears. She replied in a resolute tone.

"I don't mean that kind of love. I mean that I'm in love with you and want to marry you."

Hearing Momo's words, Kai couldn't help letting out a sigh, somewhat disappointed that the moment had arrived so quickly. But he truly loved the girl who had been like a little sister to him throughout his new life. Therefore, he decided to be honest with her to avoid any problems or misunderstandings, even if it made the other girls angry with him. After all, it was the least Momo deserved.

"Momo, I need to be honest with you: I'm already in a relationship, so that won't be possible." Kai spoke in a serious tone, looking Momo directly in the eyes, which allowed him to see her expression shift from serious to utterly astonished before she asked in an incredulous voice.

"Are you telling me the truth?"

"Yes, it's true." Kai responded solemnly, which inevitably caused Momo's face to darken noticeably. She then spoke in a soft tone.

"Is it that girl from the support course?"

"No, not at all. I've barely talked to her a couple of times." Kai replied, somewhat puzzled by the strange connection, which only further confused Momo, prompting her to ask quickly.

"Then who is it? I don't know any girl you're close to."

"Well… for now, I can't tell you, but soon I will." Kai answered, looking visibly uncomfortable, which both surprised and intrigued Momo in equal measure. She immediately began making guesses out loud while cupping Kai's face in her hands and staring into his eyes.

"It's not Nejire or Tomoko, that's for sure, and if it's not that girl, then it must be someone in the family because you never go out alone… which explains why you can't say it so easily. It can't be Mom, or I'd already know. Aunt Yumiko is tangled in problems, and you didn't know them at first, so it can't be her. That only leaves Shino, Ryuko, and Onee-chan.

"And now that I think about it, those three have seemed happier lately and have been buying loads of clothes and makeup I never see them wear. But that's the case for all three of them, so who could it be…?" As she spoke, Momo couldn't help but notice a slight twitch in Kai's expression, which made her eyes fly open, filled with disbelief as she exclaimed in shock.

"Wait… that can't be… all three of them?!"

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Chapter 116: The ‘spoiled kid’ and the ‘responsible adult’.

Chapter Text

Upon hearing how Momo had so easily reached the correct answer, Kai couldn't help but sigh in defeat. Women were truly terrifying creatures when they set their minds to it, which for some reason brought a smile to Momo's face, and she quickly asked in a firm tone, completely sure she had hit the mark.

"When do you plan to announce it to the rest of the family?"

"…All right, I won't lie to you, you're right. And about your question, I don't know. We were supposed to talk about it tonight." Kai replied in a resigned tone, to which Momo nodded and exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Perfect!"

"What's perfect?" Kai couldn't help but ask, confused, and Momo only smiled mysteriously. She then playfully snuggled up against one of Kai's arms again.

"It's a secret, fufufu."

"If it's what I'm imagining, I warn you that I won't agree. You're still too young." Kai remarked in a serious tone as he looked at Momo, who protested in an offended tone.

"Too young? I'd like to remind you that I'm older than you by a few days!"

"They're two completely different things. I'm already a responsible adult, and you're still a spoiled kid." Kai replied in a serious tone as he started walking again down the hallway, to which Momo retorted angrily.

"Hmph, maybe I am spoiled, but I'm not a kid, I'm already grown up!"

"The fact that you say that just shows you're still a kid." Kai responded with a smug smile as he looked at Momo's angry pout, which made her indignantly retort.

"You're such an idiot, Kai, but it doesn't matter what you say. You won't escape from me. You're going to be my husband, no matter how hard you try to play hard to get!"

"I'd remind you that the legal age for marriage is 18." Kai noted rather amused, to which Momo replied confidently.

"Fufufu, that just gives me three years to have you at my feet."

"I'm an engaged man, you know?" Kai said, looking directly at Momo, who returned his gaze and spoke seriously.

"Yes, and with three women at the same time, so what difference does adding one more make? Even two or three more wouldn't mean much."

"Two or three?" Kai repeated, a bit confused, really not wanting to know the answer to that question because he could sense a whole ocean of trouble, to which Momo responded with a smile.

"Fufufu, yes, two or three will not be a problem."

"You know, Momo… I'm not that great for you to want to do something like this. You're a wonderful woman, and you could live a normal, happy life if you just gave yourself the chance to explore the world." Kai commented in a serious tone as he slowed his pace, expressing his sincere feelings, to which Momo asked seriously as she stared at him intently.

"Would you really be all right letting me go off with another man, Kai?"

"Well, it would be hard. I won't deny it. But when I say I love you, I mean it. I truly want you to be happy, even if it's with someone else. Also, I'm not that special. I'm just a lonely, possessive guy, obsessed with training and creating things. I really don't understand what you all see in me."

Kai spoke in a serious tone while looking back into Momo's black eyes. She couldn't help but smile beautifully upon hearing his words, then let out a small laugh as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"You know, Kai, you're a fool, but you're my fool, and that's not going to change. Although, honestly, I don't understand what makes you think I could be happier anywhere else. You know me—I'm a simple, homey woman, and apart from my goal of leaving a mark on the world, I have no sense of adventure whatsoever. I already have everything: you, the girls, and Mom. It's all I need, and I'm not at all interested in looking any further.

"Besides, I think you're ignoring something very important. In a way, we've spent our whole lives 'sharing you'. We know everything about you, and you know everything about us. For many years now, we've practically lived together. We've perfectly adapted to our way of life, and we're all happy. So adding a small extra ingredient to our relationship wouldn't affect us in the slightest, which is probably why Onee-chan, Shino, and Ryuko can be with you without many issues."

"It's not 'a small extra ingredient', Momo. Romantic relationships are complex, and with them come jealousy, envy, and an endless list of problems. We could really destroy the family because of that 'ingredient', and believe me, that's something I don't want to see. Besides, I really do think you're still too young to make that kind of decision." Kai commented seriously, and Momo asked in a haughty tone.

"You're telling me I'm too young to choose who I want to marry, but I'm old enough to choose to be a glorified private firefighter/police officer and risk my life every day saving strangers and fighting criminals?"

"…"

Hearing Momo use his favorite definition of the hero career against him, Kai was left silent for a moment as he walked slowly down the hallway, which made Momo smile slightly. But after a while, the blue-eyed boy spoke in an uncertain tone.

"…They're different things… Getting into such a strange relationship can mark you for life..."

"Sure, because it's far worse to share the man I love with the women I love and trust the most in this world than to expose myself to the media for criticism, fight assassins and rapists head-on, or face disasters to save civilians. Yes, that makes perfect sense."

Momo replied sarcastically, mimicking the arrogant expression Kai typically wore when he did something similar, leaving the blue-eyed boy speechless, who could only mutter in a low voice.

"…I don't like that tone…"

"Oh really? And to think I learned it from you, fufufu."

Momo answered with an amused air, completely defeating the lover of coming up with random arguments to defend his questionable ideological positions. After a moment, he spoke in a serious tone.

"Momo, while there's certainly some truth in what you're saying, I still can't help but feel that you're too young and inexperienced to want to enter into such a relationship. That's why I can't agree; I'd feel like I was taking advantage of you."

"Why? Because I'm a 'spoiled kid' and you're a 'responsible adult', even though we're the same age? And even if that were the case, wouldn't that also apply to Onee-chan, Shino, and Ryuko with you? I know what I want, Kai, and this isn't some whim. It's something I've thought through carefully. That's why I'm going to speak plainly with the three of them and make my feelings and my intentions crystal clear."

Momo reasoned with a serious and firm expression while looking into Kai's blue eyes, but at that moment, she couldn't help but visibly sadden to the point of stopping her steps. She asked in a desolate voice.

"Or tell me, Kai… don't you love me? You don't like me? Am I that ugly? Or am I so worthless to you that not even if I agree to share you, would you give me a little love? Am I an idiot for believing you loved me as much as I love you…?"

Seeing tears welling up on Momo's face, Kai quickly hugged her tightly, and the beautiful girl responded by hugging him back with all her strength, as if searching for a sense of security for her aching heart.

Meanwhile, Kai was deeply lost in thought, full of doubts, not knowing what to do. He really did love Momo, and he wouldn't mind being closer to her. After all, he'd already gotten used to their strange relationship, and it had turned out quite well so far. But the issue of Momo's age and inexperience truly haunted him.

He genuinely wanted the best for her and would curse himself his entire life if he hurt her just because of his possessiveness or if some moment of lust ended up hurting her irreversibly. But at the same time, she was being honest, opening her heart to him and expressing her deepest feelings, which were so strong that she was even willing to "share" him, and his silence was hurting her.

As time passed in silence, with only Momo's sobs echoing in his mind, Kai began sifting through his memories, visiting each moment he spent with the girl in his arms—every laugh, every game, every joke, everything they had experienced. Even that unpleasant moment when she discovered something she shouldn't have because of him. All of it started to fill him with an unending torrent of emotions that ended up tormenting his mind, to the point that he could only let out a soft sigh to release them.

(…Seriously, why do I always have to make things harder for myself? How long am I going to keep acting like a damn coward, terrified of myself, of this world, and of every possibility? Momo already told me she's not some porcelain doll, and she's right. Why do I have to protect her like she's mentally handicapped? She's capable of making her own decisions and facing their consequences, and I have to do that too. So if I'm a possessive bastard and worse, I have to face it, and Momo will have to face the consequences of wanting to be with me.)

As though a sudden realization had struck the blue-eyed boy, his expression changed to become firm and resolute. At the same time, without him noticing, both his aura and that of his "mini-self" began to gently fluctuate, intertwining more deeply. In that instant, Kai took Momo's chin and lifted her face so she would look him straight in the eye, then spoke in an almost solemn tone.

"You're right, Momo. I'm an idiot, and if you want to be by my side, believe me, that makes me immensely happy. It's just that I'm so afraid of hurting you in some way, but I realize that this stupid attitude is hurting you as well. So if you're really certain, I'll personally talk to the girls and tell them I want to be with you, and I'll face all the consequences."

"…Really? Do you really love me, Kai?" Momo asked in a tearful voice that almost broke Kai's heart with guilt, so he quickly released her from his hug to cup the beautiful girl's face and give her a soft kiss.

"From the bottom of my heart."

Kai spoke in a warm, gentle voice as he watched Momo's visibly surprised expression. Moments later, her expression melted with love as she leaned in to start a new kiss loaded with affection and happiness.

"…I truly love you, Kai, and I want us to be happy."

Shortly after, Momo pulled her face away from Kai and spoke in a soft, fluffy tone, clearly happy. Kai nodded with a loving smile before adding with a noticeably guilty expression.

"I feel the same way, although right now, I'm being unfaithful, and I don't like that. So let's not do anything else until we clear things up. Sound good?"

"Sounds good! But it'd better not go past tonight!" Momo answered with a bright smile, making Kai smile a bit as he then spoke resolutely.

"It's best if we all meet in my workshop when the festival's over."

"That's much better. I'll be waiting."

Wearing an enormous smile on her face, Momo replied cheerfully as a white handkerchief formed in her hand, which she used to wipe away the traces of tears on her face. At the same time, Kai activated his Mystical Palm, so her eyes wouldn't swell or anything like that, while his mind wandered among countless thoughts.

(Was this really the best thing to do…? Well, it's questionable on many levels, but now that I've made a decision, I'll move forward with everything I've got. No one's going to take this spoiled black-haired sweetheart from me, though it's hard to predict how Shino, Ryuko, and Nemuri will react. I'll have to think very carefully about what to say and how to say it, and honestly, I don't have a single idea how to do it…

(Also, the next fight is Kirishima's fight against that blond nuisance, an important match for me. Will the fact that I taught the kid a couple of things and that Momo trained him be enough to win, or will 'destiny' prevail…? Whatever happens, it'll be a big event that I need to pay attention to…)

After a moment, Kai couldn't help but clench one of his fists out of Momo's sight. She smiled charmingly at him, full of genuine happiness and excitement, then grabbed one of his arms and squeezed it tightly, burying it in her ample chest. In some way, that eased the tense nerves of the blue-eyed boy, who asked with a warm smile.

"Shall we go?"

"Let's go!" Momo answered with palpable excitement, almost like she'd gone back to her childhood, which made Kai smile. He gently stroked her hair and then began walking toward the stands.

...

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Chapter 117: This is over.

Chapter Text

By the time Momo and Kai arrived at the stands, the battle between Kirishima and Bakugo had already been going on for a while, to the point where the platform was pretty destroyed, most likely because of the blond’s explosions. Bakugo was clutching one of his arms in pain, staring at the redhead with an expression full of hatred and disbelief.

In front of Bakugo stood Kirishima, a large part of his uniform torn, and breathing heavily. His hardened body showed various traces of blood, especially on his arms and head. He looked on the verge of defeat, yet he stayed firm, legs slightly bent in a stance similar to the horse stance, giving him steadiness and stability.

“What an incredible showdown of power versus perseverance!! From the start, Bakugo has been aggressive and attacked with everything he’s got, but Kirishima has stood his ground, taking every hit like an immovable pillar!!!” Present Mic remarked, bursting with excitement and prompting the crowd to go wild yet again.

“Motherfucker…”

Bakugo muttered under his breath in a rough voice, his face almost murderous, as he felt his arm twist in pain from all the rapid-fire explosions he had unleashed. For some reason, that made Kirishima smile defiantly. The redhead responded in a tone that was clearly tired and full of pain.

“Heh heh heh… I’ve been hit by things way stronger, so if you wanna beat me, you’ll have to do better than that…”

Kirishima’s words seemed to snap the last thread of sanity in Bakugo’s mind. He refused to believe that some mere extra like the one standing in front of him could stand up to a true genius, someone born to rise above the common rabble. Ignoring the pain coursing through his arms, he quickly used his explosions to launch himself toward the red-haired young man.

Seeing Bakugo close in, Kirishima quickly adjusted his stance, placing one foot in front and one behind, forming a sort of triangle with his legs. At that moment, the blond arrived right in front of him, extending his right arm to send a powerful explosion straight at Kirishima’s face, all the while letting out a ragged shout.

“DIE!!!!”

With impressive agility, Kirishima moved his front foot forward and slightly to the side, barely avoiding the attack. Immediately afterward, he expertly grabbed Bakugo’s arm and pivoted in sync with his own movement, pulling slightly downward. He managed to redirect the explosive blond’s trajectory toward the ground.

Using his free hand, Kirishima quickly applied pressure to Bakugo’s shoulder, making the blond spin midair. Before he could react, Bakugo slammed onto the ground with a loud thud. Seizing the moment, the redhead quickly immobilized the arm by twisting it outward, while placing the fingers of his other hand—dangerously hardened—right against Bakugo’s neck.

“You son of a…”

Finding himself on the floor, Bakugo wore an expression of absolute disbelief, refusing to accept what had just happened. Ignoring Kirishima’s razor-sharp fingers against his neck, he quickly tried to bring his hand up toward the redhead’s face to blast him point-blank while cursing under his breath.

For his part, Kirishima, who was used to taking surprise hits and fast moves during the last few weeks’ training sessions with the black-haired couple, reacted immediately. Using a technique similar to the one-inch punch, he delivered a hard blow to Bakugo’s nose, breaking it at the same time he endured the consequences of the explosion in his face, hardening himself with everything he had.

“Winner, Eijiro Kirishima!!”

Once the smoke from the explosion cleared, Midnight announced the winner out loud. Kirishima stood up with a huge grin, cheering at the top of his lungs as he raised his hands in the air, excited. The beautiful heroine quickly moved over to check on the unconscious blond lying on the ground.

“I WON!!!!”

…

(HE WON!!!)

Kai, for his part, was practically jumping out of his seat from excitement. He really had lost it: the bastard he had trained had won. The blond pain-in-the-ass was no longer going to be number one. Now, if Kai made sure nothing bad happened, the guy wouldn’t even touch the podium, and he would prove without any doubt that things can change—that destiny isn’t set in stone, that he had free will.

“So you were teaching him Aikido?” Containing his excitement, Kai spoke with a smile as he looked at Momo, who nodded happily. She could feel her beloved’s genuine joy, which made her just as happy, if not more.

“Yeah, just like you said it’d be good for him. So aside from physical conditioning and making him take strong hits from the robots, I also taught him as much Aikido as I could, and he learned pretty fast. He’s quite talented.”

“You did well. With Aikido, the trick for closing in on enemies, plus his Hardening and strength, and some solid martial arts training like Kickboxing or Kyokushin Karate, he’ll become a relatively decent Hero with a good range of action.” Kai spoke as he watched Bakugo being carried out of the stadium on a stretcher, feeling a furious storm of emotions inside him. Momo nodded with a smile.

“Hehe, I think so too. Besides, he’s very talented, and with what he showed today, it’s very likely that Heroes specialized in martial arts will want to recruit him, which will be a great opportunity for him.”

“I guess you explained that to him.” Kai said with a small smile, and Momo nodded cheerfully.

“Of course. I made sure to give everyone who asked for help a list of the agencies that would best suit them, so they can pick if they get an invitation.”

“You know, you’d make a great teacher.” Kai remarked, feeling more relaxed than ever, fully enjoying Momo’s happiness. She asked with joy and pride.

“You think so?”

“Totally. At least you’ve done a better job than the grinning idiot or the tired vampire.” Kai replied in a mocking tone, causing Momo to shake her head disapprovingly before scolding him in a stern voice.

“I’ve told you not to go around giving people nicknames, especially not the teachers.”

“Please, they’re just descriptions. Or look me in the eyes and tell me they’re not like that.” Kai retorted playfully, looking directly at Momo, who couldn’t help but avert her gaze, admitting defeat.

Even though All Might might be a great Hero and the Symbol of Peace, Momo was fully aware that as a teacher, he left a lot to be desired. After all, most of the time in class, he didn’t really know what he was doing and couldn’t even guide Midoriya—his successor—properly, and that was despite the boy using the Quirk he had used almost his entire life.

Unable to stand by and watch as All Might’s incompetence inadvertently harmed his successor—something she found out from Kai shortly after he spoke with the Symbol of Peace—Momo ended up bringing him to Kai so that he could give Midoriya some advice. In just a few weeks, those tips had transformed the green-haired student from a useless glass cannon into a real threat, which only highlighted how bad the number-one Hero was as a teacher.

On the other hand, Aizawa, while more experienced and relatively better than All Might at teaching, still fell short in terms of developing the students’ strength. Momo was fully aware of this, after all, she had spent her entire life training with the strict but absurdly effective Kai, who had likely turned her into the strongest in the class after himself. Even without using her Accomplice, she was pretty sure no one in the class could beat her, and she also couldn’t deny that Aizawa really did look like a vampire.

“Let’s drop it now. Tell me instead what you think about the next fight between Todoroki and Kaminari.” Momo changed the subject quickly, speaking in a serious tone. Kai smiled in amusement, then added.

“Well, the truth is, Kaminari will most likely lose. Even though he’s improved, and his gear can help him, Todoroki has better training, greater raw power, and better Quirk control. So your opponent is going to be Todoroki.”

“That’s true…”

Momo responded in a serious tone as she sank into thought. Ever since she saw the matchups, she’d known Todoroki would very likely be her opponent before she got to face Kai in the final, so she already had some strategies in mind and wanted to refine them.

After a while, the battle between Kaminari and Todoroki began. Just as Kai predicted, Kaminari couldn’t do much and ended up frozen after a short time. Though, he did manage to give Todoroki some trouble by using the cables on his wrists and his “movement technique”, which basically involved sending electric discharges through his feet to create an electromagnetic field that propelled him forward. It was quite similar to one of Mei’s inventions because, so far, he couldn’t use his electricity to stimulate his muscles directly.

“All right, I gotta go.”

While Todoroki unfroze Kaminari, Momo spoke in a more serious tone. Kai nodded casually and spoke with a smile, his gaze drifting casually to Iida, who looked incredibly focused as he left the stands area.

“Go all in.”

With a determined expression, Momo nodded and started walking toward the exit. Jiro, Mina, and Hagakure—the invisible girl—turned to look at Kai, hoping to glean some hint from his expression. But seeing him fully relaxed as he took out his phone, for some reason, reassured them considerably.

“An elite hailing from a family of Heroes, from the Hero Course—Iida Tenya!!” With Present Mic’s introduction, Iida promptly stepped onto the combat platform to roaring applause from the stands. The Hero then announced again.

“A multi-purpose creation talent, capable of producing even the most impressive armor, from the Hero Course—Yaoyorozu Momo!!”

Momo hurried onto the stadium floor, waving at the crowd that was cheering like crazy. She quickly spotted the Pussycats wildly waving signs with her name, which made her smile fondly. Then she looked over at Nemuri, who was on the judge’s platform; the Heroine gave her a confident smile, and Momo nodded firmly in response.

“No matter what happens next, I’ll give it my all, Yaoyorozu-san!”

As soon as Momo was on the combat platform, Iida spoke solemnly, drawing the black-haired beauty’s attention. The young man glanced for a moment at the 1-A stands, which inexplicably made Momo smile. She replied with an elegant, dignified tone.

“You don’t need to worry about that, Iida-san. You can give it your all.”

“Ready?!!... START!!!”

At Present Mic’s signal, Iida immediately adopted a runner’s stance and revved the engines on his legs to full power. He knew he had to take down the girl in front of him as quickly as possible and not let her equip her armor; once she did, beating her would be practically impossible.

“Recipro Burst!!!”

With a powerful shout, Iida shot off at great speed toward Momo, instantly positioning himself at her back. He tried to put his hands on her back to push her out of the platform, but just before he could, Momo spun around on herself, dodging him by the narrowest margin. Iida’s eyes widened in surprise as he continued moving forward from the momentum.

Moving with incredible fluidity, Momo grabbed Iida’s wrist with her left hand and pulled his arm downward, so his body would follow her spin. At the same time, she used her free hand to deliver a brutal blow to the young man’s abdomen, and with the strong momentum, he was carrying because of his speed, he went flying through the air.

While airborne, Iida reacted quickly, using his engines to pivot in midair and land on the ground. He fought for breath, feeling a stabbing pain in his ribs, thoroughly taken aback by how the black-haired girl’s strength was absurdly greater than her soft, slender arms would suggest.

Knowing he couldn’t waste a single second, Iida once again propelled himself toward Momo. This time, his expression was resolute. He really was going to give his all and wasn’t about to hold back just because he was fighting a girl. In a flash, he was right in front of her, spinning in the air to send a front kick aimed at Momo’s face.

Wearing an incredibly calm, composed expression, Momo sidestepped, avoiding the kick by a narrow margin. At the same time, she again used one of her arms to seize Iida’s foot in an attempt to use his momentum against him—but as the young man was expecting that, he quickly fired up his engines to twist himself in midair and break free.

Simultaneously, taking advantage of the momentum, Iida aimed a powerful knee strike at Momo’s chin. She dodged it by leaning her torso back, only to immediately dart forward and land a hard right punch to his hip. The blow was so strong that Iida swore he heard a cracking sound coming from his hip as he went flying once again.

“What a spectacular showcase of speed and technique!!! These kids don’t look like they’re only in their first year!! That’s true elite status for ya!!!” Present Mic exclaimed in excitement, prompting Aizawa to nod and remark in a tired tone.

“It really is impressive. That level of technique is rare even among professional Heroes. But this year, we already have several students with very high martial-arts prowess. The new generation is definitely going to surpass the old one.”

Meanwhile, in the 1-A stands, the group that trained with the class rep could only smile wryly at what was unfolding. After all, they had fallen victim many times to her ridiculous strength and skill. Even though she wouldn’t admit it, she wasn’t much less merciless than Kai during training.

As for Iida, who barely managed to land on his feet by using his engines, he felt his hip had become misaligned, and his ribs were in agonizing pain. He was so dizzy he thought he might throw up. Still, summoning all his willpower, he stood back up on unsteady legs, determined to make one last effort to try and win. Not only was he injured, but his engines were also overheating. Right then, Momo held up something that looked like a remote control and spoke with a small smile.

“Truly sorry, Iida-san, but this is over.”

At the same time she spoke, Momo pressed the single button on the remote, causing a strong electric current to run through Iida’s body. Moments later, he dropped to the ground, paralyzed. That was when Midnight announced excitedly, causing the crowd to erupt in applause.

“Winner, Yaoyorozu Momo!!”

...

You can support me on pa-atreon (lordanl) and get up to 10 advanced chapters.

Chapter 118: That’s suspicious.

Chapter Text

"What happened here?! How did Yaoyorozu win?!" Present Mic asked, filled with surprise and confusion—something shared by a large part of the audience—prompting Aizawa to respond in his typical tired tone.

"She took advantage of the moment she grabbed Iida's leg to stick a device onto him, which she activated with the controller in her hand. Her quirk is truly flexible, and she just gave us a live demonstration of that."

Upon hearing Aizawa's explanation, the stadium's cameras quickly focused on the leg of the unconscious Iida, which indeed had a sort of small metallic disc latched onto his skin. Present Mic then commented excitedly.

"Wow, what a way to win! I didn't notice at all! It really shows why she was admitted by recommendation!"

Meanwhile, Nemuri quickly checked on Iida, who remained unconscious and appeared to have a fractured rib and possibly damage to his hip. She immediately called the medical team, who took the young man out on a stretcher, while Momo left the stadium, where she found Kai waiting for her with a smile.

"Is it just my imagination, or were you pretty ruthless with 'Four-Eyes'?" Kai asked playfully as he looked at Momo, who was clinging to his arm. She answered with an innocent smile without pausing her steps.

"His name is Iida, Kai. Stop giving people nicknames. And honestly, I don't think I was particularly 'ruthless' or anything like that. It was just a duel where we had to show our abilities. Since he comes from a hero family, I overestimated him a bit and ended up hitting him a little too hard, but that's all. Recovery Girl will have him as good as new."

"If you say so…" Kai remarked with a slightly mocking tone, which made Momo laugh. She then added calmly.

"Fufufu, It's the truth. Besides, why do you think I'd have to be 'ruthless' with Iida-san? Did he do something?" Momo turned and looked Kai in the eyes with a small smile, making him laugh. He nodded and replied with amusement.

"Hehe, you're absolutely right. There's no reason for you to be ruthless with the guy."

…

"Now we have before us the first battle of the semifinals!" Present Mic announced excitedly, sparking a wild ovation from the crowd. At that moment, the introductions of the combatants began.

"The immovable pillar of the first year, from the hero course—Kirishima Eijiro!"

With the announcement, Kirishima entered the stadium wearing an incredibly serious and focused expression. He didn't even wave to the stands; instead, he walked straight to the platform in complete silence, where he stood firmly, staring intently at the stadium's other entrance.

"Versus! The invincible Demon King of the hero course—Saito Kai!"

Seeing Kai enter the stadium casually with his hands in his pockets made Kirishima's skin crawl, and his mind filled with dread to the point he nearly went blank. But he quickly hardened his body, then slapped his cheeks with enough force to produce a metallic sound that echoed throughout the stadium. Only then did he lock eyes with the blue-eyed young man who stood casually on the combat platform.

"Ready?!... Start!"

With Present Mic's announcement, a brutal pressure slammed into Kirishima. He immediately bit his tongue so hard that it bled, but thanks to the pain and his determination to fight the terrifying young man in front of him, he was able to resist the intimidation for the first time. He then commented with a defiant grin, his smile covered in blood.

"You'll have to do more than that to beat me, Saito!"

"Hehe, you're really interesting. Ten points for you." Kai remarked with amusement as he removed his hands from his pockets. He then looked at the curious Salem on his shoulder and spoke casually.

"Wait for me in a corner—this one's mine."

Following its master's order, Salem quickly jumped down to the floor and walked casually to a corner of the platform. Meanwhile, Kai suddenly appeared in front of Kirishima and delivered a strong punch to his face, which dragged the young redhead more than a meter. However, Kirishima immediately destroyed his own shoes with his feet, which had hardened into sharp claws. He dug them into the ground, leaving a trail on the platform until he finally stopped.

"Hehehe, this is gonna be a fight between men!" Kirishima exclaimed loudly once he stopped, staring defiantly at Kai, who couldn't help but laugh in amusement before asking with a wicked grin.

"A fight to the death with knives, then?"

"…I meant a clean fistfight…" Kirishima muttered with a flat expression, eyeing Kai suspiciously. Kai merely responded with a playful tone.

"That also sounds good, hahaha."

Quickly, the two contenders closed in on each other. Kirishima hardened his arms, chest, and face as much as he could, then adopted a guard similar to Kai's—feet shoulder-width apart and slightly bent. Kai initiated the engagement by throwing a punch at Kirishima's face.

Kai's punch felt like a block of metal slamming into his face, to the point where Kirishima felt the whole world spin around him. However, gritting his teeth tightly, he quickly recovered and threw a punch with all his strength and hardening at Kai's face, who barely flinched.

"You've improved a lot." Kai remarked casually as Kirishima withdrew his fist from Kai's face, revealing that he hadn't left so much as a mark on him.

"It's a test of endurance between the immovable pillar and the Demon King! Which one will hold out till the end?!"

Present Mic announced enthusiastically, watching as the pair began exchanging blows at increasing speed. Their powerful hits soon started making the ground tremble and the platform crack, astonishing the audience, who kept cheering wildly.

"That's… isn't that…?"

In the stands, a man dressed like a cowboy asked, his face full of surprise and longing. Another man—a tall, robust figure wearing what looked like a gray military uniform—replied, equally excited.

"It has to be! It's Iron Palm's [Fortress Force]. The kid has already reached that level!"

"What a monster! Super strength, super speed, and now the strongest defense. He's definitely going to surpass his father!"Another man, dressed in what appeared to be an elegant black business suit, added with excitement.

…

"That's a bit scary, don't you think? He'll be a real threat once he loses control, and I don't think that's too far off given that attitude."

In a more secluded area, a young man dressed similarly to a starting character from an adventure game spoke quietly to a woman wearing a revealing violet qipao, who nodded in agreement before commenting arrogantly.

"You're absolutely right. It'd be better to get rid of that ticking time bomb by putting him in Tartarus for good."

"I think locking up unconscious lunatics in Tartarus for life is a great idea, don't you think, Mandalay?" An enraged Ryuko snarled, shooting murderous glares at the pair not far from them. Shino then spoke with a bloodthirsty smile in a cold, emotionless tone that sent shivers down the couple's spines.

"That would be an excellent solution, especially for certain heroes who judge and despise innocent victims."

"Doesn't it seem suspicious for someone to say something like that? I think we should launch a full investigation into heroes who might be hiding dirty secrets."

An uncharacteristically serious and cold Tomoko chimed in as she gazed predatorily at the couple, who appeared completely pale and trembling. That was when Chatora delivered the final blow, reading through the files presented before his eyes, courtesy of Sentinel, wearing a faintly sadistic grin on his face.

"You're right, Ragdoll. We should start by investigating a pair of heroes known as Trailblazer and Violet Viper, who strangely seem to solve their cases much faster right after traveling abroad."

Upon hearing Chatora's words, the pair of heroes visibly trembled, their pallor worsening dramatically. They stood up from their seats and hurried out, under the Pussycats' watchful gaze.

"That's suspicious…" Tomoko muttered quietly as she watched the pair of heroes disappear into the entryway of the stands. The rest couldn't help nodding seriously.

"Certainly…" Shino concurred gravely, then turned to Chatora and asked in a firm tone, fully stepping into her role as leader.

"Tiger, did Sentinel give you that information?"

"Yes, I asked it to identify the couple and look for suspicious patterns, and that almost periodic increase in case resolution speed immediately stood out. The thing is, the trips abroad were just a bluff, as they've only officially made a few. I just said it for the sake of saying it..." Chatora replied seriously as Sentinel sent the information to the other girls. At that moment, Ryuko quietly commented.

"Looks like we stumbled onto something..."

[Sentinel, open an investigation on Trailblazer and Violet Viper. Also look for more heroes who show a similar case-solving pattern.]Shino commanded her virtual assistant using telepathy, something Kai had developed for her some time ago. It worked by reading her unique brain waves—or something like that, as her love had explained it.

[Understood.]

Sentinel promptly replied affirmatively with its synthetic voice, transmitting directly into her ears via vibrations. At the same time, screens detailing its next steps appeared before everyone, visible thanks to special visors Kai had created for them.

[We might be dealing with something big, so we should handle it very carefully.]Shino informed everyone using her telepathy, and they responded in unison through the mental connection that had been established.

[Understood]

"And the immovable tower has reached his limit first! The Demon King remains unbeatable!"

Just then, the Pussycats heard Present Mic's excited announcement and promptly turned to look at the arena. They saw Kai casually walking toward the exit, while on the now-destroyed platform lay the unconscious red-haired youth, his body covered in bruises, with Nemuri summoning the medical team.

"Crap! We missed the fight!" Tomoko bemoaned, heartbroken, as she dramatically raised her cat-paw-gloved fists to the sky in indignation.

"Because of those idiots!" Ryuko snapped, kicking the ground in frustration, causing Shino to snort in annoyance while crossing her arms under her ample chest, mentally adding a few more points of hatred toward the pair of heroes.

"Guess we'll just have to watch the replay at home…" Chatora added, visibly disappointed, and the girls could only nod in shared frustration.

Yet, their disappointment didn't last long because after a short break, an imposing Momo stood on the combat platform, staring at her opponent with a serious expression. Facing her was the son of the number two hero, sporting a dark and rather terrifying look. The feline hero group swiftly pulled out their handmade banners and began cheering with all their might.

""""Go, Momo! You're the best!""""

The Pussycats shouted at the top of their lungs as they energetically waved banners bearing Momo's name. One banner Tomoko had made even featured a photo of the beautiful black-haired girl smiling brightly, which inevitably made Kai smile in amusement as he watched from the Class 1-A stands.

"Todoroki-san, I recommend you give it your all. I won't go easy on you."

While removing her PE uniform jacket—revealing a tight black tank top that left her back exposed similarly to her hero costume—Momo spoke in a serious tone. She then pulled up the boots of her tracksuit to her knees, exposing her legs. The half-and-half-haired teen responded in a dark tone.

"I only need my ice to be the best."

"Hehehe, if a man without an arm told me that all you need is one arm to be the best, I'd believe him. But someone who ties one arm behind his back while claiming that? Please. Not in a million years. You can't even beat me with all of your power, let alone just half of it." Momo retorted with a slightly condescending smile, causing Todoroki's expression to worsen noticeably. He responded in an almost guttural tone.

"We'll see about that."

"Ready?!… Start!"

...

You can support me on pa-atreon (lordanl) and get up to 10 advanced chapters.

Chapter 119: A scolding.

Chapter Text

At Present Mic's signal, Todoroki extended his arm in a swift motion, causing a wave of ice to shoot toward Momo. At the same time, the temperature plummeted and the ground cracked, prompting the beautiful aspiring Hero to move at high speed to the side, dodging the attack.

Simultaneously, as she dodged, what appeared to be plates of bright red metal began emerging from Momo's exposed skin. These plates started unfolding, taking the shape of her body, with the torso section appearing from her back and quickly covering her chest, seamlessly attaching to the protective pieces on her arms and legs with a soft metallic click.

In a matter of seconds, Momo was fully equipped with an impressive, futuristic-looking suit of armor. Its base color was a metallic red, with golden plates around the chest, hips, and limbs, fitting perfectly around her curvy figure. Suddenly, a pale blue light flashed at each joint, signaling that the armor was ready for combat.

With a single thought, Momo activated the repulsors in the soles of her armor, propelling herself forward at high speed toward Todoroki. He attempted another attack, sending another wave of ice in her direction. In that instant, Momo increased the thrust from the repulsors on her feet while using the repulsors on her hands to maneuver in midair—performing an acrobatic flip to evade the surge of ice—landing right behind her opponent.

Using the repulsors on her hands, Momo spun in midair, building momentum before delivering a powerful kick to Todoroki's side, sending the young man flying at great speed with a pained expression. Still, he managed to use his ice to avoid falling off the platform just as Momo landed gracefully on the ground.

"You most likely have a couple of broken ribs, Todoroki-san." Momo remarked in a serious tone, looking at Todoroki, who was clutching the side she had kicked, gritting his teeth hard.

"This is nothing!"

Refusing to give up, Todoroki forced out the words through his pain while placing his free hand on the ground, sending out a colossal wave of ice that covered the entire platform. Momo couldn't help sighing in disappointment as she raised her right fist toward the incoming ice.

Quickly, the armor around Momo's extended arm retracted, exposing her skin once again. From it emerged some kind of miniature missile, which shot at high speed toward the massive wave of ice. The moment it struck, it produced a powerful explosion that shook the air and made the ground tremble.

When the smoke cleared, the sight was astounding: the once-imposing tide of ice had practically vanished due to the explosion. Todoroki was left speechless, managing only to clench his teeth as he felt his body freezing from the extreme drop in temperature.

"You know, Todoroki-san, it's really hard to understand you. Why do you refuse to use your power?" Momo asked, her tone somewhat curious as she walked across the partly ruined platform, regarding Todoroki. He responded in a dark tone after biting down on his lower lip in anger.

"… Because I refuse to be my damn father's tool. I'll prove to him I can be number one without needing his quirk!"

"… You know… I imagine there's a story behind all that. But if what you really want is not to be his 'tool', then what's the point of being a Hero? You could just as well be a firefighter, a lawyer, an accountant, or anything else. It's not like the Hero career is the only one in existence. Besides, I'm sure that'd be a much better 'revenge' than trying to become number one by using only half your power—if you can even pull that off in the first place."

Standing just a few meters away from Todoroki, Momo crossed her arms and commented, looking genuinely confused, which seemed to deeply affect the dual-haired young man. He stared at the beautiful girl in armor before him with disbelief, prompting her to ask, somewhat surprised.

"Don't tell me you've never even considered it…?"

"…"
Hearing Momo's words, Todoroki could only remain silent, lowering his head. That was when the beautiful aspiring Heroine spoke in a serious tone.

"Todoroki-san, why do you want to be a Hero?"

Momo's question brought to Todoroki's mind the image of his mother—her gentle voice, her maternal love, her warmth as she held him and watched the feats of the one true Hero, the great symbol of peace. He remembered how that Hero was praised, loved, and how he could save everyone with a huge smile that gave people peace and security. But the beautiful girl continued speaking.

"Do you really want to save people, Todoroki-san? Do you truly want to leave your mark on this world as a Hero? If so, answer me this question: What will you do if you need to use your fire to save someone? If there's a villain you can't defeat using only your ice, will you let him go, risking innocent lives?"

Momo's words struck Todoroki's heart like daggers. He gritted his teeth, filled with frustration. But just as he was about to argue, the black-haired girl didn't let him speak and added in a serious, solemn tone.

"Tell me, Todoroki-san, what will happen the day your attitude costs an innocent person their life? Will you be able to live with yourself after that? Will you be able to live knowing you could've prevented a tragedy if you had done everything in your power?"

Momo's tone shifted and became much harsher and more aggressive as she went on.

"The reason you can stand among the elites is because of the training and resources you've had since childhood! Who gave you that, Todoroki?! Are you going to stop using that too, just because it came from him?! Where do you draw the line?! The training is fine, the education is fine, the damn clothes you wear are fine—but the flames aren't?!

"Being a Hero is not a game! You can't do it half-heartedly! If you really want to be a Hero who can save the world and leave a mark on it, then do everything possible! Your fire is part of you, just like your arms or your legs! Or are you planning to stop using those too because they also come from your father?! Is that the kind of 'Hero' you want to be—someone who can't even face his own identity?!"

Momo's fierce scolding seemed to break something inside Todoroki. A powerful flame burst from the left side of his body, melting the ice covering his right side. At the same time, he spoke with a daring smile on his face.

"You're really ruthless with your words, Rep…"

"Fufufu, well, I have a fool at home who, when he gets stubborn, only understands the hard way, so I've got some practice." Momo replied gracefully as she uncrossed her arms and assumed a fighting stance, making Todoroki chuckle.

"I can imagine."

"Hahahaha! That's it! Accept yourself! That's the path to fulfilling my ambition!"

Along with Todoroki's words, a thunderous laugh echoed from the stands, followed by an almost deranged shout. That made the young half-and-half haired man's expression darken, but at that same moment, a powerful pressure flooded the stadium, accompanied by an arrogant, mocking voice.

"Will someone please remove the toxic trash with narcissistic projection issues from aisle 3?"

The voice immediately drew the attention of everyone in the stadium, including Momo and Todoroki, who both turned to see a blue-eyed young man, arms crossed, sitting back in the Class 1-A stands with a relaxed attitude. For some reason, Todoroki found this extremely amusing.

"Hahaha, that guy's really something."

"Well, that's my Kai—he's the best, fufufu." Momo added in a playful tone before her expression quickly turned defiant as she turned back to Todoroki, speaking in a firm voice.

"But now it's time for round two, Todoroki-san."

"You're right!"

With that exclamation, Todoroki unleashed his ice with all his might, causing large icicles to form at his feet. However, thanks to the raging flames on his left side, they began melting, sending up thick clouds of steam. Then came colossal pillars of ice shooting toward Momo.

Swiftly, Momo brought her feet together and moved her hands near her hips, aiming her palms toward the ground as she activated her armor's repulsors at full power. This allowed her to ascend quickly into the air, dodging the first strike. More colossal pillars of ice followed, attempting to hit her in midair, but she avoided them by darting around erratically at high speed, making full use of her armor's superb mobility.

Seeing his attack fail, Todoroki suddenly cranked up his fire to the maximum, drastically changing the temperature. Then, he swung his arm in Momo's general direction, releasing a brutal shockwave toward the airborne young woman without worrying about the consequences—after all, the Symbol of Peace was present, capable of saving anyone.

Noticing the savage strike Todoroki was about to unleash, Momo immediately retracted the armor on her forearms, bringing her arms together in a defensive posture in front of her. She kept herself airborne using only the repulsors on her feet. At that moment, two large plates emerged from the exposed skin on her arms, unfolding together and connecting into a massive shield with powerful repulsors on the back.

When the shockwave arrived, it slammed head-on into the shield—larger than Momo herself—whereupon the shield's repulsors lit up with a fierce blue glow, generating an opposite force to counter the shockwave's impact. Momo held her position firmly, the shield's intensity dynamically adjusting thanks to the powerful AI it was equipped with.

Due to the powerful explosion caused by the violent expansion of air, the platform was engulfed in thick smoke that obscured everything. However, this didn't affect Momo in the slightest, thanks to the cutting-edge technology visors now on her face, which allowed her to quickly identify Todoroki's position.

With a swift motion, Momo detached the shield from her arms just as the armor on her forearms reassembled and the repulsors on her feet powered down, letting her drop. She reactivated them just before reaching the ground, at which point a miniaturized missile launcher emerged from her left shoulder. It fired a small projectile toward the unsuspecting Todoroki.

The moment the projectile hit Todoroki's neck, a powerful electric current surged through his body, leaving him unconscious. So, when the thick smoke finally dispersed, the crowd could see a victorious Momo standing on the combat platform in her heroic armor, while Todoroki lay unconscious on the ground.

"Winner, Yaoyorozu Momo!"

"Are the guys from Class A even human? This is insane! What an impressive display of raw power by Todoroki, but it seems like nothing can catch Yaoyorozu off guard—she's practically an invincible Iron Maiden!"

With Midnight's announcement, the crowd broke into a frenzy of cheers. Present Mic's excited commentary echoed across the stadium as the shield in midair dissolved into dust and Momo started walking off the platform, still wearing her armor. She didn't forget to return Nemuri's proud smile of congratulations.

Walking toward the stadium exit amid the roaring applause, Momo couldn't help smiling, feeling a joyful sensation in her chest. She was certain she had accomplished her goal of helping her classmate, though she was fully aware that Todoroki's problems wouldn't be solved by just one "scolding". Still, that fight had been an important first step for him.

Ever since she was chosen as class representative, Momo felt that, since her classmates had elected her leader, her first duty as a Hero was to help them in every way possible. So they could become the best versions of themselves. Although it hadn't been an easy task until now, seeing them grow stronger and flourish with her aid filled her with excitement and happiness, convincing her even more that being a Hero truly was her calling.

Watching all her effort and dedication reflected in her classmates' strength—and above all, knowing she had left a positive and indelible mark on their lives, something that would make them remember her forever—was truly an incomparable feeling. It validated her identity and her worth, showing that her birth had been something good for the world, even if a certain man hadn't thought so.

...

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Chapter 120: First round.

Chapter Text

Upon entering the hallway, Momo disengaged her armor, which fell from her body as it turned to dust, without pausing her stride for a moment. She quickly spotted Kai, who was walking into the hallway carrying a new PE uniform in his hands. The sight made her smile brightly, even as she braced herself for the "scolding" he would give her for not finishing Todoroki off quickly—after all, if she had wanted to, she could have won with her very first strike.

"Thank you."

As she slipped on the jacket of the uniform Kai had given her, Momo thanked him with a cheerful smile. In response, the blue-eyed boy simply shrugged it off, extending his arm in a hook shape for her to take.

"There's no need to thank me."

After adjusting her uniform, Momo looped her arm around Kai's and began walking by his side, somewhat surprised that he hadn't commented on the fight at all. Curiosity got the best of her, and she spoke up.

"What did you think of the fight, Kai?"

"It was fine. Todoroki still needs to develop his quirk more and work on control, but his technique is good, and his physical condition isn't bad. Over time, he'll become an interesting opponent to face." Kai replied in a casual tone, gazing ahead, which surprised Momo greatly.

As though she were trying to expose an imposter, Momo stared intently at the side profile of Kai's face, looking for any slip-up that would prove the person speaking wasn't the man she loved. After all, though the blue-eyed boy was the best man in the world when it came to her and their family, with strangers he was anything but pleasant. Normally, he would have made some cynical or sarcastic remark about Todoroki's issues with his fire.

"What's wrong?" Kai asked, confused, turning to look at Momo. She in turn questioned him, gazing directly into his eyes.

"Who are you, and what did you do with my Kai?"

"…What?"
Kai couldn't help but ask back, looking utterly perplexed, something that seemed to affect Salem as well. The little cat hopped onto his master's head and stared at Momo with the same confusion, prompting the beautiful girl to ask in a serious tone.

"You really aren't going to say anything about Todoroki not using his fire in fights or about how I could've beaten him much more easily if I'd wanted to?"

"Oh, you mean that…" Kai remarked as realization dawned on him. He looked at Momo, and at that moment, Salem appeared to catch on to something as well, giving his master a suspicious look. Kai continued casually.

"Well, while it's true, you could've finished him off with a single blow, it's not like you were in a life-or-death battle. Drawing the fight out a bit to gauge your abilities and your gear isn't a bad idea."

"That's not what you said in Ashido's case…" Momo cut in, her tone full of suspicion as she eyed Kai, who smiled in amusement before explaining.

"Because her situation is different. Ashido is nowhere near able to beat Todoroki in a one-on-one fight if he goes all out. If she wanted to win, her only option was to seize any opportunity and give it her all—which she didn't do, and that's why she lost. Hence, my comment. Meanwhile, you do have what it takes to go all out against Todoroki and still come out on top."

"I see…" Momo murmured under her breath, prompting Kai to continue.

"As for him not using his fire, I won't deny it's pretty stupid and childish. But, well, it's not like I'm the embodiment of maturity to be criticizing, plus having a piece of trash like his father, I can't really blame him. In his position, maybe I would've done something similar. He's just another living example that while all children deserve parents…"

"Not all people deserve to have children…"

Interrupting Kai, Momo completed the sentence with a melancholy look on her face, seeing as she herself was living proof of that. Inevitably, her thoughts drifted to the fateful day she discovered the whole truth about her "father". But in that moment, Kai brought her back to reality with a warm kiss on her forehead.

"Don't think about it too much, let's go for a walk, after the break, we have to fight." Kai said with a smile, causing Momo to smile as well. She nodded brightly and responded in a soft, affectionate tone while hugging his arm.

"You're right."

…

"We are now at the grand final of the first-year Sports Festival! From the Hero Course, the invincible Demon King, Saito Kai! Versus the Iron Maiden of the Hero Course, Yaoyorozu Momo!"

With Present Mic's lively announcement, Kai and Momo stepped onto the combat platform amidst the crowd's wild cheers. At that moment, Present Mic turned to his fellow commentator and asked excitedly.

"Eraserhead, what do you think we'll see in the fight between the strongest two students from your class?"

"It could be a lot of things. Both of them have a high level of technique, along with tremendous destructive power, as we've witnessed throughout the festival. Whatever happens, it'll be impressive to see." Aizawa replied in his usual weary tone, though now he looked much more serious as he focused on the pair of young fighters on the platform. Present Mic then spoke up again, raising his voice.

"You're right, this is going to be a fight to remember, folks, so don't blink—things are about to get wild!"

On the combat platform, Momo began to remove her jacket while Kai stood there with a casual smile, his hands in his pockets. Meanwhile, seated on a cement throne was the hero and teacher Cementoss, who couldn't help but speak through his communicator to the tournament's referee.

[Midnight, are you absolutely sure we don't need to call for reinforcements?]

[Don't worry, Cementoss. Kai and Momo know how to hold back. Things won't get out of control, I promise.] Nemuri responded firmly, though she couldn't keep a loving and proud smile from spreading across her face as she watched the youths on the platform. Cementoss replied, his tone laden with doubt.

[I hope you're right…]

"Well, now's the time! Ready?!… Start!"

Present Mic announced enthusiastically, expecting an explosive start. But to his—and the audience's—surprise, the pair of black-haired teens simply walked over to meet in the center of the platform. At the same time, the armor emerged from Momo's skin and fitted itself to her body, while the blue-eyed cat ran off to lie in a corner of the arena.

"Ready?" Kai asked with a smile, taking his stance. Momo did the same and nodded firmly.

"Ready!"

At Momo's signal, Kai sent a quick strike with his left hand toward her head. She neatly dodged by bending slightly and then swiftly grabbed Kai's arm. At the same time, she seized hold of his jacket with her free hand and spun around, using her body as a pivot to toss Kai through the air.

With a smooth motion, Kai flipped in midair and landed on his feet, then turned to Momo with a grin. She met his gaze in a show of defiance before rocketing toward him using her armor's repulsors, initiating a rapid series of blows—punches and kicks at high speed—displaying the impressive level of technique both possessed.

Given Kai's enormous strength, Momo did not dare block his punches directly, even with her armor. Instead, she used a combination of movements that drew from Aikido, Silat, Russian Systema, and even Chinese Bagua Zhang, all of which helped her avoid taking Kai's force head-on while still being able to strike back.

Demonstrating remarkable fluidity, Kai attacked with a flurry of fast blows, which Momo deflected using defensive maneuvers that made her arms look like serpents, diverting every hit with the least amount of force necessary. But suddenly, she seemed to switch tactics: after ducking a direct punch from Kai aimed at her face with a precise twist of her torso—her feet pivoting on the platform—she immediately struck out with a palm toward Kai's floating ribs.

Anticipating the move, Kai pivoted and blocked the blow with his elbow, then extended his arm to push Momo's hand aside. Right at that moment, a repulsor beam fired from Momo's armor. She quickly spun in place while crouching, delivering a powerful sweeping kick toward Kai's ankle.

Quickly, Kai leaped out of the way, dodging Momo's sweeping kick, and responded with a sidekick aimed at her. Momo narrowly avoided it by arching her back; her ponytail whipped violently in the gust generated by Kai's powerful kick. She quickly recovered and moved in again with an aggressive assault.

Assisted by her armor, which had been the proudest creation of Keiko and Kai and was on the verge of being perfected for others to use, Momo began a barrage of quick and precise strikes. She aimed a punch at the solar plexus, a hook toward the jaw, and an upward kick, but as if he could predict everything, Kai blocked or dodged them with fluid movements so seamless they seemed easy to replicate.

Suddenly, Momo was caught off guard by a strike from Kai that seemed to appear out of nowhere. It hit her squarely in the solar plexus, forcing her back several meters thanks to his colossal strength. However, her armor quickly activated micro-repulsors across her body, helping her stabilize and regain her footing on the platform.

"Woooowww! What a dazzling display of technique and speed we're seeing here! They're less like heroes and more like martial arts virtuosos! I haven't seen anything like this since Iron Palm's day!" Present Mic shouted in excitement as he climbed atop his desk, pressing his face against the glass. Meanwhile, Aizawa tried to remain calm, but his eyes shone like flashlights.

"It's certainly impressive—enough that I'm not afraid to say we're possibly witnessing history: the birth of two rising stars."

"Second round?"

On the platform, Momo asked with a challenging smile as she looked at Kai. Just then, her impressive armor began to glow faintly blue at its joints, while several movable parts on its surface shifted, and a helmet enclosed her head—although her signature ponytail remained free.

"Hahaha, of course."

Lowering his center of gravity, Kai adopted a stance with his right fist extended and his left near his chest as hespoke with a cheerful smile. After all, it was rare to see Momo so hyped about a fight. That alone was exhilarating, but it also presented a prime opportunity to gather data on the armor, since they were just one step away from acquiring the power source they needed.

At the moment the glow in her armor faded, Momo dashed straight for Kai, resuming a rapid exchange of blows. But unlike before, she was now backed one hundred percent by her armor, reaching impressively high speeds that were hard to track with the naked eye. All while using the repulsors on her hands and feet to fire powerful beams that Kai had to dodge each time.

Amid that heated, high-speed clash of strikes, Kai tilted his head slightly to one side, barely dodging a punch from Momo by mere millimeters. He was already primed to counter when, at that exact moment, Momo's punch abruptly changed direction, landing a direct blow to his face that snapped his head to the side. Simultaneously, a powerful repulsor beam struck Kai in the chest, sending him flying backward with force.

"This just keeps getting better! The Iron Maiden scored a hit on the invincible Demon King! Could this be the end of his unbeatable legend?!" Present Mic shouted at the top of his lungs, while the crowd erupted in cheers. Ever since the festival started, this was the first time anyone had seen the fearsome blue-eyed boy take a hit.

None were more stunned to see Kai take a punch than the representative's training group themselves, who had all been on the receiving end of that terrifying blue-eyed boy's prowess. They had reached a consensus that hitting him was essentially impossible, but Momo shattered that belief in a single strike.

"So you used Ares to catch me off guard. Nicely done."

Kai spoke with a slightly proud smile as he looked at Momo, all while rubbing the spot where her punch had connected. The front of his shirt now sported a large hole, revealing his absurdly toned body beneath.

Ares, on the other hand, was the AI developed specifically to operate the armor—one of the most sophisticated artificial intelligences that Kai and Keiko had created. It possibly boasted the most advanced brain-machine interface ever devised, along with a level of reasoning and computational capability that allowed it to pass the Turing test with relative ease, effortlessly posing as a human.

"Hehehe, just a little trick."

Momo replied in a gleeful tone—though her voice was slightly distorted by the helmet—as several compartments in her armor opened on her arms, legs, and back. They ejected what appeared to be batteries, which turned to dust before they hit the ground, only to be replaced by new ones forming from her body, thanks to her quirk.

"Well, second round's all yours. Now let's move on to the third. Salem."

...

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Chapter 121: The winner.

Chapter Text

At his master’s call, Salem ran over happily and then leaped onto his master’s shoulder. At that moment, a black Jian sword formed from his fur—though the lazy cat wasn’t actually controlling it; in reality, it was simply a “light show” executed by Sage, who was flying in [In] mode alongside her master as his faithful companion.

Upon seeing Kai take up his sword, Momo clenched her fists, feeling both nerves and excitement in equal measure. At the same time, the back of her armor opened to let several devices emerge from it: triangular drones of metallic red with golden details, which promptly flew around her, soon numbering a dozen.

“Let’s go!”

Kai announced in a loud voice at the same time his Conqueror’s Haki spread throughout the stadium, creating an almost electric air that weighed upon the audience. Some swallowed nervously, while those with weaker wills felt their legs give out and dropped into their seats, drenched in cold sweat, as if they were staring down a supreme predator.

“Hehehe, whenever you’re ready!”

From her side, Momo spoke with an excited laugh while she ascended into the air, prompting Kai to dash toward her at blinding speed. She swiftly sent her drones to intercept him, flying erratically around Kai and firing powerful lasers capable of piercing anything, while she herself flew around, shooting her own repulsor beams guided by Ares, her virtual assistant.

Assaulted by the drones, Kai had no choice but to continually change direction and dodge, since the beams they fired were genuinely dangerous, with a temperature many times higher than that of the sun. Meanwhile, Momo took advantage of the opportunity to gain several meters in altitude.

“So that’s how you want to play, hehe.”

Seeing Momo rising at high speed, Kai commented playfully before shooting off in her direction at a blinding speed. However, he was quickly forced to change direction by kicking the air, thanks to those pesky drones flying erratically around him and constantly firing beams, revealing to the audience his pirated version of Geppo.

“But what are we seeing?! Saito can even fly?!” Watching the aerial battle, Present Mic couldn’t contain his utter astonishment, to which Aizawa responded with a serious tone.

“In reality, what he’s doing is kicking with such force, speed, and precision that he compresses the air beneath his feet into a single point, using it as a platform to move in midair. All Might is capable of something similar, although he typically does it with his fists.”

“Oh, that’s right, the New Hampshire Smash! I’ve seen it a couple of times!”

Hearing that explanation, Present Mic spoke in realization, a sentiment echoed by much of the audience. At that moment, the 'rock-star' hero added in a genuinely impressed tone.

“That’s a very creative way to use his super strength and speed—it almost looks like he’s walking on the sky!”

“More than creative, it’s a testament to his absurd level of bodily control and strength. There’s a reason even All Might doesn’t pull off a trick like that so often. After all, a single miscalculation could send him plummeting or hurtling far beyond where he intends. And as you can see, Saito has insane command over his movements in midair—such a complex technique, it’s hard to believe someone so young could master it.” Aizawa replied in a grave, truly incredulous tone, a feeling shared by the more observant in the crowd.

While dodging at high speed the pesky drones that kept a safe distance to avoid being destroyed, Kai tried to get closer to Momo, though without success, as she focused on escaping while occasionally firing repulsor beams. Suddenly, Momo's metallic gloves opened, and from her skin emerged a massive Gatling machine gun, with ammunition extending from her exposed skin.

Wasting not a single moment, Momo opened fire on Kai, the barrels of her weapon rotating ominously before unleashing over 300 projectiles per second. Kai quickly evaded them, avoiding direct confrontation—while these projectiles weren’t enough to pierce his advanced Armament Haki, he also didn’t want to reveal too much. It was better to give a false sense of vulnerability, something Momo was exploiting.

Moments later, a storm of bullets slammed into the platform, whereupon they exploded in a series of consecutive blasts, completely obliterating it and shaking the entire stadium. The spectators went pale, and even the teachers and students couldn’t help but look on in horror at the girl hovering above the immense cloud of smoke her attack had kicked up.

“The Iron Maiden is terrifying!!! What is this power?! What the heck’s going on with your class, Eraserhead?!” Present Mic exclaimed in shock, prompting a grave-sounding response from Aizawa.

“Though ‘stronger’ doesn’t always mean ‘better,’ this is truly impressive…”

Quickly, Momo let go of her weapon, which dissolved into dust in midair, then shot skyward at high speed. This caused Kai to raise an eyebrow while he continued dodging the drones, feeling somewhat irked. He promptly unleashed a powerful flying slash that destroyed several drones, which exploded in midair, while the rest managed to swerve aside and avoid the attack.

Straight away, Kai kicked the air multiple times, shooting toward Momo at a speed far exceeding anything he’d shown before, causing the drones to do everything in their power to intercept him. Only to be destroyed by more flying slashes from Kai. At that moment, Present Mic couldn’t resist commenting again, already exhausted by what these kids could do.

“Seriously, what the heck is happening with your class, Eraserhead? Yaoyorozu turned herself into a ‘tactical bomber’, and Saito’s flinging flying slashes around…”

“Well, Yaoyorozu’s quirk is extremely versatile, so nearly anything is possible with her. As for those ‘flying slashes’, they’re yet another impressive demonstration of Saito’s technical prowess and precision. Essentially, they’re akin to what All Might does with his ‘Smashes’, but more precise and capable of cutting. If All Might’s ‘Smashes’ are about brute force, these flying slashes are pure technique—much more refined and accurate.” Aizawa explained seriously, inwardly nodding in approval.

(Kai really is worthy of being your son, Iron Palm—it’s almost like seeing what would’ve happened if you’d had that the power of that pesky All Might…)

Meanwhile, Momo, realizing Kai was getting serious, instantly pushed her speed to the limit, hoping to leave him behind. But suddenly, a slash appeared right beside her, forcing her to use her repulsors to fling herself to one side and dodge it, only for more slashes to come sailing in at high speed. She had no choice but to keep dodging, left with no chance to re-form her drones, which had all been destroyed by now.

As she zigzagged through the air, Momo’s face was set in a grim expression, watching the holographic panels in her helmet as her energy levels plummeted at an alarming rate, hitting a critical 10% before long. She had to switch tactics to buy time to swap batteries, so she swiftly disengaged the gauntlets of her armor. But right at that instant, Kai appeared before her.

Without warning, he aimed a powerful slash at Momo’s shoulder, which only managed to slice through her armor without grazing her skin in the slightest. Even so, the force of the blow sent Momo hurtling toward the ground. She quickly tried to use what remained of her armor to steady herself in midair, barely succeeding—only to see Kai appear in front of her once more.

With several rapid slashes, Kai shredded Momo’s armor, even destroying her helmet. Still, displaying impeccable precision, he didn’t so much as scratch her uniform. He then gently wrapped an arm around her waist in midair and, sporting a delighted smile, speak.

“You did really well. With the new update I’m working on, you’ll be much stronger.”

“Hehehe, I can’t wait to see it. Mom told me a bit about it.”

Momo replied with a radiant smile on her face. Although she was disappointed to have lost, she still felt proud of what she had accomplished. She had truly given her all and managed to cause Kai several troubles—a small victory in her book.

“Winner, Saito Kai!!”

With Nemuri’s announcement, Kai landed gently on the ruined platform, still carrying Momo. The crowd erupted in cheers, genuinely thrilled at having witnessed such a battle—a spectacle that, on its own, placed these youngsters among the most powerful in the country and would undoubtedly make them famous, despite how intimidating that blue-eyed boy was.

Meanwhile, Cementoss couldn’t help but cast an ironic, slightly judgmental glance at a grinning Midnight, who merely laughed in amusement. At that moment, Present Mic announced with enthusiasm.

“And with that, all the events are over!! The winner of the first-year Sports Festival is… Saito Kai, from Class A!!!”

…

After a short break and the match between Todoroki and Kirishima to decide third place, all the students gathered once more in the stadium. The press started snapping photos and trying to ask questions, but among them was one person who looked on the verge of being consumed by madness—something that only got worse whenever he heard the laughter of others—while Midoriya seemed to be desperately brainstorming a way to help him.

“Bakugo is really having a tough time…” Jiro, watching the blond boy, couldn’t help but murmur quietly, prompting Mina to nod solemnly.

“Yeah… but it’s partly his own fault. With Saito and Yao Momo around, taking first place was almost impossible…”

“But missing the podium entirely had to sting…” Tsuyu, who was nearby, added with empathy in her voice, causing the other girls to nod as well. Their conversation, however, was cut short when Midnight announced to the whole stadium.

“And now, we begin the awards ceremony!!”

With Nemuri’s announcement, three plumes of smoke went off as the floor opened up and three circular platforms of varying heights rose up. Standing on them were the top three finishers of the festival: Kai at the center on the tallest platform, labeled “1”, Momo on his right atop the second-tallest platform with a “2”, and Todoroki to his left on the lowest platform, marked “3”.

“Now we’ll begin handing out the medals, and of course, the one who’ll be awarding them this year is none other than the Number One Hero—All Might!!”

Midnight announced excitedly, and a muscular figure with the familiar “antennae” appeared above the stadium. At the same time, an iconic laugh, brimming with power and charisma, reverberated through the stands, stirring the crowd into a frenzy.

“I am here!!!”

All Might promptly leapt down from the stadium roof, landing perfectly in front of the platforms while proclaiming his 'battle cry', sending the stands into raptures. At that moment, Midnight approached him, holding an elegant tray on which lay the three medals to be awarded: bronze, silver, and one of pure gold.

“Todoroki-shonen, congratulations. I hope this is the first step toward becoming the hero you want to be.”

After picking up the bronze medal, All Might stepped over to Todoroki and spoke as he draped the medal around the young man’s neck. Todoroki nodded with a serious expression and a calm voice filled with both resolve and duty.

“I hope so too, All Might. Though there are some things I still need to work out, I really want to become a great hero like you.”

“Your gaze has changed quite a bit…” All Might noted with a trace of pride in his voice, then hugged the dual-haired boy before continuing in a warmer tone.

“I won’t ask for details, but I’m sure you’ll figure out exactly what you need to do.”

“Yes…” Todoroki answered in that same low tone, at which point All Might pulled away and moved on to Momo. He congratulated her with a smile while placing the silver medal around her neck.

“Yaoyorozu-kun, congratulations. That was an impressive demonstration of your capabilities.”

“Thank you so much, All Might-sensei.”

Momo answered, beaming as she proudly held her medal. Then All Might approached Kai, who stood with his hands in his pockets and with a somewhat curious expression, which wanted to seem indifferent, but was betrayed by a small smile.

“Congratulations, Kai-shonen.”

All Might congratulated him in a serious tone. Kai merely nodded impassively as he received the gold medal, causing a faint, somewhat bitter smile to appear on the Symbol of Peace’s face.

After All Might gave a spirited speech, the event drew to a close. Kai hopped down from his platform and was quickly joined by Momo, who was sporting a huge grin and showing off her medal with pride—an expression that clearly amused Kai, who remarked in a teasing tone.

“I’ll get you a brush and some metal polish so you can shine your medal every day, hehehe.”

“Oh, that’s a great idea! I’ll make sure to keep our medals really nice and shiny.” Momo replied happily, flashing an innocent smile that prompted Kai to shake his head as he extended his arm and said, amused.

“Come on, there’s something important we have to do before we go home.”

“What do we have to do?” Taking Kai’s arm, Momo couldn’t help but ask in confusion. Kai replied with a small, wry smile.

“We need to talk to Onee-chan, Shino, and Ryuko.”

“Oh, right, sorry. I was so excited that I forgot for a moment.” Hearing Kai’s words, Momo’s eyes went wide with surprise, and she spoke with a slightly guilty tone, to which Kai responded with a faint smile.

“Don’t worry, I get it. If you like, we can leave it for another day.”

“No, the sooner, the better.” Momo answered resolutely as she tightened her grip on Kai’s arm. He nodded and then, in a more serious tone, remarked.

“All right, then let’s go. I already sent the girls a message telling them I want to see them in the workshop.”

...

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Chapter 122: A friend or an enemy.

Chapter Text

In the middle of the workshop’s conference room—which was rarely used—Kai was sitting at the center of the table with Momo on his right, while facing them were Nemuri, Shino, and Ryuko, all still wearing their hero suits and sporting serious expressions on their faces, with cups of tea served beside them.

“Kai, are you being serious?”

Seated between Shino and Ryuko, who both had impassive, unreadable expressions, Nemuri asked in a grave, almost solemn tone as she stared fixedly at the two young people in front of them. In response, the blue-eyed boy nodded firmly and explained in a serious voice.

“Yes, I know this isn’t fair to you, and I’m a complete idiot, but I’m determined that Momo become part of our relationship.”

“…”

Kai’s answer brought a deathly silence over the heroines, who could only look at each other with complex, emotion-filled expressions. At that moment, Momo couldn’t help looking at Kai with some disapproval. After all, he was purposely painting himself as the bad guy, and she didn’t like that. So, after taking a deep breath, she spoke in a clear, resolute tone.

“Kai is only playing the villain to take the entire blame on himself. The truth is that I was the one who confessed my feelings to him, and even though he explained that he was already with you, I kind of forced him to let me be part of the relationship you share. I can understand why you decided to share him, and I’m willing to do everything in my power for you to accept me.”

Somehow, Momo’s words were like a soothing balm for the hearts of the three beautiful heroines. After all, Kai’s announcement that he wanted Momo to be his girlfriend was like a bucket of cold water for them—too sudden and completely unexpected—inevitably instilling a feeling of fear in their hearts.

Especially because Momo was young and beautiful, and compared to thirty-somethings like them, she was obviously in another league. But the moment they listened to Momo, they could easily imagine how everything had happened. After all, Kai was very soft and overly indulgent when it came to family, spoiling them too much. Although it annoyed them a bit, they also couldn’t blame him, since that was an important part of why they had fallen hopelessly in love with him.

This was true even for Nemuri, who—though she inevitably felt aroused by a situation that aligned with one of her darkest fantasies—still found her love for Kai and her desire to grow old by his side far stronger than her twisted sexual urges. Hence, she had truly been terrified at the idea of Kai casting her aside, to the point where she couldn’t help cursing her perverted body for “getting excited”.

“Momo, I’m truly grateful for your explanation, and although this is also our fault for not clarifying things from the start, I honestly think you’re too young to involve yourself in something like this, so I can’t agree.”

Visibly calmer and more self-assured, Nemuri spoke while looking directly into Momo’s eyes, though she didn’t forget to shoot a glance at Kai, who could only chuckle wryly. At that point, Shino nodded and added seriously.

“I completely agree with Nemuri. I don’t think you’re ready for the complexities of a relationship as ‘unconventional’ as ours. Besides, love is something too new for you; you still need more experience before making a decision you could regret for the rest of your life.”

“It's worth mentioning that I share the same opinion. Additionally, I'd like to add that getting involved in a relationship could be fatal for your career as a hero. The public doesn't look kindly on that, and it could significantly affect you.” Ryuko added in a serious and almost formal tone, also looking at Momo, who replied with a slightly defiant smile on her face.

“You know, it’s rather hypocritical of you to reject me for being ‘too young’ when Kai is a couple of days younger than I am—did you forget that? Also, as far as I know, none of you ‘experienced’ love before, so I’m not sure what makes you more qualified than me in that aspect.”

Momo’s words hit the trio of heroines like a truck, resulting in ironic and somewhat guilty smiles on their lovely faces. But the beautiful black-haired girl was far from finished, so she promptly added, her tone firm and defiant.

“But I don’t want to dwell on that discussion right now. Instead, I’ll lay out my reasons for believing this could work. First of all, I truly love Kai with all my heart. He’s the only man I’ve ever loved, and he’s the only man I ever will love. I’m as sure of that as I am of my desire to become a hero and leave my mark on the world. So, no matter what happens, I’ll remain by his side. In other words, I can be a friend or an enemy—it’s your choice.”

Momo spent a moment observing the serious expressions her words brought to her older sisters’ faces. She loved them like her real family, but now she had to present her case firmly because Kai would be her husband and the father of her children, come what may, and nothing and no one could stop that. So she continued swiftly:

“Second, things have gone well between you up to now, possibly because, in a way, we’ve all been sharing Kai over the years—obviously including me—and we’ve always been very happy. So, the difference won’t be that big if I join your relationship, not to mention that its success so far serves as a precedent.

“On the other hand, Ryuko mentioned that my career might be affected by such a relationship, but what if your own relationship were exposed? Would your careers survive something like that? It’d be a massive scandal. In the best-case scenario, you’d lose a lot of reputation and popularity; in the worst, you might have to retire.”

Seeing her sisters’ older faces darken with bitterness, Momo smiled confidently and delivered her final blow.

“Moreover, how many women in the world do you think would throw themselves at Kai if he remains ‘single’ forever? He’s good-looking, brilliant, rich, strong, and family-oriented—a dream for a huge number of women. Would you enjoy dealing with that? Because you don’t have many ways to stop it, either. All of you are public figures, and the media would eat you alive for the age gap if you went public with this. And then there’s the issue of children: how do you plan to explain that? Because everyone will ask who the father is.

“That’s where I come in. I can legally marry Kai without too much trouble. We’re the same age, and we’ve been together our whole lives, so it wouldn’t seem strange. And while I’m sure there’ll be problems and my career will be impacted, I don’t want to be a hero for fame or money—I want to leave my mark on the world, so my romantic situation is irrelevant to that. But more importantly, as his wife, I’d be willing to share my husband with you and keep it all in the dark.”

After speaking, Momo picked up the teacup beside her—which she hadn’t even touched before—while observing the shifting expressions on her older sisters’ faces as they exchanged uncertain glances. That was when Kai decided to speak. He looked at his lovely girlfriends—whom he had truly come to cherish as his women and part of his life—and, with a small smile, said.

“Well, even though Momo basically took over the conversation, I just want to repeat something I once heard: ‘If we’re already doing things wrong, why not go all the way, so everyone can be happy?’ I wasn’t entirely on board when we started this, but we’ve done relatively well so far. So why not give it a shot? We can go step by step without rushing and see if things work out, and if not, then we’ll decide what to do at that point.”

“…Momo, would you mind letting us talk to Kai alone for a moment?”

“Of course.”

After a moment, Nemuri spoke in a serious tone while looking at Momo, who nodded and rose from her chair, teacup in hand, then made her way to the conference room door. Upon reaching it, she paused, gripping the doorframe and looking back over her shoulder before speaking in a soft, calm tone.

“By the way, I was completely serious when I said that no matter what happens, I’ll stay by Kai’s side. So it doesn’t matter what you decide—I’m not leaving the love of my life for anything in the world.”

Having delivered that parting shot, Momo left the conference room and shut the door behind her, leaving the trio of heroines wearing bitter smiles. But they quickly composed themselves and turned their attention back to Kai, prompting Shino to ask with some nervousness and sadness in her voice.

“Kai… are we enough for you?”

Upon hearing Shino’s question, Kai suddenly vanished from his chair and reappeared in front of her, dropping to one knee and gently cupping the face of his beautiful girlfriend, initiating a warm, love-filled kiss. Afterward, he spoke in a solemn tone, brimming with sincerity.

“You’re more than enough for me. If you really don’t feel comfortable with this arrangement, we can discuss it with Momo—though you’ll have to help me convince her because she’s already beaten me once in the argument battle.”

Hearing these words from the love of her life, Shino felt the heavy weight on her heart shatter in an instant. She hugged Kai tightly, her body suddenly filled with a warm sensation and a pleasant tingling, feeling herself fall in love all over again with the man right before her eyes.

Before long, Nemuri and Ryuko joined in, hugging Kai from both sides and pulling him forcefully to the floor. The blue-eyed boy let himself be dragged down, taking Shino with him. In no time, they were all piled together on the floor—Shino on top of him, Nemuri to his right, and Ryuko to his left. It was then that Nemuri, while stroking Kai’s hair, asked in a gentle and understanding tone.

“Kai… are you sure you want Momo to be part of our relationship? As you know, the idea of ‘sharing you’ with someone else doesn’t really bother me, but I’m worried that we might end up affecting Momo’s life in a way that can’t be undone, not to mention your own feelings.”

“Yes, honey.” Ryuko added, sounding somewhat concerned as she looked at Kai.

“I wouldn’t mind trying it, either, but I worry that we might destroy what we have and tear the family apart. Now we’re forced to explain all of this, and I don’t think Keiko’s going to be thrilled.”

After thinking for a moment, Kai answered seriously.

“… About being sure whether Momo should join the relationship… to be honest, I’m not entirely certain if it’ll work or if it’s even a good idea. Don’t get me wrong—I do care a lot for Momo, but her youth and my possessiveness concern me. Things could go off the rails quickly, not to mention Keiko, so it’s going to get really complicated…

“But at the same time—and maybe it’s my possessiveness talking—I’m truly moved by how far Momo is willing to go for me. I feel like I can’t just push her away; I’d like to give this at least a chance. I mean, we’re already in this odd polygamous relationship, so it wouldn’t be much different. And I really do love Momo—maybe not romantically at the moment, but feelings can change. I mean, that’s already happened once.

“That said, I won’t ever trample on your feelings. I truly love you all, and I’ll do whatever is necessary to make you happy. So if you’re not sure about this, we can talk it over with Momo and explain the situation. It’ll hurt, but sometimes a painful ending is better than pain without end.”

Hearing Kai’s words, the trio of heroines couldn’t help smiling beautifully as they clung to him even more tightly. Before long, this turned into each of them receiving a warm kiss that eased their emotions. Then Shino spoke with a slight smile.

“It really makes me happy to hear you say that, Kai, but I want to make it clear that I’m not flat-out rejecting the idea of Momo joining us—I just had a little outburst because of how sudden it all was. Besides, Momo raised some valid points: it would truly be a problem for Kai to remain ‘single’, and we all know Momo—once she sets her mind on something, she won’t change it easily. As she said, she could be our friend or our ‘enemy’.”

“That line also caught me by surprise. It shows how determined she is.” Ryuko noted with a serious look, which led Nemuri to add thoughtfully.

“And we really are being hypocritical if we reject her because of her age or inexperience. Kai is the same age, and none of us had prior experiences either. Still, I’m not entirely sure how I feel about the whole ‘sex’ aspect…”

“That’s definitely the trickiest part. I’m worried about it too, and that’s why I suggested we take things slowly. Maybe start with some dates and so on—go out together every once in a while and see how things develop…” Kai said in an uncertain tone, causing a brief moment of contemplative silence before Ryuko spoke again, sounding worried.

“… We can’t forget how Keiko might react, and I doubt Yumiko will be on board. With everything so tense right now because of the company, things could spiral out of control.”

“You know.” Shino added in a serious tone.

“If we think about it from another angle, that’s not exactly a ‘Momo’ problem. It’s very likely that Keiko and Yumiko aren’t going to approve of our relationship anyway, so we’ll have to face it whether Momo’s involved or not.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, at which point Nemuri, with a serious expression, spoke again.

“Well, we’ve all said what we think, and as we agreed before, there needs to be unanimous approval for someone to join our relationship. Let’s vote.” After everyone nodded, Nemuri added gravely.

“As for me, even though I’m not sure how things will turn out, I agree to try it—but no sex for now. We’ll see how it goes later.”

“With those conditions, I agree, too.” Shino said seriously.

“I care about Momo, and I don’t want her to suffer while we’re the only ones happy, so let’s take it one step at a time and see what happens.” The others nodded, then they all looked at Ryuko, who answered with a smile.

“In that case, count me in as well. It’s obvious she really loves our Kai, but I think we should give her some time to think carefully before anything happens. From what we’ve heard, she only confessed to him today, so she should have some time to cool off and really think it through. It’s a huge decision.”

“That’s an excellent suggestion.” Kai remarked in a serious tone.

“It’s good for all of us to have time to process this carefully. It’s all still really fresh, and our judgment might be clouded. So let’s call this a tentative approval, and once we’ve all thought it over, we’ll discuss it again. Sound good?”

“Yes, that sounds perfect. Let’s call Momo in so we can talk with her again.” Nemuri commented with a smile, to which the girls agreed seriously.

...

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Chapter 123: Leaving her mark on the world.

Chapter Text

Seated in a comfortable armchair, two women of immaculate beauty were making phone calls with angry expressions. In front of them was a huge screen broadcasting live what was possibly the most-watched event in all of Japan this season: the UA first-year sports festival.

After hanging up the phone, Keiko leaned back against the chair with a difficult expression, just as Mrs. Yoshiko handed her a cup of tea, which she drank calmly and in silence until Yumiko finished her own call. Then Yumiko also leaned back against the chair, and Keiko spoke in a grave tone.

“How did it go?”

“Well, I managed to hold back some reports about Kai and the whole ‘Iron Palm’, but you know how it is. Anything can happen; things could get out of hand like last time.” Yumiko said with a somewhat resigned tone. At that moment, Mrs. Yoshiko handed her a cup of tea, which she gratefully accepted with a smile.

“Although I have no proof, I’m almost completely sure that Nemuri and the Pussycats were the ones who convinced Kai to stand out in the sports festival…” Keiko commented in a genuinely angry tone, to which Yumiko could only nod with a complicated expression.

“That’s the most likely scenario…”

“I really don’t understand it!! Why do they have to make Kai’s life more difficult like that? Is heroism more important to them than Kai’s well-being?! Do they think Kai hasn’t suffered enough, or do they believe his well-being doesn’t matter compared to being a ‘hero’?! Why are they so selfish?!!!” Keiko spoke loudly, visibly angry and agitated, slamming the sofa’s armrest. Yumiko let out a long sigh and then replied calmly.

“I guess they didn’t measure the consequences of Kai appearing in public again. It’s been almost 10 years since then, so it’s understandable…”

“Understandable?!! They haven’t been public figures for just a day or two, and Jiro was in the damn rankings for 10 damn years. How could they not think their son would draw attention and stir up the hornet’s nest again?!!!” Keiko snapped, absolutely furious, while Yumiko responded in a steady but firm tone.

“But Keiko, that’s something Kai can’t escape for the rest of his life. He’s too outstanding to go unnoticed. Sooner or later, it had to happen. If not now, then it would be in the near future. With how strong and protective he is, if anything ever happened to any of the heroes of our family, he’d rush out to protect them and draw attention.”

“…”

Hearing Yumiko’s words, Keiko could only remain silent because she was right. With Kai’s personality and abilities, it was only a matter of time before he became known. Even his work as an engineer and blacksmith was already famous worldwide, and it was only a matter of time before his capabilities were discovered. At which point, Yumiko added in a calm tone.

“Calm down. I know it’s really frustrating, but it’s part of who we are. For better or worse, we’re public figures, and it doesn’t matter what we do; in the end, we can’t change what’s already happened, nor can we stop the world from knowing about Kai. We can’t hide him forever.”

“… I guess you’re right. I got a little worked up and lost my focus.” After nearly half a cup of tea, Keiko calmed down enough to speak in a more measured tone. Yumiko smiled brightly and spoke with a smile.

“Don’t worry, I’m also angry. It’s only natural to be upset if someone hurts the people we love. Let’s just watch the tournament, let’s see what our kids can do.”

“Thank you, Yumiko.” Keiko thanked her with a small smile as she looked at Yumiko, who replied with a similar smile.

“Don’t worry, we’re family. We’re here to support each other.”

After nodding with a smile, Keiko focused on the festival events, which quickly put a big smile on her face. After all, on the screen, she could see the two loves of her life teaming up and easily crushing the competition.

Watching Kai scare everyone, acting like a boss, Keiko couldn’t help but laugh happily. She really liked seeing her Kai acting like that, dominating everything and everyone with just his presence. It was truly charming in its own way, like a powerful alpha surrounded by betas. But then, seeing how the imposing image of her beloved Kai collapsed with just one pout from Momo, Keiko burst into laughter, wanting to hug those two darlings of hers with all her might.

Keiko’s cheerful laughter soon turned into a proud smile upon seeing her daughter show off her skills, incapacitating two teams in quick succession. At the same time, a warm and tender feeling filled her heart. She had truly managed to be part of her daughter’s strength, and that armor she had built and developed with Kai’s help was becoming the support that would help her greatest pride fulfill her dreams.

After the cavalry battles, Keiko couldn’t help shaking her head when she saw Momo wearing a cheerleader uniform to cheer on her classmates in the recreational events. Yet at the same time, she felt quite happy to see the huge smile of joy on her little girl’s face, who, for the first time, was enjoying having friends her own age—other than Nejire and Kai.

While watching the recreational events and the first-round battles of the final duels with only mild interest, Keiko was discussing strategies with Yumiko to minimize the wave of nosy reporters who would stir up trouble about her Kai. Their conversation took a necessary pause when Kai fought for the first time.

Soon, Momo’s first fight appeared on screen, prompting Keiko to smile proudly, not just because her daughter shone brightly in battle, but also because, as her mother, she could tell Momo wasn’t as soft as she seemed. And, as her worthy daughter, she knew how to hold a grudge and settle scores.

That fight was good evidence of it. Momo had told her about a boy with glasses who had yelled at Kai, and the fact that she didn’t even use her armor to face him was definitely Momo’s way of ‘getting revenge’. She dismissed him and took him down quickly, not letting him show much of his abilities.

(Indeed, blood is thicker than water. A performance worthy of my daughter, taking him out elegantly, without leaving a stain on our record, and above all, making it clear that no one yells at our Kai. A perfect performance, fufufu.)

As Momo walked off the platform, Keiko grinned with equal parts mischief and pride, which inevitably caught Yumiko’s attention. She looked intently at the giant movie screen, searching for what was making Keiko laugh like that, but no matter how hard she looked, she couldn’t find anything strange. She just sighed in defeat, knowing Keiko wouldn’t say a word about it.

…

“That boy Kirishima seems to get along quite well with Kai. Should we invite him over for dinner sometime?” Yumiko asked in a cheerful tone as she watched the exchange of blows between Kai and Kirishima on screen. Keiko responded in a calm and elegant tone.

“Mmm, it’s better not to. Even though Kai likes him, for now, that’s all it is. It’s better to let things develop slowly at their own pace. We can see what to do in the future. If we act now, we’ll probably end up ruining it, given Kai’s personality.”

“You’re right about that. But I feel like we should celebrate in some way for Kai’s first ‘buddy’. Don’t you think?” Yumiko answered with a smile as she tucked her legs up on the armchair, prompting a broader smile from Keiko, who replied mischievously.

“You’re right. We do need to celebrate.” Keiko turned to Mrs. Yoshiko, who was gathering their tea cups, and spoke cheerfully.

“Mrs. Yoshiko, please bring us a Vega Sicilia Único from the cellar. We’re going to celebrate a bit, fufufu.”

“Right away.” Mrs. Yoshiko replied with a slight smile, then headed to the mansion’s cellar. Yumiko commented with a small smile at that moment.

“Fufufu, so we’re going with the Spanish one?”

“Yes, just to mix things up a bit, fufu.”

Keiko replied somewhat playfully. Shortly after, Mrs. Yoshiko returned with two beautiful crystal glasses and a bottle of red wine with a white label in Spanish. She opened it expertly with a corkscrew, then poured it into the two glasses and handed them to the two women, leaving the bottle on a nearby table.

“Pour one for yourself too, Mrs. Yoshiko.” Yumiko said with a smile, looking at the woman who basically managed their lives on her own, with no more help than Momo’s attempts to learn how to care for Kai. Keiko nodded in agreement.

“Yes, sit with us.”

“It would be a true pleasure, but it would be discourteous of me, so I must refuse.” Mrs. Yoshiko replied with a serious tone as she bowed slightly. Keiko and Yumiko could only shake their heads, and then Keiko spoke after letting out a sigh.

“You know it’s no bother to us, but fine, if that’s what you want, grab something from the bar or the cellar and take the rest of the day off.”

“My apologies.” Mrs. Yoshiko bowed and apologized in a serious tone before withdrawing to the kitchen. Yumiko looked at Keiko and asked with wine glass in hand.

“Why does she always refuse to share with us?”

“She’s a very stubborn woman and was raised to respect her ‘employers’ above all else. Even after she got married, that never changed, and she continued to work, even though she doesn’t need to. Although, to be fair, her husband is much the same; he’s quite wealthy, and yet, he still runs a coffee shop downtown every day.” Keiko replied with an ironic smile, to which Yumiko commented in understanding.

“Toshiaki-san, right?”

“That’s the one. They’re really a strange couple, and their children aren’t much different. They make millions, but they live in small suburban homes. The only one who strays a bit from the mold is the eldest daughter of their eldest son, but well, that’s another story.” Keiko said in a calm tone while swirling the wine in her glass, then taking a small sip. Yumiko smiled as she looked at the screen.

“Look, Momo’s match is about to start.”

“That’s true.”

Setting the wine down on the table, Keiko commented and focused all her attention on her little girl, who was about to fight. This allowed her to see firsthand not only how Momo made great use of her armor, but also how she managed to help one of her classmates. It was then that she heard a question from Momo that let her understand why her daughter was so intent on helping the young man.

[Do you really want to leave your mark on this world as a hero?]

Upon hearing those words from Momo, Keiko couldn’t help but pick up her wine glass again and take a large sip, as her mind drifted through her memories. She knew perfectly well why her beloved daughter was so obsessed with “leaving her mark on the world”. All her little girl wanted was to prove she hadn’t been a mistake, and much less a shame, all because of that piece of trash whom she had foolishly given as a father.

Even though now Keiko Yaoyorozu—an unparalleled genius among geniuses—could proudly say aloud that the best thing that ever happened to her was becoming a mother, the truth was that this relationship had taken a long time to develop. At first, she went through a lot of regret, resentment, and pain that she had to deal with before she could come to terms with the events that led to her beloved daughter inheriting her surname.

Although practically her entire fortune was self-made, Keiko had never been poor. In reality, she was born as the only late-in-life daughter of a well-known steel magnate who, while far from being among the richest, was also far from being poor. From her youth, this granted her not only the best education and the best resources, being the only daughter of an elderly father. But her father even went so far as to search high and low for someone with a quirk that would complement hers, all in order to produce descendants.

Her father’s obsession with giving birth to the perfect child, one who could not only inherit his fortune and legacy but potentially go even further, led him to meet her mother. She was a renowned and accomplished scientist famous not only for her incredibly high IQ but also for her quirk, [Molecular Reconstruction], which allowed her to manipulate the molecules of anything she touched, as long as she knew its composition.

...

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Chapter 124: A terrible mistake.

Chapter Text

Even with a gap of more than 30 years between them, her mother agreed to marry her father in exchange for funding for her research projects. After a couple of years, that led to her birth and—possibly what brought her father the most joy—the birth of the quirk [Creation], which was clearly an improved version of her father’s quirk, one that allowed him to create metals from his body.

Although her mother never cared much about her, and she almost never saw her, her father was a great man. He looked after her and spoiled her like no one else. He enrolled her in the best schools in the world. Furthermore, he gave her anything she could think of to take her already impressive innate talents to the next level, right up until his inevitable death when she was barely 16 years old—an event that surely shaped a large part of who she would become.

Her mother, though undeniably brilliant, seemed to have allowed her brilliance to take up so much space that no room remained for feelings. She was cold, distant, calculating, and without a shred of mercy or empathy. So, the moment her father died, she took her share of the inheritance and left without ever looking back, leaving her daughter completely alone. Keiko never saw her mother alive again.

Because of that, the barely teenage Keiko created a facade of arrogance and coldness around herself. It protected her from everything and everyone, and allowed her to exploit her genius to its fullest. By the time she turned 25, she had already surpassed her father's fortune several times over. But that was when the great villain of her story appeared.

He was an intelligent, handsome, charismatic man, a great conversationalist who seemed not to know the meaning of shame. She met him at a corporate cocktail party and from that moment on, she was besieged by his relentless attempts at conquest. No matter how many times she rejected him, yelled at him, or even humiliated him, he kept pursuing her without rest, showering her with details and attention that no one had ever shown her before—treating her almost like the center of his world. It reminded her so much of her father’s affection that, in the end, she ended up giving in.

Awed by a strange feeling that combined the novelty of someone being willing to endure so much for her, and the nostalgia of having a man care for her, pamper her, and lavish her with attention. The armor she had worn for almost 10 years gradually crumbled. In the end, she relented and accepted him as the first man in her life.

He was a strange man who always seemed to find new ways to surprise her—filling her office with flowers thanks to the complicity of her employees, showing up with a delicious dinner when she stayed late at the office, cracking silly remarks about her rivals that made her burst into laughter. In short, that idiot was a very skilled charmer, or perhaps she was too naïve at the time, or maybe it was a combination of both.

Their relationship began with a kiss in the middle of the night in her office when she was working late, as usual. That night, he arrived with a delicious dinner and put on soft music, started singing to her, and then invited her to a small dance, which inevitably led to a kiss and her first sexual experience.

From that moment on, things were almost like a dream. That man became incredibly attentive. He was always willing to help her and support her in everything, to the point where he neglected his own company to help her with hers. After nearly a decade of being on her own, it was so special to have a man by her side whom she could trust and lean on that she thought countless times that living like that until her last day wouldn’t be bad at all.

That thought blended into what she believed was reality when, after more than a year of dating, that man proposed to her in the midst of a chaotic, sleepless night of hard work—one in which they were struggling to overcome a patent lawsuit. Somehow, she was so moved by it that she accepted on the spot. From that moment on, things only got better, as though the world were telling her she was doing the right thing.

They won the patent lawsuit. Her company began to expand at great speed, her fortune grew like foam, and her reputation started to resonate internationally, establishing her as the greatest genius of the era. Then, just three months before the wedding was to take place, came the “best” news of all: she was pregnant.

The news, though shocking at first, was simultaneously exciting. She was going to have her first child with the man she loved, while her company was climbing without any apparent limit. Without hesitation, she personally went to buy a beautiful gift box, a diaper, and a small teddy bear—one that closely resembled the first gift he had ever given her. For the first time in her life, she packed a surprise gift, which she believed would be the first of many in her new life.

But reality turned out to be very different. The night she prepared to give him the gift, she decorated the entire living room of her mansion with candles, dismissed all the employees, and even scattered rose petals on the floor. She imitated a little of the romance that had made her fall in love and placed the box on the table as she waited for him.

Although dinner was cheerful and romantic as always, when she handed him the gift she had prepared, the look on that man's face was sheer panic, though he quickly hid it and hugged her tightly, swearing they would be happy together and that he would raise the child with all the love in the world. But she should have known better. The idiot was just buying time—how naïve she was.

But more than naïve, she was downright foolish, a hopeless fool who didn’t recognize the signs that followed. In the next few days, his usual gestures of affection disappeared. The relentless attention dwindled to meeting only at night, and he didn’t even want to touch her after that, apologizing that things had gotten complicated at his own company. And she, like the fool she was, offered to help.

That offer of help materialized in the form of several personal loans for enormous sums of money—nothing she found strange at the time. After all, they were only weeks away from getting married and would share wealth and poverty equally for life. Moreover, over the course of their relationship, she had already invested in several projects at the company of the man she loved, more out of love than for profit, and things hadn’t gone too badly.

Naturally, it wasn’t long before their nightly meetings turned into occasional visits. But perhaps out of love, or because she was terrified of having been wrong, she invented all sorts of excuses in her head to justify it and remained hopeful about the wedding—that everything would return to how it was before. And he, without a shred of mercy, kept that illusion alive until one fateful day when he disappeared without saying anything, as though he had vanished from the face of the earth.

That day started like any other. She woke up alone in her bed, since he had excused himself by saying he had to work through the night, and he wouldn’t let her accompany him because it could be harmful to the baby. She got ready and went to her office to work, thinking about the incredible future awaiting her family. But things began to feel strange around lunchtime.

Although that man hardly paid attention to her anymore, he still made sure to call her at lunchtime to arrange to eat together or, failing that, to apologize and tell her she could have lunch alone. But that day, there was no call, no message—nothing. For the first time since she’d met him, he didn’t show up at lunchtime as usual.

Frightened, she tried to call him, but his phone was turned off. She called his office, but no one answered. She called his friends, but nobody knew anything about him. Her panic was so severe that she called the police, hospitals, morgues, and everything else she could think of, fearing the worst—but he never showed up. Terrified, she rushed to his apartment, only to find it completely empty, with nothing but a note on the kitchen counter.

That letter was heartbreaking, shattering her heart into a thousand pieces. In it, he confessed that he had pursued her, enduring all of her rejections, contempt, and humiliations simply because he needed money; his company was in a critical state and was basically on the brink of bankruptcy, so he urgently needed funds to survive.

The letter felt more like a venting of anger and frustration, filled with complaints every three lines about the sacrifice he had to make to be by her side. Everything he had to endure, and how much he missed his happy single life before his company was hit by erratic stock market moves. But the part that remains seared into her memory to this day is how the letter ended.

{I didn’t come into this world to ruin my life with kids. I came here to have fun, and that’s not going to change. All this sacrifice was supposed to be temporary. I’ll go back to my happy life no matter what. That child is a terrible mistake and an embarrassment for both you and me, so it’s better if you get rid of it. But hey, that’s your decision, just like everything in your life, Yaoyorozu Keiko.}

The pain of those words was so immense that she couldn’t take it and collapsed, unconscious, in that empty apartment. She woke up several hours later in a hospital after being found by the security guard, who had called an ambulance. At that moment, it felt like just another tragic incident in her life, since all she could think about was dying to stop feeling so much pain.

The following days were even worse. She had to cancel the wedding, return the gifts, and remain at the forefront of her company. But whenever she was alone, all she could do was cry while rereading the letter nonstop, unable to find the courage to destroy or discard it—a terrible mistake she would later regret.

At the time, she couldn’t think about the consequences. She hated herself for having been so stupid, and she hated herself even more for harboring the ridiculous hope that it was all a joke—the only thing that stopped her from aborting the baby, which she also came to hate in that moment.

The days passed, and amidst tears and pain, the day of the wedding arrived. It came and went like any other day, with her employees too afraid to meet her gaze, no friends calling her, and no family to turn to for support. She, Keiko Yaoyorozu, was so poor that the only thing she had was money. Ironically, it was money that ultimately brought her the greatest misfortune of her life. But her life changed forever after that day.

...

Recalling her life and her tragedy as she watched the two loves of her life on the screen, Keiko couldn't help but smile with nostalgia and a hint of amusement at how strange life could be. All that pain had led her to meet the best person in the world—the one who changed her life forever and became the seed of the great happiness she now experienced. Truly a heroine in her own way—erratic and emotional, yet someone who had saved as many, if not more, people than her hero husband, including Keiko herself.

(Really, thank you, Alisa. Meeting you was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know where or how I would have ended up…)

While watching Kai and Momo fight, both displaying their incredible skill and prowess, Keiko couldn’t help but smile charmingly. Especially when the fight ended, and she saw her two loves leave the stadium together. It was such a magical feeling that even a few tears gathered in her eyes, prompting Yumiko to comment in a cheerful tone as she put her wine glass aside.

“We should start getting ready.”

“You’re right; the cake shouldn’t take long to get here.” Keiko quickly wiped away the tears that had formed in her eyes and responded with a smile before getting up with Yumiko to begin setting up the garden, with help from Mrs. Yumiko.

…

““““Congratulations!””””

When the sphere of light from Accompany vanished, Keiko and Yumiko leapt onto Momo and Kai, hugging them tightly with all their strength. At the same time, they exclaimed joyfully alongside Chatora and Tomoko, who had arrived earlier, and Nejire, who had just shown up still wearing her hero suit. They all activated confetti cannons with wide smiles on their faces.

Looking around, Kai realized they had prepared some sort of surprise party for them, as the garden was decorated with all kinds of ornaments: torches, streamers, balloons, cushions, and more. In the center of it all stood a table with a huge cake topped by two miniature figures of him and Momo on pedestals, which couldn’t help but deeply move the blue-eyed boy.

“Thanks, Mom, Aunt Yumiko. I did my best, and it was totally worth it.” Momo said with a bright smile as she returned Keiko’s and Yumiko’s embrace. At that moment, Yumiko added with a smile.

“Congratulations, Momo. You really were amazing, and it was so impressive how you helped that young man called Todoroki. I felt very proud of you—you truly changed that young man’s life for the better.”

“Thanks, Auntie.” Momo replied, feeling a lump form in her throat. At that moment, Keiko tightened her hug around her beloved daughter and spoke in a warm tone full of love.

“You were phenomenal, my princess. Today, the whole country found out that Yaoyorozu Momo is starting out on her path—and in the best way possible. You’ll be a magnificent hero, and you’ll surely leave your mark on the world forever.”

Hearing her mother’s words, Momo couldn’t hold back her tears and broke down crying as she buried her face in her mother’s chest. This prompted everyone to gather around the mother and daughter, beginning a group hug that filled them with peace and tranquility, while Keiko began gently stroking her beloved daughter’s hair.

...

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Chapter 125: Gotcha.

Chapter Text

In a small, dark bar where wood predominated as the main material, there were two people. Behind the bar stood a figure that appeared to be male, dressed in an elegant suit consisting of dark pants, a long-sleeved white shirt, a dark gray vest, a black tie, and what looked like five metal plates running from his collarbone to his chin. But the most striking thing about this figure was that, beneath his clothes, he seemed to be made of black mist.

Meanwhile, seated at the wooden bar and facing the strange mist-like life form, there was a slender young man with white hair, wearing what appeared to be a hand-shaped mask on his face. He was dressed in a simple long-sleeved black shirt and black pants, which made his red sneakers stand out.

“Shigaraki Tomura, I was watching the kid you talked about—he’s really impressive.”

Suddenly, a television in one corner turned on by itself, displaying an image that read [Sound Only]. At the same time, a magnetic, aged voice came through it, drawing the attention of the two people in the bar. At that moment, the white-haired young man spoke in a serious tone.

“Who’s that bastard, Sensei? Why is he so strong?”

“He’s the son of the former number 5 hero in the Japanese rankings, and his quirk, apparently, is a combination of both his parents’ quirks, which grants him incredible physical abilities and an enviable detection capacity. It’s truly a great quirk…” The voice replied casually, though there was an evident trace of interest in its tone when it mentioned the quirk. At that point, Shigaraki commented with madness in his voice.

“Sensei, I don’t like that bastard. I want to destroy him…”

“…All right, but take your time to prepare and make sure to bring him to me first. I’m interested in his quirk…” The voice on the TV responded in an almost eerie tone, as if it could already sense its victory.

…

A couple of days after the sports festival, Kai was lazily stretching in the classroom after a class with Nemuri in which everyone chose their hero names. Kai simply picked his last name, which left Momo and Nemuri quite dissatisfied. But suddenly, Sage—who was sitting on his desk in [In] mode, working on different holographic screens at the same time—abruptly reported in a serious tone through their mental connection.

[Master, a remote connection with the target has begun.]

Without wasting a second, Kai quickly took a laptop out of his desk and started typing at such a high speed that his fingers seemed to vanish, fully focused, wearing an incredibly serious expression on his face and ignoring everything around him. This made the tie-wearing Salem have to change spots and lie down under the desk, since the noise was disturbing his nap.

“… Hey, Yao Momo, what happened to Saito?” Mina, who had approached Momo, asked quietly, to which Momo replied in a slightly confused tone.

“… I don’t know. It’s weird for him to suddenly start working like this. Something must have happened, but don’t talk to him; he’s super focused right now, and it must be something important. I’ll ask him later.”

“…All right…” Mina responded quietly, though a hint of disappointment could be heard in her tone as she watched Kai’s concentrated profile. At that moment, Momo asked with a smile, changing the subject.

“More importantly, where do you plan to do your apprenticeship, Ashido-san?”

“I’m not sure yet. I got some invitations, so I need to check my options carefully. Where are you going, Yao Momo?”

“To Ryukyu’s agency. She sent me an invitation, and since Nejire-nee-chan already works with her, I’m going to give it a try.” Momo answered with a smile. Just then, Jiro walked over to Momo’s desk and chimed in with a smile.

“You’re lucky, Yao Momo. You’ll have your big sister there to help you out.”

“Fufufu, yes, it’ll really be an interesting experience.” Momo replied with a somewhat playful laugh, sparking a conversation among the girls about their upcoming apprenticeship—a conversation that Hagakure, Tsuyu, and Uraraka joined a bit later.

…

“Hehehe, gotcha…”

After some time, Kai smiled with satisfaction and malice as he gazed at the screen of his laptop, where several system consoles filled with an endless stream of code and messages were displayed. Shortly afterward, they were replaced by a satellite image of what appeared to be a forested area.

This guy had been truly difficult. Not only did he know how to cover his tracks very well, but he also had a nearly insane number of proxies that concealed his real location, and he never kept a communication open long enough to trace the thread back to his base. But today his luck ran out—Kai had infiltrated almost all of his proxies, and the communication lasted just long enough not only to pinpoint his location but also to infiltrate his central systems. Now, he was an open book to him.

“What were you doing so intensely?” While Kai reveled in his little victory, Momo approached him and asked with a smile, drawing his attention.

“I was locating a slippery guy. I’ll tell you the details later.” Kai replied, clearly pleased and in a good mood, while closing his laptop. He then asked with a smile as Salem stretched out beneath the desk.

“How about we go for some ice cream?”

“Fufufu, you really are in a good mood. Let’s go!”

Momo answered with a beautiful smile on her face. At that point, Kai glanced around and noticed that aside from the two of them, only Mina was there, playing on her phone at her desk. So he casually said.

“Ashido, want to go get some ice cream?”

“Eh?! Who? Me?”

At the sudden invitation, Mina turned to look at Kai in surprise—enough that she almost fell out of her chair—making Momo and Kai both laugh. Then Kai casually added as Salem settled back onto his shoulder.

“Who else? But if you don’t want to, that’s fine.”

“I’m going! Of course I’m going!”

Clearly excited, Mina replied, raising her arms in the air. But at that moment, a thought crossed her mind, causing her to hunch her shoulders guiltily and turn to look at Momo with a remorseful expression. Momo smiled in amusement and said cheerfully.

“Then let’s go. I want mint ice cream! Fufufu.”

“Let’s go.” Kai stood up from his seat and extended his arm slightly for Momo to take it, which she did with a smile. Then he looked at Mina and said in a casual tone.

“Come on, Ashido-san. Today I’m buying so you can get whatever you want.”

“Is that really okay…?” Mina asked, feeling unsure, to which Kai only rolled his eyes and replied casually.

“Stop being dramatic, let’s go.”

“Yes, stop with the drama, fufufu.” Momo agreed teasingly, which somehow gave Mina enough confidence to say happily as she grabbed her backpack.

“Fine, then I’m going to drain your wallet, Saito.”

“That’s tough, but sure, let’s go.”

Kai responded with amusement as he walked toward the door with Momo, quickly followed by Mina, who couldn’t help glancing for a moment at the boy’s free arm. However, she shook her head and continued walking, which earned her a look from the cunning, blue-eyed cat.

Shortly afterward, the trio left the UA premises and arrived at a bustling shopping street, with Kai in the middle and Mina and Momo at his sides chatting merrily. They soon caught the attention of the passersby, inevitably causing people to talk.

“Hey, aren’t those the first years from UA?”

“Yeah, it’s them—Ashido, Yaoyorozu, and Saito, the demon king.”

“Did you see the report about the demon king’s life?”

“Yeah… it’s a bit creepy. Do you think he’s really insane?”

“That’s nonsense. The only proof they have is that when he was a kid he ran around the hospital for hours, and there are lots of other ways to explain that. Even the doctor in the report clarifies it happened because his quirk awakened at that moment, and he just wanted to test his strength.”

“But he's scary handsome. Just seeing him freaks me out—I’m inclined to believe at least part of those internet theories about his quirk. They experimented on him, and it drove him nuts…”

…

Hearing these comments made Mina and Momo lose their smiles and start glaring at those speaking ill of Kai, who quickly scattered in embarrassment. Then both girls turned to look at Kai with worried expressions, only to find him smiling casually, as though he couldn’t hear a word of it.

“Kai…”

With a look of pain on her face, Momo wanted to speak, feeling truly angry and helpless, but not knowing what to say to comfort the love of her life. At the same time, she couldn’t help questioning whether people capable of attacking someone innocent out of envy or boredom deserved help—something that inevitably caused a hint of doubt in her heart about her future as a hero.

In recent days, the media had been full of news about them, which inevitably unearthed the story of Kai’s tragedy. Although this time they were able to stop the press from going after him with baseless rumors, they couldn’t prevent the release of serious, impartial documentaries and reports. Indirectly, that caused the internet to overflow with all kinds of theories and direct attacks on him.

“Don’t worry. This is normal—this is how human society works: they comment, gossip, and attack those who feel distant to them, coming up with thousands of excuses to justify themselves. Then, when the same thing happens to them, they hate the world for ‘attacking them without reason’. And you, as future heroes, should understand that better than anyone. Have pragmatic and realistic goals for your careers, and work on your mindset—otherwise, you’ll have a rough time.”

In a calm, steady tone, Kai explained with a small smile on his face, completely ignoring the comments as if he couldn’t hear them at all. Mina and Momo’s faces grew thoughtful as they exchanged complicated looks; after all, they were witnessing first-hand the negative repercussions that their dream career could have on their loved ones.

“You’re really strong, Saito…” Mina remarked in a contemplative tone, prompting Kai to smile as he answered without placing too much importance on it.

“It’s not what you imagine. For better or worse, the human mind can get used to almost anything, and this is no exception. The question is, if you don’t have a strong enough mindset to endure until you’ve adapted, you’ll have such a miserable time that you’ll probably give up halfway.”

While the girls reflected deeply, the group kept walking until they arrived at a small shopping mall, where there was a franchise of ice cream that Kai and Momo liked. Upon arriving, the blue-eyed boy asked, snapping the girls out of their musings.

“Well, Ashido, which flavor do you want?”

“Eh? Oh, I like vanilla.”

Ashido quickly answered, and Kai nodded to place the orders. He then paid with a black card and handed out the ice creams to the girls, not forgetting to give Salem a special meat-flavored snack; otherwise, the lazy cat would have thrown a fit.

“It’s surprising that you like strawberry ice cream, Saito.” Noticing the ice cream Kai was eating, Mina couldn’t help commenting with a smile, to which the blue-eyed boy casually asked while eating his own ice cream.

“Why?”

“Well, you’re super tough and strong, so I thought you’d go for something else, I don’t know… something ‘adult’?” Ashido admitted, clearly not sure what else to say, which made Kai smile and retort playfully.

“Ah, that’s because I’m so ‘tough’ that no matter what I eat, I still look wickedly cool, hehe.”

“Fufu, let’s practice humility a little.” Momo joked at Kai’s comment while eating her mint ice cream, to which he responded in an amused tone.

“What can I do? I was born wickedly cool—it’s part of who I am, hahaha.”

“And since when is being ‘wickedly’ anything a good thing?” Ashido asked, laughing while gazing into Kai’s blue eyes, who replied by doing a fun impression of a flashy, vain man.

“Ever since I was born, sweetheart. Being evil looks awesome on me, hehe.”

Amid jokes and laughter, they left the mall while finishing their ice creams. That’s when they heard pop music playing, which quickly caught their attention, letting them see a blond young man in a colorful jacket and shorts, accompanied by several cameramen carrying speakers and cameras.

They approached to them, and the colorfully clad young man spread out a small red carpet in front of them, then began dancing with a smile. Mina’s eyes lit up at once; she quickly took the last bite of her ice cream and said enthusiastically.

“This looks like fun!!”

Mina immediately walked gracefully down the carpet, ending with a couple of dance poses as the group cheered her on. This also caught the attention of the passersby. Momo then looked at Kai with a huge smile and asked.

“Shall we?”

“Hahaha, let’s go.”

Kai answered with amusement, making Momo laugh. She took the last bite of her ice cream and then strutted down the carpet with elegance and style, striking a few model-like poses for the camera. At that moment, the young man turned to Kai, along with Mina and Momo, who were watching him with shining eyes.

Playing along, Kai activated his Conqueror’s Haki at low intensity, making everyone’s hair stand on end as they watched him. He then walked across the carpet with firm, measured steps, a smile full of power and confidence on his face. Coupled with the music, it made the onlookers feel as if an epic battle was about to begin.

“That was super cool!”

After signing a simple broadcast rights contract, they continued walking. Mina then commented happily, and Momo nodded, adding in a cheerful tone, feeling genuinely content.

“Yes, we need to go out more often, fufu.”

“Well, the apprenticeship is next, so that probably won’t happen, but maybe afterward.” Kai replied casually, prompting Mina to ask curiously.

“By the way, Saito, where are you doing your apprenticeship? You got a bunch of invitations, so I’m really curious.”

“With the Pussycats. We planned it that way before classes even started.” Kai answered with a casual smile. Ashido nodded, understanding.

“I see. It’s nice to have heroes in the family for these situations…”

“Though, I still don’t understand why you got fewer invitations than Todoroki and me. You won the festival.”

Since the subject came up, Momo couldn’t help but comment, sounding visibly displeased. Even though she was excited about receiving the highest number of invitations, she didn’t like that Kai had taken third place behind Todoroki.

“That’s true. Even though Yao Momo and Todoroki were impressive, you stood out even more.” Mina added, just as curious. Kai merely shrugged and replied in a calm tone.

“Who knows? Maybe they don’t want to get involved with my public image, or they might not like my attitude. In any case, it doesn’t matter. My destination for the apprenticeship was decided even before classes started.”

...

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Chapter 126: Monsters?

Chapter Text

Early in the morning, in the main hall of Kai’s mansion, Shino, Ryuko, Tomoko, and Chatora were sitting on the sofas wearing their hero suits, sipping tea and chatting with Yumiko, Keiko, and Nemuri, who couldn’t help but tease them for how excited they looked.

“Fufu, look at those faces, as if you were about to go to an amusement park.” Yumiko commented playfully as she set her teacup on the table, prompting Shino to reply with a smile.

“Well, you can’t blame us. This will be the first time Kai acts as a hero, so of course we’re excited.”

“I’m not trying to ruin your fun, but you do realize Kai isn’t going to ‘act like a hero,’ right?” Keiko commented with a small smile as she looked at the heroes in front of her. At that moment, Chatora spoke in a calmer tone.

“That might be true, but hope is the last thing you lose, and since we have the chance, we’re going to try to show Kai what we love about this career.”

“Chatora is right, it’s an opportunity that took a long time to arrive, so we want to make the most of it.” Ryuko added with an excited smile on her face, and Tomoko nodded, brimming with excitement, then exclaimed as she raised her hands into the air.

“Besides, we’ve been wanting to do hero stuff with Kai and Salem for years! We’re not going to waste the chance!!!”

“Fufufu, so you’re letting your true intentions show. Your main target is that lazy cat.” Nemuri remarked in a teasing tone, making the Pussycats blush a little. But just as Shino was about to defend herself, Nejire, Momo, and Kai came down the stairs.

Looking incredibly excited and happy, Momo came down already wearing her hero suit along with Nejire, who had a similar smile; both were clinging closely to Kai’s arms. Kai himself was only wearing a casual black athletic outfit, with not even the slightest intention of donning a “hero suit”.

“How do we look?!!”

Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, Nejire let go of Kai’s arm and spoke with a cheerful smile, pulling Momo in front. Nejire wore a full-body suit that completely covered her skin, in shades of blue and green. She wore yellow gloves and what looked like some kind of bulky blue bandage-like accessories around her forearms, plus what appeared to be a sheath for a short Ninjatō hanging from her waist.

“You look gorgeous.” Yumiko commented with a joyful, maternal smile, to which Keiko added with a similar expression.

“Yes, you’ll be the center of attention wherever you go.”

“I agree; Ryukyu might even have to worry about you two stealing the spotlight, hehe.” Ryuko chimed in mischievously. Tomoko joined in excitedly.

“Totally, you look super cool!”

“You look truly stunning, but I think you’re going to be late.” Nemuri added with a small smile, her eyes full of pride for the two girls. At that moment, Momo took out her phone and checked the time, then commented in a serious tone.

“That’s true, it’s already late.” Momo spoke with a bright smile on her face, and Nejire nodded, happily adding.

“We have to go, bye everyone!!”

After saying their goodbyes, Nejire grabbed Momo’s arm and dragged her toward the door, while the lovely black-haired girl quickly waved farewell.

“Bye everyone, see you tonight!!”

After Momo and Nejire took off flying, the Pussycats stood up from their seats and approached Kai, who had been quiet ever since he arrived. Shino spoke to him with a smile while looking at the blue-eyed young man.

“Well, we have to go too.”

“All right, let’s go then.” Kai nodded at Shino before turning to face Yumiko, Keiko, and Nemuri. He said his goodbye with a smile.

“Goodbye, Onee-chan, Aunt Yumiko, Aunt Keiko.”

“Goodbye, Kai. Have fun.” Yumiko replied with a smile, getting up from the sofa alongside Keiko and Nemuri. They approached Kai and gave him a small hug, which Nemuri also did, speaking in a cheerful, loving tone.

“Take care, Kai.”

“It’s not like I’m going to do anything dangerous.” Kai replied with a small smile on his face, causing Nemuri to return a slightly ironic smile as she squeezed the hug a bit before letting go. Then Keiko hugged him and affectionately said.

“Seriously, don’t do anything dangerous, and try not to get bored.”

“I’ll try.” Kai answered with an amused grin while looking at Keiko, who understood him the best. Tomoko then spoke with a pout.

“Hey!! We’re not going to be bored, we have a super important mission to do!!”

“Fufufu, well, you’re going to be late.” Yumiko remarked with a smile, and shortly after, the Pussycats went out to the garden, where Kai summoned his Accompany card.

“All right, then we’re off. [Accompany] on! [Pussycats base]!” Kai casually announced and activated the card. Soon after, they all arrived at the Pussycats’ base, where Tomoko quickly took Kai by the arm and commented with a smile.

“Kai, we’re going to catch lots of bad guys!”

“Are they strong?” Kai asked with a grin while looking at Tomoko, who answered in a playful tone.

“We don’t know yet, but they are heroes!”

“That sounds interesting. What’s it about?”

Evidently curious, Kai asked as they all entered the base together. Shino answered with a smile as she observed the excited Tomoko, who was really looking forward to teaming up with Kai and Salem, the lazy cat sleeping comfortably on the blue-eyed boy’s head.

“It’s a bit complex to explain, but basically, we’re investigating some suspicious maneuvers by certain heroes.”

“Suspicious maneuvers by heroes? That sounds even more interesting. Tell me more, what’s going on?”

While taking a seat on one of the sofas in the operations room, alongside Tomoko and Ryuko, who had taken his other arm, Kai asked with clear interest. Shino replied in a more serious tone, sitting across from him along with Chatora.

“By chance, a few days ago, we discovered that some heroes have strangely started solving cases at a faster pace, all following a predictable pattern, and they all seem connected. That’s way too suspicious to be a coincidence. But since we don’t have solid proof, we’re investigating on our own before we file a report.”

“Hmm, I’d recommend that, instead of reporting it, we handle it ourselves first and then reveal the results. Because for some reason, the politics here seem too obsessed with making everything look perfect—especially regarding heroes—so it’s hard for them to act quickly and apprehend everyone involved. They might even bury the matter under the rug.”

In a much more serious tone, Kai spoke while looking at each of the Pussycats. It wasn’t just about his personal disdain for politicians; Japanese politics really were strange or, well, a lot of the politics in Asia in general were weird. For some reason, they were incredibly obsessed with appearances and showing their respective countries as perfect—even though, like any country, they weren’t—something that became even worse when it came to heroes.

In Japan specifically, as opposed to the Western world, cases of heroes committing serious crimes were extremely rare, almost nonexistent. Not because they didn’t commit them, but because they either weren’t made public or those heroes died in “strange” circumstances before or during investigations. All were recorded as suicides, even if they’d been shot in the back.

It was almost as if having a hero commit a crime was a taboo, and politicians used all kinds of dirty tricks to hide it. Kai couldn’t understand why it was necessary; in the rest of the world, especially in developed countries, investigations against heroes were launched all the time, and famous heroes serving life sentences weren’t that unusual.

Because of that, Kai arrived at two possibilities for this “weirdness”. Either they were doing something so stupid just to justify their salaries and positions—typical politician stuff—or they wanted to maintain that facade of “perfection” in order to use that power for less “glorious” purposes. He was betting all his chips on the latter.

“Kai is right about that. There’s a certain taboo around the issue of heroes committing crimes, so filing a complaint might not be effective.” Chatora said in a more serious and thoughtful tone. Ryuko added with a grave expression.

“But at the same time, if we do things on our own, we could get into trouble…”

“That’s true, but we can’t just sit around and do nothing. This is all really suspicious.” Tomoko added in an unusually serious tone, at which point Shino spoke up solemnly.

“It’s still too early to think about that. We don’t have anything concrete yet, so let’s focus on the investigation. If we gather something solid, we can ask for more specialized support from trusted heroes.”

“Yes, that’s best for now.” Chatora agreed on behalf of the others with a serious tone. That’s when Kai commented with a grin full of malicious intent.

“Hehehe, you don’t need to worry so much about those leeches. Even if they have power, leeches are always stupid and inefficient. All we have to do is stir the hornet’s nest a bit by exposing some of their dirty laundry, let them focus on that completely. Then, ‘coincidentally’, we leak the information about the heroes and put someone they can’t easily touch—like All Might or Principal Nezu—in the spotlight. Even if they want to, they won’t be able to do anything.”

“…”

Kai’s words were met with unanimous silence from the Pussycats, who looked at him with solemn expressions. After all, they knew him perfectly well, and he was more than capable of doing what he said; in fact, he would do it with a delighted smile on his face. What’s more, they could see in his expression that he was dying to get started on the matter, which inevitably made the heroes’ skin crawl.

But the silence was cut short when Shino raised her right hand, indicating for them to wait, and brought her left hand to her ear. Her ears were covered by the device shaped like mechanical cat ears on her head—everyone recognized that gesture as her answering a call.

“Mandalay speaking… Understood… we’ll get ready immediately… oh, I see, all right, yes, I’ll let him know.”

After a brief conversation, Shino hung up with a serious expression, making everyone look at her with curiosity. She began to explain in a firm tone loaded with authority, something born from years of being the leader of her successful group, which let everyone know it was something important.

“I just got a call from Principal Nezu. There’s an urgent matter that requires our expertise, and since at the moment we’re affiliated with UA because of the apprenticeship program, they reached out to him, and he decided Kai can participate. By the way, Principal Nezu sends his regards and asked me to tell you this is very likely ‘exactly the kind of case you want to get involved in’.”

“This is getting interesting. What happened?” Kai asked in an enthusiastic tone, which pleased everyone, though knowing it was a serious matter, they chose not to show it. Shino quickly explained.

“He didn’t give me all the details, but apparently they lost contact with a scientific research base on an uninhabited island. The strange part is that the last communication mentioned some odd geological events and a request for help because they were being attacked by ‘monsters’.”

“Monsters? Sounds interesting…” Kai commented with curiosity, which Shino decided to ignore as she continued speaking.

“Because of this, we’ll be carrying out a mission together with the pro hero Mirko, a combat specialist. The deployment has to be as quick as possible, so a helicopter will be arriving for us at any moment, which means we need to get ready quickly.”

“Do we need to prepare any special equipment?” Chatora asked in a serious tone, to which Shino shook her head and explained.

“No. First, they’ll take us to a nearby base, where they’ll give us the complete information as well as whatever equipment we might need.”

“Then let’s go. We’re already set.” Ryuko said seriously as she stood up from her chair. Tomoko then took Kai’s arm and declared firmly.

“Come on, Kai, it’s time to be heroes!”

“I’m going for the ‘monsters’, but whatever makes you happiest.” Kai said casually as he stood up with Tomoko.

Quickly, they all headed out of the base and waited outside. Around ten minutes later, a police logistics helicopter landed, generating powerful wind and noise that inevitably woke the lazy Salem, who meowed back angrily. Kai laughed in amusement, but the Pussycats—due to the seriousness of the situation—managed to hold back their emotions.

Once the helicopter landed, two police officers got out, and one of them quickly approached the group and spoke loudly, giving them instructions on how to board. They followed the instructions at once, sitting on the side seats of the helicopter, fastening their safety harnesses, and then taking off.

About an hour later, the helicopter landed in what appeared to be a special forces airfield. They quickly disembarked and were escorted by a fully equipped police unit into a tall building. At that moment, another helicopter landed on the base, and from it emerged a striking woman.

She had bronzed skin, long straight white hair, long eyelashes, and a pair of distinctive rabbit ears pointing straight up that moved slightly. She was wearing a sleeveless white leotard that showed off her athletic, toned figure, along with white gloves and what looked like purple boots reaching up to her thighs.

Leaping forward with impressive speed, the woman arrived at the Pussycats’ side, leaving the escort team who had come to meet her somewhat bewildered. She looked at Mandalay and spoke in a deep voice that matched her wild appearance perfectly.

“We meet again.”

...

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Chapter 127: Landing.

Chapter Text

“Long time no see, Mirko. I think the last time we saw each other was at the Ranking meeting.” Mandalay responded to Mirko’s greeting with a smile, without stopping her steps for a moment.

“Umu.”

The rabbit heroine nodded in greeting and then looked at each member of the Pussycats team, who greeted her with a smile, until lastly, she saw a curious young man with black hair and blue eyes wearing a simple black sports outfit, having a cat—whose fur matched his own black hair and blue eyes—resting on his shoulder.

“Why did you bring a student?” Mirko asked somewhat bluntly, to which Mandalay responded in a clear tone of voice.

“He’s Kai. He’s with us for his apprenticeship, and Principal Nezu gave his approval for him to join this mission. And you don’t have to worry about his skill—he’s considerably stronger than your average hero. Furthermore, He’s been training with us for many years, so his skill level in forests and similar environments is on par with ours.”

“Oh? Considerably stronger than the average hero? That’s interesting.” Mirko remarked with evident interest in her tone as she eyed the blue-eyed boy like a predator, who seemed to be studying her with a smile. This prompted her to ask cheerfully.

“Kid, what do you say we test our strengths a bit?”

“Hehe, I was just about to ask you the same. Fighting you must be interesting.” Kai commented with a smile full of excitement, causing Shino and Ryuko to turn toward him with clear concern on their faces. Mirko, meanwhile, burst out laughing cheerfully and then spoke with evident enthusiasm.

“Hahahaha, I like your attitude, kid. Let’s fight!”

“Sure.” Kai replied with an equally eager smile, but at that moment Mandalay spoke firmly.

“This isn’t a good time. We’re in the middle of an important mission that requires our full attention.”

“Tch, Mandalay’s right. Let’s leave it for after we’re done here.” Mirko clicked her tongue in slight annoyance and said this while looking at Kai, who nodded, visibly disappointed.

“I guess that’s fine.”

Meanwhile, Shino and Ryuko did not look too happy about the sudden development between their boyfriend and the rabbit heroine. They weren’t especially jealous—if they were, their shared relationship wouldn’t have even started in the first place—but somehow, they could feel that Kai and Mirko were clicking, which made them feel uncomfortable. It felt as though Kai were flirting with her, and given Mirko’s personality, that wasn’t too far from the truth.

Even though it was really uncomfortable to see Kai and Mirko looking at each other like that, Shino and Ryuko quickly started to breathe deeply to calm themselves and keep their emotions under control. After all, this wasn’t the right time. Besides, they were sure that Kai wasn’t flirting, nor did he have any intention of doing so, since if the person were a man, he would do exactly the same—and his request for a duel with All Might was proof of that.

Quickly, the group entered the building, where they were escorted by two officers to what appeared to be a meeting room—a large wooden table surrounded by chairs, various screens on the walls. There, a young, tall man with short black hair stood, wearing what seemed to be a detective’s uniform, who, upon seeing them arrive, greeted them quickly and courteously.

“Hello, everyone. Thank you for responding so quickly to the call. Today, I’ll be in charge of informing you about all the details of the mission and assisting you as much as possible.”

“We’re always ready to serve, Detective Tsukauchi. But let’s hear the details first.” After everyone quickly greeted him and took a seat, Mandalay spoke in a serious tone.

“Of course, that’s the most important part.” Tsukauchi replied seriously as he picked up a remote control from the table to turn on the screens. They showed data, maps, and aerial images of an island, and he went on to explain.

“In this case, the objective is to search for and rescue a group of twelve scientists who are in a fixed research base on an uninhabited, wooded island about 300 kilometers off the coast. If possible, we also need to retrieve the data stored in the research base to understand the entire event.

“As far as our information goes, early this morning, the scientists sent a report warning of signs of unusual geological phenomena: sudden low-intensity seismic activity and heat emissions in specific areas that did not match any known volcanic activity in the region.

“But a few hours ago, communication with them was completely lost, and the last message they sent was a distress signal, along with the voice of one of the scientists shouting about the existence of ‘monsters’ that were attacking them. It’s strange because the island supposedly had no large predators, let alone something that could be considered a ‘monster’.

“In addition, the area is experiencing earthquakes of up to intensity 4 on the Richter scale, and there’s some kind of electromagnetic interference preventing communication, which really limits our options. So, we can only rely on heroes experienced in forests and rescues. Also, given the strange report of ‘monsters’, we requested the support of a combat-oriented hero.”

(The geography of this world is really different from what I remember from my time as Daniel. Japan shouldn’t have uninhabited islands that big. But oh well, there are even more absurd things out there, so I’d better not overthink it…)

While the man explained, Kai studied one of the island maps, which showed several marked points of different colors indicating the heat spots and the seismic activity, among other important data, including the total area of the island, about 24 kilometers across.

“How complicated is the terrain?” Mandalay asked, pointing at the red-marked areas on the map, to which Tsukauchi quickly replied after zooming in on the map with the help of the remote control.

“Dense, rugged, and covered in vegetation. The heat emissions and tremors seem to be concentrated in these areas.” Tsukauchi indicated the points on the map displayed on the screen with a laser pointer. At that moment, Chatora asked in a serious tone.

“How is the civilian extraction planned?”

“Due to the conditions on the island, we’ll be using rescue helicopters equipped with electromagnetic shields. They’ll pass through the area every hour, as we can’t guarantee continuous communication. Keep that in mind.

“Also, two support vessels are currently leaving the port. They’ll be positioned a few kilometers away from the island, in a safe zone, with medical and communications teams on board. However, it will take them about three hours to arrive.” Tsukauchi explained, pointing on the map to where the ships would be. At that moment, Mirko asked, arms crossed.

“Any information about those ‘monsters’?”

“Unfortunately, no. Before communications were cut, nothing like that was reported. And as I mentioned, the island had no large predators.”

Tsukauchi explained, resting his arms on the table. Mirko nodded seriously, and they proceeded with more questions. After a few minutes, the detective replied to a radio call and then spoke in a serious tone.

“The helicopter that’ll take you there is ready and equipped. It’s time to go.”

““““Understood.””””

All the heroes replied in unison and then left the building quickly, heading to a helipad at the base where an imposing tactical helicopter awaited them. They boarded swiftly, guided by some police officers, and took off toward the island in question.

About an hour later, the helicopter began its descent onto a beach of white sand covered by a dense forest. In various parts of the area, thick columns of smoke and scorched zones could be seen. At that moment, one of the police officers began to speak over the communications system in a serious tone.

“Landing is impossible—the island is shaking.”

[Don’t worry, we’ll jump.] Mandalay replied in a serious tone using her telepathy, and everyone else nodded. They were already wearing gas masks. The officer responded firmly.

“Understood. We’ll leave it in your hands.”

Quickly, the helicopter descended to hover just a few meters above the terrifyingly shifting ground. As the heroes and Kai unbuckled their safety harnesses, the police officers accompanying them threw two metal cases onto the beach, immediately followed by the heroes leaping down and landing gracefully on the ground, as if the tremors beneath them didn’t affect them in the slightest.

After a few signals from the police officers in the helicopter, it rose into the air and flew away from the island. At that moment, Mirko turned to the others and spoke in a serious tone, full of eagerness for action.

“I’ll go off on my own. I’ll scout the area a bit, look for any trace of monsters, and we can meet up back here.”

“Wait, Mirko.”

Mandalay quickly spoke to stop the rabbit heroine, who was about to leap away using her powerful legs. Mirko turned to look at her questioningly, so Mandalay quickly added while pointing at Kai next to her.

"Kai has the ability to sense everything happening around him, including living beings, and you already know Ragdoll's quirk. It's faster if they scout the area first and create an updated map of the situation before we split up. In the meantime, we could set up a small operations base while the support vessels arrive."

“Can you really do that, kid?” Mirko asked, a bit curious, looking at Kai, who casually nodded while frowning in the direction of the forest.

“Yes, I can. But more importantly, the forest is saturated with extreme electromagnetic radiation, so our only method of communication will be telepathy. I’m not sure how possible it’ll be to use electronic devices inside.”

“Is it that bad?” Ryuko asked, somewhat worried, as she looked at Kai. Instead of answering, he took out his phone and turned it on while showing it to the heroes, then moved closer to the forest.

As he neared the forest, Kai’s phone began to flicker furiously before shutting off completely when he was barely a meter away from entering. At that moment, he turned to the heroes and spoke seriously.

“It’s fried. Although this is a good-quality device, and it’ll come back on after a while, using technology in there isn’t viable.”

The heroes’ expressions visibly hardened upon seeing the fried phone. Kai walked back to them while explaining, as the island’s tremors subsided—though, for now, they all decided not to pay attention to that.

“The same goes for the Pussycats’ devices. They have high-level shielding against electromagnetic pulses, which keeps them from getting shut down like my phone, but communication is impossible. So, they can only rely on a more limited local AI. Also, I don’t know how well-shielded the gear they gave us is, so we need to check it first.”

“That makes establishing a base of operations extremely important. The helicopters will pass by every hour, so we need to get the scientists to a safe, clear area for extraction.” Chatora commented in a serious tone while looking at the other heroes, who nodded firmly. At that moment, Mandalay looked at Kai and spoke.

“Kai, thank you for the warning. This information is very important, but we still need exploration. Could you please do an initial reconnaissance together with Ragdoll?”

“Let’s go, Kai.” Tomoko commented in a serious tone as she looked at Kai with some concern. However, to her surprise, the blue-eyed boy simply nodded with a serious expression.

“Sure.”

“Then we’re counting on you. I’ll send a telepathic message every five minutes to check the situation and keep us all in contact.” Mandalay spoke seriously as she looked at Kai and Tomoko, who nodded in agreement.

Quickly, Kai and Tomoko went into the forest, which brought small smiles of pride to the faces of Shino, Ryuko, and Chatora. Initially, they had thought Kai would refuse or at least complain, but seeing him head out so seriously filled them with a huge sense of happiness and pride, because he was taking helping others seriously. At that moment, Mirko asked with a slightly dissatisfied tone.

“So I should just wait here until they get back?”

“That’s best. I know you like action and working solo, but this is a critical situation, and we have to take every precaution. Kai and Ragdoll have specialized exploration, search, and tracking abilities, so it’s better for them to do the initial survey. Meanwhile, we have to set up a temporary operations base so we can coordinate and ensure easy extraction.” Mandalay explained while looking at Mirko, who could only nod in agreement.

“I guess you’re right. Let’s do this quickly.”

While Mirko and the Pussycats worked on setting up a base of operations, Kai and Tomoko were moving through the forest with incredible ease and speed. However, curiously, the blue-eyed boy still had his brow furrowed, his gaze distant, deeply lost in thought.

[Sage, are you really not detecting anything strange about me?] Kai asked his reliable fairy assistant, who flew at his side, through their mental connection. She quickly replied in a serious tone.

[No, Master. You’re just experiencing a slight case of anxiety, but other than that, there’s nothing out of the ordinary.]

[But why am I feeling anxious? And why right when I arrived on this island? Something really strange is happening here. Is the family okay?] Kai asked, feeling incredibly uncomfortable. Sage answered after her wings lit up in various colors for an instant.

[Everyone’s physical condition is perfect. I also checked the cameras, the virtual assistants, the security systems—everything. Nothing out of the ordinary is happening, Master.]

[…]

Ever since Kai set foot on the island, a bizarre feeling had overwhelmed him. Suddenly, his heart rate had sped up, and his mind had sharpened greatly, as if he were facing a huge threat. To the point where he thought the helicopter might crash or something like that, so he even used his future sight. But nothing happened—they arrived at the island without any problems. Still, the feeling hadn’t gone away; in fact, it might have gotten worse.

(Something is going on, I’m sure of it. But what could it be…? Is it on this island, or is it something else I’m overlooking…?)

...

You can support me on pa-atreon (lordanl) and get up to 10 advanced chapters.

Chapter 128: He’s one of the scientists.

Chapter Text

“Kai, are you okay?” While traveling next to Kai and using her quirk to try to detect the scientists, Tomoko noticed his expression, which led her to ask with concern.

“Not really, I feel like something strange is going on, but I can’t pinpoint what it is.” Kai replied in a thoughtful tone, making Tomoko nod. She quickly added with a small smile.

“Oh, that. Don’t worry, I felt something similar on my first mission. It could be nerves or something like that. You’ll get used to it.”

“I hope it’s just that…” Kai answered with an uncertain tone, which made Tomoko smile gently as she continued in a warm, gentle voice.

“You’ll see it’s just that. Everything’s going to be fine.”

As they ventured deeper into the forest, Kai had extended the full range of his Observation Haki. Although it was far less precise than his [En]—to the point that, aside from the “voices”, everything else he sensed came through as “faint figures”—it had two incredible advantages. First of all, it was a [passive ability], so as long as he remained focused, he could perceive his surroundings at a very low energy cost.

Regarding the second advantage, his Observation Haki had a perceptual range at least 10 times larger than his [En], reaching close to a 5-kilometer radius—or, in other words, almost 10 kilometers in diameter. However, this did not come without drawbacks. Unlike [En], to which he could give any shape he wanted, thus modifying its extension or what he focused on. The range of his Haki always extended in all directions with him at the center, and the only thing he could control was how far it reached.

On the other hand, such a large perception range in highly populated places like a city was a headache because of the excessive amount of information he received, forcing him to keep his range from expanding too far. But on the island, he could let his range run free, so it wouldn’t take him long to explore the entire area.

About 15 minutes after navigating through a forest filled with strange hot spots and cracks emitting odd gases, Kai stopped on the branch of a tree along with Tomoko, wearing a serious expression. After all, they had just arrived in front of the ruins of what was once an impressive research center made up of different houses and facilities perfectly integrated into the forest. Now, it was only a pile of rubble.

“I can’t find anything with [Search]…” Tomoko commented in a serious tone while looking at the destroyed site, where even some of the nearby trees looked charred, and the ground was full of cracks releasing yellowish gases that obstructed visibility.

“There’s no one alive, but I can sense a corpse inside.” Kai responded after confirming the interior with [En]. He then turned to look at Tomoko and added in a serious tone.

“Wait for me here. I want to check the place thoroughly; I can’t shake this strange feeling.”

“Let’s go together. Maybe between the two of us, we can find some clue about what happened here. Besides, we were also asked to recover the base’s data.” Tomoko replied, looking directly into Kai’s eyes through her visor. After thinking for a moment, he nodded and agreed.

“All right, let’s go together then.”

With superhuman agility, Kai and Tomoko began jumping from branch to branch until they reached what was left of the building, carefully avoiding the cracks in the ground that released the strange gases. At that moment, Kai, making use of his extraordinary strength, began to lift the debris from what appeared to be a research facility, soon revealing the corpse of a man beneath a collapsed wall.

“He’s one of the scientists.” Tomoko said gravely, and Kai nodded before walking among the rubble to examine the body himself. Just then, Shino’s telepathic message arrived again.

[Ragdoll, Kai, any updates?]

[Yes, we reached the research base, but it’s completely destroyed, and we’re currently examining the body of one of the scientists Kai found.] While Kai crouched down to study the body, Tomoko answered in a serious tone through the mental connection, prompting Shino to reply in a solemn voice.

[Any trace of the others?]

[None so far.] Tomoko responded concisely, leading Shino to give firm instructions.

[For now, focus on finding any survivors. Split up to cover more ground.]

After Shino’s message, Tomoko approached Kai, who had already moved the corpse onto the ground for a better look. She then spoke in a serious voice.

“Kai, did you hear Mandalay?”

“Yeah…” Kai nodded, a thoughtful look on his face as he closely observed the corpse, which had a strange pale greenish skin and multiple contusions. He then looked at Tomoko and added more seriously.

“Stay alert. For some reason, this all feels very off.”

“All right. You be careful too.”

After nodding, her expression serious behind the gas mask, Tomoko sprinted toward the other side of the island. Kai watched her until she disappeared from view. At that moment, he stood up from his crouching position and surveyed the area with visible unease, still keeping his [En] active over the entire place.

[Sage, is it just me, or have we not found a single living thing on this island so far?] Kai asked in an unusually solemn tone as he looked at the corpse at his feet. The beautiful fairy answered similarly.

[You’re right, Master. So far, we haven’t detected a single sign of life, not even insects.]

“Salem, try sniffing around here to see if you find any trace of prey or anything strange.”

Kai quickly commanded the cat on his shoulder, which jumped off and grew to about one meter in length before it began sniffing the surroundings. However, not long afterward, it returned, meowing, which Kai understood as a negative.

“As I thought. Let’s move more quickly.”

Once Salem hopped back onto his shoulder, Kai muttered under his breath. At the same time, sparks of electricity began crackling around him, causing his hair to stand on end. He then dashed off at blinding speed into the forest in the opposite direction from Tomoko. But just a few minutes later, the moment he passed near one of the cracks releasing the strange gases, a powerful explosion shook the island.

…

While Pixie-Bob used her Quirk to create a small elevated plateau, flat and sturdy, as well as capable of withstanding tremors, Mandalay, Tiger, and Mirko opened the metal cases they had brought. They then began organizing all the medical, communication, and other equipment inside them before starting to move everything up onto the plateau.

“Ragdoll and Kai found one of the scientists’ corpses at the research base.”

As they finished organizing the equipment, Mandalay suddenly reported in a deep, solemn voice, drawing the other heroes’ attention. Chatora spoke up in a similar tone.

“Any sign of survivors?”

“Not yet. Ragdoll and Kai split up to cover more ground with their quirks, so we just have to be ready to move at any moment.” Mandalay shook her head and replied with some concern, prompting Mirko to step forward and ask seriously.

“Did they mention anything about the monsters?”

“No, so far—” Just as Mandalay was speaking, the ground shook violently, and in the distance, a bright ball of fire could be seen expanding with tremendous force. Pixie-Bob cried out, her voice filled with panic.

“Kai, Tomoko!!!”

Without a single moment of hesitation, Ryuko leaped from the plateau and immediately manipulated the earth to propel herself, flying toward the explosion. At the same time, she crossed her arms in front of her, causing a bluish electric-like shield to protect her from the shockwave that reached them along with the powerful sound of the explosion, without slowing her down. She was closely followed by the other heroes.

[Kai, Ragdoll!! Are you okay?!!] While running with all her might, Shino urgently sent a telepathic message laden with worry, which Tomoko answered immediately, sounding just as alarmed.

[I’m fine, I’m heading toward the explosion; Kai is over there!]

[Don’t worry, I caused the explosion, but I’m okay. Just be very careful—the gas coming out of the cracks is explosive. A single spark of my electricity was enough to set it off.] Kai quickly replied telepathically, letting Shino breathe a sigh of relief before sending out another message to everyone else.

[Kai and Ragdoll are okay, but the gas in the cracks is explosive. Be careful.]

[That’s a relief…] Ryuko commented, much calmer now, then landed nearby using her metallic cables, which wrapped around tree branches to break her fall. At that moment, Mirko asked in a serious tone.

“We’re still going over there, right? With an explosion like that, if there are any survivors left, they’re probably in a panic.”

“You’re right, we need to move fast. Also, even though Kai said he’s okay, I’m still worried. I’ll inform the others.”

After Shino used her telepathy to get Kai’s location, everyone rushed to the site. They arrived to find Ragdoll already there, checking on Salem’s condition along with Kai, who was now shirtless from the waist up and no longer wearing his gas mask—though he was completely unharmed. Ryuko immediately ran to him and asked, worried, while Shino lingered behind, biting her lip.

“Kai! Are you okay? What happened?”

“I’m fine. A spark set the gas off, and it blew up in my face. So be really careful near the cracks.” Kai answered calmly, apparently more preoccupied with the cat in his arms, which allowed the Pussycats to fully relax. Mirko commented with a hint of approval.

“You’re pretty tough if that explosion didn’t leave a single scratch on you, kid.”

“Thanks, I guess?” Kai responded casually, not really sure how to reply to the “compliment”. Chatora then added in a serious tone.

“It’s a relief that you’re okay, Kai, but we have to move fast to find survivors. Also, you need to head back for a new mask.”

“I understand, but there's something I need to say first.” Kai remarked with a serious tone, causing all the heroes to look at him with curiosity. At that moment, he added solemnly while placing the equally unharmed Salem back on his shoulder.

“Don’t get your hopes up about finding survivors. It’s possible there aren’t any. I couldn’t sense so much as a mosquito in all the places I checked. Something very weird is happening on this island—it’s as if, aside from us, nothing else is alive.” Kai’s words caused a slight stir among the group of heroes, but Mandalay quickly composed herself and spoke firmly.

“I understand. But we still need to search for them. Go back for a mask so you can continue exploring. You and Ragdoll doing the search will be the most efficient. Meanwhile, Tiger and Pixie-Bob will look through the research base for clues, and hopefully the facility’s records. I’ll return to our base and maintain telepathic contact with everyone. Be extremely careful.”

“““Understood””” the Pussycats responded in unison to their leader. At that moment, Mirko spoke up as she crouched slightly.

“I’ll do my own scouting, too. I’m sick of sitting still. Keep me posted on any changes.”

“All right.” Mandalay nodded seriously. Mirko grinned fiercely and dashed off into the forest, quickly disappearing from sight. The red-clad heroine then turned to Kai, speaking sternly.

“Let’s go back, Kai.”

“Let’s go.” Kai agreed, then picked Shino up in a princess carry and bolted toward the spot where they had landed. The other members also split up to carry out their respective roles.

...

You can support me on pa-atreon (lordanl) and get up to 10 advanced chapters.

Chapter 129: A survivor.

Chapter Text

Shortly after, Kai arrived with Shino at the beach, then ran to a small plateau near the forest, covered by a high wall of hardened earth. Inside were stretchers, chairs, tables, some screens that weren’t working very well, and even communication equipment—which wasn’t very useful given the electromagnetic interference.

“Kai, are you sure nothing happened to you?” Once Kai set her down in the temporary base, Shino asked worriedly, feeling around her beloved’s body. He answered with a smile.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine. I didn’t protect the sweatshirt and mask because my father couldn’t do that, but I did protect my pants—since I didn’t want to end up naked, hehehe.”

“Dummy.” Shino retorted with a pout, then gave him a quick kiss. But her expression swiftly turned serious again, and she asked in a firm, grave tone befitting the leader of the Pussycats, the hero Mandalay.

“Kai, do you really think all the scientists are dead?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but ever since I arrived, I’ve had a strange feeling I just can’t shake. And the fact that there aren’t even any mosquitoes in a forest—no matter how damaged it might be—is too strange. Not to mention, I didn’t sense or see anything that could suggest the presence of ‘monsters’.”

“You’re right about that. It’s very strange…” Mandalay commented pensively, bringing a hand to her chin. But she quickly shook her head, looked into Kai’s eyes again, and added firmly.

“But for now, go back to exploring. With your perception range, together with Ragdoll, it shouldn’t take long to search the entire island.”

“All right.”

After nodding, Kai rummaged through one of the boxes. He found a new gas mask and a simple black shirt, which he quickly put on before heading back into the forest. He extended his Observation Haki to its fullest range, though this time he did not dare use the Lightning Mantle, since the explosion had been quite strong. If it were not for his future sight letting him cover himself in Armament Haki in time, he might have been seriously hurt.

Not long after, Kai managed to map almost half the island with his Observation Haki, but instead of feeling relieved, his expression grew more and more grim. He couldn’t sense anything alive—not even with [En]—which only worsened his bad feeling. Something very strange was happening on that island, and he wasn’t about to let it go. Suddenly, a telepathic message from Shino reached his mind.

[Kai, Ragdoll just found a survivor trapped in a narrow cave several meters underground. Pixie-Bob will bring him up to the surface and then bring him over to the operations base.]

[Got it. Then I’ll head back to the base. I want to ask that person what happened here; this is all too strange.] Kai quickly answered through the mental link. He immediately changed direction and hurried to the base, eager to find out what had occurred. At that moment, Shino replied in a firm tone.

[Finish exploring the island first. Finding survivors is more important—that way we can get a clearer picture of what happened.]

[Right, you have a point. I’ll do it as quickly as possible and come back.]

After responding, Kai changed direction once more and started sprinting across the island with all his might, still without using his Lightning Mantle. Eventually, he returned to the operations base wearing an extremely dark expression. After all, he hadn’t found anyone else alive on the entire island—not even a single corpse.

Upon landing on the platform Ryuko had created, Kai found all the heroes gathered around what appeared to be an unconscious lizard man on a stretcher. The man was breathing with obvious difficulty and wore typical explorer’s clothes: sturdy pants full of pockets and a matching vest, both of which were torn and bloodstained in various places. All the heroes had grim, solemn expressions on their faces.

“I didn’t find anyone else alive.”

The moment he arrived, Kai announced in a serious tone, which caught the attention of all the heroes. They turned to look at him with somber expressions and nodded, having already been informed by Mandalay, who asked in a serious yet grim tone.

“Kai, could you check his condition? We haven’t managed to wake him up.”

“Of course.”

Kai quickly nodded and approached the man to take his pulse, check his pupils, feel around in various places, and so on—at the same time examining the holograms Sage had displayed in front of him containing the lizard man’s information.

“Does the kid know first aid?” Seeing how professionally Kai examined the man, Mirko asked in slight confusion. Next to her, Chatora replied in a serious tone.

“Actually, quite a bit more than that. Kai has been studying medicine for years and is very good at it. If he had the certification, he could even be a surgeon—something recognized by Recovery Girl herself and several medical schools.”

“Seriously?”

Mirko asked, clearly surprised. Although she hadn’t studied at U.A, she knew Recovery Girl was considered one of the pillars of the school—thanks not only to her incredible quirk, but also because she was one of the best doctors in Japan.

"Very serious." Ryuko, who was on the other side, commented in a serious tone without taking her eyes off Kai, who quickly headed toward the area where the medical team was stationed and grabbed several items.

“The kid is pretty smart...” Mirko commented in a low voice, to which Tomoko, who was standing next to Ryuko, firmly stated.

“Kai is the best.”

At that moment, Kai pulled a modular wheeled table over to the stretcher, placing on it everything he had gathered. Among the items were a small scalpel and what looked like a plastic tube in vacuum packaging, which he set aside. He then tore open the lizard man’s vest and shirt, revealing his chest—which had no scales.

After cleaning the area on the side of the man’s chest with alcohol, Kai opened the scalpel and tube packaging, then washed his hands up to his forearms with the same alcohol. He sprayed some more on the scalpel and made a small incision in the side he had just cleaned. Then he inserted the tube, causing a burst of dark, dense blood to shoot out.

As the blood was released, the lizard man’s chest began to expand more steadily, though he remained unconscious. Kai quickly grabbed more of the items he’d placed on the table: a syringe, an ampule, a bag of saline solution, and an IV catheter. After filling the syringe with the liquid from the ampule, he injected it into the saline bag, then inserted the catheter into a visible vein in the man’s forearm and adjusted the drip rate.

Immediately afterward, Kai took the last item he had brought—a manual pump mask—and fit it over the lizard man’s face, which worked even with his unusual facial structure. At that point, Kai turned to look at Shino and spoke in a serious tone while pumping the manual respirator at regular intervals.

“Mandalay, could you help me pump? You just have to do it at the same pace I’m doing.”

“Sure.” Mandalay nodded quickly and stepped forward to squeeze the manual pump at the same rhythm Kai was using. He nodded in satisfaction.

“Perfect, keep that pace.”

While Shino did the pumping, Kai began methodically applying gentle pressure to the lizard man’s chest, prompting him to breathe more deeply. This visibly brightened the expressions of all the heroes, especially Shino and Ryuko, who seemed to be restraining themselves behind their serious faces to avoid pouncing on Kai—so much so that they failed to notice the glitter in the eyes of a certain turquoise-haired heroine.

After a few minutes of this procedure, the lizard man began letting out pained groans, until he was finally able to open his eyes. Kai nodded with satisfaction, then hooked the tube he’d inserted in the man’s side to a sterile bag and secured it with some tape so it wouldn’t move. At that moment, Mirko couldn’t hold back an admiring gaze and said in a soft voice.

“You’re really impressive, kid.”

“It’s nothing out of this world. The most important thing is to find out what happened.” Kai remarked, without giving it much importance. Then he looked at Shino and spoke in a calm tone.

“Mandalay, you can remove the mask now. He should be able to breathe on his own.”

“All right.”

Mandalay gave a serious nod and stepped back with the mask in hand. Kai approached the lizard man, who was looking around with a lost expression, then snapped his fingers in front of him while speaking, drawing his attention.

“Hey, buddy—over here. Focus.”

Little by little, the lizard man’s gaze focused on the snapping fingers, until he managed to steady himself enough to speak in a hoarse, broken voice, taking long pauses for air as his face contorted in pain.

“Where… am I?”

“You’re in a temporary rescue camp. We found you in a narrow cave. A helicopter will be here soon to take you out.” Mandalay answered quickly. Kai shook his head and spoke in a serious tone, looking the lizard man in the eyes.

“That’s not important. What’s important is that we need to know what happened. Can you remember anything? Did you see anything? Hear anything?”

“What about the others… are they okay?” the man asked with great difficulty, looking at Kai, who fixed him with a very serious stare.

“I need you to focus and tell me everything you remember—be as detailed as possible.”

“…” The man fell silent and stared back at Kai. Ryuko tried to approach, but Chatora stopped her by extending a hand and shaking her head.

“… This morning, we woke up to a slight tremor…” A moment later, the man began to speak in a weak voice. He closed his eyes, paused to breathe several times with difficulty, and continued.

“That tremor… it was strange, since it didn’t match the records we had… so Professor Kimura and Naoki started investigating… planning to send a report back inland… while the rest of us went on… with our normal activities… in my case… I continued my study of some strange fish in one… of the newly discovered passageways in the northern caves…

“Through the communications system… I managed to hear Professor Kimura reporting… strange heat signatures that appeared out of nowhere… and asking everyone to return… but on the way… there was a strong earthquake and communication started failing… so I rushed to get out… but then… the ground beneath me gave way… and I fell into a new passage… where I was trapped… until I passed out…”

After finishing his story, the man began breathing deeply with evident discomfort, while Kai had an unreadable expression on his face. However, after a few seconds, he sighed softly and commented in a calm and formal tone.

“I see. Rest for now. In a few minutes, the helicopter should arrive to take you to a nearby base.”

“Al… Alright.” The man responded with difficulty, then completely relaxed on the stretcher and significantly steadied his breathing. At that moment, Mandalay signaled for everyone to leave the room.

…

“What do you all think?” Mandalay asked in a dark tone once they had reconvened far enough away not to be overheard. Ragdoll spoke in a heavy, regretful voice.

“I think Kai’s right. I didn’t find anyone else alive…”

“I didn’t find any trace of any ‘monsters’ either…” Mirko added, her tone serious. Mandalay turned to look at Kai, who was deep in thought, and asked.

“Did you find anything, Kai?”

“That’s the thing: not only did I not find anyone alive, I didn’t find any more bodies. And unlike Ragdoll, I can actually sense them.” Kai replied solemnly, causing the other heroes’ faces to darken even more. Pixie-Bob, clenching her fists, asked.

“What happened on this island…? They couldn’t have just vanished into thin air…”

...

You can support me on pa-atreon (lordanl) and get up to 10 advanced chapters.

Chapter 130: The sea!

Chapter Text

“For now, let’s calm down. Kai and Ragdoll haven’t checked the entire island; they’ve each only explored half…” Tiger commented solemnly, almost as if trying to convince himself. At that moment, Mandalay spoke with authority.

“Tiger is right. First of all, Kai and Ragdoll need to explore the entire island, each on their own. Besides…” Mandalay turned to look at Pixie-Bob and Tiger, then asked in a serious tone.

“Tiger, Pixie-Bob, did you find any data in the base?”

“We found a few USB drives and other devices where they stored data, but every electronic device, if it wasn’t destroyed, it was fried, so we don’t know if they work.” Pixie-Bob answered in a tense tone, prompting Mandalay to nod before turning to Mirko, Kai, and Ragdoll to speak again.

“Then Mirko, Kai, and Ragdoll should explore a bit more. They might find something. Meanwhile, Tiger, Pixie-Bob, and I will stay at the base since the helicopter won’t take long to arrive.”

“Alright, I’ll keep looking.” Mirko agreed with a serious expression. Ragdoll and Kai did the same, and moments later, the three of them dashed off in different directions.

…

“What do you think happened on this island?” As they walked back, Ryuko asked gravely, to which Chatora responded in a similar tone.

“Hard to say. Hopefully, we can do something with the storage devices we brought, or we might be facing an impossible mystery to solve…”

“What worries me right now is Kai’s attitude. Even though I’m glad he’s taking all of this seriously, somehow I feel that ‘strange sensation’ he’s been talking about got to me too. I sense that something very dangerous is hiding here…” Shino remarked while staring into the forest with a sharp, worried gaze, which inevitably made Chatora and Ryuko nod in agreement.

“You’re right, I’ve also started feeling a bit anxious for a while now, like something is watching us.” Ryuko commented uneasily, to which Chatora replied in a serious tone.

“Let’s hope it’s just Kai’s demeanor making us feel this way and nothing else…”

Minutes passed slowly, and finally, after sprinting at top speed using only enhancement to strengthen himself, Kai checked every corner of the island with Observation Haki and En. Yet, he still couldn’t find a single trace of the scientists, not even their corpses. So, in the end, he ended up at one of the island’s edges—a small cliff overlooking the sea—where he stood with a complex expression, watching in the distance as the helicopter flew off with the lizard man.

(Could it be that an explosion erased the scientists’ corpses…? No, that doesn’t make sense. Even though there are indeed some traces of explosions in certain areas, if that had been the case, there should have been some remains of them. But I found nothing, even when I looked into cracks. Something else happened here, but what…?

On the other hand, I also didn’t find any fish, animal, or any other kind of corpse—like they were erased somehow. But if that was the case, why was one corpse left intact, and how did someone survive…? Did they forget them or not notice them...? So many questions and not the slightest clue to unravel the mystery…)

While Kai was lost in thought, his gaze fixed on the waves crashing against the cliff—feeling as though he was missing something crucial—he suddenly noticed something odd on the water’s surface at the edge of his vision. It inevitably caught his attention, to the point that he sent out his [En], which at this moment could extend up to about 750 meters if he tried his hardest, causing his eyes to widen in shock.

“Of course!! The sea!!”

Kai exclaimed in realization as he leaped at high speed toward the ocean, landing upright on the water, where he retrieved from the surface what appeared to be a notebook inside a damaged waterproof bag.

“Webbing…?”

On inspecting the bag and the notebook, Kai couldn’t help noticing that they seemed to have been damaged by some kind of fangs. But the truly striking detail was a faint trace of a whitish substance—a spiderweb—which left him stunned for a minute, while his mind started racing through his memories.

“Now that I think about it, there were no spiderwebs on the island… How is it possible there wasn’t a single spiderweb on a wooded island? Isn’t that just as strange as not finding any corpses…?”

Standing on the water as though it were solid ground, Kai murmured to himself in disbelief. Then, he conjured a sword in his hand without even bothering to do the trick of making it appear from Salem’s fur. He concentrated his Armament Haki and enhancement into it and unleashed a fierce black slash that split the sea as if Moses himself had done it.

By parting the sea, Kai intensely scanned the surroundings and even pushed [En] and [Observation Haki] to their limits, unwilling to miss anything. This allowed him to quickly spot, in the distance, a trail of spiderwebs on the seabed stretching out in a straight line. It began to fade rapidly, as though contact with air accelerated its dissolution.

“Got you, you son of a bitch.”

[Kai, what happened?! Did you find something?!] Seeing Kai suddenly unleash his colossal power, Shino hurriedly contacted him via telepathy, alarmed. Kai answered with a broad smile on his face.

[Yes, I’ve got them. They’re under the sea, but the trail is disappearing. I’ll move on my own; if anything happens, I’ll let you know.]

[Wait, Kai! What did you find? Is it dangerous?!] Shino quickly asked, worried. Kai responded in a calm tone while running at high speed over the turbulent sea, which was returning to its normal state.

[It’s a trail of spiderwebs. I found one of the scientists’ notebooks with traces of web on it in the ocean, so I decided to check below and discovered a kind of spiderweb tunnel that was vanishing. And I found no spiderwebs anywhere on the island, so it’s very likely this is them.]

[Then wait for us. We can ask for transport and reinforcements.] Shino responded immediately, but Kai refused in a serious tone.

[That’s not possible. I can’t sense them, which means they must be too far away. So all I have is this spiderweb trail that’s fading. If I lose it, I might not be able to find them. But as soon as I can, I’ll contact the base and request a transport for you, and I’ll give you my position so you can come find me. Besides, you all know that, in an emergency, I can always escape, so nothing will happen to me.]

[Kai… Why are you so interested in this…?] Shino asked in a somewhat indecipherable, gentle tone, to which Kai replied after a moment’s consideration, never ceasing his sprint.

[… Because I have a bad feeling. Somehow I sense that if I let this slip away, I’ll end up regretting it. So I want to see with my own eyes what’s going on—whether it’s just my paranoia or if there’s really something to worry about.]

[… Alright then. We’ll wait for transport so we can follow you.] After a brief pause, Shino responded firmly and seriously, causing Kai to smile as he replied cheerfully.

[I love you, Shino.]

[And I love you more.]

After saying goodbye to Shino, Kai continued running over the ocean, guided by the faint “outline” of the spiderweb he could sense with his Observation Haki. It was so weak and subtle that if he didn’t focus on it specifically, he could easily overlook it as something else. After a while, he called out to his trusty assistant.

“Sage, can you connect to the satellites now?”

“Yes, Master, I’ve regained the connection.” The beautiful fairy answered in a serious tone as she flew beside her master. Kai quickly gave an order in a stern voice.

“Perfect. Then show me the profile of all the scientists. I want to know why they were taken. And contact the base we left from—tell them to send a maritime transport for the others, preferably a fast boat.”

“Right away.”

Sage replied seriously, her wings flashing various colors as a hologram with all the information appeared before Kai, who began reviewing it with a serious expression while running.

“… No matter how I look at it, they don’t have anything interesting—no signs of ‘special research’, and their quirks aren’t strong or even noteworthy. Wait.” Kai muttered to himself, confused, as he checked the scientists’ information over and over. Suddenly, something caught his eye.

“There was one without a quirk…?”

Swiftly, Kai zoomed in on the file for the person who lacked a quirk, only to realize it was actually the same person found dead in the base. Although he looked a bit different when alive, Kai could still recognize him, which sent him into deep thought.

(Was it because he didn’t have a quirk that they left him…? No, but if that were the case, why weren’t there more remains of animals or anything else…? It must be something else. Besides, the survivor did have a quirk, and the other scientists had very weak quirks—like reducing their need for sleep or humidifying the air around them, nothing special at all. Actually, the lizard man might be considered the strongest, at least having heightened senses and some super strength. So maybe it’s not about quirks…)

Thinking through various possibilities, Kai kept sprinting full speed over the water, aided by his first-stage Lightning Mantle. He wasn’t willing to burn too much energy yet. Then, all of a sudden, at the very edge of his Observation Haki’s range beneath the sea, he sensed multiple voices gathered together, causing him to abruptly stop.

“How can this be…?”

Kai’s expression showed utter disbelief as he focused on the five “voices” he could sense at the ocean floor. Each of them was incredibly strong. If he had to compare, they were around the same level as the current All Might, which shocked him to the core. Even though they were weaker than he was, fighting five current All Mights at once could be potentially fatal, forcing him to go all out or simply flee.

Moreover, there was a fundamental difference between these “voices” and the “voices” of other powerful beings he had sensed before, like the Nomus. Those Nomus, although quite strong, were actually a strange amalgamation of multiple voices, which for some reason made them vulnerable to his Haki—like they had a special weakness—so they were actually very easy enemies to handle.

But the “voices” he felt right now were different. In some way, they felt more “solid”, “real”, and much harder to predict, as though, unlike the Nomus, these were truly real threats with overwhelming power, not those odd entities that used their abilities in a stupid, pre-programmed way. Additionally, he could instinctively sense that these things did not share the Nomus’ same vulnerability to his Haki.

(How can they be so strong? Wasn’t the current All Might supposed to be invincible…? Though wait, what I know from the original series is way too little. I’m basically in uncharted territory now, and while that’s helped me relax a bit and adjust my mindset, it also has its downside: I have no clue what happens next, which is pretty dangerous.

(But looking at it from another angle, this world definitely has something to do with that anime I once watched, so for now, I’ll just turn a blind eye and pretend that somehow the author managed to learn about this world in a magic dream or something and used that to create his story. If that’s the case, there must be elements that would be interesting for a battle-themed story, and there’s nothing more interesting than powerful enemies.

(If we follow that line of reasoning, we could assume that what the author got in his “magic dream” were the events or main players in this world—like All Might, his successor, his companions, and a bit of how things work here. Logically, he would also have known about some powerful “villains”, which inevitably led him to create a 'shōnen', given the world’s structure and its “agents”.

(Though I’m really forcing things here, that train of thought leads me to a conclusion: if you want to maintain a shōnen over time, there always have to be increasingly powerful villains, so that must have been a key point the author considered when deciding to make this kind of story rather than something else with the info he got in that “dream”. Hence, there’s a good chance that All Might’s level is not absolute or invincible. There are far more powerful things that appeared later on, which I know nothing about.

(Therefore, I need to erase from my mind right now the idea that I’m the strongest. Even though if I gave it my all, I should be able to defeat prime All Might, his level can be surpassed, and there may be unknown things out there much stronger than me. Plus, One for All is acting strange. Midoriya’s data is starting to differ from All Might’s, and his quirk factor is mutating at a rapid pace. His “voice” is also starting to sound different from when All Might had it.

(In conclusion, there’s a high likelihood that One for All is evolving and will reach a qualitative change that makes it absurdly more powerful. Consequently, there’s an extremely high chance that in the future, “strong entities” will show up as a challenge for the “protagonist” and, by extension, for me. So I have to be very cautious and gather as much information as possible before doing anything else, or I might end up throwing my life or my family’s lives away.)

Chapter 131: They just got away from me.

Chapter Text

After a long meditation on his situation, Kai quickly ran to catch up with the voices that had gone beyond his perception range. At that moment, he conjured the [Trace] card between his fingers and aimed it toward the voices. However, instead of activating the card, he decided to be cautious and, in an incredibly serious tone, gave an order to his reliable assistant.

“Sage, I need to mark the things that are underneath. Help me with the calculations—I don’t want to fail.”

“Immediately, Master.”

Immediately after replying, Sage materialized a hologram in [In] state that depicted Kai’s pointing hand, slightly superimposed over Kai’s real arm. The blue-eyed boy quickly adjusted his position so they matched perfectly, at which point a predictive line pointing toward the sea appeared. Without waiting even a second, he activated the card.

“[Trace] On!”

With the card’s activation, it became an arrow of light that shot out in a straight line, following the predictive line perfectly. Moments later, Kai sensed that the ability had struck something and triggered. At that instant, he not only perceived the exact position of the creature, but also its weak points, which in a way allowed him to identify what he had hit.

(Its weaknesses are a spot under its abdomen and the upper joints of its 8 legs? Is it actually a spider?)

“[Eagle Sight] On!”

Curious, Kai quickly conjured a card that, apart from the golden Aura Script pattern, featured a pair of binoculars made of light at the center, with what looked like light-formed angel wings at the edges. He activated it right away, causing the card to transform into a pair of binoculars quite similar to the ones on the card—albeit without the wings.

The [Eagle Sight] card was a very interesting ability that allowed him to do only one thing: see a target clearly at a distance of up to 5 kilometers, ignoring any type of visual obstacle such as walls, fog, or darkness. In exchange, the binoculars could only remain for a maximum of 10 minutes. He could not move from his spot while using them, he could only use the card 20 times a month, and he had to already know what he wanted to focus on. If he used them without having a clear target, they would not work.

When he raised the binoculars to his eyes, Kai could see the creatures he had been following, which indeed were spiders. However, they had rather strange colors and shapes, and some were even monstrously large.

Leading the group was a spider the size of a large dog, which had dozens of eyes; from its enormous abdomen sprouted large amounts of webbing it seemed able to control at will. It was using that web to create a tunnel through which the entire group traveled beneath the sea, meaning that web must have had some very special properties.

Right behind, there was a spider at least three times larger, roughly the size of a horse, with a grotesque and bulky appearance. It had a disproportionately large abdomen and a powerful jaw that seemed designed for crushing, protruding from its body with an almost metallic look, despite being completely black.

On the bulky spider’s belly, there was a “small” one, about the size of an adult cat, bluish in color, with strange glowing patterns on its abdomen vaguely resembling an electrical circuit. It seemed quite hyperactive, never stopping its movement from one side of the bigger spider’s belly to the other.

The last two were equally strange. One was about the same size as the first and had a similar appearance, but its abdomen occasionally glowed softly, revealing its interior, where what looked like a liquid or gas was moving. Meanwhile, the last one, slightly bigger, seemed to be made of stone, with legs apparently designed specifically for digging and a smaller, angular abdomen, as though it were a rock.

“Sage, record their appearances. They seem to be related to their ‘quirks’.” While analyzing the spiders’ different traits, Kai spoke in a serious voice, to which the little fairy replied with an equally serious tone.

“It’s done, Master.”

“Let’s mark all of them in case they split up.” Quickly, Kai spoke in a low voice and summoned another Trace card in his left hand. At that moment, Sage created a new targeting hologram while speaking.

“The calculations are complete.”

“Perfect. [Trace] On!”

Wasting no time, Kai quickly lined up his position with the hologram and activated the card, never once taking his eyes off the spiders through the binoculars. Thanks to that, he was able to see how the Trace arrow hit the first spider directly. He watched for a moment, and upon seeing that it continued doing the same thing with no change, he nodded in satisfaction.

“Good. They can’t detect [Trace], so it’s quite likely they can’t detect you in [In] state either. Let’s mark them all, and then you can go analyze them.” Kai commented with a smile, without taking his eyes off the spiders. Sage nodded seriously.

“Understood, Master. The moment you give the order, I’ll head out.”

After Kai nodded, he activated Trace cards one after another, managing to mark all the spiders. At that point, he signaled his trusty assistant, who shot off at high speed and dove into the sea without leaving a single ripple, while he continued to observe everything through the binoculars.

As Kai expected, the spiders did not notice Sage analyzing them. After a few minutes, the beautiful fairy reappeared before him with a radiant smile on her face, at which point she showed him the data she had collected via a hologram. It not only displayed all their physical data, but also their “quirks”, or rather an estimation of them.

“[Geological Manipulation], [Gas Generation], [Electrification], [Biological Storage], and [Web Master]?” Upon reviewing the data, Kai muttered under his breath, prompting Sage to nod and explain in an upbeat tone.

“That’s right, Master. Though for now, it’s just our best guess, based on their physical data, quirk factors, and what we saw on the island, it’s very likely those are their abilities. The one that looks like a rock is probably responsible for the earthquakes, the one with the glowing abdomen is the one that created the explosive gas, and that bright little one was the one responsible for the electromagnetic emission.”

“Then I guess the scientists are all inside the spider with the metal jaw.” Kai commented thoughtfully, glancing at the data. Sage nodded.

“Indeed, Master. I was able to detect human remains and those of several other species inside it. Also, since it seemed like it was somehow ‘storing’ these remains, I deduced that its ability was [Biological Storage]; it’s transporting the remains and the genetic information of its victims.”

“But that doesn’t answer the question of why there was one corpse and one survivor…” Kai murmured pensively, unable to understand the reason behind that. After a moment, he simply shook his head and added with some resignation.

“Well, there’s no point in worrying about that now if I can’t figure it out. For the time being, we’ll just wait until they reach their destination to get more information. By the way, are the girls on their way?”

“Yes, Master. I managed to get in touch with Sentinel a little while ago, and they’re now on a high-speed maritime transport headed this way.” Sage responded to her master’s question. After thinking for a moment, he looked at her and spoke, just as the binoculars vanished from his hands.

“It wouldn’t be a good idea for Mirko to see me walking on water. I’ll have to get myself a bit wet. By the way, is there any land nearby where I could wait for them?”

“There’s a small stretch of land a few meters across about 10 kilometers from here, off to the west.” Sage answered, pointing west, prompting Kai to shake his head and remark.

“10 kilometers is too far. It might raise suspicions. Better to play dumb here.”

Right after he spoke, Kai withdrew his aura from the water, causing him to fall into the sea. Salem could only protest with angry meows. Seeing the drenched cat, which grew bigger and began swimming, Kai couldn’t help but laugh out loud, then spoke as he began floating on his back.

“Hahaha, don’t be such a crybaby, Salem. Come on, hop onto my chest.”

Though annoyed, Salem quickly accepted his master’s invitation and shrank down before climbing onto his chest. That marked the beginning of a relaxed wait, floating in the sea while being gently rocked by the waves, which failed to move them from their spot. Meanwhile, Kai lost himself in thought about what to do next.

(What are those spiders? Biological weapons? Animals with quirks trained for combat or something else? I really have no idea. Besides, they're way too strong. Just that group of five would be more than enough to kill the current All Might and give me a lot of trouble. If there's an organization powerful enough to create something like this, we're beyond screwed—we're practically dead.

(But if that were the case, why do things so stealthily? Are they being cautious about All Might...? That could really be the case. All Might Prime was a beast and could take down all five spiders without too much trouble. And since no one knows he's weakening, it makes sense. But why take scientists who show no trace of being special in any way? Too many questions and far too few clues.

(The question is, do I tell them or not tell them what really happened? On the one hand, if I tell them, I’ll only alert the heroes and the government ahead of time, which could be potentially dangerous right now—especially given my current lack of knowledge about what’s really going on. If this is something that’s supposed to appear in the future, I could be poking a hornet’s nest and making things worse for all of us.

(Plus, there’s the fact that neither the Pussycats nor Mirko noticed anything. It’s highly likely that without me, they wouldn’t have realized anything was off, which reinforces my belief that this is something that would only surface in the future, giving the ‘protagonist’ time to grow and confront it. But then again, there’s no guarantee reality will be so ‘convenient’, and it could also be that attacking early would let us destroy the threat prematurely, while it’s still ‘weak’.

(Mmmm… There are good arguments both for and against saying anything, and with next to no information, I can’t be sure which is right. For now, I should buy some time. Whatever they’re doing, they’ll need the spiders to reach their destination before they can start. So it’s better to gather information on my own first, then decide what to do. Besides, it’s not like we have many options when facing something that can afford to send five ‘mini All Mights’ just to kill a handful of scientists….)

Soon, a speedboat with a streamlined design and police insignia approached the spot where Kai was calmly floating. On board were Mirko, the Pussycats, and three police officers—one at the controls and two who appeared to be support.

“Kai! Are you okay? What happened?” Seeing Kai floating on the water, Ryuko cried out, worried. Kai raised a hand and responded in a calm tone.

“I’m fine. They just got away from me.”

“They got away from you…?” Tomoko asked quietly, sounding full of disbelief. But just then, Kai discreetly winked at her, which quickly made her realize there was more to the story.

“For now, get in and tell us what happened.” Shino said seriously as she looked at Kai, who nodded and swam to the boat, climbing aboard effortlessly. At that moment, Mirko asked, staring at him intently.

“So, what did you find that made you cause such a ruckus?”

“A lead on the scientists. The stories about the monsters were true—something attacked them.” Kai answered casually, pulling a notebook from under his shirt. The expressions of those present grew tense, but Kai continued speaking.

“I found some spiderweb traces along with the notebook. The webbing dissolved quickly on contact with air, so I followed it and managed to spot a couple of what looked like giant spiders moving through the water. But they noticed I was there and fled, leaving me behind. For now, it’d be wise to keep watch on the island and the nearby waters in case they come back.”

“How many of those ‘spiders’ did you see?” Mirko asked, her tone incredibly serious. At that, Kai took out his phone, quickly searching for something as he replied.

“Luckily, my phone started working again once I got away from the forest, so I managed to snap a few photos.”

After speaking, Kai showed his phone to the heroes. On it was an underwater image of the rock-like spider and the one with the glowing abdomen, slightly blurry as if they were swimming at high speed. It was a small bit of Sage’s incredibly reliable handiwork, given that his plan was to sow some doubt without offering anything too explicit. At least until he could gather more information and decide whether to advance or retreat based on what he discovered from then on.

Chapter 132: They’re two feathers from the same bird.

Chapter Text

“So those ‘monsters’ they were referring to were those things… they really do look like monsters.”

Mirko commented with a serious expression, her eyes fixed on the image. At that moment, Shino and Ryuko looked at Kai with a bit of suspicion, but they quickly hid it while making mental notes to get the truth out of him later.

After all, they knew a good portion of their man’s abilities and, even more so, his personality. They were completely sure he would not have just let the monsters escape and then stayed floating nonchalantly in the sea.

“We really need to report this. A maritime guard has to be set up, and an investigation needs to start to determine where those creatures are.”

Chatora remarked in a serious tone, to which Tomoko added with a big smile on her face while drying Salem with a towel. At some point, he had jumped into her lap demanding to be dried, with meows that somehow sounded arrogant and haughty.

“But then, today Kai made a great contribution. Even though they couldn’t catch them, at least identifying them will let us stay alert in case they attack again.”

“That’s true. This time you did a great job, kid. And that attack you unleashed on the sea looked pretty strong, so I hope we can test our strength a bit once we get back on land.” Mirko commented with a predatory grin as she stared at Kai, who smiled brightly and replied.

“It’s a promise.”

“Well, since the creatures got away, it’s best we head back to the island and do a bit more exploring to confirm the data and extract everything we can from the research base. It’s possible there’s some record of those creatures left behind.” Shino quickly intervened in a serious tone, causing all the heroes to nod in agreement. At that moment, Ryuko sat down next to Kai with a towel in hand and began drying his hair with great care.

After checking the island one last time and taking everything left at the research base, the group of heroes returned by helicopter to the base they had departed from, each wearing different expressions on their faces.

In Tomoko and Ryuko’s case, they looked somewhat disappointed because they were able to confirm beyond a doubt that no one was left alive. In Chatora and Shino’s case, they bore serious and somewhat solemn expressions due to the implications of the ‘monsters’ Kai had found.

Meanwhile, Kai and Mirko occasionally looked at each other with almost predatory smiles on their faces, nearly itching to start punching each other, something that inevitably made Ryuko, Shino, and even Tomoko sigh now and then.

Meanwhile, Salem, still perched on his master’s shoulder, looked curiously at the rabbit woman, who seemed like a moderately strong prey. He wondered if she was really prey or a new female for his master.

“Well then, let’s fight a bit!” As soon as they got off the helicopter, Mirko commented enthusiastically while stretching.

“Wait, we still need to report our findings. It’s not time yet.”

Just before Kai could answer, Shino spoke up in a firm and somewhat angry tone, causing the pair of fight-loving companions to turn and look at her with dissatisfaction. At that moment, Mirko couldn’t help clicking her tongue in annoyance and reluctantly commented.

“That’s true. This case is really strange, so I guess it can’t be helped…” Mirko turned again to look at Kai and added in a firm tone:

“After we finish this, we’re fighting, kid!”

“All right, let’s get this over with quickly, then.”

Kai nodded, much calmer now. Immediately afterward, the whole group entered the same building they had been in before, where they reported everything they had found on the island to Tsukauchi. Kai even had to explain a bit about what he had seen out at sea and send the photo, prompting the young detective to remark in a serious tone.

“Those monsters look really dangerous, but there’s something that intrigues me.” Tsukauchi turned to look at Kai and, fixing his gaze on the young man, asked.

“Why did you only find one corpse and one survivor? Do you have any idea, Kai? Since you were the one who saw the monsters, maybe you have some theories.”

“Actually, I’m wondering the same thing. It’s logical to assume they ate everything in sight, and if we assume they didn’t eat the survivor because he was underground, I still can’t understand why they didn’t eat the scientist’s corpse. It’s quite a mystery…”

Kai replied thoughtfully. After all, it was just as much a mystery to him. Even though it was a fact that the lizard man was underground, Kai himself had seen the place they pulled him out of, and there was nothing there but rocks—no trace of life.

It would be fair to assume the spiders had ravaged everything underground, but for some reason, they didn’t eat the survivor, and the corpse had just been under some rubble, which the spiders could easily have reached.

On top of that, the spiders continued to move under the sea without stopping, so it was likely they were returning to their “base”, which very possibly held all the answers. But until they got there, he had no way of knowing where it was, and even having Sage run calculations on their trajectory and using satellites to look for suspicious points, they still hadn’t found anything.

“I see. It really is strange, although if they’re animals that awakened a quirk, the situation is really dangerous, since there are two of them, and they could reproduce…” Tsukauchi nodded at Kai’s answer and mused aloud, then looked at all the heroes and the young student. In a serious tone, he added.

“Well, this calls for deeper coordination to search for those monsters in the sea. For now, thank you very much for your efforts.”

While expressing his thanks, Tsukauchi bowed respectfully to the heroes, and after a bit more conversation about the island, the entire group said their goodbyes and left the building in an orderly fashion. Mirko and Kai eyed each other in an almost predatory way, which only made the Pussycats sigh. But at that moment, a group of police officers approached, and the one who seemed to be the leader spoke firmly.

“The helicopters to take you back to your respective agencies are ready!”

“Oh, I’ll be going with the Pussycats, so I don’t need one.” Mirko replied with a grin, looking at Shino, which made the officer a bit uncomfortable. After eyeing the rabbit Heroine for a moment, he nodded seriously.

“Understood.”

Mirko’s statement made Shino and Ryuko smile wryly, but after shaking her head, Shino looked at the smiling rabbit Heroine and responded with a diplomatic attitude.

“Well, next time it’d be nice if you let us know beforehand, Mirko, but we’re happy to have you.”

“Hahaha, sure thing.” Mirko replied in a carefree manner with a boisterous laugh, leaving the Pussycats no choice but to shake their heads in resignation.

After a helicopter ride, the group finally arrived at the Pussycats’ agency, where Mirko jumped out, then placed her hands on her hips and declared happily while looking at Kai.

“Well, kid, now there’s nothing stopping us!”

“That’s true, but we’d better go to the mountains. If we break something here, I’ll have to pay for it.” Kai replied cheerfully as the helicopter flew off, to which Mirko nodded excitedly.

“Sounds good! Let’s go!”

“I’m gonna go play for a bit, I’ll be back soon.”

After speaking, Mirko shot off toward the mountains. Kai then turned to look at the Pussycats with a huge grin, and darted after the rabbit Heroine. Ryuko couldn’t help but comment in a defeated tone:

“They’re two feathers from the same bird…”

“Totally agree…” Chatora nodded, somewhat amused, as Tomoko chimed in enthusiastically while raising her hands, then ran off to follow Kai.

“I’m going to watch the fight!”

“For now, let’s go inside and prepare some tea…” Shino remarked, somewhat resigned, and Ryuko and Chatora nodded before heading into the agency building together.

…

Mirko, Kai, and Tomoko quickly delved into the mountains, and shortly after they found a wide clearing where they came to a stop. Kai and Mirko stood facing each other, while Tomoko stayed off to one side with Salem in her arms, looking incredibly excited.

“So let’s see what you can really do, kid!” Mirko exclaimed, full of ferocity, as she flexed the muscles in her legs, causing small shockwaves in the air. Kai answered with a calm smile.

“A lot more than you imagine.”

“Hahaha, then let’s find out!”

After she spoke, Mirko lunged forward with such force that she shattered the ground beneath her feet, reaching Kai in the blink of an eye. She spun on herself in midair to deliver a powerful hammer kick right to the top of the blue-eyed boy’s head. Kai used his left hand to deflect her leg as he simultaneously threw a punch toward her exposed thigh.

Without so much as blinking, Mirko swiftly twisted her hips in midair, sending a sideways kick to Kai’s head, forcing him to halt his attack so he could duck and dodge, letting her leg swing over him. He immediately rose to throw a punch with his left hand at the Heroine’s exposed side.

Using her momentum, Mirko spun around in the air, managing to block Kai’s punch with one of her legs, producing a small shockwave that stirred the air. Since she didn’t have a stable foothold, she was sent backward, landing a few meters away on her feet. The force of the impact made her slide across the ground for several more meters.

“You really are something else, kid. I felt that hit, hahaha.” As she forcefully stomped the ground with the leg that had blocked Kai’s punch, Mirko commented with an almost predatory grin. Kai answered in a challenging tone.

“Really? And I wasn’t even warming up yet, hehe.”

“Hehehe, I like you more every minute, kid!” Mirko said in a voice that was nearly frantic but evidently pleased. Then she ran straight at Kai at top speed.

Upon reaching him, Mirko quickly spun around and crouched, launching a low sweeping kick aimed at his feet. Kai jumped slightly to avoid it. As the rabbit Heroine continued her spin, she put her hands on the ground for support, propelling herself and unleashing a rapid series of kicks aimed at Kai’s head.

“Luna Rush!”

Kai crossed his arms in an X to block, using the momentum of her kicks to push himself backward. He landed nearby, and at that moment, Mirko bent her arms on the ground and then hurled herself through the air at him, spinning to deliver a powerful downward axe kick.

“Luna Arc!”

With a fluid movement, Kai stepped to his left, narrowly evading the descending axe kick. He then threw a powerful punch at Mirko’s exposed abdomen, sending her flying. Even so, the force of the rabbit Heroine’s kick was so great that, without fully striking the ground, she managed to create a large crater that forced Kai to leap away and caused the earth to tremble.

The fierce blow sent Mirko hurtling through the trees at high speed, smashing several in her path before she finally came to a stop. She got up looking battered, with some traces of blood on her face, which she licked away with an expression close to ecstasy. Then she leapt toward Kai with all her might, shouting in an almost unhinged tone.

“Hahaha, you’re the best, kid!!!”

With manic fury, Mirko began attacking Kai at full speed with her legs. He found himself dodging and blocking her strikes with his arms, occasionally landing counterattacks that sent the rabbit Heroine flying. Yet without caring about her injuries, she kept attacking as if her life depended on it, greatly surprising Kai, who even had to start using [Enhancement]—something he wasn’t expecting.

(She’s strong, fast, and has almost bestial instincts that shift in a very erratic way. But more importantly, she learns at an incredible speed and improves in real time. Each attack is sharper than the last. Also, I like her style—she fights like she doesn’t care if she dies. What an amazing talent. Definitely worth cultivating…)

...

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Chapter 133: What really happened at sea?

Chapter Text

While Kai was analyzing the bloodied and battered heroine, pleasantly surprised, he was caught off guard when Mirko spun on herself with her arms on the ground, sending a sideways kick that managed to strike his cheek. Causing a powerful shockwave that stirred the air and pushed him back several meters.

“You're really tough, kid! It felt like I was hitting metal!” Mirko exclaimed loudly as she stood up, a wide grin spreading across her face. Kai responded with a small smile, without a single scratch on his face.

“You’re truly impressive. You managed to surprise me—that’s not something many can do.”

“Kai, Mirko, you better stop now. It’s almost time for dinner, and Mirko’s wounds need to be treated.” Tomoko called out from the corner where she sat with a sleeping Salem on her lap. Mirko laughed cheerfully in response.

“Hahaha, I’d love to keep fighting, but I’m getting hungry.”

As if to confirm her words, Mirko’s stomach growled loudly, which didn’t embarrass her in the slightest. Instead, it made her laugh heartily, prompting Kai to nod in amusement as he calmly remarked.

“Then let’s go eat something and take care of your injuries. You look pretty rough.”

“This is nothing! A good night’s sleep is more than enough to heal it!” Mirko replied confidently, to which Tomoko could only shake her head. Approaching Kai with Salem in her arms, she commented with a teasing smile as she glanced at the rabbit heroine.

“Let’s go eat, then! And don’t worry—I made sure to record in high definition the beating you took, Mirko.”

“Oho, you’ve got guts, Ragdoll. Whenever you’re ready, we can see how you fare against me.” Mirko replied with a challenging attitude, to which Tomoko responded with a playful grin.

“Maybe after dinner.”

[Sage, add Mirko to the list of candidates for the QM project.] While they made their way to the agency, Kai communicated with his reliable assistant, who flew beside him in [In] state and quickly responded with a smile.

[Done, Master. The final details are being worked out, so we should be ready to enter the testing phase next month.]

[Perfect.]

Upon returning home, the group of three was greeted by Shino, Ryuko, and Chatora, who couldn’t help but look at the badly injured yet grinning Mirko with bitter expressions. Chatora, who had already anticipated what would happen, held a first aid kit in his hands and approached, asking.

“Are you okay, Mirko?”

“You mean this?” Mirko asked, pointing to her bloodied face with her thumb, a huge smile on her face. She then added with a pleased and confident tone.

“I’m perfectly fine, just a couple of scratches. A good night’s sleep should be enough to have me good as new, hahaha!”

“Why did you hit her so hard?” While Mirko spoke, Ryuko moved closer to Kai and asked in a low voice. The blue-eyed boy could only respond with an amused smile.

“It’s not my fault. She fights as if her life depends on it, and technically, I didn’t cause those injuries. I just sent her flying a couple of times. She just happened to hit a few things along the way and ended up like that.”

“Kai’s right. Mirko was way too ‘enthusiastic’ and refused to give up, even after taking quite a beating.” Tomoko, who was holding on to Kai’s arm, commented calmly. Ryuko could only smile bitterly, imagining what had happened.

“For now, let’s head inside, have something to eat, and take a look at those injuries.” Shino said loudly, catching everyone’s attention. At that moment, Mirko asked with a huge grin.

“Do you have carrots?”

“Yes, we made beef and carrot stew since you’re here.” Shino replied casually, as it was no secret that the rabbit heroine loved carrots, even though carrots weren’t part of a real rabbit’s diet. At this, Mirko replied with excitement.

“Then let’s go!”

…

While Mirko bit into a carrot with a satisfied expression, Chatora and Ryuko tended to her wounds, and Tomoko set the table for dinner, Shino called Kai into the kitchen. Crossing her arms with a very serious expression, she asked as Kai sat on a nearby chair.

“Kai, what really happened at sea?”

“Well, here’s the thing: there were five spiders, each one comparable to All Might in his current weakened state. So, you can imagine how dangerous the situation really was. That small group could have killed the Symbol of Peace a couple of times over.” Kai responded seriously, holding Salem in his hands after the cat had jumped onto his lap.

Hearing Kai’s explanation, Shino’s eyes widened, and her jaw nearly hit the floor. She was completely shocked, doubting whether something like that was even possible. She couldn’t even begin to imagine something so terrifying. However, as the seasoned pro hero she was, she quickly regained her composure and commented in a solemn and concerned tone.

“You did the right thing, letting them escape, Kai. This needs to be addressed at a national level—it’s far too dangerous.”

At Shino’s words, Kai shook his head and had Sage display real images of the spiders for her. He then began explaining in a serious tone.

“That’s precisely why I didn’t say anything. What kind of group or organization sends five monsters like that after a group of scientists on a remote island? It’s either an organization with absurdly abundant resources or one that knows something we don’t. Either way, their power is off the charts. If, by chance, they have another group of spiders with comparable power, even I would consider fleeing Japan.

“Therefore, now is not the right time to initiate a direct confrontation. For the moment, only we know about this because I happened to be there. Otherwise, they would still be operating in secret. That means it’s unlikely they’ll act again in the short term. So, I decided it would be better to provide partial information to keep everyone alert, but not enough to hinder my ability to investigate on my own.”

“You’re afraid they have moles in government agencies...” After seeing the images and listening to Kai’s words, Shino couldn’t help but comment solemnly. Kai nodded, his expression dark.

“Exactly. If they’re capable of keeping something like those spiders hidden without raising the slightest suspicion from anyone, it can only mean they’re extremely skilled and stealthy. An organization like that would certainly have the capability to plant moles in various places. And let’s be honest, politicians are the first to sell out.

“Therefore, there’s a high likelihood they already have several people under their control. With their power and influence, if they label me as a threat to their plans, they could obtain information about us, and who knows what could happen. While I’m confident I could escape with everyone if things go south, it’s better to be cautious.

“For now, I’ve only shown a few blurry photos. For people so discreet, I doubt they’ll do anything beyond keeping a closer eye on me—nothing too drastic. That gives me a chance to learn a bit more about their capabilities based on how they react. But if I reveal too much, they might not take it so lightly.”

“You’re right, but we also can’t just sit around doing nothing. This could even be an international-scale problem—we have to act.” Shino said seriously, feeling a deep sense of anxiety. Kai responded with equal seriousness.

“It’s not that we’re doing nothing. I’ve already given a warning. If the spiders return, people should be able to identify them. Depending on what happens in that situation, we’ll learn more about the enemy’s capabilities. If not, I’ve already marked them, so I’ll personally investigate what they’re up to. Since they don’t yet know the full scale of my abilities, this is the best opportunity we’ll get. We can’t waste it.”

Hearing Kai, Shino couldn’t help but bite her lip in frustration. Even though she knew her beloved could take care of himself—better than she ever could—and that his plan was sound, she still felt uneasy about him exposing himself to such danger. The blue-eyed young man stood from his chair, wrapped Shino in a comforting embrace, and spoke in a soft, reassuring tone.

“You don’t have to look so worried. You know I’m strong and good at staying hidden. Nothing will happen.”

“I know, but I’m still anxious. What if they really start hunting you because you shared those photos? And the fact that you’re going alone to investigate something so dangerous…” Shino replied with a bitter tone, returning the embrace. Kai responded calmly.

“Someone has to do it, and the situation is far too dangerous to leave in someone else’s hands. Trust me.”

“…” Shino stayed silent, savoring the warmth of her beloved. After a while, she loosened her embrace and spoke in a calmer tone.

“For now, let’s finish serving the food. We can discuss this with the whole family later.”

“That part’s already done.”

Kai replied playfully, pointing to a nearby table where all the plates were freshly served and steaming. Above the table, a proud Sage hovered with a cheerful expression on her beautiful face. This made Shino smile in amusement, and she couldn’t help but comment affectionately.

“You’re amazing, Sage. Kai’s really lucky to have you.”

“Fufu, I am my master’s loyal assistant, after all.” Sage replied joyfully, flying around Shino a couple of times before landing on Kai’s head, exuding an aura of pure happiness.

“Well, let’s bring the food.” Kai said with a chuckle. Shino nodded, releasing her embrace and picking up a couple of plates from the table, something Kai did as well.

“That smells delicious!”

Seeing Shino and Kai approaching with several plates of food in their hands, Mirko couldn’t help but comment enthusiastically. She now had a bandage wrapped around her head, as well as several patches and wraps on different parts of her arms and legs. Shino replied with a smile.

“I’m glad you like it. It’s nothing fancy, since we prepared it ourselves.”

After setting the plates on the table, everyone sat down and ate, engaging in casual conversation. However, Mirko and Kai gave the impression of not having eaten in months, as they devoured their food at an impressive speed, consuming roughly double what all the Pussycats combined had eaten.

…

“Well, thanks for everything. That was absolutely delicious.” Once the meal was over, everyone stepped outside the agency to see Mirko off. She spoke in a firm and cheerful tone, then turned to Kai with a big grin and added.

“And hey, kid, we should spar again sometime. That was really fun.”

“Of course, I’m totally in.” Kai replied calmly as he took his phone out of his pocket. Then, he asked.

“If you want, we can exchange numbers to stay in touch.”

“That’s a great idea.” Mirko replied cheerfully, quickly grabbing Kai’s phone and fiddling with it before handing it back. With a wide grin, she added.

“I’ve saved my number and sent myself a message. When I’m free, I’ll contact you for a fight.”

“Sure, but only if I’m free too.” Kai responded casually as he put his phone away. His response earned him a couple of looks from Ryuko and Shino, but Mirko, oblivious to them, quickly leaped away at great speed, leaving behind a final farewell.

“Bye!”

After Mirko disappeared, everyone returned inside the agency. Kai sat on one of the sofas with Salem on his lap and Tomoko to his left. Ryuko and Chatora sat across from him, while Shino sat alone on a single-seater to his right. At that moment, Shino announced in a serious tone.

“Kai needs to tell us what really happened when he was chasing the ‘monsters.’”

“What exactly happened?” Chatora asked quickly, his expression serious. Kai began explaining in a calm tone.

“Well, here’s the thing...”

After hearing the entire story and the deductions Shino and Kai had made, Ryuko, Chatora, and Tomoko sat upright with solemn and concerned expressions. Ryuko was the first to speak, her tone serious.

“This situation is incredibly complex, and we’re relying purely on speculations without much evidence...”

“You’re absolutely right, but it’s better to be cautious. In such a grave situation like this, it’s better to err on the side of caution—we don’t know what we’re up against.” Chatora nodded and added in a similar tone, at which point Tomoko, looking a bit worried, spoke up.

“We haven’t even started dealing with the tricky case of the heroes, and now we’ve got something even more problematic on our hands. I can’t tell if we’re lucky or unlucky…”

“Speaking of that, for now, until the spiders reach their destination, there isn’t much we can do except look into the scientists and their research. That’s going to be a bit complicated, so we might as well start working on that case—it really interests me.” Kai remarked in a calm tone as he played with Salem. Shino nodded and added seriously.

“I think the same. Besides, we also need to inform the rest of the family to be cautious—it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

“That’s the best course of action. Let’s do it tonight.” Chatora commented in a serious tone, earning unanimous agreement from everyone.

...

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Chapter 134: The prize part-1 (R-18)

Chapter Text

After speaking with everyone in the house about the situation and the speculations regarding the “spider case”, as Kai had decided to name it, the entire family remained in the living room in silence, their expressions heavy. Keiko turned to look at Momo and Nejire, who were sitting together on a couch to her right, and spoke in a serious tone.

“Momo and Nejire, you two need to be especially careful. You lack the most experience and will be exposing yourselves during the internships.”

“We'll be careful.” Momo replied gravely, to which Nejire nodded with a similar expression. At that moment, Kai chimed in with a calmer tone, trying to lighten the mood.

“You don't have to be so apprehensive. For now, it's just speculation and suspicions. We don't actually know anything for certain. I only brought it up, so everyone stays alert in case they encounter something suspicious. The Accomplices will keep you safe against most threats.”

“Times like these really make me miss the tactical drone deployment system...” Keiko commented with a somewhat regretful tone, to which Kai couldn't help but nod in agreement.

“It certainly would be useful, but the launches are scheduled for September, so we can only wait...”

“Well, setting aside your technological stuff that I don't understand, I think Kai is right when he says that, although it's good to stay alert, for now, it's just speculation. We don't need to be so tense.” Yumiko remarked in a calm tone, crossing her legs. At that moment, Nemuri nodded and added in a similar tone.

“While I agree on that point, I think it's better for you and Keiko to stay home for a few days, at least. The house's security systems and the guards will keep you safe.”

“It's not like we go out much anyway. I think this week we only had one boring event, right, Yumiko?” Keiko commented with a smile, turning to look at Yumiko, who casually nodded.

“Yeah, and I wasn't really looking forward to it, so we might as well stay home.”

“Well, now that everything's been said, how about we watch a movie to relax a bit?” Shino suggested with a warm smile on her face. At that moment, Nejire and Tomoko raised their hands enthusiastically, speaking at the same time.

“I'll make the popcorn!” Nejire exclaimed in a sing-song voice, while Tomoko's voice echoed.

“I'll make the nachos!”

“Then I'll set up the home theater.” Chatora said cheerfully, standing up from his armchair. Ryuko added in a similar tone.

“I'll help you.”

“I'll prepare the drinks.” Momo quickly joined in, exclaiming happily. Shino raised her hand and commented with a smile.

“I'll help you with that, Momo.”

“Looks like I'm only left with fetching the blankets and pillows.” Nemuri said, amused, watching as almost everyone started getting to work. Yumiko then commented with a smile.

“Fufu, as honorable retirees, we'll sit here quietly and wait for everything to be ready.” As she spoke, Yumiko quickly moved away from Keiko, who was sitting beside her on the couch, and patted the space between them while looking at Kai. She added with a smile,

“Come, Kai, let's wait here nicely to be served, fufu.”

“Since you insist.” Kai said, amused, quickly standing up to sit between Yumiko and Keiko. At that moment, Keiko commented while looking at her fellow retiree with a proud expression.

“I really have nothing left to teach you, Yumiko. You've completely mastered the retired life, fufu.”

“I've had a great teacher.”

Yumiko replied with a mischievous tone, then hooked her arm around Kai and rested her head on his shoulder. She then exchanged a teasing glance with the rest of the family, who could only roll their eyes before going about their respective tasks.

“Fufu, ignore them. Better yet, tell us how your first day 'playing' with the Pussycats went. When we were talking about the 'spider case', I heard mentions of someone named 'Mirko.' What's she like?”

Suddenly, Keiko asked while hooking her arm around Kai's and giving him a calm, friendly smile. At that moment, the blue-eyed boy perceived an incredibly realistic illusion of several ears moving in sync, but without panicking, he began to speak in an incredibly calm and relaxed tone.

“Oh, the bunny heroine. She's quite interesting. She loves to fight and is really strong, so we got along pretty well.”

“I see, how interesting...” Keiko replied in a calm, natural tone, not taking her eyes off Kai's bright blue eyes, to which he returned a similar smile before casually asking.

“And how was your day? What did you do today?”

“Not much, really. The usual, just...”

Yumiko quickly began to recount what they had done, initiating a pleasant three-way conversation while the others prepared everything for movie night, leaving the topic of the bunny heroine behind.

...

In the middle of the night, after the movie ended and everyone had fallen asleep, Kai flew with his beautiful girlfriends to the safe house. At that moment, they quickly led him to the master bedroom and closed the door, demanding that he not spy on them with his powers, which inevitably brought an amused smile to his face.

After waiting for a while, lying on the bed while reviewing the scientists' data once more to see if he could spot anything unusual, the bedroom door swung open, revealing his three spectacular girlfriends on the other side.

At the front was Nemuri, her expression filled with pure desire, wearing the same outfit as in the photo Ryuko had sent him during the sports festival—a tight black Playboy bunny suit that left her breasts exposed, covered only by heart-shaped pasties, with bunny ears on her head and the same collar. On either side of her stood two other equally impressive girlfriends.

To the right was Ryuko, who had a lustful expression and a slight blush on her cheeks. She wore black erotic lingerie, consisting of a nearly transparent bra that only covered her nipples with two black ribbons, tiny thongs with an opening at the front, along with a sensual garter belt. She also wore black thigh-high stockings, complemented by black cat ears atop her beautiful golden hair.

Lastly, Shino, whose face was completely red and who couldn't bring herself to look up out of embarrassment, wore a tiny transparent maid outfit that couldn't hide her painfully erect nipples in the slightest. The small white apron at her waist barely concealed the fact that she was wearing a thong that was essentially just black ribbons in the shape of a “V”, leaving everything exposed.

“Well, it seems the prize has arrived for the champion who patiently waited for his dedicated girlfriends to get through their tough days, fufufu.”

Upon opening the door, Nemuri commented in a low, lust-filled voice as she looked at her beloved on the bed, who gazed at them like a predator eyeing its prey. This sent a jolt of pleasure through her body, her pussy becoming completely wet and ready to receive him at any moment.

“I thought you'd forgotten.”

Kai said in a nearly hoarse, predatory tone as he sat on the edge of the bed, looking his sensual girlfriends up and down. They began to walk toward him, and Ryuko commented in a soft, playful voice, though clearly filled with lust.

“How could we forget when you worked so hard to earn it, darling...?”

As she spoke, Ryuko reached Kai's left side and ended up licking his ear as she finished her sentence. Meanwhile, Nemuri climbed onto the bed and ended up behind him, hugging him tightly and pressing her large, warm breasts against his back. At the same time, she leaned her head to whisper full of desire into her beloved's right ear.

“We were also looking forward to taking this new step in our relationship, especially me...”

While Nemuri began to lick Kai's left ear, Shino, without saying a word, knelt in front of her beloved and began to unbuckle his belt. She quickly opened his jeans and freed his painfully erect manhood, perhaps even more so than usual. This caused three audible gulps to resonate simultaneously.

“You're really happy to see us, darling...”

Ryuko whispered into Kai's left ear in a playful tone, guiding his hand to touch her exposed pussy through her erotic panties, which were so wet they were beginning to drip onto the bed. At that moment, her beloved began to gently stimulate her clitoris, just as she liked, causing a loud moan from her, which was silenced by a deep kiss from her beloved.

Meanwhile, Shino, her eyes completely clouded with arousal, quickly pulled down the top of her maid outfit, fully exposing her large breasts adorned with tiny, fully erect nipples. She enveloped her beloved's manhood with them, but due to its size, the tip still protruded. However, as she was already accustomed to this, she quickly opened her mouth to lovingly lick it while moving her chest up and down.

At the same time, Nemuri, watching the love of her life—the man she had raised and watched grow from a baby—being attended to by one woman while masturbating another with one hand, felt a pleasure that made every cell in her body tremble. This pleasure, though different from the first time she felt him filling her, was no less intense—perhaps even greater—culminating in an orgasm so powerful that it left the bed soaked with her juices.

(My Kai is the best man in the world! He's absolutely irresistible to any woman... So sexy...)

Overwhelmed by her orgasm, Nemuri thought to herself as her clouded eyes took in the expression of pure pleasure on Ryuko's face during her passionate kiss with Kai. And the shy yet lustful expression on Shino's face as she licked her beloved's penis. This drove her desire to new heights, so she quickly moved aside the crotch of her bunny suit and tore the stockings underneath, fully exposing her incredibly wet vagina.

Without a second's delay, Nemuri quickly inserted two fingers into her warm vagina, her eyes darting between Ryuko, who had started moving her hips without a shred of decency, never breaking the erotic exchange of tongues with her beloved. And Shino, who was now pushing Kai's manhood as deep as she could into her throat—though not too deep, as she was still a novice—while furiously masturbating with both hands, watching the kiss between Ryuko and Kai with lust-filled eyes.

Seeing her two great friends and now sisters lose all sense of decency, modesty, or shame due to the lust and love they felt for her Kai, Nemuri felt as though she had ascended to heaven. She, too, gave herself completely to her desire, letting her tongue hang out as she masturbated with such force and speed that it began to produce wet slapping sounds, her breasts bouncing erratically. At the same time, she brought her free hand to her left breast and grabbed the pastie.

With a single tug, Nemuri ripped off the pastie, sending an electric sensation through her that caused a small orgasm. She quickly moved her hand to her other breast, but instead of ripping off the pastie again, she kept her eyes fixed on Shino and Ryuko, waiting for the perfect moment. Though she never stopped pleasuring herself with her other hand.

Just as she expected, a few minutes later, Kai twitched slightly, letting out a soft moan, which seemed to flip a switch in the three beautiful women, who became even more erratic. Ryuko freed her breasts to firmly pinch her nipples while moving her hips even more frenetically, wanting the palm of her beloved's hand to rub her clitoris while his fingers stimulated her inside.

Meanwhile, Nemuri quickly ripped off the remaining pastie, at the same time spreading her legs wider and speeding up her masturbation as much as she could, while mercilessly pinching one of her nipples, building up all the pleasure for the best possible orgasm. This caused her expression to completely distort, twisted by uncontrollable lustful madness, her face completely red, tears streaming from her eyes, and her tongue fully out.

At the same time, Shino also increased the pace of her movements to the point where her hands produced a rapid, wet slapping sound. But just then, she felt her beloved's warm hand rest on her head, then grab her short hair tightly, which erased any trace of sanity from her and led her to push her head forward with all her strength. She took almost all of her beloved's penis into her throat without the slightest concern for her well-being, while a puddle of her juices formed beneath her from her constant orgasms.

A few seconds later, a chorus of ecstatic moans filled the room as three powerful streams of love shot out from the three beautiful women. They were having orgasms so intense that their bodies trembled uncontrollably for almost a full minute before they collapsed, sitting down, completely spent.

“That was incredible...” Ryuko was the first to speak, her voice hoarse and tired, still looking at her beloved with lust-filled eyes. He nodded and replied in a similar tone.

“You don't even have to say it...”

...

You can support me on pa-atreon (lordanl) and get up to 10 advanced chapters.

Chapter 135: The prize part-2 (R-18)

Chapter Text

Meanwhile, Nemuri, though her mind was clouded by the orgasm that still coursed through her body even a minute later, kept her gaze fixed on Shino. Shino was still trembling from the furious orgasm that seemed to have made her body forget the natural gag reflex due to her recklessness, was silently savoring something in her mouth. Their eyes met, and almost instinctively, Nemuri opened her mouth and extended her tongue with desire, prompting Shino to nod with a dreamy, clouded expression.

Staggering, Shino got up from the floor, leaning on Kai's knees, and then brought her face right above Nemuri's. Nemuri lifted her head, her mouth open and tongue extended, as Shino opened her own mouth and tilted her head, allowing a viscous white liquid to drip from her tongue and fall directly into Nemuri's mouth. Nemuri received it eagerly, savoring it with ecstasy.

Still on autopilot from the overwhelming orgasm, Shino turned to look at Ryuko, who quickly imitated Nemuri, opening her mouth and extending her tongue, filled with desire. After letting her sister's portion fall, Shino collapsed exhausted into the arms of her beloved, who had watched the entire scene, filled with surprise and a furious excitement that quickly reignited his erection.

"Delicious…"

After savoring the treat in her mouth for a few moments, Nemuri swallowed with pleasure, then commented in a low, slightly hoarse voice, prompting the other two women to nod in agreement, almost automatically. At that moment, Kai couldn't help but comment with a predatory smile on his face.

"I really hit the jackpot…"

"Fufu, I share the same opinion, but it seems you're ready for more…" Ryuko commented, filled with lust as she gazed at Kai's furious erection. He responded in a similar tone while embracing Shino and healing her throat, slightly injured from her earlier recklessness.

"I'm more than ready, but you all seem really tired, and Shino hurt herself a bit. Should we rest for a moment?"

"No… Let's continue. I'll give my turn to Ryuko…" Shino quickly replied in a tired, hoarse voice, though without apparent pain. At that moment, Nemuri hugged Kai with trembling arms and whispered in his ear, filled with perversion.

"Don't stop, Kai. Take that naughty cat, penetrate her, and fill her up. Show her who's in charge…"

Meanwhile, Ryuko, with evident happiness on her face for having won the first turn she had lost in her card game with the girls, quickly spread her legs on the bed in an M shape. She used her index and middle fingers to open her delicate pink vagina, inviting her beloved in with an almost pleading voice.

"Darling, take me. I need you."

"Even the turns were decided, hehe…"

Kai commented with an enthusiastic tone as he laid Shino down on the bed. Ryuko then approached him and began kissing him while hurriedly removing the shirt he was wearing, then moved to his pants, leaving him completely naked. The beautiful blonde woman then commented in a panting voice.

"Darling… Take me…"

"With pleasure…"

Lost in desire, Kai took Ryuko in his arms and penetrated her with a single thrust, driving his full manhood into her tight pussy. Ryuko let out an almost animalistic moan, clinging to Kai with all her strength, immediately initiating a passionate kiss as she felt the deep thrusts forcefully stimulating her uterus, filling her with indescribable pleasure.

Though tired and weak, Nemuri couldn't help but bring her right hand back to her pussy, filled with maddening lust, her eyes fixed on her beloved's penis as it entered and exited her sister's wet vagina. The scene was incredibly captivating for her, to the point where she desperately wanted to record it. But due to her momentary weakness, she decided to simply enjoy the moment and perhaps recreate something similar in the future.

Meanwhile, Shino, who no longer felt any discomfort in her throat, watched the man she loved thrusting into her lifelong best friend, which for some reason caused a strange tingling in her heart. This quickly spread to her vagina, becoming so intense that she felt an overwhelming urge to 'scratch' it, further reddening her already flushed face. She averted her gaze, but what entered her field of vision left her stunned.

Before her was a disheveled Nemuri, her hair messy, tears in her eyes, and her tongue hanging out. Her legs were spread wide open, shamelessly exposing her wet vagina, which she was penetrating with her middle and ring fingers at a steady pace, releasing even more love juices from her pussy, worsening the large wet stain beneath her.

Seeing her like this, Shino couldn't help but feel a bit envious of how free and self-assured Nemuri was. It had taken all her courage to do what she had done earlier, and most of it was due to her wild excitement. This led her to bite her lips in frustration, as the itch in her vagina only worsened. But at that moment, an animalistic moan echoed through the room, drawing her attention.

Turning to look at Ryuko, Shino found her hanging from Kai's neck, her head thrown back, revealing an expression very similar to Nemuri's—completely lost in lust. This led the beautiful heroine to shift her gaze between her two best friends, focusing on their joyous expressions, which made her reflect seriously.

(We're in a shared relationship, and right now we're having an orgy with the man we love, who makes us immensely happy, even though we were virgins not long ago. Can there be anything crazier and more perverted than this?... No, at least not for me. So what's the point of holding back now?

(These women will be by my side with the man I love for the rest of my life, so showing my true self is the right path to follow. Right now, I just need to focus on being happy… I'm a lustful masochist who gets turned on watching my beloved have sex with my best friend. That's who I am!)

Having reached a resolution, Shino timidly brought her hands to her crotch, lifting her transparent maid dress almost fearfully, and began gently stimulating her clitoris. This caused a pleasurable tremor to run through her, urging her to continue, which she did without thinking. But just then, her gaze met Kai's, leaving her paralyzed.

But seeing Kai, while forcefully thrusting into Ryuko, who seemed to be having a series of intense orgasms, look at her with such desire that he bit his lips, Shino couldn't help but tremble. She then spread her legs completely, exposing herself fully to her beloved. At that moment, she inserted two fingers from her right hand into her pussy while using her left to stimulate her clitoris, putting on the show she wanted her beloved to see, so he would desire her even more.

Seeing Shino start to masturbate furiously and without a hint of shame, Nemuri couldn't help but smile, filled with lust. At that moment, she felt Kai's gaze on her, so she quickly adjusted her position, spreading her legs even wider and bringing her right breast to her mouth to suck on her nipple. She increased the pace of her masturbation, showing herself as perverted as possible, to further excite her beloved and make him cum as much as possible inside another woman.

Just as she expected, a few minutes later, her beloved Kai let out a soft roar while Ryuko released an almost guttural scream, clinging to her beloved's waist with her legs and leaning back in her raised position, arching her back like a cat, revealing an expression distorted by pleasure. This drove the beautiful spectators' excitement to its peak, forcing them to increase the pace of their activities to an almost furious level, emitting loud, wet slapping sounds.

Amid the perverted symphony resonating in the room, Ryuko began to tremble violently, her eyes rolling back as if she were convulsing. Though this surprised Shino and Nemuri a bit—since, although they had heard about it, it was the first time they had seen it—it didn't lessen their depraved excitement. If anything, it made it worse, as they even increased the number of fingers they inserted into their pussies, while letting out animalistic moans filled with lust.

Soon, Ryuko fell unconscious with an incredibly peaceful and happy expression, being lovingly embraced by Kai, who quickly laid her down on the bed, revealing that two lines of blood had started to flow from her nose. However, the heavy, wet slapping sounds didn't stop, as Shino and Nemuri were still masturbating furiously while watching.

"I still can't get used to Ryuko's 'euphoria'…"

Seeing Ryuko's state, Kai couldn't help but comment as he gently wiped his beautiful girlfriend's face with a blanket, a small smile on his face. He then separated from her, slowly pulling his still-erect dick out of Ryuko's warm pussy, causing a small cascade of thick, white liquid to flow out of her as he completely withdrew.

"And now, my pair of perverts…" Kai quickly turned to look at his perverted girlfriends, who were masturbating with all their might, posing so he wouldn't miss a single millimeter of their shameless and disheveled appearances.

Just as Shino and Ryuko saw Kai's erect, glistening cock, stained with a mixture of milky white liquids, and heard his desire-filled voice, they stopped their movements almost synchronously. They then looked at each other, seeing their depraved appearances up close.

Both were disheveled, flushed, with torn clothes and completely exposed. Their legs spread wide open, shamelessly revealing their large breasts with painfully erect nipples and their completely wet, reddened pussies, trembling greedily with desire, releasing cascades of love juices that fell onto the bed, leaving large stains beneath them.

With a tacit understanding of their desires, knowing they were facing someone with similar tastes, the two beautiful women nodded at each other and quickly crawled on all fours across the bed until they reached Kai. They then began greedily licking his cock as if it were some rare delicacy, quickly leaving it completely 'clean'. At that moment, Nemuri commented in a low, hoarse voice.

"Your turn, Shino…"

Quickly, Shino turned around, getting on all fours with her back to Kai, her legs spread open, revealing her wet, contracting pussy. She used one hand to open it even wider, while turning her head to look at Kai and speaking in a voice broken by desire.

"…Kai, destroy me…"

"It'll be my pleasure…"

Kai replied in a predatory voice and quickly grabbed Shino's waist, then thrust his cock into her tight pussy in one go. Shino arched her back like a cat, letting out a powerful moan as her pussy released a strong jet of love juices. This prompted Kai to lean close to her ear and whisper mockingly.

"Well, well… you came just from me putting it in… what a naughty girl. It seems you need a punishment…"

Hearing her beloved's voice in her ear, Shino trembled violently, her pussy tightening fiercely around Kai's cock, and another cascade of love juices shot out of her. At that moment, she spoke in an erratic tone, her expression almost crazed.

"Yes! Punish me!! I'm so bad and deserve a strong punishment!! Make me your whore!!"

In response to her declaration, Shino received a hard slap on her ass, which made her have another orgasm. But before she could even enjoy it, her beloved grabbed her hair and mercilessly pulled her upright, then whispered in her ear while ruthlessly penetrating her hypersensitive pussy.

"So you want to be a whore, huh…?"

"Yes!! I want to be your exclusive whore!! A depraved, shameless whore who's always ready for you whenever you want. No matter the time or place, I'll always be wet and ready for you to fill me up!!! I want to be your cock sleeve, your fleshlight!!!" Shino exclaimed in a hoarse, crazed voice, moving her hips in rhythm with her beloved, feeling a brutal series of orgasms that completely clouded her mind, making her forget everything. At that moment, Kai commented in a Machiavellian tone.

"You're a depraved whore…"

"Yes, I'm just a shameless prostitute, exclusive to you!! Treat me like what I am!!!"

As Shino exclaimed, her voice already hoarse and between powerful moans, Nemuri watched the entire scene with her mouth wide open, filled with disbelief. She had never imagined that her beloved Kai could make the reserved and shy Shino go so crazy, revealing that beneath all that timidity was such a perverted slut. This inevitably caused a jolt of pure pleasure to run through her. Truly, sharing her Kai was the best decision she could have made.

Seeing her beloved Nemuri masturbating furiously beside him, watching with insane pleasure as he penetrated Shino, Kai tried to reach out to help her. But at that moment, Nemuri raised the hand that was squeezing one of her nipples to signal him not to, while giving him a look filled with pleading and madness.

Though a bit puzzled, Kai decided to understand and withdrew his hand to focus entirely on Shino, who kept coming and was on the verge of unconsciousness. He quickly whispered in her ear with a tone full of contempt, so his perverted girlfriend could enjoy it more.

"I'm going to bless you with a load, so get your weak pussy ready…"

"Yes, give this fleshlight your blessing…"

Almost without strength, Shino whispered with a smile on her face, distorted by pleasure. After several more thrusts, Kai released his load inside her, causing Shino to tremble violently as she completely lost control of her body, collapsing unconscious onto the bed.

Satisfied, Kai pulled his cock out of Shino, but before he could do anything else, like a hungry cat, Nemuri lunged at his crotch, taking his cock into her mouth and starting to suck it at full speed with a crazed expression, looking directly into his eyes. Soon after, she released it with an erotic pop, then hugged him tightly and whispered in his ear with a tone full of perversion.

"Kai… penetrate Ryuko again…"

"She's still asleep…" While embracing Nemuri's waist, Kai couldn't help but comment as he looked at the unconscious Ryuko. At that moment, the beautiful blue-eyed woman spoke urgently.

"Just a little… please…"

"Alright…"

Seeing Nemuri's perverted expression, Kai could only agree. He then approached Ryuko and, under Nemuri's ecstatic gaze, carefully penetrated her again, causing a slight tremble in his beautiful blonde girlfriend. At that moment, Nemuri hugged him from behind and whispered impatiently.

"Now penetrate Shino…"

Without saying a word, Kai quickly pulled out of Ryuko and moved to Shino, carefully penetrating her. He then turned to look at Nemuri, finding her in the middle of the bed with her legs spread wide open, using two fingers to open her pussy while looking at him with a depraved gaze. She then spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Kai… make love to me…"

Somewhat amused by how incredibly perverted Nemuri was, Kai quickly approached her and positioned himself right above her pussy, his cock stained with his own cum mixed with the love juices of Shino and Ryuko. At that moment, Nemuri demanded, filled with desire.

"Penetrate me…"

Without saying another word, Kai thrust into Nemuri with force, but what followed was beyond his expectations. The moment he penetrated her, Nemuri screamed at the top of her lungs, writhing as if she were being electrocuted, while her pussy clenched with superhuman strength, releasing an exaggerated torrent of love juices that completely drenched Kai. He could only watch in silence as Nemuri soon lost control of her bladder, a stream of yellow liquid hitting his chest.

"Sorry… it was too much pleasure… I couldn't control it… I'm sorry…"

Seeing that she had urinated on Kai's chest, Nemuri couldn't help but panic and apologize, trying with all her might to stop, but the orgasm continued to ravage her body, leaving her powerless. At that moment, her mind, vulnerable from the ecstasy, was overwhelmed by feelings of shame and guilt, causing her to break into a sad cry.

"It's okay, it's okay, it's not a big deal. We just need to shower and change the mattress. Don't worry about it, everything's fine…"

Quickly, Kai hugged Nemuri and began to comfort her in a soft, warm tone, resisting with all his might the urge to move inside her warm pussy. At that moment, Nemuri hugged him with all her strength and whispered tearfully.

"Kai… forgive me for being so perverted…"

"I don't have to forgive you for anything. You're the best woman in the world…" Kai responded in a warm tone while gently stroking her beautiful hair, causing Nemuri to cry even harder. This lasted for several minutes until she finally calmed down, then whispered in a hoarse voice.

"Thank you, Kai… I love you… I love you more than anything in this world…"

"And I love you more than you can imagine…"

After a few minutes in her beloved's embrace, Nemuri fully readjusted her feelings, feeling an incredible warmth in her heart and endless love for her Kai. Truly, there was no better man in the world for her. He was, without a doubt, the love of her life, and no matter what, she would make sure to be the best woman possible for him.

"…Do you want to finish…?"

After a while, Nemuri asked with a small smile, feeling her beloved's erect manhood trembling inside her. He quickly nodded with joy and began to thrust into her passionately, finally releasing a huge load inside her that made her feel not only incredible pleasure but also love and a great sense of security.

"…Should we clean the girls…?" After a while of lovingly embracing Nemuri, Kai asked with a smile, to which his beautiful girlfriend nodded happily.

"Yes, let's do that."

Quickly, Kai and Nemuri picked up the unconscious Ryuko and Shino from the bed, changed the mattress for one from another room, then undressed them and cleaned them with wet cloths before laying them down on the bed, completely clean. They then lay down themselves after a relaxing shower.

...

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Chapter 136: Kayama-sensei

Chapter Text

A couple of days later, just before the first rays of sunlight peeked through the sky, in the middle of the main room of the safe house, Nemuri began to open her eyes little by little. She was also rubbing her head like a cat against the firm arm that held her. Until, after a while, she finally managed to wake up and look at the sea of her life, who was gazing at her with warm eyes.

"Good morning."

Nemuri greeted in a soft voice, not wanting to wake Ryuko, who was onto Kai's chest, sleeping peacefully like a cat, or Shino, who was hugging the other arm of her beloved. Kai replied with a gentle kiss, before speaking in a similarly soft tone.

"Good morning."

"What time is it?" Nemuri asked quietly as she adjusted her head on her beloved's arm, who replied in a low voice.

"4:30 AM."

"Mmm, let's rest a little longer." Nemuri murmured, almost purring, as she settled under the sheets and closed her eyes, at which point Ryuko's sleepy voice echoed.

"That's not a good idea, we'll end up oversleeping, and we have things to do…"

"Ryuko's right, we have a lot to do today, and since we decided to wait until Yumiko's problem is resolved to talk about our own, it's better not to raise suspicions for now." Shino spoke after a loud yawn, to which Nemuri nodded and replied with a hint of reluctance.

"That's true… so let's go take a shower and head back early. I also have my book signing session for the new release today."

"Do you want us to come with you?" Kai asked while looking at Nemuri, who shook her head and replied as she sat up in bed, causing the blanket covering her to fall, revealing her spectacular naked body.

"It's not necessary, it's better if you continue with your apprenticeship. It's only a couple of hours, and after that, I'll stop by the agency."

"Alright, then let's get ready." Shino said as she stretched lazily, equally revealing her sculpted naked body, at which point Ryuko clung to Kai and spoke in a spoiled voice.

"Kai, carry me."

"Hahaha, let's go." Kai said with a smile as he stood up with a naked Ryuko in his arms, and then they all walked together toward the large bathroom in the room.

………

In her room, one she had barely used in recent times, Nemuri changed into a casual outfit consisting of wide-legged black pants and a simple white tank top with thick straps. She then sat in front of an elegant vanity, where she applied light makeup and fixed her hair.

Once ready, Nemuri checked her appearance one last time in the mirror, then nodded in satisfaction. She truly looked stunning. Not only was her skin flawless, but her body had also become more voluptuous and toned. She had even grown a couple of centimeters taller, which inevitably brought to mind the image of the one responsible for it, bringing a warm and loving smile to her face.

It really seemed like Kai never tired of showing the infinite love he had for them, always worrying about her, her well-being, and her health. Her beauty was just a side effect of his tireless efforts, which included regularly checking their physical conditions, adjusting their training and diet routines, giving them his magical massages. And even developing creams, tonics, and gadgets to keep them as healthy as possible.

All that care and dedication had resulted in not only everyone in the family being incredibly healthy, but their strength, speed, reflexes, and more had also developed to superhuman levels. Ultimately leading to their almost supernatural beauty that was recognized worldwide.

After twirling in front of the mirror, Nemuri left her room and went downstairs, where she found Keiko and Yumiko lying on comfortable recliners with pale green masks on their faces. A group of four young women expertly performed their manicures and pedicures, as the pair of high-class mothers watched a drama on the giant screen.

"I see you're having fun." Nemuri commented with a smile as she approached the two retired women, causing them to turn and look at her, at which point Keiko chuckled.

"Fufufu, a little. Today, we decided to pamper ourselves a bit so we can enjoy our massage tonight."

"Yeah, retired life is great… but are you sure you don't want us to come with you to your signing session?" Yumiko asked in a calm and relaxed tone, with no trace of the past sadness and bitterness, at which Nemuri shook her head and replied with a smile.

"Don't worry, it'll only be a couple of hours, and then I'll stop by the agency, so it's not necessary. Just enjoy yourselves."

"Alright, then we'll see you tonight. By the way, you look gorgeous. Maybe you'll come back with a date today, fufu." Keiko said with a playful smile, to which Yumiko quickly joined in amusement.

"Yeah, you look spectacular, and it's about time you found someone to love and keep you company. You've been single for too long."

"And you're saying that to me? Especially you, Keiko? How long have you been single? Besides, the last thing I need right now is a date, fufu." Nemuri retorted with a teasing tone, which seemed to strike a nerve with Yumiko and Keiko, who could only look at each other speechlessly before turning back to Nemuri.

"Just go already, and take the sports car. Kai modified it a few days ago and added better defense systems." Keiko said with pursed lips of annoyance, to which Yumiko quickly added in a similar tone.

"Yeah, go on, you're going to be late."

"Fufufu, see you tonight." Nemuri said amused as she walked toward the garage, to which the two retired women responded with annoyed huffs.

Entering the garage, where at least a dozen different cars were parked, Nemuri walked to a discreet shelf in the corner where all the car keys were kept. She picked up a specific one that looked more like a digital remote than a key, pressed it gently, and turned it on, causing one of the vehicles in the garage to start, its powerful engine roaring.

The car turned out to be a sleek black sports car, which Nemuri entered before driving out of the garage and onto a paved road until she reached a large gate, where two retired heroes working as guards opened it for her. After a casual farewell, she accelerated, quickly leaving the house behind.

As she drove, Nemuri couldn't help but get lost in her thoughts, slowly advancing along the lonely road, feeling somewhat insecure about the new step she was about to take. This led her to take several detours to delay her arrival a bit longer, wanting to calm her feelings, until she finally reached her destination.

Nemuri arrived at an imposing, beautifully designed building, where she was greeted by a large entourage of at least a dozen people, who bowed respectfully to her as she stepped out of her car. Among them was an elegant woman dressed in a black business suit, with light blue hair and greenish eyes, who was her editor.

"Kayama-sensei, it's a pleasure to have you with us."

"Hello everyone, sorry I'm a bit late."

Nemuri responded with a small smile, handing her car keys to a man in a suit, who quickly drove it to the garage, at which point the blue-haired woman straightened up and spoke respectfully.

"You're right on time, Kayama-sensei. Please, accompany us to the stage."

"That's good, let's go." Nemuri replied with a smile, then walked alongside the blue-haired woman into the building, followed closely by the entourage.

"...how's the attendance, Wada-san?" Nemuri asked halfway, looking around, to which the blue-haired woman responded respectfully.

"We're completely full, Kayama-sensei."

"That's good. I hope the new book does well…" Nemuri murmured softly as she entered the building, to which the editor responded with a confident smile.

"Don't worry, Kayama-sensei. The new saga you're embarking on is incredibly interesting and solid, a mature and intriguing twist on your style of fantasy stories. I'm sure it will be very well received."

"I hope so. Kai gave me some great ideas and the general structure of the plot, so I hope I did a good job weaving it all together to make it interesting…"

Nemuri commented, feeling somewhat insecure. After all, her first work had been her baby, born from Kai's ideas woven together with her narrative skills, creating a colossal success and almost a cultural phenomenon, translated into over 50 languages, selling hundreds of millions of copies, and spawning six blockbuster movies. But after almost a decade of writing, the story had ended, and now she was embarking on a new one.

Her first series of novels was not only a source of pride for her, but also held a deep and special meaning. For years, she secretly saw them as the fruit of her unconditional love for Kai, in which she did her best to weave her beloved's ideas into something interesting, and it bore fruit. Her work was loved by the public, but now that she was starting anew, she was filled with doubts and felt insecure.

Although, as always, Kai had been able to give her ideas for characters, plots, world-building, and the general outline, she no longer had her repressed emotions. She no longer had to keep her love and desire for the man she loved a secret, and every day she lived in infinite happiness sleeping by his side. So she was afraid that without that internal desperation, she wouldn't be able to create a story good enough and would end up ruining Kai's incredible ideas.

Moreover, the new story, while still following the fantasy style of her first work, now had a much more mature and serious focus, with complex plots and a host of characters scheming and killing each other to claim a seemingly cursed throne of swords, bringing suffering and misfortune to anyone who dared to sit on it. This made her feel unsure if she could create a new baby and once again consecrate the fruit of her love.

For this reason, she had downplayed the importance of the book launch event to Kai and the family, calling it a simple, casual signing session. She was afraid the event might be a flop and wanted to face it alone, returning with her head held high if she succeeded or quietly burying the failure without bothering them.

"You really don't need to worry, Kayama-sensei. I'm completely sure this will be a great success." Wada responded with full confidence, to which Nemuri could only nod with a neutral expression, though filled with inner insecurity.

Shortly after, Nemuri arrived at the back of a stage, where she could hear a presenter talking about her work and other things. Finally, her moment to enter arrived, which inevitably caused her heart to race and her doubts to grow. But, biting her lip, she mustered her courage and stepped out.

[Everyone, let's give a big round of applause to Kayama-sensei, the most important author in all of Japan, who now embarks on a new adventure with all of you.]

As she entered the stage, where there was a long table with various important figures from the Japanese literary world, Nemuri heard the presenter's introduction, followed by a warm round of applause from the audience. As she reached the center of the stage, she bowed respectfully, but at that moment, she was completely stunned.

In the front row of the giant cultural center, filled with stands, books, and neatly arranged rows of chairs where hundreds of people sat, Nemuri could see her entire family applauding and looking at her with playful smiles. The heroes in their respective suits and Kai with Yumiko and Keiko in semiformal elegant attire.

[Surprise, fufufu]

At the same time, Nemuri received a telepathic message with Shino's playful voice, which brought her to the brink of tears, deeply moved. But clenching her teeth with all her might, she managed to hold back and walked to the center of the table, where she sat down as the applause continued.

...

You can support me on pa-atreon (lordanl) and get up to 10 advanced chapters.

Chapter 137: A rather tricky case.

Chapter Text

The rest of the presentation unfolded as expected, with everyone praising her work to the skies and showering it with compliments. However, none of that managed to reach Nemuri's ears. Her gaze remained fixed on her family, who listened attentively and occasionally sent her joyful glances, inevitably causing her to lose herself in her memories.

She had been orphaned at a young age due to a terrorist attack carried out by villains, which shattered her small world into pieces and exposed her to the cruelty of reality. No one helped her, no one cared about her situation, no one ever extended a hand to support her, and people always turned away, avoiding her gaze to escape the guilt.

Those experiences completely destroyed her hopes for the world and her innocence, leading her to become rebellious and cynical. She hated everything around her, and even the part-time job she had to survive felt more like torture than anything else. But then, her savior arrived.

She was a young woman several years older, with golden hair and beautiful greenish eyes that seemed to exude a calm and maternal aura. Despite being alone in the world and having nothing—not even a country to call her home—she still radiated happiness from every pore of her being. Whether she was working, fighting, or playing, she always wore a smile and, in her own unique way, managed to help those around her.

Alisa was her light in the darkness. She helped her, understood her, became her most sincere friend and confidant, and someone as close as a true sister. She was her only family and her role model, teaching her the true value of helping others and the happiness it brings. This ultimately laid the foundation for her path as a professional hero, even though Alisa herself was never interested in that world.

But back then, she never imagined that Alisa would not only be her sister and hero but also the seed of her current happiness. Even though Alisa had left this world over a decade ago, her impact was still evident, and a testament to that was her current family—the people she loved most in the world, who had come together around her only son in an attempt to thank her for all the help she had given them.

Though, in truth, the real catalyst for her current happiness was none other than the young man with dark hair and captivating blue eyes sitting in the front row. Someone who, despite having many flaws, was incredibly charming—definitely Alisa's son. Despite his reluctance toward strangers, he was undoubtedly the one who worked the hardest for the happiness and safety of the family.

He was always attentive to everyone, helping and supporting them in their decisions. Despite his age, he was the firmest support of all, the rock on which everyone leaned. To the point where there was a steadfast belief within the family: as long as he was present, there was nothing to worry about. He would always find a way to solve things perfectly, exceeding everyone's expectations—almost as if they had their own personal All Might for the family.

[Now we would like to hear a few words from Kayama-sensei.]

As she was lost in her memories, Nemuri suddenly heard the presenter's voice and a thunderous applause from the audience, snapping her back to reality. She quickly grabbed the microphone on the table, almost on autopilot but felt lost. Although she had prepared a small speech with her editor, she had now forgotten it, her mind blank.

Feeling lost, Nemuri looked out at the audience, which consisted of industry professionals and die-hard fans of her work, as well as, of course, her beloved family. This immediately dispelled her nervousness and filled her with infinite confidence, sure that even if everything went wrong, she would still have them in her life.

"Hello everyone, I would really like to thank you for your presence and continued interest in my work. This new adventure was born from a very special place in my heart. After sharing with you the magic and lessons of my previous saga, I felt I wanted to explore something new, something more complex, raw, and human."

Nemuri paused to look at the audience and finally locked eyes with Kai, who smiled warmly at her. For some reason, this ignited a small spark in her chest. Holding back her emotions so that the smile on her face wouldn't falter, she continued speaking in a calm and clear tone.

"I also want to share something I've never said publicly before: although this book bears my name, it was born from the inspiration that someone very special planted in me. That person taught me to look at the world from a different angle, to build stories that not only entertain but also make people reflect. I won't mention their name because I respect their wish to remain in the shadows, but I want you to know that without that initial spark, my career as a writer might not exist."

Upon hearing these words, her entire family turned to look at Kai with playful smiles, while he stared blankly at Nemuri, who smiled happily before speaking in a more excited and joyful tone.

"With that said, I invite you to delve into this world full of intrigue, betrayal, unexpected alliances, and, of course, characters that, I hope, will stay in your hearts as much as they are in mine. This is just the beginning, and I'm eager to share this journey with all of you. So, let's start with the signings, and if anyone has questions about who will die first in this saga, I can assure you I won't say a word!"

The audience burst into laughter at Nemuri's words. After bowing to the crowd, she walked over to the signing table, where a long line quickly formed. Each person held a book in their hands, their faces lit up with excitement—except for the first two people in line, a young couple with black hair.

"Kayama-sensei, I'm a huge fan. Please dedicate this to Yaoyorozu Momo." Momo said with a playful smile as she placed her copy of the book on the table. Nemuri could only laugh in amusement and asked as she picked up her pen.

"Whose idea was this?"

"Kai's, fufu." Momo replied with a mischievous smile, to which Nemuri could only shake her head while writing the dedication, though internally, she was deeply moved.

"Thank you for your continued support." Nemuri said with a smile as she handed the signed book back to Momo, who thanked her with a smile.

"Thank you so much, Kayama-sensei."

After Momo left, it was Kai's turn. Like several others in line, he held a copy of the book and a poster of Nemuri in her hero costume, which he quickly placed on the table. He then spoke with a 'sincere' smile.

"I'm a huge fan, Midnight-sensei."

"Fufufu, I'm glad to have such an interesting fan as you." Nemuri replied with a mischievous smile as she took the book, then asked in a seductive tone.

"Who should I dedicate this to?"

"To Saito Kai."

Playing along, Kai responded with a charming smile, which only widened Nemuri's grin. She quickly wrote the dedication and signed both the book and the poster, then added her phone number with a small message for him to call her that night. In a low, seductive tone, she added.

"It's really motivating to have such a handsome fan. I hope we can get to know each other a little better..."

"It would be an honor, Midnight-sensei."

Kai replied with a seductive smile before stepping away from the line. Nemuri watched him with a small smile until he rejoined the group, at which point she refocused on the line to continue signing books.

The rest of the signing session went smoothly, with her most loyal fans thanking her with excited smiles for her work—not just as a writer, but also as a hero. Although she rarely went on missions anymore due to her work as a teacher, her popularity remained high, keeping her within the top 20 in the rankings.

After a couple of hours, as the sun began to set, the event finally came to a spectacular end, with every single book sold out and even the online platforms running out of stock at a rapid pace. This inevitably brought a huge smile to Nemuri's face as she made her way to the garage with a light step, where she found her entire family waiting for her with huge smiles on their faces.

Quickly, Nemuri ran to them like a little girl and leaped into the arms of her beloved Kai, who caught her midair and spun around to absorb her momentum. At that moment, Keiko commented in a teasing tone,

"Look at you, trying to leave us out of your book presentation. How inconsiderate. I'm hurt."

"Yeah, Onee-chan left us out. How sad. Now I feel really depressed." Nejire quickly joined in, putting on a terrible dramatic performance by placing a hand on her forehead and looking away. Momo added with a small smile.

"Onee-chan really left us out this time. I think she needs to be punished, fufufu."

"Certainly, we can't let her get away with it this time." Yumiko chimed in cheerfully, her arms crossed beneath her ample bust. Ryuko quickly added, amused.

"I totally agree. At the very least, she should be exempt from massages for a month."

"I second that motion. That'll make her reflect." Shino joined in with a teasing tone, followed by Tomoko, who spoke loudly while raising her hands in the air.

"Yes! And she has to sign all our books and action figures!"

"I totally agree, though I think she should also prepare dinner tonight as an apology." Chatora added to the game with a teasing tone, to which everyone else nodded with 'evil' smiles.

In Kai's arms, Nemuri looked at her entire family around her with an ironic expression, though internally, she felt incredibly warm and moved. However, having heard a dangerous comment, she quickly retorted in a serious tone, wanting to emphasize the importance of her words.

"Dinner is fine, but don't think for a second I'm giving up my massage!"

"Fufufu, it seems Nemuri doesn't want to reflect."

Ryuko commented with a teasing tone, sparking a cheerful argument among everyone as they left the building with no intention of picking up the cars they had arrived in. After a while, as they walked down a quiet street, away from the crowd, Yumiko spoke in a calm and happy voice.

"Congratulations, Nemuri. Your new book is going to be a huge success."

"Thank you so much, Yumiko. I hope so." Nemuri, who was walking beside Kai, replied in a much calmer tone. Momo quickly added with an excited voice.

"Your new book is really exciting, Onee-chan, and killing off the 'protagonist' is quite unexpected. I didn't see it coming!"

"Hey, no spoilers!" Nemuri retorted in an 'angry' tone, causing everyone to laugh. She then turned to Kai and asked cheerfully.

"And how did you all manage to get here? Aren't you busy with your 'internships'?"

"Well, there wasn't anything important going on. We're investigating a rather tricky case, so it'll take a while to make any progress. That's why we were free to come." Kai replied calmly. Shino nodded and added with a smile.

"Yeah, and luckily, there weren't any emergencies today. And since with Kai we can return to base at any moment, it's not a big deal if something suddenly comes up."

"I see..." Nemuri turned to look at Momo and Nejire, who were wearing their hero costumes, and asked curiously,

"And did Ryukyu let you two come, or did you sneak out?"

"We asked for permission! Ryukyu even wanted to come, but something came up at the last minute." Nejire replied cheerfully. Momo nodded and explained a bit while checking the time on her phone.

"We had explained the situation to Ryukyu a few days ago, and she gave us permission."

"Thank you so much for coming." Nemuri said with a warm smile before hugging the two girls, who returned the hug with smiles. She then turned to Kai and asked cheerfully,

"...By the way, what's this 'tricky' thing you're investigating? It's unusual for even you to see it that way, Kai."

"Well, it's because it involves heroes. There's a certain group of heroes who improve their case resolution times during very specific periods, and we suspect it's due to a certain drug. The problem is that it seems people from [Avalon] are involved."

““Avalon?””

...

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Chapter 138: Motherland.

Chapter Text

“““Avalon?””” Upon hearing the explanation, Yumiko, Keiko, and Nemuri asked, slightly surprised, as they looked at Kai, who smiled amusedly while nodding, then commented in a somewhat playful tone.

“Yes, it seems my ‘motherland’ is involved in this.”

One curious thing Kai had learned about the world he lived in was that it was somewhat different from what he remembered from his time as Daniel. Aside from the quirks, heroes, and everything else, the geography was also different, with some countries missing and others existing that he didn’t recall, mainly in regions like Europe and Central and South America.

Although the major powers were more or less the same, such as the United States, China, France, and others, in places like Central America, things were very different. There was a single country called ‘El Salvador’, while in South America, countries like Ecuador, Venezuela, and Colombia didn’t exist. Instead, there was a massive country called the ‘New Granadan Confederation’. But the strangest thing was his ‘motherland’, ‘Avalon’, or more precisely, the homeland of his mother, Alisa.

Although it had gone by different names over time, Avalon was an ‘island’ the size of Spain, located between North America and Europe. Over time, due to its strategic position for trade, various languages had been used, but the official language was English, as it had been a colony of the English crown for several centuries. It had also been the stage for a brutal civil war about 30 years ago, which forced his mother to flee the country, eventually arriving in Japan as a refugee.

“So it’s quite troublesome. Although it’s still far from being a ‘power’, Avalon is too problematic to deal with, and if they’re meddling in our affairs, it’s already a diplomatic issue that the higher-ups need to handle.” Nemuri commented with a somewhat bitter tone, to which Shino nodded and added seriously.

“Certainly, that’s why we decided to be careful and gather solid evidence first before doing anything. If things go wrong, we could very well be looking at a ‘war’, and dealing with those ‘war heroes’ is too problematic…”

“So, what do you plan to do?” Yumiko asked with a somewhat worried tone, to which Chatora replied seriously.

“For now, nothing. We’ll keep gathering evidence and investigating discreetly without drawing too much attention to avoid complications. The good thing is that, for now, the heroes involved seem to be a small group composed mainly of relatively weak heroes in somewhat problematic areas, so it’s not too serious yet. It might just be us overreacting, and it may not be something systematic orchestrated by a ‘war hero’.”

“That would be for the best. Avalon is a hot mess, problematic to the extreme.” Keiko added with a somewhat disgusted tone. But just then, Kai looked away and narrowed his eyes, at the same time grabbing the sword that was beginning to form from Salem’s fur on his shoulder.

“““What’s wrong, Kai?””” Seeing his strange behavior, everyone asked in unison, to which Kai responded calmly.

“I just detected something very similar to the ‘Nomus’ that attacked at the USJ.”

Along with Kai’s words, everyone could see a column of flames and smoke rising in the distance, and shortly after, a powerful explosion, along with countless screams, reached them. This greatly worsened the expressions of the present heroes, and at that moment, Momo spoke urgently as her armor began to emerge from her body.

“They’re attacking the city! We have to go!”

“One’s coming this way…” Kai muttered quietly as the heroes prepared to head to the impact site, then sent a flying slash to his left while commenting, causing everyone to look in that direction.

“Over there.”

Almost simultaneously, a winged Nomu came flying at high speed. Although it tried to dodge, it couldn’t do so in time and was hit by the flying slash on the left side of its body, losing one of its wings and part of its arm, quickly plummeting to the ground. At that moment, Kai ordered Salem calmly.

“Salem, electrocute it in case it can regenerate.”

With its master’s order, Salem quickly jumped from his shoulder and grew in size as electric currents surrounded it, then shot toward the Nomu on the ground, leaving an electric trail in its wake. At that moment, Nemuri asked seriously while looking at Kai.

“Kai, how many of those ‘Nomus’ are there?”

“I can detect two more.” Kai responded calmly as he extended his Observation Haki to its maximum range. Nemuri nodded and turned to look at the Pussycats to continue speaking.

“Pussycats, you can head to the center of the disturbance to deal with them.”

“We’re going too!” Nejire quickly exclaimed as she rose into the air with the help of spiral shockwaves emerging from her feet.

“Alright, but stay safe.” Knowing how strong the girls were, Nemuri quickly agreed, and at that moment, Shino spoke firmly.

“Then let’s move out!”

With his words, Shino summoned his Accomplice, something Ryuko, Tomoko, and Chatora also did, then mounted them and shot off at high speed toward the disturbance zone. Meanwhile, Momo and Nejire flew off in another direction. At that moment, Nemuri turned to look at Kai and spoke.

“Kai, take Keiko and Yumiko with you. I’ll try to help the civilians evacuate!”

“Take care.”

Kai, who was already beside Keiko and Yumiko, commented calmly, to which Nemuri nodded, then shot off at superhuman speed while putting on the special goggles of her hero suit, which she always carried with her.

“Shall we go home?”

After a moment of looking around as if trying to determine something, Kai conjured the [Accompany] card and asked while looking at the calm Yumiko and Keiko, who nodded in agreement.

“Let’s go. We’ll just be in the way here.” Keiko commented calmly as she hooked her arm around Kai’s, something Yumiko also did, adding with a small sigh.

“I just hope no one gets hurt.”

“Don’t worry, they’ll be fine.”

Kai said with a small smile, then began walking toward a camera-free area not far from the location. At the same time, communicating with his reliable fairy assistant through their mental connection, who was placing the Alcatraz mark on the Nomu.

[Ready?]

[Ready, master. I can isolate it at any moment.] Sage responded cheerfully as she moved away from the Nomu and approached her master, who replied with a satisfied tone.

[Perfect.]

Quickly, Kai turned to look at Salem, who had started hitting the unconscious Nomu with one of his massive paws, almost as if checking if it was still alive, then ordered firmly.

“Salem, wait here. I won’t be long.”

After Salem roared in response and sat on the Nomu, Kai nodded in satisfaction, then activated the Accompany card to take Keiko and Yumiko home. After a quick farewell, he returned to Salem using his [Magnetic Force] card.

“You can come back now, Salem.”

Upon arriving, Kai ordered his lazy cat, who quickly roared cheerfully, then shrank and jumped to land on his shoulder. At that moment, Kai walked over to some metal signs, which he ripped from the ground, then returned to the Nomu and picked it up from the ground, tying it down using the metal poles.

[Sage, keep monitoring this Nomu. When the opportunity arises, we’ll create an alibi so you can isolate it without it being directly linked to us. This Nomu is our key to understanding the spiritual aspect of quirks.] After immobilizing the Nomu, Kai nodded in satisfaction and ordered his reliable assistant through their mental connection, who nodded cheerfully.

[Understood, master. I’ll keep monitoring it.]

[I’m counting on you.]

After responding with satisfaction through the mental connection, Kai began to circle the position where he could sense the hand guy and the portal guy, who were on higher ground not too far from his location. He wanted to keep an eye on them to prevent them from attacking the girls, though he hoped it wouldn’t come to that, as he didn’t want to confront them just yet—or he might end up alerting the ‘big fish’ he was aiming to catch.

…

…
…

After rising into the air with the help of her armor, Momo headed with Nejire toward the second Nomu, aided by her reliable assistant. Momo studied the monster's appearance through the images displayed on her helmet, which ARES had obtained from nearby cameras.

The Nomu was tall and lanky, with a pale green color, disproportionately long arms, and its brain exposed like the others. However, this one had two pairs of eyes on its head, and its abilities seemed to be super strength and some strange appendages extending from its mouth, making it look quite grotesque.

Quickly, Momo and Nejire arrived in front of the Nomu, which was facing off against a short elderly man in a yellow and white hero suit who was flying erratically, while other heroes around tried to provide support. But just then, the Nomu’s musculature grew disproportionately, and it sent a quick punch toward the old man.

Despite his age, the old man still had sharp reflexes and managed to dodge the attack by a hair’s breadth. At that moment, Momo and Nejire sprang into action and attacked simultaneously—Nejire with a spiral shockwave and Momo with a repulsor beam—sending the Nomu flying, then landing in front of the flying old man.

[Are you okay, Gran Torino?] Momo asked, her voice slightly distorted by her helmet, causing the old man to ask while tilting his head.

“And who might you be?”

Choosing to ignore the question, Momo carefully watched the Nomu, as it was very possible, it could recover from the impact. At the same time, she retracted her left glove, and a wide metallic collar formed from her skin. Just then, the monster let out a horrible scream, then released a powerful shockwave that pushed them back.

“Did it absorb my attack?”

Nejire asked rhetorically, looking slightly surprised, to which Momo nodded. But just as she was about to propose a plan of attack, she received a message from Midoriya, which appeared on one of the screens in her helmet. The strange thing was that the message only contained his location, so Momo quickly ordered her virtual assistant.

“Ares, check the location.”

[There are no cameras in that location. Should I connect to the satellites?] A robotic voice quickly responded to her request, to which Momo replied seriously.

“No need.” Momo turned to look at Nejire and extended her hand with the neck restraint, then added in a serious tone.

[Nejire-chan, it’s possible a classmate is in danger. I’ll leave this place to you. With this collar, you can restrain it and prevent it from regenerating.]

“Alright, leave this to me! Go save your friend! Just send me your location—I’ll come as soon as I’m done here!” Nejire responded enthusiastically as she received the metallic collar, to which Momo nodded, then activated her repulsors and took off at full speed.

Quickly, Momo arrived at a secluded, dark alley, where she could see Midoriya and Iida lying on the ground, with a badly injured hero beside them, while a villain was about to stab Iida with a katana. Without a moment’s hesitation, she raised her left hand and fired several repulsor beams toward the villain.

With almost feline agility, the villain dodged the first beam by jumping backward, then performed several flips in the air to evade the others, landing a few meters away. At that moment, Momo landed in front of her fallen classmates and asked without taking her eyes off the villain, aiming her left hand at him.

[Are you guys okay?]

““Representative!””

Seeing the imposing red and gold armor, Midoriya and Iida exclaimed simultaneously, causing Momo to slightly tilt her head and nod. The villain took advantage of this moment, quickly rushing toward Momo at full speed, then slashing at her neck with his katana just above her left arm, positioning himself to the far left, completely out of range of her repulsor.

Just as the katana was about to strike her neck, Momo moved her left arm upward, deflecting the katana, while with her right hand, she fired a repulsor beam that hit the villain square in the chest, sending him flying into one of the buildings walls surrounding them. However, the villain, showcasing his great agility, managed to recover and, after spinning off the wall, landed on the ground while holding his chest with one hand.

...

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Chapter 139: I’m a hero.

Chapter Text

When the Pussycats arrived at the center of the riots, they found a huge, muscular, black Nemu whose exposed brain lacked eyes. It also possessed an impressively overwhelming super strength, leaving a squad of heroes around it unable to defeat it, as well as a rather terrifying super regeneration.

[Pixie-Bob, try to immobilize it. Tiger, Ragdoll, surround it and attack the moment it’s trapped.] Quickly, Shino gave an order through telepathy, at the same time her Accomplice scaled a building. The others responded in a serious tone.

[[[Understood.]]]

From her elevated position on the building, Shino could see how Ryuko extended her arms toward the Nomu while sitting atop her Accomplice. This caused two metallic cables to shoot out from her waist, winding around the creature’s chest and knees. Meanwhile, Tomoko and Chatora split up to attack from different flanks.

The moment the creature was immobilized, Tomoko and Chatora urged their Accomplices to speed up, closing in on the Nomu at an astonishing velocity as they readied their attacks. Chatora drew his right arm back as if it were made of rubber, simultaneously hardening it, while Tomoko’s cat-like gloves began releasing terrifying electric arcs.

Just before they reached the Nomu, both Tomoko and Chatora dismissed their Accomplices, using the inertia of their movement to reach the monster. In that instant, they unleashed two powerful right punches in opposite directions. Chatora struck its face, while Tomoko struck its “liver”, sending out a small shockwave that disturbed the air. At that moment, Shino gave a firm order.

[Don’t stop attacking. It’s not defeated yet, and Tomoko, use your electricity to prevent its regeneration!]

[[Understood.]]

Even as she responded, Tomoko and Chatora unleashed a relentless flurry of blows with all their might at an impressive speed, landing with great precision on the monster’s critical points—liver, solar plexus, temples, and more. Their coordination was nearly impossible to believe, attacking fluidly and in perfect sync without interrupting or hindering each other for even a second.

While Tomoko and Chatora continued their barrage of punches, the concrete beneath them cracked open, releasing earth and metal rods that seemed to have minds of their own. They quickly wrapped around the Nomu’s legs and then hardened to the extreme. After several minutes, Shino gave another telepathic order.

[It’s ready! Chatora, capture it!]

[Understood.]

Hearing the leader’s command, Chatora swiftly halted his punches and brought his right hand to her belt. From one of the compartments, he took out a perfectly rectangular piece of metal, which he quickly pressed against the Nomu’s massive neck. The metal rectangle started to deform, covering the monster’s entire neck and turning into a futuristic-looking choker.

“Heroes in the top 20 really are on a whole different level, it's astonishing…”

One of the heroes who had been struggling against the Nomu just moments before—a shirtless man with brown hair and huge horns on his head—commented in a tone of surprise and admiration. A blonde woman dressed in a green-and-white bodysuit with some sort of scarf tied around her neck spoke in a serious tone.

“It’s not that everyone in the top 20 is this ‘effective’. The Pussycats are special and recognized as the strongest hero group in Japan. Some even say they could beat Endeavor in a fight.”

“Ho… I hadn’t heard that rumor.”

Right at that moment, a burst of flames landed nearby, and a deep, powerful voice rang in the heroes’ ears, making their skin crawl as they exclaimed in surprise.

“Endeavor!!”

“Looks like the situation here is under control.”

After casually nodding at the heroes, Endeavor spoke in a grim tone while surveying the destroyed surroundings. Heroes were helping evacuate victims and trying to extinguish fires. The flame hero couldn’t help muttering to himself at that moment.

(Seems they don’t need me. Should I go look for Shoto? He asked me to request backup, so I might as well head out.)

Without another word, Endeavor took off at high speed to follow the directions his proud son had given him moments before running off to supposedly help a friend, leaving a trail of flame in his wake. The people present looked a bit confused, but quickly returned to their tasks.

…

With the villain now injured, Momo began examining him closely. She noticed that he was very well-equipped: several knives along the sides of his abdomen and over his left shoulder. His flat face had no nose, and he wore a white mask, plus a red bandana on his forehead, along with a long strip of fabric around his neck like a scarf that reached almost down to his knees.

Compared to that, the villain’s clothing was rather simple—he wore a sleeveless black sweatshirt and pants of the same color, while his black boots had metal guards and similarly metal knee pads.

“One after another… too many nuisances today!” The villain spat angrily while looking at the imposing armor before him. A slightly distorted feminine voice spoke with elegance.

[Mr. Villain, or maybe I should say Hero Killer? Either way, why not surrender and turn yourself in? It’ll be easier on everyone.]

“Surrender? You’re a funny girl. I have a duty to kill you all, so if we fight, of course the weaker will die.” The Hero Killer, Stain, replied in a dark, heavy tone, staring at the armored girl with predator-like eyes. But the elegant female voice responded mockingly.

[Are you trying to scare me with that line? You should work a bit more on it. When Kai gets angry, he’s much scarier than you are.]

As she spoke, Momo retracted the armor on her back, from which six small drones quickly formed. Three floated beside her while the other three stayed near Midoriya, Iida, and the injured hero.

“Stop! Yaoyorozu, take Midoriya and run! This has nothing to do with you!” At that moment, Iida shouted in a somewhat irate, deep voice, to which Momo responded seriously, no longer as gentle.

[Please be quiet, Iida-san. I’m a hero, and my job is to protect you. So stay silent and let me do my job.]

“Class Rep! Don’t let him lick your blood! I think he controls his opponents by ingesting their blood!” In a hurried tone, Midoriya delivered the crucial piece of information as fast as he could. Momo smiled at that, answering calmly.

[Thanks for the info, ‘Deku’.]

Just as Momo replied, the villain threw one of his knives at her face, which made her laugh inevitably, since it wouldn’t leave a single scratch on her armor. But ever cautious, she dodged it anyway and then sent her drones to attack. The villain sprinted at high speed to stab her with his sword—but not everyone had Kai’s capabilities. After dodging a few beams from the drones, the villain was finally struck in the leg by one of them, causing him to fall and roll on the ground.

Not wanting to give him any chance, she decided not to get closer. Instead, Momo deployed a small missile launcher from her right shoulder and fired a sort of mini-missile that hit the villain’s neck directly, electrocuting him until he was unconscious. At that moment, she retracted the armor from her right hand, where another metallic collar formed—similar to the one she had given Nejire.

Approaching him, Momo held the collar in front of the villain’s neck while aiming her free palm at him. The collar opened on its own and fastened around the villain’s neck, allowing her to breathe a sigh of relief before walking over to the injured. That was when she heard Iida’s voice again.

“Why…?”

[You’re asking why I saved you? If that’s the case, it really makes me question how you’re studying to become a hero, Iida-san. Of course, I saved you because I’m a hero.] Kneeling down next to the injured hero, Momo answered in a calm tone. The hero then thanked her in a low voice.

“Thank you very much for the help.”

[No need to thank me, it’s my job.]

While she made a couple of tourniquets for the hero using his own clothing, Momo responded with a slight smile, which went unseen beneath her helmet. Meanwhile, Iida remained silent, wearing a complicated expression.

“Thank you so much, Class Rep. I really thought Iida would die...” Midoriya added, at the same time, checking on Iida’s condition on the ground. Momo shook her head in response.

[Don’t worry about it, Deku. Rather, let me congratulate you for thinking so quickly. Sending that message with your location was very clever of you.]

“It was the first thing that came to mind. I’m glad it worked…” Midoriya replied in a shy tone, clearly relieved. That was when Todoroki arrived on the scene and spoke calmly.

“Looks like you all had a rough fight. I ran as fast as I could, but it seems I’m a bit late.”

“Thank you so much for coming, Todoroki-kun!”

Noticing the arrival of the young man with half-and-half hair, Midoriya quickly thanked him, clearly moved that two of his classmates had rushed to his aid. Momo spoke in a calm tone while helping the badly injured hero to his feet.

[I heard you decided to train with your father, Todoroki-san. Congratulations.]

“Thank you, Class Rep. After that ‘scolding’, I did a lot of thinking and realized you were right. If I want to be a great hero and ‘leave my mark on the world’, I need to use all the resources at my disposal. Training under the Number Two hero is not something I can afford to pass up.” Todoroki spoke in a tranquil tone, a grateful smile on his face as he looked at the girl in the armor. She nodded and congratulated him in a cheerful tone.

[Excellent decision, Todoroki-san. Though he may be a terrible father, he’s a renowned hero, so you can take advantage of his worth and learn from him. It’ll give your future career better prospects.]

“That’s exactly what I intend to do.” Todoroki said with a small smile, then turned his gaze to the unconscious villain on the ground, the injured hero, and Iida, prompting him to ask curiously.

“So I guess this is the ‘Hero Killer’?”

“Yes. A very dangerous villain. If the Class Rep hadn’t arrived in time, who knows what might have happened. He clearly intended to kill Iida-kun and the hero.” Midoriya explained, his tone still tinged with lingering fear. Momo walked over to the unconscious Stain to pick him up, prompting Todoroki to look at Midoriya and ask in surprise.

“And he didn’t want to kill you?”

“Yes. For some reason, he said he didn’t want to kill me…” Midoriya replied, sounding somewhat uneasy. At that moment, a burst of flames landed in the area, and a deep voice echoed.

“What’s the situation, Shoto?”

“The Hero Killer was attacking my classmates, but the situation’s already under control.” Todoroki quickly responded in a firm, deep tone, though with a hint of displeasure in his gaze—something Endeavor didn’t seem to notice, his surprise being even greater—which led him to ask.

“You’re sure it’s the Hero Killer?”

“He’s right there.” Not wanting to say much more, Todoroki commented while pointing in Momo’s direction—who was carrying the villain over her shoulder as if he were a sack of potatoes.

“Endeavor, I can confirm he really is the Hero Killer. He was terrifyingly strong and could control people by licking their blood.”

The injured hero spoke in a serious tone, staring firmly at Endeavor, who could only nod while he took a long look at the imposing red-and-gold armor. It walked toward him, and a slightly distorted feminine voice was heard, serious and elegant, yet somewhat cold.

[Endeavor, since I still don’t have my license, I can’t take credit for capturing this villain. So, to avoid any complications, I’d like you to perform the capture yourself.]

...

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Chapter 140: Shut up.

Chapter Text

“And why, exactly, should I do it?” Upon hearing Momo’s request, Endeavor couldn’t help asking as he glanced at the villain over the girl’s shoulder. She responded in the same elegant yet cold manner.

[Because he’s the Hero Killer, someone who managed to murder 17 known heroes and permanently incapacitate another 23, including the renowned Ingenium, so it’s no small feat. And although you’re the hero with the most resolved cases in the country, you’re still a bit lacking in 'popularity', and capturing such a well-known and dangerous threat would be a great boost.]

“You’re a smart girl.” Endeavor commented in a slightly intrigued tone, something that greatly displeased Momo, who merely nodded and placed the villain on the ground in front of the flame hero, then spoke in an emotionless voice.

[I hope I can count on you, Endeavor. But if you’re not willing, I’m sure the Pussycats will arrive shortly and help me with this.]

“… Well, I guess I can do this favor for my son’s classmate.”

After a moment, Endeavor spoke in a firm tone that seemed to reveal a hint of reluctance. Momo could only roll her eyes under her helmet and nod without another word, then began to walk away. However, at that very moment, two figures landed from the sky: Gran Torino and Nejire.

“‘Creati’, are you okay?” Upon landing, Nejire quickly asked while examining Momo’s armor, and Momo answered in a much more cheerful tone.

[I’m fine, ‘Nejire-chan’. Nothing to worry about. Endeavor arrived just in time and managed to defeat the Hero Killer.]

Hearing Momo’s quick explanation, Nejire looked around, quickly noticing the villain near Endeavor. But upon seeing the metal collar on his neck, she turned to look at Momo with a knowing smile, just as a small display appeared on her visor, showing a text message from Momo.

[I didn’t want to get into trouble, so I’ll give the credit to Endeavor.]

After reading the message, Nejire nodded with a small smile in Momo’s direction, then looked at Endeavor, who, without saying a word, pulled out a pair of handcuffs from somewhere and cuffed the villain. He then grabbed the metal collar around the villain’s neck, melted it slightly, and removed it. This made the beautiful blue-haired girl smile once again. At that moment, Gran Torino turned to Midoriya and spoke in an angry tone, deliberately ignoring Endeavor’s actions.

“What are you doing here? I told you to wait on the bullet train!”

“I’m really sorry.” Midoriya quickly bowed and apologized, but then raised his head and asked somewhat curiously.

“But why are you here, Gran Torino?”

“I was capturing a villain with that girl over there, and when we finished, she said she was going to look for her mate who had gone off to save a friend, so I followed her.” Gran Torino replied while pointing at Nejire, who greeted them by gently waving her right hand.

At the same time, Iida, who was observing the entire scene—seeing the defeated villain, the gathered heroes, and his classmates who had come to save him, especially Midoriya and Yaoyorozu—felt a swirl of emotions in his chest. The words of the class representative echoed over and over in his mind.

{You ask me why I saved you? If you really need to ask that, it makes me wonder how you’re even studying to be a hero, Iida-san. Of course, it’s because I’m a hero.}

Along with Yaoyorozu’s words, Iida recalled a scene that took place moments before Midoriya arrived—when the villain had managed to defeat him with just a few blows, leaving him on the ground bleeding, while the villain stood over him with one foot on his head and his sword lodged in his shoulder. Hate and despair filled him.

+++

“My brother was my hero; he gave me a dream. He was an excellent hero, and you crippled him forever!! I will never forgive you!! I’ll kill you!!!”

Even lying on the ground, Iida shouted in a voice filled with hatred and resentment, trying with all his might to get up. After all, this Hero Killer, that despicable villain, had attacked his brother, the hero Ingenium, in the middle of one of his patrols, gravely wounding him and damaging his spinal cord. This left him paralyzed from the waist down for life, ending his hero career.

Iida truly couldn’t comprehend why something like that had to happen to his brother—the one who had helped so many people, who always gave his all to be the best hero he could be, smiling as he said he had to push himself like that because he had little talent and had to make up for it. Now his brother lay in a hospital bed, tied up on all sides by machines and medications, with a sad, resigned expression.

He couldn’t bear seeing his brother like that, couldn’t bear that defeated look on his face. Even less could he bear that his brother wanted him to inherit his hero name. That was why he couldn’t choose a hero name for himself, and simply picked his given name in class. At the same time, he chose one of the most modest agencies among all those that had sent him invitations, just because it was close to the area where that villain operated—all in order to find the trash who had ruined his brother and take revenge.

But things didn’t go as he’d hoped. When he finally found the villain in an alley attacking another hero, he barely managed to introduce himself as the proud younger brother of the great hero Ingenium, who had come for vengeance. Immediately afterward, he was defeated and stabbed, left at the villain’s feet.

Stain, the Hero Killer, listened to the young man’s declaration in silence, looking down on him with contempt. Immediately afterward, he pointed at the wounded hero who was slumped against a nearby wall, bleeding and unable to move, then spoke in a calm, cold tone—though a trace of scorn was easy to detect:

“Save him first.”

The villain’s words felt like a bucket of cold water to Iida, who could barely shift his eyes to look at Stain in stunned silence. Yet, the Hero Killer was far from finished, continuing in his low, grave voice.

“Think this through and save others. Don’t use your powers for yourself. Giving in to hatred just to fulfill your own desires is the farthest thing from being a hero. You’re just a fraud, and that’s why you will die—as an offering to a better world.”

+++

{Because I’m a hero.}

{You’re just a fraud.}

{Would you take my name in my stead?}

Yaoyorozu’s words, Stain’s words, and his brother’s words all reverberated in Iida’s mind at once, causing tears to well in the young man’s eyes as he felt overwhelmed by everything that had happened, with nowhere to turn.

(He’s right—I’m nothing but a fraud… Midoriya, Yaoyorozu, and even Todoroki are the real heroes, not someone like me… I’m not worthy of carrying your name, brother…)

Midoriya was the first to notice Iida’s emotional state. He quickly approached him and asked in a worried tone, prompting Iida to raise his head and look at him with eyes brimming with tears, then speak in a choked voice.

“Midoriya, why… Why did you come to save me…?”

“Eh, well, by chance I ran into ‘Normal Hero’, and he said he didn’t know where you were. After thinking about it for a bit, I deduced that you might have run into the Hero Killer who’s been operating in this area. And since 60% of his attacks are carried out in dark alleys, I focused on them and luckily made it in time.” Midoriya answered with a slightly embarrassed smile, causing Iida to ask quietly.

“But why? Why did you try so hard to save me? I… because of my anger… I couldn’t see anything. I’m not a hero. Just like that villain said, I’m nothing but a fraud…”

“You know, Iida-kun, I don’t think you’re a ‘fraud’ or anything like that. In fact, I’m sure you’ll become a great hero. Anyone can be swept up by their emotions—this is just a chance to learn. Besides, I’d like to apologize to you, Iida-kun. Even though we’re friends, I didn’t notice how cornered you felt. I’m really sorry.”

Midoriya’s sincere and warm tone deeply affected Iida, whose tears flowed almost uncontrollably down his cheeks. Everyone present witnessed this scene with various expressions, while Gran Torino nodded with satisfaction as he looked at the green-haired boy.

(He really is identical to Toshinori in this regard… The boy will be a great symbol of peace.)

Meanwhile, Momo watched Iida for a moment, then sighed and shook her head before walking toward the two young men. Her helmet retracted and disappeared, and she stopped right in front of Iida and spoke kindly and calmly.

“I’d also like to apologize to you, Iida-san. As class representative, I didn’t notice in time the predicament you were in, and I didn’t offer the help you needed. But that’s going to change starting now—you can count on me for whatever you need.”

“Representative…” Iida looked at Momo and spoke in a low voice, prompting the beautiful black-haired girl to nod with a smile before adding.

“This is just one episode in your life, Iida-san. And just like Midoriya, I’m also sure you’ll be an excellent hero… though you do need a better hero name, Tenya doesn't feel right.” Momo added with a small smile. In response, Iida nodded, then stood up straight and spoke firmly, full of determination.

“You’re right, Representative. From now on, I will be known as Ingenium. I will inherit my brother’s name, and I will become the best hero I can be.”

While everyone focused on this moving scene, Stain—who had already regained consciousness and was merely pretending to be asleep—quickly reached for a small blade hidden beneath a sort of fabric band around his left wrist, using it to break the handcuffs that restrained him.

With incredible speed, Stain turned as he stood, slashing Endeavor’s thigh while simultaneously lunging toward the wounded hero he intended to kill. He reached the hero’s back and put the blade to his throat. Everyone spun around to face him with grim expressions, especially Endeavor, who immediately ignited his flames, shouting in anger.

“Hero Killer!!!”

“Not so fast, fraud.”

Stain spoke calmly after licking the blade, now slightly smeared with blood, paralyzing Endeavor. The flame hero fell to the ground with a furious expression while the other heroes assumed their fighting stances, their faces dark.

“Release the hostage!”

Gran Torino exclaimed in alarm, but Stain gazed at them all with bloodshot, crazed eyes from behind his captive. Then he replied in a dark, almost deranged tone, unleashing a murderous intent so overwhelming it seemed to snuff out the light and color in everyone’s sight, as if they were facing an ancient predator capable of killing them all.

“Come at me, all of you—frauds. I am the one who will fix this society!! I’ll restore what it means to be a hero!! None of you can do anything to me!! The only one who can kill me is the true hero, All Might!!!!”

While the heroes all stepped back, terror evident on their faces and feeling the air itself grow heavy, Stain drove his blade into the wounded hero’s neck, managing to stab him deeply into a vital spot.

Just then, a horrifying pressure filled the area, as though crushing everyone’s very souls—so powerful it even cracked the concrete. And at that same moment, a calm voice that seemed to come from the very depths of hell echoed in everyone’s ears, somehow making them feel their souls tremble in terror.

“Shut up, you piece of trash. Can’t you see you’re scaring my girls?”

...

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Chapter 141: Black Assassin.

Chapter Text

After leaving the Nomu behind, Kai moved through the streets without drawing attention, quickly positioning himself several buildings away, behind the hand-covered guy and the shadow with eyes who had attacked the USJ. They were standing on what appeared to be a massive water tank, watching the destruction caused by the Nomus with the help of binoculars.

For his part, Kai—not only watching the pair of villains—also began observing the girls’ battles against the Nomus by using a trick he had developed upon recalling a certain character who was very powerful in the use of aura. The trick consisted of making a circle with his index finger and thumb, then applying [Gyo], and finally placing it in front of his eye. Although it wasn’t exactly x-ray vision or anything of the sort, it did allow him to see very far and pick up even the slightest source of light from somewhere, which made it extremely useful.

Seeing the Pussycats take down the Nomu so quickly and efficiently, Kai couldn't help but nod in satisfaction while enjoying the exaggerated pantomime of the hand-covered idiot, who now only had his hand-shaped mask. He was whining like a small child because his toy had been destroyed too quickly—something that also happened when Nejire and Gran Torino captured the second Nomu.

[Master, there’s movement with the Nomu.] Suddenly, Sage abruptly informed him through the connection, which caused Kai to turn and see what was happening, quickly understanding what had occurred.

The winged Nomu had managed to free itself and attacked a small group of heroes who had found it, which made Kai smile wickedly as he simultaneously conjured a new card. Aside from the Aura Script pattern, the card’s center displayed the image of a figure dressed in black with a mask and a hood, while on its back one could see five other different masks.

“[Mask and Mantle] On! [Black Assassin]!”

With the activation, the card transformed into a stream of light that completely enveloped him. Shortly thereafter, it shifted into what appeared to be a black assassin’s suit, featuring a wide hood over his head and a mask that completely covered his face. This was combined with a flowing cape that fell behind his back and an elegant black leather and metal armor with golden details, complete with shoulder pads, gauntlets, and high boots.

[Salem, hide over here, I’ll be right back]

Kai spoke to the cat on his shoulder in a distorted voice that was quite different from his own—a difference that greatly surprised the cat, causing it to jump and grow in size while roaring menacingly, for that disguised thing not only didn’t sound like its master but didn’t even smell like him, so it could only be an imposter.

Seeing the stupid cat roaring at him while being enveloped in lightning, Kai could only slap his forehead in exasperation before releasing a small burst of Conqueror’s Haki toward Salem, all the while speaking in a dark tone.

“I don’t have time for your stupidity—stay still.”

Feeling the unmistakable pressure of his master, Salem quickly shrank in size and submissively exposed his belly, causing Kai to roll his eyes beneath his mask. He then shot off toward the Nomu that had already defeated most of the heroes, knowing he had to hurry—after all, he needed a witness to see him take down the Nomu and take it away as a cover story.

The [Mask and Mantle] card was created for purely aesthetic purposes and had the ability to conjure six different costume sets, while simultaneously hiding his smell, voice, and anything that might give him away—to the point that it even modified his height by a few centimeters. And although it had no real defensive capacity, its disguise was hardly any different from something genuine, so it still offered a certain amount of protection.

But since the suits didn’t have any real defensive capabilities aside from the inherent resistance of the original materials, or perhaps even a bit less, he didn’t have to forge overly restrictive pacts to create it. Upon activating the card, the aura cost was quite low, and it lasted up to 24 hours—unless it was removed or more than 60% of the suit was damaged. In addition, its maximum usage limit was 30 times per month.

Moving at a blinding speed, Kai quickly arrived in front of the group of heroes fighting the Nomu. The group consisted of five people: two who looked like they were dressed as ninjas, one wearing a white business suit with some sort of bag completely covering his head, another clad in what appeared to be black steampunk-style armor, and one dressed like a Native American warrior.

On the ground lay unconscious the man in the business suit and the fellow dressed as a Native American, while the ninjas leapt from side to side, attacking with metallic ninja stars. Meanwhile, the man in the steam-punk armor was doing his best to withstand the blows from the winged Nomu, although now it had only one wing, and one of his arms was badly injured.

Without a word, Kai arrived in front of the Nomu in an instant and unleashed a burst of strikes typical of Wing Chun—a style he normally didn’t use—beginning with a rapid series of straight punches to the chest. At that moment, the Nomu tried to hit him with its left arm, which Kai deflected with his right palm, before delivering a powerful punch to the side, quickly followed by a blow with the extended hand’s outer edge to the neck.

With his other hand, Kai delivered a direct palm strike to where a human's temple would normally be—though with the Nomu's exposed brain, it felt a bit strange. However, he didn't hesitate and quickly followed up with an uppercut to the chin, then a strike to the chest with his other hand, leaving the monster completely dazed. This allowed him to unleash a rapid barrage of blows to the Nomu's face, neck, and chest without interruption.

In just a few seconds, the Nomu collapsed to the ground, completely wrecked and bleeding profusely. At that moment, Kai shook his blood-covered hands, causing it to drip from his gloves, then turned to face the heroes and asked in his distorted voice.

[Are you all okay?]

“Yes, thanks for the help—we were on the edge of the rope.”

The response came from the man in the steam-punk armor, who dropped to one knee while breathing heavily. At that moment, the ninjas approached and bowed, and one of them spoke.

“Thank you very much for the help. It seems a hero managed to defeat this villain first, but he broke free. Luckily, we found him in time—though it was too much for us.” After straightening up again, the other ninja remarked in amazement as he looked at the bloodied Nomu on the ground.

“Although, I didn’t know there was a hero so strong in this sector—are you new?”

[Something like that.] Kai replied casually while turning once more to pick up the Nomu, at which point the man in the armor reached for his waist, grabbed a pair of bulky handcuffs, and said.

“Use these cuffs; the normal ones won’t be able to contain him.”

[Oh, that’s not necessary.] Kai responded casually as he lifted the Nomu and placed it on his shoulder, then added while looking at the heroes.

[It’s good that you’re all okay, but I have to go now. Goodbye.]

Before anyone could say another word, Kai shot off toward one of the alleys at an impressive speed, leaving all the heroes speechless. One of the ninjas couldn’t help but ask, confused.

“Who was that guy? Why did he take him?”

“I don’t know…” The other ninja replied just as confused, and then the man in the armor added in a tired tone.

“It’s very likely he isn’t a hero. Someone that strong wouldn’t go unnoticed, and I haven’t heard anything about anyone with his appearance—so he’s either a villain or a Vigilante.”

“That makes sense…” One of the ninjas remarked in understanding, and the other asked rather hesitantly.

“Should we chase after him?”

“It’s not like we could catch him at that speed. Besides, he helped us, so he might be a vigilante—and even if we caught up to him, we wouldn’t be his match.” The man in the armor shook his head and said in a serious tone as he got to his feet, and the other ninja nodded in agreement, adding in a serious tone.

“You’re right. Better call an ambulance—the other two are quite injured.”

…

After ducking into an alley, Kai kept running, repeatedly changing direction in accordance with Sage’s instructions. He then opened a manhole in the ground and tossed the Nomu inside, before jumping in himself and closing the hatch—at which point he commented in a tone full of disgust at the terrible smell.

[Sage, isolate this thing.]

“Immediately.”

The beautiful fairy flying beside him quickly replied in a serious tone. At that moment, a sort of luminous tattoo around the Nomu’s neck manifested for an instant before disappearing from sight as if by magic, and then a holographic screen appeared before Kai displaying the Nomu’s prisoner row.

“It’s ready, master.”

[That’s good, but for now, find me a safe place to exit and close to one of the girls—this smell is unbearable.] Kai replied in a dark tone, since due to the card’s limitations, his mask was purely aesthetic and didn’t even offer protection against the horrible odor. Sage then responded in a serious tone.

“Ready, master—the route is selected.”

At the same time, a sort of mini-map of the sewer system appeared in Kai’s vision, along with a light arrow indicating which way to go. He quickly ran, careful to avoid touching the wastewater and holding his breath as much as he could.

Shortly after, in a dark and deserted alley, a manhole cover opened, and soon Kai emerged. He quickly resealed the manhole, then began to remove his suit hastily—and when he had taken it off about 60%, it disappeared in a burst of light. At that moment, the blue-eyed guy sniffed his arms with a look of disgust, while commenting in a dark tone,

“Damn, that smell really stuck to me…”

“It’s just a phantom sensation, master. [Mask and Mantle], by hiding your odor, prevents other smells from ‘sticking’ to you while you wear it.” Sage replied with a smile as he flew in front of his master, who sighed and said.

“I hope so…”

At the same time, Kai extended his Observation Haki to survey his surroundings, noticing that Momo and Nejire were in a relatively nearby alley. After a moment’s thought, he asked his fairy assistant.

“Sage, have you already set up my cover on the nearby cameras?”

“Yes, Master. I created images of you walking around the area and watching the Pussycats' fight from a distance. Right now, it should look like you're heading in this direction.” Sage responded in a serious tone while displaying holographic screens with pre-fabricated images of Kai walking and observing the Pussycats' battles. Satisfied, Kai nodded before commenting.

“Perfect, then let’s go meet Momo and Nejire.”

At the same time, Kai materialized an exact copy of Salem and placed it on his shoulder, since the cat was quite far away, and it would be rather odd for him to arrive without his faithful companion. Kai then began walking toward the place where he could sense Momo and Nejire

“!!!! The only one who can kill me is the true hero, All Might!!!!”

By the time Kai got close to where Momo and Nejire were, he managed to hear a crazed scream in the distance, and at the same time he felt a rather terrifying “killer instinct”—somewhat similar to his own Conqueror’s Haki, but only in that it gave off a sensation akin to when he wished to intimidate; in every other way it was different, which piqued his interest.

(How interesting—I’ve never felt anything similar to my Haki. It’s worth studying.)

At the same time, Kai unleashed his Conqueror's Haki with the intent to ‘kill,’ causing the air around him to electrify and almost vibrate. As he did, he spoke in a noticeably angry tone, having seen the frightened expressions on Momo and Nejire—something he did not like at all.

“Shut up, you piece of trash. Can’t you see you’re scaring my girls?”

...

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Chapter 142: He’s a great doctor.

Chapter Text

““Kai!!”” Upon hearing the voice, Momo and Nejire exclaimed loudly, which echoed the heavy footsteps that could be heard approaching from the darkness.

Meanwhile, Stain, feeling a danger like never before, quickly pulled his knife from the hero’s neck, causing a jet of blood to spurt out. With a fluid motion, he spun 180 degrees, just in time to see a handsome young man with black hair and blue eyes stepping out of the darkness with a firm stride. His face bore a cold expression, laden with “killing intent”.

A powerful shiver ran down Stain’s spine upon meeting those angry eyes. Thanks to his many years of experience flirting with death, Stain quickly recovered and leaped toward him, wanting to draw some of his blood to take him out of the fight and swiftly end his life.

“Die!”

As soon as he reached Kai, Stain uttered a single phrase filled with murderous intent while attempting to slash him with his knife. But with a movement so swift it went unnoticed, the blue-eyed boy grabbed his wrist firmly and looked him straight in the eyes, then spun him through the air and slammed him against the ground with such force that the nearby concrete was destroyed, injuring his head and leaving him unconscious in a pool of his own blood.

[Sage, capture this guy and keep him under watch.]

[Understood, master.]

Simultaneously, Kai quickly communicated with his reliable assistant through their mental connection. She immediately replied as her dress changed into a female prison guard’s uniform, then placed her small hands on the villain’s head.

“Kai! Could you check his condition?”

Paying no attention to the defeated villain, Nejire quickly asked in a frightened tone while pointing at the hero, who was clutching his neck and trying to take a few shaky steps forward, though he soon dropped to his knees on the ground, letting out a weak groan as a pool of his blood began to form on the floor. Momo quickly added, wearing a similar expression.

“He was stabbed in the neck! If we don’t do something, he’ll die!.”

“Sure. Hand me the first aid kit, Momo. Salem, immobilize the villain.” Kai responded in a calm tone as he approached the hero, who was on the verge of losing consciousness, at which point ‘Salem’ leapt off his shoulder and grew in size before sitting down on Stain.

“It’s better to wait for the ambulance.” Todoroki remarked in a serious, solemn tone, watching the macabre scene with his heart pounding. At that moment, Gran Torino spoke up gravely.

“Let him handle it; he’s a great 'doctor'.”

Todoroki, Iida, Modoriya, and Endeavor—who had managed to get to his feet when Stain lost consciousness—turned toward Gran Torino, somewhat surprised by his statement. Meanwhile, Momo quickly retracted her armor, and from her exposed skin emerged a medium-sized white box with a red cross in the center. She ran to hand it to Kai, looking nervous.

Without paying attention to the surrounding blood, Kai reached the wounded hero and knelt to examine him, realizing that besides the blood gushing out in small spurts synchronized with his heartbeat, the man was gasping for air and letting out an ominous gurgling sound. Without a second thought, Kai put one hand over the wound to try to contain the hemorrhage, just as Momo arrived by his side to give him the first aid kit.

“Momo, carefully hold his head so he can’t move it.”

While opening the first aid kit with a swift motion, Kai spoke, glancing at the pale-faced Momo, who quickly nodded and held the hero’s head between her hands, trying her best not to look directly at the bleeding wound and turning her face away, yet keeping her hands firmly in place.

After making sure Momo was doing well, Kai used his free hand to take out a bag of compresses from the kit, swiftly replacing his manual pressure on the wound with the compresses, right over the carotid artery.

Without so much as a grimace at the blood staining his hands, Kai quickly applied a compression bandage, being careful not to wrap it completely around the hero’s neck. The hero wore an expression of utter terror and desperation. At that moment, Kai turned to Nejire and spoke firmly.

“Nejire, come here and hold this compress. I need my hands free.”

“Yes!”

Though pale and frightened, Nejire dashed over and, following Kai’s instructions, applied pressure to the man’s neck with the compress. At that moment, Kai took out a bottle of alcohol, a small tube that appeared to be part of an IV line, and a scalpel.

After removing the scalpel from its sterile pouch, Kai cut the tube, then quickly poured alcohol on his hands, the tube, and the scalpel. Immediately, he made a small horizontal incision in the hero’s cricothyroid membrane, on the front of the neck below the wound, and inserted the tube with a firm motion. Air instantly began whistling through it.

Amid the tube’s hissing sound, the hero gave a weak cough, obviously in pain, expelling some of the blood and managing to take in a bit more air. Although his breathing was still labored, the ominous gurgling diminished substantially, precisely what Kai had intended.

As he coughed, the hero tried to use one of his hands to grip Kai’s expensive shirt, pleading with a gaze that showed evident fear and pain. Kai then spoke in a firm tone, looking him straight in the eyes.

“Calm down. You’ve suffered a cut on your neck that affects the carotid artery and your airway. Don’t speak—save your energy and stay as still as possible.” Kai quickly turned to the others and asked in a serious tone.

“Has anyone called an ambulance?”

“Yes, they’re already on their way.” Endeavor replied, staring intently at the dangerous blue-eyed boy, who simply nodded indifferently, not wanting to get caught up in another fight with that flaming piece of trash. Then, turning back to the hero, he said resolutely.

“You heard him. Help is on the way, so just stay calm.”

Within a few minutes, the iconic sounds of ambulance sirens rang out. Four paramedics arrived, racing to the scene with a stretcher. Kai looked at them and spoke in a calm voice.

“He has a penetrating neck wound with a possible partial section of the carotid artery and airway compromise. I performed an emergency cricothyrotomy to keep his airway open, and there’s a compression bandage over the injured artery…”

As Kai explained the situation to the paramedics, Nejire and Momo watched him with shining eyes, practically on the verge of pouncing on him. But since they were busy saving someone’s life, like the great heroines they were, they held back. Meanwhile, Midoriya, Iida, and Todoroki exchanged stunned looks, filled with doubt.

They were truly grappling with the fact that a classmate their age was capable of such a feat—not only was he monstrously strong, but he was now apparently also a doctor. It made them question reality itself or even whether he was entirely human.

For his part, Gran Torino watched Kai with mild astonishment. While he had heard from Recovery Girl that the boy was a formidable doctor, he’d assumed she was referring to the way he’d healed All Might—which he’d been told was quite “magical”. But the boy was now clearly showing real knowledge and the ability to save a life.

Endeavor, meanwhile, kept shifting his gaze between the injured hero, Kai, the defeated villain, and the huge panther sitting on him, his expression unreadable. Secretly, he felt shaken by the ridiculous display of skill from a kid the same age as his youngest son. At the same time, he felt equally suspicious, given that the boy’s demeanor was too composed and calm under circumstances that would rattle even a seasoned hero.

Ever since he appeared, this kid, in a single move, took down the villain who had incapacitated and killed dozens of heroes, then rescued a gravely injured person with an exceptionally high level of skill. More importantly, he didn’t even furrow his brow once throughout the entire process, as though he were an experienced surgeon accustomed to blood and death.

…

With Kai’s explanations, the paramedics quickly recognized the seriousness of the situation. Two of them headed back to the ambulance to get the gear needed to immobilize the patient, while the other two carefully placed the hero on the stretcher, secured him, and rushed him into the ambulance, where they hooked him up to various devices before setting off at full speed toward the hospital.

Right as the ambulance took off, Momo and Nejire turned around to embrace Kai in excitement, only to find him removing his expensive, blood-soaked shirt, revealing his exceptionally sculpted torso and the two necklaces he’d worn around his neck for nearly a decade. At that moment, the blue-eyed boy looked at Momo and asked with a smile.

“Momo, could you help me with some water and a new shirt?”

“Sure!” Momo answered with a huge smile and promptly used her Quirk to create several bottles of water, handing one to Kai and another to Nejire, who also had blood on her hands.

“How are you so skilled at medicine, Saito?”

While Kai rinsed away the blood with water, a curious Todoroki couldn’t help but ask, prompting the others to pay close attention, including Endeavor, who was on the phone with his sidekicks after having tightly secured Stain with handcuffs, a chain, and his flames—refusing to repeat the same mistake. Kai answered in a calm tone.

“I practiced a lot on corpses.”

Kai’s reply sent a shiver down the three students’ spines. Momo and Nejire immediately noticed, prompting the beautiful blue-haired girl to cheerfully clarify as she washed the blood off her body.

“Kai’s talking about cadavers from medical schools—those are the ones students use for practice. A few years ago, Kai became obsessed with medicine, and after studying a lot, he wanted hands-on experience. So he went to several medical schools and asked to use their cadavers and to observe their procedures.”

“And they just… agreed, just like that?” Midoriya asked in a confused, hushed voice, to which Momo responded with a small laugh while creating a new shirt for Kai.

“Kai donated a lot of money, so they were more than happy to let him practice. Some professors even had him assist in minor surgeries and gave him some private lessons.”

“Money really can do anything…” Midoriya muttered with a complicated tone, making both young heroines smile. Momo then added calmly, handing the fresh shirt to Kai.

“Money is just a tool, Midoriya-san. Without talent and sufficient effort, money alone can’t make you a doctor. While it might buy you a certification in some places, that wouldn’t make you a real doctor. On a day like today, you wouldn’t be able to do anything. Besides, they only let Kai assist because he’s truly skilled—otherwise, they would’ve made him watch from a distance.”

Kai, for his part, listened in silence without saying anything. While working with cadavers and his few experiences as a surgical assistant had indeed helped, most of the credit for his abilities went to his lab rats. But since he needed a valid excuse for showing his skills, he used the cadaver story. Plus, he genuinely learned a few things from the doctors who supervised him.

Moreover, although he wouldn’t heal just anyone outside his family or very special cases using his aura, since it was too miraculous and would only invite trouble, he had no qualms about using his medical skills to make the girls happy. While it might seem surprising, it was still within the realm of normalcy and wouldn’t cause too many problems. Besides, the girls understood the implications of him using such powers, so they wouldn’t ask him carelessly.

Once Kai had put on the new shirt, Nejire and Momo, still a bit pale from all the tension, grabbed him by the arms with smiles that practically shouted their pride. At that moment, Gran Torino approached Kai and spoke in a serious, appreciative tone, while ‘Salem’ hopped back onto the blue-eyed boy’s shoulder.

“You did very well, kid.”

“It was nothing.” Kai replied casually, and after a brief farewell, the three of them left the scene in a hurry as the sound of police sirens drew closer.

Chapter 143: You’re more than worthy of being my successor!

Chapter Text

While Kai and the girls were walking away, Midoriya stayed behind, silently watching their backs, completely lost in thought. It was quite jarring for him to see the terrifying boy with blue eyes acting as the hero of the situation, defeating the villain and saving the victim from a critical situation—something even the number two hero couldn’t manage.

Somehow, the terrifying boy seemed different now, no longer so malevolent and frightening. Also, thinking back on the week of classes they had after the sports festival and before the apprenticeships, his attitude in class had changed slightly.

Although he still slept through lessons that weren’t outdoors or taught by Midnight-sensei, during that time, he never once released that pressure of his that knocked people out, even when they were yelling and all that—something he seemed to hate quite a bit. Furthermore, on occasion, Midoriya had even seen him chatting with the “class rep’s group”, which consisted of Kirishima, Seto, Mina, Jiro, and occasionally Kaminari.

It was as if, somehow, he had gotten used to the classroom and was now calmer, to the point that if you didn’t look for him specifically, it was easy to overlook him. He came and went without anyone noticing, so much so that several times Midoriya himself thought the boy was skipping an afternoon class because he had not seen him come in. Only to find him sleeping at his desk as always, without anyone noticing how he’d gotten there.

Also, Midoriya couldn’t deny that his advice had been incredibly useful, allowing him to go from being a glass cannon that broke at the slightest action to being moderately useful in combat. He was sure that was the reason he got so many apprenticeship invitations after the cultural festival.

All that reflection led Midoriya to remember what happened on the day of the cultural festival, when he woke up startled in the UA infirmary because the last thing he remembered was Kai’s ominous black sword approaching his chest.

+++

“No!”

In the middle of UA’s white infirmary, Midoriya, who until just a moment ago had been sleeping peacefully on one of the beds, suddenly exclaimed as he sat up with a jolt. He then tried to check his chest with his only usable hand, since the other was immobilized, when a feminine, aged voice sounded at his side.

“He didn’t cut you. I suppose the sword he used wasn’t sharp because it only penetrated a few millimeters into your skin.”

Turning to look toward the source of the voice, Midoriya found All Might accompanied by a short elderly lady dressed in a dark brown hero suit with a line beneath a white coat. On her head she wore some kind of helmet that protected the sides of her face and connected at the front to a purple visor covering her eyes, prompting him to ask in mild surprise.

“Recovery Girl? All Might?”

“But the same can’t be said for your right arm. It was completely shattered into several pieces. It will never fully heal.”

Ignoring Midoriya’s words, Recovery Girl continued in a calm yet serious tone, which caused All Might, who was next to her, to turn and look at her with a solemn expression. Still, she went on explaining in the same tone of voice.

“I need to remove the bone fragments so they won’t remain in your joints before I can even start to heal you…” Recovery Girl turned to look at All Might and Midoriya as she let out a sigh, then continued in a weaker voice.

“I really thought that after you learned to control your power a bit better, you’d stop being so reckless. But look at how you ended up. Why did you push yourself so far? Clearly, there was no need—he barely left a scratch on you…”

Upon hearing Recovery Girl’s words, Midoriya chose to remain silent, staring at his immobilized arm. At that moment, the door to the room was thrown open, revealing Iida, Uraraka, and Tsuyu, who exclaimed simultaneously, filled with concern.

“““Midoriya/-chan/Deku!”””

“Are you okay?” Uraraka entered the room quickly, asking worriedly as she did so. Then she looked at All Might and exclaimed in surprise.

“Eh? All Might?!”

“All right, all right, I know you’re worried, but I’m going to have to make a Surgery on him.” At that moment, Recovery Girl started ‘pushing’ her out while explaining, surprising and scaring the young students equally.

“““Surgery?!!”””

While Recovery Girl ushered the students out of the infirmary, Midoriya watched them for a moment with a small smile before quickly turning to look at All Might, a mixture of guilt and concern on his face. Right as the door closed, the green-haired youth spoke in a pained, regretful tone, catching the Symbol of Peace’s attention.

“I’m sorry… I couldn’t do what you asked of me… I couldn’t even touch him. He surpassed me in every way…”

“…Midoriya-shonen.” All Might spoke quietly, looking visibly regretful, but Midoriya went on in a complex tone, lifting his head to stare at the ceiling.

“No matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried, he truly felt like an invincible Demon King. At one point, I even felt like I was losing control of One for All, yet he never took me seriously—he just toyed with me. If that had been a real fight against a villain, I’d have died at the first exchange…”

Feeling deeply remorseful over the heavy burden he had placed on his proud successor, All Might wanted to speak. However, Midoriya turned to look him in the eyes and, clenching his healthy fist, spoke with conviction.

“I know I’m not worthy of bearing your power. I know there are people who could handle it much better than me. But I don’t want to give up—I want to improve so I can face him properly. I want to live up to the expectations you have for me, All Might. So please, give me a little more time! I promise I’ll work my hardest to achieve it! I promise I’ll become a worthy successor to you, and a Symbol of Peace you can be proud of!!”

(I really underestimated him. He isn’t giving in to that seemingly insurmountable gap between him and Kai-shonen. Midoriya-shonen, you’re truly amazing… you’re more than worthy of being my successor!!!)

Hearing Midoriya’s declaration, All Might couldn’t help reflecting to himself with an enormous, proud smile on his face. He spoke in a tone brimming with confidence and joy, after unleashing his iconic laugh.

“Hahaha, Midoriya-shonen, I have total faith in you! I know you’ll be the Symbol of Peace this country needs. For that reason, I need to apologize to you—I haven’t been the mentor you needed.”

“No, All Might, it’s my fault…” Midoriya quickly tried to offer his perspective, but All Might raised a hand to request silence for a moment and continued explaining.

“I can acknowledge my shortcomings, and I know it will be difficult for me to become a qualified mentor in the short term. That’s why I decided to ask for help from my own mentor, Gran Torino, so he can guide you.”

“All Might’s mentor?!!” Midoriya exclaimed in surprise, but All Might kept talking.

“My mentor will send you an invitation for your apprenticeship, and I want you to accept it. Also, once you come back, I’ve reached an agreement with Kai-shonen so he can help with your training, since his Quirk—along with his father’s Quirk—has many similarities to All For One, and you’ve already seen how useful his methods can be.”

Midoriya nodded, feeling perplexed. Seeing All Might remain silent for a moment, he couldn’t help asking seriously, for although he had asked Kai for advice before knowing All Might’s intentions about passing on One for All, it now made him feel uncertain.

“Is it really okay for Saito-kun to help me…?”

“Hahaha, he already helped you once, so I don’t see why he can’t do it again. Besides, even though I did mention wanting you to eventually serve as a counterbalance to Kai-shonen, that time isn’t now. While his mindset may be a bit off, he hasn’t done anything wrong.

“He isn’t a villain or anything of the sort, and it’s not guaranteed he’ll become one at some point, either.” All Might explained with a big grin, which greatly relieved Midoriya. However, internally, the Symbol of Peace had made a decision.

(The One for All is yours now, Midoriya-shonen. I truly hope you become a great Symbol of Peace in the future. So I will take it upon myself to finish that villain from the past era who wants to rise again, even if it means taking him to the grave with me.…)

Shortly afterward, Recovery Girl returned to the room and made All Might leave so she could perform the surgery. The Symbol of Peace left after saying his goodbyes, although some of what Midoriya had said continued echoing in his mind.

(He said he lost control of One for All for a moment? That never happened to me… Could Kai-shonen have done something? It’s quite possible, after all, his ability to create anything he’s familiar with is extremely broad. Who knows what he might have created… I’d better ask him when the opportunity arises…)

+++

By the time Kai and the girls disappeared from his view, Midoriya clenched his fist tightly as he watched in the direction they vanished, silently making a vow with conviction to himself.

(Saito-kun, I don’t know if you’ll really become a villain in the future, but what I do know is that you can become a great hero. So if you stray from the path, I’ll make sure to bring you back with 'all my might'!!)

…

Shortly after separating from Gran Torino and the others, Momo and Nejire, a bit calmer after all the commotion and blood, looked at Kai with beautiful smiles on their faces. Nejire spoke in a voice filled with excitement and joy.

“You were super cool back there, Kai!”

“It wasn’t that big a deal, just some first aid.” Kai replied in a calm tone, prompting Momo to shake her head and speak proudly.

“It was a lot, actually. Aside from you, no one else there could do anything. Today, you were the true hero!”

“More like a field medic, but whichever makes you happier.”

Kai quipped playfully as he watched the girls’ happy smiles, feeling it was worth the effort. At that moment, he sensed Salem running toward him, so he quickly controlled the Nen beast on his shoulder, making it leap off and run toward him.

“What’s up with Salem?” Nejire asked, somewhat puzzled as she saw Salem disappear into an alleyway, to which Kai replied casually.

“Who knows…”

Moments later, the real Salem arrived, bounding forward and jumping onto Kai’s shoulder before starting to purr happily. The sight deeply charmed Nejire and Momo, who quickly exchanged looks and, after a small nod, Nejire picked Salem up in her arms and summoned her Accomplice, which was a lovely cat with pale blue fur.

“Salem and Mira look really good together, fufufu.” Nejire commented playfully, holding a cat in each arm. Momo and Kai smiled in amusement, but Kai soon spoke up.

“Well, let’s go meet the Pussycats. It seems they finished talking to the police and met up with Onee-chan.”

““Let’s go!”” Nejire and Momo said at the same time, speeding up until they saw the Pussycats and Nemuri, who was holding her phone close to her ear.

Hearing the riff of an iconic Heavy Metal song—Kai’s phone ringing—Nemuri and the Pussycats quickly turned to see the trio walking toward them. But when they looked closely at Kai, they immediately noticed not only that he was wearing a different shirt, but that his pants and shoes were covered in pronounced bloodstains, causing them great concern.

“What happened to you, Kai? Are you okay?” Nemuri quickly ran toward the group and asked worriedly. Right away, Ryuko, Shino, and Tomoko grabbed Kai and began checking him all over almost obsessively.

“What happened? Where are you hurt?” Shino asked, patting Kai’s chest with worry evident on her face, while Ryuko questioned him as she checked his legs.

“Where’s all this blood coming from? Where are you injured?”

“Who did this to you? I won’t let them get away!” At the same time, Tomoko shouted, looking pretty angry as she rolled up Kai’s shirt sleeves looking for wounds.

“I’m fine, don’t worry. It’s not my blood.”

Completely surrounded, Kai could only respond in a helpless tone as he looked at the overprotective women, who, despite his answer, continued checking him for injuries.

“What happened?” Chatora asked in a calmer, more serious tone, which prompted Momo and Nejire to share a knowing look and exclaim together, brimming with excitement.

““Kai was a hero today!!””

“Really? What did he do?” Nemuri, looking more relaxed, asked as she gazed at the pair of students. Momo explained with a wide smile.

“Well, it turns out that one of our classmates ran into the Hero Killer…”

...

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Chapter 144: Good timing.

Chapter Text

“You did very well, Kai.”

Upon hearing the whole story from Momo, Chatora commented, clearly proud—an emotion shared by all the girls, who were looking at the blue-eyed boy with shining eyes. Kai responded in a casual tone as he shrugged his shoulders.

“It was no big deal, I just hit someone who tried to attack me and I performed first aid, that's all.”

“Fufu, whatever makes you happiest. Let’s go home; you need to shower and change clothes.”

Nemuri commented with a smile as she looked at Kai, who was flanked by Shino and Ryuko firmly gripping his arms, while Tomoko was perched on his back with her arms around his neck, sporting an incredibly bright smile on her face.

“I agree, but I need you three to let go of me so I can walk.” Kai remarked, alternating his gaze between the three girls who were holding him captive, all of whom smiled cheerfully before releasing him.

“Then let’s go.” said Shino, who had her arms crossed with a calm expression. Her slightly playful tone made everyone smile.

After heading toward an alley without cameras, Kai activated Accompany and took the entire group home, where they were greeted by Yumiko and Keiko. Both had already changed and were now wearing more casual clothes to be at home, but the moment they saw the blood on Kai’s pants, their expressions shifted to worry, and they asked in unison.

““Are you okay, Kai?!””

“Yes, I’m fine. It’s not my blood.”

“We’ll explain!!”

Nejire and Momo exclaimed at the same time, and after a little laugh, they explained everything that happened in parts as they entered the house, which allowed the pair of mothers to breathe a sigh of relief.

“I’m glad you’re okay, but go, take a shower, and change your clothes. You can’t keep wearing those.” After listening to everything that had happened, Keiko commented with a small sigh of relief. Then she turned to look at Momo and Nejire, adding.

“You two as well. You’ve been through a lot; go freshen up.”

After the trio of young people went off to their rooms, the adults gathered in the living room, where they sat on comfortable sofas as Mrs. Yoshiko served them freshly made tea. That was when Nemuri spoke with a tired sigh.

“Who would have thought a simple launch event would end like this…?”

“I really didn’t expect it. It was quite an ordeal…” Shino nodded and commented after taking a small sip of tea to calm her nerves. That was when Keiko asked in a rather serious tone.

“By the way, I’d like to ask you all: Has anything happened with Kai recently? Even though he hasn’t said anything, I somehow feel he’s been a bit different—he seems calmer and smiles more. Even today, he saved someone in front of several people and didn’t complain at all.”

As she spoke, Keiko fixed her gaze on Shino and Ryuko, who drank their tea calmly but were internally panicking a bit. For some time now, Keiko had been looking at them suspiciously, and she didn’t seem very pleased. That practically confirmed that she at least suspected something, which Nemuri could not help but sigh about.

Although she herself had likely changed subtly since her relationship with Kai began, she was certain that Keiko’s suspicions started because Shino and Ryuko, at the beginning of their relationship, began to get closer to Kai—more so than they used to. Also, ever since their “intimacy” started, they had been showing little details that were very revealing to someone observant, like not being embarrassed for him to see them in certain situations, and so on.

Because of those suspicions, which she was sure Yumiko, Chatora, and maybe even Tomoko also started having, Nemuri wholeheartedly agreed with Kai that they needed to talk to everyone as soon as possible and explain the situation.

But due to Yumiko’s problem, they had a small meeting with Momo—who had recently joined the relationship, albeit in a very innocent way without obvious changes, mainly because Momo had been busy helping her group of friends chooses whom to do their internships with—and decided to wait until that issue was resolved before talking, as it wasn’t the right time for the family to split their attention.

(Could it be because Momo joined the relationship? Did that affect him so much…? Although it doesn’t quite make sense that it would be just that… Besides going out for ice cream, they haven’t done anything else, so it’s likely something else…)

Nemuri thought to herself in silence, as she had also noticed the change. However, no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't pinpoint the cause. While it was possible that Momo joining their relationship had made him happy enough to show such a shift, she was sure that wasn’t the case. Her instinct told her that something else was going on, and she had to ask. But for now, she decided to comment in a calm tone as she set her cup of tea aside.

“I noticed it too, and honestly, I wouldn’t know where it comes from either. Though I must say, it's a change that doesn’t bother me. It’s quite nice that he’s stopped being so grumpy in class.”

“Could it be that he's starting to grow fond of the academy?” Yumiko asked with a cheerful smile after taking a sip of her tea, looking quite happy about Kai's change—one that, while subtle, was undeniably significant.

“I doubt it. He still complains about it now and then, so unless he says it directly, it’ll be hard to know the reason.”

Shino replied calmly, wearing a slight smile on her face, while Ryuko appeared to be sending a message on her phone. Keiko nodded in agreement, then announced in a serious voice, causing everyone present to change expression.

“For now, let’s focus on a more important issue. I have updates regarding the company. I’ve managed to gain the support of 60% of the company’s creditors, and Kai also managed to get proof of the fraud they committed, as well as information on that woman’s relatives and close acquaintances. The divorce settlement is also finished. We’ve completely cornered them; there’s nowhere for them to run or hide. All that’s left is to confront them.”

“What if they decide not to cooperate?” Nemuri asked seriously, to which Yumiko responded with a sharp look.

“We’ll destroy them. The company can fall to pieces, but they’ll never get a drop of what cost me so much to build.”

“And if they do accept, what do they get? I doubt they’d agree to walk away with nothing.” Chatora asked gravely, looking at Yumiko and Keiko. The latter replied with a smile.

“We’ve considered that, so the deal we’ll offer is very simple: they give us full control of the shell company they have, and we appoint our own legal representative in exchange for one million dollars—which is more than enough for them to live a moderate life. Otherwise, we’ll take it to the bitter end and make sure they spend at least ten years in prison and pay back every last cent they stole.”

“That seems good, though it might be hard for them to accept just a million when they’re looking at a giant...” Ryuko remarked with an ironic smile, prompting Yumiko to reply in an annoyed tone.

“If they’re smart, they’ll take the million. I’m already being generous.”

“Yumiko… and when are you going to talk to Nejire?” Tomoko asked as she looked at Yumiko, who couldn’t help but smile bitterly and answer in a voice full of pain.

“Soon… even though I know she already suspects something, it’s very hard for me to tell her all of this… I don’t know how to do it…”

“It’s best if you do it soon. Only she and Momo don’t know, so this could hurt her more…” Nemuri added seriously, causing Yumiko to nod with a gloomy expression. She then said softly.

“Yes, you’re right. It’s better to do it as soon as possible… maybe tonight.”

“That’s best. We plan to stay over tonight because of everything that happened, so you can count on all of us in case something happens.” Shino said warmly, making Yumiko smile.

“Thank you, guys. You have no idea how important it is for me to have you all with me at this moment, but I want to do this alone with Nejire. I will rely on you all to support her afterward, though.”

“You can count on us. We’ll never leave you alone!” Tomoko added with conviction, and everyone present nodded in agreement, bringing a look of affection and happiness to Yumiko’s face.

“Thank you, guys, really… thank you…”

…

While showering peacefully, a holographic screen popped up repeatedly in front of Kai, showing a text message from the group chat he shared with Nemuri, Shino, Ryuko, and Momo, who had recently joined. It said that it would be better to avoid meeting in secret these days, since Keiko was paying close attention.

Ever since Momo joined the relationship, she naturally found out about everything, including the fact that the four had been secretly meeting at night and were already intimate. Although it surprised her a lot at first, she quickly accepted it and didn’t ask many questions.

Similarly, she never asked to join them or anything like that, as if she, too, wanted to take things slowly and step by step before doing anything else. Though she did ask Kai to take her to see the lakefront villa because she wanted to see it.

“Talk about good timing. Just when I was thinking about how to free up time to study the Nomu, I get this gift from the heavens. Great luck, hehehe.”

Reading the message, Kai muttered under his breath with a mischievous smile. At that moment, a holographic keyboard appeared in front of him against the shower wall, where he quickly typed a reply stating that he agreed. Then he turned to look at the beautiful fairy seated in a corner of the bathtub, which was in another corner of the bathroom, as she worked simultaneously on several holographic screens.

“Sage, get everything ready for tonight. We’re going to discover all the secrets of that Nomu.”

“Understood, Master. Would you like to read the report on my preliminary findings from the initial analysis?”

Sage turned to look at her master and asked with a smile as she opened another holographic screen displaying a document summarizing her discoveries. Kai shook his head and replied in a serious tone.

“Later. For now, let’s finish up and go downstairs. I’m interested in the conversation they’re having below.”

“Alright, Master. I’ll have everything ready.” Sage agreed with a small smile before returning to her work on the holographic screens. Kai nodded and then finished his shower.

…

In a spacious and elegant office, crowned by an imposing black ebony desk located in front of a built-in wall library—its upper shelves filled with various books and the lower part displaying crystal bottles of different liquors—sat a refined-looking man with dark gray hair and a slim build, dressed in a black business suit.

The man was reading a file with a focused expression, while in front of him waited a beautiful woman with pale green hair, dressed in a light gray women's business suit. The outfit consisted of a pencil skirt that accentuated her hips and a matching jacket over a white blouse, which, along with her thin-framed glasses, gave her an almost intellectual appearance.

“This is perfect. If we keep going like this, we’re not far from covering our debts and getting out of so many problems.” Finishing the report, the man exclaimed with a broad smile on his face, then looked at the woman in front of him with eyes full of love and admiration. He added excitedly.

“This is only possible thanks to you, Aiko. You’re truly the best thing that could have happened to me and to this company.”

“Haruto-sama, although the projections do indicate that in about a year we could resolve most of the company’s problems, it largely depends on the success of the next collection and the ones after that. But Yumiko-sama still hasn’t sent us the designs, and the deadline to begin production is approaching…” The woman responded in a serious tone, staring at the man. He nodded with a heavy expression.

“Yes… She suspects I have another woman. Before the trip to Italy, she tried probing me about it, and when I returned, I found out she had moved to the Saito estate with Nejire. Even though I’ve tried calling her, she won’t speak to me…”

“Haruto-sama, the heart of this company is Yumiko-sama’s designs. Without them, the success of the next collection would be uncertain…”

Aiko replied in a serious, somber tone, her eyes fixed on Haruto, who could only sigh heavily as he leaned back in the comfortable reclining chair. He then spoke, sounding somewhat worn out.

“I know. Without those designs, we’re finished… It looks like I can only ‘appease’ her so that everything keeps running until we pull through all these problems…”

“You know women very well, Haruto-sama. I’m sure you can make it happen.” Aiko’s tone remained serious and calm, free of the slightest reproach. Haruto quickly straightened up in his seat and explained in a serious voice.

“Don’t misunderstand, Aiko. I’ve left that playboy life behind. Even though I loved Yumiko, her obsession with work eventually drove us apart. I should have divorced her then, but the company was growing at an accelerated pace, and Nejire was very young, so I couldn’t.

“But now everything’s different. I don’t care about money or status anymore, and Nejire is old enough now. All I want is to retire and start a new life by your side, devoting myself to raising our baby—something I couldn’t do with Nejire because of this company.”

“I know, Haruto-sama…” Aiko answered with a slight blush, her hand resting on her still-flat belly in a maternal gesture, which made Haruto smile warmly. But after a sigh, he spoke in a resolute tone.

“But to do that, I have to keep Yumiko happy until we get out of all these troubles and start a new life somewhere else.”

“I understand, Haruto-sama. This part is also my fault—I was the one who dressed up the reports, and I carried out the plan to expand production.” Aiko nodded seriously, her gaze steady, causing Haruto to shake his head as he replied.

“You don’t need to take the blame off me, Aiko. I know this is entirely my fault. I let my arrogance blind me and implemented that stupid expansion plan without studying the market, just to prove I was right. But now isn’t the time for regrets. We need to fix this so we can move forward together.”

“Then shall I get the bouquet of ninety-nine roses plus one white rose ready for you, Haruto-sama?” Aiko asked, her tone businesslike as she took out a small planner and pen. Haruto nodded, then added while turning in his chair to grab a beautiful crystal whiskey bottle.

“Yes, and a box of Hiyoko chocolates.”

“Right away, Haruto-sama.”

Aiko nodded seriously as she wrote in her notebook, wearing a calm expression as if she were used to this. Haruto poured himself a glass of liquor and turned back around. Seeing his computer on the desk, he couldn’t help asking in a somewhat grave tone.

“By the way, Aiko, how did the company’s cybersecurity review go? Has it finished yet?”

...

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Chapter 145: This thing is a work of art.

Chapter Text

“Yes, Haruto-sama, the audit report arrived a few days ago and you signed it. It stated that our security standards are up-to-date and in line, and that there were no infiltrations in our networks.”

Aiko responded while looking at Haruto a bit confused, which made Haruto nod, then take a sip from his glass, his eyes still fixed on the computer. At that moment, Aiko asked with a hint of curiosity.

“But why the question, Haruto-sama?”

“Well, it’s because Yumiko is now at the Saito residence, and that boy is especially good with computers…” Haruto remarked in a voice laced with slight displeasure, prompting Aiko to ask, somewhat confused.

“That boy?”

“Yes, Saito Kai, the son of Jiro and Alisa, a truly creepy brat.” Haruto responded in a disgusted tone, then took another sip from his glass, causing Aiko to comment with a slightly confused expression.

“But I don’t understand what a ‘brat’, as you call him, has to do with the company’s cybersecurity review, Haruto-sama.”

“Even if he’s just a kid, it’s a mistake to underestimate him. After all, he’s the one responsible for the cyberattack on Action Palette studios more than a decade ago.” Haruto answered in a serious tone while swirling the liquor in his glass, making Aiko open her eyes wide in surprise, then ask in a tone full of incredulity.

“He’s the culprit? How old is he?”

“He must be around fifteen or sixteen years old right now, so you can imagine the kind of monster he is. And although I don’t know why Yumiko and even Keiko treat him like the apple of their eye, what I can tell you is that the only thing that boy inspires is fear. He is, in my book, the epitome of creepiness.

“You can’t imagine the chill that ran through my body when I saw a brat barely two years old speaking different languages with perfect pronunciation and complex words, but what was even more terrifying was that no one seemed to find it strange—not his mother, not his father, not even Yumiko or the great Yaoyorozu Keiko.

“They all saw it as something adorable, but for me, it was quite terrifying, like seeing an old man trying to pass himself off as an innocent child…” Haruto finished his whiskey in one gulp and proceeded to pour another while continuing to speak.

“But that was far from the strangest thing. When he was four, he was already playing with technology like it was a mere toy, mainly thanks to his mother, Alisa, who treated him like the crown jewel. She spoiled him and took care of him with extreme protectiveness, to the point that she took that brat’s words as facts.” Haruto took another sip of his exclusive whiskey, then looked at Aiko and asked in a serious tone.

“For example, do you know what he said to me the first time I saw him?”

“What…?” Aiko asked almost reflexively, confused, to which Haruto replied with a bitter smile.

“He said that I smelled like a rat and that I shouldn’t get close to his mother.”

Upon hearing Haruto’s words, Aiko opened her eyes wide in surprise, finding it really hard to imagine such a small child saying something like that. But Haruto went on in a serious, though somewhat disgusted tone.

“And even though at that moment Alisa symbolically scolded him, telling him he couldn’t say such a thing to people, from then on, she became distant from me. If her husband or Yumiko weren’t around, she would always try to stay as far away from me as possible, and I could even swear that she encouraged Jiro to stop talking to me because from that point forward, he also distanced himself from me.”

“All because of a small child’s comment…?”

Aiko asked in surprise, though internally, she couldn't help but think that the boy might not be too far from the truth—not in a literal sense, but more metaphorically. After all, when she started working for him, Haruto was the worst kind of womanizer. If he was already like that back then, even if he didn’t admit it, if that Alisa was a beautiful woman, he most likely would have tried something with her—of that, she had no doubt.

“Yes, all because of that brat's comment. Besides, he was always antagonistic towards me. Whenever I accompanied Yumiko to visit them or when they came to our house, he would always stare at me, as if he were analyzing me like prey, which made me incredibly uncomfortable.

“And if that weren’t enough, whenever he was around, he even hid Nejire from me. That little bastard dared to hide my own daughter from me. But Yumiko always brushed it off as just child's play, and over time, she even set up an exhibition at home with the swords that monster created, which made me feel like a damn stranger in my own house...” Haruto added, filled with annoyance, then took another swig of whiskey, shook his head, and said while placing his glass aside.

“But let’s stop talking about that creepy brat. He drains all my energy. Let’s get back to work.”

“Of course, Haruto-sama. Today, you have a meeting with three of our suppliers; they want an advance because of the cash flow problems we had…”

…

In the middle of a spacious, white, and well-lit room, surrounded by several tables, shelves, freezers, and various medical equipment, stood a large, high-tech-looking rectangular metal table. The table featured what appeared to be a sink with multiple faucets and hoses above it, along with a couple of tablets and holographic screens on its sides. It was also illuminated by a powerful surgical lamp hanging from the ceiling, giving the impression of a futuristic autopsy room or something similar.

On the metallic table lay an ugly, pale yellow monster with an exposed brain and what seemed to be a single wing on its back. Despite being completely opened up like a cadaver in the middle of an autopsy, it was connected to various medical devices that unmistakably indicated that the creature, despite its deplorable condition, was still alive.

“This thing is a damn work of art…”

A surprised Kai, who stood next to the metal table dressed in a white isolation suit, commented softly as he once again reviewed, on the holographic screens around him, the results of his ‘autopsy’ on the Nomu he had captured. This turned out to be quite different from what he’d expected.

“It certainly is, Master. The way it interconnects different quirk factors so they function as one is truly impressive. Technically, instead of many quirks, it’s just one very complex quirk. It almost seems like it’s imitating what the One for All does.” Sage said with a hint of surprise in her tone, hovering beside Kai with her own set of holographic screens. At that moment, Kai added while manipulating one of the screens, so Sage could see.

“That’s also impressive, but the reason I call it a work of art is this: its brain looks like a blend of different parts all interconnected, especially at the interface between the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex. It even has several implants that assist with the neuronal connection…” Kai remarked, looking at the images of the Nomu’s brain. Just then, his eyes widened in realization, and he exclaimed hurriedly.

“Sage, give me all the data on All Might’s and Midoriya’s brains and their evolution over time. Focus on the data from the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex!”

“Right away, Master!”

Sage replied in an enthusiastic tone as her wings flashed in different colors, and in a matter of moments, new holographic screens appeared in front of Kai, showing a detailed study of All Might’s and Midoriya’s brains. Indeed, there was a slight change in the interface between the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex, one so subtle they had previously overlooked it.

“There really is a change. In All Might’s case, the activity was reduced and there are even signs of reconnection, whereas in Midoriya’s case, the activity has increased and there seems to be a restructuring in the ‘limbo-cortical’ area...” Sage commented with a slight smile as she once again examined the images. Kai then spoke in a low, thoughtful tone.

“Could this be the ‘spiritual component’ we’ve been looking for…?”

“It’s highly likely, Master.” Sage nodded while checking data from other subjects to confirm this discovery, as Kai placed one hand on his chin and fell deep into thought.

This discovery, although incredibly valuable, also greatly confused Kai because he’d originally believed that this ‘spiritual component’ was in some way connected to his retaining the memories of his past life. Thus, it wouldn’t make sense for it to be a physical change—after all, although he was strikingly similar in appearance to his past self, his body was obviously different, yet he had kept his memories.

(If this ‘spiritual component’ of quirks leaves clearly manipulable physical traces, then where do my memories of my life as Daniel come from? Did my subconscious really invent them…? That can’t be the case because not only has my knowledge of Nen and Haki proven to be correct, even my memories about ‘future events’ more or less came true, though I deliberately altered one of them.

(Though, well, it might be that my quirk only developed the way it did because I believed it would, which is entirely possible. And maybe the ‘future events’ I knew were nothing more than my Observation Haki getting out of control, letting me see decades into the future, and my brain rearranged them as if they were an anime I watched in ‘my past life’…

(I really don’t see why that couldn’t be the case. Sir Nighteye is living proof that it’s possible to see several years into the future. Plus, I myself can see a few seconds ahead, so it might be that, due to the shock I experienced at that time, my brain constructed a movie of a past life to help me deal with it and filled it in with distant visions from my Observation Haki…

(Could it be that my life as Daniel never actually existed, and I just made it all up without realizing…? If that’s true, then a lot of things would make sense. Like the fact that, aside from hair and eye color, I’m way too similar to Daniel, both mentally and physically, and Mom is an exact copy of Daniel’s mother… That’s too many coincidences for two different lives in two different worlds.

(But on the other hand, there’s Dad—he might have been a clumsy softie at times, but I really love and respect him as my father, although not as much as Mom. I see no reason my subconscious would have reinterpreted him as the human trash that was Daniel’s father, who murdered his mom. Although, well, maybe unconsciously I blamed him for what happened, and my mind reimagined him as that scumbag so I could hate him and hold him responsible…

(On top of that, a person’s personality, memories, tastes, and more are strongly affected after suffering brain damage, so it makes no sense for me to retain my personality, memories, etc. after being ‘reborn’. It practically confirms that there’s no such thing as a soul, and I just made it all up.)

“Sage, study my brain.”

His mind still wandering with these thoughts, Kai ordered Sage in a serious tone. The beautiful fairy nodded, her wings flashing in various colors, then displayed new holographic screens as she explained.

“Although your brain naturally exhibits far higher activity than that of a normal human, there are no signs of the changes observed in both All Might and Midoriya, Master. Everything is perfectly normal. Also, those changes are extremely subtle, so in people who lack special conditions like theirs, it may be difficult to spot something like this…”

“I know. That’s not what I was looking for…”

Kai muttered in a low voice, looking quite disappointed, while at the same time losing himself in his thoughts, all under the curious gaze of the beautiful fairy assistant.

(Perfectly normal… Did I really make it all up…? But I have a mini-self. That thing, no matter how you look at it, seems like my soul… Wait!)

...

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Chapter 146: The trinity.

Chapter Text

“Sage, there are different religions with the concept of the trinity, ‘soul, body, and spirit’, right?” Kai asked hurriedly as he looked at the beautiful miniature fairy flying by his side, who quickly nodded.

“Certainly, Master. Although it’s a concept commonly associated with Christianity, there are more religions that have similar or equivalent concepts.”

“Then, if we take that into account, we can say that, according to many religions, a human being is made up of three elements, isn’t that right?” As if on the verge of a transcendental revelation, Kai looked at Sage and asked in an almost rhetorical manner, to which the beautiful fairy nodded, slightly confused.

“That’s right, Master.”

“Therefore, following that logic, we could suppose that, since humans are made up of three factors, it’s very possible that only two—let’s call them body and spirit—interact, while the third, the soul, remains imperceptible unless something transcendental happens.

“And if we force the logic a bit, human life might work like this: the spirit is the personality or self-awareness, closely related to the body—or the brain, to be more specific—and is therefore affected by whatever happens to it.

“But the soul, being immaterial and unshakable, is different. It’s like a data storage that records all memories, emotions, and thoughts over the course of a lifetime and only gets released at the moment of death, right?”

Kai hastily voiced all his thoughts while looking directly into Sage’s eyes, who couldn’t help but reply in an insecure tone as she displayed holographic screens of what he was explaining.

“You are interpreting the concepts too freely, Master. Although in Buddhism, there is the concept of ‘alaya-vijñana’ or ‘storehouse consciousness’, which has something to do with what you’re mentioning, in the Christian concept of the Trinity, the soul is linked to emotions, the mind, and the personality…”

“It doesn’t matter if we’re that precise; for now, just follow me on this journey. I only need you to tell me if what I’m saying has any logic.” Kai shook his head and commented with a smile, at which Sage could only nod a bit defenselessly.

“If we stretch it a lot, we can say it does have logic, Master…”

“Hehe, I know, but that’s not what’s important. What’s important is that if we follow this line of thought, and if the ‘soul’ really is some sort of ‘total backup’ of the human mind, and if reincarnation is also possible, it’s logical to think that in very, very special cases, a person might be able to access the data in their soul about their ‘past lives’, right?” Kai commented with a huge grin, prompting Sage to open her beautiful eyes wide and look at him in surprise as she exclaimed.

“Master, could it be that…?”

“That’s right! If we think of human life that way, my memories of my past life make sense: my mini-self is my soul, which contains all the data from my previous life and somehow awakened during ‘that event’, which gave me my Haki. And the same thing might have happened with Mom, which is why she’s so similar to Daniel’s mom and also had Haki! Everything is real, and somehow we ended up as mother and son once again because she’s my mother forever and ever!!!”

Kai exclaimed with excitement in the middle of the 'medical room', accompanied only by an 'artificial monster' and a 'Nen beast in the form of a miniature fairy', who couldn't help but ask in an uncertain tone.

“Master, are you sure about keeping that ‘explanation’? It has too many holes…”

“I know, it's just an initial thought. You could even see it as a crazy idea born from my need to find mental peace, but it will serve as a useful foundation to build upon later...” As he began to 'reassemble' the Nomu at high speed, using his Mystical Palm, Kai responded with a casual smile.

“I understand, Master. I’ll keep it in mind, and from a certain point of view, it could indeed help us have a better understanding of how your abilities work, especially Haki because it’s very possible that what we perceive as ‘voices’ is actually what you defined as the ‘spirit’, Master.” Sage said in a thoughtful tone, to which Kai nodded with a satisfied smile.

“That’s exactly what I’m thinking because if we think it through carefully, if the soul is like a backup that records everything but is also unshakable and untouchable, there should be an intermediary connecting the immaterial with the material. That would be the ‘spirit’, which, despite being as immaterial and abstract as the ‘self’ or consciousness, is heavily influenced by the state of the brain and uses it as hardware to function. That’s why my personality is so erratic sometimes—it’s the incongruity born of my ‘mature’ memories clashing with an immature, hormonal body!”

Kai commented with eyes slightly gleaming, somehow feeling that something in his mind was clicking into place, relieving a constant source of discomfort. After all, he wasn’t stupid or blind, and he was perfectly aware that his personality was strange—sometimes erratic, immature, and childish—a major incongruity that had always weighed on his mind.

This became especially evident in his first days at UA because although in his time as Daniel he wasn’t exactly a shining example of maturity, resilience, and sanity, he had lived through and experienced a lot. Under normal circumstances, he shouldn’t have acted the way he did, nor should he have become so depressed when he thought Nemuri would leave him. Yet somehow, in those situations, his emotions constantly overwhelmed his rationality.

When his mind—or perhaps Daniel’s personality—told him he should remain calm and focused, keep a low profile, and avoid stupid things like intimidating teenagers and all the nonsense he pulled at UA. His body—or maybe his personality as Kai—drove him to do those meaningless, unnecessary things, like a real teenager with emotional management issues, something that caused him a lot of stress and uncertainty.

This was likely one of the reasons for his incredible fear of things he couldn’t understand, such as ‘destiny’ or, worse yet, the reason behind his rebirth and his own existence. He wasn’t sure what he was, why he was in that place, or even if it was real—an enormous weight on his mind that these outbursts only made worse.

But now, if his forced, flimsy hypothesis had some truth to it, it was certainly a relief. Because in the midst of a sea of doubts and unresolved issues, understanding himself and the strangeness of his personality was a major advantage—it meant there would be an end to it. All he had to do was go through puberty, and once his body matured, his personality and emotions would gradually fall back under his control, or in other words, one less problem.

“Therefore, we could say that the soul might have a certain level of 'hierarchy' over the spirit or consciousness, which is why it is capable of perceiving and/or overwhelming it—what we call Observation and Conqueror’s Haki. Furthermore, what we perceive as intentions and other such things might actually be a kind of hacking into the communication between the spirit and the soul during the process of registering everything.”

Kai added in a calm and rather satisfied tone, having just 'assembled' the Nomu. It turned out to be quite resilient, and although it didn’t have super regeneration, its body recovered fairly quickly, making his work much easier.

“That makes some sense, Master. But then, what about Armament Haki…?” Sage asked, full of curiosity as she recorded everything for future reference. Kai fell silent in thought for a moment, then responded somewhat uncertainly.

“Mmm… well, for now, we’re just speculating randomly, so it’s hard to know, but maybe the soul itself has the power to remain unshakable and untouchable—that aura of the mini-self we perceive. So, when we cover ourselves with ‘Armament Haki’, what we’re actually doing is extracting part of that power, which works like an invisible armor that only we perceive as something black—something outside our perception.”

“That might certainly be the case… and if we see it like that, we could say that the advanced states of the Haki are really the ‘soul’ merging more deeply with the ‘spirit’, allowing it to interact more fully with the ‘material world’, sensing the environment and being able to affect it. And maybe that’s what caused my evolution!” Sage said with bright eyes, to which Kai nodded with a smile.

“That’s what I think too. By merging the ‘soul’ and the ‘spirit’ more deeply, they affected each other and became stronger. Not only did you evolve—pretty much all my Nen abilities did, and even my body changed. So, in reality, we might have unknowingly combined soul, body, and spirit at a deeper level through yoga.”

“But that leads us to a question, Master: what is Nen…?” Sage asked, confused, leaving Kai rather at a loss. He could only sigh and respond casually.

“I have no idea. In the original work, it was defined as ‘vital energy’, something supposedly produced by every living being for survival, sort of like what we call bio-energy. But aside from me, we don’t know anyone else who can use that energy for anything beyond their own quirks, and we haven’t managed to awaken Nen in anyone else, no matter what we do.

“Also, though Dad really did seem like a true Enhancer, there’s always the possibility that I’ve simply misinterpreted my abilities and that they only behave the way they do because I think that’s how they work, since we haven’t been able to identify my quirk factor. And even though there are obvious differences between my body and a normal human’s, we’ve gotten tired of replicating my traits in test subjects without achieving anything.

“But considering this little speculative session we’re having, we can say the ‘spirit’ definitely plays a very important role in Nen because it relies heavily on my perceptions. Plus, the pacts—a big part of many of my Nen abilities—are basically promises I make to myself, to my own consciousness. So from now on, maybe we can focus more research on my brain; we might find some clues over time.”

“We still haven’t tried replicating your traits in someone without a quirk, Master…” Sage commented quietly, causing Kai to just shake his head before explaining in a serious, solemn tone.

“Well, we don’t have anyone without a quirk, and even though I’m not a good person nor do I pretend to be, I’m not a murderous beast—I have my principles. The rats owe me a blood debt so deep that even if I killed them a thousand times, they wouldn’t be able to pay the interest. But I have absolutely no intention of capturing an innocent person. Besides, we want to replicate my aura to give it to the girls, and they all have quirks, so it’s not really that crucial to have someone like that.”

“I know, Master. Also, according to my simulations, those without quirks wouldn’t make a significant difference. I was merely mentioning a possibility worth considering if an opportunity arises. For now, I will adjust a new research project on the subject. Additionally, I will update Project QM, Project RS, and Project SDR with the new findings.”

Sage nodded and spoke in a calm tone as her tiny wings began to flash different colors at a terrifying speed. Kai nodded with satisfaction, then asked curiously.

“Perfect, Sage. Although, one thing—what happened with the SDR project?”

“In the SDR (Spatial Dynamics Research) project, using the new discoveries as a base, it can basically be confirmed that the portal quirk is actually an ‘artificial quirk’ born from mixing various different quirks. In some way, it does something similar to what we theorized about Emission, although unfortunately, we failed.

“This ‘artificial quirk’ ‘emits’ that kind of black mist at a specific point in space, and using it as a type of anchor or marker, it bends space-time through a higher dimension, allowing it to interconnect two separate regions in our three-dimensional space.”

Upon hearing the question, Sage quickly created a pair of holographic screens in front of Kai—one displaying a complete file with the information, while the second began projecting a graphical representation of his words. This led the blue-eyed boy, who was checking the Nomu one last time, to ask with a tone full of doubt.

“Then, what did we do wrong when we tried?”

“Most likely we still lack a deep understanding of how to bend space through a higher dimension, a gap so large that even our pacts failed. Theoretically, achieving it requires ‘negative energy’, something currently incomprehensible and highly speculative.

“For that reason, I’m carefully studying that specific part of how the quirk works because there’s a high probability there are ‘quantum tricks’ at play to achieve the ‘negative energy’ effect, very likely the Casimir effect or something similar.”

Sage responded in a calm tone, which made Kai feel thoughtful as he removed the white isolation suit he was wearing.

“Then I'll leave it to you, Sage. And isolate this thing, please.”

“You can count on me, Master.”

As the Nomu vanished from sight, Sage responded with firmness and dedication. At that moment, Kai headed toward one of the doors in the ‘medical room’, where a small bathroom with a shower was located. There, he finished undressing and took a quick shower.

...

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Chapter 147: Nejire?

Chapter Text

Upon finishing his bath, Kai left the “medical room”, finding himself in a wide, white, well-lit hall that had different numbered metal doors and was connected to a corridor ending in a flight of stairs leading upward. Kai climbed them, lost in thought.

Pacts were truly powerful and useful, possessing the ability not only to enhance a skill depending on how risky and restrictive they were. But even allowing Kai to do things he normally could not or did not know how to do, such as wielding the sword [Secrets Keeper], capable of blocking clairvoyance. But since it was directly proportional, there were limits.

In the case of [Secrets Keeper], for example, although Kai initially had some ideas on how to achieve the effect he wanted, he really had no certainty, so he had to use a pact. But because it was not excessively restrictive, he had to study in detail not only his own clairvoyance abilities through Haki and Nen, but also Tomoko’s quirk and others’, raising his own skill level to the minimum necessary for the pact to be sufficient.

For the same reason, Kai and Sage theorized that the reason they could not develop teleportation abilities or the like was because their knowledge and skill level were far too distant from the goal—so much so that not even using highly restrictive and risky pacts would make it possible. Therefore, they needed functional examples to study them and, hopefully, reach the minimum threshold.

…

After walking through a small, dimly lit hallway guarded by different security cameras and sturdy metal doors that opened as he passed. The hallway ended at a wall that automatically slid aside like a door for him to go through, Kai arrived once again at his beloved workshop. The moment he stepped in, the wall slid back into place so seamlessly that it was almost impossible to detect anything unusual.

After checking his workshop one last time, Kai left it, then stretched lazily. By force of habit, he extended his Observation Haki to scan the surroundings, which allowed him to sense a familiar “voice” far off in the forest. This confused him so much that he couldn’t help but murmur to himself.

“Nejire?”

Without giving it much thought, Kai headed in the direction where he sensed Nejire’s “voice”, quickly crossing through the forest until he reached a small clearing. There, he found the beautiful light-blue-haired girl lying on the ground, staring at the stars with a vacant gaze and red eyes. She was hugging her cat-shaped Accomplice tightly and wearing a blue pajama set of pants and shirt.

“What happened to you? Did someone do something to you?”

Kai asked as he approached Nejire, who turned her head to look at him and fell silent for a moment. By the time Kai got to her side and sat on the ground, she finally spoke.

“Kai… Did you know about Dad?” After a few minutes of silence, Nejire asked in a broken voice, which inevitably made Kai sigh. Shortly after, he nodded and spoke in a serious tone.

“Yes, I was one of the first to know.”

“Why didn’t you tell me…?” Nejire asked, tears falling from her face, feeling hurt. In response, Kai asked while looking at her straight in the eyes.

“Because it was better for Aunt Yumiko to be the one to tell you. Or tell me, if our roles were reversed, would you have told me?”

“…”

Faced with the question, Nejire could only remain silent. She then turned back to look at the sky, letting out sobs full of pain. Kai could only sigh and begin to gently stroke her head until, after a while, she started speaking again in a voice trembling and filled with pure sorrow.

“…My dad betrayed us, Kai… He wants to take everything from us… He’s one of those damned traitors you hate so much… Now I understand why you lost control of your powers that day… You wanted to finish him off, didn’t you?”

“…Yes. There’s no point in lying. Even now, I think he doesn’t deserve to go on breathing. But I won’t do anything to him. I promised I wouldn’t.”

Kai replied in a serious, solemn tone, never stopping the gentle caress on Nejire’s hair. She took his hand, then pressed it firmly against her chest, her eyes squeezed shut as she began to speak in a soft, halting tone.

“Kai… I don’t know what to feel… From the start, I knew Dad had done something to Mom, but I never imagined he could be such a ruthless, lying person… I loved him, but he wants to take everything from us.

“He wants to take away all of Mom’s life’s work with his lover’s help… He’s despicable… and I can’t hate him… I only feel afraid… Kai… I’m afraid that everything around me is a lie, that one day, everyone will turn against me and betray me the way he did… that one day even you will do something like that to me…”

Hearing the emotion-laden words from Nejire, Kai let out a heavy sigh as his mind drifted into his own experiences—back to the day he lost everything, to the fear and helplessness he felt when he was thrown out like a dog from the very company he had built with his own hands, how everyone who knew him abandoned him, which ultimately led him down a self-destructive spiral that left him in the most miserable state possible.

But now, after so much time and a reincarnation, Kai knew that the scariest part was not losing everything, nor discovering that the people he loved had betrayed him, nor failing at everything he did. No, the most terrifying thing was that, after all that, he became unable to connect with other people, constantly terrified that the same thing would happen again. Convinced that everyone would betray him at some point, and therefore the safest path was to remain alone.

“‘The worst part of betrayal is that it never comes from an enemy’—it’s a cliché and somewhat silly phrase, but in a way it encapsulates perfectly how painful betrayal is. Apart from the initial loss, it always leaves an indelible wound. And the more you cared for the rat that betrayed you, the deeper the wound, to the point that you might go your entire life without ever being the same person you once were…”

Kai spoke in a deep, somewhat melancholic tone as he gazed at the stars, causing Nejire to open her eyes and turn to look at him. She then asked him softly, almost whispering, and laden with all sorts of emotions.

“Kai… do you trust us?”

Hearing the question, Kai could only let out a bitter smile while looking at the stars. Then he took a deep breath and turned to look into Nejire’s beautiful, tear-filled blue eyes. His voice came out almost defenseless, with a hint of guilt.

“…You’re really perceptive… and to be honest, for me it’s impossible to ‘trust’ anyone. I’m absolutely convinced that at some point you and everyone else will end up betraying me…”

“But we would never…” Nejire tried to argue in a trembling voice, hurt by those words, but Kai shook his head and cut her off.

“Everyone is a good person until the day they stop being one. And even if you ask the worst villains, rats, and traitors out there, I’m sure most would give you endless reasons, justifications, and excuses for their actions because it’s easier to be the victim. The majority want to be seen that way, even if they’re the perpetrators. Those who assume guilt and consequences for their actions are a tiny minority.”

“So you don’t love us…?”

Nejire asked in a voice almost guttural from the pain, filled with a profound sense of disappointment and betrayal. Kai could only reply bitterly as he lifted his head to look again at the starry sky.

“Didn’t I just tell you? The worst part of betrayal is that it never leaves you. So even if I want to, I can’t stop seeing everyone around me—even those I love from the bottom of my heart—as potential traitors, people who at some point will sell me out for a few coins.”

The more Kai spoke, the more painful Nejire’s crying became, sobs trembling sadly as tears poured down her cheeks like waterfalls. That led Kai to look at her again, and he gently extended his free hand toward her cheek to wipe away her tears while continuing in a warm tone.

“Still, even though I carry that with me and probably will until my last day, I don’t want some rat to have that much influence over my life. So I decided to find a way to deal with myself and with the people I love, which led to imposing a rule upon myself—or something like a personal vow.

“Those whom I love and who I can see love me, who strive for my well-being, have a free pass to betray me. And no matter what happens, I won’t complain. I’ll just walk away, never to see them again. That way, I could ‘trust’ again because even though I ‘know’ they’ll betray me at some point, they have my permission to do so, and therefore it’s not really betrayal. They simply failed a ‘test’. And since I’m ‘testing’ them, they need to know me and have the ‘opportunity to fail’. So practically speaking, it’s the same as trusting—I just twist it a bit.

“That’s why I can tell you and the whole family: I don’t trust you, but I give you something even more important to me. I give you permission to betray me once, at the mere cost of never seeing me again for the rest of your lives. And well, if you’ve already decided to ‘betray me’, never seeing me again is more like a reward, so in a way, it would be my thanks and payment for everything you’ve done for me. From that moment on, we’d be nothing but strangers.”

“…”

Kai’s words were met by Nejire’s pained sobs. She used one of her hands to push off and throw herself at Kai’s chest, hugging him with all her might and burying her face against him, at which point her beautiful blue Accomplice vanished. Immediately, her sobs became cries of pain, helplessness, and rage.

Kai, for his part, gently wrapped his arms around Nejire’s back and began softly stroking it in silence, letting her release all her pent-up emotions. After a while, he could hear Nejire’s hoarse voice asking him in an almost exhausted tone.

“Why does it have to be like this…?”

“Because that’s life. But don’t focus on that—don’t let yourself become someone as pitiful and pathetic as I am. You’re better than that.” Kai replied calmly, never stopping his gentle caresses on Nejire’s back. She clenched her fists, grabbing his clothes, and spoke angrily.

“My Kai is the best in the world. I won’t allow you to say something like that.”

Hearing Nejire’s words, a warm and loving smile inevitably formed on Kai’s lips. He tightened his embrace slightly and then gave her a tender kiss on her light-blue hair, speaking with warmth and affection.

“Thank you. And you know, I’m sure you’ll overcome this. Soon you’ll show the world your beautiful smile again. You’re [Nejire-chan], the heroine who saves the world with the most beautiful smile of all.”

In response to Kai’s words, Nejire made a small sound of assent while nodding her head, keeping her face buried in Kai’s chest. That began a long silence in which she cried quietly, while Kai gently stroked her back. Finally, after a while, Nejire started speaking again in a soft, hoarse voice.

“…You know, I feel like a fool. I always thought Dad had simply gotten himself a mistress, and although it hurt me to see Mom suffer so much, I was sure that with time she would forgive him, and everything would go back to how it was. After all, men are like that. They can’t help themselves when they see a pretty woman.

“Even when Mom started telling me what happened, I could only feel a secret happiness when I heard that I was going to have a younger brother or sister. I even began to think of ways to convince Mom to accept the baby and his mother and have us all live together as one big family—imagining how I would raise my new sibling along with Momo and you.

“But he’s trash. He wants to destroy us so he can have his new family. He doesn’t want us—maybe he never did. And I will never forgive him for trying to take away the company my mom loves so much, just to give it to that woman… It hurts so much, Kai… It hurts that I took Dad’s side first, instead of Mom’s… I’m a horrible person.”

Nejire inevitably started to cry again, and Kai held her a little tighter before speaking in a calm, understanding voice.

“You’re not a bad person. You just see things from a different perspective. And if, for you, infidelity isn’t that serious, it’s just something personal to you—though try not to impose that on others. Also, not all men are like that, trust me.

“As for feeling happy about having a sibling, there’s no reason to feel guilty. I don’t know what it’s like to have siblings, and since I’ll never be able to have them, I gave up hope. But at one point, I did have the dream of having one. Being an only child is quite lonely.”

Hearing the unmistakable bitterness in Kai’s voice when he mentioned that he could no longer have siblings, Nejire instinctively clutched Kai’s sports jacket tightly and fell silent for a moment. But after a small sigh, she spoke in her hoarse voice from all the crying.

“You can’t have siblings anymore, but you can have lots of children…”

...

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Chapter 148: Women are truly terrifying.

Chapter Text

"Well, that's also true, though I've never had a son or a sibling, so I honestly don't know if it's something similar or not."

Kai commented with a somewhat melancholic tone as he looked up at the stars, deeply lost in thought. However, that stopped instantly when Nejire spoke in a voice so low it sounded like a whisper, hiding her face deeply against his chest.

"Then let's have a child and find out."

"Huh? Did you say something?"

Filled with panic, Kai tried to ask, pretending he hadn't heard, but to his dismay, Nejire raised her gaze and looked him directly in the eyes, allowing him to see a deep pink color on her cheeks. Even though she was truly embarrassed, Nejire repeated her words firmly.

"I said let's have a child. I want to have a child with you, Kai."

"…"

Kai could only let out a long sigh; things truly couldn't stop getting more complicated. Because, although everything had gone well so far in their strange relationship—even with Momo added in, which in the end hadn't changed much—if this continued, it would most likely end up causing a big problem.

Nejire, for her part, seeing Kai's expression and hearing his long sigh, couldn't help feeling her heart crack, causing her tears—which had calmed a bit—to fall again, as she asked in a voice full of sadness.

"Don't you want to?"

"You're in an unstable mental state and can't make such an important decision at a time like this." Kai replied calmly, while gently stroking Nejire's blue hair. She responded in a sad, subdued voice.

"You don't want to…"

"It's not that. It's just that I'm already in a relationship." Kai spoke in a serious tone, to which Nejire responded with a small, relieved smile.

"Is that it? Don't worry, I already know. You're with Momo, Shino, Ryuko, and Onee-chan, right?"

"Huh?!"

Upon hearing Nejire's words, Kai could only let out a strange sound as he stared at her, completely stunned. That caused the beautiful girl to let out a small giggle before she spoke again in a slightly teasing tone.

"You thought I didn't know? Please, how long do you think we've been together? Even if it wasn't so obvious at first, over time it became quite evident."

"…Do you think everyone knows?"

After a moment to recover from the shock, Kai asked in a somewhat defeated tone, prompting Nejire to bring her index finger close to her lips, tilt her head—looking thoughtful and quite adorable—and then comment in a relaxed tone.

"At the very least, they must suspect something. You know, Ryuko suddenly stopped calling you her future husband and stopped fighting with Onee-chan, which is quite suspicious. Also, all of a sudden, they gained a certain mature charm, like experienced women, and for a while now, they've avoided sitting close to you when we're all together, as if they're hiding something—it's very suspicious.

"But if I had to point out the most suspicious thing of all, it would be the smell. The smell never lies, Kai-chan. You, almost every morning, carry remnants of Onee-chan's, Ryuko's, or Shino's scent. Once I even caught all three at once, which could only mean you'd been very intimate with them shortly before. And Yuyu already explained to me what men and women do at night. So even though maybe Mom and Aunt Keiko aren't as certain as I am—since I train with you so often in the mornings—they definitely suspect something.

"On the other hand, Momo's situation isn't so obvious to everyone else yet, but it is to me, since she occasionally looks at me full of guilt. At first, I was confused about it, but when I saw her whispering with the Onee-chans, I immediately knew that she had also become your girlfriend and, for some reason, couldn't tell me. Because of that, she felt guilty due to the 'pact' we have."

"Women are truly terrifying. I never noticed any of that…" Kai commented, both surprised and defenseless, then looked into Nejire's eyes and asked, confused.

"But what 'pact' did you have with Momo?"

"A very simple one, really. Momo would marry you, and we would all live together. Then, once I was satisfied with my career as a heroine, I would retire to have our children, and we would raise them together like siblings." Nejire replied in a calm tone, as if she were talking about something already decided. This left Kai speechless, and all he could do was respond in utter confusion.

"I really don't get it. Why would such beautiful women like Momo and you come to that sort of agreement? I don't think I'm that special…"

"Does it matter if you're special or not? You're going to be the father of my children, Kai-chan. That's already decided and won't change. We'll have a bunch of cute chubby babies and raise them alongside Momo's, and now with Onee-chan's, Shino's, and Ryuko's too. We could even form a full soccer team, fufu." Nejire commented with a small giggle, but quickly added with a bit of nervousness, looking Kai straight in the eyes.

"Unless you don't want to…"

"It's decided? A soccer team…?" Kai could only mutter quietly, feeling a bit lost, which inevitably made Nejire smile. She then asked in a firm tone.

"Tell me, Kai, do you want to be the father of my children?"

"… Sometimes it's hard to keep up with you. Although now that I think about it, where did everyone's common-sense go? Isn't love supposed to be a war where no one is willing to share and so on?"

Kai commented, feeling a bit tired, which made Nejire smile. She answered with a slight chuckle while settling comfortably on Kai's lap. After all, just from Kai's reactions, she knew he wasn't truly against it; he was just drawing things out to avoid it temporarily, playing hard to get—something typical of him. So she was going along with it a bit.

"Why worry about those trivialities? Common sense? What's that? Is it tasty? We're all happy this way, and we've been sharing everything for years now, so if the father of our children is the same person—someone we know like the back of our hand—it's easier. If you put up a fight, we can team up against you and defeat you single-handedly, fufu."

"…"

Hearing Nejire, Kai could only look at her almost without understanding, wearing a rather odd expression that made the beautiful blue-haired girl burst out laughing. Without saying a word, she began unbuttoning her pajama shirt, quickly revealing her large milky-colored breasts with a pair of tender pink nipples, prompting Kai to ask, almost dizzy from how things had turned out.

"What are you doing…?"

"Isn't it obvious? I decided to take your silence as a yes, so we need to practice making our children, and the sooner, the better. I only know what Yuyu explained to me and a few videos I watched online, so I need to learn to keep up with the Onee-chans."

Nejire replied in a calm tone, as if she were stating the most natural thing in the world, continuing to remove her shirt. She left the upper part of her body completely naked, revealing her sizable breasts along with her flat, toned stomach and incredibly slim waist, then brought her hands to her pants.

"Wait, wait, wait!"

Slightly panicking, Kai spoke hastily, grabbing Nejire's hands to stop her from taking off her pants. The lovely girl looked at him with a confused, adorable expression and asked.

"What's the matter? Are you cold? Do you want to go to the bedroom?"

"I'm not cold—you know my training keeps me from feeling that. I'm stopping you because we can't 'practice' like you want at this moment." Kai answered, trying not to get swept away by Nejire's strange pace. She tilted her head adorably and asked, puzzled.

"Why not?"

"What do you mean, why not? Weren't you just a moment ago in the middle of a crisis over what you learned about your father?" Kai asked, really struggling not to give in, which caused all Nejire’s cheer to vanish at once. She let go of her pants and hugged Kai, speaking in a sad tone.

"Oh, right… Do you think it's bad to 'practice' when I'm sad?"

"Not necessarily, but this is a complicated moment, so before making a decision, you need a bit of time to process everything. The worst decisions, the ones that leave the most regret, are made at times like these." Kai explained gently, stroking Nejire's hair. She then asked, dejected.

"But I've decided a long time ago to have babies with you, so it's not a bad decision and I won't regret it…"

"You decided to do it after you retired, not now that you're just starting out. That's a decision you might come to regret." Kai commented calmly, as he reached for Nejire's pajama top on the ground, leaving the beautiful girl in contemplative silence before she spoke quietly.

"… Originally, I was also planning to 'practice' a lot with you, since Yuyu explained that constant 'practice' keeps couples together…"

"And when was that supposed to be, in your original plans?" Kai asked calmly as he helped Nejire put her shirt back on. The blue-haired girl answered in a subdued tone.

"When you and Momo graduated…"

"So here's what we'll do: if you're that sure and determined, there are several things to keep in mind. First of all—and possibly the most important—though you don't seem to care about cheating, I am a possessive person, maybe too possessive, so that is extremely important to me.

"Therefore, if we get into a relationship, and then you end up doing things with someone else, that would be the end of any possible relationship between us. So you have to keep that in mind." As he finished buttoning Nejire's shirt, Kai spoke in a serious tone, to which Nejire confidently nodded.

"Don't worry about that; I don't want to 'practice' with anyone else but you, so it's not a problem!"

"That's good. Now for the second thing, which is also very important: my relationship with Momo, Shino, Ryuko, and Onee-chan is consensual, so whether there's a chance for us or not also depends on them agreeing. It's not just my decision." Kai explained calmly as he wiped away Nejire's tears from her delicate face, bringing a beautiful smile to the girl's lips. She asked cheerfully.

"So that means if they accept me, we can 'practice' as much as we want, and I can also decide if anyone else comes in or not? Sounds like a secret society! How fun!"

"Basically, but don't think of it as a game. It's serious business. Relationships between two people are already complicated—now imagine one with so many people involved. Who knows what could happen in the future? That's why you need to think carefully.

"I even think that before you decide anything, you should talk a bit with the girls about this on your own, so you can hear firsthand what you'd be getting into. There's no need to rush—we have our whole lives ahead of us." Kai spoke with a calm and serious smile, but suddenly Nejire hugged him tightly and whispered in his ear with heartfelt emotion.

"Kai… thank you… I really, really love you. No one but you can be my man and the father of my children. My mom told me everything. I know you were the first to realize she was in trouble. You organized the entire family, the funds, the strategies—everything. You're our hero, and I know you genuinely love me, too.

"You'll never be like 'that man' who could abandon his family and take everything away for another woman. You'll always be with us and always think of our well-being. You're the love of my life, and don't worry about Mom and Aunt Keiko, they won't oppose it. I'll make sure to convince the girls so we can 'practice' a whole bunch, fufu."

After speaking, Nejire quickly pulled away from Kai, catching sight of his surprised expression, which made her give him a quick peck on the lips before running back to the house with a huge smile on her face. Leaving a stunned Kai alone in the dark of the woods.

Some time passed before Kai recovered from the shock, at which point he let himself fall backward onto the ground. Then he asked his reliable assistant, who was landing on his chest, in a voice filled with disbelief.

"Sage, is it just me, or was she testing me?"

"I don't think it's just your impression, Master…" Sage replied in a complicated tone as he sat on his master's chest. Kai couldn't help but comment in a similarly complex tone.

"Women are truly terrifying…"

...

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Chapter 149: I haven’t done it yet!

Chapter Text

After lying on the grass for a while, contemplating the depths of the female heart, Kai finally sighed and headed to the gym. Although he had originally wanted to sleep a little, the event had taken away his drowsiness, and thanks to his aura, not sleeping for several days didn’t really affect him much. To recharge his energy, he only needed a little more than an hour or two of sleep.

A few hours later, while Kai was training with weights on his limbs and neck, swinging two swords larger than himself, each weighing tens of tons, Momo and Nejire entered the gym. They were dressed in simple sportswear—Momo in red and Nejire in gray.

““Good morning!””

As they entered, the girls greeted him in unison with huge smiles, then headed to the treadmills to warm up. This inevitably caused Kai to stop his actions and watch them for a few minutes, especially Nejire, who was behaving exactly as usual, without the slightest hint of her previous sadness or discomfort over her ‘confession.’

Since he was somewhat accustomed to Nejire’s oddities, after a few minutes, Kai simply shook his head and returned to his training, finishing a couple of hours later without anything particularly noteworthy happening. This even led him to wonder if he had imagined everything that had occurred.

After a quick family breakfast, everyone got ready and said their goodbyes to go about their respective activities. In Kai’s case, he went with the Pussycats to their agency, where, aside from gathering information about Avalon and the heroes, they only patrolled for a while. This was truly annoying because, for some reason, the residents of the area treated them like handymen, asking them to do all sorts of tasks.

The tasks ranged from getting cats out of trees, resolving minor disputes, to helping with moves—and all for free. This inevitably irritated Kai, as there were few things in life he hated more than working for free for others. He wasn’t a damn slave, which only further convinced him that the hero job wasn’t for him. The life of walking around helping strangers with random things wasn’t for him. He could easily use that time to train, fight, or build something.

By the time night fell, Kai brought the Pussycats back to his mansion, where they had a simple meal, watched some movies together, and then went to bed. But just as Kai was thinking about what to do that night, assuming the girls were still apprehensive due to Keiko's suspicions. He suddenly received a message from Nemuri, telling him to wait for her at their usual spot in the woods near the mansion.

“Sage, how’s the infiltration into Avalon’s systems going?”

While showering to meet with Nemuri and the others, Kai asked his reliable assistant, who responded in a calm tone, showing him several holographic screens filled with dense data and code.

“Quite well, although there are some areas that have been quite challenging. They have a robust parallel network to the internet, so for now, I’m trying to intercept it using antennas and other devices I’ve managed to infiltrate and modify, but it will take some time.”

“I see… They must be hiding something. Keep at it…” Kai commented thoughtfully as he quickly studied the data, but then added in a serious tone as he turned off the shower.

“Though lower its priority for now. Our main focus should be figuring out how to carry out the [Inner Palace] project. With those spiders, the family’s security is the most important thing. Everything else can wait.”

“Understood, Master. Currently, I’m brute-forcing a way to fold space and create pocket dimensions, but it’s proving to be quite challenging.” Sage replied seriously, showing her master holographic screens with information related to her research. After thinking for a moment, Kai commented.

“I’ve also been thinking about that, and it occurred to me that we could create specific ‘swords’ with pacts that not only serve as markers but also help stabilize the spatiotemporal tunnel for a few moments—just enough to perform near-instantaneous teleportation without issues. Now that we understand how it works better, we shouldn’t need such restrictive pacts.”

“That approach has a high probability of working. I’ll take that route, Master. Expect good news.” The beautiful fairy assistant said with an excited smile, clenching her small fists tightly and spinning in the air, which made Kai smile amusedly. He quickly finished dressing and then left the house in secret.

Swiftly, Kai headed to the usual meeting spot with Nemuri, and later with all the girls, as nowadays the Pussycats slept more at his mansion than at their agency. He then leaned against a tree and began to breathe rhythmically, using his modified breathing technique honed over the years, which he intuited had reached the limit of how much it could enhance his aura.

Although Kai and Sage had more or less given up on their search for 'natural energy', that super powerful and magical energy source that appeared in so many works. Now and then, Kai could not help but meditate in the forest, extending his aura and synchronizing it with his breathing. Who knows, maybe one day he would actually feel something. But to his disappointment, so far, nothing had happened.

However, that search for natural energy had left him with something interesting along the way: yoga, which he still practiced regularly. After that transcendental event, that not only gave him his advanced Haki states but also nearly doubled his aura and physical strength, only a fool would stop practicing it. And although the results were far from stellar, they were still quite impressive.

Somehow, yoga could ‘synchronize’ his Haki, his Aura, and his body. So, if one of them became stronger in some way, through yoga, he could ‘synchronize’ them so that they nourished each other and stayed on par. This basically boosted his training tremendously. After all, he only had to train his body as best he could and then do a bit of yoga for his aura and Haki to adapt in real-time, tripling the effectiveness of his training.

…

After meditating for a while without achieving anything, Kai sensed Nemuri approaching along with Shino and Ryuko. But curiously, Momo and Nejire were also with them, which inevitably left him somewhat surprised. Not only because Momo had never snuck out at night with him before, but also because Nejire’s presence was too dissonant. The strange thing was that he didn’t know when she had spoken with the others.

This was because, in an attempt to keep his possessiveness and paranoia under control as much as possible, Kai always respected the girls’ privacy, not meddling too much. Otherwise, knowing himself, he would end up in a self-destructive spiral where he wouldn’t be at peace unless he knew every tiny detail of their lives—something that could only end badly.

“Good evening!”

As they arrived, Nejire greeted him with an adorable smile, looking at Kai with a hint of mischief on her face, which caused a somewhat bitter expression to appear on Kai’s face. This only made the other girls laugh, and at that moment, Nemuri commented cheerfully.

“Well, let’s go to the safe house so we can talk more comfortably.”

“Alright, let’s go.” Kai said calmly, stepping firmly toward the girls and conjuring the Accompany card, quickly analyzing their outfits.

Nemuri was wearing tight light blue jeans and a sleeveless pink blouse, a combination that revealed her hourglass figure and accentuated her impressive chest. Ryuko, on the other hand, wore a small black shorts, a red open-neck blouse, and small black boots, which showed off her beautiful, slender legs and gave her a casual, energetic vibe.

Shino was dressed in a short black skirt and a sleeveless black blouse, paired with a small denim jacket that opened at the sides due to her enormous chest, comparable to Nemuri’s, giving her an elegant aura that greatly enhanced her beauty and calm style.

Lastly, there were Momo and Nejire, wearing beautiful dresses—white for Momo and light blue for Nejire—which couldn’t hide their impressively developed and voluptuous bodies. Momo also wore an elegant pink blazer. Both were perfectly styled, and, unusually, they were wearing makeup, though very subtle and natural, taking their youthful and vibrant beauty to the next level.

“[Accompany] On! [Safe Home]!”

After quickly analyzing the girls’ outfits in less than a second, Kai activated the card, and the group shot into the air in a sphere of light, landing shortly after in front of the beautiful villa by the lake. This led Nejire to comment cheerfully.

“So this is where you sneak off to at night. It’s very beautiful.”

“It’s good that you like it. Kai and I bought it quite a while ago, and it’s very cozy.” Nemuri said with a warm smile, looking at their love nest. At that moment, Kai stealthily approached Shino and Ryuko and asked in a low voice.

“What’s going on…?”

“Fufu, you’ll find out soon…” Shino said with an amused smile, seeing Kai’s slightly nervous expression. Ryuko added in a playful tone while looking at her beloved.

“Yes, darling, don’t be impatient. Everything in due time…”

“Well, let’s go in. We have a lot to talk about.” Nemuri said calmly, then took the lead and entered the villa, quickly followed by Momo and Nejire. This left Kai with no choice but to enter, accompanied by Shino and Ryuko.

“This is really nice. You really have great taste, Onee-chan.” Nejire commented cheerfully as they entered, to which Momo nodded with a smile and added.

“I thought exactly the same the first time I saw it. It’s really cozy.”

“So you’ve also ‘spent’ the night here, Momo?” Nejire asked curiously, which made Momo blush slightly. She shook her head and commented, a little embarrassed.

“No… not yet. It’s too soon. We’re only in our first year… Out of curiosity, I once came to see the villa during the day…”

“Ohhh, that’s so like you, Momo. Fufu.”

Nejire said, amused, which inevitably made Nemuri, Ryuko, and Shino nod in agreement. The latter two sat on a couch in the living room on either side of Kai, while Nemuri walked calmly to the kitchen, where she grabbed a portable electric kettle, a glass container with a tea bag, and several cups. She then brought them to the living room and placed them on the coffee table, sitting across from Kai, with Momo and Nejire to her left and right, respectively.

“Well, then it’s time to let it all out at once.” Shino said seriously, seeing everyone gathered. She then turned to Kai and spoke in a serious tone.

“Kai, the truth is that we already knew about Momo and Nejire’s pact. In fact, she told us shortly after, but she felt a bit insecure since she was the last to join and didn’t know what you might think, or what she might think. So she told us first.”

“How long ago was that?” Kai asked calmly, though clearly a bit uncomfortable about being left out, which led Momo to respond with a guilty expression.

“About a week ago… I’m sorry for not telling you right away…”

“We also need to apologize, as we were the ones who advised her not to tell you for the time being. We didn’t know how Nejire would react, so the idea was to first talk to Nejire to see her opinion. If she disagreed, we would pretend it never happened to avoid awkward situations between you two.”

Nemuri said seriously as she poured the tea. To this, Kai could only nod in understanding, concluding that the decision the girls made was the right one. He was a possessive person, so if he found out that Nejire wanted to share him with Momo, but then she backed out because of the other girls. It would undoubtedly make him feel incredibly uncomfortable and take him some time to get over it.

“I have no reason to blame you. It was a good decision.”

“Fufu, I knew you’d understand, darling…” Hearing Kai, Ryuko couldn’t help but comment cheerfully, then gave her beloved a tender kiss on the cheek. At that moment, Nejire said with a cheerful tone.

“Does that mean you accept me? Am I now Kai’s girlfriend too?”

“You could say so. The truth is, since Momo is here, if you want to join, it doesn’t change much. But I think it’s better to take things slowly and step by step.” Shino said with a smile as she received her tea from Nemuri. At that moment, Nejire jumped excitedly and quickly settled onto Kai’s lap like a spoiled child, looking at him with sparkling eyes.

“So now we’re dating, Kai. Fufu.”

Seeing Nejire so tenderly excited, Kai couldn’t help but feel like he was deceiving an angel. But he steeled himself and nodded with a small smile, speaking in a warm and kind voice.

“It seems so. Now we’re dating.”

“Then next comes the kiss!” Nejire exclaimed cheerfully, staring intently at Kai’s lips. At that moment, Momo stood up and exclaimed in an adorable voice.

“Wait, Nejire! I haven’t done it yet!”

...

You can support me on pa-atreon (lordanl) and get up to 10 advanced chapters.

Chapter 150: I’m sure I’ll be by your side.

Chapter Text

“Fufu, so first Momo goes, and then it’s my turn!” Nejire spoke cheerfully as she made room for Momo on Kai’s lap, which inevitably caused the beautiful black-haired girl’s face to blush as red as a tomato.

Meanwhile, Nemuri, Shino, and Ryuko watched the trio of teenagers with complex expressions. On one hand, they felt happy to see them so joyful and close, enjoying their pure, youthful love. But at the same time, the idea that they were corrupting them and had committed an unforgivable sin filled their minds, overwhelming them with guilt.

That guilt was even worse because the idea of having an orgy with them genuinely excited them. After all, although they didn’t go to the extremes of Nemuri, Shino and Ryuko also enjoyed watching Kai with other women—a preference they weren’t sure was innate or acquired. But after their first night together, they realized it was something real. Seeing the man they loved make another woman dissolve into orgasmic moans was a forbidden pleasure capable of bringing them to ecstasy over and over again.

While Nemuri, Shino, and Ryuko internally blamed themselves for their perverted desires, their wild fantasies about their beloved ‘ravaging’ two young girls, and, above all, the questionable outcome it had led them to. Kai looked at the blushing and shy Momo and the cheerful, excited Nejire with an amused expression. He then sat Nejire on one of his legs and patted the other for Momo, who sat down timidly.

“Well, before we do anything, let’s talk a bit seriously. I want you to tell me your thoughts about this relationship, how we ended up together today, and what you expect from this in the future.”

With the pair of girls on his lap, Kai spoke in a calm and gentle tone, which visibly helped the shy Momo relax. At that moment, she glanced at Nejire, who signaled that she could start. After taking a deep breath, Momo expressed her true thoughts in a calm and measured voice.

“As I’ve already told you, I really think this is for the best. I truly love you and want us to be together for life, to start a family and raise our heirs together. I also genuinely love the girls like sisters. The idea of all of us having your children fills me with excitement, and whether it’s 3, 5, or 6 makes no difference to me.

“That’s why I made the pact with Nejire. We both realized we loved you deeply, and there was no need for one of us to suffer for the other to be happy. We’ve been together our whole lives and have shared everything, even our deepest secrets, so sharing you feels natural to us. There’s no need to monopolize you or anything like that. We can all be happy together.

“As for my expectations about our relationship in the future, they haven’t changed. I want us to officially marry after we graduate, and after a few years, I’d like to retire to focus on the home and the children. I’ve even thought that I might be the only one who needs to retire. I can take care of the kids while the others work, and when they decide to retire, we’ll raise them together.”

Momo added at the end while looking at Ryuko, Shino, and Nemuri, knowing that their biological clocks were still ticking. If they wanted children, they only had a few more years. Fearing that they might not want to retire so early, Momo had concluded that after working as a hero for about 4 or 5 years, she could retire so they could have their children alongside her and dedicate herself to caring for them all as if they were her own.

Understanding what Momo meant, Nemuri, Ryuko, and Shino couldn’t help but look at her with affection and warmth. Their shared relationship had things that a normal relationship could never have—a camaraderie born of genuine affection and the complicity of sharing a man, which led them to know and accept each other in ways that would be impossible in any other relationship.

“That’s not necessary, Momo, though I truly appreciate the gesture.”

Nemuri commented with a warm smile as she looked at Momo, who smiled shyly and nodded in return. At that moment, the beautiful blue-eyed woman turned to look at Ryuko and Shino, who nodded back, prompting her to look at Kai and add in a calm but serious tone.

“But since you brought it up, I’ve actually been thinking about retiring myself. It’s really time for me to settle down and start thinking about children. But I think Kai is still a bit too young, so Ryuko, Shino, and I concluded that the best option is to freeze our eggs. That way, when Kai is at a good age, we can retire and have our children. But we also wanted your opinion, Kai. What do you think?”

“...I think it’s a sound decision, though you really don’t need to worry so much about my age. My job is basically staying in my workshop creating things, and I doubt that will ever change. So I have a lot of free time, and I’m quite wealthy, so there are no financial difficulties. If you’re really sure about this, I’ll take the step with you without hesitation.”

Kai spoke firmly and seriously, alternating his gaze between his three beautiful girlfriends, who were moved to tears and threw themselves at him with genuine happiness. Momo and Nejire joined in after exchanging a glance, though in their minds, they were seriously considering when would be the best time to have their own children—not too soon, not too late, preferably so all the siblings could grow up together with similar ages.

For his part, Kai returned the hug with a calm expression, though internally, his emotions were a bit stirred. After all, the topic of children truly unsettled him, as it had never been part of his plans. But as a man, he couldn’t disappoint the women who loved him and gave him so much. So if they really wanted it, he would dive in without hesitation. Who knows? Maybe it would turn out to be a good thing, since he had the money and the time.

After a while, the girls finally calmed down and let go of Kai, then began to wipe away their tears and the slight smudges of makeup that had run. At that moment, Ryuko spoke in a slightly tearful but genuinely happy tone.

“Darling, your words really mean a lot to us, but we still think freezing our eggs is the best option. We still have a lot to live and ‘enjoy’. When the time is right, we’ll retire and have our children to start our family.”

“That’s really for the best. Having one child is complicated enough; having three will be a real challenge.”

Shino spoke in a soft voice that couldn’t hide her excitement for the future, which made all the women present nod in agreement. At that moment, Nemuri added as she finished wiping her face with a small damp towel.

“Then it’s decided. I’ll look for a good clinic so we can undergo the procedure.”

“… Darling, could you come with me when I do it?” Ryuko suddenly asked in an uncertain voice, to which Kai nodded confidently and spoke while alternating his gaze between his three beautiful girlfriends.

“I’d be offended if you didn’t let me accompany you, and that goes for all three of you. If you want, we can do it at different times and places to avoid gossip.”

“Okay/Understood/That’s fine.”

Nemuri, Shino, and Ryuko responded in unison with timid but happy voices, a sentiment that seemed to spread to Momo and Nejire, who leaned their bodies against Kai with beautiful smiles on their faces. Not a trace of discomfort or annoyance, only genuine happiness.

“Well, we got a bit sidetracked, but it’s time for Nejire to speak. I also want to hear her opinions and thoughts.” After a moment, Nemuri commented while looking at Nejire, who nodded with a huge smile and began to explain.

“That’s right! It’s my turn!” Nejire exclaimed cheerfully, then turned to look Kai in the eyes and spoke in an unusually serious and sincere tone.

“Kai, though I’ve already told you, today in front of everyone I want to say it again. I truly want to be with you, and this relationship feels fun to me. In fact, I find it more interesting than having you all to myself or just for Momo and me. This way, we can all be happy and stay together forever, always supporting and helping each other. Plus, the kids will have lots of siblings to play with.

“As for your concerns about infidelity and such, I can assure you that in my entire life, I’ve never felt for anyone what I feel for you. To me, everyone else is exactly the same except for you. I’ve never felt the urge to ‘practice’ with anyone else, and it will never happen. I believe we were born to be together, and no matter what happens, that won’t change.

“I know perfectly well that I’m different from everyone else, and I’ll probably never be a ‘normal’ girl. But even so, you’ve always been by my side, always supported me, and always loved me. In the same way, I’ll always love you, support you, and be by your side. Even if there’s a life after this one, I’m sure I’ll be by your side.”

Nejire’s words, especially the last part, struck a sensitive chord in Kai’s heart, inevitably bringing a touched smile to his face. This made Nejire smile warmly back at him. Without saying anything more, she cupped the face of the man she loved in her hands and gave him a tender kiss on the lips. Though it took the other girls by surprise, they were also wiping the corners of their eyes, equally moved by the sincere love Nejire had expressed.

“I love you, Kai. I may not know much, and I might not understand a lot, but I’m completely sure of this.”

As she pulled away from Kai’s lips, Nejire spoke in a warm and affectionate voice. In response, Kai couldn’t help but kiss her beautiful cherry-colored lips, then looked into her eyes and spoke with a firm and confident tone.

“I’ll do the impossible to make you happy.”

“I know you will…”

Nejire replied in a low voice, hugging Kai with a huge smile on her face. At that moment, Momo, her face completely red, gently tugged on Kai’s shirt and commented in a voice so soft it was almost like a mosquito’s.

“It’s my turn…”

Seeing how adorably Momo was acting, Kai couldn’t help but pull her closer and give her a soft, loving kiss on the lips. Being kissed by her beloved, Momo felt her heart go wild, beating furiously, while her body heated up like an oven. Yet, the sweet and intoxicating feeling that filled her chest was enough to make her forget everything. She hugged Kai tightly, then began a heated duel of tongues, something Nejire hadn’t attempted.

After several minutes, Momo, feeling suffocated from lack of air, reluctantly pulled away from Kai. Through her clouded eyes, she saw the image of all the girls looking at her with teasing smiles, especially Nejire and Ryuko, causing her blush to reach a new peak, even spreading to her neck. In a panic, she quickly hugged Kai and hid her face in his chest, seeking safety.

“Fufu, so passionate…” Ryuko commented mischievously as she looked at the shy Momo, prompting Kai to add in an amused tone.

“Don’t tease her, or she might not want to come out with us again.”

“Fufu, that’s true. Momo’s a shy girl; it’s best to give her some privacy.” Nemuri nodded and commented with an almost maternal smile on her face, to which Shino agreed and added playfully.

“Yeah, let her be. She’ll gradually lose her shyness over time.”

“Are you speaking from experience?” Nejire asked, full of curiosity, with an incredibly innocent expression on her face. This caused Shino’s face to flush, while Ryuko and Nemuri teased her.

“…She’s right… I just need to get used to it…”

Momo commented in a low and timid voice, still hiding her face against Kai, which inevitably drew the attention of the other girls. But unexpectedly, Momo bit her lip and added shyly, though with evident determination in her tone.

“That’s why I want all of us to be together for my ‘first time’. We’re all in this together, and we need to know each other perfectly…”

...

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Chapter 151: Let’s keep this family together.

Chapter Text

Upon hearing Momo's words, everyone opened their eyes, filled with surprise. However, in the case of Ryuko, Shino, and especially Nemuri, their expressions quickly turned lustful, with Nemuri licking her lips seductively while tightly squeezing her thighs, as the image of Momo being 'deflowered' by Kai uncontrollably crossed her mind, something that excited her intensely.

"You don't have to force yourself to do something like that, Momo." Kai commented with a serious tone, wanting to convey that he spoke from the heart. But Momo quickly raised her head to look him in the eyes, revealing her completely red face, and then spoke with a determined tone.

"I'm not forcing myself. I want to do it. If we're going to spend our whole lives together in such an 'unorthodox' relationship, we need to be united and completely trust each other. So, showing our most embarrassing moments will be key to strengthening our relationship and trust." Momo turned to look at the others with a serious and resolute expression, making eye contact with each one, while adding in a solemn tone.

"I want this to work out. I want all of us to be happy and stay together forever. That's why I want to get to know each of you as best as I can, and I want you to know me better than anyone else. So that we can be more than just companions or friends, I want us to be true sisters of the heart, capable of staying united through any circumstance.

"Because, as you know, this relationship won't be well-received by the public, and being public figures due to our careers, there's always the possibility that the secret will be discovered, and we'll be buried under mountains of criticism and curses. It's even possible that we'll have to retire prematurely because of it.

"But even if the worst happens, I'm determined to stay with Kai, even if I have to retire early and move to a country where no one knows us. But I don't just want to leave with Kai; I want us all to stay together at that moment and start over in another country, even with different names, but with our experiences and love remaining the same."

Momo's sudden, heartfelt speech caught everyone completely off guard, especially Ryuko, Shino, and Nemuri, who couldn't help but feel a little guilty for their lustful thoughts while the young woman bared her heart and fears. But being adult and 'experienced' women, they quickly composed themselves, and Nemuri spoke with a cheerful and loving smile.

"You really think things through, Momo. But don't worry, we're also fully aware of the consequences and are prepared to endure them. So, you can have your special moment alone to feel more comfortable. We'll stay together, and we truly love you as a little sister."

Nemuri's words were met with nods from Ryuko and Shino, who also looked at Momo with tenderness, absolutely convinced that, given how deeply she had considered everything, she was taking the relationship very seriously, and it was necessary for them to do the same. Shino then spoke in a calm and familiar tone.

"I feel exactly the same as Nemuri, Momo. We're all sure of what we're doing, and I think it's good for you to have privacy for something so special. All of us had that, and it's a beautiful moment you'll remember for the rest of your life. It's better to treasure it and experience it privately with the man you love. In the future, there will be plenty of opportunities for us to 'get to know each other better'."

"I feel the same way. Give yourself the chance to enjoy your first time in private. Besides, I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself. We agreed to take things slowly and step by step. Just let things happen naturally." Ryuko added with a cheerful smile as she looked at Momo, who was completely red, and then commented in a low, shy voice.

"I know, and I also want things to go step by step, but it's something that will eventually happen, so I want to do it in the best way possible..."

As Momo spoke, she suddenly felt Kai's large, warm hand gently stroking her hair, which, as if by magic, quickly calmed her erratic feelings. At that moment, she heard the warm and magnetic voice of her beloved.

"The 'best way' is the way that makes you feel most comfortable. Don't overthink it. I also like to take things step by step. Don't feel pressured; do things at your own pace and enjoy the process."

"Okay... I'll take my time and enjoy the process..." Momo nodded and spoke in a low voice, a tender smile on her face. At that moment, Nejire commented with a smile.

"Fufu, even if Momo wants to take her time, I want to start practicing as soon as possible!"

"'Practice'?" Ryuko asked, puzzled by the word Nejire had mentioned several times. The beautiful blue-haired girl responded with a cheerful smile.

"Yes, practice making babies!"

Nejire's response brought an amused smile to Ryuko and Nemuri, while Momo and Shino covered their mouths with their hands, surprised. At that moment, Kai placed his free hand on Nejire's beautiful blue hair and asked, somewhat amused.

"Didn't you say you'd wait until graduation?"

"That was before. Now that I know the older sisters have already done it, I'm dying to try it too, fufu." Nejire replied with a huge, innocent smile on her face. Kai could only shake his head and comment in a somewhat resigned tone.

"Well, let's talk about that later. For now, tell me how you all got together today. What happened?"

"That was simple." Ryuko commented in a calm tone as she prepared to serve new cups of tea for everyone, then added with a smile.

"This morning, Nejire created a group on the messaging app and explained that she had talked to you and wanted to be part of the relationship. So, after some back and forth, we decided to meet up and discuss it."

"Just like that?" Kai asked, somewhat incredulous. Nemuri nodded and explained with a smile as she received the tea from Ryuko.

"Yes, since we knew about Momo and Nejire's pact, her contacting us wasn't that surprising. We were already considering how to talk to her, and since it's clear that she truly loves you and is about to come of age, we decided to meet up and give her a chance."

"Exactly. Besides, we're a bunch of perverts who like to share the man we love. If Nejire is truly willing and understands the consequences, I don't see why we should refuse." Shino added in a calm and mature tone as she received her cup from Ryuko, though a slight blush was visible on her cheeks. This inevitably led Nejire to ask with curiosity.

"Do you really like sharing Kai? Does it feel that good?"

"...It has its charm..." Shino's mature demeanor crumbled with Nejire's innocent question, blushing deeply as she responded shyly.

"Now I want to try it even more!" Nejire said with an excited smile. At that moment, Nemuri commented in a very serious tone.

"Maybe later, Nejire. Remember, there's still the issue with the company, and we still have to confess this to the others. So, it's better to get everything clear first. It's going to be a very complicated moment..."

"Don't worry about Mom, I'm sure I can convince her!" Nejire replied with confidence. Momo added with seriousness.

"As for Mom, I really don't know how she'll react, but I think she might come to understand it too. I'll take care of that. I won't let the family fall apart!"

"Don't worry, we'll all do it together, and I think the best time is after the 'confrontation'. After that, all the liquid funds will be used, and there's no turning back. So, even if everything goes to hell, that will give us enough time to try to get them to accept our relationship." Kai said with a firm tone and Shino added with a serious tone.

"Sounds good to me. Even if it's a bit underhanded, all's fair in love and war. Let's keep this family together."

"I'm totally on board. As for Tomoko and Chatora, I'm sure they'll understand. Chatora has been through a lot, so he's not as rigid or moralistic, and Tomoko is a free spirit. I don't think there will be many problems on that front." Ryuko commented with a confident smile on her face, clenching her small fists in victory.

"Well, then it's all decided. At the end of the month will be the 'confrontation', so the following month, after the liquid funds are used, we'll have our own confrontation!" Nemuri said solemnly, to which everyone nodded seriously. But at that moment, Nemuri smiled warmly and spoke in a soft tone.

"Well, now that everything's decided, how about we watch a movie together before heading home?"

"That's a great idea!" Nejire replied cheerfully, to which everyone agreed. They then began to arrange the sofas in the living room, turning them into one large bed.

As usual, Nemuri sat at the top of the 'bed', leaning her back against the sofa's backrest, shifting a bit to find the most comfortable position. She then placed a pillow on her lap, patting it gently a couple of times while looking at Kai, signaling him to lie down. The blue-eyed boy quickly did so with familiarity.

Seeing Kai's head on her lap, Nemuri smiled warmly and began to gently stroke his hair with almost maternal affection. This surprised Nejire and Momo, as they hadn't seen such a scene in many years, not since Kai had grown up. Nemuri had subtly distanced herself from him, something they originally thought was due to age, but it seemed she had actually been trying to hide their relationship. Nemuri's love and care for Kai hadn't changed in the slightest.

Though Momo could recognize how twisted Nemuri truly was, falling in love with the boy she had raised since he was a child, and even now, showing that maternal attitude toward him after all this time and what they had done, she could only watch the scene with a warm smile on her face. Twisted or not, she could recognize genuine love when she saw it, and she could almost see happiness radiating from the pores of the woman who was like her older sister, which somewhat infected her.

(From now on, I can also enjoy that happiness...)

Almost instinctively, Momo lay down on Kai's left side and rested her head on his firm chest, closing her eyes and enjoying the steady sound of his heartbeat, which somehow completely relaxed her. At that moment, she felt a soft, delicate hand begin to stroke her hair, making her purr like a cat, feeling pleasurable tingles run through her body.

Meanwhile, Nejire looked with a hint of longing at Momo hugging Kai, while Nemuri maternally pampered his head. Nemuri then turned to look at her with a warm smile, patting the empty spot on Kai's right side, which greatly excited the blue-haired girl. But not wanting to be a bother, since she was the 'newcomer', she quickly turned to look at Shino and Ryuko with a bit of nervousness.

Seeing Nejire's look, Shino, who was searching for a movie to watch on the TV, and Ryuko, who had just put the popcorn in the microwave, exchanged amused glances. They then walked over to the beautiful blue-haired girl, took her hands, and gently led her to the 'bed', laying her down on Kai's right side, though not without sending teasing smiles at Nejire for her nervous expression.

After Nejire lay down, Shino and Ryuko looked at each other for a moment, then nodded in understanding. They went and sat on either side of Nemuri with confidence, placing pillows on their laps similarly to how she had done. Ryuko then commented in a cheerful tone.

"Well, let's watch the movie!"

At Ryuko's announcement, Momo and Nejire raised their heads to look at her, finding Shino and Ryuko above them gently patting pillows on their laps, a signal they understood. They quickly adjusted themselves to rest their heads on their older sisters' laps, bringing small smiles to the beautiful women's faces. Shino then started the movie with the remote control.

As the movie played, Nemuri, who was gently stroking Kai's forehead and temples, turned to look at her sides, seeing Shino and Ryuko, who had begun to gently caress Momo and Nejire, respectively. This inevitably brought a beautiful smile to her face. This was truly the scene she had dreamed of—a simple, harmonious happiness where they could all enjoy small pleasures as a family.

Seeing this simple, mundane moment filled Nemuri with such happiness that her eyes welled up with tears. She wasn't just with the person she loved most in the world, but even her twisted and perverse nature had led to something that made her loved ones happy, which brought her infinite joy. She felt like the luckiest woman in the world and, at the same time, filled her with a strong conviction to protect what she loved.

After a while, Nemuri lowered her gaze to focus on Kai, who had fallen asleep some time ago. This brought a tender smile to her lips, and she made her caresses even softer and more delicate, almost fearing she might wake him. At that moment, she felt Shino and Ryuko's heads resting on her shoulders, so she adjusted herself to make them more comfortable, while giving them warm smiles, which they returned in kind.

(I hope this happiness can last forever...)

As Nemuri silently offered a prayer, time continued to pass in a calm silence, only disturbed by the sounds of the movie and the gentle caresses of the older women on the younger ones' faces. Everyone felt calm and at peace, a feeling that filled all present with the conviction that they were doing the right thing, no matter how immoral or twisted it might seem.

...

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Chapter 152: The great Salem.

Chapter Text

The day-to-day life of an alpha cat as important as himself, the great Salem, was complicated. Everything started at dawn, when the rays of sunlight came in through the window, interrupting his short sleep of barely a few hours. That was the moment he would stretch to release all the tension in his agile, strong, and spectacular body, and then perform a bit of basic personal grooming, licking his powerful paws and cleaning his face. After all, an impressive cat like him could not show himself to the world looking disheveled.

Once he was ready, his next task was very important: meeting with the only one who could stand before him and give orders to a cat as impressive and magnificent as he was—the strongest living being, the supreme and definitive alpha, his one and only, invincible and irreplaceable master—to carry out his daily training and maintain his invincibility.

Upon arriving at the training area, as on every other day, his master was already there, wearing bulky weights around his ankles, wrists, and neck, as well as a black vest that emanated that strange tingling energy. He struck a huge metal cube with his fists and legs at such high speed that it seemed like he had many arms and legs.

In the training area, as usual, two of his master’s females were also present. Although they were annoying and always wanted to pick him up and touch his beautiful fur, since they were his master’s females, he, the great Salem, could only endure it by gritting his teeth. This was to demonstrate his loyalty and dedication to his master.

One of the females, the one with the strange tail on her head, was fighting with the ugly metal “prey” which, besides being annoying because it was very fast and slippery, was also not tasty at all, making it bothersome to face. But since it was an important part of the training to maintain invincibility, it was a necessary step in the daily routine.

Meanwhile, the other female, the one who seemed to enjoy pairing him with that imitation of a female that his master liked to create, was holding a huge metal ball while squatting and standing up again—something his master did from time to time as well, although with bigger and heavier metal balls.

“Late again. Come here.”

Hearing his master’s call, he, as the great follower he was, quickly grew in size—one of his many invincible abilities—and ran toward him. His master promptly picked up a suitable black vest for his formidable feline form and some weights for his paws and neck, put them on him quickly, and then ordered in a calm tone.

“Go run for a while.”

After informing his master that he understood with his powerful roar, the great Salem approached one of the strange running machines. Upon stepping on it, it automatically started moving, forcing him to run with all his might, all while he was attacked by that strange tingling energy that had the mysterious power of making it harder to control his body.

…

After finishing his battle with the metal prey, the great Salem roared triumphantly, making the air vibrate with power, then turned around to look at his master. He found him removing the weights and vest, talking casually with his females, so he immediately ran over so they would remove his own weights.

"Kai... are you sure that poor little Salem doesn't suffer from being electrocuted like you...?"

While they were taking off the weights, the great Salem heard the female with the strange tail on her head speak as she looked at him sadly, earning an annoyed snort from him. After all, how could that female doubt his unrivaled capabilities? As a follower of his master, it was obvious he could do everything his master did. Truly, if she weren’t his master’s female, he would have already bitten her so she would learn to respect him.

“This lazy cat is fine. I check him constantly to make sure he’s all right. And now that his Accomplice developed an imitation of the Lightning Mantle, if he wants to improve, he can only do this training. He has no escape. Also, as you can see, he’s quite brave; he never complains, one of his few virtues.”

Upon hearing his master, the great Salem nodded with satisfaction. Indeed, his master was the one who best understood him, although he still misunderstood him as “lazy”, a terrible misunderstanding born from his constant effort to conserve his energy for when it was needed—like his nocturnal patrols, keeping his territory in order, and other matters. Besides, a powerful cat like him needed at least eight naps a day to maintain his gorgeous fur, something his master still failed to understand—a minor and completely forgivable mistake.

Once the most torturous part of the training was over, the bath. The great Salem took a short nap in his small form inside the automatic dryer while his master showered, only to be awakened by him when he placed him on his shoulder to go eat, one of the best parts of the day.

After finishing his triple portion of meat and kibble, it was time to go to work. As the great follower he was, he stayed perched on his master’s shoulder while they flew using one of his master’s invincible and varied abilities, arriving at the home of his master’s other females. There, after another restorative nap while his master looked over things in his strange glowing box, he was woken again to go on patrol, something he enjoyed since he needed to get to know his new territory.

But what the great Salem did not expect was that, in the middle of the patrol, he would find a charming female cat with a beautiful, abundant white coat and eyes similar to his own. Due to her lack of skill, she had become stuck high up in a tree and couldn’t climb down, so he, without waiting for his master’s order, swiftly scaled the tree with a single leap, reaching the female’s side.

Facing the female, he, as the powerful alpha cat he was, came to an important realization: he was lacking in females. Even his invincible master had a group of proud females around him. How could he, his master’s most faithful follower, not have his own group of females? Besides, he was already an adult cat who needed to start thinking about his offspring.

Quickly, the great Salem came to the conclusion that although the female in front of him was a bit weak and foolish for getting stuck in a tree. Her fur was well-groomed enough, and she seemed to have all the necessary traits to be part of his future 'pride'. Therefore, he immediately roared at her, granting her the enviable opportunity to follow him.

As expected, it only took extending the invitation for the female to surrender to him without hesitation. After all, what female would even think twice about following someone as invincible as he was? It was only natural for such a thing to happen. And having learned from caring for his master’s females, he swiftly grabbed her by the neck and jumped back down to the ground, letting out a powerful, victorious roar.

…

“What is Salem doing with that cat?”

Seeing Salem in his cat form, sitting proudly while holding the cat he had just rescued by the neck like some kind of trophy. Presenting her to Kai on the edge of the road, Shino couldn’t help but ask in confusion as she looked at her beloved. He merely sighed and shook his head before giving an order, half amused and half exasperated.

“Let that cat go, Salem.”

Although the lazy cat did as he was told, he immediately meowed in protest at Kai, who, as though he understood him, replied in an exasperated tone.

“And who the hell told you cats form prides? You’re not a damn lion.”

As though to refute his master’s words, Salem immediately grew until he was about two meters tall, which greatly frightened the passersby. Then he roared, somehow managing to have a proud expression on his feline face, causing Kai to slap his forehead in disbelief and comment.

“Just because you’re bigger than a lion doesn’t make you a damn lion… Seriously, why do I have the dumbest cat of all?”

As if wanting to prove his point, Salem turned and roared at the cat, which had not run away and was still on the ground, staring at the gigantic cat curiously. In response, the female cat quickly ran over to start rubbing against Salem’s huge front paw, prompting a snort of arrogance from the blue-eyed cat directed at his master.

“You do realize that cat already has an owner, right? She even has a collar.”

Kai sighed irritably and pointed at the small shiny collar on the cat’s neck as she rubbed against Salem’s leg. Salem quickly looked down to check, then roared impressively, which further exasperated the blue-eyed young man, who immediately snapped in annoyance.

“You can’t beat up the owner. That’s not how things work.”

While Kai and his cat argued, the Pussycats and the passersby in the residential street of the small town near the mountains—where the agency was located—watched the spectacle with amused smiles, as though it were some kind of impromptu comedy show. The argument ended after a while, when the blue-eyed boy finally spoke in resignation.

“All right, we’ll see if they’re willing to sell her, but don’t get your hopes up.”

Hearing his master’s words, Salem roared happily, then shrank down to the size of his new female, who once again started rubbing against him affectionately. Even though it was a bit annoying for such an imposing and independent cat as him, one thing he had learned from his master was that you had to be good to your females.

“So you lost?”

Seeing Kai shove his hands into the pockets of his workout gear with an annoyed look, Ryuko couldn’t help but ask in a playful tone, causing Kai to roll his eyes. That was when Tomoko asked excitedly.

“Kai! How can you understand Salem? It’s so cool, teach me, teach me!”

“It’s nothing special, it’s just that this cat is so dumb that you can more or less guess what’s going on in his stupid head.”

“Hello, thank you so much for getting Tama back.”

At that moment, a man around thirty years old, who had a simple appearance and was dressed in a sports outfit similar to Kai’s but in blue, approached and expressed his gratitude, bowing politely, prompting Kai to respond in a calm tone.

“It’s nothing, and actually, I wanted to talk to you.” Kai quickly pointed at Salem, who was now sitting next to him in his adult cat form, with the female cat lying at his side, then added casually.

“As you can see, this foolish cat took a liking to your cat, so… would you be willing to make a deal for her?”

“Well, actually, Tama belonged to my grandmother, who passed away last month. Since no one else could take care of her, I was forced to do so because I work from home. But she’s always running away and getting stuck in all sorts of places, which is making me lose a lot of time, and I have a tight deadline coming up.

“If you could adopt her, it would actually be a great help for me. Seeing how you and your ‘cat’ interact, I can tell you’re very good with animals. And besides, in this area, there’s no one more trustworthy than the Pussycats.” The man spoke in a calm tone as he looked at the Pussycats behind Kai, who quickly replied.

“That’s good, then. Does she have a chip…?”

While Kai discussed the details of acquiring the cat with the man, the Pussycats couldn’t help but smile as they watched Salem lie on the ground, somehow sporting a satisfied expression on his feline face, while the female cat licked him gently. Just then, Tomoko noticed a group of three schoolgirls pointing at Kai as they whispered among themselves, visibly excited.

Tomoko discreetly signaled to her companions, who looked at the young girls from a distance in confusion. One of the schoolgirls was then pushed forward by the other two, giggling as they urged her to approach. She did so while holding a phone, her cheeks visibly flushed.

“U-um, Demon King-sama, would it be too much trouble if I asked for a picture?”

Upon reaching Kai, the schoolgirl asked shyly, causing the blue-eyed boy to turn to look at her in mild surprise, then glance at the man in front of him as if silently asking if she was talking to him. The man quickly shook his head, leaving Kai no choice but to ask the schoolgirl.

“Are you talking to me?”

“Y-yes, Demon King-sama.” The schoolgirl, who had soft salmon-colored hair, nodded nervously, which inevitably confused Kai even more. That was when Tomoko approached with a big smile.

“Why do you want a photo with Kai? Is he that famous already?” Tomoko asked with a broad grin on her face, inadvertently startling the young girl a bit. Even so, the student quickly nodded earnestly and answered while operating her phone.

“Y-yes, I’m part of his fan club…”

“Since when do I have a fan club…?” Kai couldn't help but mutter in disbelief, to which the young girl replied with a huge smile.

"Well, even though I call it a fan club, for now, it's unofficial. It was formed right after the first-year sports festival, but due to the huge buzz these past few days over the Hero Killer video and the one titled 'The Birth of the Symbol of Invincibility', it has grown quite a bit. We already have close to fifty thousand followers."

As she explained, the young woman showed her phone to Kai. That allowed him and the Pussycats, who had gathered around, to see a social media account named [The Demon King’s Wives], which was growing in real time before their eyes by several hundred followers at once. Inevitably, Shino asked curiously.

“What video are you talking about?”

“Oh, it’s this one!”

...

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Chapter 153: All hail the Demon King.

Chapter Text

“Oh, it’s this one!”

Another of the schoolgirls, with reddish hair and two horns protruding from her head, commented excitedly as she approached with her other classmate, having noticed that her friend had actually managed to strike up a conversation with the mythical ‘Demon King.’ At the same time, she showed a video on her phone that quickly began to play.

…

The first thing that appeared in the video was a television panel showing a muscular man wearing what seemed to be a grayish-blue Hakama, which somehow accentuated his deep blue eyes and his short, coal-black hair. This caused Kai to widen his eyes in surprise. After all, that man was his father, Saito Jiro, also known as Iron Palm.

[We’ve heard that your firstborn has just been born. What do you think the future holds for him? Will he be a hero like his father?]

At that moment, a male voice, most likely an interviewer, asked with evident interest, prompting a small smile to form on Iron Palm’s face. Though he couldn’t be described as conventionally handsome, he had a unique charm that had captivated thousands of female fans across the country.

As the interviewer’s question ended, a soft, epic music began to play at a low volume, serving as a backdrop for Iron Palm’s deep and magnetic voice as he began to speak in a calm tone.

[I truly don’t know what the future holds… Will he inherit my strength and my martial arts…?]

As Iron Palm’s voice faded, the music swelled in volume, accompanied by a quick transition to images of Kai dodging Midoriya’s blows and exchanging high-speed strikes with Momo during the cultural festival duels. At that moment, Iron Palm’s voice returned.

[…Or perhaps he’ll inherit his mother’s intelligence and help people through medicine…?]

The images quickly shifted to show a distant video of Kai treating the wounded hero in the case of the hero killer Stain, his expression calm as he acted decisively and swiftly, saving the hero’s life. The music intensified, and the image returned to Iron Palm, who looked directly at the camera with a fearless smile full of confidence on his face, before declaring with conviction.

[But one thing I can be sure of is that future generations will surpass the past, and as my proud son, in his own way, he will make the world a better place. And when that time comes, I will stand before everyone and say… Listen up, everyone, here is my proud son, Saito Kai!!]

With Iron Palm’s energetic declaration, the music became erratic and full of energy, almost as if it were urging those who listened to embark on an epic battle. At the same time, the image showed Kai walking confidently toward the camera on a red carpet. His expression was fearless and full of confidence, sending chills down the spines of those watching, as if they were witnessing a great predator. At that moment, the unmistakable voice of the Symbol of Peace resonated.

[Heroes have too much to protect, which is why they never lose!]

With All Might’s words, the music reached its peak intensity, as various images of Kai from the sports festival began to play. First, the images of him finishing first in the obstacle race alongside Momo, followed by the image of him standing calmly with Momo on his shoulders during the cavalry battle, with everyone else fighting around him but none daring to attack, forming a circle around him.

After that, the music became even more erratic and powerful, showing images of Kai delivering the final blow to Midoriya, then the final strike to Kirishima. This was followed by the rapid series of slashes that destroyed Momo’s armor mid-air, ending with distant footage of him slamming Stain into the ground. At that moment, the exuberant voice of Present Mic echoed as the image showed Kai standing on the first-place podium with a calm smile on his face.

[Give a big round of applause to the invincible Demon King of the Hero Course, Saito Kai!!!!]

The video quickly shifted to show the frenzied ovation from the stadium audience, before fading to black as the music faded away, leaving only silence and a black screen. Moments later, white characters appeared, filling the entire screen.

[The symbol of invincibility has been born. All hail the Demon King.]

…
When the play symbol reappeared on the screen, Kai and the Pussycats, who had been watching the video almost hypnotized, seemed to snap out of it, then looked at each other with various expressions. Ryuko and Tomoko’s faces were filled with pure pride, while Shino and Chatora wore small, amused smiles.

Kai, for his part, was puzzled because he truly had no idea that video existed. After all, he didn’t even have social media and hardly ever searched for anything on it. He did know that footage from that day existed on the security cameras, and that some people had recorded from afar—since that helped serve as his alibi—but he never imagined anyone would bother making something like that with the images.

“Why would someone go through the trouble of making a video like this…?” Kai couldn’t help but glance at the trio of schoolgirls. At that moment, the third girl, with dark gray hair in a bob cut, responded with a cheerful smile.

“Actually, it was a project by our fan club, but because of the uproar over the Stain video, it went viral and has served as a kind of counter to what that video preaches.”

“What Stain video?” Shino asked curiously, looking at the trio of teenagers, which prompted the horned girl to quickly operate her phone to search for the video.

Soon, the horned girl showed them her phone screen again, where a video played summarizing Stain’s history, his past as a Vigilante, his ‘ideology’, and his alliance with the ‘League of Villains’. It ended with distant footage of the hero killer shouting that only All Might could kill him, while hiding behind the wounded hero, cutting off just as Stain was about to stab him in the neck.

However, an important and striking difference between the two videos was Endeavor. In Kai’s video, he was deliberately left out, with effort made to edit the footage so he wouldn’t appear. But in Stain’s video, he was almost highlighted, emphasizing his defeated figure on the ground as Stain delivered his speech behind the hostage hero, somehow ‘humiliating’ the number two hero to make the villain look better.

“That video is problematic…”

Upon seeing the video, Shino couldn’t help but comment in a serious tone, which prompted a unified nod from the Pussycats, who wore similar expressions. At that moment, Ryuko added in a grave tone.

“Yes… Many could be drawn to such an ideology, and with the whole ‘League of Villains’ situation, things could spiral out of control…”

“I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. He’s just a psychopath who grabbed a random excuse to justify his homicidal tendencies, and a pretty weak one at that. The only ones who’d be drawn to something like that are idiots with no personality or other lunatics of the same kind.”

Kai commented in a calm and casual tone, though an unmistakable trace of mockery could be heard in his voice, which inevitably caught the attention of the schoolgirls, who began to look at him with shining eyes. At that moment, the first girl, with salmon-colored hair, asked shyly while pulling out her phone.

“Why do you say it’s a weak excuse, Demon King-sama?”

“Well, because while it’s true that the hero system is far from perfect, there’s a reason it’s used practically all over the world—or rather, two big reasons. One, people like it, and two, it works, and it works quite well. An example of that is Japan itself, currently one of the safest countries in the world.”

Kai responded calmly while looking at Salem, who had dragged the female cat to his side and was meowing at him, almost as if telling him to get to know her. At that moment, the horned girl asked excitedly, discreetly recording the Demon King, who had crouched down to pet the cat’s head.

“But Demon King-sama, some people complain that heroes today only do it for fame and money, not like true heroes. What do you think about that?”

As he picked up the cat, which was quite docile and affectionate, with Salem perched on his shoulder, Kai looked at the girl who had asked the question. Then at the other two girls, who were recording him with shining eyes, as if he were some kind of idol. This left him slightly puzzled, as it was possibly the first time he had been treated that way. Still, he had never been particularly shy or anything like that, so he decided to explain his thoughts, though it might also have been his teenage body wanting to enjoy the attention a little.

“That’s complete nonsense. Work is paid for; only a crazy slave-driver would demand someone work for free and out of pure satisfaction. Should doctors and police officers, who also save lives, work for free? Or do they think All Might doesn’t get paid? The Symbol of Peace is one of the richest men in this country and has been a hero his entire life.

“The wealth of heroes comes from merchandise sales, brand rights, and the like. The salary the government gives them is basically pocket change. No hero can live decently on that pittance; any office job pays more. So, if a hero wants money, they have to, at the very least, maintain a good public image. One misstep, and they’re done.

“So, if the people who make heroes rich are the public, who freely choose to buy their products and support their careers, who is this Stain, or any other idiot, to think they’re better than everyone who, by their own choice, supports their favorite hero? If a hero does something wrong, the public will take care of removing them from the market by withdrawing their support. The hero system self-regulates, and if they commit crimes, that’s what the judicial system is for. We don’t need a homicidal maniac for that.”

“Does that mean the Demon King-sama doesn’t care if there are heroes who only seek fame and money, those ‘fake heroes’?” The horned girl asked cheerfully, which made Kai smile as he continued petting the cat.

“If you were in a burning building and your only option was to trust one of those ‘fake heroes’ to save you, would you choose to stay inside waiting for a ‘true hero’ or a Vigilante to rescue you? Of course, you wouldn’t.” At Kai’s question, the girls vigorously shook their heads, so Kai continued explaining calmly.

“If they do the job, what does it matter if they’re ‘true’ or ‘fake’? Besides, if someone only saves people when they can get credit or something similar, nowadays, everyone has one of the most powerful weapons humanity has created in their pocket: the cell phone. Just record them and expose them on social media. Their career will fall apart, and they’ll have no choice but to pursue something else. Like I said, the hero system self-regulates, and that’s why it works.

“Also, though it’s not openly admitted, the hero system reduces the number of villains. There are many people with strong quirks who want to make a living from them, to rise in social status, and among them, there are plenty willing to do anything to achieve their goals. So, tell me, what would such a person do if they weren’t allowed to use their quirk? Would they obediently get a normal job and earn ‘a pittance’, or would they turn to robbery or murder to get rich?

“The hero system gives such people an outlet, allowing them to achieve their goals while leveraging their abilities to contribute value to society, all while indirectly regulating them to maintain a good public image. This greatly limits their ‘bad actions’ and prevents them from falling into the life of ‘villains’, as the risk-reward ratio of being a hero is infinitely greater than that of being a villain.”

“I’ve never seen things from that perspective… You’re really smart, ‘Demon King’.” Tama’s owner, who had been standing nearby listening silently, couldn’t help but comment in an impressed tone. Kai shook his head and replied casually, still holding the female cat.

“It’s nothing extraordinary. I just drew a parallel with the free market. Anyway, follow me to the agency so we can sign some documents to make Tama’s adoption official.”

“Of course.”

The man responded with a calm smile, while the Pussycats looked at Kai with pride, wearing huge smiles on their faces. At that moment, the schoolgirls grew a bit nervous, as they still wanted their photo, so the salmon-haired girl asked shyly.

“Um, Demon King-sama, is it possible to get a photo…?”

...

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Chapter 154: The spiders have split up.

Chapter Text

“Oh, right, I forgot. Come on, everyone, let’s take one together.” After glancing at the nervous girls, Kai couldn’t help but shake his head in amusement, then he casually commented, which greatly excited the girls. That was when Ryuko spoke up cheerfully.

“Everyone line up, I’ll take the picture.”

Upon hearing Ryuko, the girls quickly handed her their phones, then posed around Kai, who placed Tama on his other shoulder. He then looked at the camera calmly, feeling genuinely strange—having “fans” was a really curious thing. Though, well, that would probably die down after a while, since he had no intention of drawing too much attention to himself from now on.

After taking several photos with all three phones, Ryuko returned them to the girls, who thanked her with big smiles on their young faces. Then they looked at Kai and announced loudly, brimming with youthful energy and determination:

“““Demon King-sama, when you debut, we will all vote for you in the ranking!! Do your best!!”””

“Oh, that. I’m actually not going to debut—being a hero isn’t for me. But thank you anyway.” Kai commented casually as he looked at the girls, who immediately seemed deflated upon hearing him. The gray-haired girl couldn’t help but ask in disbelief.

“Why? You even study at UA, and with your strength, you could be the next number one…”

“Well, because apart from fighting and building things, nothing else really interests me, and I don’t need the money. Besides, hero work is too troublesome. My father’s hero life only ended in his death, my mother’s passing, and a bunch of problems and a ‘bad reputation’ for me. It’s not worth it. I’d rather do something else.”

Kai stated calmly, which caused the three girls to look at one another, visibly disappointed, their faces reflecting complex emotions. Their expressions were very similar to those of the Pussycats, who for a moment had believed these young ladies might encourage the blue-eyed boy enough to make him give hero work a chance. But reality turned out to be quite different.

“Well, goodbye, and sorry. I guess I’m not what you expected, but I wish you luck finding someone better to support.” Kai said in a relaxed tone as he turned to walk toward the agency, cats perched on his shoulders.

Meanwhile, the Pussycats, the man, and the schoolgirls simply watched the young man’s back as he slowly walked away, all showing expressions of various degrees of complexity. After a while, they each let out small sighs. The girls left in silence the way they had come, while the man and the Pussycats followed Kai.

…

After signing a small private agreement and handing over the data from the chip as well as Tama’s documents, the man bade everyone farewell with a respectful bow, then left the agency. At that moment, Kai sat down on one of the sofas in the place and began to check his phone. The Pussycats also took a seat on the other sofas, looking at Kai with complex expressions. But just as Shino was about to speak, Kai set his phone aside and turned to look into the distance with deep eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Shino asked somewhat confused, to which Kai replied in a grave, serious voice.

“The spiders have split up…”

Kai’s words visibly hardened the Pussycats’ expressions, prompting Chatora to ask in a solemn tone.

“Are you going to investigate, Kai?”

“Yes, and their speed has also dropped considerably, which makes it very likely they’ve reached their ‘base’.”

Kai stated seriously while looking at a holographic screen that appeared out of nowhere in front of him, showing a satellite image of the sea with five highlighted points, slightly separated from one another. He inevitably asked in a low, puzzled voice.

“Did I get it wrong? I thought they’d surfaced…”

[Master, the spiders did rise high enough to reach the surface, but the real-time satellite images only show the ocean’s surface…]

Upon hearing the words of his reliable fairy assistant, who had materialized in everyone’s view, Kai couldn’t help but take a sharp breath, his expression incredibly solemn and grim. This could only mean that somehow they had the ability to hide in plain sight, which was quite terrifying.

“What’s going on, Kai?” Shino asked, a bit worried by Kai’s expression, who spoke in a serious tone.

“Things have gotten complicated. Investigating the spiders has to be done tonight—it can’t wait.”

“Wait, wait, wait, what happened? Why the rush?”

Ryuko asked somewhat anxiously, observing Kai’s serious expression. At that moment, holographic screens appeared in front of them, showing an aerial image of the ocean with five highlighted points—three of them almost still while the other two were still in motion—accompanied by the voice of the blue-eyed boy.

“The spiders seem to be on the surface, but this is what the real-time satellite images show.”

Kai’s words were more than enough for the Pussycats to grasp the gravity of the situation, prompting Tomoko to ask with obvious concern and reluctance, fixing her gaze on the blue-eyed boy.

“You really plan to go alone tonight?”

“It’s the best option. I’m the strongest, and I’m very good at hiding.” Kai nodded and spoke in a calm yet firm tone, at which point Shino added with a small sigh.

“Better we talk it over tonight with the whole family…”

...

Upon returning home using Accompany, Kai and the Pussycats turned to look to their left, where they saw the figures of Momo and Nejire flying. Shortly afterward, the two landed softly in the garden, but just when they were about to greet everyone with huge smiles on their lovely faces, the pair of girls noticed the beautiful Birman cat on Kai’s shoulder. This inevitably led Nejire to ask, her eyes shining with excitement.

“Kai, why do you have another cat?”

“Salem got attached to her, so I brought her. Her name is Tama.” Kai responded calmly, watching Momo’s and Nejire’s eyes shine even brighter at the sight of the cat. He quickly lifted her from his shoulder and offered her with a smile.

“Just look at this beauty, so fluffy. Come to mama Momo…”

As she took Tama in her hands, Momo spoke in a caring tone, at which point Nejire summoned her Accomplice. She held it in her arms and brought it close to Tama, then spoke with excitement.

“Tama, this is Mira! From now on, you two are going to be best friends!”

While the light-blue Accomplice licked its paws like a real cat, Tama—who seemed very used to humans and was quite affectionate—began to gently rub her head against Momo’s arm, which greatly excited the girls, who started petting her wholeheartedly. Meanwhile, Salem watched everything from his master’s shoulder, not looking too pleased.

With a helpless smile, Kai watched Momo and Nejire play so carefree with the sociable cat, internally surprised by everything that had happened since Nejire’s “confession”. He still felt it was a bit surreal because it all got resolved in a matter of hours, and now he had a new girlfriend. Yet things had barely changed, as he had decided to wait until the showdown before moving forward, leaving him with a strange feeling.

…

In the middle of the Saito mansion’s living room, everyone was gathered around a sort of round table wearing extremely serious expressions. They all looked at Kai, who had just explained what had happened with the spiders and his plans for that night.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to take such a risk, Kai. I strongly disagree with this idea of yours to leave in the middle of the night to investigate something so dangerous.” Keiko objected in a serious, solemn tone, looking intently into Kai’s blue eyes. He answered calmly, stroking Salem and Tama—who were peacefully sleeping in his lap.

“It’s necessary. We don’t know what we’re dealing with, and there’s no one better than me for the job.”

“But what if something happens to you…?” Yumiko asked, full of nerves and concern, to which Kai replied calmly.

“I can always run away. I have abilities to flee and heal. It’s hard for anything to happen to me.”

“But that doesn’t make us any less worried. It’s too big a risk…” Momo insisted anxiously, and Kai responded seriously.

“Not going to investigate is riskier. The sudden appearance of such a terrifying power without warning is too dangerous. If we let it go, we could end up in a desperate situation at any time.”

Just as the others were preparing to voice their arguments against it, Nemuri suddenly tapped a glass with a fork, drawing everyone’s attention. She looked at them with a serious expression, then spoke solemnly.

“Everyone… though I’m just as nervous about this as you are, Kai is right. Investigating those spiders is something we can’t just ignore. And right now, Kai is the strongest person in the country—ever since All Might was weakened—and he’s incredibly more versatile than All Might in his prime. So, there’s no one else but him who can do it. We have to trust him.”

“…”

Nemuri’s words brought a deafening silence upon the gathering. They all knew this was true, but they couldn’t quell the unease they felt, causing their expressions to become quite complicated. At that point, Kai stood up from the sofa and spoke firmly.

“Don’t worry, I’ll just investigate for a few hours. I won’t take long.”

“Please be very careful, Kai. If you feel any danger at all, run immediately—don’t try to be a hero.” Keiko stood and hugged Kai, speaking with deep concern. Everyone else followed suit, embracing the blue-eyed boy tightly, all of them filled with trepidation.

…

“I’ll be back soon.”

Once in the garden, Kai bade them farewell as blue electrical arcs crackled around his body, then he shot up into the air at blinding speed, disappearing in an instant. Yumiko then spoke in a quiet tone, hands over her chest.

“I hope everything goes well…”

“It will. Kai is very strong; he’ll be fine…” Shino added in an apprehensive, uncertain voice as she gazed at the sky where Kai had vanished, almost as if she was trying to reassure herself. That was when Chatora spoke in resignation.

“Let’s go back inside and be ready in case something happens.”

“That’s for the best.” Nemuri nodded, and they all returned to the house, at which point a synthetic voice echoed from within.

[I am ARGUS. In accordance with the security protocol, Yaoyorozu Keiko has been designated the highest authority. I am at your service, Lady Yaoyorozu.]

“Argus, activate the drones and the primary alarm systems. If anyone approaches, let me know before doing anything else.” Hearing the synthetic voice, Keiko quickly ordered in a serious, composed tone, to which the virtual assistant responded immediately.

[Understood.]

Along with ARGUS’s reply, from various parts of the estate—such as Kai’s workshop, the mansion’s roof, and different spots in the surrounding forest—secret hatches opened, releasing entire swarms of drones resembling the ones Momo could produce, though slightly larger, sporting advanced camouflage and more weaponry. They quickly arranged themselves in a defensive formation around the property.

“What are those things…?”

Ryuko asked, puzzled as she watched the drones, and saw Salem hastily carrying Tama by the scruff into the house, alarmed by what was happening. Keiko answered while sitting on one of the sofas, her expression serious.

“It’s the mansion’s security system, although this is only its most basic level. Kai and I have been working on it for a while, and it’s pretty effective. It should keep us safe from most threats, or at least buy us enough time to reach the bomb shelters.”

“We have bomb shelters…?” Yumiko asked in shock, causing Keiko to chuckle softly and nod with a hint of mischievousness.

“Quite a bit more than that. This mansion is such an illegally armed fortress that it could land us multiple life sentences for the hidden things we have here, fufu.”

“Leaving the two mad geniuses to work together for so long wasn’t a good idea…” Chatora remarked, stunned, and everyone else could only nod in agreement, prompting Keiko to respond with mild annoyance, crossing her arms in a huff.

“‘Mad geniuses’—really now? Kai and I only sought to create a safe haven for the family. How ungrateful.”

“…”

Seeing Keiko acting so childish, the others simply exchanged glances with ironic smiles, but at that moment, Nejire and Tomoko—who had been watching the drone deployment with bright eyes—quickly rushed over to Keiko.

“Auntie Keiko, this is so cool!! What else does the mansion have? Do you have missiles?”

Nejire asked excitedly, practically hopping onto the sofa beside Keiko and hugging her like a small child. Then Tomoko chimed in with the same level of enthusiasm, gazing at the beautiful black-haired mother with shining eyes.

“Does it have shields?! Mechas?!”

“Fufu, yes, and yes, we do. Although we can only activate them in dire emergencies because a lot of it is very illegal. Unless there’s no other choice, we can’t switch them on.”

““That’s so cool!!!””

Nejire and Tomoko exclaimed, brimming with excitement, while Yumiko laughed softly at how thrilled her daughter seemed. Momo, Nemuri, Shino, Ryuko, and Chatora exchanged slightly bitter looks. At that moment, Mrs. Yoshiko entered the room carrying a tray with a porcelain teapot emitting steam and several cups. She professionally poured tea for Keiko and Yumiko.

“Come sit, and let’s wait. Kai shouldn’t take too long.” Noticing the group’s grim expressions, Keiko spoke in a calm tone after taking a sip of her tea, to which Yumiko added with a smile.

“Let’s have some tea to settle our nerves…”

“I suppose you’re right…”

Shino responded resignedly and took a seat on one of the sofas along with the others, each receiving their cup of tea from Mrs. Yoshiko. Yet within, every single person was silently offering up every prayer they knew that Kai would return safe and sound.

...

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Chapter 155: Storm.

Chapter Text

After flying out of the mansion at high speed, Kai kept kicking the air, covering great distances with each “step”, until, after a while, he reached a point about 15 kilometers away from where the five spiders were. Even though they were now separated by several kilometers and some were moving while others seemed to remain still, all of them advanced at an incredibly slow, almost imperceptible yet constant pace.

“Could they be in some kind of vehicle?”

Kai asked himself in a low voice upon landing on the surface of the sea, feeling somewhat apprehensive about the possibility of hiding such a large vehicle. Based on the distance between the spiders and how they were moving, they would need at least a few dozen kilometers of space; worst of all, it was still completely invisible to the satellites, no matter how carefully he checked the area.

“It’s highly likely, master…” Sage, who flew beside her master like a loyal companion, commented in a serious tone, to which Kai replied just as seriously while conjuring a card between his fingers.

“All right, we’ll see soon enough. [Shadow Cloak] On!”

Upon activating the card between his fingers—which, apart from the typical golden Aura Script pattern, featured the image of a black cloak that seemed to vanish into darkness—the card turned into a burst of light that ended up enveloping him entirely. It became a black, hooded cloak that shrouded him completely before vanishing after a few moments, as though it had never been there to begin with.

Shadow Cloak was quite a powerful card, though it came with some complications. As long as he wore the cloak, he remained invisible and undetectable, even to Tomoko’s quirk, and that also applied to any other entity that might be covered by it. However, in exchange, his aura was severely restricted, allowing him to use only 5% of it, and preventing him from using abilities like [En] and similar techniques.

Additionally, while wearing the cloak, he couldn’t afford to be touched; most importantly, he could not draw attention in any way or arouse suspicion of his presence. Otherwise, the ability would deactivate instantly. For example, if he opened a door in front of someone, that person would immediately suspect the presence of an invisible being, which would shut the card’s effect down right then and there.

On the other hand, if he avoided any of those three conditions, the card would remain active indefinitely, with aura consumption so low it was almost negligible. Moreover, he could use it up to 30 times a month, making it a valuable ability for when he needed stealth—such as when he went “hunting”.

Under the silvery moonlight, Kai sped across the water, heading in a straight line toward where the spiders were. But after a while, once he was only about 10 kilometers from the nearest spider, Kai suddenly found himself enveloped by a dense fog that, even to his senses, seemed to materialize out of nowhere. This made him stop short and urgently question his trusted assistant through their mental link, as that terrible premonition he felt on the island came back to him.

[Sage, what’s going on? Where did this fog come from?]

[I’m not sure, master. I couldn’t detect it before it formed, and the satellites can’t see it. Worse still, I’m losing the connection. It’s highly likely that if we keep going, we’ll be cut off entirely.] Sage answered solemnly, flying next to her master, who could only take a deep breath before speaking in a grave tone.

[These people are too “capable”… We can’t continue without information. Let’s move forward, but stay alert and try to steal anything you can from these security systems. They’ll be incredibly useful for improving security back home.]

[Understood, master. I’ll leave the servers running with a backup system and focus fully on uncovering the secrets of these systems.] Sage answered seriously as her beautiful wings lit up in different colors. Kai nodded in satisfaction, then shot forward while replying through their mental connection.

[Perfect, let’s go!]

As Kai advanced over the sea, the fog grew ever thicker, almost entirely blocking the moonlight and leaving everything in a silent, almost sinister darkness. Just then, a powerful bolt of lightning ripped across the sky, accompanied by a resounding thunderclap that seemed like some kind of start signal, triggering a violent storm that churned the sea.

[Master, I just completely lost the satellite connection, and in the last image I managed to receive, there was no sign of a storm.] Suddenly, Sage reported in a heavy tone, while showing Kai a holographic screen with the last image recovered from the satellite.

[… Let’s keep going.]

Seeing the image, Kai muttered gravely and picked up speed. But the waves quickly began to rise dramatically, making it much harder to continue. He had to “climb” them using only his physical strength and a small portion of his aura, until, unexpectedly, he saw something that left him dumbfounded.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…”

Kai muttered in astonishment upon spotting a wave over ten meters high rushing toward him. Quickly he focused, sprinting toward the wave with all his might before jumping into the air and kicking off at high speed multiple times, lifting himself over it. Upon seeing even more monstrous waves forming, Kai decided to stay airborne, but the powerful winds and driving rain made it harder than ever to keep steady in the air.

The storm was devastating, unleashing hurricane-force winds that made it nearly impossible for Kai to remain aloft, accompanied by blinding rain that pelted his face, growing worse by the second. Eventually, a towering wave reached the blue-eyed boy’s position. He tried to dodge it by kicking the air, but the unrelenting wind thwarted him, hurling him like a leaf straight into the monstrous wave.

While technically the water shouldn’t have affected his [Shadow Cloak], the impact was so brutal that it was stripped from his body, causing it to deactivate. Kai found himself in the water, trying to kick hard enough to break free, but the currents were merciless, dragging him deeper into the depths.

For the first time in his new life, Kai felt powerless in the face of nature’s wrath. As he was battered by the water, he watched a colossal lightning bolt strike the sea, producing a spectacular light show that resembled the fury of a vengeful god. It fully captivated Kai’s attention, and he stopped struggling, letting himself sink while gazing, almost hypnotized, at the endless barrage of lightning slamming into the sea.

[MASTER!! We have to get out of here!!!]

Panicked, Sage “shouted” through their mental link, snapping Kai out of his trance. He bit his tongue, and his expression turned determined and tinged with madness.

(You think you can get rid of me that easily?!! You’ll have to try harder than that!!!)

With a predatory grin, Kai spoke to himself as he focused both his aura and Haki in his right hand. This caused his fist to shine like a beacon of light with a dark violet glow, sparking with terrifying electricity of the same color. At that moment, he unleashed one of the most powerful punches he could muster, creating a colossal explosion.

(Electric Collapse!!!)

The impact was so immense that Kai shot into the air, leaving behind, for a few moments, a massive “void” at the point of impact. A dense cloud of steam rose upward, followed by a colossal geyser of hot water that surged into the sky, streaked with purple lightning, its light show rivaling that of the storm itself.

While airborne, Kai mimicked Bakugo’s typical flying posture a little, then produced two brutal explosions in his hands using his purple electric aura, propelling himself forward at blinding speed. At that moment, he summoned the [Shadow Cloak] card once more.

“[Shadow Cloak] On!”

The card once again turned into light and surrounded him, conjuring the black cloak. After a while, Kai began to notice the dense fog thinning out, as well as the storm, gradually giving way to a calm scene gently lit by the moon. After landing on the now much calmer water, he quickly headed toward the spiders’ location.

[I saw death for a moment…] As he moved across the water, Kai remarked through his mental link with Sage, who responded with obvious lingering fear in her tone.

[That was really dangerous, master… the power of nature is no joke…]

Hearing Sage’s comment, Kai could only nod in agreement. At the same time, a certain unease showed on his face, keeping him silent for several moments as though he were seriously considering something. Then he asked in an incredibly somber tone.

[…How much control over nature do you think they have…?]

Hearing her master’s question, Sage fell silent, quickly understanding his apprehension. After all, it was almost certain that this brutal storm was a “defense system” belonging to the place they intended to reach—a place that became more terrifying by the second, conjuring in their minds a vision of something that might well be invincible.

[…I think we’ll soon find out, master… If they send someone to look for you, that means they’re aware we’re here…] After a moment, Sage spoke in a weighty tone, and Kai could only nod silently. However, just as he was about to say something, he stopped short, as if paralyzed.

[Sage… am I seeing things…?] Kai asked incredulously, addressing his trusted assistant, who replied in a similar tone.

[That doesn’t seem to be the case, master…]

Though the storm had been truly terrifying and, at the same time, mesmerizing, what lay before them went several steps beyond that. It was an enormous, crescent-shaped jungle island that appeared to be made entirely of tightly intertwined roots, with no sand or rocks in sight. Meanwhile, the sky was perfectly clear, and an immense full moon shone overhead, prompting Kai to comment, his heart inexplicably racing.

[But we weren’t supposed to have a full moon tonight…]

[Indeed we weren’t, master… and I still can’t connect to the satellites…]

Surveying the surroundings bathed in silvery moonlight—granting unusually sharp visibility—Sage responded in the same grave tone, her wings flashing myriad colors that changed at a bewildering speed. Kai merely sighed and spoke, his tone heavy.

[Let’s go.]

Extremely cautious, Kai extended his Observation Haki to its full range—his only detection method available under [Shadow Cloak]—as he advanced toward the island. He could quickly sense about ten “voices” on it. Luckily, they weren’t as formidable as the five from the scientists’ incident, but they were by no means weak either. If he had to compare, they were around Aizawa’s level.

By the time Kai set foot on the densely interwoven roots serving as solid ground, he stood absolutely still, on high alert, the [Magnetic Force] card at his fingertips ready to be activated at any moment. He feared the roots themselves might detect him, but after several minutes without anything happening, he let out a sigh of relief and communicated mentally with his trusted assistant.

[They didn’t detect us…]

[Yes… it’s a relief they’re not as infallible as we thought.] Sage answered in a tone of palpable relief, prompting Kai to shake his head and speak in a serious voice.

[It’s far too early to relax. It’s possible they have detected us but decided not to make a move yet, waiting to gather information about us.]

[That’s certainly possible… Should I move ahead and scout, master?]

Sage asked gravely. Although there was a maximum distance she could be from her master, it was still greater than the maximum range of Kai’s Observation Haki, so it would be useful. Moreover, Haki wasn’t particularly precise, so a visual would help. Kai, after considering it briefly, nodded.

[That’s a good idea. Scout around a bit, but be extremely careful. Meanwhile, I’ll try to mark this place as a point for Magnetic Force.]

[Understood, master. I’ll be as cautious as possible.]

Sage answered quickly and seriously. In front of Kai, a holographic screen in [In] state came to life, showing images of him—it was real-time footage of what the beautiful fairy saw—then Sage shot off into the island’s interior.

Watching Sage disappear among the thick jungle growth, Kai began moving carefully toward the trees, focusing entirely on the “voices” he perceived in the surrounding area. They seemed to range between the level of an average pro hero and that of someone moderately strong, like the Hero Killer.

Though it was a relief that they weren’t all on the same level as those five, they were far from insignificant. Even the ones he could sense would be extremely troublesome if they showed up in a city. Unlike the Nomus, these “voices” felt “solid” and “truly strong,” which left him somewhat apprehensive about the true military capabilities of this “organization.”

...

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Chapter 156: A tribe.

Chapter Text

After walking a bit among the trees, avoiding crossing paths with the 'voices', Kai finally arrived at a small clearing. He quickly crouched down and, using his index finger, began to slowly draw a mark with his aura. He meticulously traced what appeared to be a circular seal with a complex pattern of Aura Script, which seemed to be a combination of an electrical circuit and tribal runes.

Once the mark was ready, Kai swiftly conjured the Magnetic Force card and placed it over the mark. This caused both to glow softly for a moment, as if they were synchronizing. At that moment, Kai wrote the words [Spider Island] on the card using his aura, causing the card to disappear from his hands—a sign that the waypoint assignment had been successful.

Adding or removing a new 'waypoint' from the Accompany and Magnetic Force cards cost one use of these cards. However, since both cards shared the same list of waypoints, Kai usually used the Magnetic Force card for this purpose. Not only did it have twice the weekly uses (60), but he also used it far less frequently, making it perfect for the task.

Almost simultaneously with the disappearance of the Magnetic Force card from Kai's hands, a new hologram in [In] mode appeared before him. It displayed a list of 18 different waypoints, with the first 10 being his family and Salem, and the last one being the one he had just marked as [Spider Island].

The names of the waypoints couldn't be random, nor could they be numbers, letters, or codes known only to him, due to the pact of the cards. They had to implicitly convey information about the destination, creating the possibility that a stranger could figure out where he was going. This was all designed to create a sufficient level of risk to enhance the ability.

After quickly checking the list of waypoints, Kai dismissed the holographic screen and focused his gaze on the other screen, which showed the real-time video feed of what Sage was seeing. What he saw left him utterly stunned, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. It was shocking and surprising on too many levels and for various reasons.

First, the island seemed to be infested with spiders of various sizes and shapes. The smallest were about 30 cm, while the largest were several meters long. They rested in the trees and what appeared to be dens made of intertwined roots. Each spider had different levels of strength, as indicated by the labels above them. Even the smallest spiders were significantly stronger than an average civilian, with some spiders reaching or surpassing Mirko's level. But even more incredible than that was the place Sage had just arrived at.

The place looked like a small village in the middle of a clearing, composed of about 50 houses made from materials found on the island—logs, branches, roots, and the like. All the houses had roofs made of dried palm leaves and were arranged in a concentric pattern, with a particularly large house at the center. In addition, people could be seen around the place dressed in simple clothes made of what appeared to be jute or something similar could be seen. They looked more like an indigenous tribe than the technologically advanced organization Kai had imagined finding.

But what was even more shocking about the 'tribe' were the labels hovering above the people's heads on the holographic screen. Each label read exactly the same: [Strength Level: Civilian], meaning they were incredibly weak. This clashed greatly with the image of a 'super powerful organization' that Kai had in mind.

Moreover, the appearances of these people were too 'normal', lacking the strangeness Kai was accustomed to. There were no anthropomorphic people, no extra arms, tails, or unusual hair colors. They all looked perfectly human, with the most unusual hair color being reddish, and some having mixed features, like golden, wavy hair with slightly slanted eyes, but nothing more.

As Kai stared at the images in complete astonishment, suddenly, an old man, about 50 years old, emerged from the central hut of the 'village' displaying a label above his head that read [Strength Estimation: Pro Hero].

The old man was not only dressed in much finer clothing than the others, wearing what appeared to be a crown made of large feathers and roots. He was also escorted by a group of two spiders, each about a meter tall. According to Sage’s estimations, these spiders had a rather impressive level of power, being able to stand up to one of the original spiders.

Unlike the original spiders, which had varied shapes and sizes, these two were quite consistent, appearing more robust, as if they were wearing some kind of exoskeleton. At that moment, Kai asked his reliable assistant through their mental connection, taking a deep breath to calm himself, as the image of him fighting countless 'mini All Mights' inevitably came to mind.

[What's going on, Sage?]

[I don't know, Master. These people are speaking in an unknown language. It seems like a mix or variations of English, German, Italian, and something else, but I'm still deciphering it.] Sage quickly responded in a serious tone, to which Kai replied with equal seriousness as he watched the man call the other people to gather around him.

[Alright, I'll meet up with you. I've already set the mark.]

After informing Sage, Kai quickly leaped onto a tree branch and began jumping between branches at high speed, not making a single sound. As he moved, he scanned his surroundings with his Haki, and even with his own eyes, he spotted various types of spiders. The sheer number and strength of the spiders made him click his tongue in frustration.

Although the island wasn't just home to spiders, there were also several other types of animals, such as birds, tigers, crocodiles, monkeys, wolves, and even meerkats—a rather strange and diverse mix. However, aside from the spiders, everything else seemed fairly 'normal', without any strange appearances or insane power levels.

After a few minutes, Kai finally arrived near the 'village' and perched on the branch of a large tree, at least 15 meters tall. From there, he could see all the people gathering around the man who was clearly the leader. They then began to light a bonfire, which didn't seem very smart, given that the 'ground' was nothing more than intertwined roots, and it was almost certain that some of them were dry and could catch fire.

[How's the language deciphering coming along?]

Shortly after, Sage appeared in front of Kai, her wings glowing in various colors. The holographic screen beside him disappeared, so he quickly asked through their mental connection. The beautiful fairy could only shake her head apologetically before responding.

[Still working on it, Master. Since I can't connect to the servers, I can only use my own computational power for this. However, I can give you an approximation of what they're saying based on what I've deciphered so far.]

[Then I'll leave it to you.]

Kai responded seriously, not making too much of it. This prompted Sage to create a holographic screen in front of her master, displaying a kind of subtitle for what they were hearing. However, since she hadn't fully deciphered the language yet, the screen showed little more than scattered words and some guesses in parentheses, followed by a lot of ellipses indicating uncertainty.

Although he could only catch small fragments of the conversations, Kai was able to understand that they were actually performing some kind of ritual to a deity. This filled him with curiosity, as the presence of the spider guards made it highly likely that they were connected to the spiders in some way. But since his goal was to investigate, he quickly communicated with his reliable assistant.

[Let's take advantage of their distraction. We'll investigate the leader's 'house'.]

[Understood, Master. I'll leave a Nen beast here to keep watching.]

Sage quickly responded as a tiny black-furred cat with blue eyes appeared on the branch where Kai was standing—a Nen beast in [In] mode, about 5 cm tall. At the same time, a holographic screen appeared in front of Kai, showing what the cat was seeing in the same way Sage's view had been displayed earlier. Satisfied, Kai commented with seriousness.

[Perfect, let's go.]

Cautiously, Kai jumped from the branch and landed on the ground without making a sound, using the minimal amount of aura he could while wearing the Shadow Cloak. He then took a wide detour around the village before reaching the central 'hut'. Despite being much larger than the others, it was constructed in the same way, with walls made of rustic, uneven wooden planks. It was slightly elevated from the ground by thick wooden pillars and had a roof made of dried palm leaves.

But unlike the other huts, which were square, the leader's dwelling was hexagonal and quite spacious, with more windows. However, the windows were closed with wooden shutters, so Kai quickly approached one of the windows in the group's blind spot. He then gently touched it with his finger, sending tiny amounts of aura to mimic a sonar.

This trick was something Kai had developed by imitating the original series. It turned out to be incredibly precise, silent, and used minimal amounts of aura, allowing him to use it even while wearing the Shadow Cloak. This was incredibly useful, as his Haki lacked the precision of his [En], making it useless for tasks like this—determining if there was a lock.

Just as Kai expected, the wooden shutters had two 'eyelets' carved into the wood at one end, with a small stick in the middle acting as a latch. Using the Manipulation properties of his aura, he quickly and silently moved the latch, as if using telekinesis. However, instead of opening it, he focused his gaze on the holographic screen beside him.

Since he didn't know if opening the shutter would make noise or how perceptive the spiders escorting the leader were, he decided to camouflage his entry with the noise of the people finishing the bonfire. He waited for the perfect moment to enter without drawing attention.

…

[Today… (We will perform the ritual)… to our supreme one!!]

Once the bonfire was fully lit, the man who appeared to be the leader announced loudly. In response, the group of at least a hundred people shouted in unison, extending their hands toward the sky. They then brought out various instruments, such as drums made from animal skin and flutes made of what appeared to be bamboo or something similar. With these, they began to play music and dance around the bonfire.

…

Knowing this was his moment, Kai quickly opened the wooden shutter with a swift motion. This did cause a slight noise, but thanks to the loud commotion of the music and dancing, no one—not even the spiders—noticed him. He swiftly entered the dwelling with a quick jump and closed the shutter behind him. He then focused his gaze on the screen, wanting to know if anyone had noticed anything.

As the group danced and played their instruments, Kai quickly noticed a group of about ten people starting to drive two large wooden poles, each at least two meters long and about 40 cm wide, into the intertwined roots that served as the ground. They then tied the poles in various directions to create tension. However, no one seemed to notice his presence, allowing him to let out a sigh of relief.

Taking advantage of the noise, Kai looked around and realized that the place was quite interesting. It had wooden floors, some animal skin rugs scattered around, wooden tables and chairs, and a few clay pots here and there. This suggested that somewhere on the island, there must be solid ground, and it wasn't entirely made of intertwined roots.

But the most striking feature in the place was what appeared to be some kind of altar, somewhat similar to the one in his mansion back home dedicated to his parents. It was located near one of the walls and was made of logs and planks with well-crafted carvings of spiders. However, instead of photographs, flowers, incense, or food, the altar held a beautiful braided golden necklace with what looked like a locket.

Curious, Kai approached the altar and examined the necklace. It was well-maintained, still shining, though the decorative reliefs on the locket seemed worn. He reached out and took the locket to examine the back, where he found a still-visible engraving that left him surprised.

(John & Mary, 2004)

...

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Chapter 157: Kate?!

Chapter Text

[Sage, record this.] Kai quickly ordered with a serious tone through his mental connection, to which the beautiful fairy promptly responded.

[I have been recording everything, master. We can review the data in detail when we return.]

Hearing the response, Kai nodded as he left the necklace exactly as it was, only to inevitably lose himself in his thoughts. After all, he couldn’t understand why a necklace dating back more than 160 years was in that place, given that it was currently the year 2172. That necklace was from before the emergence of quirks.

But as Kai drifted into his thoughts, he suddenly noticed that all the noise around him came to an abrupt halt. Quickly snapping out of his train of thought, he focused on the holographic screen beside him, where he saw the leader raising his hands while everyone around him watched with a seriousness that bordered on sinister silence.

[Bring… (the honorable)… (sacrifices)!]

With everyone silent, the leader announced loudly, prompting a loud cheer from the villagers, who quickly rearranged themselves to create a pathway through the crowd leading to a distant hut. From it emerged a burly man carrying a small child, around 7 or 8 years old, with fair skin and brown hair, unconscious and tightly bound with spiderwebs.

The sight of the small child caused a faint electric spark to flicker in Kai’s eyes as he stared expressionlessly at the image. But just then, another burly man emerged from the hut, carrying a woman with tanned skin and blonde hair, similarly bound and gagged with spiderwebs. She struggled as much as she could, writhing like a worm to free herself, while casting desperate glances at the unconscious child.

(Kate???!!!!)

Upon seeing the woman’s face, Kai felt as if he had been struck by lightning, the impact so great that he even felt dizzy, staggering back a couple of steps as he stared at the woman on the screen in utter disbelief. This greatly alarmed Sage, who quickly touched her master while exclaiming through their mental connection.

[Master!! Are you okay?!! What happened?!]

Ignoring Sage, Kai stared fixedly at the woman on the screen, his eyes so wide they seemed about to pop out at any moment. After all, even with the gag, he recognized that face—he knew it well. It was the face of the eldest daughter of the woman he had most loved and respected in his first life, after his own mother. She was the daughter of Mrs. Eva.

(Calm down!!! It must be a coincidence! It can’t be her—she just looks a lot like her! Besides, I don’t owe her anything anymore. I protected Mrs. Eva with my life! I paid my debt, and I don’t have to throw my life away again to save her!!!)

Almost as if trying to convince himself, Kai internally shouted through clenched teeth, his fists trembling as he did everything he could to force himself not to intervene. From what he knew, there were at least five mini All Mights on the island, in addition to the two escort spiders whose power was quite dangerous.

Even his own life was not secure, as he was unsure if his cards could penetrate the strange fog and storm. So, trying to save someone under those circumstances was nothing more than a chimera, a foolish way to seek death.

As his mind silently calculated the chances of navigating through the storm in case the cards failed, while carrying two people and simultaneously defending them from the attacks of nine superpowered spiders. Kai looked at the holographic screen with his eyes shining coldly.

In the image, the men who were escorting the person he ‘was certain’ was not the daughter of the second most important woman in his life arrived before the leader. At that moment, they threw the woman and the child to the ground with obvious indifference, causing electric sparks to surround his tightly clenched fists.

As they hit the ground, the woman writhed and crawled as best she could toward the child, shielding him with her own body, tears in her eyes and a face filled with absolute despair and hopelessness. This seemed to greatly annoy the leader, who began shouting something in his strange language. But the woman, filled with fear and determination, stayed in place, ready to protect the child with her own life.

With purple electric sparks surrounding his body, Kai watched with a murderous expression as the woman's tears fell, as she did everything she could to protect the child, and as the bastard leader screamed like a madman. But just at that moment, the leader seemed to lose his patience and delivered a powerful kick to the woman's side, sending her flying through the air and forcing her to let out a painful groan. This erased the last vestige of self-control in Kai, leaving his mind completely blank as brutal purple electric bolts surged uncontrollably.

...

By the time Kai regained his senses, he saw the world frozen, with himself surrounded by purple electricity, holding the woman in his left hand. Her body was now free of the spiderwebs that had previously restrained her, leaving her completely naked underneath, revealing several wounds and cuts on her smooth skin.

After looking at the woman, Kai turned his head and saw his right arm extended, gripping his trusted Jian sword, which was cleanly piercing through the leader’s throat. The leader’s face bore an expression of absolute astonishment as a trail of blood seeped from the mortal wound in his neck.

“Please… save my son…”

As Kai tried to make sense of the situation, the woman spoke in perfect native English, her voice weak and broken but with a renewed sense of hope, looking at the young man before her with pleading eyes. This led Kai to ask in a nearly melancholic tone, in a language he hadn’t spoken in a very long time.

“What’s your name?”

As he asked, Kai couldn’t help but lose himself in his memories as he gazed at the woman’s beautiful face—the face of that girl who had been like an older sister to him in his childhood. Kate, the one who always fought with everyone, who seemed to always be shouting and ready for anything, the one who defended him at school when he was bullied for being a “weak nerd”.

That same Kate whom, in his stupid arrogance, he had pushed aside to focus on his career, convinced that he was meant for great things, that he would be the best in the world, that he would be the next young billionaire. And that stupidity led him into the clutches of a lying whore and a parasitic scum who ended up taking everything from him, leaving him in a dirty, smelly room licking his wounds like a coward.

“…Eva…”

The woman replied in a low voice, laden with various emotions. On one hand, she felt relieved that he could understand her, unlike that savage and ruthless tribe. But at the same time, she felt apprehensive that he might not want to save her son, causing her naked body to tremble with terror.

But at that moment, Eva saw how, in response to her answer, a bitter smile formed on the face of the blue-eyed young man. It seemed to carry melancholy, regret, and pain, but it quickly transformed into one filled with determination. He then looked directly into her eyes and spoke with a firm voice.

“Well, Eva, then we’re getting out of here.”

Almost simultaneously with Eva hearing the young man’s voice, she saw him withdraw his sword from the leader’s throat, which seemed to set the world back in motion. Two horrifying screeches echoed from the front, while a great commotion filled with panicked and angry shouts erupted from behind.

At that same moment, Eva saw the world spinning, which made her feel a bit dizzy. But suddenly, she felt a weight on her, causing her to instinctively cling to what had fallen on top of her. She then looked in confusion, quickly realizing it was her own son, which filled her eyes with tears.

"Oliver..."

“[Accompany] On! [Home]!!”

Having managed to push back the spiders with two full-powered flying slashes, Kai quickly picked up the child from the ground and conjured the Accompany card, activating it without wasting a single second. A jet of light surrounded them, transforming into a barrier of light before they shot into the air and disappeared from sight.

But just then, Kai felt a sudden lack of weight at his side, causing him to look down in alarm, only to see the child being “dragged” out of the barrier. He quickly used Gyo in his eyes, allowing him to see, for a brief moment, a kind of ghostly spiderweb extending from the webs still wrapped around the boy.

“OLIVER!!!!”

Seeing her son disappear, Eva let out a bestial scream, filled with panic and pain, reaching out into the air to try to grab him, though in vain. She then quickly grabbed the blue-eyed young man’s clothes and exclaimed on the verge of madness.

“Please!! Save him!! I beg you!!!”

“[Accompany] Cancel!!”

Almost in unison with her words, Eva saw the young man raise a strange golden card she didn’t know where he had gotten from, shouting loudly at the same time. This caused the round barrier of light surrounding them to shatter, leaving them to fall from a great height, which filled her with such panic that she clung tightly to the young man’s clothes.

But to her astonishment, after falling a few meters, the young man somehow managed to slow their descent. He then looked directly into her eyes with those piercing blue eyes and spoke with a firm voice, filled with infinite conviction.

“Don’t worry, you and your son will leave here alive today.”

The words, and above all, the resolve in the young man’s voice, evoked an inexplicable feeling of calm in Eva, as if somehow she was now safe. They landed softly on the ground, and the young man quickly set her down, speaking in a grave tone.

“Sage, keep her safe at all costs.”

“Understood, master.”

In response to the young man’s words, Eva heard a tender yet serious feminine voice. A small fairy, no larger than her hand, materialized out of nowhere above her. The fairy wore a beautiful dress of blue light, which quickly transformed into an elegant feminine armor, while two small black-as-night Jian swords materialized in the fairy’s hands.

“Thunder Fortress!”

Flying above Eva’s head, Sage announced loudly and with power, causing a spherical barrier to form around Eva. At the same time, Kai, as his purple electric aura intensified to the point where even his eyes began to emit sparks, conjured two Jian swords identical to Sage’s but sized for him. He then unleashed his Conqueror’s Haki with all his might.

The sudden release of all his power caused ominous dark purple sparks to shoot out in all directions, so dark they seemed black, with only their edges revealing their true color. This caused the people in the area to fall unconscious simultaneously, as Kai shot forward, leaving a trail of dark purple electricity in his wake.

As he launched forward, seeing everything in slow motion, Kai quickly analyzed the battlefield, identifying the child’s position. The boy was about to land in front of one of the two escort spiders, thanks to the ghostly spiderweb connected to his backside. Meanwhile, the spiders were rapidly growing in size while emitting a strange golden light from their bodies.

At the same time, Kai took note of the horde of presences approaching his position at great speed. Even beyond the range of his Haki’s perception, Kai could feel three of the five original spiders approaching, thanks to [Trace] still being active. He silently calculated how much time he had to act—a mere few seconds.

(With my speed, it’s more than enough.)

...

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Chapter 158: Drider.

Chapter Text

With his mind completely clear and focused, Kai analyzed his situation, then raised his hands above his head to unleash two powerful, jet-black flying slashes. With his left hand, he sent a slash aimed at the ghostly web, while with his right hand, he launched a diagonal slash to push back the spiders.

Although the diagonal slash connected perfectly with the luminous spiders, sending them a couple of meters backward, to Kai's surprise, just before the straight slash hit the ghostly web, it expanded greatly, taking the shape of the slash without being damaged. It embedded itself deeply into the large slash mark that formed on the root-covered ground.

Not wanting to waste any time, Kai kicked the air to close the distance to the boy and cut the webs enveloping him, hoping that this would sever his connection to the ghostly web. But just at that moment, he sensed a source of danger approaching from his left at an incredible speed, prompting him to quickly activate his future vision for a brief moment.

In his future vision, Kai saw a 'small' spider, roughly the size of a cat, with a bluish hue and strange glowing patterns on its abdomen resembling an electric circuit. It looked incredibly similar to one of the original five, though from the 'strength' he could detect, it was much weaker. Without hesitation, he sent a flying slash with his right hand to split it in half mid-air.

At the same time, Kai sent several flying slashes with his left hand toward the boy, controlling them with precision to cut only the webs without harming him. However, at that moment, he saw a new ghostly web emerge from nowhere and yank the boy backward at great speed, causing his lightning to crackle furiously in frustration. Fortunately, the boy's voice, though weak, was still audible, meaning he was still savable.

"Oliver!"

As Eva's cry echoed from behind, Kai launched himself with all his might in the direction where the boy was being pulled, simultaneously attempting to send a flying slash toward the 'voice' he could sense in that direction—the one that seemed to be the culprit. Though moderately strong, a slash should be enough to split it in half.

But at that moment, the two guard spiders leaped into action. One intercepted his path, while the other blocked the trajectory of his flying slash. They now appeared somehow much tougher, with more prominent exoskeletons and measuring almost 4 meters each, emitting an ominous pale yellow light.

Seeing his path blocked, Kai quickly kicked the ground to propel himself into the air, passing over the spider. At the same time, he noticed out of the corner of his eye how the pale yellow light emitted by the other spider slowed down his flying slash. To the point where, when it finally struck, it had lost most of its power. Only managing to crack the spider's exoskeleton slightly and sending it flying a mere couple of meters.

Feeling more spiders rushing toward his position, Kai's expression soured greatly. He quickly unleashed a rapid barrage of full-power flying slashes toward the spider pulling Oliver, followed by another wave of slashes aimed at the spider he had left behind. The latter tried to counter with its yellow light, but it was futile, and it ended up being sliced into pieces, turning into a mess of flesh and viscera in the air.

Without wasting any time, Kai attempted to release a burst of lightning beneath his foot to propel himself and reach Oliver. But at that moment, he suddenly felt a colossal 'voice' appearing out of nowhere at the edge of his perception, causing his eyes to widen in shock. This presence vanished almost instantly, only to reappear two kilometers closer to him, moving so fast that even with his accelerated thinking, he could barely perceive it.

Almost instinctively, Kai hastily activated his future vision, where he saw himself being struck by a massive, spiked mass. Alarmed, as it left him no time to dodge, he quickly crossed his swords at his right side and pushed his Armament Haki to its absolute limit, blending its advanced version with his electric aura to minimize the impact.

Just at that instant, Kai perceived the colossal 'voice' right behind him, followed by a devastating impact slamming into his side. The force was so immense that it created a shockwave that shook the entire island, sending him flying at an absurd speed. Despite his Armament Haki and Nen Intensification protecting his exterior and interior respectively, he felt a sharp pain.

As if that weren't enough, the attack somehow caused his internal organs to 'vibrate', inflicting such severe damage that Kai was forced to spit out a mouthful of blood mid-flight. He crashed through a large number of trees in his path, which literally exploded upon contact with him, barely slowing his momentum.

...

Meanwhile, Eva couldn't help but bring her hands to her wide-open mouth, utterly stunned by the scene unfolding before her. After all, out of nowhere, a gigantic shadow, at least five meters tall, had appeared. Before she could even process it, a purple streak shot to the left at an imperceptible speed, leaving only a dark purple electric line in the air.

Shortly after, the shadow finally took shape in Eva's perception, revealing what appeared to be a kind of 'Drider'—a monster with the lower body of a spider and a humanoid upper half. But unlike the ones she had seen in fantasy stories, this one was not only gigantic but also monstrous and grotesque.

Its hybrid body was covered in a dark, spiny texture, as if it wore some kind of organic exoskeleton, particularly prominent in its humanoid portion, which was robust, muscular, and masculine in appearance. Its head looked almost cadaverous and equally spiny, with multiple red eyes glowing with a predatory light.

In its two long, muscular arms of the humanoid part, the strange monster carried what appeared to be an incredibly long staff, longer than itself, resembling a spear with a bulging tip adorned with prominent spines, much like a mace. From its back extended eight extra legs, very similar to those of its spider half but smaller and more delicate, though they seemed no less dangerous.

With an almost deliberately slow movement, the giant monster raised its enormous weapon intending to strike, causing a strong tremor in Eva, who visibly paled. Her gaze alternated between the monster that was about to end her life and her son, who disappeared among the trees.

"Sword Field! Conqueror's Shackles!"

Just then, Eva heard a melodious, firm, and resolute female voice above her, announcing loudly. At the same time, what seemed to be a hundred swords of various sizes and shapes materialized around her, causing her to look up. There, she saw the small armored fairy pointing one of her swords at a normal-sized sword floating in the air in front of her.

But the sword didn't seem ordinary. Not only did it have a strange relief with a pattern resembling an electric circuit with tribal runes, but from the hilt hung several golden chains that completely enveloped the blade. These chains also bore the same strange relief, as did the other swords floating around.

With tears in her eyes, Eva watched as, almost magically, the chains wrapping the sword's blade unwound themselves and disappeared. At that moment, the beautiful fairy lowered her hand to point at the ground, causing the sword to descend rapidly and embed itself into the root-covered ground.

As the sword touched the ground, Eva somehow heard the sound of chains tightening from the front. She quickly turned her gaze, only to find the horrifying giant monster completely bound by beautiful golden chains, left in an incredibly vulnerable position with its arms above its head.

At that moment, Eva saw the floating swords around her become covered in dark purple electricity. Immediately afterward, some shot out at high speed to stab the monster, while others began spinning rapidly, creating the illusion of large circles in the air. They then released a dozen black lines of pure energy that cut through everything in their path.

The brutal onslaught of power caused a furious tremor across the island, while a thick layer of what seemed to be smoke rose into the air, accompanied by purple lightning shooting in all directions, destroying everything in its path. This completely enveloped the monster, yet the fairy did not stop her attack.

This oddity led Eva to look up at the fairy, noticing that while pointing her sword at the monster, the fairy was biting her lip hard. Her beautiful face filled with equal parts worry and awe as she gripped the hilts of her small swords even tighter.

The fairy's expression directly told Eva that things were not going well. Even with such colossal power—something she had never before witnessed with her own eyes, a force almost calamitous, turning the fairy into a walking weapon of mass destruction—it was still incapable of finishing off the monster.

But as if that weren't enough, her mother's heart bled with pain and worry for her son, who had disappeared among the trees, being pulled so forcefully and mercilessly. At the same time, she felt immensely guilty for the young boy who had saved her, who seemed to have taken a direct hit from that thing, making her doubt he was still alive.

As the relentless attack continued, Eva saw the fairy suddenly move her left hand, causing the spherical barrier surrounding her to disappear. This brought a bitter smile to her face, which soon turned into a kind of calm acceptance as she closed her eyes, resigning herself to her fate.

(This is for the best... Life without my Oliver has no meaning... If he's gone, I might as well die here... The fairy doesn't have to sacrifice herself... Since her companion has probably died, it's best for her to escape and seek help to deal with these monsters... This is for the best...)

As Eva reflected calmly, images of her entire life began to flash in her mind. But they all seemed devoid of light, of brilliance, of meaning. The only thing that shone brightly were her moments with her son—the moment the wrinkled little mouse emerged from her, the first time she held him, the first time he called her 'mama', his first steps, his first day at school, how he cried because he wanted to stay with her.

(Oliver... Forgive your mama... I couldn't protect you...)

A torrent of bitter tears, filled with pain, bitterness, and regret, streamed down Eva's face. She felt a pain so immense that not even all the torture and humiliation she had endured in her time on this cursed island combined could compare—the pain of losing her baby, her only child, the driving force of her life and her most precious being.

"[Absolute Fortress] On! [2 meters] [3 minutes]!"

As Eva lost herself in her memories, she suddenly heard the small fairy's voice announcing loudly. This made her open her tear-filled eyes, allowing her to see a light forming a circle around her, which then transformed into sturdy metallic walls over a meter high, with a relief somewhat similar to that of the swords. These walls were crowned by a dome of pale blue light.

Just as the strange wall formed around her, Eva felt the world fall silent, as if all noise had suddenly been muted. This made her look around in confusion, and at that moment, she heard the fairy's voice speaking from above, within the dome of light.

"Stay calm. Master will bring your son back safely."

“Master…?”

With a hoarse voice, Eva asked in confusion as she raised her head to look at the beautiful fairy. Only to see a massive spiked mace descending at great speed toward the dome, completely obscuring the beautiful silver light of the full moon. Instinctively, she ducked her head, bringing her hands up to cover herself and tightly closing her eyes, bracing for the imminent impact.

But after several seconds of not feeling the expected pain, Eva slowly lifted her head, allowing her to see the gigantic mace slamming repeatedly against the dome of light at an absurd speed. However, though the blows seemed truly terrifying, they didn’t cause even the slightest fluctuation in the light barrier, much less the metallic walls.

...

There are new public images on pa-atreon (lordanl).

Chapter 159: What a liar.

Chapter Text

Amid the monster’s furious barrage of attacks, Eva managed to see a thick red mist spreading through the air, which quickly led her to think of all the unconscious savages on the ground. Imagining what had happened, her face turned greatly pale, and she covered her mouth to avoid vomiting—though even if she did, she really doubted anything would come out.

But despite her body’s discomfort at the thought of the massacre that had occurred, Eva truly couldn’t feel the slightest bit of compassion for those savages. Even though she had never been able to understand a single word they said, it was more than clear to her that they were the worst type of scum that could exist. Especially that bastard son of a bitch of a “leader”.

Those savages had not only tortured her, raped her, and used her in the worst possible ways—always threatening her with her son’s life. In reality, she and her son were the last survivors of a group of nine who had arrived on the island after surviving a dramatic shipwreck and furious storms. Besides being tortured and mistreated like her, they had already fallen victim to the “ritual” these savages carried out once a month.

While Eva recalled the faces of her deceased companions, her discomfort quickly calmed, even as her fists clenched from the powerlessness and pain of months of pure torture. But right at that moment, she was suddenly called by the fairy, who announced in a voice filled with seriousness.

“Master is about to arrive. Prepare to depart.”

Upon hearing the fairy’s words, Eva couldn’t help but look at her in surprise, yet with a hint of burgeoning hope. She still remembered the fairy’s earlier words, telling her that her “master” would bring her son, which made her clench her wounded fists tightly.

If that “master” truly was capable of saving her beloved son, it didn’t matter what price she had to pay—she would pay it gladly. With a big smile, she would hand over all her possessions and do anything he wanted, even if her very dignity as a human and as a woman was placed on the gambling table.

In this world, there wasn’t a single thing she wouldn’t do for her son’s safety. Moreover, in these months on the island, there had practically been nothing she hadn’t already been forced to do. Men and women alike had humiliated and destroyed her in every way they could imagine, so she was already numb and ready for anything.

“He’s here! Let’s go!”

Just then, while Eva was filled with hope and resolve, she again heard the voice of the beautiful fairy, telling her something that made her heart jump and adrenaline flood her body. She quickly leapt up from the ground in a single bound, prepared for whatever might come and not caring in the slightest about her nakedness, which revealed her abused state, covered with various cuts, burns, and huge bruises.

…

[Master?!!!! Are you alright?!!!]

Flung away by the sudden attack, Kai suddenly received a telepathic message from Sage, who asked in a panic-filled tone. He quickly responded while gritting his teeth to endure the pain that coursed through his entire body, still crashing into trees at high speed.

[Don’t loosen Eva’s defense, no matter the cost. Keep her safe!]

[Understood…] After a moment, Sage replied, albeit with great reluctance. But Kai quickly added in a hurried tone.

[The thing that hit me might be able to teleport and also cause severe internal damage. Immobilize it before it does anything!]

[Understood.]

Sage responded quickly in a serious tone, the moment Kai collided forcefully with an especially thick tree—at least four meters wide—which managed to halt his trajectory at the cost of being completely destroyed. The tree began to fall slowly to the ground as Kai tried to recover from the brutal impact.

(I really kicked the hornet’s nest…)

As he tried to mend his resentful organs, Kai couldn’t help but think bitterly to himself because he could sense at least a hundred “voices” of different levels of power rapidly approaching. Those ranged from small fries to a strength level comparable to Mirko’s—and there were quite a few of the latter.

But even worse than that hundred “voices” was that among them were two standout presences of particularly great power, which, thanks to Trace, Kai could identify as part of the original group of five he had marked—specifically, the spider with [Geological Manipulation] and the one with [Gas Generation].

(It was a mistake to expose myself; the correct decision was to ignore Eva…)

Rising from what remained of the gigantic tree, Kai couldn’t help but think to himself because the spiders’ power was too frightening, not something he could easily handle. Even so, there wasn’t the slightest trace of regret on Kai’s face. Instead, he wore a defiant smile.

(Hehehe, what a liar. As if I could ever let that face die before my eyes…)

Filled with derision at himself and his own foolishness, Kai quickly accelerated his thoughts to the maximum, causing potent purple lightning to flicker in his eyes. The world around him seemed to come to a complete stop thanks to his sped-up perception, but at the cost of a terrible headache due to the overexertion.

Ignoring the pain, Kai swiftly organized his thoughts and carefully analyzed his situation, quickly arriving at a feasible plan to rescue both Eva and Oliver. But at that moment, a thought crossed his mind that inevitably made him reflect.

(Why did they eradicate almost all living things on that island? Is it connected to the reason Eva is here? Why did they leave just one survivor and one corpse?)

Though he went over it several times in his accelerated mental state, Kai couldn’t arrive at any answer, so he had no choice but to set aside those thoughts for now and quickly focus on the plan. He studied the terrain and the nearby presences to make small adjustments before communicating with his reliable assistant.

[Sage, I’ll use Shadow Cloak again and meet you with Oliver in exactly 2 minutes and 13 seconds. Make the necessary preparations.]

[Understood, Master. I’ll use Absolute Fortress.]

Kai’s simple statement was more than enough for Sage to understand his intentions, so she quickly responded in a serious tone, causing Kai to nod in satisfaction. It was the best solution because using Shadow Cloak meant he could only use 5% of his aura. Against that monster, that basically spelled death for Eva.

Therefore, the solution was simple: pay the cost up front. The way to do that was straightforward. The skill cards took the total aura cost in advance, so even if he could only use 5% of his aura, the Absolute Fortress barrier wouldn’t be affected. And since it was his strongest defensive skill, he could rest easy.

The Absolute Fortress card functioned somewhat similarly to his Isolation Veil card. To activate it, he had to say out loud the size and the duration, which would conjure incredibly sturdy walls at the place where the card was activated, and they couldn’t be moved. Additionally, those inside the barrier could leave, but nothing could enter—not even sound.

Furthermore, the walls’ strength depended on the size and duration. The smaller and the shorter the time, the tougher they were, starting from 1 meter for 1 second, up to 30 meters for 15 minutes, with the minimum being almost indestructible. The maximum was strong enough to withstand Kai’s most powerful attacks, sustaining only scratches.

In exchange for such impressive defensive power, the Absolute Fortress card could only be used eight times a month. Also, activating it at its maximum range and duration cost two of those uses. Moreover, though Sage, as part of Kai himself, could activate the cards, there was a penalty if Sage was too far away, increasing the number of uses consumed accordingly. In this case, it cost two uses, leaving only six more.

“[Shadow Cloak] On!”

Having settled on the route and sensing the large aura drain from activating [Absolute Fortress], Kai quickly knocked out the nearby spiders—which, fortunately, were weak—then cast and activated the skill card, soon enveloped by the black cloak and disappearing completely. At that moment, he crouched down, forcing his leg muscles to work at full capacity and bulge disproportionately.

(I only have one chance to rescue Oliver and hurry to get Eva out of this spider hell. There’s no room for mistakes. If all those spiders show up, I’m a dead man.)

Confirming his plan of action once again, Kai shot forward at high speed toward the spider that was about to capture Oliver. But to his surprise, at that moment, he sensed another spider appearing out of nowhere in the area—one of the original five, the one they theorized had [Web Master] as its Quirk.

(Is teleportation common here or what?! How the fuck did it appear out of nowhere? Even worse, why didn’t it appear in front of me like the other one when I revealed myself?)

Though surprised and somewhat irritated, Kai kept going through the air without the slightest intention of stopping. After all, he was racing against time; if he couldn’t get Eva and her son out before the spiders converged, the game was basically over. Abandon the child or face death—that was all that remained.

In just a few seconds, Kai could see with his own eyes the spider that was dragging Oliver, which was about two meters in length and somehow seemed made of magma. It featured a hard black exterior shell with various cracks through which a reddish, fire-like light shone.

Meanwhile, next to it was a spider that looked fairly normal aside from its size—about a meter tall, black, with a body structure that made it look agile. It was releasing webs from its enormous abdomen, apparently creating its own defensive perimeter—obviously, it could control them at will.

Seeing that the area was filled with webs stretching between trees and vines on the ground, Kai slowed down a little and examined it, because for some reason, those webs made him feel uneasy. Quickly, he stopped and touched a nearby tree, extending his aura through it until he found a small insect, which he then manipulated to approach the webs.

The moment the insect came into contact with the webs, it immediately dissolved into a strange, bloody pulp, which startled Kai a bit. Not wanting to find out just how effective those webs would be on his body, he quickly studied their positions. Shortly after, he found a route that would let him avoid touching them, at which point he rushed forward at full speed.

(What the—?!)

Right when Kai crossed into the area surrounded by webs, he suddenly saw a vision of himself in the future, trapped by them, with his skin melting. He tried to stop, but before he could do anything, webs materialized out of nowhere around him, forcibly deactivating his Shadow Cloak. At the same time, a sharp pain tore through him as his skin began to melt at an alarming rate.

“Shit!”

Letting out a cry of pain, Kai was instantly surrounded by dark purple electricity, while his Armament Haki protected his skin, halting the melting in its tracks. But despite all his strength, he couldn’t break the webs. At that moment, he saw how both the fire spider and the black spider noticed his presence and attacked simultaneously—one launching something like a fireball, and the other shooting several terrifying webs.

Kai instantly sped up his thoughts to the maximum, then summoned six Jian swords in the air. He hurled two of them at the spiders, propelling them with powerful electromagnetic fields. Another two he used to intercept the enemy attacks, while the last two he controlled to rotate around him at high speed, managing with some effort to cut through the webs—a testament to how damn strong they were.

Once free, Kai ignored the parts of his skin that had melted in several places and quickly turned his attention to the outcome of his attack, quickly noting that although the fire spider was completely impaled by his sword, it was still alive. Even more incredible, his other sword had gotten stuck in the webs just before striking the black spider, which inevitably made him click his tongue in annoyance.

(They’re so tough!)

Without wasting a second, Kai pointed one of his hands at the impaled fire spider—or more specifically, at the sword that had run it through. A terrifying purple bolt immediately shot from his fingers, striking the sword dead-on and electrocuting the spider from the inside. Meanwhile, another Jian sword appeared in his right hand.

Even though Kai had done all this, only an instant had passed. The black spider, which seemed to move in slow motion from Kai’s perspective, began to produce more webbing to attack him again. So Kai accelerated quickly, leaving an electric trail behind him and appearing behind the spider with the intention of stabbing it.

But once more, without him understanding how, Kai found himself enveloped by more webs, which not only completely bound him but also clung firmly to the nearby trees and the vine-covered ground. His momentum was so great that they were quickly torn apart, but at that instant, Kai felt Oliver’s “voice” grow even weaker.

“Shit!!”

...

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Chapter 160: Conditional webs?

Chapter Text

Without many other options and racing against time, Kai pushed his brain to its limit, performing incredibly complex calculations at an almost impossible speed. At that moment, he conjured three new swords in the air, which quickly aligned together as if they were forming a sandwich. Kai then shouted in an urgent tone.

“Railgun!”

With the two outer swords acting as a ‘cannon’, the center sword was launched at hypersonic speed, leaving behind a trail of purple electricity and a powerful sonic boom, arriving almost instantly in front of the black spider. It struck the front of its head head-on and passed completely through it, while the sword itself shattered and was destroyed by the brutal impact, causing even more damage.

Because Kai had done the necessary calculations, the brutal impact barely affected the child standing behind it, allowing the blue-eyed boy to sigh in relief as the webs imprisoning him disappeared into the air. Though his expression showed a tinge of bitterness.

(Shit, Railgun is too expensive…)

While Kai thought to himself, analyzing how much aura he had left, he quickly reached Oliver. At that moment, he used his sword to cut the webs that imprisoned him, allowing him to see the boy for the first time. The child wore a simple jute outfit that exposed various bruises.

In a quick motion, Kai lifted the unconscious boy off the ground and used his aura to study his condition, immediately noticing that he had several broken ribs, a femur fractured in three places, as well as multiple tears and internal bleeding. He was in an incredibly precarious state, though still salvageable, prompting Kai to let out a sigh of relief.

While using his Mystical Palm to heal Oliver’s most serious and troublesome wounds, Kai surveyed the surroundings with his Observation Haki, realizing that practically a tide of spiders was closing in on his position in an orderly, consistent fashion. The sight inevitably plunged Kai into his thoughts.

(They definitely have a commander, but I don’t sense anything similar to a human nearby… Could I be wrong, and there’s no secret organization behind them? If these are just intelligent, super-powerful spiders that are ignorant of what’s outside this ‘Island’, a lot of things start to make sense.

(It’s not that they’ve managed to stay hidden all this time because they’re super capable and have connections in high places. Maybe, until now, they’ve never left this place. And the fact that the ‘wild tribe’ has such a strange language, born from the fusion of multiple languages, might be proof of how long they’ve been isolated.

(Therefore, it’s possible that their attack on the “scientists' island” was their first attempt to explore the outside world, perhaps triggered by some major change here on this island, or maybe Eva’s arrival—clearly someone from the outside—gave them the idea to ‘explore the unknown’. The question is, what will they do after this?

(…I can’t imagine. Nor do I understand why they wanted Oliver alive so badly. I don’t see anything special about him; he doesn’t seem particularly impressive, and his quirk is about super strength due to his quirk factor, something I doubt they need… Could it be they realized that as long as they held him alive, I’d try to get him back without considering escape?

(If that’s the case, these spiders are pretty terrifying, able to make incredibly precise judgments very quickly, with a thorough understanding of the enemy’s mentality, while simultaneously organizing themselves to attack like a trained army. That’s something very few experienced human commanders could do so efficiently…

(...How many countries would be able to hold them off if they emerged in large numbers? That thing that hit me could stand up to Prime All Might for a while, and though it would eventually lose. The fact that it can teleport, combined with that strange blow capable of injuring my organs, makes it even more terrifying than All Might himself. It could cause incalculable damage.…)

As he conjured the Shadow Cloak card again between the fingers of the hand holding Oliver, since the other was still healing him, Kai trembled a bit upon realizing the predicament he was in. His expression turned incredibly solemn, but he quickly shook his head and activated the card after murmuring to himself.

“For now, let’s focus on getting them out of here. Everything else comes later… [Shadow Cloak] On!!”

Upon activating the card, a jet of light engulfed Kai and Oliver, rapidly transforming into a black cloak that covered them entirely. Kai immediately began running toward Sage, all the while carefully observing the tide of spiders trying to encircle him with his Observation Haki.

(…It looks like they haven’t noticed anything; they’re not showing any apparent change and continue trying to surround the place where I was. Then how did the black spider detect me? Something like that never happened before…

(Could it be that I somehow made it suspicious of my presence? I don’t think that’s the case, or the cloak would have deactivated before the webs appeared. But it was the other way around—the webs appeared first, and then the cloak deactivated.

(Which only indicates it discovered my presence through the webs, which were also extremely strange. Even to my perception, they appeared out of nowhere and instantly, and even with my future vision, I couldn’t avoid them—somewhat similar to my [Conqueror’s Shackles]. Could it function in a similar way, with pacts or conditions?

(It’s possible. I’ve read and heard about some quirks that are just as bizarre and powerful, operating under very specific conditions. So, even though Shadow Cloak is quite handy and powerful, I have to be extremely careful using it from now on, since there could be quirks out there that act as a perfect countermeasure against it…

(Wait a second! Is it possible those webs always work with conditions? If so, could they do even crazier things? After all, the black spider managed to melt a good portion of my skin with them, but earlier I saw it building an underwater tunnel, so it’s quite likely.

(When building the tunnel, it might have imposed conditions like ‘retain breathable air and repel water’ or something along those lines, while for the attack, it might have imposed the condition ‘whoever touches my web melts’.

(That would make it an extremely versatile and terrifying quirk, no worse than my own aura. Maybe even how they move around, as if teleporting has something to do with that!!)

Arriving at such a terrifying hypothesis, Kai couldn’t help but take a sharp breath, while his expression darkened considerably. But he quickly calmed himself and refocused, as he had reached the spiders’ ‘barricade’, where hundreds of spiders of all kinds of shapes and sizes were clustered. Fortunately, only two appeared to have a power level comparable to the original five, which was a relief; it meant that level of power wasn’t widespread.

They were still terrifying, though, because that implied, there were at least around a dozen ‘weakened All Mights’ and, at minimum, one comparable to Prime All Might—an incredibly frightening power that could raze entire countries to the ground, leaving only the world powers with the capacity to confront them.

Moving as quickly as he could without drawing attention to his presence, and still healing Oliver’s most severe wounds, Kai analyzed the crowd of spiders. Although they weren’t arranged in a standard formation, they still gave the impression of being organized in some kind of military formation, covering the ground and key positions by climbing trees or perching on massive webs. Then he focused on the two most dangerous ones.

One of them, about a meter long, was dark blue in color and had curious pink patterns on its huge abdomen, while its legs appeared extremely sharp and sturdy, emitting a sort of ominous pink mist from its massive abdomen.

The other, by contrast, had an almost metallic appearance, as though it were made of some dark gray metal. Tiny droplets of a colorless liquid dripped from its exposed fangs, giving Kai a sense of danger. He quickly activated Gyo in his eyes to scan the surroundings, as his Haki sensed strange lines covering the area.

Just as he suspected, Gyo revealed several ghostly looking webs covering the place, intertwining among the trees to create a sort of cage. Those webs appeared to be connected to the legs of the two strongest spiders, piquing Kai’s curiosity.

(Are these ghostly webs different from the black spider’s webs? It seems so because they connect to the legs, and now I’ve seen four spiders doing something similar: one of the spider bodyguards, the fire spider, and now these two. So it might be an innate ability for all the spiders, or something only the stronger ones share. But if that’s the case, do they also have multiple quirks like the Nomu…?)

Though confused, Kai quickly extended a small amount of aura across the ground from his feet, sending it up the trees, then created several aura threads in [In] state, since he couldn’t kick the air to fly without making noise. He jumped onto the nearest threads and began leaping between them, avoiding both the spiders and the ghostly webs, all while staying as silent as possible.

As he moved along the invisible aura strands and kept healing Oliver without pause, Kai remained on high alert, with two swords flying by his sides, ready to protect the boy and counterattack the moment those webs caught him. Thankfully, he soon managed to get past the spider barricade without incident, landing on the ground a few meters beyond.

(Was the black spider the only one with those ‘conditional webs’…?)

Standing behind the densely packed swarm of spiders, Kai wondered to himself in confusion, watching the spiders’ backs with a penetrating gaze. He considered launching an attack with the swords floating beside him, but after a few seconds he shook his head and dashed toward Sage.

(It’s not the time. Right now, the most important thing is getting Eva and Oliver out of here.)

As he drew closer to Sage’s position, Kai felt violent tremors in the ground. Powerful gusts of wind hampered his advance, accompanied by furious crashing sounds and various shrieks—ranging from high-pitched to a low rumble that shook his body.

(The low-pitched one must be from the thing that hit me…)

Exercising extreme caution, Kai ran in Sage’s direction, soon able to see the pandemonium unfolding there. A gigantic Drider, half spider and half humanoid, was smashing the walls of Absolute Fortress with what looked like an especially long club, moving at such an astonishing speed that it left hundreds of residual images behind. It created powerful shockwaves accompanied by small tornadoes, as if All Might himself were attacking.

Thanks to the furious onslaught, the place was in ruins. All the nearby trees were reduced to splinters, while human and spider corpses alike were thrown into the air in pieces before being carried off into the distance by the tornadoes. The woven root floor had long since disappeared, revealing black soil underneath, stained with blood.

Meanwhile, almost as if surrounding the area, there were several dozen large spiders, between two and five meters in size, all impressively strong. Fortunately, none of them reached the power level of the original five, which further confirmed his hypothesis that such a level of power was rare among spiders.

(Even with all this chaos, two of the five originals haven’t moved. If I recall correctly, their quirks were [Electrification] and [Biological Warehouse]. Are they doing something important…?)

Kai wondered to himself as he focused on the positions of the last two spiders, quickly realizing they were quite close to each other, giving him a terrible foreboding. After all, even that giant monster had come out, so whatever those two were doing had to be something significant. But knowing it wasn’t the right time, he quickly reorganized his thoughts and communicated with his dependable assistant.

[Sage, get ready. I’ll leave Oliver where I am now, and I’ll distract the spiders.]

...

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Chapter 161: We’re leaving.

Chapter Text

[Understood, master. Our Absolute Fortress has exactly 12 seconds left before it disappears.]

Sage quickly responded with a serious tone, though with a subtle hint of cheerfulness, to which Kai nodded thoughtfully as he carefully checked Oliver’s condition. He realized that, although Oliver was still quite badly injured, all his critical wounds had been treated and the rest could be handled without much trouble. He therefore quickly remarked.

[Perfect, I’ll activate Absolute Fortress to protect Oliver, leave him a Nen beast, and I’ll take the spiders with me. So get them out of here as fast as possible, and make sure you tell Eva to get Oliver medical attention as soon as she can.]

[Understood, master.]

Sage quickly replied with seriousness, prompting Kai to swiftly conjure the Absolute Fortress card between his fingers. Apart from the golden Aura Script pattern, it bore the image of an imposing metallic wall crowned by a dome of blue light in its center. He then crouched down on the ground, laying Oliver there, conjured a small Nen beast in the shape of a black cat with blue eyes, and grabbed a corner of his cape, tugging it rapidly.

“[Absolute Fortress] On! [2 meters] [1 Minute]!”

With its sudden appearance and announcement, all the spiders turned to look at Kai; even the giant monster halted its attack and looked back at him over its shoulder, showing a trace of surprise on its monstrous face. At that moment, the blue-eyed boy gave an arrogant smile while flipping them the middle finger, causing a deafening howl from the spiders, which was abruptly cut off by the wall’s appearance.

Without wasting a single second, Kai took the swords floating at his sides in his hands and activated his Lightning Mantle in its second form, becoming shrouded in dark purple electricity. He then leapt forward, out of the walls, precisely at the moment the gigantic Drider teleported behind him and began striking at an absurd speed.

Once outside the walls, Kai jumped toward the sky with all his might, then began spinning like a top, unleashing a flurry of jet-black flying slashes that spread out in all directions.

“Whirlwind Slash!!”

With only Kai’s announcement, a merciless, apocalyptic downpour of flying slashes rained down on the area, destroying everything in its path and violently shaking the island as though it were being bombarded. It wiped out countless spiders that began fleeing in terror. The monstrous Drider was forced to shield itself with its massive mace and the legs on its back.

Enraged, the Drider vanished from its spot in a flash and reappeared behind Kai, then launched a swift attack with its lance. But Kai, who anticipated it, grinned defiantly and quickly created an explosion of lightning beneath his feet, propelling him high into the sky and narrowly dodging the enormous mace by mere millimeters.

“Hehehe, I’m not falling for the same trick twice. Electric Slash!!”

In a mocking voice, Kai remarked as he positioned himself behind the Drider. Then, wielding his two swords, he sent two powerful jet-black flying slashes charged with ominous purple electricity in an X-shape toward the monster, striking it squarely in the back and severing two legs on each side. He flung it back down to the ground.

While the Drider roared in pain, its ‘voice’ so deep and resonant it made the surrounding air vibrate, Kai swiftly kicked the air and fled in the opposite direction. At the same time, he gathered his aura within himself, fortifying his body’s interior as best he could in anticipation of what was coming next.

Just as Kai expected, after a few seconds, he sensed the Drider’s intent and immediately activated his future vision, right when the monster vanished from where it was. This allowed him to see the gigantic creature attacking again from behind, so he quickly whirled around in midair and, using advanced Armament Haki and advanced Conqueror’s Haki to coat his swords, he struck with all his might.

While his swords were mid-swing, they suddenly collided with the monster’s gigantic mace, which appeared out of nowhere in front of him, unleashing a brutal shockwave that spread in all directions, shredding the terrain and the surrounding trees. Kai was stunned to see that his swords and the monster’s mace did not touch but instead repelled each other as though they were magnets of opposite polarity.

Simultaneously, Kai felt some sort of destructive wave creeping inside his body, penetrating his Hakis. However, since he was prepared this time and had gathered a good amount of aura within, he withstood the internal strike with minimal damage, which was swiftly healed by his aura—though it didn’t stop a grave expression from forming on his face.

(This is almost like a clash between Conqueror’s Haki… Does it also have Haki? But with Gyo I don’t see the black Armament Haki coating, and Haki doesn’t allow teleportation like it does. Moreover, my own Haki can’t fully repel that ‘internal destruction’, so maybe it actually has many Quirks, possibly five or more, that grant it this set of abilities… Is this perhaps the work of that ‘quirk stealer’? Or does it just have a similar capability…?)

“AHHHHH!!!!”

Despite his doubts, Kai used all his strength to clash with the Drider’s mace, pushing his advanced Armament and Conqueror’s Haki to the limit alongside his Nen, screaming with all his might. This caused fierce shockwaves to shoot out, sending the spiders that attempted to approach flying and carving deep gouges into the ground marked by slash cuts and electric burns.

By exerting all his strength, Kai managed to push the Drider’s mace back, knocking it upward almost out of the monster’s hands. But with great skill, the Drider used the lower part of its long mace to try to strike Kai, forcing him to defend with his swords, sending him flying back a few meters.

“This thing even knows how to fight…”

Kai muttered to himself while kicking at the air to steady himself, never taking his eyes off the monster, whose multiple red eyes were also locked on him. At that moment, the blue-eyed boy flashed a predatory grin.

“Let’s see what else you can do.”

Swiftly, Kai kicked the air multiple times so fast they seemed simultaneous, propelling himself at high speed toward the Drider, which had already regained its stance and charged forward on its spider-like legs, reaching a speed comparable to Kai’s.

Meeting in the middle, Kai and the Drider began exchanging blows with their weapons at a blinding speed, unleashing powerful shockwaves and insane arcs of purple electricity at high velocity. These tore through everything for kilometers around, while gigantic flying slashes carved enormous fissures in the ground, obliterating the roots covering it.

But despite Kai’s best efforts in the midst of the exchange, he was still being outmatched. The monster’s strength was comparable to his own, yet its massive size forced him to remain airborne, greatly increasing the difficulty of maintaining his footing. So he began retreating quickly.

As he was forced to fall back, Kai started moving his swords even faster, pushing his muscles beyond their limits, causing tears he had to heal on the fly, adding to the challenge. To his surprise, during one clash of his swords with the mace, Kai somehow noticed the monster grinning arrogantly.

Though startled, Kai pretended not to notice and instead increased his speed even more, worsening the damage to his muscles. This forced him to withdraw intermittently to recover from the damage—a pattern he hoped the monster would notice and try to exploit, and his opponent did not disappoint him.

Using the impact from the Drider’s blow, Kai once again fell back a few meters, then tried to kick at the air to re-engage. Just then, the monster vanished in a sudden flash, instantly reappearing at his back, eliciting a predatory grin from him.

In perfect sync, Kai detonated the aura he’d discreetly stored in his right foot, blasting himself violently upward. At the same moment, he contorted his body, arching his back to narrowly avoid the mace by mere millimeters, while his swords began discharging thick arcs of electricity.

“Electric Slash!!!”

Spinning in midair, Kai landed two brutal slashes on the Drider’s hands, severing its fingers and forcing it to drop its weapon—an opening the blue-eyed boy immediately seized. He filled his lungs with air, and his purple electricity sparked with arcs extending all the way to the ground, flickering erratically, while his swords started glowing with a purple electric light and were wreathed in dark lightning.

In an electric explosion, Kai vanished from the spot he was in, almost instantaneously reappearing behind the gigantic Drider, leaving only a straight electric trail in midair to mark his movement. At that moment, he spun several times, then unleashed a dual slash with his electrified swords at the monster’s back, announcing.

“Lightning Annihilation!”

At Kai’s declaration, dozens of slashes appeared on the Drider’s front. They glowed with an ominous purple electric light from within, while the slash at the monster’s back seemed to activate them collectively, causing terrifying arcs of electricity to engulf the creature. They were so powerful they extended beyond its body, creating deep scorched trenches on the ground.

(This thing is way too tough…)

As the monster roared in agony, Kai landed on the ground with a grim expression, struggling to steady his ragged breathing. He looked with clenched teeth at the cuts on the creature’s back, which had only managed to slice through the remaining legs there and the exoskeleton enough to reach its flesh, resulting in relatively shallow wounds. Curiously, blue blood trickled out, quickly evaporating in the purple electricity.

(I’m burning through too much aura… If I keep this up, I’ll end up dead…)

Deep in thought and still panting heavily, Kai glanced behind himself, at which point he conjured a new Jian sword in midair. Then he rose into the air, extending his hands in front of him at a right angle while positioning the new sword in the center, as the blades in his hands began discharging terrifying electric arcs.

…

The moment Eva stood up at the announcement of the beautiful fairy, she witnessed a shocking scene. That fearless young man with mesmerizing blue eyes, wounded in several places yet still possessing enough energy to laugh confidently and flip off the monstrous spiders—a scene that left her momentarily in shock.

But she quickly regained her senses when an apocalyptic downpour of what appeared to be dark energy beams rained down indiscriminately, instantly killing a large number of spiders. Even the monstrous Drider was forced to shield itself, though its ‘skin’ seemed so tough that the relentless ‘dark energy beams’, which appeared capable of cutting through anything, barely left marks.

As Eva watched the scene with her mouth agape, feeling utterly stupefied and even fearful, the monstrous Drider suddenly vanished in a dark flash as if by magic. Then, after an exchange so fast that she couldn't even process it, both the young man and the monster disappeared from her sight, just as the voice of the beautiful fairy echoed beside her.

“We’re leaving!”

With the fairy’s announcement, Eva saw the impenetrable wall that had kept her safe vanish in a flash of light. She felt a powerful gust of wind slam into her, threatening to blow her away, while deafening explosions and crackling electricity assaulted her ears, and the ground shook violently beneath her, making her lose her footing.

Feeling dizzy from the overwhelming sensory barrage, Eva looked into the distance, where she could see purple lightning thicker than her own body lashing through the air and striking the earth and trees haphazardly. It made her tremble with fear, but at that very moment, she felt herself being lifted abruptly into the air and propelled forward at high speed, sending her into a panic.

Yet before she could scream, she suddenly stopped and dropped to her knees in front of a metallic barrier, much like the one that had protected her before. She clenched her fists tightly in anticipation and nervousness, and then she saw a small black cat emerge from behind the wall, dragging her unconscious son by his clothing with its teeth. Now free of the webs that had bound him.

“Oliver!!!!”

Seeing her son again, Eva screamed at the top of her lungs as she rushed toward him. But upon noticing he was breathing softly, tears streamed down her face, full of joy and relief. Though he was obviously hurt, with traces of blood, bruises, and wounds, he was undeniably alive. That filled her heart with infinite gratitude for her benefactor. Just then, the fairy’s serious voice reached her ears.

“Master asked me to tell you that your son is seriously injured and needs medical attention as soon as possible. So once you ‘land’, the first thing you need to do is ask the women you’ll find there to provide support. Tell them, ‘Kai sent me first, and my son needs urgent medical care’.”

“Yes, I will do that! Thank you so, so much!”

Eva replied quickly as she carefully cradled her son in her arms, to which Sage answered seriously while the Accompany card appeared to her left, pointing at it with one of her swords.

“You can thank Master later. I’m only following orders. And goodbye, [Accompany] On!! [Home]!”

With the fairy’s words, Eva suddenly found herself surrounded by a barrier of light. She clutched her son tightly, focusing all her attention on him, afraid he might be taken from her again like last time. But after a few seconds, she felt no tugging sensation like before, so she looked around, only to realize she was alone in the sphere of light.

“Miss Fairy…?”

...

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Chapter 162: Calm down.

Chapter Text

“Miss Fairy…?”

Without loosening her grip on her son, Eva asked nervously, but no one answered, which made her even more anxious and caused her to look around cautiously, until suddenly, the barrier of light around her disappeared. That was when she saw nine people running toward her—eight women of almost divine beauty, along with one tall, muscular man.

“Who are you?! Where is Kai?!”

With the arrival of these people, Eva saw a beautiful young woman with black hair asking nervously. For some reason, the young woman seemed familiar to Eva, though she couldn’t recall from where. Unfortunately, Eva couldn’t understand the language the woman was speaking, but recalling the words of the beautiful fairy, she quickly delivered the message in a loud voice, hoping someone would understand English.

“Kai sent me first, and my son needs urgent medical attention!”

Nervously, Eva saw how the people in front of her exchanged surprised looks, then began discussing something among themselves. At that moment, the one who seemed to be the leader—a stunning woman with an incredibly attractive and voluptuous figure, as though made to awaken impure desires, with blue eyes and long dark-blue or perhaps dark-purple hair—spoke to her in fairly good English, though with a slight accent.

“I understand. We’ll give your son medical attention. Follow me.”

As the beautiful woman spoke, two other women—one with bob-cut brown hair and another with golden hair and a curious bang falling over her face—quickly helped her stand. Meanwhile, a black-haired woman wearing elegant glasses, who looked quite similar to the first girl who had spoken, very likely sisters, draped a white blanket over Eva, covering her naked, bruised body.

While they walked briskly, Eva looked around and soon noticed they were on what appeared to be a rural estate, featuring a large and very elegant mansion. Over the entire area, a great number of drones of various shapes and sizes flew about, all of them looking futuristic and seemingly armed, ready to attack if necessary.

Before long, Eva found herself in front of a two-story building of fairly simple appearance, set somewhat apart from the mansion. There, the beautiful woman who had handed her the blanket placed her hand on what looked like a fingerprint scanner and then entered what appeared to be a password on the panel. Afterward, she briefly removed her glasses so another sensor that emerged from the wall could scan her iris, at which point the building’s doors opened.

On the other side of the doors was a completely white room with several holographic screens and other futuristic-looking equipment. But what stood out the most was what looked like a closed, vertically oriented cabin with a glass door, supported by a thick base connecting it to the floor.

“Where are we?” Eva asked nervously upon seeing the strange place, at which point the beautiful woman who had given her the blanket spoke in perfectly fluent English, though in a serious tone.

“This is a complicated moment, so we should check on your son first. The cabin you see is a MedPod, the latest in medical technology. By the way, nice to meet you. My name is Keiko Yaoyorozu.”

“…”

Upon hearing the woman’s name, Eva opened her eyes wide, surprised. After all, she knew that name—one of the world’s greatest geniuses, and also one of the richest. After looking at her for a few moments, Eva quickly recognized her; the reason she had seemed familiar was because Eva had seen her photos on TV and the internet. It shocked her to the core, as she never imagined that after escaping that hell, she would run into such a big shot.

“Hurry, if Kai said your son needed urgent attention, there must be a reason.” Seeing Eva struck speechless, Keiko urged her, snapping her out of her stupor. After biting her lips for a moment, Eva answered seriously.

“Alright… I’ll trust you.”

With great nervousness, Eva followed Keiko to the cabin, which automatically opened its upper glass section, releasing a strange white mist. Keiko then operated some screens on the lower part of the cabin, before looking at Eva and speaking firmly.

“Lay your son inside the cabin.”

“…Okay…”

Nodding nervously, Eva carefully placed her son inside the cabin, then stepped back at Keiko’s indication. The glass section of the cabin closed, and a sort of blue laser scanned her son from head to toe.

When the laser finished passing over Oliver, several holographic screens appeared in front of Keiko, who quickly reviewed them and then adjusted some settings. She spoke seriously, though by the way, her brows were furrowed, it was clear she wasn’t as calm as she appeared.

“Well, fortunately your son isn’t that badly injured. He’s got some fractured bones and a small internal hemorrhage—nothing the MedPod can’t handle, so don’t worry.”

“…”

Keiko’s words were met with silence from Eva, who watched anxiously, fists tightly clenched, as several mechanical arms emerged inside the cabin and started cutting away her son’s rough-spun clothing. Just then, she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see a shorter woman with blue hair and an ample chest. The woman looked her straight in the eye and asked solemnly, speaking in equally good English.

“Now that we’ve taken care of your son, I hope you can tell us what happened to our Kai.”

“Oh! Right, he needs reinforcements. That place is a hellish nightmare—there’s a giant monster and an army of spiders with Quirks! No, we need more than reinforcements; we need to bomb that place! I can’t see how even the heroes could handle those monsters!”

Upon hearing Yumiko’s question, Eva answered quickly, her tone urgent and clearly fearful. That response visibly darkened the expressions of everyone present. Keiko then ran over to Eva and clutched the blanket she’d given her, asking frantically, seized by panic.

“What happened?! Where is Kai?! Did they do something to him?!”

“Calm down, Keiko!” Seeing Keiko lose control, Nemuri quickly stepped forward and spoke firmly, prompting Keiko to turn around and reply with anger, panic, and anxiety.

“How can I calm down?! Can’t you hear her?! Kai’s in danger!!! We have to do something! Argus! Total war mode, kill anything that enters the property and prepare the aerial attack protocol! We’re going to rescue Kai, even if it’s the last thing we do!!!”

[Understood.]

“CALM DOWN, KEIKO!”

Faced with Keiko’s furious outburst and the virtual assistant’s response, Yumiko quickly intervened, shouting and shaking her firmly by the shoulders. At that moment, the others also approached Keiko with grave expressions, for they could see outside that the number of drones was increasing, and several strange turrets had emerged from the ground in various spots.

“I can’t calm down! If something happens to Kai, I…”

Keiko shouted in panic, but her words were cut short when Yumiko—wearing an incredibly serious expression—slapped her so hard that her head whipped to the side, sending her glasses flying. Yumiko then spoke in a stern tone full of solemnity, utterly different from her usual kind, nurturing voice.

“I told you to calm down. You know Kai—if he’s in mortal danger, he’ll run away and come up with a better way to strike back. Also, if he was able to send this woman and her son here, it’s because he can escape at any moment. More than anyone else, you know his abilities.”

Stunned, Keiko held her cheek and turned to stare at Yumiko with disbelief, a sentiment mirrored on everyone else’s faces, who, for the first time, were witnessing Yumiko act this way. After a few seconds, Keiko spoke in a low voice, still somewhat shocked.

“Argus, cancel everything. Go back to the initial order.”

[Understood.]

“Mom, are you okay?” With Argus’s synthesized voice replying, Momo managed to snap out of her shock and rushed toward her mother, asking with concern.

“I’m fine… don’t worry.” Keiko answered quietly as she rubbed her cheek gently. Yumiko spoke again, this time in an apologetic tone.

“Forgive me, Keiko. You were too agitated, and I had to bring you to your senses somehow.”

“It’s alright… I understand. But I still don’t want to sit here doing nothing. Kai could be in danger.” Keiko nodded and replied seriously, to which Yumiko nodded and then responded in an equally serious tone.

“First, let’s ask the right questions, then we can contact All Might. Even though he’s weakened now, he’s still the strongest hero.”

“Alright…” Keiko replied gravely. Yumiko then turned to Eva, who had been watching the entire scene with an uncomfortable expression on her face. She addressed her in a very serious tone, speaking in English.

“I’d like to apologize for our outburst. What you said affected us greatly. So I hope you can answer one question sincerely: Is Kai in danger?”

"If 'Kai' is the young man with blue hair and eyes who rescued me, I would say yes. Although I only saw him get hit once, and the last time I saw him, he was still fine and without many visible injuries. That place looked like pandemonium, with purple lightning tearing everything apart, along with massive explosions worthy of a large-scale bombardment happening everywhere..."

Avoiding mentioning the little internal fight they had been having, Eva responded with an incredibly serious tone, which greatly surprised everyone, to the point where Chatora couldn't help but ask in an almost rhetorical manner, evidently shocked.

“Purple lightning? Lightning Mantle in its second form…? Are they really that strong?”

Knowing full well what the appearance of purple lightning implied, Keiko immediately asked, eyes brimming with concern, not caring in the least about the vivid red handprint Yumiko had left on her cheek.

“You said he got hit—was it very hard?”

“I imagine so. Out of nowhere, a giant Drider appeared and sent him flying with a single blow. Then, a beautiful little fairy protected me with a rampart, and later, I saw him again for a moment, drawing the attention of those monsters. After reuniting with my son, Miss Fairy sent me here, so I don't know much more.” Eva responded hastily, feeling uncertain, which led Nemuri to ask in surprise.

“A Drider? The half-spider, half-human monster?”

“Yes, something like that, but giant—about five meters tall and more monstrous than human. It was only humanoid, grotesque, and it looked incredibly terrifying.” Eva nodded and answered in a serious tone, with a hint of fear in her voice.

“How many enemies were there? Aside from the spiders, was there anything else?” Shino quickly asked with evident concern, her fists tightly clenched, and Eva replied seriously.

“There was a savage tribe, but I think they were all killed by the explosions. The strongest ones were the spiders. In the time I spent on the island, I saw at least a hundred, and that Drider was the first time I’d seen something like it.”

“A hundred…?” Hearing that number, Ryuko gasped in shock and worry, and Keiko spoke up in a tense voice, full of urgency.

“Tomoko! Can you locate Kai?”

“No! I can’t detect him!” Tomoko replied, her face paling considerably while her eyes glowed faintly. This only darkened Keiko’s expression further, and she quickly exclaimed, her voice full of fear.

“Argus, give me Kai’s location!”

[Unable to determine Kai or Sage’s position. They are completely disconnected from the network, though there are records of their last known location.]

Instantly, the synthetic voice responded, and one of the MedPod’s holographic screens changed to show a satellite image of the last known position, revealing a spot in the middle of the ocean with nothing else around for hundreds of kilometers. This caused everyone’s hearts to pound wildly.

“Should we call All Might…?” Nejire asked quietly, visibly worried. Tomoko quickly nodded and then spoke in an unusually serious tone, her expression betraying the terror that gripped her heart.

“That’s best. If Kai was forced to use that much power, then it’s a grave situation.”

“I’ll get in touch with All Might. It’s best he be ready to leave if Kai doesn’t return soon. Meanwhile, try to figure out as much as you can about Kai’s current situation.” Nemuri announced solemnly, and everyone else nodded, looking grave. At that moment, Eva spoke with firm resolve.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but if you need me for anything, count on me. I’m infinitely grateful to that young man and the fairy for helping me, so I’ll do whatever I can to help you in return.”

...

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Chapter 163: This thing is way too dangerous.

Chapter Text

“That’s a relief. For now, though, we’re just being cautious because Kai is extremely strong—he’s possibly among the strongest people in the world—so it’s certain he’ll come back safe.” Yumiko briefly commented in a calm, friendly tone while looking at Eva, who nodded visibly relieved and remarked.

“That’s good… I wouldn’t be able to sleep peacefully if something happened to that young man or the fairy…”

“Don’t worry. Besides, that fairy is sort of one of Kai’s abilities, so nothing will happen to it.” Yumiko added with a smile as she walked toward Eva, who wore a look of surprise, then placed a hand on the abused woman’s shoulder and added with a grin.

“For now, it’s best you take a bath and put on some clothes. Your son is fine now, and you’ve been through a lot. By the way, we still don’t know your name. Mine is Yumiko Ayanami.”

“Thank you… and my name is Eva White…”

Although she didn’t quite understand why, Eva answered in a trembling voice while her tears began to fall down her face, prompting Yumiko to embrace her gently as she offered small smiles to her own family. They looked at her with equal parts amazement and understanding—which made sense, after all, it was the first time she had introduced herself using her maiden name.

“It’s all right. You’re safe now. Nobody here can hurt you anymore…”

Yumiko spoke in a calm, motherly voice as she held Eva, causing the abused woman to weep with all her strength, clinging to the blanket that covered her. Yet deep inside, the blue-haired mother felt her heart pounding wildly, overcome by a deep terror that gnawed at her bones, prompting her to silently pray for her beloved Kai’s safety.

…

Once in the air, with his swords surrounded by ominous arcs of purple electricity, Kai spotted a beam of light rising skyward, which he immediately recognized as Accompany. He quickly activated his advanced Observation Haki, along with Gyo on his eyes, allowing him to see a vision of the future in which Eva was yanked backward by a ghostly web.

(Hehehe, just as I thought.)

While chuckling internally, Kai swiftly pinpointed the source of the ghostly web. Without a second thought, he poured all his electric aura into his swords at maximum power, at the same time tracing an invisible rail for his blade, then solemnly declared.

“Railgun!”

With Kai’s announcement, the middle sword shot forward at hypersonic speeds, so fast it was almost impossible for even Kai to perceive it. It reached its target almost instantly, generating a brutal shock wave that even tore trees from the ground, while a mist born of the violent impact spread through the air. At that moment, Kai once again glimpsed the future and realized he had achieved his goal: Eva was free to leave safely.

Ever since theorizing that the spiders were actually very intelligent and capable of making strategic decisions to prevent escape, Kai had refused to believe things would be as easy as just removing the webs to stop the ghostly thread from pulling them back. Especially after encountering the spider that likely possessed “conditional webs”.

Given such an irrational power similar to his own aura, Kai was prepared to believe anything was possible; so, being cautious, he decided to send Eva first while he stayed behind. And he had been absolutely right—those spiders were truly troublesome, like the monstrous Drider behind him who, despite having taken one of his strongest attacks head-on, was still alive.

“Master, mission accomplished.”

Once Accompany’s light vanished into the air, Sage materialized out of nowhere by his side and spoke in a serious tone. Kai, regaining his composure from the huge aura expenditure, nodded and praised her with a smile.

“You did perfectly, Sage.”

“I only did my duty.”

Sage responded cheerfully to her Master’s praise, making Kai chuckle softly. He then turned again to look at the Drider, immobilized by the thick arcs of electricity surrounding its body and seeming to connect it to the sky, and spoke in a solemn tone.

“Sage, capture that thing.”

“Understood, Master.”

Sage responded quickly in a serious tone, as her swords vanished and her armor began to glow, then transformed into a female prison guard uniform. At that moment, she flew toward the Drider to touch its head, but instead of her usual calm and confident demeanor, a trace of surprise and confusion appeared on the beautiful fairy’s face. She pulled her hand away from the monster and stared at it in bewilderment.

As if refusing to believe it, Sage pressed her hand against the Drider again, only to pull it back in astonishment. She repeated the action several times before Kai couldn’t help but ask, equally surprised and uneasy.

“What’s wrong, Sage?”

“Master… for some reason, Alcatraz won’t activate. It’s as if it isn’t considered ‘defeated’.”

Sage answered in an uncertain tone, tinged with urgency because thanks to her Master’s Observation Haki, she could sense at least a hundred presences of varying power levels approaching quickly. At that, Kai could only speak in a serious voice.

“Let me do something more drastic, then.”

Landing on the ground, Kai assumed a posture similar to the en garde position in fencing, right leg in front, slightly bent, and his weight on his left leg, extended behind him. His right sword was held in front of his chest, pointed slightly at the Drider, his body leaning forward a bit, all while his electricity flared up, crackling violently.

“… Lightning Lunge!”

After channeling his Haki and aura for a few moments, Kai announced in a loud voice as he lunged forward at nearly imperceptible speed, leaving behind a purple electric trail as the only evidence of his movement. The instant he was at the perfect distance from the Drider’s humanoid torso, he performed a classic fencing thrust, managing to sink almost half of his sword into the creature.

The moment Kai finished, having stabbed the area where the heart would be in a human, a fierce current of purple electricity surged inside the monster, burning it from within, then erupted from its body, forming arcs of electricity thicker than Kai himself. They seemed to connect heaven and earth, as though a cataclysmic lightning bolt had struck the monster.

“You son of a bitch…”

Hearing the Drider’s voice—weak but still 'alive and steady'—Kai couldn’t help cursing in shock. He chose to leave his sword in the monster and jumped back, then looked at Sage and ordered in a somewhat doubtful tone.

“Sage, try again.”

“…”

Without saying a word, Sage, still dressed as a guard, placed her hand on the monster once more. But after a few seconds, she could only look at her Master and shake her head. At that moment, the beautiful fairy noticed something strange about the creature’s body, so she swiftly informed her Master.

“Master, it’s regenerating. Even with the electricity still coursing through its system, it’s somehow managing to heal itself.”

“This thing is way too dangerous…” Kai remarked gravely, but he quickly shook his head and turned around, giving his back to Sage because the spiders had at last arrived. He spoke in a solemn voice.

“Sage, gather all the data you can from that damned thing. I’ll keep the spiders at bay. Once you’re done, let me know. No matter what, that thing has to die before we leave—it's too dangerous to let live.”

“Understood, Master. I’ll make a perfect copy of this thing. Give me a few minutes.”

Sage answered firmly as her guard uniform lit up, transforming into her dress of light. Her wings began to glow in various colors, like a kaleidoscope. At that moment, Kai spoke calmly while unleashing his Conqueror’s Haki violently to face the spiders that were now only a few meters away.

“I trust you.”

(It’s a good thing these spiders aren’t that strong. I’ve used too much aura to keep using finishing moves. My goal is to buy time now, so I need to fight using as little energy as possible—I need maximum efficiency.)

Watching the tide of spiders appears among the trees, with the weaker ones dropping like puppets thanks to his Conqueror’s Haki, Kai closed his eyes and quickly refocused his thoughts, taking a deep breath using his perfected breathing method. At the same time, his lightning dimmed, shifting from thick, dark purple arcs to more discreet blueish sparks.

After taking a few deep breaths, Kai snapped his eyes open, releasing electric sparks from them. At that instant, eight spiders of various sizes—ranging from one meter to about three—rushed at him. They were somewhat similar to the black spider from before, but had peculiar purple markings. All at once, they spat out strange liquids of different colors.

With a calm, measured expression, Kai leaped slightly to his left, dodging the first spit, and then dashed forward while making minimal zigzag movements, narrowly avoiding each projectile by mere millimeters until he was right in front of the spiders. At that point, he stomped the ground and shot forward, swinging his swords at incredible speed with a fluid, almost choreographic rhythm.

In a matter of milliseconds, Kai appeared behind the spiders. Then he began walking calmly and methodically toward the spider horde, swords pointed at the ground and dripping a strange mixture of violet liquids. Meanwhile, the spiders behind him remained utterly still, as if frozen, until—after Kai had taken a couple of steps—they collapsed to the ground, sliced into several pieces, releasing blood of various colors that merged into a thick fluid resembling what was dripping from Kai’s blades.

As the spiders fell, Kai heard a deafening screech—a chorus of at least a dozen spiders. Then, from the charred black soil, something like sharp roots burst forth in his direction, attacking from every angle in the 180-degree arc in front of him. He responded calmly, moving his left sword at a speed that was only slightly astounding, then carried on walking without pause.

While Kai strode on, the roots were cut into dozens of pieces that fell to the ground. He tilted his head back at one point, then swung his right sword swiftly to the side without even looking, at which point a slender spider, about fifty centimeters in size with extremely long, needle-like legs, suddenly appeared—one of its legs was aimed at where his head had been. Moments later, it dropped lifelessly to the ground, sliced in half.

Lowering his sword again, Kai unleashed a flying slash to his left, but unlike his usual flashy attacks, this one was smaller, more discreet—barely noticeable as a faint dark ripple in the air. Midway, it collided with a small blue spider bearing an electric pattern on its abdomen, which had been moving at incredible speed.

Advancing steadily through the horde of spiders of every shape and size, always with measured, deliberate steps, Kai dodged with the smallest possible movements, then cut them down with his swords—usually defending with the left and attacking with the right. He refrained from sending flying slashes whenever possible, and if he did, they were subtle and understated. This seemed to terrify the spiders, causing them to attack in an ever more erratic manner.

Though more and more spiders kept arriving by the minute, doing everything they could to assault Kai, he remained calm and expressionless, methodically operating like a human meat grinder, killing anything that attacked him with maximum efficiency. Even when one of the original spiders entered his range of perception, accompanied by two others of similar power, he remained unfazed—until Sage finally contacted him mentally.

[It’s done, Master. This is the most complex and bizarre thing I’ve ever seen, so it took much longer than expected.]

[Perfect, I’m on my way.]

Chapter 164: Big Bang Attack.

Chapter Text

[Perfect, I’m on my way.]

After responding, Kai once again became covered in purple electricity and shot off in the monster’s direction, unleashing a powerful electric shock that managed to carbonize dozens of spiders. Since he had moved away from the Drider to draw in the spiders. All while cutting down anything in his path, causing a literal rain of spider blood and entrails to pour down, until he finally reached his target.

Upon arriving, Kai quickly switched the grip of the sword in his right hand to a reverse one, then began spinning around himself at high speed in a motion perpendicular to the ground. His purple lightning intensified, crackling more violently and greatly increasing in thickness and size, reaching all the way to the ground.

“Thunder Guillotine.”

After spinning for a few seconds, Kai stopped, and taking advantage of the large amount of Haki, electric aura, and accumulated kinetic energy, he unleashed a devastating, jet-black circular slash crackling with purple electricity. This almost instantly reached the monster’s back, neatly cutting the humanoid portion in half vertically.

“It’s still not dead…?”

Feeling the Drider’s ‘voice’, which, although incredibly weakened and fragile, was still there, Kai couldn’t help but ask in utter shock, as the monster fell in two pieces on opposite sides. At that moment, he saw how the exposed, charred flesh of the monster writhed in a strange manner, as though trying to regenerate, making a chill run down his spine. This prompted Sage to comment with an equally shaken voice.

“This is the first time we’ve recorded such an event, Master. That thing’s brain should be fried and cut in half… it’s likely we need to eliminate every last trace of it to truly kill it…”

“…These ‘spiders’ are truly terrifying… Sage, try capturing it now.” Still filled with shock, Kai couldn’t help but speak, to which the beautiful fairy nodded, then switched to her guard’s uniform and approached to touch the monster.

“… Alcatraz still isn’t activating, Master. It seems that even in this state, it’s not considered ‘defeated’.” After a few moments, touching the monster, Sage turned to look at her master and spoke in a grim tone.

“Damn monstrosity… Sage, make a reminder to study Alcatraz’s properties again from scratch. It’s highly likely we’ve missed something.”

Visibly irritated, Kai spoke while he leapt into the air, dodging dozens of spider attacks filling the area, ranging from energy rays to spit or fireballs, with some of them pouncing toward him with sharpened legs extended. At that moment, he made his right-hand sword disappear to point his open palm at the Drider.

“It’ll be at the top of the priority list.”

Sage answered in a serious tone, while a large purple glow formed in front of Kai’s extended palm, quickly turning into a sphere that compressed to about the size of a basketball. Then, the blue-eyed youth spoke in a loud, powerful voice.

“Big Bang Attack!”

With Kai’s announcement, the energy sphere shot off at great speed toward the Drider on the ground, striking it dead-on. A blinding purple flash filled the area, at the same time a brutal explosion occurred, creating an even larger spherical flash, which then vanished into nothingness, revealing an ominous mushroom-shaped column of smoke rising into the air.

“Finally dead… but the Big Bang Attack is too expensive…”

Breathing heavily, Kai spoke under his breath, his voice ragged. Although the Big Bang Attack cost less than his Kame Hame Ha, it was still by far one of his most expensive attacks. But because he wanted to vaporize every last bit of the Drider as quickly as possible, he hadn’t had many options other than using an attack that was supposed to be a last resort.

But just as Kai was relaxing from having taken down such a dangerous opponent, a sudden furious roar filled the air, a roar so powerful it made the very air vibrate. This created a mighty gust of wind that sent Kai flying as though he were a leaf in the wind.

Visibly shocked, Kai could only stare wide-eyed toward where the roar had come from, since he couldn’t sense anything in that direction with his Observation Haki. That meant only one of two things: either it was too far away, or it had some ability to hide from his Haki.

It didn’t matter which was true, because in either case, whatever roared could not be weaker than the Drider he had just killed using large amounts of his aura. That realization only left a bitter smile on his face, right as the Magnetic Force card appeared in his hand.

(It looks like it’s time to run…)

While the monster’s roar caused havoc on the island, Kai used his Observation Haki to sense his surroundings while kicking the air to stop himself from being tossed around, and he realized the spiders’ speed had greatly increased; they were approaching him in a straight line as though their lives depended on it.

But what was even more terrifying was that, through Trace, Kai sensed one of the original five spiders—which hadn’t moved from the start—was heading toward him at a maddening speed just slightly slower than his own, coming from outside his range of perception.

“This is friggin’ crazy. Now I’ve really stirred up the hornet’s nest…”

“Indeed, Master. The best option now is to flee to recover your strength. Your current state isn’t right for fighting such a powerful entity, along with that army of spiders.”

Sage spoke in a solemn tone while she looked at her master with a worried expression. All the while, Kai merely steadied himself in the air with a blank expression, gripping the Magnetic Force card tightly in his hand. This prompted her to add hurriedly, with some urgency in her voice.

“Master, you only need a couple of hours to recover enough aura and Haki to face them. We can always stay right at the edge of the mist and keep watch, or even call All Might for backup. The best decision now is to flee.”

“… You’re right… that’s for the best.”

Wearing the same blank expression, Kai spoke softly while raising the Magnetic Force card. Yet, his mind couldn’t stop churning over thoughts of his family, especially the girls—everyone heroes, all with a natural vocation for helping strangers. Inevitably, that made him wonder how they would feel if these spiders attacked other countries or even Japan itself, for no matter what reasoning he used, it would be his fault.

Those spiders seemed to have a way to get through the storm without much trouble. So if they left the island and spread out, even he, with all his power and abilities, wouldn’t be able to wipe them all out—assuming he didn’t die fighting these monsters that rivaled him. After all, he wasn’t certain there were only the one he killed and the one that roared. For all he knew, there could be a factory churning out such monsters somewhere on the island—an alarming power that he, and only he, had triggered.

If he hadn’t come, or if he had at least waited one more day—maybe even just a few more hours—he wouldn’t have directly fought the spiders, which seemed to be in a dormant state. They had likely been on that island for a long time without venturing out. So if not for his intervention, there would’ve been ample time to prepare. And if his theory that these things only appear when Midoriya becomes strong enough was true, then his sin would be even greater.

Therefore, would the heroes of his family—or better yet, his girlfriends and the people he was supposed to spend the rest of his life with—be able to smile and accept that his actions caused unprecedented destruction and the deaths of thousands or more? The answer was simple: they wouldn’t. Some might try to soften it, refrain from blaming him, or even look the other way, but the elephant in the room was too large to ignore.

Their relationship would be brutally affected, not only romantically, but even their years of friendship and camaraderie would be thrown away. His foolish choice to save a complete stranger just because she looked a lot like someone from his past life would end up not only condemning their relationship, but potentially leading to an unprecedented global crisis.

“Master!! We have to go now, they’re getting too close!”

Seeing that he had raised the card but wasn’t activating it, Sage couldn’t help but press him with a voice full of concern. Though the roaring had stopped, a presence no weaker than the previous Drider entered her perception range. At that, Kai could only exhale heavily, burdened with countless emotions but, curiously, not regret for saving a stranger and her little child—only a lack of will to accept the disastrous outcome.

“Alright, let’s go. Help me calculate when we exit the mist; I don’t want to go too far. [Magnetic Force] On! [Home]!”

With the card activated, a sphere of light enveloped Kai and shot downward toward the ground. But only a few seconds later, he suddenly felt a strong tug, causing him to open his eyes in astonishment. The sphere of light forcibly deactivated, and he was dragged through the air back to the island at high speed. Instantly, Kai activated Gyo in his eyes.

“Of course they weren’t going to just let me leave so easily…”

Observing the ghostly web that pierced his chest, Kai couldn’t help but comment ironically to himself, feeling shaken inside. Not only had he failed to sense that web invading, he hadn’t even felt danger, nor had his future vision activated—if it had been a lethal blow, he’d be dead already. But his remark didn’t sit well with Sage, who urgently and with visible panic replied.

“Master!! We’re heading straight toward that enormous ‘voice’. We have to do something! You’re in no condition to fight an opponent like that right now!!”

“Calm down, Sage. Most likely these webs are those ‘conditional webs’ I theorized about. And just like my aura, it must have exploitable weaknesses. Even that initial roar might have been the activation condition, or maybe it was the hit I took from the Drider. In any case, we just have to study it a bit to figure out how to break them.”

While summoning his two swords in his hands, Kai spoke in a calm, measured tone. His purple electric aura reactivated, and arcs of lightning danced around him once more, which seemed to calm the beautiful fairy. She quickly nodded and spoke as her wings glowed in different colors, like a kaleidoscope.

“You’re right, Master. We just need to identify the specific traits of the web. I’ll use all my computational power to figure it out!”

“I trust you.”

Kai responded calmly, keeping his gaze on the monster that was pulling him, which turned out to be another Drider. Unlike the previous one, however, this one looked smaller and more ‘feminine’, with a much slimmer and more streamlined humanoid upper body—even having breasts—but equally monstrous. It had multiple red eyes on its head and what seemed like an exoskeleton instead of skin.

Another important difference was that this new female Drider had no small ‘legs’ on her back, and her fingers were long and sharp, almost like rapiers, while her spider abdomen was bigger and longer.

The moment Kai laid eyes on the female Drider, she looked back at him. She then contorted her spider-like lower body in a bizarre way, causing her huge abdomen to point straight at him from underneath her body, and started firing what appeared to be massive web bullets.

Knowing these webs were no joke, Kai quickly sent flying slashes to intercept them, cleanly cutting them in half. As a result, some expanded and hardened, while others began to release a strange smoke, and one even let out small electric sparks.

“She really can do anything with those webs…” Kai muttered with a bitter smile as he watched the varied set of attacks, then noticed with Gyo that the ghostly web on his chest was disappearing, prompting him to comment with some interest.

“It looks like there really are conditions, and by dragging me back here, the condition was fulfilled, and it vanished. But the question is, will it automatically reactivate when I try to escape, or is it a one-time use? Given the way they used it to try to keep Eva and Oliver here, that doesn't seem to be the case…”

“I’m taking note of that, Master.” Sage quickly added with a solemn tone, her wings still gleaming in different colors, as Kai kicked the air to dodge several webs sent by the 'female Drider'.

Chapter 165: Let’s go all out!

Chapter Text

“Well, at least it looks like this one can’t teleport, which is a relief…”

While dodging the webs, Kai calmly commented to himself, noting that although the female Drider’s voice was impressively ‘loud’, at least she seemed a bit slower than him. That would give him enough leeway to dodge and avoid using more aura and Haki. However, just at that moment, Kai suddenly sensed an imminent attack from his left.

Briefly activating his advanced Observation Haki, Kai saw that it was actually a beam of energy. Moving swiftly, he quickly deflected it with his left sword, causing the energy attack to veer away from him. But as if perfectly synchronized, he felt more similar attacks coming from different directions; at the same time, the webs he had just dodged sharply curved in midair to assault him from all sides.

“Don’t tell me its way of fighting is by controlling other spiders…”

Surprised, Kai couldn’t help but say this, but he swiftly unleashed several flying slashes to intercept the attacks while moving his body through the air, ending up in a somewhat awkward upside-down position with his back toward the ground. From that position, all of the attacks barely grazed him without inflicting damage. Yet, just as the barrage was about to end, one of the webs passing right by his shoulder stopped producing more strands, wrapping around his arm and right shoulder.

(Shit! That hurts.)

The instant the webs ensnared him, Kai felt a sharp pain, as they instantly began to melt his skin as though they were acidic. This forced him to completely cover the air around himself with Armament Haki while using his left sword to cut himself free from the strands. At that moment, the webs brutally accelerated—at least twice the speed they had shown before—managing to ensnare him in multiple spots.

“Sword Field!”

Although covering himself with Haki prevented the damage from being too severe, those webs still managed to make his skin sting a bit, which greatly alarmed Kai. Not only was the male Drider able to pierce his Haki, but apparently this female Drider could as well. Without hesitation, he summoned a dozen swords around him, using four to cut himself free while sending the other six to attack the female Drider.

“Sage, gather all the information you can on that female Drider. Leave the fight entirely to me.”

Noticing that Sage wanted to take control of the swords to attack, Kai quickly gave the order in a serious tone, at the same time sending several flying slashes at full speed in all directions to intercept approaching attacks. In response, Sage could only reply in a serious but clearly reluctant tone.

“… Understood, Master.”

After speaking, Sage shot forward to make contact with the female Drider, since her master now wanted all the information—more than just how the webs worked—something they couldn’t obtain solely from its genome. It would be more effective to analyze how she wielded them. But to her surprise, the moment she approached, the female Drider jumped aside at full speed, simultaneously sending webs her way.

While darting about to evade the webs, Sage turned to look at her master, her expression filled with shock, only to see a grim look on his face. After all, this was the first time in all their lives that anyone had managed to detect her. Not even Tomoko, with her Quirk [Search], could detect her in [In] state, yet that female Drider could. In a certain sense, that made her more dangerous than All Might, since even he had never been able to detect her.

Although the incident was truly astonishing, Kai had no time to dwell on it because four spiders of a strange whitish color, with pale yellow cracks, suddenly leapt at him. They landed in front of him and began to glow with a weird yellowish hue before ‘exploding’ into a cloud of white smoke shot through with yellowish patches.

As he kicked at the air to rise higher and escape the smoke, Kai inevitably got caught in it. His clothes—light-blue athletic wear, already damaged and torn in several places—started to melt away like candle wax, and it even affected his eyes, causing them to burn so badly he had to shut them.

Even with his eyes closed, Kai was fully aware of his surroundings thanks to his Observation Haki, which allowed him to perceive twelve webs coming at him once again from all directions. Knowing how dangerous those things were, he released several flying slashes to intercept them, at the same time sending the swords that hovered around him at high speed toward the ‘smoke spiders’.

Luckily, the smoke spiders were relatively weak, so merely being impaled by his swords was enough to inflict critical wounds and send them flying. However, this did nothing to lift his spirits, as with each passing second, more spiders arrived and instantly attacked him with all they had. Now, unlike before, these attacks truly were dangerous, since the female Drider seemed to be empowering them somehow.

[Sage, did you manage to do anything?!]

His mind split between three tasks—sensing his surroundings and dodging or defending with the swords flying around him, repelling the webs’ attacks with flying slashes, and trying to assault the female Drider with his remaining swords—Kai asked his trusted assistant with a hint of urgency in his tone.

[Nothing, Master! This thing is running with everything it’s got while attacking me with those webs; I haven’t been able to touch it!]

Upon hearing his master’s question, Sage could only answer in a frustrated voice as she turned intangible once more to avoid the webs’ assault. Although, as a Nen beast, she was inherently immortal, the tests they had conducted over the years—prior to her acquiring her new form—had shown that she could, in fact, be destroyed. If that happened, Kai wouldn’t be able to summon her for the next fifteen minutes.

Given her master’s precarious situation, Sage couldn’t afford to let herself be destroyed. She would never leave him alone, especially not in a situation like this, so she had no choice but to keep dodging and attempt to get close. Yet, that creature was extremely elusive, despite its large size, and her worry for her master grew every second.

[Then forget it. Help me push the spiders back. If this keeps up, they’ll overwhelm me.]

Hearing Sage’s reply, Kai quickly gave the order while slicing eight spiders about forty centimeters long and jet-black in color into pieces. Those spiders had somehow emerged from the webs themselves, as though they were part of them. Without hesitation, the beautiful fairy darted to her master’s side. At the same time, her lovely pale-blue gown transformed into a set of feminine plate armor, while two Jian-style swords identical to her master’s—but suited to her size—appeared in her hands.

[I’m taking control of Sword Field, Master!]

Arriving at Kai’s side, Sage immediately announced solemnly through their mental link, taking direct control of the ten floating swords. Kai responded seriously.

“We’re killing everything in our path while we retreat. Let’s see how those webs work. I’m running out of energy; a few more final attacks, and I’ll be completely drained.”

[Understood, Master. I’ll use the most efficient methods possible!]

Sage quickly responded as she spun the six swords attacking the female Drider at full speed, while maneuvering the others through the seemingly endless horde of spiders surrounding them, turning them into ultra-efficient meat grinders. She left the remaining four swords floating around her master, making sure to destroy anything that got too close.

Kai, for his part, now that he could leave the other swords to Sage, could focus fully on defending himself from the strange webs. This gave him enough breathing room to begin fleeing, staying fully alert and using Gyo on his eyes in case that ghostly web on his chest reappeared.

Escaping at full speed through the sky amid brutal explosions, web attacks, and a dense, multicolored bloody haze, Kai suddenly felt danger from all sides. But as he was already on high alert, he reacted in time to form a spherical defensive barrier around himself with all his might.

“Thunder Fortress!!”

At the same time, the four swords around him controlled by Sage began spinning at full speed, ready to strike at the slightest sign. But before they could realize how, Kai was once again completely wrapped in webs, as if trapped inside a cocoon—even while still within his barrier—prompting Sage to cry out in alarm as strange smoke could be seen rising from the webs.

[Master!!]

“Ahhhh!!!”

Furious at being caught off guard and in pain—pain that even reached his face, as those webs were corroding his Haki—Kai unleashed a powerful purple electric pulse from his body. At the same time, the four swords around him slashed desperately to cut through the web cocoon, freeing him after a few seconds and revealing his body.

Kai’s body was in terrible shape. Massive wounds were exposed in various places, like his neck, arms, and legs. The most severe injuries were in his left shoulder and arm, where one could even see parts of the muscles laid bare and destroyed, as if a gallon of highly corrosive acid had been poured on him.

Meanwhile, his face had several deep gashes, even obscuring the scar on his forehead—a reminder of his parents’ attack—and his clothing was in a pitiful state, looking like scraps of fabric clinging to his badly injured body, fused with the wounds in some places. This left both necklaces around his neck completely visible, which, despite everything that had happened, were not even scratched.

[Master, I’m going to focus on healing you now!] Alarmed at her master’s condition—without a doubt the worst he had ever been in—Sage spoke up anxiously, but Kai quickly replied in a grave tone.

[Don’t bother; it will cost too much aura. Just do some basic first aid. Instead, let’s focus on killing that thing. Its ‘conditional webs’ are beyond reason. If they work the same way as that black spider, this cocoon will materialize if I leave a certain range, so I doubt I can escape without killing her. Let’s do our best. I’ll save just enough for a Magnetic Force!]

[…Alright, Master, let’s go!] Gritting her small teeth in determination, Sage answered resolutely, and Kai spoke out loud, his voice brimming with challenge.

“Let’s go all out—Inverse Flow!!!”

The moment Kai finished speaking, his electric aura and his Haki suddenly surged at high speed, quickly reaching their peak. This caused the female Drider to screech in fury before sending dozens of webs to attack him, while the horde of spiders shrieked in unison and hurled themselves recklessly at the electric human in the sky.

The ability [Inverse Flow] was essentially a technique whose sole purpose was to let Kai launch one last desperate attack. To activate it, he needed to meet several conditions: first, he had to be exhausted, having used up most of his total energy; second, he had to be in the middle of a battle; and third, there had to be an enemy attacking him.

If all these conditions were met, [Inverse Flow] would ‘borrow’ energy from his future self to push him and keep him at his maximum peak for up to five minutes. However, since it was a loan, it had to be repaid with interest. For every minute the ability remained active, Kai would have to endure a full day of fatigue, while his aura dropped to 30% until the debt was fully settled.

“Electric Slash!!”

Faced with what looked like a massive wave made up purely of spiders of various sizes and colors rushing at him, Kai made his purple lightning flash powerfully before charging them head-on. He unleashed a series of electric slashes at high speed, proclaiming solemnly. A chorus of desperate shrieks filled the air.

While Kai moved at an impossible speed, his purple bolts zig-zagging destructively through everything in his path, the tide of spiders soon became a sea—countless arachnids of different hues flinging themselves at him madly and fearlessly, slowly closing the distance and engulfing him. From afar, he looked like a single point of light in a hellish ocean, attacked from all directions by webs.

[Sage, help me with the control!] At the same time he swapped the Jian swords for two massive greatswords, Kai quickly communicated with his trusted assistant, who instantly responded with fierce determination.

[At your service!]

“Sword Field!!! Thunder Guillotine!!!”

Realizing he was being slowly but surely overwhelmed, Kai quickly conjured a hundred swords and sent them directly into the sea of spiders. At the same time, he switched the grip on his right sword to a reverse hold. Then he began to spin like a top in the air, soon unleashing a massive circular flying slash that tore through the spider sea like a knife through butter, rapidly carving a direct path toward the female Drider.

Chapter 166: I want to ask you something.

Chapter Text

Without losing a single second, Kai swiftly extended his swords forward, then conjured a new Jian sword in the center, aimed directly at the female Drider. At that moment, his swords began to spark with huge purple electric arcs, and a few instants later, he announced in a furious voice.

“Railgun!!”

With Kai’s announcement, the middle sword shot forward at hypersonic speed toward the female Drider, reaching her almost instantly. But to Kai’s surprise, it came to a sudden stop in midair just a few centimeters from the Drider’s chest, trapped by countless ghostly webs that seemed to emerge from space itself.

(That’s something similar to the webs that wrapped me up before, activating instantly without any warning. But at the same time, they’re different; these are ghostly and don’t appear to be corrosive, so there must be limitations. That also explains why, in the beginning, instead of wrapping me in corrosive webs, she only pulled me in with a ghostly web. It makes perfect sense—after all, even my aura has limitations, so it’s time to play dirty.)

[We’re going to discover the secrets of this thing!] With that goal in mind, Kai quickly communicated with his trusty assistant, who answered brimming with resolve, holding her miniature Jian swords and with her wings shining like a kaleidoscope.

[I’ll follow your lead, Master!]

Immediately, with a single thought, Kai separated a dozen swords from the group attacking the spider horde and sent them from different angles toward the female Drider, only visualizing the rough direction of the attack, while Sage handled the specific controls on her own. At the same time, he separated another six swords, which he quickly set to [In] mode, then arranged them in groups of three in two opposite directions, both pointing at the female Drider.

While the swords that would serve as ‘cannons’ charged with energy, and the others repelled the waves of spiders attacking fearlessly, and the webs sent by the Drider—mainly using flying slashes and the four remaining swords flying around him—Kai carefully analyzed the monster’s responses to the omnidirectional sword assault.

Due to her deep mental connection with her master, Sage only needed a small mental command to know exactly what he wanted. So she swiftly controlled things to perform different types of attacks: from flying slashes to physically stabbing or cutting, even attacking with swords in [In] mode, also wanting to test the reach of the monster’s perception.

With great interest, Kai watched the female Drider use hardened webs to repel attacks, and she even managed to dodge, displaying impressive flexibility and speed for her massive four-meter body. She also demonstrated that she could sense swords in [In] mode, so Kai instantly activated the six invisible swords in the air without saying anything.

Not speaking the ability’s name out loud would inevitably reduce its power since practically all his abilities had a pact that, if he spoke their names clearly and out loud, they would be significantly boosted. Added to that was the [In] state, which also greatly weakened them. But because they had been charging for a while, they would still have enough strength to test the hypothesis in his mind.

With the two Railgun shots, Kai saw—thanks to Gyo in his eyes—how webs materialized out of nowhere to stop the two swords flying at hypersonic speed. However, at the same time, the webs attacking him underwent a strange change, losing much of their speed, while the endless sea of attacking spiders froze for an instant.

[Sage! Now let’s try sending attacks at different speeds!]

Knowing that he had discovered something, Kai quickly gave the order while unleashing his electric aura to the fullest. At the same time, he ‘commanded’ the swords attacking the sea of spiders to go berserk, making the most of the moment, to which Sage promptly responded, perfectly aware of what her master meant.

[Right away.]

With great fluidity, Sage quickly separated half of the swords she was using to attack, then arranged them in groups of three aimed at the Drider. After which she announced in a loud voice in unison with her master, pointing her right sword at the monster.

““Railgun!!””

With Sage’s precise control, eight swords shot out at different speeds and from different directions at the Drider, from hypersonic to transonic. The result was that all the swords at supersonic speed were stopped by ghostly webs, but the slower ones—two that barely managed to touch the sonic barrier—managed to get through and destroyed a hardened web around the Drider, striking her humanoid chest and side head-on.

[It’s highly likely that this thing saw my speed or saw when I used Railgun before to kill—err, to attack whoever tried to detain Eva. It could even have been her who tried. So she’s playing it safe, and she set a ‘conditional defense’ specifically for that, and now she’s paying for it, which is why she’s not using more powerful things like the corrosive cocoon!

[We can conclude there are two ways she uses her webs: those that come out of her rear—manual mode—and those that materialize from nowhere—conditional mode. And this second one consumes a lot more energy and has limits, so it’s likely she can’t maintain many of those conditions at once, while the manual ones depend entirely on her perception!]

With a certain excitement, Kai quickly shared his analysis through the connection as he watched two of his swords fully impaling the Drider. He immediately sent thick purple lightning bolts to strike her, and Sage promptly replied while sending the swords again to attack the wounded Drider, without forgetting to continue massacring the sea of spiders, always targeting the strongest ones first.

[So we need a powerful attack that doesn’t rely on speed!]

Right then, the female Drider screeched with fury, causing a large number of spiders in the horde to start exploding, creating a rain of blood over the others. For some reason, this made them grow at an accelerated rate. At the same time, a huge number of webs began to quickly surround the Drider herself, protecting her from attacks. At that moment, Kai felt a strong pull on his leg that threw him into the center of the spider horde.

(Hehe, I knew it.)

As he fell at high speed toward the spider horde, Kai glanced down at his right foot, quickly noticing a ghostly web about to vanish—a rather weak attack compared to the corrosive cocoon that almost killed him. This basically confirmed that the conditional webs were a heavy burden on the Drider and that she couldn’t afford to do more powerful things.

At the same time, it served to solidify his idea that there were basically two ‘sets of conditions’ active at all times. First, if he moved too far away, he’d be wrapped in the corrosive cocoon—something unavoidable and capable of killing him. The second was a ‘perfect defense’ against speed, instantly trapping anything that came too fast toward the female Drider in ghostly webs.

Meanwhile, aside from the webs, the female Drider definitely had the power to control the rest of the spiders and, from how they were growing, even empower them with certain sacrifices. That easily let him see how he might kill her, since his normal slashes weren’t enough to get through her defenses, and most of his finishing attacks depended on speed or were too draining, like Kame Hame Ha or Big Bang Attack, which would leave him exposed if he failed. So his best option was to go in with a punch.

“Electric Whirlwind Slash!”

Having reached an initial plan to finish off the spider, Kai quickly spun at high speed like a top in the air and announced, unleashing a massive barrage of colossal electric slashes indiscriminately upon the spider horde. This caused an even more brutal massacre than what the swords were already doing, raising a multicolored bloody mist into the air while the ground shook violently and deep cracks formed in it. At that moment, Kai stopped spinning.

Controlling his strength, Kai quickly kicked the air to shoot himself toward the Drider, at the same time that his right sword disappeared. He clenched his fist tightly, which began to glow intensely with a dark purple ominous electric light that grew brighter at great speed, becoming incredibly dazzling.

Upon arriving in front of the Drider, Kai somehow sensed a certain nervousness in her as she sent a dozen webs to attack him, given that Sage’s sword attacks had become more erratic. But with great concentration, the blue-eyed boy activated his future vision to see what would happen, wary that a web might suddenly split while he dodged, as before.

Through his future vision, Kai noticed that indeed a couple of webs would split, so he preemptively sent two of the four swords floating around him to intercept. At the same time, he evaded with fluid movements the rest of them, keeping the other two swords just in case something unexpected happened. But it seemed there was a limit to the ability of ‘normal webs’ to split mid-flight, which allowed him to reach the monster without much trouble.

“Electric Colla—”

Just as Kai was about to unleash one of his most powerful attacks on the Drider, suddenly a sort of woven ghostly web formed out of nowhere right in front of him. At that moment, something incredibly fast went through his chest from side to side, leaving a large hole and preventing him from finishing the name of his attack, knocking him backward. Luckily, that blow didn’t reach his necklaces.

“MASTER!!!!!”

Hearing Sage’s desperate scream, Kai reacted quickly; since he couldn’t speak because his mouth filled with blood, he rapidly struck the air with his fist, causing a brutal explosion to erupt before him, flooding everything with a blinding purple electric glare. A shockwave knocked him back even further, allowing him to see from a distance how thick purple electric arcs obliterated everything around them.

[It was the electric spider, right?]

While feeling his aura move erratically in an attempt to keep him alive despite the 30 cm hole in his chest, Kai asked almost rhetorically. Although that spider’s presence had somehow weakened, thanks to Trace he already knew which one it was, and inevitably, a bitter expression formed on his face.

When he tried to run away the first time, he sensed the electric spider moving for the first time. But after the female Drider caught him, it stopped, so he ignored it. Somehow, though, that spider—previously over 20 km away—suddenly appeared out of nowhere and pierced his chest, breaking his Armament Haki at the cost of its own life.

[That’s not important, Master. You have to run!! You’ve been poisoned, and your left lung is compromised. There’s no way to defeat those things!!]

Upon hearing Sage’s agitated, worried voice, Kai couldn’t help but smile bitterly, not caring in the slightest about the spider horde trying to attack him while the flying swords took them out around him. After all, there was something much more terrifying going on—a second colossal ‘voice’ had suddenly appeared next to the wounded female Drider.

[Mystical Hand won’t be enough to close that hole, and using Angel’s Breath would be suicide. Do you really think there’s any chance of escaping from the female Drider and the new ‘voice’, Sage?]

Faced with her master’s question, Sage fell silent, as the answer was obvious. The odds were practically zero. Her master had barely a little over a minute left of Inverse Flow; after that, all his aura would vanish. And although they had more or less figured out the female Drider’s webs, now that a monster of similar strength had joined her, there was no hope. The lovely fairy could only speak in a pained tone.

[But Master, we can’t give up. Your aura reserves will last for another minute; there must be something we can do…]

Using his aura to stop feeling the pain throughout his body, Kai got up off the ground and summoned his Jian swords once more into his hands. At that moment, he spoke in a calm, steady voice through the mental connection, his attention fixed on the two ‘voices’ hiding in the smoke and dust caused by his attack.

[… Certainly, I still have one minute, and I plan to make the best use of it. Whatever happens, I’ve got to take these bitches down with me. They’re too dangerous, and even with all the weapons I’ve created and All Might at the front, there’s a high chance my family won’t survive if they attack Japan. So I want to ask you something…

[Sage, if Nen after death truly exists and is stronger than normal Nen, it might be possible for you to separate completely from me. So I entrust my family to you. Take them somewhere safe and protect them as best you can. And if possible, try to complete the QM project to strengthen them. Also, if I fail to finish off these spiders, give them all the information we gathered and tell them I truly love them. And I’m sorry—this time, it really was entirely my fault.]

[…Master… trust me. I will make sure to create the safest refuge possible for them and strengthen them until the last day of my existence, before reuniting with you…]

With tears in her eyes, Sage responded, watching with unwilling despair as her master raised his energy reserves to the maximum, causing electric bolts to blast out in all directions, charring everything around him. All for one desperate attack. Even so, he had enough time to respond to her with a telepathic message full of warmth.

[If I’m reborn again, I really hope you can be my assistant once more, Sage. You’re the best companion I could have had. Thank you for everything… and sorry for giving you such an unimaginative name…]

[…It was the best name in the world, Master. And you are the best master I could have had. I hope we can meet again in your next life, Master; this time, I’d like to meet the lady…] Sage, tears streaming from her eyes, spoke as she kept her arms extended, controlling the swords to destroy anything approaching her master. He smiled softly, transmitting his voice through the mental connection at the same time.

[Mom is the best; you’ll definitely love her, and I’m sure she’ll get along super well with you. But for now, we’ve got work to do. Make the necessary arrangements so I can talk again. Help me go out in the best way possible, like a real man—with one epic battle to protect the ones I love! Hahahaha!!!]

[At your command, Master.] Sage answered resolutely, wiping her tears away with her right forearm, just as her small swords began to shine brightly.

Chapter 167: This time I won.

Chapter Text

[At your command, Master.]

“!!!!!”

With Sage’s response, Kai, still unable to speak, slashed the air with all his might, sending hundreds of gigantic flying slashes forward, creating a brutal massacre of spiders. At the same time, all the flying swords—around sixty of them—launched a crazy rain of attacks on the cloud of smoke that covered the figures of the female Drider and the new ‘voice.’

But out of nowhere, Kai felt an extra brutal pressure on his head that forced him to his knees on the ground. At the same time, with his Observation Haki, he sensed that the attacks he had sent into the cloud of smoke had been stopped in midair, as if by magic. At that moment, a strong wind stirred up the earth and the smoke, revealing what was behind it.

With great effort—since he felt as though he were carrying hundreds of thousands of tons—Kai lifted his head to see what was in front of him, to look at the appearance of the new voice that had arrived. He realized it was a strange monster, which looked like a cross between a giant spider and a rhinoceros beetle. Unlike a normal spider, its gigantic abdomen seemed fused with its torso, giving it a somewhat rounded appearance.

But even though it looked somewhat round, the monster was even more terrifying than the Driders, since its body and legs were covered by a jet-black, metallic-looking exoskeleton with spikes, as if it were wearing a horrifying full plate armor. It also had two pairs of colossal-sized fangs that dripped a viscous, transparent liquid that released corrosive smoke when it hit the ground.

But the strangest thing was that the monster was emanating a strange yellow light, somewhat similar to that of the guard spiders he had encountered at the beginning, which completely stopped a good portion of the flying slashes and swords, leaving them floating in the air. However, Kai noticed something odd: the monster’s exoskeleton had a few smoking cracks in it.

Meanwhile, the female Drider by its side looked very badly injured, having lost two legs, with her exoskeleton broken in several places and even a piece of her humanoid face missing, releasing a viscous blue liquid in large quantities. That put a smile on Kai’s face and filled him with an infinite fighting spirit.

(Hahaha, my attacks hurt them! I can still kill these two sons of bitches!!!)

“…!!!!”

Still unable to speak properly, Kai let out a strange sound as he tried to stand up—an effort so great it caused his muscles to swell significantly and his veins to stand out on his skin, which ended up causing the massive wound on his chest to bleed profusely, and his purple lightning crackled violently. That was when a large amount of spiderwebs shot toward him.

“!!”

Forcing his body to the point of tearing his muscles, Kai managed to stand up, while some of the swords that had not been caught by the yellow light quickly intercepted the webs. But right at that moment, the pressure Kai felt doubled, which made his knees buckle. Yet refusing to fall again, he used his aura and Haki to force himself to remain standing, at the cost of several broken bones and further torn muscles. It was then that Sage commented through their mental connection with a voice filled with resignation.

[You can speak again now, master…]

[Thank you, Sage.]

After responding to his reliable assistant, Kai smiled almost maniacally as he looked at the pair of monsters in front of him. At that moment, using every gram of strength in his body, he raised his right hand in their direction, causing a bright purple glow to appear in front of his hand. This quickly compressed into a sphere, then shot forward at an absurd speed toward the monsters.

“Big Bang Attack!!!!!!”

Along with Kai’s hoarse and choppy shout, the purple sphere of light was caught in ghostly webs, stopping it dead. The round monster tried to move closer so that its light—which seemed unable to extend beyond five meters from it—would envelop the sphere of energy, at which point Kai smiled, full of malice and murderous intent.

Suddenly, the wrapped sphere of light exploded with colossal power, making the very world tremble while a blinding light covered everything. The two monsters screeched in pain and absolute rage, determined to kill that strange, hairless little monkey that was oddly powerful, who had even managed to take one of their lives. But when they turned to look at him, severely wounded, they realized he was no longer there. Right then, they heard a voice from behind them.

“Conqueror’s Shackles!”

After managing to free himself from the pressure—thanks to it being weakened by the explosion—and getting behind the monsters, Kai, with his broken and gruff voice, proclaimed loudly while stabbing the sword into the ground. It was the sword he hadn’t used since Sage had kept it as a final trump card, which caused the monsters to become completely wrapped in golden chains.

As if following some sort of ritual, Kai proceeded to spread his legs and bend his knees while bringing his hands together near his waist, leaving a space between them. In that instant, a sphere of purple energy formed between his hands, prompting him to announce with all his might, preparing to unleash his most powerful attack, the childish dream he had managed to materialize.

“KAME!!!!!!”

With Kai’s shout, the sphere between his hands began releasing a brilliant electric light and grew in size, which made the monsters extremely nervous. They had already experienced the terror of that ominous golden glow, yet no matter what they did, they couldn’t do a thing. It was as though their bodies and powers no longer belonged to them. At that moment, Kai yelled with all his strength.

“HAME!!!”

With Kai’s shout, the sphere between his hands grew aggressively in size and unleashed destructive purple lightning that spread erratically across the ground. Meanwhile, the spiders, which had been paralyzed by their lack of control, started to scurry away—some retreating to save themselves, while others flung themselves madly at the hairless monkey, only to be sliced to pieces by the floating swords, which suddenly all disappeared at once.

“HAAAAA!!!!!!”

At that moment, Kai thrust his hands forward, taking the pose he had played around with so many times in both of his lives, simultaneously exclaiming at the top of his lungs—even to the point of tearing his vocal cords. This caused a brutal, dark violet beam to shoot out in the monsters’ direction, who were never able to move from their spot, as Kai was no longer holding back like the last time he used this attack.

The beam, which created a blinding purple flash, advanced unobstructed, vaporizing everything in its path and carving out a massive scorched scar in the forest. It even left the island and passed through the storm, cutting through waves and lightning in its wake. But just when it was about to exit, it suddenly collided with what seemed to be a force field that blocked its path.

The colossal beam unleashed its full power on the barrier, causing it to become fully visible, glowing a warm pale blue and revealing a strange pattern that seemed like a combination of an electric circuit and bizarre polygonal runes. The clash lasted a few moments, until the beam gradually lost intensity and then disappeared. At that point, the strange barrier began to fade little by little until it vanished.

For his part, Kai couldn’t help but notice that it was much weaker than the first time he used it. Well, that was to be expected, after all. Even though Inverse Flow could keep him at his energy peak, there was a delay; if he spent a lot of aura at once, he couldn’t regenerate it in time. And the cost of the Big Bang Attack, combined with the brutal consumption of Conqueror’s Shackles and the damage to his right lung, left him in a very precarious state.

When the beam finally ended, Kai collapsed to the ground—breathless, drained, and in pain all over—while his wounds spilled a large amount of blood. Sage tried desperately to heal him using Reverse Flow recharges, since although the [Kame Hame Ha] was powerful, because of its pact, it was truly a final move.

The [Kame Hame Ha], aside from being slow to charge, requiring him to shout the name and strike the pose, also consumed every last drop of energy, leaving only the bare minimum needed to remain conscious—turning it into a dangerous double-edged sword.

Meanwhile, Sage—who, with an expression full of panic and pain, was doing her best to heal her master—suddenly realized that the time limit for Reverse Flow had run out. The realization froze her completely in midair, just as the energy rapidly left her master’s body, plunging the beautiful fairy into utter despair—despair so deep that tears once again streamed down her delicate face.

For his part, Kai smiled bitterly; he had already exceeded the Inverse Flow time limit, and now he was being hit by extreme fatigue. His aura and Haki—which, since their fusion with yoga, were also affected by some of his pacts, for better or worse—were so depleted he could barely feel them, which only worsened his already terrible wounds.

(So this is my end…)

As a strange screech-like sound echoed through the place, causing the air to vibrate, Kai couldn't help but sigh with a bit of unwillingness, as he could truly see his death now. After all, although the voices of the round monster and the female Drider had completely disappeared, he had even managed to wipe out at least half of the spider horde. He could see a good number of spiders cautiously approaching, and he had no aura left, not even enough for a [Magnetic Force].

[Sage, stop trying to heal me. You can’t disappear. Remember that you still have a job to do, and if you vanish, there’s a chance you won’t be able to reappear if Nen after death exists.]

Standing up with what little strength he had left and gritting his teeth in pain, Kai ordered his reliable assistant, who was desperately trying to keep him alive by any means necessary. Even tapping into the tiny amount of aura she was made of—so small that even recovering it wouldn’t be enough to activate his most economical ability. This made her more transparent and ghostly.

[But master, your wounds…]

Sage responded in a bitter tone, full of injustice and resignation, while her face was completely covered in tears at the deplorable state of her master, only a step away from death, practically kept alive by sheer force of will.

[I know, and that’s precisely why I know it’s pointless. There’s no way to heal me with that tiny amount of aura, and you can see that too. I’ve already run out of all my options. This is the end. I don’t even have the aura to escape, and with my injuries, trying to get through the storm is just a dream. So rather than die pathetically, I’d rather fight to the end and place my hopes in Nen after death so you can protect my family.

[In my past life—though I don’t regret having protected Mrs. Eva, just as I don’t regret saving Eva now—what I do regret is how my final moments went, lying in a pool of my own blood. It was too shameful. So this time, I want to go out fighting to my last breath. Maybe that’ll help Nen after death.]

Showing his odd sense of humor, Kai explained in a calm and, for some reason Sage couldn’t understand, happy tone, as he took the first sword stance he ever learned: right foot forward, left foot back, knees slightly bent, spine straight. At that moment, a single Jian sword—phantasmal and on the verge of vanishing—appeared in his hands, allowing him to complete his posture.

Since his Observation Haki felt weak and blurry, as if he were hearing someone sing through a thick wall. Kai took a deep breath with his one good lung, enduring the immense pain it brought him. Then a spider leaped at him, extending one of its legs, which looked like a gigantic needle—or maybe even a rapier.

From what little he could “hear” of the spider’s “voice”, Kai could tell it was probably around Kirishima’s level or something similar, which, in his current state, was a pretty dangerous enemy. But at the same time, it confirmed that he had indeed achieved his goal: he had taken out the strongest ones. And the fact that no other super-powerful monster appeared could only mean there weren’t anymore, which was a tremendous relief, a realization that inevitably brought a smile to his disfigured face.

(At the very least, I managed to cripple the spiders’ military strength, and I doubt they can reproduce those monsters easily. Otherwise, there would have been more than just three. So it’s unlikely they’ll venture outside in the short term, and they’ll be much more cautious when they do. So this time I won, hehehe...)

Chapter 168: This has been a great life!

Chapter Text

In the middle of the Saito mansion’s garden, Nemuri was biting her nails, full of worry, pacing back and forth because for some reason, with every second that passed since Eva’s arrival, a terrifying premonition began to fill her—a feeling that equally affected her entire family, who were in a situation similar to hers.

Although everyone was trying to remain calm and trust in Kai—and they hadn’t even heard Eva’s story yet, so they really knew nothing—the minutes passed, and the worry only grew, leaving them teetering on the edge of the table. They were waiting for the one who could offer even a thread of tranquility in their situation. At that moment, an unmistakable entrance echoed throughout the property.

“I’m here!!”

In the middle of the night, the symbol of peace, the undisputed number one, landed while announcing his arrival with his trademark phrase. At that moment, he could see eight women of world-class beauty, along with a tall, muscular man, whose faces wore expressions of obvious concern, while various drones patrolled throughout the property.

“All Might! How good that you arrived!” Upon seeing the symbol of peace, Nemuri greeted him hastily, then quickly added with urgency—without giving the mythical hero a chance to speak.

“It’s possible that Kai is in danger!! We need your help!!”

“What?!!”

Upon hearing the urgent shout from his fellow teacher, All Might couldn’t help but exclaim in disbelief, then ask—with apprehension—the only possibility that came to mind that could endanger someone of Saito Kai’s caliber. A monster comparable to himself in his prime.

“Did Kai-shonen decide to face All For One on his own?!!”

“Kai went off to investigate some very powerful spiders!!! But now he is unreachable, and he sent someone for rescue from that place—but now he is completely disconnected and not coming back! We fear that something might have happened to him! We must go help him!! My heart tells me he is in danger!!!”

Even with the mark on her face, Keiko—who seemed as if she wanted to run away, her nerves in a frenzy and on the verge of an attack—exclaimed in a loud, hoarse voice, which left All Might dumbfounded. Although he didn’t fully understand the situation, knowing it could be truly critical, he put all doubts aside and quickly asked the important question.

“Where should I go?”

“Take this!” At that moment, Keiko created with her quirk what appeared to be a pair of black glasses, then handed them to All Might, adding with visible fear.

“It’s a communication interface, and it has several other functions; it tells you where you should go and all the information we have!”

Upon receiving the glasses, All Might quickly put them on. Immediately, various images appeared before his eyes, but the most important was a small map in the lower right corner of his field of vision, next to what appeared to be a column of light in the distance—which he quickly interpreted as his destination. Surprised for a moment, he quickly recomposed himself and crouched to gain momentum as he spoke.

“Understood, I’ll try to get there as quickly as possible!”

Immediately after speaking, All Might gave a powerful leap, shooting out at high speed through the air toward the distant column of light. He propelled himself by kicking the air—a little trick he had copied from Kai, one that took him longer to master than he cared to admit—but just then, somehow, he managed to hear Midnight’s voice with incredible clarity.

[All Might, this is Midnight speaking. As you head to the last known location we have of Kai, I will give you a brief summary of the situation. On the first day of the internships, the Pussycats were summoned for a rescue mission on a deserted island where communication had been lost with a scientific team.

[Although sadly only one survivor was found, Kai managed to identify the perpetrators—a group of 5 spiders with colossal power. According to his own words, each one of those 5 spiders was comparable to your current power, which made him incredibly cautious to the point that he did not dare report everything. He only provided vague information, fearing that the authorities might be involved.

[But a few hours ago, Kai managed to pinpoint where the spiders were headed, so he decided to investigate it himself. Yet for some strange reason, he sent a woman and her son from that location using one of his abilities, and now he has not returned nor sent any sign of life since—so we fear that something may have happened to him.]

“Why did he do something so reckless?!”

Shaken by the new information, All Might couldn’t help but reply in utter astonishment—even though he wasn’t entirely sure how the glasses worked. Fortunately, another female voice quickly responded, which he immediately recognized as Mandalay’s.

[Because Kai feared that something was amiss—sending 5 such powerful spiders to mere scientists was very strange, especially since no one except him could have detected them—he assumed that things were happening behind the scenes, and against a power like that, countermeasures are needed. That’s why he first wanted to investigate on his own!]

In the mansion’s main hall, the entire family was standing, unable to sit down as the sinister premonition grew ever stronger. They watched holographic screens that showed All Might speeding toward Kai’s last known location. Then, All Might’s voice resonated in the room.

[Well, it doesn’t make sense to focus on that now; more importantly, what information did the woman bring?]

At All Might’s question, Ryuko quickly began recounting everything they had heard, since Eva was busy taking a bath—a fact that drew a grave expression on the number one hero’s face. After nearly 15 minutes, he managed to reach the column of light shown on his glasses, which brought a bitter smile to his face, for in moments like these it was clear to everyone just how much he had weakened.

But the bitterest part was that no matter where he looked, all he could see was an apparently endless expanse of water, faintly illuminated by the waning moon—a sight that lent the calm sea an eerie, almost ghostly aura. It was at that moment that All Might began to hear a series of roars accompanied by screams filled with despair.

[[[KAI???!!!!]]]

“What is happening?!!”

In the middle of the Saito mansion’s main hall, everyone present watched in fear as ten impressive panthers of different colors materialized out of nowhere, then roared to the sky in unison. At that moment, they began to turn ghostly as fatigue overwhelmed them, filling them with utter despair, as no matter how they looked at the situation, it seemed like a farewell of their loyal Accomplices.

Similarly, Salem—who until moments ago had been sleeping peacefully alongside Tama on one of the armchairs—was startled awake by a sudden sensation of fatigue. This allowed him to see his Accomplice disappearing into nothingness. In that instant, he leapt and ran toward the garden, growing to his maximum size as he did so, and began to roar with all his might before dashing throughout the property in search of his master.

…

With a fluid movement he had practiced hundreds of thousands of times, Kai stepped forward and to his left, narrowly dodging a spider’s leg—over a meter in length—by mere millimeters. In the same movement, he delivered an upward slash with his sword that cleanly severed the spider’s leg, causing it to squeal in pain.

Ignoring the annoying squeal, Kai, as if he were in his gym practicing like every day, slowly turned his body so that he was facing just to the side of the spider’s head. In what seemed like the same motion, he brought his sword down and cut off the spider’s head in one swift stroke, abruptly silencing its squeal.

While the headless spider fell to the ground, Kai shifted his waist to his left. Even with his attempt, he was too slow for a wooden root that burst from the burned and shattered ground, managing to pierce the outer part of his lower stomach. Yet, as if he couldn’t feel it, Kai moved his right foot backward and then twisted his entire body—tearing his own flesh in the process.

At the same time, Kai raised his sword and then brought it down with exquisite precision, managing to cut a roughly 60-centimeter spider in half that seemed intent on biting him. At that moment, more roots emerged from the ground to attack his head and chest. With an expression completely devoid of emotion, Kai moved his right foot backward, then shifted his entire body to create a distance that completely separated him from the attacks.

Without any intention of stopping, Kai quickly spun and delivered an upward slash to his left, killing another spider. Then, he turned his head to one side and, just an instant later, a beam of orange energy streaked right past where his head was—snatching away part of his ear. At the same time, two other beams struck his left shoulder and his stomach, leaving enormous burned holes in his body.

Without changing his expression, Kai moved his left foot back and to the side, then turned, which allowed him to dodge the attack of a new spider while ending up with his back to it—at that moment, the spider let out a screech of pain from having been hit by three energy blasts, then collapsed to the ground, dead, as Kai lunged forward to slash another spider.

While executing the movements he had practiced millions of times in an almost systematic fashion, Kai continued killing spiders one by one—even though the process inflicted many more wounds. Along with the extreme fatigue he was enduring, his mind became clouded, to the point that his body began moving purely on instinct, while all the memories of his new life started flashing through his mind.

As he relived every moment of the 14 years of life he could remember, a smile couldn’t help but settle on his lips. His mind replayed every birthday, every lunch, every movie, and every silly conversation he had with his parents and with his non-blood family—finally reaching the moments with his girlfriends, revisiting the girls’ confessions, the foolish things he did, and ultimately, how lucky he was.

(Although there remain some regrets, definitely…)

“This has been a great life!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!”

...

Kneeling on the ground, feeling completely defeated and hopeless, Sage let out a muffled scream to the sky, filled with pain and despair. After all, her master—who had been fighting with a huge smile on his face—had been struck down and was beginning to be slowly devoured by the spiders, and she could no longer do anything to stop it.

For the first time in her short life, she felt the emotion known as true despair. But at that moment, she suddenly heard him shout with force, followed by a nearly insane yet incredibly powerful laugh, which made her cry even harder as she cursed the sky—her beloved master had accepted his death.

But unknown to everyone, deep within Kai’s “voice”, a small figure in the lotus position—normally shrouded in a thick aura, but now barely, if at all, visible as a faint silhouette—suddenly began to move gently. At that moment, a soft smile started forming on its face.

Little by little, the smile on the figure’s face grew progressively larger until it finally burst into uncontrollable laughter—so much so that its lotus posture broke, and it began clutching its stomach and rolling, as if it had been told the funniest joke in the world, though it emitted no sound. At that moment, the faint aura surrounding the figure began to bubble violently.

In the midst of her inconsolable crying, Sage repeatedly felt droplets fall on her face, soon followed by more until they transformed into a heavy rain. This caused her to lift her gaze to the sky, where she realized that the once completely clear heavens were now entirely covered by ominous black clouds that seemed to be exchanging mighty bolts of lightning. A powerful rain of thick droplets poured down.

At the same time, her master’s powerful laughter—which hadn’t ceased for a single moment—seemed to make the air tremble in an ominous way, while incredibly thick jets of jet-black lightning extended in every direction with no apparent end. This made her look at her master with deep apprehension.

Filled with shock, Sage saw her master in a terrible state—lying on his back, his eyes unfocused, missing one arm and both legs, with several of his bones visible. But the strangest part wasn’t that—it was that all the spiders around him had fallen unconscious to the ground, while he laughed as if he’d been told the funniest joke in the world.

With her heart breaking at the sight of her master’s miserable state, Sage flew toward him slowly. At that very moment, the lightning bolts that the clouds seemed to be exchanging began to fall upon the island, creating an apocalyptic electric downpour that seemed to cover the entire island. At the same time, the shores of the island—previously surrounded by a calm, unperturbed sea—began to be battered by colossal waves, growing larger and more powerful with each passing moment.

But perhaps even stranger than that scene was the fact that, although the rain of lightning seemed to cover every inch of the island, it appeared to be consciously avoiding her master and her. This left them as the only untouched elements in a place filled with blood, death, and fire—as enormous blazes erupted in all directions.

“Master!!!!”

But soon, her master’s luck seemed to run out. A great lightning bolt—perhaps the largest of them all—suddenly struck him, releasing a blinding flash that made Sage scream in terror. Yet, as if the surprises weren’t over, as the flash diminished, Sage could feel her master’s energy recharging in a manner very similar to how Inverse Flow worked.

Despite her disbelief, Sage didn’t hesitate for a single second and quickly flew with all her strength toward her Master, simultaneously conjuring the Magnetic Force card—which she activated the moment she reached his side, her heart filled with infinite hope.

“[Magnetic Force] on!! [Home]!!!!!!”

Chapter 169: it was my fault… I’m sorry.

Chapter Text

Standing in the midst of the Magnetic Force sphere of light, and while his master’s wild laughter was fading, Sage attempted to use the freshly recharged aura reserves of his master to treat his wounds as best as she could. She was striving to minimize as much as possible the future cost of Angel’s Breath. Even though the reserves had been replenished, his master was still under the effects of the Inverse Flow pact, which basically cut his aura by about 70%.

But while treating the wounds with Nen threads, Sage could not help but notice that on his master’s neck still hung his two necklaces, his most treasured objects, which—despite everything that had happened—remained almost completely intact. All because his master, even in his most desperate moment, had chosen to use the meager Haki reserves he had left to protect them instead of protecting himself.

That pair of necklaces—one with a pendant of a book and the other with that of an open palm—although Sage knew they were, in truth, of supreme importance, since they functioned as the core of two of his master’s most important abilities. She was fully aware that he had not guarded them for that very reason. After all, he was absolutely convinced he would die, so preserving those abilities no longer made sense.

Those necklaces were so valuable to his master because they were his connection to his new life, his connection to his parents, his connection to Nemuri and the rest of the family, and essentially, the proof of his existence—generating in him such a deep, foolish, and irrational attachment that, without him expecting it, they ended up being perfect as the core for his wildest abilities, almost all practically conceived to protect those he loved.

Shortly thereafter, even within the sphere of light, Sage noticed that she had managed to reconnect with the satellites, so she quickly began to review what had been happening in the mansion—realizing Eva’s arrival there, that Oliver was being treated in the MedPod, what the Accomplices had done, and that the entire family was about to rush out of the mansion armed to the teeth—prompting her to take swift action.

As a first step, she quickly sent a message home informing them that they had managed to escape and were on their way, arriving in approximately one minute, so it was best to wait calmly; then she sent a message to All Might, who was pacing back and forth along the sea searching for them, albeit without luck, instructing him to return.

Upon seeing the entire family embracing one another with tear-filled eyes of happiness, Sage couldn’t help but smile warmly before looking at her master—who had fallen unconscious with a peaceful smile—and extending her small hand to touch the only moderately healthy patch on his face.

“They are truly worthy of your care, master; they genuinely love you and care about you… But please, in the future, do not do such reckless things—I still want to serve you for a long time, as I don’t know if I’ll be able to do so in your next life…”

With a soft and melodious voice, filled with infinite love and devotion, Sage expressed her deepest feelings, experiencing a sense of relief and happiness she had never felt in her few years of consciousness. While her master hovered at death’s door, she had felt the world go dark and all color fade away—but now, the world was brighter and more colorful than ever before.

“This world only makes sense to me because you’re in it, Master. I don’t want you to leave me alone here…”

…

In the garden of the Saito mansion, all the family’s heroes—donned in futuristic-looking armor similar to Momo’s, though in different colors and without helmets that revealed their tear-streaked faces—along with Keiko and Yumiko, began to share a grand group hug, then turned their eyes toward Kai’s usual landing spot with expressions mingling anticipation and apprehension.

Although Sage had informed them that Kai was okay and that they would arrive soon, the seconds kept ticking by, and their worry didn’t lessen. The Accomplices’ strange behavior had been far too dramatic and left everyone on edge. But their hearts were quickly filled with relief and joy when they saw a light descending, and so they all ran toward it with huge smiles on their faces.

But the happiness on the family's faces soon turned to panic, as when the light faded, it revealed a body on the ground missing an arm and a leg. The other leg was practically just a piece of bone without flesh. Moreover, the body was covered in so many wounds that it was almost impossible to recognize—but the presence of the beautiful fairy at his side was more than enough to know who it was.

“““KAI!!!!”””

Upon witnessing Kai’s miserable state, Keiko could not bear it and fainted, collapsing like a puppet whose strings had been cut. Meanwhile, Nemuri, Shino, Ryuko, Tomoko, and Nejire cried out in unison, their faces as pale as paper, leaping toward him with all their strength, their eyes brimming with tears.

As for Yumiko, she covered her mouth with her hands and collapsed to her knees, completely drained and in a state of shock. Momo—who looked deathly pale and dizzy—ran to catch her mother in her arms just before she hit the ground, along with Chatora, who had a similar expression on his face.

But suddenly, a furious roar made the air tremble—a roar coming from Salem, who leaped at an incredible speed and landed in front of Kai, then assumed a combat stance in his five-meter form, growling menacingly, ready to tear apart anyone who dared approach his master, regardless of who they were, which immediately halted the advance of the girls.

“Salem, calm down! Master is only in a coma, and I’ll heal him shortly.” Quickly, Sage spoke in a firm tone, causing the gigantic panther to turn and look at her, growling in an almost questioning manner, to which the beautiful fairy replied with seriousness.

“He’ll be fine; don’t worry; after healing him, he will only sleep for a few days.”

With Sage’s words, Salem seemed to calm down, turning his head to gaze at his master—who looked more like a lifeless body than a person, missing legs and an arm, while the other limb was so shattered it was hard to see, with bits of torn flesh, skin and corroded muscles, deep cuts, holes, and more visible in various parts of his body.

Seeing the miserable state of his invisible master inevitably prompted the enormous panther to start roaring at the sky in fury, as if vowing ruthless vengeance, yet at the same time appearing incredibly sad and desolate.

Meanwhile, Sage looked at Salem with understanding, truly comprehending his feelings, but knowing she had to hurry, she quickly turned to look at the girls—who were once again approaching—and spoke in a serious tone.

“But first I must inform you that due to the extreme exhaustion, Master won’t awaken for a few days—and I will even have to deconjure myself—so I have sent the records of everything that happened to the Argus server; you can review them later.”

With the Angel’s Breath card already floating by her side, Sage explained in a serious tone as she observed the expressions of everyone present—faces filled with panic and pain, mirroring the deep emotion in Salem. For some reason, a small, warm smile graced the beautiful fairy’s face, who then quickly announced aloud.

“[Angel’s Breath] On!!”

Instantly, the card transformed into a burst of light, which swiftly formed a bluish sphere with angel wings. At that moment, Shino, who had already witnessed the angel’s capabilities before, let out a sigh of relief and extended his arms to touch the shoulders of Nejire and Tomoko, who were by his side. Meanwhile, Ryuko and Nemuri—who had heard of the ability—halted abruptly, terrified that their intervention might cause it to malfunction.

“Heal him.”

With the appearance of the angel, Sage quickly pointed to her master lying on the ground and solemnly commanded, causing the angel to descend and settle upon him, which finally allowed the beautiful fairy to release a sigh of relief—though that sigh carried a hint of bitterness, for the way she had activated the card was not ideal, having not used Isolation Veil to cover her traces or anything.

But there truly was no other way—even though Angel’s Breath was “cheaper” when used on her master instead of someone else, the pacts restricting her master were extremely severe, so she had to do everything in her power to treat him on her own, with the minimal possible expense, barely managing to pay for the activation by using all of his master’s aura—which included her own—making any further measures unfeasible.

The moment the angel released its ray of light over Kai, Sage began fading into the air until she disappeared—a sight the entire family watched with bated breath and clenched fists, while the enormous panther looked away with evident nervousness in his feline eyes, until after a few seconds the light vanished along with the angel, leaving behind on the ground the Kai they all loved.

Upon seeing her master restored to health, Salem roared with joy, crouching down to leap onto him, while the faces of all the representatives filled with endless cascades of tears—tears mingled with a complex array of feelings, though undoubtedly, the foremost was happiness.

“Kai…”

Seeing the love of her life sleeping peacefully on the ground with his clothes in tatters, Nemuri couldn’t help but break down in tears as she and all the girls approached him. They fell to their knees before carefully lifting him as if handling a delicate treasure, while Ryuko issued a mental command for the armor to detach from her body.

With Kai in her arms, Nemuri wanted to hold him close to her chest, but at that moment she remembered he was still clad in armor, so she hesitated. At that moment, Ryuko—dressed in nothing more than a pair of shorts and a blouse—knelt on the other side of Kai and, without saying a word, extended her arms toward him, to which Nemuri nodded, her face stained with tears.

Ryuko quickly took Kai into her arms, embracing him with infinite love and pulling him to her chest—though leaving enough space for Salem, who gently bit her, demanding his own spot. At that moment, Yumiko came running to embrace the unconscious boy, her expression overflowing with countless emotions, tears still falling like a waterfall as she sobbed like a little girl—a sight completely unlike her usual elegant and maternal demeanor.

One by one, every family member removed their armor and knelt around Kai, silently forming a group embrace around him. At that moment, Momo helped bring Keiko to the spot, who was slowly regaining consciousness, but upon seeing Kai, her tears began to flow like a waterfall once more. She quickly collapsed beside Yumiko as if she had no strength left, presenting an incredibly fragile image.

Soon, Momo joined the group hug, her tears streaming in much the same way as everyone else’s, giving way to a silence broken only by a symphony of sobs that expressed relief and persistent fear, along with deep regret. At that moment, Eva—who had just finished bathing—hurried down to the room, alarmed by the powerful roar, wearing a simple white dress and with her hair still slightly wet.

But upon witnessing the scene unfolding in the garden, Eva felt her heart skip a beat, for from her perspective she could barely see the hair and closed eyes of the brave young man who had saved her and her son—held in the embrace of his entire family, who wept with infinite sorrow. This led her to fear the worst, filling her with an overwhelming guilt that brought forth fresh tears.

Overcome with guilt and sadness, Eva began to walk toward the garden with slow, heavy steps, soon falling to her knees on the well-kept grass—at which point she brought her hands to her face as her voice, laden with bitterness, escaped.

“I’m sorry… it was my fault… I’m sorry…”

Upon hearing Eva’s voice, Ryuko, Chatora, and Nemuri turned to look at her; at that moment Chatora expressed with his gaze that he would go, to which Nemuri and Ryuko nodded, then they all turned their eyes back to Kai. Chatora quickly rose, walked over to the solitary woman, knelt on one knee on the grass, and then spoke in a somewhat hoarse voice—though his English carried a strong accent.

“Don’t worry… Kai is fine; he’s just unconscious.”

Chapter 170: Kai did the right thing.

Chapter Text

Upon hearing Chatora’s words, Eva lifted her gaze, filled with countless emotions, opening and closing her mouth repeatedly as she tried to say something, but the words simply wouldn’t come out. At that moment, Chatora smiled warmly and spoke in a gentle voice.

“Let’s go inside. You’ve also been through a lot.”

“…I want to see my son.” After a moment, Eva spoke in a rough voice, to which Chatora nodded and responded with a smile.

“Of course, although he’s still in the MedPod and will be there for a few more hours.”

“It doesn’t matter. For now, I just want to be by his side.” Eva said as she wiped away her tears, at which point Chatora got up from the ground and extended his hand to her while commenting.

“Then follow me, I’ll take you.”

“Thank you… for everything.”

Taking Chatora’s hand, Eva stood up from the ground and spoke in a low voice while looking at the beautiful woman talking among themselves around the unconscious young man. At that moment, Chatora smiled and spoke.

“Don’t worry about that. Most of this family are professional heroes, so it’s part of our job.”

“That makes sense… That young man, Kai, was truly impressive.” Eva commented with a voice full of emotion, which made Chatora smile somewhat bitterly as he responded in a kind voice.

“Kai is a bit of a special case, but you’ll find out later. For now, do you have a relative you’d like to call or anything like that?”

“Well… I’m not sure yet. Let me think about it.” Eva replied with a complicated tone, so Chatora wisely decided to stop asking questions and led the woman to the medical room.

…

While Chatora and Eva were walking to the medical room, Keiko and Yumiko stood up so they were kneeling on the ground, still reluctant to move away from Kai—especially given the miserable state in which they first saw him, which still filled them with fear. At that moment, Nemuri sighed softly and then said.

“Let’s go inside. Even though Sage said Kai is fine now, I’d like a doctor to see him so I can feel more at ease—and also check on the child. Although the MedPod is good, it’s best to have a thorough examination.”

“You’re right, that’s best. I’ll contact Recovery Girl to come; that’ll be more private, and all the necessary medical equipment is here.” Shino said in a serious tone as she gently brushed through Kai’s visibly dirty and sticky hair, which earned unanimous agreement from the girls.

“Although an examination is a good idea, calling Recovery Girl at this hour… better to call someone else.” Ryuko remarked as she looked at the dark sky, which quickly made the girls nod in agreement. Shocked by Kai’s condition and how well-lit the garden was, they momentarily forgot the time, prompting Keiko to speak in a serious tone.

“You’re right. I’ll call someone. He’s good, and he doesn’t ask questions.”

“Then let’s go with that. Although I think we should clean Kai up a bit, and we also got a little dirty.” Yumiko commented as she looked at her white dress, which had small dirt stains, prompting Keiko to speak in a calm tone.

“Alright, here’s what we’ll do: I’ll call the doctor, give Kai a bath, and put him in something decent while you get in touch with All Might.”

“Let me help you, Keiko. Kai’s already grown and pretty heavy; it might be complicated for you alone.”

Yumiko nodded with a small smile, which led Momo, Ryuko, and Shino to exchange discreet glances among themselves. Then all of them, including Nemuri and Nejire, heard Shino’s voice in their minds, asking in a serious tone. Using a trick she’d developed after years of having her Accomplice, she could basically create a kind of ‘telepathy room’ where everyone could communicate through it. Even though it had several limitations, it was quite useful.

[What do we do? Do we let them bathe Kai?]

[What’s the problem? Are you jealous or something?] Nemuri asked back, somewhat confused, to which Shino replied with a slightly uncertain tone.

[It’s not that; it’s just that… you know…]

[I understand what Shino means. We’re his girlfriends; we should be the ones to take care of something like that.] Momo quickly added in a serious tone, prompting Nejire to speak in a solemn tone—light years away from her usual cheerfulness.

[Now isn’t the time to argue about that. If Mom and Aunt Keiko want to take care of Kai, so be it. The most important thing right now is to find out what happened to Kai. Only someone like All Might could have left Kai in the state he arrived in, so if that 'thing' is still alive, we have to stop it.]

[Nejire is right. Let them do what they want. In the kind of relationship we have, jealousy makes no sense. Let’s focus on what’s important. Sage said she uploaded the information about what happened onto the servers, so I’m going to look at it right now. I won’t be at ease until I find out who hurt my husband that way.]

Ryuko added in a cold voice, which earned unanimous agreement from the girls. They looked at each other once more, but this time there was a cold light in their eyes. At that moment, Nemuri looked at the pair of mothers and spoke in a serious tone.

“Then we’ll make the calls and check the data Sage mentioned and talk to Miss Eva. It’s important to know what happened and if there’s any danger.”

“I’m counting on you.”

Hearing Nemuri, Keiko—who was picking Kai up from Ryuko’s arms—turned to look at her and spoke in a serious tone. She wasn’t overly worried about immediate danger, since if there really were any, Sage would have activated the mansion’s defenses before disappearing or at least warned them. But since she did neither, she was sure they were safe, at least for the moment, so focusing on Kai was more important.

“Let’s go.”

Yumiko, who shared a similar opinion to Keiko and was still nervous about the wounds Kai had only a few moments ago, spoke in a tone that tried to sound calm. She wanted to check him all over immediately to calm her nerves.

As Yumiko and Keiko made their way up to the second floor—with Keiko carrying Kai like a princess and Salem closely following them along with Tama—Momo, Nejire, Ryuko, Shino, and Tomoko sat in the first-floor living room, gathered around the coffee table in the center. All of them wore solemn expressions, while Nemuri stood a few meters away, making the necessary calls.

“Shall we begin?”

Momo asked in a serious tone, to which the other girls nodded with focused expressions. Momo then quickly extended her hand and gently touched the coffee table, causing it to light up softly as a fingerprint scanning interface appeared, at which point several holographic screens materialized in front of her.

“What are you doing?” At that moment, Chatora entered the living room, looking confused, so Shino turned around and answered in a serious tone.

“We’re going to look at the data Sage left behind.”

“I see.”

Chatora quickly nodded seriously and sat in a nearby armchair. Meanwhile, Momo navigated through the server’s files using the coffee table as a controller and quickly found what she was looking for—a folder with all the information about the spiders, images, maps, databases with different records, and so on. But what caught her attention most was a video showing, in its thumbnail, a huge creature—half-spider, half-humanoid.

“There’s a video Sage recorded of the entire 'journey'...”

After looking at the preview still, Momo turned to the others and spoke in a slightly trembling voice, prompting Shino to ask in a serious tone, while shifting her gaze between Momo and Nejire.

“What’s in that video must be difficult to watch. Are you sure you want to see it?”

“I’m absolutely sure. Kai was the one who experienced everything we’re about to see. If I can’t even bring myself to watch it, I wouldn’t be fit to be a hero.” Nejire replied in a serious tone, looking Shino straight in the eye, at which point Momo added with a voice full of conviction.

“I feel the same way. It may be hard to watch, but we still need to see it.”

Meanwhile, Ryuko couldn’t help but look at the unusually silent Tomoko beside her, who still looked pale and seemed lost in thought. Concerned, Ryuko reached out and placed a hand on Tomoko’s shoulder, asking in a low voice.

“Are you alright…?”

“Eh?!”

Ryuko’s question pulled Tomoko out of her thoughts, making her exclaim in mild surprise. But upon seeing the worried look on her friend’s face, she quickly replied in a calm tone.

“Oh, yes. Don’t worry. It was just a bit shocking for me to see Kai in the state he arrived in. That’s all.”

“It might be better if you take a break—you don’t have to watch the video...” Ryuko said with concern, to which Tomoko replied firmly.

“No, I have to watch it. I can’t stay without knowing what happened.”

“I understand… but don’t push yourself too hard.” Ryuko responded with concern. At that moment, Nemuri came back with her phone in hand and sat in one of the armchairs, then spoke seriously.

“All Might is already on his way. Sage informed him that Kai was safe. He’ll be here in a few minutes.”

“Well, since we’re all here, I’ll play the video on the big screen.”

Momo commented in a serious tone as she looked at the large screen in the room, and everyone else nodded. After a few seconds, the screen turned on, and the video began to play, starting with Kai running over water at great speed.

Soon, they all watched in astonishment as the brutal storm was unleashed, clenching their fists in panic when they saw how easily it consumed Kai. Only to breathe a sigh of relief when they saw him unleash colossal power to escape the place at full speed. But what followed left them completely speechless.

From the strange island to the full moon, to the fact that the place didn’t show up on any satellites, plus the overwhelming power of the spiders—visible thanks to the tags that appeared over each entity in the video—everything seemed more shocking than the last. But things only got worse when Kai on-screen saw what they were doing to Eva and her son.

Even though, as professional heroes or aspiring ones, their hearts told them that Kai had to help Eva at that moment—and even though they already knew how everything turned out. As they watched Kai’s expression, clenching his fists and teeth while staring at the holographic screen, they couldn’t help but hope he wouldn’t do it, that he would stay hidden. It was far too dangerous, even for him.

But they quickly watched Kai dash out of the hut, destroying it in the process, then stab the leader directly in the neck—a sight that made them clench their fists with mixed feelings. While it’s inevitable that a hero will, at some point in their career, end the life of a villain, it’s quite rare and only happens in extreme situations—the last resort no hero truly wants to take.

To save someone in the midst of an unimaginably dangerous situation, Kai—the child they’d known all their lives, the man they loved—had become a killer. It was an incredibly bitter feeling they wrestled within their hearts. Still, the video moved on without regard for their emotions, showing how Kai activated Accompany to return home.

With hearts pounding, they watched as Oliver was suddenly pulled from within Accompany’s barrier of light—something none of them even knew was possible—causing them to gasp sharply. Now they understood why Kai didn’t just run; he couldn’t. Possibly sending Eva and her son away was the best he could do at that moment.

With their hearts racing, everyone watched Kai cancel the ability and run to get Oliver back, only to be enveloped by an enormous shadow that left only a purple streak in the air, along with a loud roar—this shadow then quickly took the form of a colossal, monstrous Drider, leading them to understand Eva’s earlier words. It really was a terrifying monster.

As the video showed Eva inside the metal walls conjured by Sage, everyone exchanged glances with no idea what to say, seeing the same expression on each other’s faces: an incredibly complicated look, mixed with panic, apprehension, and uncertainty, creating an awkward silence. Finally, Tomoko spoke in a solemn voice, breaking the tension.

“Kai did the right thing. In that situation, it was what had to be done to save a mother and her child. Anyone who says otherwise will have to answer to me.”

“…”

Chapter 171: I think I’m not a good Hero.

Chapter Text

Upon hearing Tomoko’s resolute words, everyone turned to look at her with slight surprise, but Nemuri quickly let out a soft sigh before commenting in an equally serious tone.

“…You’re right, and even if that hadn’t been the case, I’m not going to change my opinion of Kai. I’ve known him all my life, and I know he wouldn’t do something without a reason, so even if he made a mistake, I’ll stand by him and make sure we can repair the damage together.”

(After all, it’s highly likely that Kai will do something reckless if he finds the ‘traitors’ who sold out Jiro and Alisa…)

Nemuri silently added to herself because she knew him far too well to ignore that side of him. At the same time, she made a silent vow to prevent something like that from happening. In the event she failed, she steeled herself to give up her career and devote her life to helping him through his time in prison. Because Kai was the love of her life, she loved him with both his virtues and his flaws.

So if she couldn’t remedy the inner demons of the man she loved, she was prepared to stand by him and face the consequences together. Besides, from what she had heard, prisons allowed conjugal visits and the like, so although it would be rather complicated, there would still be ways to keep their love alive.

“…The shock from everything that happened affected me a bit, but in the end, you’re right. We know Kai and what he is and isn’t capable of. There’s no point focusing on that. The situation was really complicated.” Soon, Shino reacted and spoke seriously, prompting Chatora to nod and add in a similar tone.

“I feel the same way. But I think after this, we should have a talk with Kai, or at least give him the chance to see a therapist. Even what we’ve seen so far is quite traumatic, and there’s still more to come.”

“Yes... Given how Kai arrived, he was on the brink of death. That must’ve affected him greatly; I even think I need some help myself. I feel pretty bad right now.”

Ryuko added in a serious tone, though her voice trembled slightly. While the scene of the killing shocked her a bit, she had known from the start who she was getting involved with. Though Kai hadn’t had to fight much, she still remembered what happened so many years ago with that ogre woman, who hadn’t fared well afterward—her last bit of information was that the woman ended up in a coma.

But since no one in the family bothered to investigate what happened after that—or at least, no one ever mentioned it again—she kept what she knew to herself, firmly convinced that her Kai was a loving man who resorted to violence only as a last resort. Time ended up proving her right: after that, Kai never again found himself involved in any kind of trouble or fight, even though he possessed the strength to kill with a casual blow.

Because of that, from the outset, what worried her most was the condition Kai was in when he arrived. The sight had been so brutal that just remembering it sent a tremor through her body—if not for his absurd quirk, the wounds he had would’ve killed him multiple times over. It filled her with infinite terror because she wouldn’t know what to do if Kai disappeared from her life. She wouldn’t be able to bear it.

“I feel the same way… Maybe we really do need some help.” Momo added in a troubled tone, prompting Nemuri to comment seriously.

“I know someone quite good. I’ll arrange appointments for whoever wants them.”

“Count me in.” Chatora was the first to speak, immediately followed by Ryuko, Shino, and Momo, who all spoke in unison.

“““Me too.”””

“…I think I might need some help as well.”

After a moment, Tomoko spoke in a soft tone, a world of difference from her usual demeanor—a clear sign of how affected she was. But her words caught everyone’s attention because of the one person who hadn’t said a word.

“Nejire…? Are you okay?”

Nemuri asked with some concern, looking at the beautiful blue-haired girl, who was staring fixedly at Eva on the screen. Nejire noticed and turned to look at her, responding in a slightly distant voice.

“…I think I’m not a good Hero…”

“What do you mean?” Ryuko quickly asked with concern, and Nejire answered in a complex tone, filled with countless emotions.

“I mean that, although I know helping the mother and child in that situation was the right thing to do—though I would’ve done the same myself—I can’t help thinking it was all her fault. If not for that woman, Kai wouldn’t have had to end up the way he did. No matter what, I can't help but think he should have kept his word and not saved a ‘stranger’…”

Upon hearing Nejire’s words, Momo immediately stood up and hugged her tightly, causing all the adults to look at one another with bitter expressions. They understood the young girl’s feelings perfectly. After all, even they, as pro heroes, couldn’t help feeling the same. But after a few seconds, Nemuri approached Nejire and began to stroke her lovely blue hair before speaking in a gentle tone.

“Feeling like that is normal. Even though we’re heroes, we’re also human, and we want our loved ones to be safe. What you’re feeling is what every hero’s family experiences when they see their loved one risk their life for others—it’s natural. But in the same way, if Kai hadn’t done anything, how would you feel knowing he let a mother and her child die, even though he could’ve saved them?”

“…”

Nemuri’s words left Nejire completely silent. After thinking it over for a moment, she quickly realized that she would’ve felt incredibly uneasy. Even though Kai was always saying that he didn’t care about strangers—and she truly didn’t mind, thinking she herself could save them—if he were actually to keep his word and leave someone in danger right in front of him, she’d feel terribly disappointed.

“Don’t dwell on it too much. This just shows that Kai isn’t as indifferent as he wants to appear. Even though he doesn’t want to be a pro hero, he still saved an innocent mother and child at the risk of his own life—something many pro heroes wouldn’t do. So just keep that feeling in your heart, and remember it well: it’s what the people who love you feel every time you risk yourself for others. It’s one of the burdens you have to bear as a hero.”

“I understand…”

After a moment, Nejire spoke in a low, contemplative voice, and Momo also seemed lost in thought. Just then, everyone heard Sage’s solemn voice through the speakers, announcing Kai’s arrival. Inevitably, their attention went back to the screen, where what soon unfolded was a cataclysmic battle, surpassing even their wildest guesses about what might have happened in the few hours Kai had been gone.

…

As she carried Kai in her arms up the stairs, Keiko couldn’t help looking at his peacefully sleeping face and biting her lip hard, wearing an incredibly complicated expression. She wondered when was the last time she’d seen him so calm, so relaxed, so vulnerable, which inevitably brought to mind the state he’d been in just moments ago—an image capable of shattering her heart into a thousand pieces.

Although she knew Kai liked to maintain a tough, indifferent facade—likely something he did consciously or unconsciously to keep people away or to test them—she never imagined he’d eventually put himself in such danger to save a complete stranger. It was the manifestation of one of her worst fears: that Kai had inherited his father’s “foolishness.”

Even though he always seemed cold, antisocial, and even confrontational, that fear had never left Keiko’s heart. She knew perfectly well that people could say a lot and swear up and down that they would behave a certain way in a hypothetical situation. Yet, the truth was that no one on earth could know for sure how they would really act when the time came.

Many claimed they would be brave, fight to the last breath, or remain steadfast and loyal no matter what, but in the end, they were nothing more than words. A pattern she had noticed throughout her life was that the more someone boasted about something, the more likely they were to do the exact opposite when push came to shove. The one who proclaimed himself the bravest, the fiercest warrior, was usually the first to flee; the one who swore he was the most “loyal” was always the first traitor.

Those repeated proclamations seemed almost like a way to overcompensate for some internal weakness. And there was probably no one who broadcast a greater air of not wanting to help others than Kai, always cold and distant with strangers, repeating like a mantra that he wouldn’t help people he didn’t know—almost as if he feared them unconsciously. Because of that, deep down, she always worried that if Kai found himself in a truly desperate situation, he might do the same thing his idiot father had done—sacrifice himself for others.

Even though she didn’t know the specifics—and to be honest, she didn’t think she could handle them, which was why she’d fled to the second floor—she was fully aware that the situation must have been so dire that even the Symbol of Peace might not have survived it. After all, there was probably nobody who understood Kai’s power better than she did. If he set his mind to it, not even the Symbol of Peace would walk away if Kai wanted him dead.

For that reason, to her, it was entirely justifiable if Kai had decided to step aside. His power didn’t obligate him in any way to sacrifice himself for others. Even though leaving an innocent mother and her child to their fate would be devastating, she still considered Kai’s safety to be more important. Kai was infinitely more precious in her heart than that poor woman, and if the price to pay for Kai’s safety was that woman’s life and her child’s, it was a price she would “pay” without blinking.

They could call her crazy, cold, heartless, or despicable; she didn’t care in the slightest. After all, in her eyes, the world was incredibly small—so small that only two people fit in the center: her beloved daughter and her irreplaceable Kai. Beyond that circle stood eight more people, her non-blood family. Everyone else was just a bunch of vultures who loved to pass judgment but would never lift a finger for her or anyone else, since the ones who would were rarely the ones so quick to criticize.

…

Still lost in her thoughts, gripped by a profound fear for what the future might bring, Keiko soon found herself standing before Kai’s bedroom. At that moment, Yumiko—who, upon seeing Keiko’s expression, had chosen to remain silent the entire way—opened the door with a gentle gesture, revealing on the other side an incredibly simple room, nothing like what one would expect of a teenager.

The room, spacious and well-lit, with huge smart windows overlooking a moonlit forest, contained only a white bed, perfectly made with meticulous care. It rested on a cozy, elegant rug atop a wooden floor, flanked by two bedside tables and a tall lamp on the left. A single wall clock served as its only decoration.

Such a minimalist style, so different from Momo’s or Nejire’s rooms—overflowing with personal touches like plushes, decorations, or even posters—was very typical of Kai, where the only real mark of his presence might be his workshop. It was as if, unconsciously, he wanted to reduce his existence in the mansion to a minimum, as though he felt like a guest in his own home.

“Lay him down on the bed, Keiko. I’ll go get some towels and hot water.”

Once inside, Yumiko spoke in a measured, collected voice and headed to the bathroom. Keiko nodded and carried Kai over to the bed, placing him on it. She began carefully inspecting the young man’s body for any lingering wounds, until her gaze fell on the pair of necklaces around the blue-eyed boy’s neck.

“Even after everything you went through, these are almost untouched…”

Keiko remarked in a low, raspy voice, holding the pair of necklaces in one hand as her other hand brushed over the small marks on both the pendants and the chains. A faint smile formed on her lips. Kai really was too sentimental, though that was one of the things she loved most about him.

Chapter 172: Where exactly was Kai?

Chapter Text

Soon, Yumiko came out of the bathroom holding a bucket of hot water and several towels. She found Keiko gently caressing Kai’s face, sitting by his side on the bed, while Salem had lain down in a corner of the bed alongside Tama, both of them watching Kai intently. With a light step, she walked over and placed the bucket of water on the bed, along with the towels, then spoke softly.

“Well, let’s start by taking these clothes off him. You take the top; I’ll do the bottom…”

“Alright…”

Still a bit lost in her thoughts, Keiko answered in a gentle voice. Then she reached out to the torn blue sports jacket, which started to come apart even before she could fully remove it, causing a strange smile to appear on the beautiful woman’s face. She couldn’t help but comment ironically.

“And they’re supposed to be high-quality…”

“That’s how complicated the situation they went through must’ve been…”

While taking off the shredded pieces of what was once Kai’s pants, Yumiko replied quietly and with restraint, her voice carrying countless emotions. Keiko could only nod heavily, remaining silent, then grabbed one of the towels and dipped it in the bucket of hot water, something Yumiko did as well.

With slow, delicate movements, Yumiko and Keiko cleaned the dirt and blood off Kai’s now uninjured body. They stayed silent, as though they had reached a tacit agreement—each lost in her own thoughts and emotions—paying special attention to Kai’s limbs. Both had the image burned into their minds of the blue-eyed boy without them.

“…Does it feel a little softer…?” Lost in her thoughts, Keiko whispered softly as she squeezed Kai’s left arm a bit. Yumiko, doing something similar to Kai’s right leg, murmured in response.

“…Maybe? Or it might just be our imagination because of what we saw. Once the doctor gets here, we’ll know better…”

“You’re right…”

Keiko quickly replied under her breath, then went on to clean Kai’s other arm with equally slow movements, something Yumiko did as well. After some time, they both found themselves close to Kai’s groin area, and at that moment, they looked up and met each other’s gaze.

“…Should we?”

After a few seconds of staring at Yumiko, Keiko asked in a calm tone, though a slight blush was visible on her cheeks—clearly trying to hide it. In response, the beautiful, blue-haired mother nodded and answered casually, though she too had a similar blush on her cheeks.

“Of course. Kai went through a lot and ended up really dirty, but if you feel uncomfortable, I can handle it.”

“No, not at all. I just thought you might be uncomfortable. After all, it’s been so long since we used to bathe with Kai, so I can do it if you like.” Keiko replied quickly in a calm, casual tone, not making a big deal out of it. Yumiko smiled kindly and commented.

“There’s really no need to worry about that. I can handle it perfectly fine. Even though it has been a while since then, Kai is still the baby I watched grow up. There couldn’t be anything like discomfort.”

“…”

Hearing this, Keiko chose to remain silent and looked straight into Yumiko’s blue eyes. Yumiko calmly met her gaze, leading to a brief stare-down that ended after a few seconds, when Keiko sighed and spoke in an amiable tone

“Let’s both do it. Kai’s still our baby; there’s no reason to make a fuss about it.”

“Right, let’s do it together. Besides, we still need to clean his back.” Yumiko answered as she set aside a dirty towel and picked up a fresh one, which she then dipped into the bucket of hot water. Keiko nodded and did likewise.

“You’re right.”

After wetting the new towels with hot water and leaving them on the rim of the bucket, Yumiko took hold of Kai’s underwear. This, despite a few holes, was in slightly better shape than the rest of his clothes and still intact. She then looked at Keiko and spoke calmly.

“Help me lift him.”

Keiko nodded quickly and lifted Kai slightly off the bed, which allowed Yumiko to fluidly remove his underwear. At that moment, two clear gulping sounds echoed in the room, and Yumiko turned to Keiko, speaking in a strange tone of voice, cheeks a little flushed:

“It looks like our baby grew up well…”

“That seems to be the case…”

Keiko replied, her gaze fixed on the boy’s sleeping masculinity, which, even though “inactive,” was already quite impressive in size. She couldn’t help but feel a strange heat run through her body, so she quickly shook her head and spoke in a serious tone,

“Well, we can’t just leave him like this all day, or he might catch a cold. Let’s finish quickly.”

“You’re right, let’s get this done.”

Yumiko nodded immediately and grabbed one of the towels from the bucket, wrung it out a bit, and began cleaning the left side of Kai’s hip, where, besides dirt and blood, there were even small wooden splinters. At the same time, Keiko took the other towel and did the same on the right side.

After the two women carefully cleaned Kai’s hips with deliberately slow movements, they finally reached the center area, at which point they switched towels and moved on to clean the groin. Their hands trembled slightly, deliberately avoiding the most problematic spot at first. However, due to the contact, the physiology of the blue-eyed boy activated even though he was unconscious, awakening his masculinity, which rose proudly before both mothers.

Seeing its impressive size, Yumiko and Keiko again swallowed hard in unison, unconsciously squeezing their thighs together. Yumiko quickly cleaned that problematic area with a swift motion, then looked at Keiko and tried to speak with a controlled expression, feeling a lingering heat in her hand,

“Let’s turn him over so we can clean his back.”

“Y-yes.”

Keiko, who had been almost mesmerized, nodded somewhat nervously and hurried to turn Kai over. But seeing Kai’s erect masculinity, she realized she might hurt him if she wasn’t careful, so with a quick motion of her bare left hand, she adjusted it before fully turning him onto his stomach—something Yumiko witnessed wide-eyed.

“Let’s finish.”

Not wanting to make the moment more awkward, Yumiko spoke in a tone a couple of decibels higher than usual, a sign that she wasn’t as calm as she wanted to seem. Keiko, her face red, quickly nodded.

“Y-yes, let’s get this over with.”

The two mothers grabbed clean towels and started wiping Kai’s back in silence, although their eyes inevitably roamed over the unconscious young man’s body, especially his round backside—proof of his tireless training—which made the blush on their faces intensify in real time.

Soon, the two mothers finished cleaning Kai’s defined body, at which point Yumiko began placing the dirty towels into the bucket of water, deliberately hiding her face from Keiko. She coughed a couple of times to clear her throat and spoke seriously,

“I’ll go find some clothes.”

“Something comfortable.”

Keiko responded at once, also discreetly hiding her blushing face. She pressed slightly with the hand she had used to grab that powerful “dragon,” convinced she could still feel its warmth—something that inevitably made her squeeze her thighs together, noticing a dampness threatening to drip down.

A little later, Yumiko returned with a simple black sports outfit, one of the sets Kai always wore. They put it on him in a hurry, and while they had a bit of trouble again when trying to put on his underwear, Yumiko was quicker and adjusted the upright “dragon” before Keiko could do anything. She kept a casual, carefree expression, leaving the beautiful black-haired woman with a certain feeling of disappointment in her chest that she didn’t dare express.

…

“This has been a great life!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!”

In the middle of the mansion’s main hall, the entire family watched as an apocalyptic storm of lightning rained down upon the island in a sepulchral silence, broken only by the pained sobs of those present. They had watched with their own eyes as Kai was pushed to the brink of death, but seeing him accept his end with a huge smile was too heartbreaking.

That almost maniacal laughter, which seemed to perfectly blend with the thunder, was more than they could bear. It shattered their hearts into a thousand pieces, prompting Nejire—her face streaming with tears—to get up and run to the second floor, followed closely by Momo, Ryuko, and Tomoko. At the same time, Shino and Nemuri stood up as well, intending to follow them, but just then, an iconic voice echoed through the property.

“I am here!!”

Upon landing, All Might quickly walked into the mansion, where he found Shino, Nemuri, and Chatora with tear-streaked faces. Their expressions showed such deep pain that even the Symbol of Peace clenched his fists tightly, apprehensive about what had happened, as he asked in a heavy voice.

“What happened?”

“…Kai came back a few minutes ago, but he was on the brink of death. If not for his abilities, we might have lost him…” Nemuri replied, trying to keep her emotions under control, but her voice broke midway. This led All Might to ask gravely.

“Kai-shonen is alright?”

“Yes…he’s upstairs.” Shino answered in a tearful voice, wiping her eyes, and then Chatora added seriously, also wiping away tears.

“But what happened was devastating; they almost ate him alive. I think we need to organize a large-scale raid to attack those spiders. They possess a power capable of destroying nations…”

“They almost ate him alive? What happened? I was circling the sea, but I couldn’t find anything.” All Might asked gravely. Nemuri looked at Chatora and spoke in a serious, though trembling, voice.

“Chatora, we’re going upstairs. Please explain everything to All Might.”

“Alright, leave it to me.” Chatora nodded and spoke in a more serious tone, then slapped his cheeks firmly to gather his courage before turning to face All Might, just as Nemuri and Shino ran up to the second floor.

“Let me show you the data we have.” Chatora spoke in a measured tone, pointing toward the sofas. All Might nodded and approached, and Chatora started to explain solemnly.

“Kai managed to record a video of what happened, but to summarize it for you, in that place there were at least a hundred spiders with extremely powerful quirks. From what Kai sent, the weakest among them were stronger than an average pro hero, but the truly terrifying ones were three giant monsters with power on par with Kai’s—or maybe even yours at your prime.”

As he spoke, Chatora reached the central table and began manipulating it, causing multiple holographic screens to appear in front of All Might. They showed images and various data about the different kinds of spiders, and especially about the Driders and the round monster, while he continued.

“Kai managed to send Eva—the woman you saw before—away with her son, but the quirks of those spiders were incredibly strong and complex, preventing him from escaping himself. He only managed to return thanks to a stroke of luck.”

Chatora promptly showed All Might several clips processed by the server’s AI. All Might watched them with an extremely solemn expression, his fists clenched tightly. After all, in those clips, he saw the wretched state Kai ended up in—someone who could rival him in his prime—so even he might not have survived if he’d gone to that place.

Yet, there was something All Might still didn’t understand. He turned to Chatora and asked seriously.

“But there’s something I don’t get: where is the island shown in these videos? I flew around the area the glasses indicated for quite some time and didn’t see anything like it.”

“That’s strange. In the video, Kai just walked in a straight line until he got swallowed by fog, and shortly afterward he had to face a brutal storm—not to mention that in the footage you can see there’s a full moon in that place…”

Chatora answered in a tone full of uncertainty, manipulating the controls on the table to show All Might images of what he was talking about. The Symbol of Peace raised an eyebrow in disbelief, unable to help commenting in a complicated voice as he looked at the door to the garden, where he could see a beautiful waning moon illuminating the night.

“Where exactly was Kai-shonen…?”

“…We’d like to know that too…” Chatora replied in a tone similar to All Might’s, staring fixedly at the image of Kai arriving on that strange island that appeared to be made of intertwined roots.

Chapter 173: Just blame All Might.

Chapter Text

After putting some clothes on Kai, Keiko reached out and gently caressed the unconscious boy’s black hair, causing her to wrinkle her tiny nose a bit when she felt how rough and clearly dirty it was. She turned to look at Yumiko and remarked in a calm tone, having finally managed to settle down after the emotional turmoil brought on by that dangerous “dragon.”

“I’m going to take Kai to wash his hair.”

“All right, leave everything here to me. I’ll sort it all out.” Yumiko quickly replied with a serene smile, as though her face hadn’t been beet-red just moments before. Keiko nodded in response and proceeded to lift Kai.

But at that very moment, Nejire burst into the room, tears streaming down her face. She ran and hurled herself onto the bed, landing right beside Kai, then hugged him tightly as sobs full of pain and panic spilled out.

“Kai…”

“Nejire?!” Keiko couldn’t help but exclaim in alarm, swiftly followed by Yumiko, who quickly approached her daughter and asked anxiously.

“What happened, sweetie?!”

Before Nejire could say anything, Momo, Ryuko, and Tomoko ran into the room, tears running down their cheeks in a similar manner. They leaped onto the bed and gathered around the unconscious boy, clearly seized by panic and crying inconsolably. This prompted Keiko to ask in panic.

“What’s going on? Why are you all like this?”

“What did you see in Sage’s recording…?”

Yumiko asked apprehensively, but the girls were far too panicked to pay attention to them. The two mothers exchanged complicated glances, until after a few moments, Nemuri and Shino entered the room, looking equally sorrowful, though they were already wiping away their tears.

“What’s going on, Nemuri? Why are they like this?”

“…The video was too harsh… Kai basically fought until he used up his last bit of strength… accepting his own death and asking Sage to take care of us if, by some miracle, she somehow continued to exist after his death… it was just too much for us…”

Nemuri began to explain in a broken voice, but as she spoke, tears rolled down her cheeks again. Her heart shattered into pieces just thinking about the despair and pain that the love of her life had endured at that moment—how alone he must have felt, how heartbreaking that experience had been. And yet, despite it all, the only thing on his mind was them—his family—a clear indication that, for Kai, they were more important than his own life.

Hearing Nemuri’s words made Keiko’s and Yumiko’s tears flow once again, as those simple words were more than enough for them to imagine how impactful the video must have been in reality. At the same time, it helped them understand the girls’ condition.

Meanwhile, Shino and Nemuri walked slowly to the bed, where Kai lay. Nejire was on his left side, with Yumiko a little farther behind, while Momo was lying on his chest and Keiko was seated on his right. Ryuko and Tomoko clung tightly to the unconscious boy’s legs, pressing their faces against them.

Fixing her gaze on Kai’s sleeping face, Nemuri sat on the right side of the bed near his head, then stretched out her hand and began gently stroking the boy’s forehead, paying special attention to the left side, moving her fingers in circular motions. Her expression was filled with pain.

After all, the scar he had carried for more than ten years was no longer there—something that for many might be seen as a good thing, but Nemuri knew that this was the price Kai had had to pay for his survival. He lost one of the memories he had chosen to keep on his body as an “indelible” reminder.

Meanwhile, Shino climbed onto the bed and settled on Kai’s left side, sitting next to Nejire. She then reached out to gently touch the cheek of the love of her life—the only man she had ever loved from the depths of her heart. A man who, despite his age, always seemed strong, confident, unbeatable. But seeing him so vulnerable now made her discover a new dimension of her love.

Although Kai was her pillar, the solid rock she leaned on to such an extent that she never even considered what would happen if he were gone—because in her mind, that scenario had practically never existed ever since they consummated their relationship—now Shino realized that the man she loved was not invincible. He could be defeated, and therefore, as his woman, she needed to step forward to support him and help him.

Amid sorrowful sobs, Shino lifted her gaze and focused on a distraught Yumiko and Keiko, which brought a bitter smile to her face. Seeing them in that state, she really couldn’t imagine them leaving and dismantling the family out of anger or disagreement over her relationship. Even if they might not have accepted it at first, their Kai was incredibly important to them—perhaps as much or even more than he was to her.

(Really… what were we so afraid of? We’re nothing but a bunch of fools, and this life is too unpredictable to keep up this farce, hiding from each other… If something had happened to Kai, my life would have ended with him, so what’s the point of continuing to hide and deprive ourselves of living our love…?)

Lost in her thoughts, Shino scanned all the women present, then bit her lip hesitantly, wanting to reveal everything and give free rein to her feelings without caring who saw. But at the same time, she didn’t want to make a unilateral decision without considering the others’ opinions—especially Kai’s, who would be upset not to be there for the confession.

After a few seconds, Shino sighed, wrestling with endless emotions. In the end, she gave in with resignation, reminding herself that they had already agreed to reveal everything when the first payment on Yumiko’s company debt was made, which would be quite soon. So, at the very least, she would wait until Kai woke up. Until then, she could only hold back.

…

About thirty minutes later, while the girls were still gathered around the unconscious boy as though seeking some kind of safety, Chatora entered the room. But upon seeing the scene, he could only smile softly, then lean against the door frame, lost in thought as he took in the scene.

Kai was really a strange boy—he was the sweetest and gentlest of all, yet also the bitterest, most selfish, and most aggressive, like an onion covered by layer upon layer of hostility. And yet, somehow, that boy had a staggering charisma that had the entire family revolving around him. And even though the girls tried to ignore it, it was obvious to him that the love they felt for him had long ago crossed any boundary of mere romance.

Although society would undoubtedly view something like that in an incredibly negative light, and they would surely face plenty of criticism, he had already been through a lot, suffering his own share of criticisms and comments. Because of this, a long time ago, he had stopped caring about other people’s opinions. The only thing that mattered to him was the happiness of the people he loved and cared for; the rest could go to hell with their comments.

So if the girls decided to go one step further with their latent feelings or if they chose to remain as they were, he would wholeheartedly support them. After all, Kai was truly a great man, always concerned about the whole family—supporting them and making sure everyone was safe—and the Accomplices and the vast array of support gadgets they had were fully funded and created by Kai, sometimes with Keiko’s help.

“Girls, the doctor’s here.”

A few minutes later, Chatora spoke in a calm tone that caught the girls’ attention. They turned to look at him with swollen eyes, then looked at one another and began to sit up on the bed, much calmer now. Keiko took that moment to speak, wiping away her tears.

“All right… let’s have him examine the boy first. The Medpod should have finished with his most serious injuries by now.”

“Okay, I’ll take him to the medical room.” Chatora nodded and replied in an even voice. Yumiko nodded and spoke in a choked voice.

“Thank you, Chatora, and sorry for putting you through so much trouble…”

Hearing Yumiko’s words, Chatora shook his head, wearing a warm smile as he responded in a more serious tone.

“Don’t worry. This is a difficult time, so let me handle these things for now. By the way, All Might is still downstairs. He decided to wait until the doctor gives his diagnosis on Kai. Also, we’re already discussing how to carry out a raid on those spiders. The problem is that we don’t know where the island is.

“The data Sage left points to the place All Might searched for Kai, but he says there was only calm sea in that location—nothing like what was shown in the video. And the satellite data of that area shows the same. Kai himself mentioned it before he left, and even [Sentinel] hasn’t found anything, so there must be an error or some missing key information.”

“…That’s really strange…” Nemuri commented in a husky yet thoughtful tone, now much calmer, at which point Ryuko added while seated beside Kai, with no intention whatsoever of moving.

“It’s possible that, halfway there, Kai noticed some change via the ability that resembles Tomoko’s quirk. And given how rushed the moment was, Sage couldn’t include all that information.”

“It could also be that they fell victim to some kind of spatial quirk or something like that without realizing it, and not even they know exactly where that place is…” Keiko commented softly while she and Momo tidied Kai’s clothes a bit. Nejire then spoke in a low voice, still clinging firmly to one of Kai’s arms.

“In the video, Kai left a mark on that place…”

“…”

Nejire’s words brought a deathly silence to the room. None of those present liked the idea of Kai returning to that hell, but at the same time, they understood the importance of dealing with those spiders. This left everyone in an awkward dilemma, until, after a few seconds, Shino spoke, letting out a small sigh.

“…For now, we can only wait for Kai to wake up. Sage said it would take him a few days, so for now, let’s let the authorities handle investigating. We’ll see what happens.”

“That’s best…” Nemuri agreed, sighing, much like Shino had done. At that point, Chatora added in a resigned tone.

“For the moment, I’ll go see the doctor and take him to Eva and her son.”

“We also need to talk to that woman. We don’t know anything about her, where she’s from, or how she ended up there…” Keiko remarked seriously, earning unanimous nods from everyone present. At that, Chatora added with the same seriousness.

“Plus, things seem a bit complicated given her situation because when I asked her earlier if she wanted to call someone, she said she’d think about it. That’s odd, considering everything she’s been through.”

“Argus, keep an eye on that woman’s every move. Let me know privately if she does anything suspicious.” Upon hearing Chatora’s comment, Keiko quickly ordered in a serious tone, to which the mechanical voice of the virtual assistant promptly replied.

[Understood.]

“Is that really necessary? She’s here with her son…” Ryuko asked, slightly uncomfortable, to which Keiko responded in a firm tone.

“Yes, we don’t know who she is or where she’s from. Even though Kai saved her, we can’t let our guard down.”

“…Keiko’s right about that, but don't make it too obvious; be subtle. Besides, there’s also the matter of the authorities. We have to explain why we suddenly have an undocumented foreigner in our home.” Yumiko added seriously, prompting bitter smiles from the adults—indeed, it would be problematic. Shino then gently suggested.

“We could say that we—the Pussycats—rescued her. It would be much easier to handle it that way.”

“That might be, but you guys specialize in mountain and forest rescues. It wouldn’t make sense for you to have saved her at sea or someplace like that. That might raise even more suspicion.” Nemuri quickly pointed out in a serious tone, and the others nodded. At last, Tomoko, who had been uncharacteristically silent—still lying with her head resting on Kai’s thigh, showing no intention of moving and keeping her eyes closed—spoke in an oddly calm tone.

“Let’s just blame All Might. He doesn’t have a specific specialty, and saves people in all kinds of places and situations. Also, no one would dare ask him too many questions, so they wouldn’t suspect him.”

“…That seems like the best option…” Keiko replied in an odd tone, eyeing the comfortable-looking Tomoko as though wanting to say something but ultimately deciding to remain silent. Chatora then spoke, his tone serious.

“Well, then, I’ll go fetch the doctor. I don’t want to keep him waiting any longer.”

Chapter 174: Doctor Tsunashi.

Chapter Text

After bidding farewell to the girls, Chatora went down the stairs and arrived in the main hall, where he encountered a man of about fifty years old with short, neatly combed gray hair, seated on one of the room’s sofas and gently sipping a cup of tea. The man quickly rose from his seat and greeted him with a slight bow.

“Yawara-san.”

“Doctor Tsunashi, please follow me to the medical room.”

Chatora remarked in a calm tone. The older man quickly nodded, grabbed the briefcase that stood beside him, and followed Chatora out of the mansion. Shortly thereafter, they arrived at a medical room that looked quite minimalistic, where there was already a beautiful foreign woman with blonde hair and olive skin, dressed in a simple white dress.

“Mr. Chatora.”

Noticing the arrival of Chatora and the doctor, Eva—who had been seated in a comfortable swivel chair not far from the MedPod—quickly rose and greeted them in a serious tone. The muscular professional hero responded with a smile, then pointed to the doctor beside him and spoke in English.

“This is Dr. Kojiro Tsunashi, a specialist who will examine your son to ensure everything is alright.”

“Thank you so very much; I really don’t know how to repay all that you are doing for me…”

Deeply moved, Eva placed her hands over her heart and said in a voice choked with emotion. To that, Chatora replied with a confident and assured tone, befitting a professional hero of his experience.

“Don’t worry about that. As I mentioned, here most of us are professional heroes; helping those in need is our vocation.”

“…Thank you so very much…”

Wiping away the tears that had gathered at the corners of her eyes, Eva spoke in a voice full of innumerable emotions, at which moment Chatora announced in a serious tone.

“Argus, bring out all the medical equipment.”

[Understood.]

With that response from the synthetic voice, several mechanical shutters in the walls opened—catching Eva slightly by surprise—revealing all manner of medical equipment, unveiling new rooms, and rapidly transforming the minimalistic, elegant space into essentially a fully equipped hospital boasting the latest in medical technology. This transformation surprised the doctor somewhat.

After all, although Lady Yaoyorozu had mentioned that they possessed all the necessary equipment, he hadn’t expected it to be so complete—indeed, even better than his own hospital, since that room even held things that supposedly couldn’t be acquired with money alone. But just as the doctor was looking around, Chatora turned to face him and said in a serious voice.

“Doctor Tsunashi, the little one in the MedPod sustained injuries of varying severity and is currently undergoing treatment, so we would like you to examine him.”

“Of course.”

After nodding firmly, Dr. Tsunashi quickly approached the MedPod at the center of the room and began reviewing the young patient’s data. Internally, however, he couldn’t help but criticize the imprudence of placing a child in a MedPod without specialized medical supervision.

Even though the MedPods were truly impressive and capable of many things on their own, the reason they were not sold to non-hospital entities was that they could still commit errors, which might prove fatal.

Although, well, being the owner and founder of one of the few companies capable of creating those technological marvels, it wasn’t inconceivable that they kept a few at home.

After a few minutes, Dr. Tsunashi found himself somewhat surprised as he scrutinized the holographic screens filled with data. Merely by reviewing those records, he realized that the MedPod was, in fact, far more advanced than any currently available on the market—a realization that inevitably made him worry a bit about the future of his profession.

Not so much for him, though, as he was already a well-known and affluent doctor, and as impressive as the MedPod might be, doctors like him would still be needed. However, such an advancement could undoubtedly end up disadvantaging the new doctors who were just beginning their careers.

Yet throughout his own career he had had to adapt to the constant emergence of new technologies that supposedly would harm doctors, but even now, 40 years later, they remained necessary and well paid.

“The young one is doing fine. I made a few minor adjustments to the treatment and will prescribe some medications for later, but his wounds aren’t too complex and—with proper rehabilitation—they shouldn’t leave any lasting damage.”

After a while, the doctor turned to look at Chatora and spoke in a calm tone—a comment that brought a smile to the muscular hero’s face. He quickly translated the message for Eva, who couldn’t help but leap for joy. With tears in her eyes and hands pressed firmly to her chest as she tried to contain her emotions, she said.

“Thank you so very much, doctor; thank you, Mr. Chatora. I really don’t know how to express how much this news means to me.”

“You can now be at ease, but you should also let Dr. Tsunashi examine you. I couldn’t help but notice that you also have several wounds.” Chatora commented with a kind smile, to which Eva quickly shook her head and replied hastily.

“No, it isn’t necessary. You have already done more than enough for me, and I’m already imposing. The fact that my little Oliver is okay is all that matters—I’m fine.”

“It’s nothing; the doctor is already here and has been paid in advance. Besides, later he must examine Kai, so if he doesn’t examine you, it would be a waste of money.”

Thanks to his years of experience as a hero, Chatora had learned a thing or two about dealing with overly “shy” people. He promptly commented with confidence—a remark that, just as he had hoped, made Eva hesitate. She adorably pressed her lips together in indecision, and Chatora quickly delivered the final push.

“It won’t take long; he’ll just examine you and prescribe something for your wounds—it won’t take him much time.”

“…Alright… then I’ll take advantage of your kindness once more…” After a few moments, Eva responded with some reluctance, but quickly looked Chatora in the eyes and added in a tone filled with firmness and resolve-

“But rest assured, Mr. Chatora, I will do everything in my power to repay you for everything you are doing for me—even if it takes a lifetime. I especially owe young Kai; to him, I owe not only my life but, more importantly, my son's. If it weren’t for him, it’s likely that we would now be in the stomach of one of those spiders.”

“When Kai wakes up, you can tell him yourself.”

Chatora replied with a huge smile on his face, truly proud of what Kai had accomplished. For even though the proper decision might have been to abandon Eva and her son, he went against his own words and ended up rescuing an innocent mother and her child from the clutches of hell—a feat worthy of a true hero.

Although that heroic act nearly cost Kai his life—and while he earnestly hoped that Kai would never have to endure such a terrible experience again—Chatora was still a hero by calling. He had chosen this career not for money or fame, but out of a genuine desire to save the world and make it a better place. Moreover, witnessing the young person he had known since childhood grow into an impressive hero inevitably filled his heart with pride.

Even more so because he had never truly imagined that Kai would do something like that. He had always thought that Kai would be one of those who would step back when it came time to help someone in danger—a reaction perfectly understandable and one he wouldn’t harshly criticize, since deciding whether to save others was a personal decision, and it is human instinct to flee from danger.

But to go against that instinct and do what is “right” was something to be celebrated and applauded. And seeing the child he had helped raise—whom he regarded as almost his own son, family, and friend—filled him with a profound sense of accomplishment, making him feel that perhaps something he had tried to teach Kai had indeed taken effect, even if only slightly.

“I will do that…” At Chatora’s words, Eva nodded firmly, prompting Chatora to turn and look at the doctor and request in a formal tone.

“Doctor Tsunashi, this is Eva. She has a couple of wounds on her body; would it be possible for you to examine her?”

“Certainly. With the equipment here, I can perform a complete analysis, and I also speak a little English, so it won’t be much trouble.” The doctor replied quickly in a calm manner, to which Chatora expressed his gratitude with a slight nod.

“Perfect, then we will be counting on your help.” After expressing his thanks, Chatora turned to look at Eva and spoke in a calm tone.

“Well, Eva, I’ll leave you in the care of Dr. Tsunashi; he speaks English as well. For now, I must attend to some pending matters. If you’ve already decided whom you wish to call, I can leave you my phone so you can do so.”

“…I’ll bother you about it later…”

After a few seconds, Eva responded with some difficulty. Chatora did not press further and left the medical room after a brief farewell. Moments later, after surveying the area a bit, the doctor quickly turned to look at Eva and remarked in somewhat rusty English.

“Mrs. Eva, please follow me to the adjacent room; the diagnostic equipment is located there.”

“Of course, doctor, and my apologies for any inconvenience.” Eva replied promptly in a formal tone, upon which the doctor smiled calmly before adding in a relaxed tone.

“Don’t worry about that. As Yawara-san informed you, I have already been paid, so I must perform the work.”

…

After leaving the medical room, Chatora returned to the mansion to meet with All Might, who had been making some phone calls in a room adjacent to the main hall. Chatora found him returning to the main hall with a grave expression on his face.

“I already got in touch with some friends, and really, they weren’t able to find any records about that island; although they will keep searching, they told me not to have too much hope…”

Upon seeing Chatora, All Might spoke in a somewhat heavy tone as he approached, to which Chatora quickly nodded in understanding. After all, Sentinel had also been searching for information about that island and had found nothing. That virtual assistant was among the best things Kai had ever created, with an incredible ability to collect data and identify patterns; but even so, up to this point, it hadn’t uncovered a single clue.

“Kai should have a way to identify that place, but as we know, he will remain unconscious for several days, so it is best to wait. Although I really don’t want him to return to that place, I will continue searching on my own—and I would like to count on your help.” Chatora said this in a serious tone while looking directly into All Might’s eyes. All Might quickly nodded and replied with equal seriousness.

“I will also do everything I can to track down those spiders—they’re far too dangerous to leave unchecked. Although Kai-shonen was exceedingly imprudent to go there alone, at the very least he could have called me.”

“Well, regarding that—even though it was truly imprudent—the truth is there weren’t many options. Kai initially wanted to gather information and, being adept at stealth, went alone since he is strong enough to keep himself safe and escape. But things took a turn for the worse with Eva’s appearance.”

Chatora commented with a somewhat complex smile, which prompted All Might to ask with curiosity—and a hint of anticipation in his tone.

“Now that you mention it, is Eva the woman that Kai-shonen rescued from that island? How did that come about?”

“Well, we still don’t fully understand it. What I can tell you is what’s in the data that Kai left behind, since we haven’t yet had the opportunity to speak with Eva. But on that island, there appeared to be an indigenous tribe…”

Chatora began to speak in a calm tone while simultaneously pointing to one of the nearby sofas, where he and All Might then sat down. At that moment, Mrs. Yoshiko, who had also been keeping a vigilant eye on the situation, quickly approached with two cups of hot tea and served the professional heroes with great elegance.

Chapter 175: Eva.

Chapter Text

In the medical room, Eva showed her wounds to the doctor, who, with a serious expression, took note and indicated that she sit on the hospital bed—one that looked almost futuristic—in the room, which was equipped with all kinds of state-of-the-art medical equipment. He then approached her and sat down; at that moment, the doctor unloaded his briefcase onto the desk in the room, opened it, and retrieved from it a sphygmomanometer, a stethoscope, and a few other items.

“Do you feel any kind of pain or discomfort anywhere?”

Placing the stethoscope around his neck, Doctor Tsunashi approached Eva and asked in a calm and formal tone, speaking in an obviously rusty English. This caused Eva to bite her lips in visible discomfort, so the experienced doctor chose not to press further and instead commented softly.

“For now, we’re just going to take your blood pressure and check your vital signs; does that sound alright?”

“… Alright, doctor.”

After a moment, Eva nodded and extended her arm as she spoke. Doctor Tsunashi then nodded before placing the sphygmomanometer around her arm, beginning to pump its bulb, then releasing the valve and carefully checking the readings.

“Your blood pressure is a bit high... Now let’s move on to your temperature and oxygen saturation.”

After removing the sphygmomanometer from Eva’s arm, Doctor Tsunashi calmly remarked before taking a small pulse oximeter from his briefcase—a tiny digital device—which he placed on Eva’s index finger. He then retrieved a digital thermometer and directed it at her forehead.

“There’s also a slight fever…” he murmured while looking at the thermometer before putting it back into his briefcase. At that moment, he stopped to look at Eva and said.

“I’m going to carefully examine your skin to identify any injuries or signs of irritation; does that sound alright?”

“…Yes.”

Eva nodded and replied quietly, prompting Doctor Tsunashi to nod once more. He then retrieved a portable lamp and a pair of gloves before beginning a meticulous examination of the various bruises and wounds—a process that quickly brought a serious expression to the aged doctor’s face.

This was because, as a doctor with decades of experience, he immediately recognized marks caused by repeated trauma; in other words, the beautiful woman before him had been a victim of continuous physical violence for quite some time—a situation that was not only very serious but also complex to treat, as physical violence commonly came accompanied by various types of abuse.

“I’ve noticed that in some areas there are marks that seem to have been caused by repeated trauma. With your permission, I will examine them more closely to assess the extent of these injuries. Does that sound alright?”

In a serious tone, Doctor Tsunashi informed her while subtly glancing at the lower part of Eva’s body. She quickly understood the message and couldn’t help but squeeze her thighs tightly while biting her lips in reluctant apprehension. After a few seconds, Eva spoke in a soft voice filled with a mix of emotions ranging from shame to fear.

“Doctor… I…”

“You don’t have to say it if it makes you uncomfortable. I am a doctor with decades of experience and have encountered all kinds of cases, so I can already imagine what might have happened. Still, it is necessary to conduct an evaluation to properly identify the injuries and begin effective treatment.”

“...Alright, doctor, I’m in your hands…”

After a few seconds of biting her lips hard, Eva responded in an incredibly soft voice—imbued with a palpable sense of weakness. Doctor Tsunashi promptly nodded before speaking in a serious and professional tone.

“You can trust me; just let me know at any moment if you feel pain or discomfort.”

“…Alright.”

Eva nodded once again and then lay down on the bed. At that moment, the doctor searched the room for his instruments, quickly finding what he needed in sterile bags. He then promptly manipulated the bed’s controls, causing two leg rests to appear, and began the examination with full professionalism.

…

Once the complete examination was finished, Doctor Tsunashi sat down at the desk and began typing all the information he had gathered into his laptop, occasionally asking Eva questions. After a while, with a serious and professional expression, the experienced doctor spoke to the injured woman.

“Mrs. Eva, it is my duty to inform you that there is a possibility of taking photographs of your various wounds as forensic evidence so that you can proceed with the corresponding legal processes. Would you like us to do that?”

Upon hearing the doctor’s professional words, Eva couldn’t help but smile bitterly. In some strange way, she even found it somewhat amusing that there was truly no one to sue—since, as far as she knew, those people were already dead, and even if they weren’t, there would be little or nothing she could do legally. After a moment, she replied in a soft voice.

“…There’s no need, doctor.”

“…I understand.” The doctor nodded gravely and quickly returned to his computer, then continued in a solemn tone.

“Although your physical condition is not overly serious, I must still recommend that you see a specialist and undergo several laboratory tests to rule out any potential illnesses. Moreover, it is imperative that you receive psychological support as soon as possible.”

“I understand, doctor.” Eva slowly nodded, her head bowed. At that moment, the doctor took a business card from his jacket, which had only his name on the front and a number on the back, and then said.

“This is my contact information. If anything happens, or if I am required to give a statement, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me.”

“Thank you very much, doctor…”

Eva accepted the card with both hands, her insecurity evident, and then stared at it with a lost gaze. At that moment, Doctor Tsunashi spoke in a serious tone while placing a small agenda and a pen on the desk.

“If you have an email address, I can send you the digital document, or I can also print it out.”

“The digital version is fine, doctor; I’ll review it as soon as I can.” Eva replied in a subdued tone, then took the pen and wrote an email address in the little agenda—which the doctor used to send the document.

…

“Well, that should be all set. I’ll go take another look at the little one.” After putting away his things, the doctor said in a serious tone as he rose from his chair, and Eva thanked him once more, sincerely.

“Really, thank you very much, doctor.”

“There’s no need—it’s my job.”

Doctor Tsunashi responded with a calm smile, then proceeded to the door and opened it, only to find, much to his surprise, eight people gathered there. Among them were six women of impressive beauty, along with two tall, muscular men—one of whom was the unmistakable symbol of peace.

“Doctor Tsunashi, Kai is in the other room.” On seeing the doctor, Keiko stepped forward and stated in a firm and elegant tone. The doctor quickly nodded and replied, full of respect.

“I understand.”

Soon after, the doctor, guided by the beautiful women with blue and black hair, quickly entered another room that looked incredibly similar to the one he had just been in. After all, the building contained exactly twelve identical rooms, all equipped with precisely the same instruments—one for each family member and a couple more in case anything happened.

Upon entering the room, the doctor saw a handsome young man lying unconscious on the bed. He was accompanied by two beautiful girls—with black and light blue hair, respectively—seated on either side of the head of the bed, while two beautiful cats, one black and one white, lay together at the young man’s feet.

Now familiar with the equipment in the room, Doctor Tsunashi—after the girls got up and took the cats with them—quickly began a complete diagnosis of the unconscious young man, making sure to examine him from head to toe.

While the doctor worked, the eleven people waited outside the room, staring intently at the unconscious young man—especially Eva, who couldn’t help but shed a few tears upon seeing him again. She truly owed everything to that young man, and for that reason, seeing him unconscious filled her with an overwhelming sense of guilt, to the point where she couldn’t even pay attention to the world-famous All Might.

No matter how hard she tried, Eva couldn’t understand how her life had unraveled so dramatically—from one moment having a beautiful family, a great husband, and an obedient, loving son, to the next losing her husband in a traffic accident and being abandoned by everyone.

Although her relationship with her husband had never been well regarded by his family—mainly because she was a foreigner, a native of Avalon who had been forced to flee her homeland with nothing but her mother and what they had on them that day, and who only managed to gain Australian citizenship after years of struggle—she had never imagined that after her husband’s death, his family would abandon her and her son to their fate. Her—who no longer had any family nor anyone left to rely on after losing her mother a couple of years earlier.

But that was only the beginning of her misfortune. Eva was actually a photographer primarily focused on documentary and landscape photography, specializing in drone operation and underwater shots—skilled enough to be relatively well known in the field. Because of this, she didn’t face any financial difficulties after her husband’s death, not even with the abandonment she suffered.

However, upon seeing her son so crushed by the loss of his father—reduced to a sad, gray shadow of his usually joyful and energetic self. Eva decided to accept the invitation of a friend from university, who needed a photographer for a maritime exploration mission in the Indian Ocean, based on some strange data detected by satellite LiDAR on the ocean floor.

Since her friend had no objections to her son coming along—given that the trip would only last three weeks and the ship had all the necessary comforts—Eva set sail with her son, hoping that the new experiences would help lift his spirits. But she never expected that this simple three-week journey would turn into a living hell.

At first, the exploration went well; Oliver grew considerably encouraged by the sight of dolphins and the images of the seafloor, and everything truly seemed perfect. They even managed to uncover something shocking during the expedition—a discovery that the ship’s scientific team announced as something that could redefine our understanding of history up to that point. Yet from there on, everything only went downhill.

The very night they succeeded in capturing images of strange underwater ruins with the drones Eva controlled, they were suddenly caught in a brutal storm, which ended up sinking the ship, leaving only herself, her son, and eight other people as survivors in an emergency raft. The furious storm set them adrift until, somehow, they eventually arrived at that strange island that appeared to be made of intertwined roots.

After arriving at the island, everyone disembarked and began exploring the surroundings, equally filled with surprise and confusion, unsure of where they were or how they had gotten there. But their confusion only deepened when, on that strange island, they found not only animals from completely disparate parts of the world, but even the flora was a chaotic mix—trees and plants that were never supposed to have coexisted, some even natural enemies, thriving side by side.

The more they explored, the stranger everything seemed. They had only surveyed the shoreline, yet even there they found a plant believed to have gone extinct at least 20,000 years ago. This discovery filled them with endless curiosity to uncover the secrets of that bizarre place and to see with their own eyes the treasures it might be hiding. But everything changed when they saw one of those monstrous spiders with their own eyes.

Upon seeing the towering spider, several meters tall, everyone started screaming and running for their lives. To their absolute disbelief, the spider didn’t attack. It merely stared at them intently with its many eyes, then let out an eerie shriek, which caused at least a dozen similar spiders to surround them. And before they could react, they were wrapped in web cocoons and dragged away without mercy.

Chapter 176: Do you still want to be a hero?

Chapter Text

With her heart filled with panic and terror for the safety of her little Oliver, Eva, inside the cocoon, wriggled like a worm trying to escape—until, for some reason, she suddenly fell unconscious, and when she opened her eyes, the very first thing she saw was the worst piece of human trash she had ever had the misfortune to encounter: the leader of that tribe of savages.

That man—that trash—was revered almost like a kind of god, since, for some reason, he was the only one who could communicate with those spiders; consequently, from the moment they arrived at that place, everyone was forced to follow the madman’s every whim—a madman who seemed to harbor a peculiar curiosity for those who appeared less “human.”

Yet, the kind of curiosity that this garbage of a person was capable of having could only be depraved, leading those two terrifying spiders beside him to break the legs of Darel—Eva’s friend from college, who had four arms—and Sophie—who looked like a humanoid fox. Then forcing them to act like circus animals, marveling at their superhuman physical abilities.

On top of that, that lowlife scumbag had a special penchant for taking women by force, and worse still, for “sharing” them with the other savages as some kind of “prize.” A macabre event that happened a couple of times a week, always including Eva, Sophie, and Chloe—the only three surviving women—something not only the savage men took part in. Even the women joined in to humiliate them in every way they could think of. Eventually, that ended with Sophie’s death.

Meanwhile, the more “human-looking” men in the group had it easier, generating little attention. They were “only” forced to do heavy labor for those savages, which somehow turned into a kind of saving grace for her little Oliver. As long as she finished the tasks they imposed on her, the savages would not bother him.

But their already dramatic situation on that island took a sharp turn for the worse on the first full moon night they spent there. That was when they took Darel to a secluded hut while controlling everyone else with the help of the spiders. Then, when the moon was at its highest point, the savages began performing strange dances around a bonfire at the same time as they raised a huge wooden pillar.

Under the horrified gaze of all the survivors, and while Eva did everything in her power to prevent Oliver from seeing or hearing anything, the savages carried Darel—wrapped in webs—over to the wooden pillar. At that very moment, the leader beat him until he grew tired, leaving Darel covered in blood. Afterward, they tied him to the pillar, and then a strange spider with metal jaws appeared and devoured him in a single bite.

While the savages danced and chanted with glee, the survivors could only weep in despair, the sounds of bones crunching coming from the metal-jawed spider searing themselves into their minds. It was a sound Eva would hear again every full moon, until she became almost numb to it.

…

“…Eva… Eva!”

As Eva lost herself in her painful memories, clenching her fists with all her strength, she suddenly felt someone shake her by the shoulders. At that moment, she heard a soft feminine voice right beside her, prompting her to turn her gaze and find the beautiful blue-haired woman standing there.

“… Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts…”

After taking a deep breath, Eva remarked—feeling a slight pain in her throat from the tight knot that had formed and threatened to make her break down into tears at any moment—which led Yumiko to speak in a calm and kind tone, visibly more relaxed.

“I could see that, but Doctor Tsunashi has finished examining Kai now. Luckily, he’s only suffering from mild dehydration and other equally minor issues. And your son will spend a few more hours in the MedPod, so you should rest a bit.”

“That’s not necessary; in fact, my quirk allows me to sleep like a dolphin, sleeping with only half of my brain at a time, and I only need a deep sleep of four hours once a week.”

Eva replied with a gentle smile as she turned her gaze to the blue-eyed young man, who was still unconscious on the bed but now had an IV drip connected to his arm. Four beautiful young women with different hair colors—black, blue, turquoise green, and gold—were seated around him on the bed, while two gorgeous cats, one black and one white, slept peacefully in a corner. At that moment, Yumiko’s calm voice sounded again.

“That’s impressive, but I still think you should rest. You’ve been through so much and need some time to process it; besides, you should have a moment alone to figure out what to do next. There are plenty of explanations to give about your sudden appearance and everything.”

“…That’s true…”

Turning her gaze back toward Yumiko, Eva couldn’t help but murmur in a soft, distant voice—almost for the first time seriously considering what she would do next, something she had long stopped worrying about while her mind was completely focused on surviving and taking care of her son. This left her with a strange sense of loss and confusion—something Yumiko quickly noticed, and she commented kindly.

“For now, get some rest. After daybreak, we’d like to talk to you to better understand the situation and also to square away the story of your rescue because Kai is still a minor and isn’t even a pro hero. So we’ll say All Might rescued you to avoid complications.”

“…He's a minor?” Eva couldn’t help but open her eyes, filled with shock. Yumiko nodded with a somewhat bitter smile and explained.

“Yes, Kai is barely 16 years old.”

A bitter smile inevitably formed on Eva’s face upon hearing the true age of the young man who had bravely saved her—leaving her feeling even more guilty, for it was through her fault that a young man with his whole life ahead nearly lost his life. This prompted Yumiko to speak in a calm tone.

“Don’t worry. Kai did what he did by his own choice, and he’s mature enough to make his own decisions. For now, let’s go greet All Might—he’s the one who’s going to ‘save’ you, after all.”

“…Alright…”

After replying in a complex tone, Eva followed Yumiko out of the medical room, where she encountered the imposing hero—over two meters tall—engaged in serious conversation with three beautiful women and a muscular man, all of whom turned to look at her. At that moment, the great golden-haired hero greeted her in a firm voice.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“All Might… it’s an honor to meet you.” Eva replied somewhat shyly, prompting the Symbol of Peace to smile confidently before he spoke firmly.

“You have nothing to worry about anymore; you are now completely safe. I would just like to know a little more about the place you were in, as we still have many questions, and that place is far too dangerous to leave alone.”

“I understand. I’ll do everything I can to help…” Eva said in a serious tone, prompting Nemuri to speak in a somewhat weary voice.

“Let’s talk in the lounge.”

After everyone nodded, they headed as a group to the mansion’s main room, where, after calming down with the help of a delicious tea served by Mrs. Yoshiko, Eva began to recount all her experiences—explaining in detail everything she knew about the place and what had transpired. Inevitably, halfway through, tears full of pain and bitterness began streaming down her face.

…

In the room of the medical ward where Kai was resting, Momo—who had remained completely silent—was gently stroking the sleeping face of her beloved with her fingertips. Her mind was lost in thought, not even worrying about how late it was, even though she was supposed to return to UA in a few hours.

In her short life, Momo had possibly never felt as much fear and pain as she did tonight, not even when she snuck into her mansion with Kai’s help and ended up discovering that damned note left by her father—which her mother destroyed afterward. Truly, the notion of losing her Kai was something she had never considered. It was such a great terror that it even cracked her iron will to become a pro hero.

After all, one question kept recurring in her mind: if she were to become a hero, would she eventually find herself caught in such a dangerous situation? Very possibly yes—after all, she would constantly be risking her life to help others, something she fully understood and accepted. Yet what she could not reconcile was the certainty in her heart that if such a situation ever arose, Kai would leap across seas and storms to rescue her—even at the cost of his own life.

Today’s event was nothing but a confirmation of a fact she already knew: Kai, for some reason, seemed to value his own life very little, considering his family far more important, to the extent that when his death was imminent, the only thought in his mind was their safety—accepting death with a smile.

That, although undeniably moving, also filled Momo with sheer terror. For if the worst were to happen, and she found herself in a desperate situation with little chance of survival, it was certain that Kai would sacrifice himself without hesitation to give her a chance to survive—something she could never live with. The very thought sent a shiver down her spine; she would rather die than let Kai sacrifice himself for her.

Thus, the only logical conclusion to avoid such a terrifying outcome was just one: to reduce the chances of ever being caught in a situation like that to the minimum—or, in other words, to give up on her dream of heroism and live a more normal, safer life. Though it would be a bit sad, it would be infinitely better than losing the love of her life, and worse yet, because of her.

“…Momo… do you still want to be a hero?”

Amid her reflections, Momo suddenly heard Nejire’s soft, husky voice—worn by so much crying—which caused the beautiful black-haired girl to turn her gaze. She found the beautiful blue-haired girl leaning on Kai’s shoulder, her eyes completely red and her expression almost lifeless. This brought a bitter smile to Momo, for it was clear she was not the only one with such thoughts.

“…I don’t know…”

After a few seconds, Momo replied in a low, melancholic voice—a response that made Ryuko, who was at the head of the bed gently combing Kai’s hair, smile bitterly. She understood where those thoughts came from—she herself had them—but with over a decade of experience as a pro-hero, she felt compelled to speak.

“Situations as dangerous as the one Kai found himself in on that island are very rare; in fact, it’s the first time I’ve seen 'animals' with such dangerous quirks—even All Might in that situation could have died. Moreover, think about this: If being a hero is your dream, are you sure that in time you wouldn’t end up resenting Kai for ‘preventing’ you from achieving it?”

“I never…” Momo and Nejire quickly replied in unison, but Ryuko shook her head and added in a serious, calm tone.

“Think about it for a moment before you answer: How would you feel 10 or 20 years from now when you see your UA classmates accomplishing great things as heroes? When you watch them shine on the news while you stay home, terrified that Kai might get hurt while saving you? Would you really be able to accept that fate without the slightest bit of resentment?”

“…”

Ryuko’s words left the pair of beautiful young women in silence, and they inevitably exchanged glances as they imagined themselves—later in life, with several children—watching their classmates become heroes on television, while they themselves never even tried. Although that scenario wasn’t entirely unappealing, they still couldn’t help but feel a slight bitterness—a feeling that was clearly reflected on their faces.

Chapter 177: Chapter 177: A hope for the future.

Chapter Text

Upon seeing the bitter expressions on the young girls’ faces, Ryuko smiled with understanding, then began to speak in a serious tone, shifting her gaze between the insecure Momo and Nejire, who turned to look at her.

“I think one of the reasons Kai is so obsessed with strength is because, more than anyone, he’s aware of that fact and wants us to be happy. That’s why he trains so hard—so he can save us easily if things go wrong. For that same reason, he spends so much time in his workshop with Keiko, creating things for us. That’s his way of supporting us in our dreams, so we can be happy.

“Or do you think Kai never considered the possibility that we might get hurt? Just think about the abilities he’s created: an ability to reach anywhere faster than any airplane ever built, an ability that grants us an extra quirk, an ability that—if things go wrong—will create a secure barrier until he arrives, an ability that prevents us from being controlled, an ability that prevents us from being spied on…

“Each and every one of them is specially designed so we can pursue our dreams while staying safe, always within his reach so he can rush to our side if we’re in danger. And for that same reason, he trains himself to exhaustion every day, to make sure there’s nothing that can defeat him and, in turn, hurt us.”

While she spoke, Ryuko lowered her gaze and focused on her beloved’s sleeping face, which brought a small smile to her lips. After all, it was those details that made her fall hopelessly in love with him—seeing how he, without saying a single word about it, showed his infinite love for each member of the family, just like the husband she’d always dreamed of: strong, handsome, and loving. At that moment, in a calm, warm voice, she added.

“Therefore, girls, instead of embarking on a path full of pain and regret—which could even end up eroding your love for Kai—it’s better for you to focus on improving yourselves, to stay alert, to grow stronger, and ultimately to keep Kai from experiencing the same thing again while you all pursue your dreams. I’m absolutely convinced Kai will do the same.”

“…”

Ryuko’s words left the two beautiful young women completely silent. They looked at each other with complex expressions, then leaned against Kai’s shoulders, reflecting deeply on their future. But that reflection was abruptly cut short by Tomoko’s calm voice.

“Ryuko, Momo, Nejire, I want to have a child with Kai.”

Totally stunned, Ryuko, Momo, and Nejire turned to look at Tomoko, who was lying on the bed, resting her head on Kai’s right leg, her eyes closed and wearing an incredibly calm expression. That made the three women think they might have imagined it, so Ryuko couldn’t help asking nervously.

“T-Tomoko, did you say something?”

“Yes, I said I want to have a child with Kai.” Without even opening her eyes, Tomoko spoke calmly, prompting Momo to ask in all seriousness.

“What made you think about something like that, Tomoko-nee-chan?”

“This event made me realize that life is far too short and unpredictable. Who knows what could happen tomorrow? And someone as strong as Kai will never be able to stay at home peacefully the way he wants. It’s possible that in the future he’ll be involved in even more danger. So I want hope for the future. I want to have an heir, and it can’t be with anyone but Kai.

“So after this, I’ll talk to the others and share my wishes. If Kai agrees, I’ll have his child. But don’t worry, I won’t cause him any problems. I’ll retire as an active pro-hero and focus on the bureaucratic side so I can spend more time at home raising the child. And I don’t want to monopolize him or anything like that; I just want us all to remain together and happy as a family while I raise our child—the hope for the future.”

“…”

Without even bothering to move from her spot, Tomoko began speaking in a calm, mature tone—a world apart from her usual cheerful, energetic, and almost childlike attitude. It was quite shocking for the girls, who stared at her in complete surprise, speechless, until after a few moments, Ryuko sighed and spoke softly.

“Tomoko, actually, we’re already in a romantic relationship with Kai.”

“'We’re'…?”

When she heard Ryuko, Tomoko finally opened her eyes and turned to look at her, allowing her to see that both her golden-haired companion and Momo and Nejire had somewhat awkward smiles on their faces. At that moment, Ryuko answered quietly.

“Yes. Nemuri, Shino, Momo, Nejire, and I—some time ago, we decided to share Kai and take the next step in our relationship.”

“…How long ago?” Tomoko asked in a somewhat gloomy voice, making the girls’ expressions turn guilty. That was when Ryuko spoke in a voice full of remorse.

“Nemuri, Shino, and I have been in it for almost a year, since just before Kai’s birthday. Momo joined two weeks ago, and Nejire just a few days ago…”

“…”

In total silence, Tomoko looked each of the women in the eye, then let out a long sigh. She rested her head on Kai’s leg again, closed her eyes, and spoke softly.

“So that’s why you all looked so happy, why you managed to convince Kai to win the tournament…”

“I’m sorry… We didn’t know how to say it. After all, it’s something quite immoral. Then Momo and Nejire came in, and with Yumiko’s situation, we wanted to avoid any more complications, so we kept putting off a confession until things settled down a bit…” Ryuko said, obviously feeling guilty. Tomoko just sighed and then spoke softly.

“…Don’t worry. And although I can’t deny it’s a bit shocking, it’s not so unacceptable. We’ve all stayed single our entire lives, so we don’t know how to handle something like this. I understand… It’s just… I would have liked to know…”

“Sorry…” Ryuko apologized quietly and in embarrassment, at which point Momo looked at Tomoko and spoke in a serious tone.

“Tomoko-nee-chan, if you want, you can join us. I’m sure Kai won’t oppose it…”

“Yes, we can all have Kai’s children and have plenty of ‘hopes for the future’ growing up together as siblings in one big family. The house is big enough, and we can even buy a larger one in the countryside where no one would bother us.” Nejire quickly added in a serious voice, prompting Tomoko to say, after a few seconds of silence.

“…Let me think about it… Even though I never intended to monopolize Kai, this is a lot to take in…”

“We understand… But please don’t tell the others yet. We want to do it together after the fund is used to pay off Yumiko’s company debt…” Ryuko said, sounding a bit embarrassed. Tomoko could only smile gently, then spoke with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

“So you wanted to have us all ‘tied down’ so you could tell us… how sly…”

“We don’t want to be apart…” Momo added, likewise a bit embarrassed, and Tomoko responded softly.

“I know… and I love you girls, too… I just feel a little betrayed…”

“…I’m sorry…” Ryuko apologized again, embarrassed. Tomoko spoke in a calm tone.

“There’s no need to apologize so much. I might have done something similar in your place. I just need time to process it, and I’d like to talk with Kai a bit. But don’t worry, I won’t say anything…”

“Thank you…”

Ryuko murmured softly, then turned her gaze back to Kai’s sleeping face, while Momo and Nejire once more leaned on Kai’s shoulders, letting his warmth envelop them, filling them with peace and security.

…

By the time dawn began to break, and the doctor had left long before, in the mansion’s main hall, Nemuri, Shino, and Yumiko were hugging Eva tightly, all with tears streaming from their eyes. After all, the poor woman’s story was too much for them. Meanwhile, Keiko, Chatora, and All Might looked at one another with extremely troubled expressions.

Though they were also moved by such a harrowing story, they felt confused and a bit helpless since they couldn’t understand how they had gotten to that island. But they did understand that Eva and Kai had arrived there from very different places, and both had gone through a storm before reaching that location, which made the whereabouts of that strange island even more mysterious.

“…Don’t worry, Eva. Rest assured, we’ll help you with whatever you need. If you no longer have any reason to go back to Australia, you can stay in Japan. We can help you and Oliver with whatever you need.”

Yumiko said, tears in her eyes, her sincere feelings on full display. She was determined to help the unfortunate woman in front of her because what Eva had gone through was something no woman in the world should ever have to endure.

“Yes, actually Alisa—Kai’s mother—was also a native of Avalon and ended up here in Japan as a refugee. I’m sure she would lend you a helping hand without a second thought.” Nemuri added tearfully, seeing a reflection of her beloved friend and older sister in Eva.

“You also don’t have to worry about money. We’ll support you until you get past this difficult time. We won’t leave you on your own.”

Shino quickly added, her heart torn apart by Eva’s heartbreaking story—yet at the same time, she felt immense pride that her man was the one who had saved Eva from a fate worse than death. It completely erased any lingering dissatisfaction she might have felt about how injured her beloved was, though it still hurt; she believed he had done the right thing.

“…You don’t have to worry so much about me… Kai has already done more than enough, and though I truly have nothing in Australia, Oliver does. For better or worse, his grandparents are there, along with his friends, his school, and so on. Plus, as a photographer, I rely heavily on my contacts…” Eva said, wiping her tears away and feeling deeply moved by their support. At that moment, Yumiko spoke in a tone that was almost maternal.

“Well… that’s true, but don’t worry so much about your contacts. Here in Japan, we’re somewhat influential, you know? And even though there are a few problems at the moment, I’m still the owner and lead designer of ‘Ayanami Mode’, so I have a fair bit of influence in the entertainment world.”

“…I’ve heard of that company…” Eva remarked, clearly shocked as she looked at the smiling Yumiko, realizing yet again that she was now in a house full of big shots. She quickly composed herself and spoke with an awkward smile.

“And thank you very much, but I really specialize in landscape photography, documentary work, and drone usage, so I’ve never been very involved with celebrities.”

“Oh, I also have some connections at various universities, NGOs, and film and documentary production companies.” Yumiko replied with a calm smile, leaving Eva momentarily speechless. After a moment, feeling somewhat defeated, Eva said in a low voice.

“Thank you very much, then. I’ll keep it in mind, but I can’t really think about anything else until I have my child in my arms again.”

“Well, leaving that aside for a moment.” Keiko spoke in a serious tone as she turned to look at All Might, then continued.

“All Might, as we already mentioned, to avoid involving Kai, it’s better if you’re the one who saved them.”

“I understand. Even though it’s not entirely right, at this point I know it’s best to avoid complications. I’ll get in touch with some acquaintances so that you can arrange all the necessary paperwork for them to stay in the country.” All Might responded seriously as he rose from his seat. Then he added.

“But now that I know Kai-shonen is out of danger and everything’s settled here, I’m going to head out and take the lead on investigating that island. I won’t be able to rest until we find it.”

Chapter 178: He actually came.

Chapter Text

After arranging the final details of what versions they would tell the authorities, All Might left the mansion’s garden at high speed. In the sky, the sun could be seen rising little by little, at which point Keiko turned to look at Nemuri and asked in a calm tone.

“Are you going to U.A. today, Nemuri?”

“…I guess so. I can’t let the students down, and staying here doesn’t really help much. Kai won’t wake up for at least a couple of days, if what Sage said is correct…”

With her arms crossed beneath her enormous bust, Nemuri commented with a somewhat resigned expression, gazing at the distant sunrise. Shino, who was standing beside her, then spoke in a similar tone.

“I really would like to take the day off today, even though I know it won’t change anything. I’d rather stay with Kai, at least for today…”

“I feel the same way. I’m still very uneasy, and just remembering the state Kai was in when he arrived makes my nerves stand on end, so I’ll stay in the medical room for the rest of the day.” Yumiko remarked in a slightly tired voice. Hearing that, Keiko nodded and added in a similar tone.

“Yes… that image was so shocking that I feel it will become part of my nightmares…”

While the three beautiful women nodded with dark expressions at Keiko’s words, suddenly a notification sound echoed from Yumiko’s pants pocket. She quickly took out her phone to check it, and her expression immediately soured, as if she had just seen something unpleasant.

“Is it him again?” Seeing Yumiko’s expression, Keiko asked in a slightly disgusted tone, to which the beautiful blue-haired woman nodded with a look full of revulsion.

“… Yes, he’s using another disposable number. This is the third one this week…”

“Haruto is trying to contact you?”

Somewhat curious, Shino asked while looking at Yumiko, who nodded her head as she manipulated her phone to block the number. She then explained in a tone filled with genuine disdain.

“Yes. For the past few days, he’s been calling and messaging me nonstop, trying to convince me that he doesn’t have a mistress—asking if I’ve had enough time to calm down so we can talk. That bastard is so shameless…”

“But why do you think he’s being so insistent? Could he suspect that we’ve found him out?” Nemuri couldn’t help but ask, a bit intrigued. Yumiko shook her head and replied, her voice brimming with scorn and mockery.

“With how cowardly he is, if he suspected we’d caught on, he’d be too busy covering his tracks to try to contact me. It’s more likely he’s nervous because the next collection’s deadline is coming up, and I still haven’t sent him the designs.”

“Do you think he’d dare to show up…?” Keiko asked in an irritated tone, to which Yumiko replied mockingly.

“He’s a coward, and he’s always been afraid of Kai, so it’s unlikely. Though he might send someone else.”

“That would be troublesome. Better give the guards the order not to let anyone in.” Nemuri said seriously, and Yumiko nodded calmly.

“That’s best. I don’t want to receive any of his ridiculous gifts, especially that stupid bouquet of 99 red roses and one white rose. Just remembering it makes me nauseous. I don’t know how I fell for that nonsense in my youth…”

“… By the way, Yumiko, are you planning on delaying your company’s next collection?”

Choosing not to comment on Yumiko’s relationship, Shino asked in a calm tone, feeling a bit tired and missing Kai’s revitalizing massages. The blue-haired beauty answered in a relaxed voice as she stretched.

“The truth is, no. The designs are already finished—I completed them a month ago; I just never sent them. I've already been in touch with a public relations friend of mine, and we more or less have the launch figured out. Also, I’ve been thinking about renting a small office to rehearse the choreography with the models and everything else, so that as soon as we regain control of the company, all that’s left is to acquire the raw materials, start production, and launch the collection on time.”

“I have a few properties not too far from here. If you’d like, I could lend you a good space where you can work in peace. Though I’ll be sad to say goodbye to my fellow retiree, fufu.” Keiko teased playfully, which made Yumiko smile in amusement as she replied.

“Fufu, then I appreciate it in advance, Keiko. And don’t worry—the retired life is too good to miss out on. Once we get everything sorted with this next collection, I’ll hire some good designers to help me and take most of the workload off my shoulders so I can enjoy myself the way I deserve.”

“Well then, you pair of retired mothers, I’m off to do some exercise before I head to work. I’ll see you two in the afternoon, and don’t worry—I’ll let them know that Nejire and Momo will be absent.” Nemuri commented casually as she stretched lazily. Keiko and Yumiko both nodded calmly.

“We’ll leave it to you,” Keiko said, then covered her mouth with her hand to hide the tired yawn she let out. At that moment, Yumiko quietly added.

“In that case, I’ll call Ryukyu’s agency, although first I’ll ask Nejire if she wants to skip today…”

“Well, then let’s go inside. I really need a coffee…”

While Nemuri walked off toward the gym, Shino remarked, visibly tired. Yumiko and Keiko agreed casually, and the three entered the house together, finding Chatora coming out of the kitchen with several cups of coffee. He had sent Mrs. Yoshiko to rest several hours ago, and Eva was sitting in one of the chairs, lost in thought.

…

Three days passed quickly, and Kai still hadn’t woken up, which inevitably caused great concern among the girls. They took advantage of Dr. Tsunashi’s visit—he had come to check on Oliver, who woke up on the second day—to have him examine Kai again. However, there were no significant changes in his condition, only that the malnutrition and dehydration he had been suffering from had finally been brought under control.

“It really feels so strange coming back without Kai…”

Standing at the imposing gates of U.A., Nejire commented in a complicated, somewhat sad voice. Momo, who was at her side, could only nod with a melancholy expression, still wondering if she had made the right decision coming back without Kai.

“Certainly… I still feel uncomfortable with all of this… What would Kai think if he wakes up and doesn’t see us by his side…?”

“I feel the same… but Ryuko’s right—being pro-heroes is our dream, and not even Kai wanted us to give that up for him. So at least we have to try. If he wakes up and realizes we’ve been missing classes just to watch him sleep, I’m sure he’d feel super guilty. Even the Pussycats went back to work…” Nejire commented somewhat resignedly. Momo could only nod again.

“That’s true as well…”

After exchanging complicated looks, both Momo and Nejire sighed heavily, then took a step forward into the impressive educational institution, soon parting ways to head to their respective classrooms. Momo walked slowly toward Class 1-A.

“““Yao Momo!!”””

The moment Momo entered the classroom, she was greeted by the collective shout of Mina, Jiro, and Toru, the Invisible Girl, who ran over to the black-haired girl, quickly noticing two incredibly strange things: first, Momo’s melancholy expression, and second, the absence of the handsome blue-eyed boy.

“What happened, Yao Momo? Is it true that Saito got sick?”

Visibly worried, Mina asked hurriedly, since even though she had kept in constant contact with her black-haired friend, for some reason, Momo had been absent from class for the past three days and hadn’t replied to her messages—or anyone else’s. Midnight had only told them that Saito was sick and that Momo had stayed behind to take care of him. At that moment, Momo sighed sadly and nodded, then spoke in a subdued voice.

“Yes… Kai is in bed and hasn’t woken up yet…”

“What happened to Saito? How is it even possible for someone like him to get sick?”

Kirishima, who had also come over along with Sero and Ojiro, the boy with the tail, asked in surprise. Momo could only reply softly, wearing an incredibly bitter smile as she felt the gazes of almost every student on her—especially Bakugo, Todoroki, and Midoriya.

“Even Kai can get sick…”

Not satisfied with the vague answer, the others were about to start a thorough interrogation, but at that moment Aizawa entered the classroom looking visibly tired, forcing the students to return to their seats. The homeroom teacher then spoke in his usual unenthusiastic tone.

“Yaoyorozu, it’s good to have you back. The principal asked me to tell you he wants to see you at lunchtime.”

“Alright.” Momo replied calmly, while the other students looked at her worriedly. Aizawa then announced to the entire class.

“And for everyone wondering, Saito is fine; although it’s likely, he won’t rejoin classes for a couple of weeks. That’s all that will be said on the matter.”

Although the students were visibly dissatisfied by his announcement, Aizawa ignored them completely and began to go over the usual updates, forcing everyone to swallow their complaints and pay attention.

…

In the medical room of the Saito mansion, Keiko and Yumiko were in Kai’s room. Keiko was seated at the foot of the bed, massaging Kai’s legs—he was only wearing a pair of short shorts—while intently watching an instructional video on a holographic screen in front of her. Yumiko was doing something similar with the boy’s left arm, also watching an instructional video on a holographic screen.

“By the way, Yumiko, your office will be ready this afternoon. They’ve already installed the runway, the necessary furniture, and everything else. They called me last night to let me know, but I forgot to tell you.”

Massaging Kai’s legs rhythmically, Keiko spoke in a calm yet slightly laborious tone, as Kai’s muscles were incredibly strong and resistant yet strangely flexible—almost as if they were made of vulcanized rubber—which made massaging them properly a bit of a challenge.

“Oh, that’s fine. I’ll swing by this afternoon to check everything out and start calling the models so we can begin rehearsals and fittings as soon as possible. The collection has to be perfect.”

Still focused on massaging Kai’s arm, Yumiko responded with a calm voice, her gaze fixed on the video made specifically for them. They hadn’t wanted to leave Kai’s care to ordinary nurses, so they decided to do it themselves, which required the creation of all kinds of explanatory documents and tutorials to ensure they wouldn’t accidentally cause any harm.

Not to mention the follow-up evaluations by the three full-time doctors they had hired to monitor both Kai’s and Oliver’s condition—Oliver was currently doing therapy in the adjacent room with his mother and two nurses.

“Speaking of that, where are you planning to present the collection?”

While wiping the sweat from her forehead, Keiko asked casually, then moved on to massage Kai’s other leg. This caused her simple red spaghetti-strap dress to shift slightly, making one of the straps fall over her smooth shoulder and reveal a sexy black bra—something the beautiful woman didn’t mind at all as she continued her work.

“I was thinking of Ginza Six. I know a few people there.”

Yumiko replied in a calm tone as she stood up from the bed to stretch her tired arms, causing her oversized white cotton T-shirt—despite its size—to look a bit tight around her chest. Paired with her cream-colored leggings that hugged her legs and accentuated her round hips, she looked quite alluring.

“Don’t you think it would be more interesting to do it at the Mori Art Museum? I have ways to get you an entire pavilion.” Keiko commented calmly, still fully focused on her massage. Yumiko answered in the same relaxed tone as she sat down on the right side of the bed and took Kai’s other arm.

“That sounds really interesting. I could even tweak a few of my designs so they fit better with the colorful atmosphere of the place…”

“Then it’s settled. I’ll make a couple of calls later to arrange everything… Huh?”

Keiko spoke calmly, but suddenly a holographic screen appeared in front of her, showing a live video feed of a middle-aged man with gray hair, dressed in an elegant black business suit. He was holding a huge bouquet of red roses with a striking white rose in the center, along with what appeared to be an elegant black box of chocolates with a prominent duck logo on top.

“He actually came…”

Chapter 179: You’ve let yourself be influenced!

Chapter Text

“He actually came…”

Upon seeing the man being restrained by the mansion’s security guards, Keiko couldn’t help but comment, with a slight hint of disbelief in her tone. She then turned to look at Yumiko, who had a disgusted expression on her beautiful face as she stared at the image of the man who appeared to be screaming at the mansion with all his might—though no sound could be heard, as it was muted.

“That bastard son of a bitch… he came at this hour thinking Kai would be at school. Filthy cowardly rat…” Yumiko muttered through clenched teeth, her voice full of contempt, prompting Keiko to ask in a serious tone.

“What do you want to do? Should we have them beat him up and throw him out?”

“… I really want to scream the truth in his face.” Yumiko replied angrily, but quickly took a deep breath to calm herself. Then she turned to Keiko and asked with a cold tone.

“Do you think it’s a good idea?”

“Well, it’s up to you. He’s basically a fish on a chopping board now. Most of the creditors are on our side, and with Kai, we made sure they couldn’t completely erase the evidence of his fraud. So it’s just a matter of a judge ordering an investigation on the servers, and the evidence will become legitimate—though that woman might still flee.”

“…Let’s go, then. I want to hear what he has to say.”

After a few seconds, Yumiko replied in a cold voice. Keiko nodded calmly, then stood up and got off the bed, adjusting her dress. She then pulled down Kai’s shorts and grabbed some tissues from a box on a nearby table, quickly wiping her hands—something Yumiko did as well.

Without wasting time, Keiko and Yumiko exited the medical room and began walking toward the entrance. At that moment, Yumiko summoned her Accomplice in its combat form—which, contrary to its dramatic ‘farewell’, hadn’t actually disappeared and had only taken a day to return to its previous state, something that had brought great relief to everyone.

Meanwhile, Salem—who had been resting protectively near the door alongside Tama—quickly stood up and grew back to his original size, then began closely following the two women. With his master still asleep, the responsibility of protecting his females now rested on him, the most loyal follower.

“Yumiko!! Listen to me!! It’s not what you think!! Let me in!! We need to talk!! We can’t throw away 20 years of marriage just like that!!!”

Soon, Keiko and Yumiko got close enough to the entrance to hear Haruto’s shouting, which made Yumiko smirk with mocking disdain, while Keiko wrinkled her expression in disgust. Not long after, the pair of stunningly beautiful women arrived at the mansion’s front gate.

Seeing Yumiko dressed so casually and simply—something that somehow made her look incredibly attractive and sensual—Haruto couldn’t help but open his eyes wide in surprise, swallowing hard. The sheer impact of his wife’s beauty made him momentarily question his recent actions. But he quickly pulled himself together and spoke out loud.

“… Yumiko! We need to talk; this isn’t the way to fix things. I know I messed up—I focused too much on work and neglected you, which led to this whole misunderstanding. But I’m willing to change. Let’s start over.”

Hearing the stream of nonsense coming out of her “husband’s” mouth, Yumiko simply looked at him with an emotionless expression, finding him utterly pathetic. Especially with that almost desperate look as he tried to push past the two large and sturdy security guards—one of them looking like a humanoid dog and the other a woman with the build of a professional bodybuilder.

“… Misunderstanding?”

After a few seconds, Yumiko asked in a cold voice, so devoid of any emotion that it made Haruto instinctively take a step back, visibly shaken. It was practically the first time he’d ever seen his wife like this. But being an experienced man, he quickly composed himself and responded in a serious tone.

“Yes, it’s all a misunderstanding. My life is you and Nejire—I could never be with another woman.”

“Oh? So it’s also a misunderstanding that you’re going to have a child with your assistant? What, turns out the kid isn’t yours or something?”

Yumiko asked again, her cold voice laced with a faint tone of mockery, which caused all the color to drain from Haruto’s face. Clinging to a strange sliver of hope that all wasn’t lost, he asked.

“What are you talking about, Yumiko? Where did you hear that?”

“Where do you think?” Yumiko shot back with a slight, mocking smile, which filled Haruto’s head with spinning thoughts. After a few seconds, he reached a conclusion.

(Only Aiko and I know about that, and she would never betray me, so either Yumiko is bluffing… or she hired an investigator. And knowing her, she wouldn’t say something like that so confidently unless she had some real reason to believe it…)

“I don’t know what you’ve been told, but that’s not true. I have nothing going on with that woman.”

Haruto spoke in a serious and firm tone, not daring to get any closer, as the pair of massive panthers flanking Yumiko were quite persuasive. At the same time, he made a visible effort to ignore the sharp stares he was receiving from the two security guards.

“Really? Then fire her. I don’t like her, and I don’t want her in my company.” Seeing firsthand the kind of cynical man she had married, Yumiko gave the order in a cold voice, to which Haruto quickly responded in a serious tone.

“What are you talking about, Yumiko? Fire someone just because you don’t like them? You’re the one who’s always cared the most about the employees! I really can’t fire her just for that—she’s an incredible talent who’s contributed a lot to the company!”

“No matter how talented she is, no one is irreplaceable in this life. Even if we have to hire five, ten, twenty, or even a whole battalion to replace her—I don’t want her in my company. So what are you going to do? Are you going to fire her or not?”

Yumiko asked coldly, staring Haruto straight in the eyes. At that moment, Salem let out a menacing growl, forcing Haruto to step back. He then responded angrily, casting a meaningful glance at Keiko, who was watching the entire scene with a mocking smile.

“When did you become so unreasonable?!! I can’t believe you want to fire someone who’s sacrificed so much for the company over some stupid, baseless suspicions!!! You weren’t like this before!! You’ve let yourself be influenced!!”

“Why are you changing the subject? What does it matter whether I’ve changed or whether the suspicions are baseless? It’s my company, and in it, I do whatever the hell I want. Or are you just that scared your child’s mother might lose her job?” Yumiko asked with a blank, emotionless expression—though her icy voice carried a faint trace of fury, which pushed Haruto to reply even more angrily.

“I’m telling you, I have nothing going on with that woman!!!”

“And if you raise your voice at me again, I swear you’ll regret it for the rest of your li—”

Just as Yumiko snapped back in anger, an overwhelming pressure suddenly swept across the entire property and several kilometers beyond. The force of it made both Yumiko and Keiko whip their heads toward the medical room, both of them shouting in unison.

“Kai!!!”

…

(Is this death…? How strange; it wasn’t like this the first time…)

For some reason, after losing consciousness while feeling the constant pain of spiders tearing chunks of flesh from his body come to a halt, Kai—after who knows how long—regained awareness. If it could even be called that, since he couldn’t see, hear, or feel anything, as if he were floating in a completely dark void.

(Could it be that my first death was like this too, and I just don’t remember? Though it’s a shame there’s no tunnel or light… at least then there would be something to look at…)

With time passing and nothing else to do but think, Kai devoted himself to it, until eventually, he could no longer ignore his situation and began reflecting on it. Not that it helped much, since he couldn’t even feel his body—let alone move—which made him feel incredibly uncomfortable.

(Or maybe I’m inside a spider’s stomach…?)

As time went on—though he had no idea how much—Kai tried different things: sleeping, speaking, activating his aura, his Haki, but nothing worked. It was as if he were just a floating brain in the void. Eventually, he grew somewhat used to it, clearing his mind completely so he wouldn’t notice the passage of time.

But as his mind became clearer, Kai began to feel something strange, as if his sense of proprioception was slowly coming back, letting him vaguely sense his body again—something that reignited his awareness.

(Could it be I’m really in a spider’s stomach and not dead yet?!)

Confused and curious, Kai focused entirely on that faint bodily sensation, trying to command his ‘body’ to move somehow. But no matter how hard he tried, nothing happened, as if he were completely restrained. So instead, he decided to focus on his eyes, since for some reason, they were what he could sense with the most clarity—though still barely, just slightly more than the rest.

Trying in different ways, Kai focused all his attention on making his eyes open, until, after who knows how long, he felt the slightest flutter in them—faint but real—which filled him with motivation.

(Come on! Just a little more!)

Clearing his mind of all thought and entering a trance-like state similar to meditation, Kai continued trying to open his eyes with all his might. The strange flutter grew stronger—more vivid, more real—until he felt he was just about to do it. He paused for a moment to concentrate and then once again tried to open his eyes with everything he had.

(Come on!!!!!)

His relentless efforts bore fruit, and suddenly Kai felt his eyes snap open—but to his surprise, what entered his field of vision wasn’t the inside of a spider’s stomach or anything of the sort. Instead, somehow, he saw a 360-degree image of a strange world in black and white, composed of sharp lines and silhouettes—a vision that quickly expanded in all directions.

(My house?!)

Soon, within his vision, a set of lines and shapes came into view—ones he could easily recognize. It was his own house, which led him to focus on the small forms he could see throughout the place. The more he concentrated on them, the more they began to shift, taking on human shapes. That’s when he immediately recognized Keiko and Yumiko at the entrance of the property, accompanied by five other silhouettes—two enormous panthers and three human figures.

The moment Kai identified the pair of beautiful women, all his senses rushed back at once, making him dizzy for a second. But even amidst the disorientation, through his Observation Haki—which for some reason felt incredibly sharp, though still not quite at the level of his [En]—Kai sensed a deeply unpleasant voice near his beautiful ‘aunts.’

Snapping fully back to his senses, Kai sat up and looked around, quickly realizing he was in the medical room of his house. He also noticed that Eva and Oliver were nearby, along with some unfamiliar ‘voices.’ But for some reason, all the voices around him felt like they were fluctuating in a strange way.

Making a mental note to investigate the phenomenon later, Kai quickly jumped out of bed and ran toward the source of that unpleasant 'voice'—only to come face-to-face with the gray-haired rat, staring him directly in the eyes from below, as Kai was taller. At the same time, he released a low-level pulse of his Conqueror’s Haki and asked with a slightly hoarse voice.

“Why are there rats in my house?”

Chapter 180: I know everything.

Chapter Text

Upon hearing the hoarse voice, Haruto finally processed what had just happened. At that moment, he found that creepy blue-eyed boy staring at him as if he were a predator eyeing its prey—a look that only a homicidal madman could have. An overwhelming chill of pure terror ran through his body, weakening his legs and causing him to collapse to the ground.

““Kai!””

Seeing Kai regain consciousness, Yumiko and Keiko exclaimed in unison, jumping forward to embrace him. Simultaneously, Salem roared joyfully at full strength before shrinking back into his small form, dramatically changing his ‘voice’ from a powerful roar to an adorable meow. Salem then jumped and landed atop his master's head.

“Kai, thank goodness you're awake; we were so scared…”

As Yumiko embraced Kai tightly from behind, she spoke with a tearful voice filled with relief and happiness, a stark contrast to her earlier cold demeanor. At the same moment, Keiko, who was hugging Kai from the front, burst into tears while speaking with immense joy.

“Thank God you're alright... Please don’t do something so reckless again. I wouldn't know what to do if you were gone...”

“I'm sorry... this time it was entirely my fault…”

Being hugged by the pair of beautiful women, Kai could only mutter quietly, filled with guilt. Meanwhile, Haruto watched the scene, completely stunned. Though he couldn't fully understand what was happening, uncontrollable rage clouded his mind. After all, his “scantily clad wife” was tightly embracing a half-naked man, prompting him to scream furiously.

“Yumiko!!! What the hell is this supposed to mean?!!!”

“Shut up, rat. You speak only when I allow it.”

Upon hearing the angry scream, Kai turned sharply to face Haruto with a murderous glare, speaking with a cold tone dripping with deadly intent. At the same time, he released his Conqueror’s Haki at low intensity, causing the air itself to tremble. Instantly, the color drained from the faces not only of Haruto but also of the guards, who quickly stepped back, visibly frightened.

For their part, Yumiko and Keiko couldn’t help but press their bodies tightly against Kai’s. That overwhelming presence of his somehow made them feel incredibly safe—filled with peace and calm—as if now that he was here, everything was fine, and there was nothing to worry about. The feeling hit Yumiko especially hard, and she couldn’t help but shift her head slightly to look forward.

Seeing her ‘husband’—or rather, the pathetic excuse for a man in front of her—sitting pitifully on the floor, his expensive suit disheveled, drenched in sweat, and completely pale, Yumiko couldn’t stop herself from internally criticizing her life choices and her taste in men when she was younger. How could she have fallen in love with someone like that? With that weak little thing who couldn’t even hold Kai’s gaze, much less respond to him, just sitting there in silence like the coward he was.

Her mother had definitely been right—she never should have gotten involved with that wretch. Her youthful rebellion had truly blinded her. And while it was a shame that her mother had passed without ever receiving the apology she deserved, at least that wretch did one thing right besides giving her their beloved daughter: doing something so utterly despicable that it tore the blindfold from her eyes and allowed her to see him for what he truly was—a spineless, treacherous rat.

“That said, what’s this rat doing here? Where did he get the courage?”

After silencing the rat’s squeals, Kai glanced over his shoulder at Yumiko behind him, then down at Keiko in his arms, asking the question with a hint of confusion. Yumiko responded in a calm voice, clearly much more relaxed, as if just minutes ago she hadn’t been clenching her teeth in anger.

“He’s probably here for the designs for the next collection I didn’t send him. Since I’ve been ignoring his calls, he must’ve thought you weren’t around and came to try and persuade me.”

“Oh, that makes sense.”

Kai nodded in understanding as he looked at Yumiko, while Haruto—still on the floor—stared at his ‘wife’ in stunned silence, torn between fear and shock that she had so accurately deduced his intentions. At that moment, Kai turned back to Yumiko with a calm, though unmistakably suggestive, tone and asked.

“And what do you want to do with him? A few days ago, Salem was digging a big hole in the back forest… and I still haven’t filled it in.”

“Fufufu, that won’t be necessary. At first, I just wanted to see for myself the kind of trash I married…”

Understanding what Kai was suggesting, Yumiko couldn’t help but laugh amusedly. She then let go of Kai and stood by his side, looking at Haruto. But upon seeing him trembling like jelly in pure terror, she quickly added in a casual tone.

“But that’s no longer necessary. And Haruto—”

Upon hearing his name, Haruto quickly looked up to meet Yumiko’s calm, indifferent gaze. He wanted to say something but was too terrified to speak. At that moment, the beautiful blue-haired woman spoke with a firm, confident tone, filled with absolute certainty. She crossed her arms beneath her large chest, causing her oversized shirt to subtly reveal her incredibly slim waist.

“I’m not playing this game with you anymore. I know everything. I know you’re in a relationship with your assistant, that you’re expecting a child, and that right now that bitch is practically owns my company—the company that cost me a lifetime to build.

“But I swear you won’t get a single pencil from what’s mine. So, I’m giving you two options: take a million dollars and run off with your slut to a place where I’ll never see either of you again, or I’ll use everything in my power to destroy you. You have one week to decide.”

“It’s not what you thi—”

Hearing Yumiko’s declaration, Haruto felt like the world was collapsing on top of him, to the point where he felt dizzy. He tried to speak, but the words caught in his throat with just one look from the blue-eyed boy, who seemed almost as if he were waiting for the slightest excuse to get rid of him—plunging Haruto further into despair.

He wanted to scream that things weren’t how she thought, that even though the company was indeed under a provisional embargo from a company registered under Aiko’s name, they never actually intended to steal anything. That move had only been a desperate measure to protect the company from the banks and creditors. He just hid it because he didn’t want to face his own mistakes.

Moreover, the reason Aiko was the legal owner of that company was because she was, in truth, the most steadfast, righteous, and capable woman he had ever known—without a doubt, the person he trusted most in the entire world, above anyone else. That’s why, when everything came crashing down, he didn’t hesitate for even a second in choosing her to carry out the lien. And it had been a whole odyssey to convince her, as her principles wouldn't allow it. She had only agreed to it because of her love for him.

Meanwhile, Yumiko, upon seeing the expression of desperation on Haruto’s face—clearly dying to say something but too much of a coward to actually do it—felt a bit curious about what he might want to say. She turned to look at her Kai and commented with a calm smile, though a hint of pride could be heard in her voice, something Keiko quickly picked up on, unable to hold back a knowing, amused laugh.

“Kai, let him speak a little. I’m curious what kind of nonsense he’ll come up with.”

“If you say so.”

Kai responded calmly, while Keiko turned to face forward, resting her head against Kai’s firm chest and pulling his hands around her to hug her from behind, placing them gently over her flat stomach. She wore a beautiful smile, like a teenage girl proudly showing off her boyfriend. At that moment, Kai looked coldly at Haruto and gave a sharp command in a chilling tone.

“Speak—but choose your words very carefully.”

Haruto, for his part, looked at the great Keiko Yaoyorozu being so intimate with that creepy boy, completely stunned—unable to believe what he was seeing. The sight inevitably brought terrifying images to his mind involving his wife, that supposedly cold and dangerous black-haired woman, and that disturbing boy, filling him with rage—though there was a hint of envy mixed in. But before he could dwell on it, the creepy boy’s words struck him like daggers.

Though he felt incredibly angry and humiliated like never before in his life, Haruto decided to focus on explaining things before anything else—because, in truth, things weren’t how Yumiko imagined them. So after standing up, he adjusted his suit jacket and slicked his hair back, then began speaking in a serious and firm tone.

“Yumiko, it’s not what you think. I don’t know how you found out about all of this, but since you know already, there’s no point in hiding it anymore. It’s true that the company is currently under a provisional embargo, but it’s not because I’m trying to steal it or anything like that. It’s actually a protective measure to stop the banks and creditors from tearing apart the company we worked so hard to build!”

“What company? You mean, the one you tore to shreds in just a couple of years by stupidly increasing production despite all the warnings I gave you? Or, better yet, the one you handed over on a silver platter to your pregnant whore?”

Yumiko quickly shot back, her voice laced with mockery as she watched her ex-husband try to appear composed after revealing his pathetic and cowardly true self just moments ago. Her words made Haruto grimace bitterly, and he couldn’t help but snap back with a touch of anger in his tone.

“I know I made mistakes. My arrogance blinded me. But I won’t let you keep talking about Aiko that way! She’s the most upright, pure, and trustworthy woman I’ve ever known in my life!”

“Oh, yes, so upright and pure that she let herself get pregnant by a married man, falsified reports for the board of directors to cover up the disaster caused by your decisions, and is currently involved in a multi-million-dollar fraud—one of the biggest this country has seen in recent history. Truly, there are very few women left as ‘honorable’ as her.”

Yumiko replied, full of scorn and a trace of anger, which left Haruto speechless for a moment—he had nothing to refute her with. After all, everything she’d said was true. But even so, he quickly snapped back, consumed by rage—he wasn’t about to let anyone insult his Aiko.

“You don’t know how things really happened!!!”

With his scream, Haruto was suddenly hit by an overwhelming pressure that made him stumble backward. But still blinded by rage, he quickly turned to face the blue-eyed boy, who was still holding Keiko in his arms and looking at him like he was a piece of garbage. For some reason, that gaze filled Haruto with just enough courage to shout at him with all his strength.

“Go to hell, you creepy brat!!! You think you’re so impressive?!!! Do you really think I’m afraid of you?!!! Then try to kill me!!! I want to see how brave you really are!!!! I want to see if you have the guts to kill one of the most important businessmen in this country!!!!!”

“Wait—”

“Ka—”

Surprised by Haruto’s sudden outburst, both Keiko and Yumiko quickly turned to look at Kai, their faces filled with panic. At that moment, they saw his expression darken rapidly, and fearing what might happen next, they both instinctively tried to hold him back as they called out to him in unison. But their words were cut short—because in the blink of an eye, he vanished from where he stood.

Chapter 181: A liberating escape.

Chapter Text

In a panic, Keiko and Yumiko quickly turned to look ahead, where all they could see was Kai moving at an astonishing speed, executing movements so fluid and elegant they resembled a dance routine as he struck Haruto. He stopped moments later, at which point Haruto collapsed to the ground on the verge of unconsciousness, with his arms, legs, and ribs broken, struggling to catch his breath. Curiously, however, not a single drop of blood was visible on the middle-aged man's body.

With clear disdain, Kai dropped to one knee and extended his left hand to grab Haruto’s hair, lifting his head to eye level. Then, with an incredibly calm and measured voice, he spoke, while the face of the middle-aged man showed only pure terror—wanting to scream in pain and run with all his strength to escape from that monster but unable to do so.

“It’s true that I can’t kill you with my own hands, since I promised the girls I wouldn’t… but believe me, I have ways to turn your life into such a hell that suicide will start to seem like a pleasurable and liberating escape…”

As he listened to the terrifying, emotionless voice of that chilling blue-eyed boy, Haruto suddenly felt his arm shifting and realigning, sending waves of crippling pain through him. Yet, because he was being held tightly by the hair and forced to stare into those predatory blue eyes studying him like prey, he couldn’t see what was happening or how. It was at that moment that the blue-eyed boy added with a wicked, predatory smile on his face, just as he began to heal the rest of Haruto’s broken bones.

“Any time, any place, whenever I feel like it… I can give you a little dose of this treatment—a maddening pain that won’t leave a single shred of evidence for you to sue with. And the best part? You’re not the only one who can enjoy this exclusive treatment… Miss Tanaka Aiko, Mr. Tanaka Hiroshi, Mrs. Tanaka Yui, young Yamamoto Daichi…”

The more Haruto listened to Kai, the deeper the terror in his eyes became. After all, that creepy boy was naming, one by one, Aiko’s family members, her friends, and their respective relatives—a list so comprehensive that even Haruto didn’t recognize some of the names, which filled him with immeasurable fear.

That fear stemmed from the fact that Haruto fully understood the message the eerie boy was implying—he had the skills necessary to turn him into a complete pariah, a plague capable of destroying anyone who got close to him. Even his beloved Aiko might not be able to endure it because even if she could withstand the physical torture, it was unlikely she could bear the mental torment of seeing her parents suffer.

The idea of reporting Kai briefly crossed Haruto’s mind but vanished as quickly as it appeared. After all, in just a matter of moments, his broken bones had somehow been restored, and even the physical pain had vanished. Though, for some reason, his mind still believed his limbs should be hurting, so it kept sending out spasms of pain—but that wasn’t what mattered.

What truly mattered was that the terrifying boy was making it clear that, at best, Haruto could only gather circumstantial or testimonial evidence against him—evidence that could easily be dismissed due to the lack of medical records.

This would drag the trial on endlessly, and in the end, even if Haruto were to win, the most he’d be ordered to pay would be a few million in compensation—practically pocket change for them. In the end, Haruto himself would end up the most harmed, as it was almost certain that the terrifying bastard would countersue him.

As Kai recited the list of names he had carefully crafted specifically to psychologically break the “pregnant mistress”—a list meticulously designed to instill psychological terror without him having to actually do anything, since he couldn’t see himself dealing with a pregnant woman any other way, and that was essentially his limit—his mind couldn’t help but wander into the memories of his past life.

Although they didn’t resemble each other much, Kai couldn’t help but see traces of that “great friend and brother from another mother” from his past life in Haruto. Both were nothing more than parasitic rats, useless on their own, who could only get anywhere by leeching, stealing, and betraying. The thought made him clench his fists tightly, ripping out small tufts of Haruto’s gray hair.

Before long, Kai finally finished the list, at which point he tossed Haruto aside like trash and stood up, dusting off his hands. That was when Keiko and Yumiko grabbed him by the arms and pulled him in, pressing him tightly into their enormous chests, effectively immobilizing him.

“Kai, don’t dirty your hands.” Keiko said firmly as she claimed his arm, her tone serious and almost scolding. Yumiko quickly followed with a similar tone.

“Yeah, he’s not worth it. Let this ‘rat’ leave on his own. He doesn’t deserve your attention.”

“Alright, alright, you got me—I won’t do anything else...”

Kai replied quickly, wearing a calm smile, which made both Keiko and Yumiko smile with satisfaction. They chose not to say anything about the deep, contemplative look with which Kai was ‘discreetly’ studying Haruto. Then Yumiko turned toward her ex-husband, who was still on the ground, visibly in shock, and coldly said.

“There’s nothing left to say between us, Haruto. If it’s true that you’re not planning to steal the company, then take what I’m offering you, sign the divorce papers, and get out.”

Haruto, who was in a state of shock, feeling dizzy and weak, looked at his wife—or rather, that ruthless woman who was now embracing so intimately the damn bastard who had literally threatened him and who knows how many others with death—finding her completely unrecognizable.

That cold, arrogant, and merciless attitude was worlds apart from the understanding, cheerful, and nurturing woman he had once known. For a moment, he even thought someone had replaced her because, in nearly 20 years of marriage, he had never seen her like this. But when he saw Keiko Yaoyorozu clinging just as tightly to that bastard, he understood everything—it was that damned viper’s fault. She had corrupted his beautiful, gentle Yumiko.

Feeling like his world was falling apart, Haruto just wanted to nod at Yumiko’s words and vanish from the scene. But at that moment, the image of Aiko smiling while holding a small baby in her arms flashed through his mind. It made him grit his teeth—one million dollars wouldn’t be enough for the new life and family he wanted to build. So, even if it cost him his life, he had to speak up.

“I can’t accept just one million. By right, I’m entitled to half of what we built. As an apology for everything I caused, I’m willing to settle for only 25%… but I can’t accept less.” Haruto said, teeth chattering, squeezing out every last drop of courage he had. Yumiko replied coldly.

“Not even a judge would give you that much after learning you got your whore pregnant and practically stole the work of my entire life—so don’t kid yourself. The most I’ll offer, if you follow every instruction we give to help fix the company and return it to my control, is to buy your 10% at market price. Nothing more.

“But for now, leave. You’re annoying me. In a few days, my lawyer will send you the divorce papers and a summons to a more neutral location where we can go over the details, and both you and your whore can sign the documents. That will be the last time we see each other.”

“…”

Wanting to say a million things, Haruto opened his mouth—but the sharp looks from Keiko, Yumiko, and Kai froze the words in his throat. At that moment, Keiko made a small gesture to the guards, who immediately understood. They grabbed Haruto by the arms, lifted him up, and carried him to his car, which wasn’t far away.

As Haruto drove off in his car, Keiko and Kai remained silent while Yumiko watched the vehicle until it disappeared from view. That’s when the beautiful blue-haired mother couldn’t help but smile bitterly and speak, her voice tinged with a hint of self-reproach.

“I don’t understand how I could ever marry that man… so deceitful, cynical, cowardly, and selfish. He didn’t even ask about Nejire—hasn’t even bothered to contact her… he truly doesn’t care about anyone but himself…”

After gazing into the distance with a thoughtful look, Yumiko shook her head and turned to face Kai, at which point she asked in a warm, motherly tone—filled with tenderness and love—a world apart from her cold demeanor just moments ago.

“But let’s put that aside… How are you feeling, Kai? Are you hurt anywhere? You don’t know how worried we were when we saw you arrive—you didn’t even look human…”

Remembering the image of Kai when he first appeared, Yumiko’s expression twisted in pain. At that moment, Keiko tightened her grip around Kai’s arm and spoke with a voice that was soft, sorrowful, almost pleading.

“Please, don’t ever do something like that again, Kai… I don’t know if I could bear seeing you in that state again, let alone losing you…”

With a look full of guilt, Kai gently kissed the tops of Yumiko and Keiko’s heads—they were both shorter than him—then spoke in a deeply apologetic tone.

“I’m sorry for worrying you… Things got out of control so quickly, and those spiders were way too strong… but I promise, from now on, I’ll be much more careful.”

Feeling the genuine remorse in Kai’s words, the two mothers leaned their heads against his arms, wanting to feel his warmth. But at that moment, they both noticed the guards were returning. Sharing a glance, Yumiko and Keiko nodded at each other, knowing that even though the guards were hired for their strength and discretion, privacy was always better.

“Let’s go inside.”

Yumiko whispered softly, to which Kai quickly nodded and began walking toward the mansion at a calm pace, with Yumiko and Keiko still clinging to his arms. However, halfway there, the group came across a beautiful blonde woman lifting a boy of about seven who looked strikingly like her—blond hair, hazel eyes, and olive skin—though the boy had several completely white streaks of hair at the front.

“Eva…”

Upon seeing the woman, Kai couldn’t help but speak softly, as a flood of memories rushed through his mind. After all, that face was far too similar to someone he had once known as Kate. But Kai quickly composed himself and added with a calm smile, switching back to English.

“It’s good to see you’re okay. How are you feeling?”

“Kai… thank you, truly—thank you so, so much. I don’t know how to repay you. You saved me and my little one from hell, and even your family has given us shelter, food, and medical care. I honestly don’t know how to thank all of you… You didn’t even blame me for what happened to you, even though it was all my fault…”

Genuinely moved, Eva expressed her gratitude as tears streamed down her face. She clung tightly to the small child in her arms, who looked rather shy and nervous about the whole situation, holding on to his mother with all his strength. At that moment, Yumiko and Keiko let go of Kai’s arms and gently patted his back, prompting Kai to step forward and speak in a calm voice.

“Don’t worry about any of that. Everything’s okay now. I’m alive, and you and your little one are safe—that’s all that matters. And as you may have noticed, money isn’t something my family is concerned about, so please don’t worry about that either.”

“Thank you…”

Eva thanked him again, now crying even harder, which frightened the child. He quickly hugged his mother tightly and looked at Kai with caution. That’s when Kai noticed the small lacerations, bruises, and bandages scattered across both Eva’s and the child’s bodies. Almost instinctively, he called out to his trusted assistant.

“Sage.”

At Kai’s call, Sage materialized by his side, making Kai suddenly realize she hadn’t been there when he woke up—something very unusual, since she was always present. But before he could ask anything, the beautiful fairy launched herself at him, hugging the left side of his face tightly.

“Master… it’s so good to see you. I was so worried…”

Seeing his trusted assistant’s behavior, Kai couldn’t help but smile in amusement, then sent her a message through their mental link in a slightly playful tone.

[My Sage has gotten bold—she doesn’t even care that there are people around.]

Upon receiving her master’s message, Sage froze completely. Slowly, she turned her head like an old, rusty robot, and her gaze landed on Yumiko and Keiko, who were softly laughing at the adorable fairy’s behavior. Her face turned a deep shade of red, the blush spreading all the way to her long, elf-like ears.

Gently, Sage pulled away from her master, brought a fist to her mouth, and coughed a couple of times as if clearing her throat. Then she turned to face him and spoke in a calm, serious tone—giving off the air of a loyal and diligent assistant, as if her earlier outburst had never happened.

“I am at your service, Master.”

Chapter 182: Is it really necessary to use the angel?

Chapter Text

Amused, Kai smiled at Sage, who merely blushed but didn’t change her expression in the slightest. He quickly turned to look at Eva and commented in a calm tone, all while sweeping his Observation Haki across his entire property. He noticed several people in the medical room who seemed to be organizing the space, something that inevitably reminded him of that strange black-and-white vision.

“We better go inside.”

After a unanimous nod, everyone calmly walked toward the mansion’s main hall, where Kai sat on one of the double sofas. Yumiko and Keiko sat on either side of him, just as Salem leapt down from Kai’s head and landed on his lap. After kneading for a moment, the little creature lay down comfortably—until a beautiful white cat climbed up to curl beside him, forcing him to shift his position.

At the same time, Eva sat across from Kai, keeping little Oliver on her lap. The child still felt insecure and became extremely anxious when separated from her, clearly still suffering the psychological aftermath of all he had endured in that hell. Fortunately, a mental health specialist who visited the mansion in the afternoons was already addressing his condition.

“So, Eva, how have you been feeling? Any injuries or lasting physical effects?”

As he accepted the tea and T-shirt that Mrs. Yoshiko handed him with elegance—though accompanied by a rather cheerful smile—Kai asked, returning the smile to his ever-reliable housekeeper. Eva quickly shook her head in response and answered in a more serious tone, reaching for a small box of tissues floating in front of her as if by magic, and began wiping away the traces of her tears.

“I’ve felt very safe. Your family has done everything possible to make us comfortable, and regarding the injuries, several doctors hired by your family have been treating us and helping with the therapy, so everything is going very well...”

“I see...”

Kai nodded calmly, then glanced once more at the mother and child, a sight that flooded him with memories of his past life. And perhaps due to the earlier confrontation with Yumiko’s ex-husband, his mind seemed trapped in a strange loop, forcing him to revisit every detail of his misfortune and those who caused it. But shaking his head gently, Kai forced his thoughts back into order and added in a soft tone.

“Eva, I don’t know if you remember Sage.”

Kai asked as he extended his palm forward, prompting Sage—who had been resting on his master’s shoulder—to quickly fly over and make a graceful spin in the air, as if elegantly introducing herself. Eva immediately smiled, full of gratitude.

“How could I forget her? Even though I didn’t know her name, that little fairy was the one who saved my life, and I’ll be grateful to her until the end of my days.”

Without hesitation, Eva bowed her head toward Sage, mimicking what she had seen around the mansion in recent days, and expressed her thanks with heartfelt sincerity—something her son quickly imitated with slightly nervous movements.

“Thank you so much, Sage. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

“I was merely following my master’s orders, so if you want to thank someone, you should thank him instead.” Sage replied in a calm and elegant tone, a gentle smile on her beautiful face. To that, Eva responded seriously.

“That may be the case, but it doesn’t change the fact that you saved my life. Thank you.”

“…Then I should say, You’re welcome?”

Visibly unsure and feeling a strange sensation in her chest, Sage commented with a curious expression, which made Yumiko and Keiko chuckle softly. At that moment, Kai spoke in a calm tone as he slipped on the T-shirt Mrs. Yoshiko had given him.

“Well, Eva, it turns out our little Sage has the ability to heal people. So, if you’d like, she can examine you. It’s possible she could heal you completely and save you the trouble of all those therapy sessions.”

“…Alright, I’ll be in your hands.”

Upon hearing Kai’s words, Eva couldn’t help but look at the little fairy in surprise. Sage only responded with a calm smile. Eva quickly composed herself and answered in a steady tone. Although, for some reason, she had developed a slight discomfort with being touched in recent days, this tiny fairy was her savior—and small enough to make her feel safe, even though she was well aware of the terrifying power held within that delicate form.

“Then I’ll proceed… Huh?”

Flying toward Eva, Sage spoke calmly. Eva nodded in response, so Sage quickly placed her tiny hand on the woman’s forehead. At that moment, her wings began to glow with shifting colors. But in mere seconds, the beautiful fairy let out a soft sound of surprise—imperceptible to everyone except Kai, who immediately asked through their mental link.

[What’s wrong, Sage?]

[Master, this woman has a very rare latent autoimmune disease. If I hadn’t been doing such a thorough scan to identify her Quirk factor, I would’ve missed it. That means it’s highly likely the doctors haven’t noticed it either. It’s so rare that there’s no cure yet—only treatments to mitigate the symptoms.]

Sage quickly responded in an incredibly serious tone, which caused Kai’s expression to tighten slightly—something both Yumiko and Keiko noticed instantly, immediately alerting them that something was wrong with Sage’s examination, prompting both of them to furrow their brows.

[Use Angel’s Breath.]

To Sage’s surprise, her master soon gave the command in a calm tone, causing the beautiful fairy to turn her head to look at him in mild astonishment—only to find a serene smile on Kai’s face. He quickly added through their mental link.

[Don’t you find it curious to see whether Angel’s Breath can heal an autoimmune disease? Since we know it only cures what it detects as an anomaly, it can’t fix congenital conditions—but what about something autoimmune? We’ve never tried it, after all. And the month is almost over, so the uses will recharge soon. The risk is low. This is a great opportunity.]

[… That’s true as well... Then I’ll try it.]

Sage responded after a short pause, not looking particularly convinced. At that moment, two different cards materialized at her sides—Isolation Veil on the left and Angel’s Breath on the right—causing great surprise in both Keiko and Yumiko. Yumiko even gently tugged on Kai’s shirt, then asked in a whisper.

“What happened? Is her condition so bad that you have to use that ability? The doctors said she was fine aside from some superficial wounds and a few infections…”

“Something like that. She has a rather complicated illness, so I’m going to try to heal her, though it’s not guaranteed.”

Kai quickly leaned in toward Yumiko and whispered softly into her ear, which greatly darkened the expression of the beautiful blue-haired woman. For something to make even Kai uncertain about the outcome, it had to be incredibly complex—and likely incurable by current means. At that moment, Keiko also tugged at Kai’s shirt to ask.

“Is it really necessary to use the angel? You’ve already used it once, and you only have a very limited number of uses…”

“Yes, it’s the only ability I have that might be able to heal her—and it’s also a kind of test, since I’m not sure. It’s a very rare autoimmune disease, and with the month coming to an end, this is a good opportunity to find out. If I’m not able to heal her, I’ll immediately start working on ways to make it possible. It’s better to be prepared in case someone in the family ends up suffering from something similar.”

Still whispering into Keiko’s ear, Kai replied in a calm tone, prompting Keiko to nod, though a faint look of suspicion lingered in her eyes.

“I understand.”

Meanwhile, Eva decided to ignore the quiet exchange between her hosts and instead focused on the two cards that had appeared beside the beautiful fairy. They immediately reminded her of the cards Sage had used to create the barrier and get her off that island, making it very likely they were tied to her Quirk. This led her to ask, somewhat worried.

“What do I have?”

“It’s a very rare autoimmune disease. I’ll try to heal it, but it’s not guaranteed. Still, don’t worry—the method I’m using has no side effects.” Sage replied calmly as she extended her hand toward the Isolation Veil card. At that moment, Eva quickly spoke in a serious, almost pleading tone.

“Wait, I think I know what it might be. My mother died from an autoimmune disease called ‘Denyra syndrome’, and I was warned that I could have inherited a genetic predisposition to develop it in the future. So before anything else, please, Sage—check my son.”

Hearing Eva’s request, Sage quickly turned to her master, who gave a calm nod. The beautiful fairy then turned back to Eva, nodding in acknowledgment and replying in a composed tone.

“Alright, I’ll examine him.”

“Thank you so much…” Eva quickly expressed her sincere gratitude, then looked directly into her son’s eyes and spoke with a warm voice full of motherly love.

“Sweetheart, the little fairy is going to check you to see if you’re feeling unwell. Let’s be brave, okay?”

"…Okay, mommy."

The little one nodded and added in a soft, slightly fearful voice—something that inevitably broke Eva’s heart. Seeing her normally energetic and outgoing baby act this way was truly heartbreaking for a mother. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Eva turned to Sage and spoke in a low voice.

“Please, Sage.”

“Right away.”

Sage replied calmly and immediately reached out to gently touch the child’s head. He involuntarily trembled a little, prompting Eva to hold him tightly. Meanwhile, Keiko and Yumiko couldn’t help but cling tightly to Kai’s arms. As mothers, they deeply understood Eva’s pain, and at the same time, a rapid flood of memories resurfaced—memories of when Alisa and Jiro had died, especially the devastating impact that tragedy had on their beloved Kai.

“… Fortunately, your son doesn’t have the disease, and it seems he doesn’t share your genetic predisposition to it either. Though he does have some minor issues—if you’d like, I can heal them now and spare him the need for therapy. It would be much easier than treating you.”

“…”

Eva fell silent for a moment, feeling uncertain. But after a few seconds, she gathered her courage. Choosing to trust those who had saved her life and treated her with such kindness, she spoke in a serious tone.

“I entrust my little one to you, Sage. He’s the most precious thing I have.”

“Don’t worry—it’ll only take a few minutes.”

Sage responded calmly, and at that moment, her tiny right hand lit up with a soft blue glow, while her wings began shifting colors at high speed—all under the anxious gaze of Eva. After a few minutes, Eva watched with her own eyes as all the superficial wounds on her son’s body vanished without a trace, and even his overall appearance improved significantly, filling her heart with endless gratitude.

“Thank you so much, Sage. I truly have no words to express how grateful I am to all of you. One lifetime won’t be enough to repay you…”

Visibly moved, Eva spoke in a tearful voice as she clung to her son, who, now feeling much better, couldn’t help but smile while hugging his mother tightly. At that moment, Yumiko spoke, her voice tinged with emotion and tears welling up in her eyes.

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to repay us. Seeing a mother and her child happy is all the reward we need…”

Meanwhile, Keiko hid her face in Kai’s arm, her mind drifting through memories of her own daughter, Momo—especially in her early years, when it took every ounce of strength not to reject her due to the deep trauma left by the worthless man she had foolishly chosen as the girl’s father and the terror she felt upon hearing of Alisa’s death and Kai’s injuries.

“Well, your son should be in perfect condition now. He should even be able to run just like he used to—though it’s best if he stretches a bit first.”

As she withdrew her hands from the boy, who looked at her with a mix of nervousness and curiosity, Sage spoke in a calm tone. Eva nodded in response and gently set her son down on the floor, prompting a frightened expression to appear on his young face. But as he managed to stand without any pain or discomfort, the child couldn’t help but look at his legs in surprise—then began moving them in different ways, overjoyed and full of curiosity.

“Thank you… truly, thank you…”

Watching her son finally find the courage to take a few steps on his own, Eva once again expressed her gratitude through a torrent of tears. She felt as though she had emerged from the depths of hell to touch the heavens with her own hands. She had probably never been as happy in her entire life as she was in that brief moment—not even on her wedding day. And that meant something, considering how deeply she had loved, and still loved, her late husband. But compared to seeing her son healthy and smiling again, nothing else could ever come close.

Chapter 183: Don’t you want to hear my story first…?

Chapter Text

“Like I said before, there’s no need to thank me—let’s focus on healing you instead.” Sage said calmly, which led Eva to hug her little Oliver once more before speaking nervously.

“Alright, but… can my son stay?”

“Yes, that’s no problem.”

Sage responded with the same calm demeanor, knowing that Angel’s Breath could only heal one person at a time. Even if the angelic ray of light were to fall on someone else during the process, it would only affect the selected target—who couldn’t be changed once chosen. Then, pointing firmly to the card on her left, she made the announcement.

“Then let’s begin. [Isolation Veil] on! [5 Meters] [1 Minute]!!”

With the command, the card swiftly transformed into a beam of light, forming a translucent barrier with a 5-meter radius around Sage at its center. At that moment, Sage pointed to the second card and declared in a loud voice.

“[Angel’s Breath] On!”

The card quickly transformed into a stream of light that formed a spherical angel with wings. Sage immediately pointed at Eva and commanded it to heal her. The angel slowly approached her until it hovered right above her head, and under the nervous and astonished gaze of mother and son, the angel released a beam of light that fell directly upon them. At that moment, Eva could feel all her pain vanish—even the hidden pain in her private areas that had been under medical treatment.

Soon, the ray of light faded along with the angel, and Eva looked down at her hands in amazement. She began patting her body frantically, realizing that not only was she completely pain-free, but she also felt full of vitality and energy. Even her skin seemed noticeably smoother and softer, almost as if she had become a different person entirely, which led her to speak, overwhelmed with emotion.

“This is incredible…”

As Sage gently touched Eva’s head to examine her once more, Kai mentally calculated the aura cost of Angel’s Breath, realizing it had been much lower than expected. Even in his current state—weak and exhausted due to the Inverse Flow pact—he had barely felt it. That led him to suspect that the disease hadn’t actually been cured and that he had just wasted a valuable use of his precious ability. However, at that moment, Sage communicated through their mental link with a slightly surprised tone.

[Master, the disease is gone. There are no traces left. It’s possible that because we detected it before it fully manifested, the aura cost was significantly reduced.]

[That’s a rather interesting bit of data. Note it down and create a roadmap for re-examining Alcatraz. The fact that it still hasn’t been able to capture that Drider is bothering me.] Visibly satisfied, Kai replied with a small smile on his face, to which Sage responded cheerfully.

[Right away.] While answering her master, Sage looked at Eva and spoke in a calm tone.

“Your illness has been successfully cured. However, your genetic predisposition remains, so it would be wise to begin regular checkups from now on.”

“I know I’ve said it a lot, but I honestly don’t know how else to express it—thank you so much. You’ve given me more than I ever imagined…”

Eva said, feeling more energetic than ever as she subtly shifted her thighs, secretly savoring a strange yet comforting sensation she thought she’d never experience again. There was no pain, no discomfort, no burning—just a feeling of incredible softness and delicacy. It might have even been better than before she ever arrived on that damned island, and the realization nearly brought her to tears once more.

“You really do sound like a broken record with all that thanking, so just let it go for now. Take a few days to relax before thinking about what to do next. This property is pretty big, and there are relaxation facilities all over the place.”

Kai, who was also within the Isolation Veil barrier, spoke with a calm smile, which brought a shy smile to Eva’s face as she nodded gently. But then, remembering that the brave hero in front of her hadn’t been unconscious when she told her story, she decided to ask in a slightly uneasy voice.

“Don’t you want to hear my story first…?”

“Mmm… only if you know something about those spiders, or how you ended up on the island, or if there’s something specific you want to tell me. Otherwise, it’s not necessary. I imagine things weren’t easy for you on that island, so there’s no need to reopen wounds unless it’s for something important.”

Kai replied calmly, bringing an odd warmth to Eva’s heart. After a few seconds, she swallowed hard and spoke in a soft, quiet voice.

“…I understand. Then maybe we can talk tonight after my baby falls asleep.”

“Alright, but for now, just relax a bit—or better yet…” Kai said while stretching, then looked at Sage and added in a relaxed tone.

“Sage, bring out a few things, so Oliver can play with his mom. You know which ones.”

“Right away, Master.”

Sage nodded with a smile and quickly gave orders to a pair of robots in the workshop to bring out a few items from the toy collection—safe concept prototypes and other miscellaneous things her master kept in his workshop. Of course, none of them were truly important. The loyal fairy would never dare to touch the real toy collection, which was made up of gifts her master had received throughout his life and held dear.

As a pair of robots entered the room—now that the Isolation Veil barrier had disappeared—carrying skateboards, remote-controlled scale models, balls, and more, the little Oliver’s eyes lit up with excitement, and a joyful, grateful smile spread across Eva’s face. At that moment, Kai commented as he jumped up from the couch, feeling his stomach growl like a beast.

“Well then, in the meantime, let’s eat—I’m starving!”

“Sir Kai, your meal is served.”

Almost in perfect sync, Mrs. Yoshiko entered the main hall once again and announced in a calm and professional tone, which made Kai’s eyes shine with excitement. He quickly placed Salem and Tama on the couch and rushed toward the dining room, causing light giggles from Yumiko and Keiko.

“He really is just a big kid…” Yumiko said with a tender, affectionate voice as she looked toward where Kai had vanished, to which Keiko added with a lovestruck smile on her face.

“Yeah, though he’s every bit a man when it counts…”

“You don’t have to tell me…”

Yumiko nodded in agreement as a strange warmth surged through her body, inevitably bringing to mind the image of a certain towering dragon, which made her press her thighs together tightly. At the same time, she glanced sideways at Keiko, who had a faint blush on her cheeks and was squeezing her thighs in the same way. Both mothers decided to stay silent and pretend not to notice.

…

While Kai was rapidly devouring his food, he quickly reached out to his trusted assistant through their mental connection to ask something that had been nagging at him since he woke up.

[Sage, how did I survive?]

[I’m not entirely sure, Master. Right before you lost consciousness, a storm of lightning struck the island, and one of the bolts hit you directly. At that moment, your aura reserves were recharged—as if Inverse Flow had reactivated on its own. But interestingly, at that exact same time, the Accomplices did this.]

Sage replied quickly in a serious tone while generating a holographic screen in front of her master. The screen showed the Accomplices roaring toward the sky before vanishing. But through his Gyo, Kai could see that what looked like particles of aura were rising into the sky, which led him to ask, both surprised and confused—he even froze mid-bite, noodles dangling just inches from his mouth.

[The Accomplices de-manifested, and I recovered aura…?]

[No, Master. The Accomplices didn’t de-manifest—after all, they can’t. They’re parasitic Nen beasts. Once created, they exist indefinitely until they’re either killed or their host dies. Instead, they somehow managed to ‘send’ you aura, using almost all of their energy reserves in the process.

[The massive energy drain sent them into a day-long slumber, though their hosts only experienced mild fatigue. They’re fully operational again now.] Sage explained with a faint trace of surprise in her tone, prompting Kai to reply in disbelief as he resumed eating.

[I didn’t know they could do that…]

[Neither did I, Master. Maybe, in their effort to respond to their hosts’ desire to save you, they resorted to that measure—or perhaps something else entirely happened. For now, it remains a complete mystery…] Sage answered, her voice tinged with uncertainty. Kai could only sigh in response.

[You really never stop learning when it comes to a Nen ability…]

[That’s certainly the case, Master…] Sage nodded in agreement, already generating a full schedule to test each Nen ability in order to identify unknown variables like that one. At that moment, Kai spoke in a focused tone.

[Alright, putting that aside for now, we have a lot of work to do, Sage. After all, I’m a firm believer that what doesn’t kill me makes me stronger—and this battle was extremely revealing. We need to work on developing new abilities, especially focusing on spatial techniques. By the way, you did manage to obtain the copy of the male Drider, right?]

[Yes, Master. I haven’t tried to decode it yet, but I’ve uploaded it to the servers and made several backup copies.] Sage responded quickly while displaying a new holographic screen for Kai, who nodded in satisfaction and added firmly.

[Perfect. We’ll try to decode it later. Also, my arrogance really cost me this time—no more foolishness about not wearing armor. We're going to focus on creating a combat suit with an Aura Script amplification pattern!]

[Noted, Master!] Sage answered enthusiastically, clearly energized by her master’s determination. At that moment, Kai continued in a calm tone.

[Also, increase the priority of the Quirk Maker project. If there are more spiders like that—or worse—we're done for. We need to strengthen the family, restore All Might’s power, and empower capable heroes. We need a solid defensive line in case everything goes to hell. So, get in touch with Mirio—we’re going to focus on training him and several other promising candidates.]

[Understood, Master. By the way, after reviewing the security footage from the past few days, Mirio and All Might have been coming to check on you and see how you were doing.] Sage informed him calmly while displaying holographic screens with the surveillance recordings, to which Kai replied with understanding.

[Oh, that’s right—I promised All Might I’d train his kid… Even if it’s a bit annoying, put him on the training list with Mirio. A promise is a promise, and since he’s got One For All, he needs to be ready in case everything goes to hell. Also, we need to take down that Quirk-stealer. We can’t have something that dangerous lurking behind us while we prepare for an apocalyptic threat.]

[It’s done, Master. Shall I inform All Might, or would you prefer to do it yourself?] Sage asked promptly, ever the professional assistant. Kai shook his head and replied.

[I’ll do it myself, but first I want to prepare a few things—starting with reviewing the information on the Drider. I want to see if we can use it to create the spatial ability. I’m not getting wrapped up in those damn corrosive cocoons ever again…]

[Are you planning to go back, Master?] Hearing her master's words, Sage couldn’t help but ask with clear concern, to which Kai nodded and replied in a serious tone.

[Yes, we have to go back. That place is too dangerous to leave unchecked. Besides, something’s been bothering me. Among spiders, the females are usually bigger than the males—so doesn’t it strike you as odd that the female Drider was actually smaller?]

[You’re suggesting that…?] The little fairy turned to look at her master and asked with disbelief in her voice, and Kai nodded heavily.

[Yes… There might be a female even larger and more powerful than that male Drider. The one we fought could have been a juvenile. And for some reason, three of the original spiders are still alive. They hid when we went on a rampage targeting the strongest ones, and I highly doubt it was just out of fear. There’s something else on that island… and we need to find out what it is.]

[…] Upon hearing the confirmation of her fears, Sage could only remain silent, her expression grave and full of concern. Then, with a serious tone, she added.

[…Master, there’s actually something even stranger. The day we were on the spider island, the family contacted All Might and sent him to the last recorded location we left behind. But no matter how much he searched the area, he never encountered the fog or the storm. According to him, he only saw a calm sea.

[Meanwhile, Eva mentioned that a storm suddenly struck the ship she was on, and somehow—though they couldn’t understand how—they ended up on the island. But according to her account, she was about 10,000 kilometers away from where we were…]

[Well, that place is certainly mysterious. Besides, we knew from the beginning that it was moving slowly, so it’s possible that the island travels around the world—and maybe the way to enter it is by being at sea level. Knowing All Might, he most likely flew over it, and with the existence of those conditional webs, anything is possible…]

Kai commented in an analytical tone. But at that moment, his eyes widened in realization, and he quickly turned to look at his trusted assistant, asking urgently.

[Wait, Sage—you said All Might was in the vicinity and only saw calm seas, right?]

[That’s correct, Master.]

Sage nodded quickly, a little confused, but her expression soon shifted to one of realization and shock—just as Kai asked, his voice suddenly heavy with disbelief.

[Then if he was in the area… how the hell did he not see my Kame Hame Ha…?]

Chapter 184: She’s actually originally from Avalon.

Chapter Text

Kai’s question brought a heavy silence to the dining room, as both of them were completely stunned. The [Kame Hame Ha] wasn’t just their most powerful attack—it was also incredibly flashy, meaning no one within several kilometers would have missed it… unless something had happened. Something capable of hiding—or even completely erasing—their most powerful move and greatest trump card under normal circumstances.

[Is there any chance that All Might lied and wasn’t actually there…?]

After a few seconds, Kai asked heavily, to which Sage could only shake her head, responding through their mental connection while simultaneously displaying holographic screens showing satellite imagery and the recording from All Might’s glasses stored on the servers.

[No, master. The communication device created by Keiko tracked his position at all times, and the records match his account. Also, there’s no sign of anything resembling the Kame Hame Ha in the satellite images of the area, nor are there any specific incident reports.]

[This worries me, Sage... We’ll have to be extremely cautious and prepare as best we can before returning. That island is far too strange…]

Kai commented in a heavy tone, then returned to eating, although now at a much slower and more deliberate pace, prompting Sage to reply with a worried tone as she landed on her master’s shoulder.

[Indeed, master. Furthermore, your limbs were almost completely lost and were only restored thanks to Angel’s Breath. A period of intensive retraining will be necessary to regain your maximum condition.]

[Oh, so it wasn’t just the effects of Inverse Flow that made me feel so heavy and weak. I see…] Kai couldn’t help but nod in realization, then used his left hand to squeeze his right forearm, immediately noticing the difference. At that moment, he added with conviction.

[In the schedule, remove three hours from the development of the armor’s energy module—which is almost finished—and reassign them to morning training. I need to recover as soon as possible.]

[Understood, master…]

Sage immediately made the adjustments to her master's tight schedule and responded in a calm tone. At that moment, she noticed something unusual in one of her asynchronous processing threads, prompting her to speak with a slightly intrigued tone.

[Master, I’m not sure if this is something important, but while reviewing the video logs, I found that Eva mentioned she’s actually originally from Avalon and had to flee with her mother when she was young because of the civil war, eventually ending up in Australia.]

[That’s interesting…] Upon hearing Sage’s comment, Kai paused again, wearing a contemplative expression, and then added, completely lost in thought.

[Do you think it’s just a coincidence, Sage? My mother and ‘Kate’—or rather, Eva—are both from the same country, which is located in a geographic area that didn’t even exist in my past life…]

[I don’t see why it couldn’t be a coincidence, master. There’s too little data, so it’s very difficult to draw any conclusions. But the coincidences are indeed striking—both, despite different names, bear an extreme resemblance to people from your past life.

[Moreover, in the case of your mother, even her personality was the same, not to mention the name ‘Eva’... maybe we should interact a little more with Eva to determine the degree of similarity.] Sage replied, equally intrigued, which led Kai to comment thoughtfully.

[Well, as far as I know, Kate never went through anything even remotely similar to what Eva experienced. The last thing I heard about Kate was that she was happily married to a dentist and had two kids, so it wouldn’t be strange if their personalities were different. Plus, Kate and I were only two years apart, whereas Eva is almost two decades older than me…]

[Master… should I…?]

Sage asked with a certain apprehension in her tone, but those simple words were more than enough for Kai to understand what his reliable assistant meant. After all, he had been thinking the exact same thing: Were that fox and that rat also in this world? Should he look for them?

After thinking about it for a long few seconds, Kai finally let out a heavy sigh, then shook his head and replied through their mental connection with a somewhat tired tone.

[…Just do a superficial search for different acquaintances. Don’t waste too much time searching for them specifically. Even if they do exist, they haven’t done anything to me in this life. It’s not worth wasting our time on that. There are far more important matters—like finding out why there was a collar dated before the Quirk Era on that damned island.]

[Understood, master. I’ll initiate a search with the lowest priority setting for that, and I’ll start deducing possibilities regarding the collar.]

Sage quickly responded in a calm tone, to which Kai nodded silently before returning to his meal—though now his movements were much slower and more deliberate, clearly lost in thought. Seeing this, Sage let out a small sigh, then floated up into the air and lay down on her back across her master’s head, almost as if hugging him, before closing her eyes and letting time pass by in silence.

…

"It's really hard for me to believe something like this is even possible..."

In the middle of the principal’s office at U.A., Nezu—the endearing bear/mouse and head of the country’s top hero academy—couldn’t help but comment, full of disbelief, as he watched the footage of one of his students locked in a fierce battle against monstrous spiders. He then turned to look at All Might and Midnight, who were seated in front of his desk, and asked with concern.

"How is Kai-kun doing?"

"Still unconscious. The fight with those spiders was devastating—he ended up on the verge of death… If it hadn’t been for his healing ability, he truly would have died…"

Nemuri answered with a serious expression, although traces of pain and worry were visible on her face. Nezu could only take a deep breath in response. After all, he had seen firsthand the boy’s overwhelming strength nearly two years ago, and by now, Kai could only have grown even stronger—possibly rivaling the Symbol of Peace at his prime. A level of strength he had previously considered invincible.

"The situation is truly critical. Is there any way to locate that island?" Nezu asked solemnly, to which All Might shook his head and answered in a grave tone.

"Not yet. There are groups from private agencies and the police patrolling the area where Kai-shonen was last recorded, as well as the area where Eva White reported her shipwreck. But so far, nothing has been found. My friends in the United States and I-Island have also been searching through satellite imagery from all over the planet, but they haven’t found anything either… though we expected that."

"What do you mean you expected that?" Nezu asked, somewhat curious, prompting Nemuri to answer seriously.

"Before going to that place, Kai told us that the reason he was so cautious with those spiders wasn’t just because of their power but also because somehow, they were able to hide from satellite imagery. He was only able to find them because he marked one of the spiders with one of his abilities."

"Did Kai-kun leave any more information? Or do you specifically know how that ‘ability’ of his works? Maybe we could learn something from it." Nezu asked in a serious tone, though he still looked rather adorable, prompting Nemuri to shake her head and explain.

"Not much more, only the videos you just watched—which he barely managed to hand over before falling unconscious. Also, that ability of Kai’s is more or less a copy of Ragdoll’s quirk, so only he knows exactly where the marked target is."

"And I suppose Ragdoll hasn’t seen those spiders..."

Hearing Nemuri’s answer, Nezu couldn’t help but comment with a sigh, since he knew perfectly well how Ragdoll—also known as Tomoko—worked: her quirk allowed her to detect living beings and know their location and weaknesses within a certain range around her. But outside that range, she could only continue tracking a target she had seen with her own eyes—photos, videos, and other recordings wouldn’t work.

"Yes, she didn’t see them, but Kai informed us before losing consciousness that he would only need a few days to wake up. So once that happens, we’ll know where that place is." Nemuri said seriously, to which Nezu nodded before commenting thoughtfully.

"Then we need to prepare a large-scale raid with heroes specialized in combat. Even though I could see that Kai caused significant damage to that place, we can’t be sure whether one of those monsters is still there. If we choose wrong... it could end in complete annihilation."

"Indeed, Principal." All Might said seriously and added.

"Which is why we've been thinking of first carrying out a scouting mission with me leading to determine the level of danger."

"That’s a good idea." Nezu commented seriously, discreetly looking at Nemuri and continued.

"But it worries me that you are no longer at your peak, All Might. It would be good if Kai-kun could participate…"

"Forgive me, Principal Nezu, but Kai cannot take any role in this beyond providing information. He already nearly lost his life in that place, and he will need time to fully recover, both physically and mentally. Moreover, he isn't even a professional hero, so he has no moral or legal obligation to participate."

Nemuri quickly replied in an incredibly serious tone, like a mother cat ready to protect her kitten against anyone. Her response made both All Might and Nezu smile bitterly, as they had been hoping to rely on the overwhelming powers of the young blue-eyed boy to face the spiders.

"Do you think Kai-kun feels the same way?"

Nezu asked calmly, locking eyes with Nemuri, which caused the beautiful heroine to press her lips into a thin line. After all, knowing Kai as she did, it was very likely that the moment he woke up, he would already be thinking about returning to that cursed place. This inevitably forced Nemuri to taste the bitter flavor of irony.

She, a professional hero with a natural calling to help others, who had always tried to encourage the love of her life to walk the path of heroism, now desperately wished for him to stay safe at home—wanting to pull such a colossal power away from where it was most needed, likely condemning the heroes who would be sent to their deaths.

But there was nothing the enchanting heroine could do. Her heart still bled every time the image of the love of her life at death’s door came to mind—without arms, without legs, with practically no part of his body left intact. It was an image so devastating that it had torn away, in a single brutal stroke, the illusion that her man would one day become a professional hero.

Her Kai—the only love of her life—was fine at home, building things. He didn’t need to risk his life like that again. She would take it upon herself to make him happy, to fulfill his every wish, to spoil him and shower him with all her love and devotion. And to make up for it to society, she would save as many people as she could in his place.

"…"

But no matter how much Nemuri wanted to carry out her little plan—firmly declaring that she would not allow Kai to participate—she couldn’t. She loved her man, and above all else, she respected him. And even though she was a bit stubborn and always tried to convince him of certain things—sometimes even getting a little carried away—if he was truly determined about something, all she could do was support him, just as he always supported her.

Just as Kai dedicated enormous amounts of time, effort, and money to supporting her career as a writer, professional hero, and teacher—giving her plot ideas for her books, developing fully personalized advanced support equipment, creating abilities specifically to protect her, and even in less visible ways: like the specially designed diet plans he discussed every week with Mrs. Yoshiko for each member of the family, or the massages, or the training routines, or countless other things.

If Kai had proven anything over the years, it was that he loved them—and because of that love, he did everything he could to support them in their dreams and ambitions, never asking for anything in return, never even mentioning it, as if it were something so obvious and natural that it needed no acknowledgment. And because of that, as his woman, she couldn’t allow herself to be any less. For that reason, she could only swallow her pain in silence for now.

"…Then let’s leave the decision to him…"

Clenching her fists tightly, Nemuri finally forced the words out one by one, to which Principal Nezu nodded with a serious expression, without the slightest intention of commenting further. After all, he understood how difficult it was—but in such a critical situation as the one they were facing, drastic measures were necessary.

"Well, then, let’s move on to selecting the members of this exploration group. It must be small, fast, and composed of individuals with sufficient strength and experience. I have my own list of candidates in mind, but first, I want to hear your suggestions." Principal Nezu quickly stated in a serious tone, prompting the two pro heroes in front of him to nod solemnly, thus beginning the complex selection process.

Chapter 185: Just a fool.

Chapter Text

“Well, for now, let’s go take a bath and then train for a bit. I’ll worry about everything else later. Oh, and Sage, give that rat a ‘gentle’ reminder at the right moment…”

“Understood, Master.”

After finishing his meal, Kai stood up from his chair and stretched lazily, speaking softly, to which the beautiful fairy responded seriously. He then quickly went up to his room, took a quick shower, and changed into a black athletic outfit. But as he was coming down the stairs, doing light warm-up exercises with his arms, he found Keiko and Yumiko waiting for him with big smiles.

“Is something wrong?”

A little puzzled, Kai asked while glancing back and forth between the two beautiful women, who smiled warmly. They gently and calmly took his arms, but once they were close enough, the two women quickly pressed Kai’s arms tightly against their large chests, completely immobilizing him. At that moment, Yumiko spoke with a cheerful smile.

“Yes, since you’re awake, it’s necessary to give you a full check-up.”

“Everything’s already prepared in the medical room, and the doctors are waiting for you.” Keiko quickly added with a warm and loving smile, which inevitably made Kai roll his eyes as he replied.

“Did you forget about my medical skills? I’m perfectly fine; there’s no need for that.”

“Of course we didn’t forget, but even so, you’re not going anywhere until the necessary tests are done.” Keiko replied calmly, her face carrying a confident smile. Yumiko then added in a soft and charming voice.

“Just surrender, Kai-chan… Don’t make it difficult for yourself…”

“That sounded quite a bit more, you know…” Kai couldn’t help but remark as he looked at Yumiko, who simply smiled cheerfully and stuck out her little tongue in a playful manner, prompting the blue-eyed boy to comment with a hint of resignation.

“Alright, go ahead and run the tests then…”

“Fufu, my Kai-chan is the best…” Yumiko said teasingly, while Keiko added with a small giggle.

“Come on, they’re waiting for us.”

Soon, Kai was led to the medical room by the two stunning women, who used their sexy bodies as restraints to prevent their ‘prisoner’ from escaping. There, Kai saw that both Eva and Oliver were undergoing examinations, but he was quickly taken to another room where they began running all sorts of tests on him.

While the doctors and nurses examined him with incredibly serious expressions, as if their lives depended on it, Kai couldn’t help but lose himself in his thoughts—especially about what had happened on the island. Things had spiraled out of control in a matter of mere moments. What was supposed to be an observation mission to understand the enemy—the first step in a carefully structured attack plan—ended up turning into an all-out confrontation that nearly cost him his life.

At that moment, he had been too careless, too impulsive, and arrogant. More than anyone else, he should have understood that his presence on the island had been pure chance—something that wasn’t supposed to happen. Thus, the lives or deaths of Eva and Oliver were not his responsibility, nor was it his duty to rescue or help them in any way. What he should have done was gather information first and prioritize learning as much as possible. Strangers should not have concerned him. His family was the only thing that truly mattered.

But even though he fully understood that logic—and was completely sure that it had been the correct course of action at that moment—his body had acted on its own. He simply couldn’t stand by and let an innocent child die so miserably. Even though he considered himself a damned bastard and wasn’t ashamed to admit it, even he had his limits.

But the final trigger, however, had undoubtedly been Eva. Just seeing her face was like traveling through time, bringing back so many memories at once that he couldn’t contain himself—especially the memory of his last conversation with Kate.

+++

“Daniel… why…?”

In the middle of a dark, abandoned park, a beautiful young woman with blonde hair cried inconsolably as she clung to a young man of a similar age, with brown hair and honey-colored eyes. He stood there, his expression firm and resolute, silently listening to the girl’s desperate questions.

“We’re happy here. We were going to go to college together. Our whole life is here—your mother’s here, I’m here… Why do you want to throw it all away…?”

“This damn town has nothing for me, Kate. I’ve told you already—I refuse to be average; I refuse to get stuck here like everyone else. Being born poor was my mother’s fault, but if I die poor, it’ll be entirely my own. I came into this world to achieve great things, and I won’t do that here. That’s why I have to leave.” The young man replied with a firm voice, full of conviction, causing the young woman to bite her lip hard before looking him directly in the eyes and asking.

“You’re going with that idiot, aren’t you…?”

“Who else would I go with? He’s the only person who’s believed in me. Unlike all of you who want to keep me trapped here, he’s willing to follow me. He believes in me more than I believe in myself. He’s the brother I never had.” The young man replied seriously, returning her gaze, at which point the girl shook his shoulders furiously and snapped back angrily.

“Daniel, wake up! How can you not see it?! He’s not going with you because he believes in you! He’s going because he has nothing to lose! That idiot is nothing but a parasite—he’s always by your side because you’re the only one stupid enough to let him live off you forever!!”

“You don’t understand anything!! We’re brothers!!! We grew up together! He’s helped me just as much—if not more—than I’ve helped him! You just hate him because you can’t order him around like you do everyone else!” the young man snapped back, visibly enraged, causing the young woman to take a few steps back. Still crying, she spoke again, her voice filled with pain.

“…Fine. Go. Crash. Suffer—because that’s what you want. But remember my words well, Daniel: one day you’ll regret it. And at that moment, you’ll understand that giving up your bread for a stranger only leaves you starving. Only your family—the people who truly love you—are worth that kind of sacrifice. I just hope it won’t be too late because I won’t be there to help you anymore…”

After making her declaration, the young woman ran away with all her strength, crying inconsolably. The young man reached out his hand as if to stop her, but halfway through, he clenched his fist tightly. After taking a few deep breaths to resist the knot forming in his throat, he turned 180 degrees and walked away in the opposite direction.

+++

(It was so clear to you, but I could never see it until the very end… I'm really just a fool who likes to pretend he’s smart. Although, well, you ended up moving away too, so I guess that counts as a half-victory for me, right…?)

With a heavy sigh, Kai straightened his clothes after the enormous number of tests they had run on him, then slowly made his way toward the exit—only to be quickly intercepted by Keiko and Yumiko, who hugged him tightly with huge smiles on their faces since the test results had come back quite good.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Yumiko asked in a cheerful tone, to which Kai replied casually and calmly, not giving it much importance.

“I’m going to train a bit.”

But that simple, ordinary answer somehow caused both Keiko and Yumiko to furrow their brows at the same time. Something didn’t seem right. Their Kai, for some reason, seemed dimmed—even sad—which worried them a little, though they hid it well from their expressions. At that moment, Keiko spoke with a small smile.

“No way. The doctor said you need two weeks of rest—your body hasn’t fully recovered yet.”

“It’s just a side effect from one of my techniques. In a few days, I’ll be as good as new.”

Kai answered in a calm tone, giving Keiko a reassuring smile—which caused the beautiful woman’s eyebrows to twitch slightly, as her intuition told her that smile was nothing more than a hollow mask. She immediately clung tightly to Kai’s arm and spoke in a firm voice.

“It doesn’t matter what you say. You’re going to rest today, understood?”

“Yes, Kai-chan, no matter what, today you’re only allowed to rest!”

Yumiko quickly added in an equally serious and strict tone, which left an expression of helplessness on Kai’s face. Feeling the fatigue brought on by Inverse Flow, combined with the turmoil of his scattered thoughts and emotions, he decided not to argue and to take a moment to meditate instead.

“Alright, I’ll rest…”

“Fufu, then let’s go!”

Hearing his response, Yumiko replied in an animated voice, then she and Keiko gently dragged Kai to the mansion’s backyard. There, Kai saw a large beach chair—more like three chairs joined together—set under a big sunshade, where Mrs. Yoshiko was waiting with a tray in her hands, carrying two cocktails and a strawberry milkshake.

Quickly, Yumiko and Keiko guided Kai to the middle seat and carefully laid him down. Keiko then took the milkshake from Mrs. Yoshiko’s tray and handed it to Kai with a cheerful smile, which the blue-eyed boy could only accept with an ironic smile on his face.

Once Kai was settled, Yumiko and Keiko nodded in satisfaction, each taking a cocktail from the tray and thanking Mrs. Yoshiko. After giving a respectful bow, Mrs. Yoshiko returned inside the mansion. At that moment, Keiko commented as she sat to Kai’s left.

“Well, Kai, today we’re going to completely relax—so let’s start by enjoying this beautiful day with a little music…”

With Keiko’s words, soft classical music began to play from the chair. At that moment, Yumiko, who had seated herself to Kai’s right, rested her head on his shoulder. After taking a sip from her cocktail and setting it aside, she asked gently.

“What’s bothering you, Kai-chan…?”

“Huh?”

Surprised by the question, Kai turned to look at Yumiko with confusion, only to find the beautiful woman smiling warmly at him. She then added in a soft and affectionate tone.

“You look sad, you know?”

“…”

Hearing that, Kai could only offer a bitter smile before leaning back against the chair and staring up at the umbrella above them. At that moment, Keiko set her cocktail aside as well, then turned and hugged Kai, sliding one leg over his, causing her dress to slip along her smooth, soft skin and reveal her impressive thighs. She spoke in a gentle voice, full of love and concern.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it. For now, just relax with us and rest—you really need it. And remember, we love you, and we always will. If there’s anything you need help with, or if you just want someone to listen, we’re here for you… We’ll never leave you alone…”

Hearing Keiko’s words, Kai turned to look at her, finding a calm expression on her face, but one undeniably filled with love. At that moment, Yumiko shifted Kai’s arm so she could settle comfortably against his chest, making him end up wrapping his arm around her slender waist. Then, she intertwined one of her legs with Kai’s free leg, just as Keiko had done, and spoke softly.

“You’ve been through so much, Kai-chan, and we don’t know what to do to help you… but what we do know is that we’ll always be by your side. Never doubt that you can trust us—we love you, and we will always support you…”

Seeing Yumiko’s loving expression, Kai felt a warm feeling trying to take hold of his heart. But his chaotic mind began to spiral out of control, filling him with memories of his past life—of that wretched woman, of that parasite, of how Kate found happiness without him, leaving him behind like a piece of trash, of how he had been fooled like an idiot for so many years.

A furious war broke out inside him between his fears, insecurities, and the love he now felt for his family—until finally, he spoke in a low voice.

“… Actually, for over a long time, I’ve been in a romantic relationship with Nemuri, Ryuko, Shino, Momo, and Nejire.”

Chapter 186: Chapter 186: Listen to me very carefully, Kai.

Chapter Text

Kai’s comment hit Keiko and Yumiko like a bucket of cold water. They stared at him, their faces filled with disbelief. But as if he didn’t want to leave any room for doubt, Kai added with a flat expression and a calm voice, as if he were talking about someone else and not himself.

“And it’s not a misunderstanding—it’s exactly what I said. A romantic relationship in every sense of the word. A very strange and shared one.”

Completely stunned, Yumiko and Keiko looked at each other, disbelief written all over their faces. They could hardly imagine such a strange and immoral relationship, even feeling a bit dizzy from the shock. At the same time, a strange feeling began to stir in their hearts, while Kai remained completely silent, leaning back against the chair, his gaze fixed on the umbrella above them, his expression distant—until it slowly twisted into a bitter smile.

(I really enjoy sabotaging myself, don’t I...? I’m truly pathetic…)

As he reflected, Kai realized that he had never truly overcome his fears and insecurities. He had only been kicking them down the road while occupying his mind with other things. First with the job Mrs. Eva had offered him, then with the project she proposed. And in his second life, he had devoted himself entirely to training and developing new technology and abilities—never looking to the sides, always focused on ever-larger goals, like a horse with blinders.

But it wasn’t as if he had never known—he had simply played dumb, something he had become an expert at. A coward, terrified of being betrayed, of looking like the fool again, of being taken advantage of, of having everything he’d worked for stripped away—only to watch everyone else end up happy while he sank into depression, becoming the pathetic excuse for a human being he once was.

What made it even more laughable was that, in a second life, he was still carrying around his same old nonsense. Even now, trying to follow his mother’s advice, trying to heed Kate’s warnings and avoid making the same mistakes, he had wanted to focus entirely on his family—stop caring completely about strangers.

That would only bring him pain and regret, just as Kate had once warned him: giving up your bread for a stranger only leaves you hungry. Though her warning had lacked one thing, he learned the hard way—sometimes, the stranger might even kill you, just to take more bread.

But in the end, he could only be who he was—someone who seemed to love sabotaging himself. Throwing himself into near-certain death for someone who merely resembled the woman who had once left him behind—who moved on and found happiness, while he sank deeper into misery.

And even now, he was trying to test the love of two women who showed him nothing but infinite affection, simply because he was terrified they might be lying, that their love might be false or conditional. A true idiot.

…

Meanwhile, Keiko and Yumiko reflected deeply on Kai’s confession in complete silence, savoring each word, its meaning, what that relationship implied, and what it meant for their beloved daughters—but more than anything, the bitter feeling of betrayal and deception that gripped their hearts and threatened to shatter them into pieces.

For who knows how long, they had been doing who knows what while the two of them were kept in the dark. And while they couldn’t deny they had harbored suspicions, they had always refused to believe it. After all, it sounded far too crazy to be true. So they kept coming up with excuses to justify the things they noticed.

As a sharp pain pierced her heart, Keiko couldn’t help but raise her head to look at Kai. And what she saw was that, although his eyes were closed, his expression was laced with bitterness and self-loathing. That alone made her mind go blank with rage, her teeth clenching tightly—until finally, she shouted aloud.

“Kai! Look me in the eyes!”

Hearing the hatred in Keiko’s voice, Kai simply smiled quietly. Then he opened his eyes and turned to face her in complete silence, wearing an expression full of acceptance—an expression that only pushed Keiko’s fury to the next level.

Keiko grabbed the collar of Kai’s athletic jacket and pulled him toward her until their faces were just millimeters apart, staring directly into his blue eyes. Then she spoke, placing deliberate emphasis on each word.

“Listen to me very carefully, Kai! YOU DID NOTHING WRONG!”

Hearing Keiko’s outburst, Kai opened his eyes wider than ever before, completely stunned—which only made Keiko clench her teeth even harder, nearly producing a grinding sound, as she spoke, her voice full of fury.

“How dare they! They’re going to have to answer to me—especially Momo! How dare she hide this from me?! They’ve been taking advantage of MY Kai, and she just stays silent?! If I don’t knock out a couple of her teeth, then my name isn’t Yaoyorozu Keiko!!”

A deep rage, mixed with the bitter feeling of betrayal, had Keiko practically fuming. She couldn’t believe that her friends—people she truly considered family—had taken advantage of her beloved Kai in such a way. And from the way Kai had spoken, it was highly likely that sex had been involved—a blatant rape. Those damn bitches had raped HER Kai.

“Wait! Wait! Did you mishear me?! I said I’m in a romantic relationship—I basically have a harem! Why are you trying to hit Momo? Shouldn’t you be hitting me?”

Kai asked quickly, caught somewhere between disbelief and confusion as he looked at the furious Keiko. At that moment, Yumiko’s voice came from the other side—ice-cold and razor sharp.

“Kai… Whose idea was this relationship?”

“Mine…?”

Kai turned to look at Yumiko and answered quickly, but upon seeing her expression—calm and flat, yet somehow incredibly terrifying—he couldn’t help but raise his voice slightly at the end, as if asking a question, suddenly uncertain. Yumiko then smiled with disdain and replied coldly.

“Yeah… Of course. It was Ryuko, wasn’t it?”

“Or Nemuri—if she’s involved, then she must be the ringleader.” Keiko quickly added, a dangerous glint in her eyes, prompting Kai to respond almost in a panic.

“No, wait—it was me! I’m the one who started such an immoral relationship with the Onee-chans, and then with Momo and Nejire!”

Hearing Kai’s words, Yumiko and Keiko looked at each other with pained expressions, both understanding perfectly what the other was thinking. After a silent nod, the two beautiful women leaned in and embraced Kai again. At that moment, Keiko reached out and gently pressed a finger to Kai’s lips, speaking in an incredibly warm and loving voice.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. Don’t say another word—we understand. Just rest now. Your Keiko will take care of everything.”

At the same time, Yumiko shifted more comfortably in the chair and gently guided Kai to rest his head against her large, soft breasts. She began stroking his hair with a warm, maternal touch as she spoke in a tender, soothing tone.

“Don’t worry about anything, Kai-chan. Come and rest on your Yumiko’s chest… leave everything to us…”

“I don’t understand…”

Cradled in Yumiko’s arms and resting his head against her generous, elastic breasts, Kai couldn’t help but murmur softly, almost doubting the reality around him. At that moment, Keiko hugged him from behind and gave him a tender kiss on the cheek before whispering affectionately.

“You don’t have to. Just rest. Don’t think about anything. Relax… let go of everything that’s troubling you…”

As Keiko whispered tenderly into Kai’s ear, she turned her gaze and met Yumiko’s eyes, quickly exchanging a silent understanding. After all, both of them were incredibly angry, and they needed to coordinate how to deal with those bitches. They couldn’t let them get away with this—not just like that. They also needed to have a serious talk with their daughters.

Although the news had filled them with rage and a deep sense of betrayal, at the same time, Keiko and Yumiko felt incredibly hurt for their Kai. After all, they knew him better than anyone. They had held him in their arms since he was a tiny baby, and over the years, he had grown into practically the man of their dreams, filling them with infinite pride.

That’s why they understood him so well—and they knew that Kai had always been a free spirit. Despite being incredibly handsome and carrying that subtle bad-boy charm that drew women like flies, and despite having endless opportunities to be with whomever he wanted, he had never shown the slightest interest in starting a relationship with anyone. He had always remained focused on his goals, always kept a clear mind, and above all else, he had always put them—his family—first.

Because of that, from the moment Kai made his announcement, they knew instantly that those three traitors had seduced him—using the deep love their beloved Kai held for family to drag him into a carnal relationship, and worse, into a near reverse Gangbang—something Kai would never even dare suggest. He loved them far too much to ever risk hurting them in any way.

But at the same time, the pair of beautiful mothers couldn’t help feeling a growing sense of jealousy rising within them, as their minds kept conjuring scenes of their beloved Kai ‘loving’ those traitors. This, along with the still-fresh image of that impressive ‘dragon’ in their minds, began to heat their bodies, filling them with a depraved desire that made them feel as if their clothes were in the way.

Clenching their thighs tightly, trying to stop the flood between their legs through sheer willpower, Yumiko and Keiko continued to gently caress and dote on Kai. After all, though it was undeniable that they were aroused, their love was greater. Seeing Kai with that expression full of bitterness and self-loathing was too painful for them to dare do the same as those traitors.

As for Kai, who was under constant fatigue due to the Inverse Flow pact, he gradually fell asleep in the warm embrace of Yumiko and Keiko. For the first time in a long while, he felt completely at peace and relaxed. After all, even after his confession, Keiko and Yumiko had once again proven that they truly loved him and were on his side.

Knowing that all his worries and suspicions had been nothing but products of his imagination filled Kai with a sense of tranquility. Meanwhile, the gentle warmth of the two beautiful women, their soft caresses and whispers, made Kai feel, for a moment, as if he had returned to his mother’s embrace. A bright smile spread across his face as he drifted into the world of dreams.

Noticing that Kai had fallen asleep with a happy smile on his face, Keiko and Yumiko couldn’t help but smile back, filled with love. But then, the two women noticed a small tear rolling down Kai’s right eye, causing their hearts to clench tightly.

Ever since that incident in the mourning hall, Kai had never cried again—as if his tears had completely dried up. So, that single tear could only mean the pain in his heart was so immense that it was eating him alive. This made the two mothers cling to him even tighter, wanting to convey even in his dreams that they loved him and would always be by his side.

“Ahh…”

But in the midst of the warm moment, everything was suddenly interrupted when a soft moan—filled with sensuality and pleasure—escaped Yumiko’s lips. This made Keiko open her eyes to look at her, but halfway, she realized the reason behind the erotic sound. Kai, in his sleep, had caught Yumiko’s stiff nipple between his lips, which slightly protruded through her oversized T-shirt. Since she was only wearing a simple, thin bra to stay comfortable and cool at home, it had now become a big problem.

Chapter 187: I’m a terrible woman. (R-18)

Chapter Text

Pierced by Keiko’s venomous glare, Yumiko forcefully suppressed the sudden urge that rose within her to strip down, so her Kai could enjoy himself in comfort. Instead, with gentle movements, she carefully lifted his head away from her chest—though in doing so, she had to bite her lip, the stimulation making her tremble all over.

“… Should we take Kai upstairs?”

After delicately repositioning Kai in the chair, Yumiko whispered the question, trying to act as if nothing had happened—something Keiko chose to go along with. She responded in a similarly hushed tone, though her voice still carried clear traces of irritation.

“No, let’s let him rest here. We already gave the order that no one should disturb us, and he might wake up halfway if we try to move him.”

“Alright.”

Yumiko nodded and went to sit back down, but the slight movement made her all too aware of the wetness she was experiencing down below, causing her to blush deeply. She quickly whispered in a flustered tone.

“I’m going to the bathroom for a moment.”

Upon hearing the announcement, Keiko simply nodded as she adjusted herself in the chair, but as Yumiko stood up, her oversized shirt lifted slightly, revealing her round buttocks covered by her leggings. However, what caught Keiko’s attention wasn’t that—it was the large wet stain visible on the leggings, a stain of such a viscous liquid that when Yumiko spread her legs to stand up, thin strands formed between them, letting Keiko know exactly what it was.

(How horny…)

As Yumiko hurried back into the house, Keiko scoffed inwardly with disdain, then lay back down on the lounge chair. However, noticing that the sunlight was falling directly on Kai and might bother him, she carefully stood up. Using her Quirk, she quickly created a pair of rods and drove them into the ground. She then created a dark veil that blocked out the light and draped it over the umbrella, extending it with the rods to create a small shaded refuge.

Satisfied with her work, Keiko nodded to herself before slipping under the veil that now covered the large chair she had created. She immediately noticed the area warming up slightly, so she quickly crafted a small portable air conditioner, ensuring the temperature remained perfect, so her Kai could rest as he deserved—like a king.

Soon, Keiko returned to her place beside Kai and noticed he might be a bit uncomfortable without a pillow. Without hesitation, she created one, then gently lifted his head and slid it beneath him with great care. Afterward, she lay down next to him and embraced him softly, a beautiful smile gracing her face.

Not long after, Kai, still asleep, shifted slightly and ended up wrapping his arms around Keiko’s waist, burying his face into her ample chest. The gesture made the beautiful black-haired woman smile tenderly as she began to gently stroke his hair, cradling him with boundless love.

But as time passed, Keiko felt that Kai’s body heat—usually so comforting—was now igniting a different kind of warmth inside her. Her gaze was inevitably drawn to the young man’s lips, while her mind replayed over and over the image of when Kai had brushed Yumiko’s nipple with them.

As the minutes ticked by, Keiko’s faint desire and curiosity began to grow like wildfire, inevitably causing her body to grow intensely hot. Her breathing became heavy and deep, her heart racing wildly. After just a few minutes, she stopped stroking Kai’s hair and glanced around several times, noting that the area was perfectly secluded. At that moment, she pulled her phone from her dress pocket.

Once she had her phone, Keiko quickly dimmed the screen to its lowest brightness and began checking all the security cameras on the property. She realized Yumiko had hurried to her room—where there were no cameras—while Eva and her son were playing with the nurses in the front garden with the toys Kai had given them.

Meanwhile, the doctors were in the medical room packing up, Mrs. Yoshiko was in the kitchen reading a magazine, and even Salem and Tama were napping on the workshop’s roof. Essentially, there were no obstacles in the way. This made Keiko bite her lip with equal parts nervousness and anticipation.

After taking several deep breaths to steady her pounding heart, Keiko put her phone away. Then, after staring at Kai’s sleeping face for a few seconds, she whispered in an incredibly soft voice.

“Sage...”

With Keiko’s call, a beautiful fairy materialized before her, staring at her with curiosity. The elegant black-haired woman then leaned in and whispered in the quietest voice possible, visibly nervous.

“Sage… I know you’re completely loyal to Kai… but… is there a chance you wouldn’t report something to him unless he asks you about it directly…?”

Hearing the whisper, the stunning fairy tilted her head slightly with a curious expression, then floated closer and whispered back softly.

“I will always inform Master of anything that affects him directly or indirectly—no exceptions. However, if it’s entirely harmless and requires no further attention, it’s unnecessary to report it…”

Hearing the fairy’s response, Keiko couldn’t help but bite her lip with hesitation, her gaze shifting between her chest and Kai’s lips. After a few seconds of considering the possible consequences, she slowly raised her hand to her shoulder and began sliding down the strap of her dress.

As she lowered the top of her dress, Keiko looked at her breasts, which were covered by a sexy black lace bra with sheer fabric. The center was slightly raised due to her erect nipples. At that moment, she paused and turned to look at the spot where the beautiful fairy had been, only to realize she had already disappeared.

Hesitant, Keiko bit her lower lip hard but still brought her hand to her bra and pulled it down, revealing to the world her enormous, incredibly round and elastic breasts, which seemed to defy gravity—remaining perfectly firm in the air, with her pink nipples painfully erect and throbbing.

Immediately after, with incredibly careful movements, Keiko positioned herself so that her nipple was right in front of Kai’s mouth, almost brushing against it. She stayed completely still, waiting patiently—until, sensing something strange so close, the young man instinctively opened his mouth, gently capturing her nipple between his lips. This sent a shudder through Keiko.

Feeling the warm, wet sensation of Kai’s mouth on her nipple, Keiko bit her lower lip hard, desperately suppressing the tremors running through her body. But instead of calming down, her arousal only grew uncontrollably. So, with slow movements, Keiko slid her free hand under her dress and then beneath her panties, where she began to gently massage herself using only her middle finger.

(They did it first… and did worse… They’re the bad ones… Who knows how they’ve enjoyed my Kai? I’m just giving Kai what he wants… nothing more… Even Momo must have done more by now—maybe all of them together… at the same time… being wrecked over and over… This is nothing… just something minor in comparison…)

Biting down hard on her lower lip to avoid making noise, Keiko, feeling guilty, began searching for excuses in her mind as the movements of her hand grew stronger. For some reason, the more she thought about it, the more aroused she became. But at that moment, Kai began slowly moving his lips—perhaps recognizing what was in his mouth—and started sucking gently, with slow, arrhythmic motions.

Feeling Kai suck on her nipple sent Keiko hurtling uncontrollably toward climax, forcing her to intensify her ‘massage’ to the point where she had to slide two fingers inside herself. They slipped in with incredible ease, as she was completely drenched, like a broken dam, all while keeping her gaze locked on Kai’s peaceful face.

(Kai… I’m sorry. I never saw you as a son or a nephew… I always saw you as my perfect future man, and you didn’t disappoint—you became even more perfect than I dreamed. But since Momo loved you, I decided not to interfere and let you two be happy. Seeing you both happy was all I wanted… But now that I know you’re with those sluts too, I don’t know if I can hold back anymore…

(This body is yours… it always has been. Even if it’s a little ‘dirty’, if you still want it, you can use me however you like. I’ll be your secret lover, your confidant, your ‘flesh bath’—whatever you desire… Just say the word, and I’ll be ready for you, and only you… I swear I’ll take this secret to the grave. I’ll never utter a single word. It’ll be our secret, just between you and me…)

Lost completely in pleasure, Keiko finally admitted her dark desires—though she didn’t dare voice them. After all, she was terrified that if she did, she might end up committing an act of madness she’d later regret. Besides, Sage was still there. And while the uncertainty of whether or not Sage would give Kai a video of all her misdeeds excited her wildly, it also terrified her, preventing her from saying anything.

...

After rushing into her room in a hurry, Yumiko slammed the door shut and leaned her back against it, letting out a sigh of relief—grateful that no one had seen her on the way. But after a few seconds, the beautiful blue-haired woman brought her right hand to her right breast, where a faint wet mark was visible on her shirt over a small bump: her painfully erect nipple.

Quickly, Yumiko squeezed her nipple hard through her clothes, forcing a muffled moan from her lips as images flashed through her mind—Kai overpowering Haruto with dominance, along with the time her hand had directly touched that impressive dragon. Her face flushed deeply, but her left hand soon found its way between her legs, confirming just how incredibly wet she was.

“I’m a terrible woman…”

Stretching the fingers of her left hand in front of her, Yumiko couldn’t help but mutter under her breath with a hint of self-reproach. Yet, deep down, she felt a flicker of surprise—after all, she couldn’t remember ever being this aroused before, let alone over something as trivial as that brief touch. It was undeniable proof of her impure desire for her late best friend’s son, a desire infinitely stronger than anything she’d ever felt for her ex-husband.

But even though she knew it was wrong on so many levels, her feminine instincts—long dormant after years of a sexless marriage—made her body throb with need. Her sensitive areas ached, practically begging for attention. So, in one swift motion, Yumiko pulled up her shirt and freed her breasts from her flimsy bra, staring down at her painfully stiff nipples.

Every time she looked at her enormous breasts, Yumiko couldn’t help but think of Kai. Even though he hadn't seen them completely naked for a long time, ever since they stopped bathing together, she could still feel his affection and love in them. After all, even in her youth, due to their massive size and weight, her breasts had never been this firm and elastic—almost immune to gravity, something nearly inconceivable given her age, now closer to 40 than 30.

But thanks to Kai’s personalized diets, massages, and carefully supervised sporadic training, her once sagging and lifeless breasts had transformed into a pair of plump, juicy fruits. Even the color of her nipples, once darkened from breastfeeding her Nejire, had lightened significantly, losing that unflattering shade and now taking on a pretty, soft pink—even lovelier than in her prime.

Running her hand over her toned, flat abdomen and the curve of her breasts—areas once marred by ugly stretch marks but now smooth and supple, softer than a baby’s skin—Yumiko could almost feel Kai’s warm hands caressing her, healing all her pains and shielding her from every harm. The thought sent her arousal skyrocketing, an uncontrollable desire unlike anything she’d ever felt.

With her mind overwhelmed, Yumiko quickly tugged her leggings and underwear down to her ankles, then bent slightly to spread her legs completely. At the same time, she pinched her left nipple hard, pulling it outward several centimeters, while thrusting her middle and ring fingers inside herself, moving them with such furious intensity that wet, slapping sounds soon filled the entire room.

“Kai…”

As pleasure coursed through every part of her being, Yumiko couldn’t help but gasp out the name of the one responsible for her arousal. A shiver ran through her, filling her with equal parts guilt and pleasure, giving her just enough courage to start voicing her darkest desires—while also speeding up the way she pleasured herself.

“The only one who can satisfy me is you, Kai… My breasts are bigger than Nemuri’s, and my ass is sexier than Ryuko’s… And I’m sure Nejire would love the idea of a little brother… So just give me a little love… a little hot sex… I want to feel you inside me…”

Masturbating more intensely than ever before, Yumiko let slip words she would never dare say in front of anyone else, trembling from the uncontrollable pleasure. A few minutes later, her body shook violently as a gush of her juices sprayed onto the floor, draining all her strength and causing her to slide down against the door, ending up sitting on the floor in disheveled exhaustion. She felt strangely empty and unsatisfied—her fingers just weren’t enough.

“Sometimes I wonder if you could see the future better than Kai, Alisa…”

Looking at the wet floor, Yumiko whispered to herself, recalling her friend’s words—how she kept saying that her son would be so devilishly charming that no one could resist him. At the time, Yumiko had thought it was just the silly rambling of a mother smitten with her little baby, but her words turned out to be painfully accurate. Neither she nor her daughter had been able to escape his allure.

But as she ran her hand over her trembling pussy, Yumiko couldn’t help but notice the hair covering it. She pinched a small tuft between her fingers and tugged, realizing it had grown quite long and unkempt—which made sense. It had been so long since she’d last been intimate, and she hadn’t expected to be again… until now.

“I should tidy this up a little…”

Staring at the blue hair between her legs, Yumiko muttered under her breath, almost unconsciously, before her cheeks flushed bright red. Immediately, she began scolding herself softly as she got up from the floor.

“What am I thinking… fantasies should stay just that…”

Embarrassed with herself, Yumiko quickly stripped off her clothes and grabbed a bathrobe, then stepped into the shower. But just as she was about to turn on the water, she bit her lip softly. After a brief pause, with quick, flustered steps, she rushed to a cabinet—her face burning red—and pulled out a brand-new disposable razor.

Chapter 188: I’m tired of hiding it.

Chapter Text

After a quick succession of orgasms, Keiko gently slumped against the back of the chair, her gaze completely fixed on Kai, who continued breathing rhythmically, allowing the beautiful black-haired woman to release a sigh of relief. After resting for a moment, she began to rise with slow, stealthy movements.

Once on her feet, Keiko quickly checked her phone, but upon noticing that things remained unchanged and no one was nearby, she swiftly typed something before removing her dress and her completely soaked panties. She then made a black trash bag from her skin and tossed everything inside, even her bra. At that moment, she created a box of sterile absorbent tissues and quickly began drying her legs, her crotch, and the chair.

Once dry, Keiko threw the entire box into the trash bag. She then made up a box of high-quality wet wipes, using them to clean her body thoroughly, removing any traces of sticky moisture or strange odors—something she also did with the chair. Next, she applied a subtle perfume she created with her Quirk, finally crafting an exact replica of the clothes she had been wearing, which she quickly put on.

Fully dressed, Keiko swiftly used her Quirk to create a small mirror to check her appearance. At that moment, a small, shapeless quadrupedal robot approached the little shelter she had set up. The beautiful woman quickly let it in and handed it the bag after tossing the mirror inside, then ordered in a whisper.

“Make sure no one sees you and destroy everything.”

After the small robot left, Keiko slightly opened the shelter to let in some fresh air. At the same time, a pair of high-quality therapeutic incense sticks emerged from her skin, infused with Kai’s favorite essence. She lit them and placed them in a corner of the small shelter, quickly filling the space with a subtle and relaxing scent—the same as the perfume she had applied.

Having destroyed all the evidence, Keiko let out a sigh of relief, but her expression quickly turned incredibly serious as she whispered in the lowest voice possible.

“Sage…”

At her call, the beautiful fairy rematerialized in front of her with a calm smile, as if she hadn’t seen anything Keiko had done. Keiko immediately spoke in a whispering yet serious tone.

“Sage, did you record what I did…?”

“I keep a record of everything I see and hear.” Sage whispered into Keiko’s ear in a calm tone, to which the beautiful black-haired woman nodded in understanding before speaking seriously.

“Sage, I’ll let you decide whether or not to inform Kai. I just want to ask for one favor: don’t allow anyone other than Kai to see it. Can you promise me that?”

“There’s no need to promise. Master is extremely strict when it comes to everyone’s privacy—so much so that I’m only allowed to keep records of any intimate act for a maximum of 24 hours, and only if something unusual is noticed. Otherwise, I have express orders to immediately delete and overwrite any such data.”

Sage responded in a whispering and calm voice, which slightly surprised Keiko. She turned to look at Kai with a warm smile, then glanced one last time at the beautiful miniature fairy and whispered with a soft smile.

“Thank you for telling me, Sage… and do whatever you think is necessary with what you saw.”

Seeing the slightly surprised expression on the sweet fairy’s face, Keiko let out a gentle laugh, then carefully climbed onto the chair, making sure not to wake Kai, and lay down beside him with a calm expression, closing her eyes. She truly wasn’t worried about Kai finding out—she knew him well enough to predict his reaction.

Kai was very much like her in many ways and perfectly compatible in every other aspect—after all, he was her ideal man. So, knowing that if she were in his position and found out he had secretly masturbated beside her, the most she would do is offer herself to him so he could enjoy it to the fullest. The most he would do is play dumb about it. Or, if luck was on her side, he’d give her exactly what she wanted—a little 'hot love'.

Feeling exhausted from her solitary endeavor, Keiko gently wrapped her arms around Kai and rested her head on his shoulder, quickly falling asleep to the tender lull of the young man’s rhythmic heartbeat, feeling warm and completely safe.

…

After bathing, Yumiko put on a simple pale blue dress, then took her phone and filled her shopping list with underwear, her face slightly flushed. Although she didn’t expect anything to happen nor planned to show it to anyone, she was now a free woman.

Just as some women cut their hair to 'close chapters', she should leave behind those ugly, dull undergarments. Besides, the fact that she had left a reminder note to subtly ask about Kai’s preferences was just to get a male reference—nothing more.

After a few minutes, Yumiko put her phone away again. Even though she had picked out a few things she thought were pretty, she still needed that important male reference to be sure. So after stretching lazily, she went down to the garden, where she found a small shelter made of black fabric—something very similar to what Momo, Nejire, and Kai used to make when they were kids. The sight inevitably made her let out a soft giggle as she moved the fabric aside to enter.

Upon entering, the first thing Yumiko noticed was the curious scent of incense, which made her expression turn suspicious. But upon seeing Keiko peacefully asleep next to Kai, she shook her head and lay down on the other side. Feeling a bit tired from her 'little task'—which she had repeated twice in the bathroom—she snuggled up against Kai, much like Keiko had, soon drifting into the world of dreams with a comforting sense of peace and safety.

…

While patrolling the peaceful district under their responsibility, the Pussycats couldn’t help but glance behind them from time to time, feeling an immense emptiness from not seeing that blue-eyed boy scowling with a cat on his shoulder. It inevitably made them shake their heads, as if a single week weighed more heavily on their hearts than over a decade of successful careers.

Since they couldn’t feel completely at ease knowing Kai was still unconscious and nothing urgent was happening, the Pussycats ended their day a bit earlier than usual and took a car back to the mansion—something that inevitably made them miss the useful abilities of their temporary teammate, who could transport them in a matter of seconds.

During the ride home, amidst mundane conversation, Shino and Ryuko couldn’t help but glance at Tomoko in the passenger seat from time to time. Even though she outwardly behaved as energetic as always, they knew she seemed a bit dimmed, which worried them—especially since she now knew about their relationship with Kai, a truth that had hit her hard.

[Ryuko, let’s tell Chatora. Tomoko already knows, what’s the point in hiding it from him at this point?]

Halfway home, feeling a tight knot in her throat that wouldn’t let her rest, Shino turned to look at Ryuko beside her and sent a telepathic message. It caused a conflicted expression to appear on the face of the beautiful golden-haired woman, who, after a few seconds, responded through the mental link they had established.

[…You're right. I'm tired of hiding it. We're only hurting ourselves and the people who care about us. Let's reveal everything—let the world come crashing down if it has to. These past few days, it's been harder than ever to keep the secret. Seeing Kai so defenseless and having to pretend like nothing's going on is killing me…]

[Do you think Kai would be mad if we did it without asking him first?] Shino asked with a trace of hesitation, to which Ryuko replied with a calm expression.

[If he gets mad, we'll apologize and spoil him until he forgives us. I'm just done, Shino. Seeing Tomoko so shaken really hurt me, and I just want to take care of Kai as his woman, not as a 'sister'…]

[… You're right. Let’s get this over with. We love him, and that’s what matters. We’ll figure out the rest later…] Shino said with a resolute tone, then looked at Chatora behind the wheel and spoke with a solemn voice.

“Chatora, there’s something you need to know.”

“Did something happen?” Chatora quickly asked back, still keeping his eyes on the road, to which Shino nodded and spoke seriously, though her nervousness was clearly visible.

“Yes… I don’t really know how to say it, so I’ll just say it all at once: Nemuri, Ryuko, and I are in a romantic relationship with Kai, and a few days ago, Momo and Nejire joined as well… Tomoko found out recently, and we want everyone to know. We’re tired of hiding it.”

“Hehehe, that was the big, important thing you had to tell me?” Without taking his eyes off the road, Chatora replied in a calm, playful tone, greatly surprising Ryuko, Shino, and Tomoko. He then continued in the same playful tone.

“It was super obvious—so much so that I’d bet you’ve been involved for over a year now. But honestly, you have my support. Be happy, enjoy life. Kai is a great guy, and while what you did isn’t exactly right—especially considering Kai’s age—it’s hard to imagine thirty-something virgins like you could’ve resisted the charm of that 'bad boy', hehe.”

Hearing Chatora’s words, Ryuko and Shino looked at each other in utter disbelief, then turned toward Tomoko, who wore a very similar expression as she stared at Chatora. He quickly added in a calm tone.

“What did you think would happen? That I'd criticize you or disagree? Please, I owe my life to all of you. You stood by me in my hardest moments, supporting me not just with words but putting every ounce of your being into helping me become who I feel I am—to the point that all three of you, as gorgeous as you are, ended up single in your thirties.”

As he looked at Ryuko and Shino’s expressions in the rearview mirror, which seemed just about ready to respond seriously, Chatora added with an amused tone.

“Besides, I know you all too well. This is exactly the kind of perverts you are—a couple of shotacons. The odds of you ending up with someone way younger were way too high. I even worried you might take advantage of Kai before he hit puberty! Hehe.”

“Hey!!”

Ryuko and Shino shouted in unison, their faces flushing with anger, which only made Chatora laugh. A moment later, he glanced at Tomoko beside him and added with a playful smirk.

“And Tomoko, I know what you’ve got hidden under your mattress. So if you want to join the party, don’t hold back. If they’re willing to 'share', I doubt one more would bother them much.”

Upon hearing Chatora, Tomoko opened her eyes in disbelief, and a deep blush immediately spread across her face—she truly couldn’t believe someone had discovered her big secret. This prompted Ryuko and Shino to look at their lifelong friend with surprise and curiosity, and at that moment, Ryuko leaned forward to rest her head next to the passenger seat and asked.

“What are you hiding under your mattress?”

“Nothing!!”

Tomoko snapped, reacting like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on, before burying her face into the seat. At that moment, Shino sent a telepathic message to Chatora with a calm expression.

[What’s she hiding?]

[Classified.]

Chatora replied swiftly and in a serious tone, which earned him an annoyed grimace from Shino. Still, both she and Ryuko felt a heavyweight lift from their shoulders. Then Chatora added in a relaxed tone.

“By the way, you’d better confess everything to Yumiko and Keiko soon. They might take it badly at first, but waiting will only make things worse—especially now that everyone else already knows. And don’t underestimate them: Kai is the crown jewel to those two mothers, so you need to be as sincere and serious as possible.

“Sure, Kai will definitely support you 100%, and because of that, they won’t dare oppose you to his face, but if you don’t win them over, who knows what they might try to do to drive you away from him.”

“… We hadn’t thought of it that way…” Shino muttered heavily after hearing the warning, to which Chatora replied in an almost solemn tone.

“What did you think was going to happen? That they’d get mad at Kai, confront him, or something? Not in a million years—rain would fall upward before those two admit that Kai did anything wrong.

“Luckily, Kai is very independent and mature for his age, and he doesn’t like getting into trouble. Otherwise, he would’ve been completely spoiled by those two—they’re the type to defend him and take his side even when he’s clearly in the wrong. They don't care about reason.

“But the problem is, this time they’re actually right to criticize you because even though all of us know how mature Kai really is, he’s still legally a minor. So what you did is a blatant crime, and if they don’t take the news well, don’t doubt for a second that they’ll use that against you. That’s why you need to convince them to accept the relationship yourselves—otherwise, those two will start plotting all kinds of schemes.”

Chapter 189: Aura Script pattern.

Chapter Text

Upon arriving home, Momo stepped out of the car that had picked her up with slow movements, visibly downcast and sad. But she quickly took a deep breath and hurried toward the medical room, wanting to see her Kai before anything else. However, when she arrived, she only found one of the nurses playing on her phone, which led her to ask in confusion.

“Where is everyone else?”

“Oh, Momo-sama, actually, Kai-sama woke up this morning and is with your mother, while Miss Eva went to take a bath with her son.”

“Kai woke up?!!! Where is he?!!!” Upon hearing the news, Momo asked with joy and excitement, which startled the nurse a bit, prompting her to respond nervously.

“I-I don’t know, but he should be somewhere in the mansion.”

“Thank you!!!”

Overwhelmed with euphoria, Momo threw her bag to the floor and sprinted toward the mansion with all her strength. As she entered, she saw Kai lazily stretching in the garden, which filled her eyes with tears of happiness. Ignoring everything around her, she ran toward him with everything she had, then leapt to hug him—and just as she’d hoped, he caught her gently and began spinning, wearing a warm smile on his face. That’s when he began to speak in a calm tone.

“Sorry I didn’t let you know, I fell asle—”

Not letting Kai finish, Momo clung to his neck and, without caring about anything else, initiated a deep kiss full of longing, love, and passion, using her tongue as much as she could. Though she was inexperienced, she wanted to express her deep yearning and feel her beloved as much as possible. The fear she had felt upon seeing him so badly hurt still haunted her like an indelible shadow in her heart, and she wanted to feel safe by his side once more.

Though a bit surprised, Kai quickly returned Momo’s kiss, even knowing that both Keiko and Yumiko were standing right in front of the small “fabric fort” where he had woken up, staring at him intently. On one hand, it was his duty to ease his girlfriend’s worries, and on the other, he still remembered Keiko mentioning she’d hit Momo—something he would never allow. So this kiss was also a declaration: he would protect them at any cost.

In the midst of the passionate kiss, a figure soon landed near the garden. Upon seeing the lovebirds kissing so fervently, two streams of tears flowed from her eyes as she cried out, full of love and longing.

“Kai…!”

Sensing Nejire’s arrival, Kai gently patted Momo’s waist, though she didn’t want to stop the passionate kiss. At that moment, Nejire sprinted toward them with all her strength and wrapped them both in a tight hug, speaking in a tearful voice.

“Thank goodness you're awake… I was so scared…”

Hearing Nejire’s voice full of emotion, Momo reluctantly ended her kiss, just as Nejire, almost in sync, wrapped her arms around Kai and initiated a soft, loving kiss. A small smile appeared on Momo’s face, and she quickly moved aside to let Nejire embrace him properly.

But at that moment, Momo’s gaze met with the two mothers just a few meters away, both of whom were watching the entire scene with their arms crossed under their chests and expressions so cold that Momo was left frozen in place, completely dumbfounded.

(Oh no…)

Losing all color in her face, Momo began patting Nejire’s waist repeatedly, which made the beautiful blue-haired girl swat her hand away in annoyance. In response, Momo smacked her firmly on the rear, the sound echoing through the garden, causing Nejire to abruptly stop her loving kiss and turn around to face her, exclaiming irritably.

“Momo, give me a break! You’ll get your turn!”

Without saying a word, Momo simply pointed toward the mothers with a pale face, prompting Nejire to look in that direction. Upon seeing the visibly upset mothers, her eyes widened in shock, and she froze for a moment.

But just as Kai was about to laugh and explain everything, Nejire reached out and pulled Momo in, hugging her with one arm and Kai with the other. Then he exclaimed with an odd sense of resolve, like a soldier about to charge into a hopeless battle.

“It’s exactly what it looks like! Momo and I decided to marry Kai at the same time! We don’t care what anyone says! We’ll stay together no matter what!!!”

At Nejire’s announcement, Yumiko and Keiko couldn’t help but widen their eyes and glance at each other in surprise. Kai lowered his gaze to look at his adorable girlfriend, who was hiding her face against his chest, clinging to him. At the same time, he held Momo protectively, who looked up at him with an expression that mixed panic and determination.

“I already told them everything—about Nemuri, Shino, Ryuko, and you two.”

Kai said in a soft, warm voice, wrapping his arms protectively around his two girlfriends. The girls looked at him in astonishment, just as Kai turned to face the two mothers and asked with a serious expression.

“And the reason I don’t have to worry… is because you’re going to try to accept it, right?”

Seeing that expression on Kai—always willing to step forward and bear the weight of everything to protect those he loved—left Yumiko and Keiko in contemplative silence. Though the news still stung, especially because of the trio of traitors, they weren’t really in any position to judge—especially after what they themselves had done just a few hours earlier.

“…I’ll try, but I can’t promise anything…”

After a few moments, Keiko finally said in a calm tone, though deep down a wicked little thought slipped into her mind. At that moment, Momo timidly lifted her head to look at her mother and asked with a nervous voice.

“Really, Mom? You’ll support us?”

“Don’t rush things. Everything’s still very recent. Let me process it for a few days. Besides, we need to have a very serious talk…”

Keiko responded in a calm tone, which brought a joyful smile to Momo’s face. At that moment, Nejire also lifted her head to look at her mother, feeling a little scared—especially because of what had happened with her father—and nervously asked.

“What about you, Mom?”

“…Alright. If it truly makes you happy, I’m willing to let it happen. But like Keiko said, we still have a lot to talk about, especially with Nemuri, Ryuko, and Keiko. This ‘relationship’ you have is too complicated, and I’m afraid you don’t fully understand what you’re getting yourselves into.”

Yumiko answered with a serious tone. Despite her fantasies and peculiar behaviors, she loved her daughter—and Kai—far too much. She genuinely wanted their happiness. And while it wasn’t exactly pleasant to see Kai kissing two women at once, she knew him well enough to understand he would do anything to protect the happiness of those he loved. And who knows what he might do if she opposed him too strongly.

“Thank you, Mom. This is what I want. Kai warned me about every possible risk and problem that could come from this, and I still chose to be part of it. No one lied to me or kept anything hidden. I’m willing to make this work—I want us all to be happy, like one big family…”

Upon hearing her mother’s words, Nejire spoke with an unusually serious tone, which surprised both mothers a little. At that moment, Momo took a deep breath and added with a voice full of determination.

“It’s the same for me. Kai warned me about everything—he even nearly refused when I said I wanted to be part of it. And even though I don’t know if things will continue going as smoothly as they have, what I do know is that I love Kai, I love the girls, and I love you both. I just want to be happy in this house with everyone, to spend our days peacefully, nothing more.

“So thank you for understanding, Mom. I know this might be hard for you to accept, but I promise that in time you’ll see it’s not as bad as it seems. Our love is real, and honestly, it’s just like you once told me: if everyone involved is satisfied with the outcome, then that means you’re doing things right.”

“…”

Seeing the seriousness in her beloved daughter—and being hit with her own words—Keiko couldn’t help but smile wryly. Blood really is thicker than water. Even though their personalities were different, Momo knew how to fight and protect what she loved. And she had to admit, her daughter’s taste in men was exquisite… the same as hers. So she couldn’t really criticize her for doing crazy things for love.

“Let’s go inside and have a mother-daughter talk. I want you to tell us everything you’ve been hiding from us.” Yumiko said shortly after in a calm voice. The two beautiful young women nodded without hesitation, prompting Kai to speak in a relaxed tone.

“Well then, I’ll be in the workshop. I want to check on a few things.”

“Don’t go train.” Keiko quickly said in a serious tone, to which Kai could only smile with a hint of bitterness before nodding and replying,

“I’ll just be in my workshop for a while. I’ll be back in time for dinner.”

After speaking, Kai released the girls from his embrace and turned to leave—but at that moment, Momo grabbed him by the neck and gave him a deep tongue kiss, which lasted nearly a full minute. When she finally pulled away, she whispered with a small smile, causing Keiko’s eyebrow to twitch.

“It really does feel wild doing it in front of Mom…”

Hearing Momo’s comment, Nejire quickly stood on tiptoe to give Kai a kiss too. He looked slightly amused, but unlike before, this time Nejire used her tongue as well, and the kiss lasted nearly a minute. Then she whispered, her face slightly flushed.

“You’re right… it’s strangely exciting…”

Watching both Keiko’s and Yumiko’s eyebrows twitch, Kai quickly gave each of his beloved girlfriends a quick kiss on the lips and bolted toward his workshop. The girls couldn’t help but smile like fools in love, gazing in the direction Kai had run, feeling somehow fulfilled now that they could finally express their feelings without fear.

As for Keiko and Yumiko, they were doing everything they could to calm their racing hearts, which didn’t seem to know exactly how to feel—cycling from jealousy to discomfort, from discomfort to anger, from anger to confusion, from confusion to envy, and from envy to a strange sense of contradiction.

All their years and life experience told the two mothers that a situation where two girls took turns kissing the same man with huge smiles on their faces simply shouldn’t be possible—but there it was, happening right before their eyes, and the people involved were the ones they loved most in the world.

“Let’s go to the second floor.”

After a few seconds, Yumiko spoke quietly, then led the way, quickly followed by Keiko, Momo, and Nejire—the last two with an unusual joy on their faces. Even though they wanted to spend more time with Kai, who had just woken up, clearing things up with their mothers would allow them to be more 'wild' in the future. Besides, after dinner, they were planning to let their feelings run free without the slightest concern for the “guest.”

…

Upon arriving at his workshop, Kai was greeted by a pair of cats that quickly leapt down from the roof and landed on his shoulders. He stroked their heads for a moment before stepping inside, the workshop doors opening automatically for him and sealing shut behind him—courtesy of his reliable assistant.

“Well then, Sage, let’s start with the data on that Drider. I need more information about those spiders before I go back. Also, have you noticed anything strange around the area where the spiders were located?”

As he spoke, Kai sat down in his ergonomic chair and began opening several files on one of the computers. At that moment, the beautiful miniature fairy materialized beside him and answered in a calm tone.

“No, Master. While the location is still moving at the same pace, nothing strange has been detected, and there have been no reports of sightings of giant spiders of any kind. However, during these past hours, I’ve been using most of the available computational power, and I noticed something curious in the Drider’s data. There’s a specific pattern that repeats a few times—and the same pattern appears in the “Portal Nomu's” data, although the Drider’s version seems more complex and extensive.”

As she spoke, Sage displayed the relevant data on Kai’s monitor, immediately capturing his attention. He brought a hand to his chin and began studying the data carefully, running mental calculations and estimates.

But suddenly, his mind caught a strange similarity, prompting him to ask with a hint of disbelief as he pointed to a section in what seemed like an endless text file filled with unspaced characters.

“Sage, am I going crazy…? For some reason, this part of the Drider’s genome data reminds me of the ‘Kokuto’ Aura Script pattern…”

“Huh?”

Hearing her master’s words, Sage couldn’t help but let out a confused sound, then immediately began running calculations at high speed, her wings flashing in a rapid sequence of colors. After a few seconds, the beautiful fairy’s eyes widened in disbelief, and she spoke in a stunned voice.

“They really do look alike…”

Chapter 190: Stabilize teleportation.

Chapter Text

“They really do look alike…”

As she exclaimed, Sage simultaneously displayed on a screen a graphical representation of the genetic interaction network based on the raw data Kai had been studying, along with a visualization of the Aura Script pattern he had mentioned. This made it clear that part of the Aura Script pattern shared a significant similarity—around 45%—with the genetic network, both resembling electrical circuits combined with strange runes.

“Do you think it’s just a coincidence…?”

Staring at the holographic display before him, Kai couldn’t help but ask in a low voice, not believing his own words. After all, the resemblance was far too strong to be mere coincidence. In response, Sage shook her head and replied in a serious, analytical tone.

“Hard to believe, Master. And don’t forget—the abilities that Drider had were quite similar to yours. And there were also those conditional webs... Somehow, those spiders seemed to possess derivative abilities from yours, almost like a copy…”

“… This is really making me uncomfortable, Sage. There’s something about those damned spiders—something I seriously don’t like. No matter what, I need to go back to that place as soon as possible.” Kai said with a voice full of solemnity, feeling as if he were standing before a monumental secret hidden behind a thin veil.

“But we don’t know what else might be there. What we saw could’ve just been the tip of the iceberg…”

Sage replied with evident nervousness, visibly reluctant to return to that place. After all, the pain of seeing her master defeated and on the brink of death had been too much to endure even once, let alone again. In response, Kai spoke in a serious tone, his gaze fixed on the Drider’s genetic interaction network.

“While there may be a larger, more powerful female spider, I still doubt they have much combat power left beyond those we've already killed. Otherwise, they would’ve sent them to finish me off, and I wouldn’t be standing here right now. Still, don’t worry—although I plan to return, I want to be better prepared first. That place is a complete mystery, and who knows what else might be hidden there.”

“I understand, Master…”

Sage answered with clear reluctance, obeying her master solely out of unshakable loyalty—the same loyalty that made her question whether or not she should show him the video of Keiko. She knew him well; he would rather not know. But hiding it didn’t seem right either. As doubt filled her mind, the beautiful fairy heard her master speak again in an incredibly serious tone.

“Sage, there’s something I can’t get out of my head. Let’s try restructuring the [Kokuto] pattern based on the Drider’s data.”

“Understood, Master.”

Without delay, the graceful fairy responded and operated the computer in front of her master to open and configure all the custom tools they had developed for crafting Aura Script patterns. At that moment, Kai began to work with intense concentration, assisted by Sage in every way he required.

Aura Script patterns were unique; each one designed much like a microprocessor, following a set of rules and limitations that had been discovered over the years through trial and error.

Each pattern had a specific function—such as the one named [Kokuto], which was named in honor of the legendary black swords born from the Haki of the most powerful and mythical swordsmen.

The function of the [Kokuto] pattern was quite simple: it significantly enhanced the durability, hardness, and other mechanical properties of aura constructs that mimicked metal. Additionally, it greatly improved the conduction of Haki, Aura, and—most notably—electricity, while also amplifying them by a small margin. This was, in fact, the very pattern used by all the common swords Kai conjured.

…

After two hours of uninterrupted work, Kai completed a restructured prototype of the Kokuto pattern. Though it still had differences compared to the Drider’s data, its similarity had increased to nearly 70%. At that point, Kai leaned back in his ergonomic chair and gave an order in a voice filled with a strange amalgam of emotions—ranging from curiosity to apprehension.

“Sage, run the simulations.”

“Immediately, Master.”

Upon replying—with a voice that now sounded somewhat like her master’s—Sage instantly utilized nearly all available computational power to run billions of simulation iterations, testing the performance of the new Kokuto pattern in various ways. Her wings glowed like a kaleidoscope as she worked, until, after a while, Sage spoke—her voice now filled with sheer disbelief.

“Master… overall performance increased by 32.6%...”

Upon hearing her response, Kai couldn’t help but take a deep breath, utterly shocked. Though one of the possible outcomes in his mind had been some improvement, he had never imagined it would be so staggering.

After all, the Kokuto pattern was the result of years of work and refinement—now considered its ‘stable’ and most efficient version, with little room for short-term improvement. Or at least, that’s what it was supposed to be. This inevitably led Kai to voice his doubts.

“Is there someone else with abilities like mine? Is Aura Script more than just a way to enhance my aura? Could that damned monster have just been a Nen beast? Could it be that Alcatraz didn’t register it as defeated because of that? Is there someone even more terrifying on that demon island…?”

As thousands of questions swirled through Kai’s mind at an ever-increasing speed, Sage quickly began analyzing the Drider’s full data set, focusing especially on the parts that showed similarities to the genetic data from the portal Nomu. She then projected graphical representations of the results onto holographic screens and spoke in an incredibly serious tone.

“Master, what if we tried creating an Aura Script pattern based on the Drider’s data to stabilize teleportation...?”

Hearing Sage’s words, Kai immediately stopped his string of murmured doubts and turned to look at his trusted assistant, eyes full of surprise. He was stunned for several seconds before his mind finally calmed down enough for him to reply in a soft voice.

“That sounds like a good idea…”

…

Upon arriving at the mansion, Chatora parked the car in the garage, and the group walked together to the medical room to check on Kai’s condition. However, the nurses there quickly informed them of the good news—Kai had awakened. This prompted the team of pro-heroes to sprint at full speed toward the mansion, where they found Eva deeply focused on something on a computer while her little one watched TV.

“Eva, is it true Kai’s awake?! Where is he?!” Ryuko asked, visibly rushing and jogging in place to keep her momentum. Her sudden outburst greatly startled Eva, who quickly looked up and responded.

“I-I don’t know, but I saw the others upstairs.”

““““Thanks!!””””

The group of heroes shouted their thanks in unison in English before dashing up to the second floor at superhuman speed. Once there, they split up to check the different rooms, with Ryuko taking the task of checking Momo’s and Nejire’s rooms, which were right next to each other. When she reached Nejire’s room—the first one—she quickly knocked and called out urgently.

“Kai?! Are you in there?!”

“He’s in the workshop now, but come in—we want to talk to you.”

The calm voice of Keiko came in response, which for some reason made Ryuko feel a little uneasy. There was something about her tone that didn’t sit right with her, but she couldn’t just run away either. So, she quickly opened the door while apologizing, feeling a twinge of disappointment that Kai had locked himself in the workshop—she had wanted to see him as soon as possible.

“Sorry…”

As she opened the door, Ryuko found herself in a spacious and elegant room decorated mainly in pink, filled with hundreds of plush toys of various shapes and colors. There were even several plushies shaped like Kai in different outfits—one of them even wearing the U.A. uniform. Behind the large double bed covered in pink blankets stood a massive smart window, darkened in a soft pink hue that matched the rest of the room’s aesthetic.

But what truly caught Ryuko’s attention was on the bed full of plushies: Keiko and Yumiko sat with their daughters resting their heads on their laps, gently stroking their hair. Momo and Nejire both looked utterly enchanted, their faces glowing with beautiful smiles.

“Hi…”

Not quite sure what to say, Ryuko spoke as she glanced around the room, feeling oddly apprehensive—something she quickly attributed to her earlier conversation with Chatora. At that moment, Yumiko pointed toward what looked like a small pink dining area in one corner of the room, where several plush toys were seated on the chairs. She then spoke in a calm tone.

“Take a seat—there’s something we want to talk to you about.”

Feeling her heart race, Ryuko nodded silently and closed the door behind her before walking over to one of the chairs—where a large chibi-style plush toy was sitting. It had an enormous head, short limbs, and no matter how she looked at it, it was clearly Kai dressed in All Might’s hero costume. The sight nearly made Ryuko burst into laughter, but the strange tension she could sense from Keiko and Yumiko made her hold it in.

Carefully placing the plushie on the table, Ryuko took the chair and moved closer to the bed, occasionally casting discreet, questioning glances toward Momo and Nejire. They smiled at her reassuringly, as if to say everything was fine—which did nothing to calm Ryuko’s nerves. She sat down quietly and looked at the two mothers, just as Keiko asked in a calm tone.

“Where’s Shino?”

“…Looking for Kai… she should be here soon…”

Hearing the question, Ryuko’s heart skipped a beat. She responded with a tense voice, closely studying the expressions on the mothers’ faces. They looked incredibly calm—perhaps too calm—which made Chatora’s warnings echo in her mind over and over.

“Well then, let’s wait a bit for her to arrive. It’s better if we all talk together.” Yumiko said calmly as she gently stroked her daughter’s silky hair.

Meanwhile, Momo and Nejire couldn’t help but giggle a little at Ryuko’s worried expression. They found it so amusing that they decided to play a small prank by staying silent. After all, they had just finished a heartfelt conversation with their mothers, openly expressing their feelings, how happy they were, and their thoughts about the future.

During a pleasant group bath, the girls had talked about their dreams and their relationship—something their mothers received with warmth and joy, showing no sign of rejection or judgment. This made the two young women incredibly happy; they felt like they were on cloud nine. They were with the man they loved, and their mothers accepted and supported them—that was exactly what they had dreamed of, everything they needed to be happy.

Curiously, and perhaps due to the way Kai had expressed himself, their mothers had come to the mistaken conclusion that they already had an active sexual life with him. As a result, they began explaining contraceptive methods and the precautions they needed to take. They even emphasized how important it was to be clear about their boundaries and aversions in that area and to never stay silent—otherwise, they might end up unhappy or frustrated.

Despite feeling embarrassed, the two beautiful girls chose not to correct the misunderstanding and listened attentively to their mothers. After all, even if it wasn’t the case now, they would eventually begin their sexual life with their beloved—and it might happen sooner than they had originally thought.

Seeing Kai in such a fragile state made them realize that every day was precious. They loved him, desired him, and wanted to properly consummate their relationship—they wanted to strengthen their bond and feel the security of a stable relationship. Above all, they didn’t want to live with regrets if something ever happened. After all, they had spent years fantasizing about their first times, and they wanted to make those dreams come true as soon as possible.

Time continued to pass in awkward silence for Ryuko, who could do nothing but imagine countless possibilities while studying the expressions of the four others present, trying to find any kind of clue. Eventually, hurried knocks sounded at the door, accompanied by the voices of Shino, Chatora, and Tomoko calling out in unison.

“Ryuko, Nejire, is Kai there?!”

Hearing the voices of her teammates, Ryuko gently clenched her fists and sat up straighter in her chair, while small smiles appeared on Keiko and Yumiko’s lips. At that moment, Keiko spoke out loud in a calm tone.

“Kai is in the workshop—he’ll come out for dinner. But come in, Shino, there’s something we’d like to talk to you about.”

Chapter 191: If you want a villain, here I am.

Chapter Text

Upon hearing Keiko’s words, Shino froze in place and turned to look at her companions with a trace of panic in her eyes—something didn’t feel right, especially since it seemed like Ryuko was inside. At that moment, Chatora placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and spoke with a comforting smile.

“Go ahead. But remember, no matter what happens, we’re on your side.”

“Thank you…”

Hearing Chatora’s words, Shino replied in a low voice, then took a deep breath, almost as if preparing herself for a life-or-death battle. Just then, Tomoko hugged her tightly and whispered with quiet determination.

“Let me come with you. Even if there are still things to work through, I want to be part of this too.”

Though a bit surprised, Shino was already aware of Tomoko’s intentions toward her man—and she was fine with it. Tomoko was her lifelong friend, and her Kai had enough love for all of them. Even with the relationship they had, he continued to support everyone with great dedication and without favoritism. So the only real difference would be in bed, where they were fully aware that even the three of them working together still couldn’t satisfy their man.

Most likely due to his insane training, Kai was a true monster with seemingly endless stamina. No matter what they did, in the end, the three of them always ended up as trembling, soaked messes, while he didn’t even seem to have broken a sweat—completely ready for more. Yet, worried about hurting them, he would always bathe and tuck them in with extreme care before going to sleep still wanting more, something that filled them with guilt and regret.

Therefore, the idea of another grown woman joining their crusade to satisfy their man was actually more than welcome to all of them. Besides, Shino couldn’t deny she was dying to see what her friend was like in bed—a small voyeuristic fetish that had recently awakened in her. Touching herself while watching her sisters get ravished had a rather addictive charm.

“You don’t have to do it… if it’s for what we think it is, it’s better if Ryuko and I speak to them first. Don’t get me wrong—I’m totally on board with you joining, and I’m sure the others are too. But let’s talk to Kai first. Let’s do this the right way.”

“… Alright, I understand…”

Tomoko replied in a soft and downcast voice—a stark contrast to her usual cheerful and energetic demeanor. This made Shino bite her lower lip with hesitation, wanting to tell her friend to come in with her, that it didn’t matter.

But in the end, she remained silent. She valued the relationship deeply, and unless it was unavoidable, she wanted to follow the rules. And no rule was more important than the unanimous acceptance of everyone before someone new joined.

“… See you later.”

After taking a couple of deep breaths, Shino made her way to the door and quietly said her goodbyes, to which Chatora and Tomoko nodded. But the moment Shino opened the door, they caught a glimpse of the room's interior—and saw that Nejire and Momo were also inside, which caused their suspicions to solidify.

Once offering a casual greeting to the two mother-daughter pairs, Chatora and Tomoko headed toward Tomoko’s room. It was practically an unspoken rule in the family not to disturb Kai while he was in his workshop—and although they were eager to see him, they could wait a few more hours.

...

…

After Tomoko and Chatora left, Shino closed the door to the room. Seeing Ryuko sitting on a chair, she quickly pulled one up for herself, sitting beside her sister as they faced the two mothers. At that moment, Keiko spoke in a serious tone, staring them straight in the eyes.

“Today, Kai told us about your ‘relationship’… You took advantage of him. You manipulated him to fulfill your strange fantasies without caring in the slightest about his feelings.”

Upon hearing her mother’s words, Momo looked up in shock—the contrast from their earlier conversation was staggering—prompting the beautiful girl to speak in mild panic.

“Wait, Mom, no—”

“Stay quiet for now, Momo. While I’m willing to be more understanding with you, it’s different with them. They’re adults—fully aware of many things, including the fact that what they did was a crime. Besides, we all know Kai. The concept of a romantic relationship didn’t even exist in his vocabulary, and I’m certain it was you two who changed that just to fulfill your twisted fetishes.”

Keiko quickly replied in a firm tone, silencing Momo. Even though she knew she was being a hypocrite—since she herself harbored the same impure desires—her goal at this moment wasn’t just to criticize them. She wanted to confront them to find out what the real intentions of these traitors were.

After all, even if she wasn’t much better—having done what she did just a few hours ago—at the very least, she could be sure of her feelings and intentions: to love, protect, and support her Kai with all her being. That was why she had never dared take a step forward and kept her desires locked away as mere impossible fantasies. But those women were different—they let themselves be overtaken by lust, and that worried her.

If all those women cared about was satisfying their desires, then it wouldn’t be hard to imagine them betraying Kai one day. And that, without a doubt, would devastate him—especially considering how sensitive he was to even the mention of betrayal. That’s why, even if Kai defended them with everything he had, she would do everything in her power to uncover their true intentions. They would have to kill her before she let anyone hurt her Kai.

“Keiko, while I understand your anger and I know what we did is wrong on many levels and could ruin our careers or even our lives, we didn’t do it to satisfy ‘strange fetishes’, as you said. We love Kai from the bottom of our hearts—that’s why we did what we did. And believe me, we’re willing to face all the consequences that come with it.”

Shino replied with a serious tone, just as Yumiko seemed about to speak. But before she could, a soft knock came at the door, followed quickly by a calm and composed voice that they immediately recognized as Nemuri’s.

“I’m coming in—I hope you don’t mind.”

When the voice faded, the room’s door opened, revealing Nemuri on the other side dressed in her hero costume. Upon noticing the entire group inside, she quickly closed the door behind her and stepped forward with resolve, standing right in front of Shino and Ryuko as if shielding them from the pair of fierce mothers. That was when Nemuri spoke solemnly.

“I suppose you already know about our situation with Kai.”

“Yes, and we were planning to speak with you about it as well. Did your perversion not spare even the boy you raised?”

Yumiko quickly responded in a cold voice, making Nejire and Momo even more nervous. They wanted to speak, but at that moment, they saw Nemuri offer them a confident smile before calmly turning to face the two mothers and declaring with unwavering firmness.

“Even I sometimes question what a terrible guardian I’ve been. I don’t know how much you know, but the truth is—I was the one who started all of this. I was the one who couldn’t control herself and practically forced myself on Kai. I was the one who convinced Ryuko and Shino to get involved in this madness. I was the one who persuaded Kai to accept them. I was Kai’s first time. This is 100% my fault. If you want a villain, here I am.”

Upon hearing Nemuri, Keiko and Yumiko widened their eyes in disbelief—never in their wildest imaginings had they conceived of a situation like the one unfolding before them. But the stunning blue-eyed woman, radiating a unique presence full of confidence and exuding an infinite sensuality capable of mesmerizing any living being, added with a confident smile, glancing discreetly at Momo.

“But, to paraphrase someone—I love Kai from the bottom of my heart. He’s the only man in this world I want to be with, and I’ll do whatever it takes to stay by his side, without limiting myself with moralism or any of that nonsense. And I know none of you are willing to walk away either, so whether we hate each other or not, we’re all staying in this house. We’re all staying by his side. So whether we’re friends or enemies—it’s up to you. Just don’t forget—we outnumber you.”

Hearing Nemuri’s defiant declaration, spoken with unwavering confidence as she looked them straight in the eyes, Keiko and Yumiko couldn’t help but frown in displeasure. Because as much as they hated to admit it, the woman was right—none of them were willing to leave. And if they went to “war”, the only one who would truly suffer would be Kai.

Aside from building things and training, the only thing he ever did was care for and protect them. Forcing him to choose a side would be devastating—and that was something none of the women present wanted to risk.

“How can we know you’re being sincere? How can we know that a pervert like you won’t end up betraying Kai’s trust? How can we be sure you won’t hurt him?!” Keiko asked angrily after a few seconds, to which Nemuri responded in an incredibly serious tone.

“While I could tell you a lot of things—like how much I love Kai and what I’m willing to do for him—I know none of that really matters. Words are just words. So instead, I’ll tell you the rules of our relationship—rules that Kai fully agreed to. That way, if I ever betray him or hurt him, you’ll know—and you’ll be free to take whatever action you see fit.”

Nemuri paused briefly to observe Keiko and Yumiko’s expressions. Though visibly upset, they seemed receptive to the proposal, so she quickly added with firm seriousness.

“First of all, this relationship was born because we all wanted to be with Kai. That means Kai will be the only man in our lives—no excuses of any kind. If another man ever shows up, that’s the end—I’ll personally throw that person out of this house. Kai is a possessive and jealous person, and we all know it. No one here is just looking for a good time—this is serious.”

Seeing Keiko and Yumiko’s expressions relax slightly, Nemuri smiled with confidence. She now felt certain that the two mothers weren’t just angry—they were terrified that someone might hurt their precious boy. That meant the path to victory was clear: she simply had to dispel their doubts, and things would naturally settle with time. People get used to anything eventually. With renewed confidence, she continued.

“Second, this is a 100% consensual relationship. Everyone involved is fully aware of the difficulties, risks, and consequences that this relationship could bring into our lives. That’s why no new person can join the relationship unless everyone agrees. If even one person objects, then no one new is allowed in.”

Upon hearing the second rule, Keiko and Yumiko couldn’t help but glance at each other in mild surprise—and in doing so, they each caught a glimpse in the other’s eyes of the same strange idea beginning to form. Nemuri noticed it instantly, though she chose not to jump to conclusions just yet and instead continued her explanation in a serious tone.

“Third—and this is crucial because the complexities of this relationship will far exceed those of any conventional one—communication is vital. Everyone must be completely open with one another. While small secrets are fine, if something could potentially affect the relationship, it must be discussed. We all want long-term happiness—ideally for life—so if there are preferences of any kind, inhibitions, or anything along those lines, it needs to be shared with the rest.

“Fourth—and this is very important—because of our careers, the relationship will be kept secret for an indefinite period of time, unless everyone agrees to change that. And finally, though it’s not exactly a rule, jealousy and things of that nature have no place in this relationship. Each of us must be fully aware that we are sharing Kai, and that this comes with certain challenges and adjustments to traditional couple dynamics. On top of that, we must be extremely careful about who we allow into the relationship.

“As you can probably imagine—since, in a way, we’ve been sharing Kai from the beginning—we haven’t had any issues with that so far because we all love and support each other. But it’s something that could happen in the future, so we have to keep it in mind and work to prevent any such problems from arising.”

Chapter 192: I swear I’m going to kill you.

Chapter Text

Upon hearing the list of rules, Keiko and Yumiko looked at each other, feeling that much of their worries had faded. Although they still felt uncomfortable, the situation was far better than they had anticipated—at least it was being taken seriously and not treated as a mere game. But at that moment, Ryuko’s serious voice echoed through the room.

“Keiko, Yumiko, the last thing we want is to hurt Kai. We love him with all our hearts, so at the very least, please give us a chance to prove ourselves. All we want is to be happy and to make Kai happy—nothing more. It’s not just lust or desire; it’s real love. And to prove how serious I am, I’m willing to give you any kind of evidence you want—enough to destroy my career with a single phone call.

“I’ll hand you the key to ruin me on a silver platter—just tell me what you want, and I’ll give it to you. All I ask is that you give me the benefit of the doubt. I don’t want us to fight. I don’t want Kai to be forced to choose between you and us. He doesn’t deserve that. He’s worked too hard for our happiness, and I’ll do everything in my power to ensure his.”

Hearing Ryuko’s voice, full of determination, Keiko and Yumiko turned to look at her, visibly moved. At that moment, Shino spoke with an expression just as serious and resolute as Ryuko’s.

“I’ll do the same. If you want a sworn confession, photos, videos—whatever you want. But I’d like to add that Kai can’t be involved in any of those proofs. Other than that, everything is on the table.”

“So, what do you say?” Upon hearing her sisters, Nemuri couldn’t help but look at the two mothers with an expression full of pride. She then added with the same determination.

“You can ask the exact same from me. We’re completely serious about this relationship, and we’re willing to do whatever it takes. In fact, check your phones.”

Remembering something, Nemuri quickly grabbed her phone and sent a message to the two mothers—the photo the three of them had taken together to send to Kai during the sports festival. The moment Keiko and Yumiko saw it, their expressions darkened considerably. That’s when Nemuri spoke firmly.

“That one photo alone is more than enough to deal a serious blow to our careers and reputations. And if you want, you can ask for more. We’re not just talking—we mean it.”

“…”

Even though Keiko and Yumiko felt a deep bitterness upon seeing the photo—since that explicit image was more than enough to let them imagine everything those three traitors had done with their Kai—it was also undeniable proof of how seriously they were taking the relationship and how important Kai was to them. They were willing to risk everything for a chance at happiness, and that inevitably moved the two mothers.

“… Alright. I can see now how serious you are…” Keiko said in a conflicted voice as she deleted the photo, something Yumiko did as well, before adding in a serious tone.

“We’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, as you asked. But I’m going to ask something of you too: no matter what happens, don’t hurt my Kai. That’s something I would never forgive.”

“Don’t worry, that’s the last thing we’d want.” Nemuri replied seriously, prompting Keiko to speak up with clear irritation in her tone.

“And 'be careful'—Kai is far too young to be a father.”

“We know, and we’re being careful.”

Shino responded firmly, to which Nemuri and Ryuko nodded in agreement, as they took their sexuality very seriously. The three of them constantly kept each other in check to ensure none of them forgot any form of contraception or missed their pill.

“We’re entrusting you with our Kai, along with our girls. They’re the most precious things we have.”

After a few seconds, Yumiko spoke with a small sigh, just as her beloved daughter wrapped her in a tight hug, quickly beginning to thank her with a voice filled with joy.

“Thank you, Mom. I knew you’d understand. We just want to be happy, and we’re not hurting anyone.”

With a warm smile full of endless motherly love, Yumiko embraced her daughter and gently ran her fingers through her hair, starting to believe that maybe—just maybe—things could actually work out. But at that moment, Nejire leaned close to her ear and whispered in a low voice only she could hear.

“And don’t worry; I know that if you decide to join us, everyone will be on board. I’ll take care of convincing Kai, and that way I’ll give you a grandson, and you’ll give me a little brother, and we’ll raise them like siblings—without ever telling them who’s whose mom. It’ll be so much fun.”

Upon hearing her daughter, Yumiko widened her eyes in disbelief and turned to look at her, quickly noticing that Nejire was gazing back at her with the sweetest, most innocent smile in the world—as if she hadn’t just said one of the most outrageous things Yumiko had ever heard in her life. It immediately made her question whether she had raised her daughter properly—no normal person would come up with something like that.

Meanwhile, Momo clung to her mother and thanked her with genuine happiness, which brought a warm smile to Keiko’s face. She embraced her now fully grown daughter with a slight feeling of loss—her little princess had grown up and now wanted to be happy with her Kai. It made her inevitably aware of the passage of time, something she had almost forgotten, as it hardly seemed to leave a mark on her body.

“Mom, even though Nemuri didn’t mention it, we’ve already talked it over, and I’ll be Kai’s legal wife, so all our plans are still on track, fufu.”

In the middle of their embrace, Momo suddenly whispered into her mother’s ear, prompting a wide smile to spread across Keiko’s face. After all, since she had never been able to marry, she had always carried that regret in her heart.

So, she wanted her daughter to have the most beautiful wedding in the world—and if it was with her beloved Kai, it would be complete happiness. She even began considering passing down all her possessions to them while still alive, keeping only a few things for herself to maintain her lifestyle.

But even though that was her plan—and she had no intention of changing it, to the point where she would personally ensure that her daughter’s wedding would be a magical and unforgettable day—at the same time, a twisted image began to creep into her heart: a vision of herself wearing Momo’s wedding dress, having a secret ceremony with Kai in the middle of the night, once her Momo was already asleep from the excitement of the day.

“That’s wonderful news, my princess. Together, we’ll make it the best wedding in the world…” Keiko said in a voice full of motherly love, gently shaking her head to drive away those intrusive thoughts. Her words made Momo smile sweetly before clinging tightly to her mother once again.

...

Back in his office, Haruto collapsed into his chair, feeling completely exhausted, defeated, and utterly humiliated—torn between terror, disappointment, and rage. He grabbed a bottle of whiskey from his liquor cabinet and began drinking straight from it in large gulps, hoping the burning liquor would help him cope with the turmoil inside him.

“Motherfucker!!!”

After downing nearly a quarter of the bottle in one go, Haruto hurled it against the wall with a furious scream. The finely cut crystal shattered into pieces, spilling the limited-edition liquor across the floor. But rather than calming him, the sight only fueled his anger and growing sense of helplessness.

“Saito Kai!!! You fucking son of a bitch!!! I swear I’m gonna fucking kill you!!! And you’re not getting away either, Yumiko!!! You goddamn whore!!! You’re fucking that bastard like some worthless slut, aren’t you?! You fucking cheap-ass bitch!!!”

With his mind in complete chaos, Haruto began shouting at the top of his lungs as he swept everything off his desk, then kicked it over in a fit of rage. The force sent his chair rolling backward until it slammed into the bookshelf behind him, causing several books to fall and hit him on the head. But Haruto didn’t even register the pain—he simply sat there, staring blankly at the ceiling.

(When did my life go to hell like this? Why now? When I was finally about to fix everything… when I was ready to leave it all behind and start a new life… Why?)

As countless questions swirled through Haruto’s mind, tears began to fall down his face. After all, he knew he was finished—Yumiko knew everything and treated him as less than garbage, and that creepy bastard knew everything there was to know about Aiko. There was no longer any chance of running away; he was completely cornered and could only submit to the will of those two. The beautiful life he had dreamed of with the woman he loved was no longer possible.

“Haruto-sama, are you alright?! What’s going on?!”

Suddenly, rhythmic knocks echoed against the office door, accompanied by a melodic and deeply worried female voice. Haruto looked toward the door with a conflicted expression, unsure of what to do. But as the knocking and the voice grew more urgent with every passing second, he had no choice but to get up and open the door—after all, the child she was carrying could be affected.

“Haruto-sama, are you okay?!!”

As she entered the office, Aiko asked full of concern, her face and hands red from the exertion. The sight melted Haruto’s heart, and he quickly pulled her into a tight embrace, silently swearing to protect her from all harm—especially from those two despicable people who were coming for them.

“Haruto-sama… they can see us…” Being held like that, Aiko whispered nervously, glancing around in a slight panic. That’s when Haruto spoke in a low, grave voice.

“Aiko, Yumiko knows everything. She knows about the company, about us, and about the baby…”

Upon hearing Haruto, Aiko couldn’t help but cover her wide-open mouth with both hands in shock. But after just a few seconds, she asked in a soft and somewhat frightened voice.

“What are we going to do, Haruto-sama?”

“I don’t know… Yumiko wants to leave me with nothing, but I…”

Haruto tried to respond, but at that very moment, both his phone and Aiko’s vibrated and emitted the same sound simultaneously, cutting his words short. He didn’t recognize the sound, and Aiko always kept her personal phone on vibrate while in the office—this alone made Haruto’s face pale noticeably, while Aiko, a bit embarrassed, reached for her phone, assuming she had forgotten to silence it that morning.

But when she picked it up, Aiko was surprised to see that her phone was not only already unlocked, but also had a document open. That startled her slightly, but driven by curiosity, she read the first few words—and the content made her body stagger.

[Miss Tanaka Aiko, I wonder what your father, Mr. Tanaka Hiroshi, would think if he found out that his proud daughter—whom he worked so hard to put through the best universities, specializations, and more—is pregnant by her married boss, and even worse, that she conspired with him to steal the lifelong work of his wife?

[I even wonder what would happen if the photos of School girls that your older brother, Mr. Tanaka Ryoichi, has on his phone were made public. What would those wealthy families do if they found out that a pathetic man, a teacher at one of the most prestigious schools in the country, is “getting intimate” with their daughters? What will the school do? What will the authorities do? And how would your father feel knowing that his two proud children are nothing more than criminals?]

Although the document continued to expose even more, including photos and videos as evidence, Aiko couldn’t keep reading. Her strength left her completely, and she collapsed into Haruto’s arms, terrifying him and prompting him to ask in a panic.

“Aiko?! Are you okay?! I’ll take you to the hospital right now!”

“Haruto-sama… please, don’t let him destroy my family… My father couldn’t take it… He just recovered from a heart attack…”

With her eyes filled with tears, Aiko clung to Haruto’s shirt, pleading in complete desperation. Haruto took the phone from her trembling hands and began to read it frantically, but just seeing the beginning made him clench his teeth with all his might. A voice filled with deep hatred escaped his throat—he knew exactly who the sender was.

“Saito Kai… I swear I’m going to kill you, even if it’s the last thing I do…”

“Haruto-sama… let them have everything; let’s just leave this place. I don’t need money—let’s start over somewhere else. With my small savings, we can be happy anywhere… please… don’t let my father find out; it would kill him…”

Terrified and in tears, Aiko begged as she clung to Haruto. He could only clench his fists so tightly that they began to bleed, feeling the hatred eating away at him from the inside. The only thing he wanted was to tear that creepy bastard apart with his own hands.

Chapter 193: There’s no one sweeter.

Chapter Text

“Wow, I think you went a bit too far, Sage… What are we supposed to do if the woman loses the baby because of us?”

Leaving his workshop with Salem and Tama lazily trailing behind him, Kai spoke in a slightly uneasy tone as he watched the security footage of the rat’s reaction to the gentle reminder he had asked Sage to send. The beautiful fairy responded with a serious tone, not showing the slightest trace of guilt or remorse on her face.

“There were no lies in the document, Master. I even backed everything with evidence. They were the ones who committed those actions of their own free will—I merely listed them. If they feared the consequences so much, they shouldn’t have done it. The responsibility lies entirely with them.”

“Well, what’s done is done. But if something similar happens in the future, be more subtle—avoid hurting pregnant women and children. Everything else doesn’t matter as much, but those cases are special. Also, keep a closer watch on the rat—he feels cornered and might do something stupid.” Kai said in a calm tone, to which the beautiful fairy nodded firmly.

“Understood, Master. I’ll keep it in mind.”

With a steady pace, Kai continued walking toward the mansion, his mind analyzing the Aura Script pattern Sage had proposed and what it meant for it to actually work. The thought made him feel incredibly uneasy—almost as if he were being watched by something unimaginably large and dangerous. Though, deep down, he sincerely hoped it was just his imagination.

Before long, Kai sensed through his Observation Haki that the entire family was inside the house—Tomoko and Chatora were in the main hall with Eva and her son, while Nemuri, Ryuko, Shino, Momo, Nejire, Keiko, and Yumiko were all gathered in Nejire’s room. This made him raise an eyebrow, especially as he recalled the strange black-and-white vision he had upon waking. He quickly gave an order to his assistant in a serious tone.

“Sage, remind me to investigate Observation Haki more thoroughly. I have a feeling it might be evolving again or something, but I’m not sure.”

“Understood, Master. I’ll add it to the list, along with the Alcatraz investigation.” Sage replied calmly, to which Kai nodded before entering the main hall.

...

“Hey.”

Upon entering, Kai greeted them casually, which immediately caused Tomoko and Chatora—who had been chatting peacefully—to spin around and look at him. Instantly, tears filled Tomoko’s face. With feline agility, she leapt like a cat to embrace Kai, who received her calmly, neutralizing her momentum with exquisite control.

“I was so worried… Don’t ever risk yourself like that again…” Burying her face in Kai’s neck, Tomoko whispered in a trembling, tearful voice. Kai responded with warmth and apology in his tone.

“I’m sorry. I promise I’ll do better. Will you forgive me?”

At Kai’s response, Tomoko nodded tearfully, all while inhaling his natural scent with delight—almost as if trying to absorb him completely into herself to feel safe. And in a way that felt almost magical, all her recent worries began to dissolve into nothing. As long as he was there, everything else seemed small and insignificant, easily manageable. All she needed was her solid rock of support to face the world without fear.

After a few moments, Tomoko released her embrace and landed lightly on the floor. At that moment, Kai turned to hug Chatora, who also had tears welling at the corners of his eyes. Once again, the professional hero couldn’t help but marvel at how much Kai had grown—just a few years ago, the boy had barely reached his knees, and now he stood just as tall as him.

“It’s good to see you awake again, Kai.” Chatora said in a calm voice after releasing the hug, though there was still a trace of worry in his tone. Kai responded with a gentle apology.

“I’m sorry. I’ll do my best to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Meanwhile, Eva watched the scene with a face full of conflicting emotions—on one hand, deeply moved and happy, but on the other, overwhelmed by guilt. After all, it was because of her that the brave blue-eyed boy had ended up on the brink of death, and that burden filled her with endless remorse.

But at the same time, watching her son happily playing with a car that could transform into a nimble robot—one of the toys Kai had given him—Eva felt an immense sense of joy and gratitude.

“Looks like you like the Autobot No. 14.”

While Eva was lost in her thoughts, she suddenly heard Kai’s magnetic voice—spoken with an almost perfect English accent, the best in the house, which was a bit surprising. She turned her gaze and found the young man standing beside her son, smiling calmly, looking somewhat comical with a black cat perched on his head, and the beautiful turquoise-haired woman clinging to his neck with a joyful smile.

Since her son was still dealing with the aftereffects of his time on the island, he hadn’t spoken to anyone and got nervous easily. Eva quickly moved to apologize on his behalf, but to her surprise, little Oliver gave a soft nod, looking visibly nervous—a far cry from his usual reaction, which was to run to her on the verge of tears. That’s when Kai spoke again, confidently.

“Well, let me show you a little secret about No. 14. This one’s a bit special.”

As he spoke, Kai extended his hand toward the boy, who, after hesitating for several seconds, nervously approached and placed the toy car—about 40 cm in size—into his hands. Kai flipped it over, pressed a few things, and then took what looked like two metallic bracelets from the underside of the toy. He then placed the car back on the ground.

After putting the bracelets on his wrists, Kai tapped each one a couple of times, causing them to glow with a subtle blue light. At the same time, the car began to transform into a robot—something they had seen before. But then Kai looked at Oliver and said with a small smile.

“Watch this.”

With Tomoko clinging to his neck with a joyful grin, Kai took a boxing stance and threw a few punches in the air—movements the robot on the ground mimicked with impressive precision. Oliver’s eyes lit up, and he even jumped slightly, full of excitement. He then turned to look at Kai, filled with eager anticipation and a bit of nervousness. Kai quickly took off the bracelets and said calmly.

“Hold out your hands—I'm going to put them on you.”

Bursting with excitement, Oliver obediently extended his hands, and Kai swiftly strapped the bracelets onto his wrists, configuring them quickly. He then gently ruffled the boy’s golden hair and spoke in a cheerful tone.

“Now, whatever you do, No. 14 will copy you. But that’s not even the best part.”

As Kai spoke, a replica of a fighter jet—about the same size as the toy car—entered the room. It transformed into a robot mid-air and landed a few meters from the Autobot, then took up a boxing guard. That’s when Kai, pointing at it, added with a cheerful tone.

“Now you have to protect the world from that Decepticon threat. Only you have the power of the Autobots to fight it. Are you ready to take on this tough mission, Oliver?”

“Y-yes, I-I’ll protect the world!”

Overflowing with excitement, Oliver brought his fists up in front of him, speaking for the first time in a long while, while the robot beside him mirrored his every move. Eva couldn’t hold back her tears of joy, covering her mouth to muffle any sound so as not to break the magic of the moment. That’s when Kai, imitating a general, declared in a firm voice.

“Then the world is in your hands, Oliver! Eliminate that Decepticon threat! You’re the only one who can do it!”

“Y-yes sir!”

Replying nervously, Oliver quickly turned to face the enemy robot, which advanced toward him with agile movements. In response, Oliver began throwing punches and kicks, which his robot faithfully imitated—creating an incredibly adorable sight due to his lack of coordination. It brought warm, proud smiles to the faces of Tomoko and Chatora.

“Thank you… thank you so much…”

Meanwhile, Eva completely broke down in tears, whispering her thanks as she wept—overwhelmed by a happiness that threatened to drown her. Watching her son act like a normal little boy after all this time made her feel like they had finally escaped that hell. For the first time, she truly felt safe. For the first time, she could take a step forward and leave the past behind.

…

“Kai is more of a hero than most professionals…”

Standing on the stairs that led to the second floor, Shino—now out of her hero costume—spoke with a smile full of pure pride and love, looking at the man she loved as if he were the most precious thing in the world. At her left, Ryuko added with a smile overflowing with affection.

“When he puts his mind to it, there’s no one sweeter than our Kai…”

“Fufu, I’ve always known that.”

Momo chimed in with a proud smile, puffing out her generous chest as if the compliment were meant for her, prompting Nejire to add while pressing her hands to her chest. As if trying to keep her heart from bursting with love.

“You know, I always heard people say that pro-heroes aren’t the only kind of heroes and that anyone can be a hero in their own way… but I never really understood that until now. Maybe Kai really is a great hero—without being a professional one.”

“Hasn’t Kai always been the ‘hero’ of this family? I’m surprised it took you this long to realize it, Nejire, fufu.” Keiko commented with a soft chuckle, causing Nejire to blush slightly. Then Yumiko spoke up in a cheerful voice.

“Kai has never been as ruthless and indifferent as he seems. He’s just like a little onion, wrapped in countless layers—but deep inside all of that is the Kai we love, a reward only those who try hard enough get to enjoy, fufu.”

“Well, I’m dying to go hug my Kai, so let’s catch up later.”

Suddenly, Nemuri spoke in an excited tone and rushed down the stairs in a hurry, quickly followed by Ryuko, Shino, Momo, and Nejire, leaving the two mothers behind. That’s when Yumiko looked at Keiko and asked calmly.

“So, are you really going to let them get away with it?”

“For now, yes. We’ll see what the future holds… and who knows, maybe Nemuri will end up becoming our 'savior'.”

Keiko replied with a calm smile, though at the end she gave Yumiko a mischievous look. And while the beautiful blue-haired mother immediately picked up on the implication, she didn’t say anything. She simply responded with a peaceful smile—though slightly dreamy, tinged with a trace of longing.

“Yes… I wonder what the future will bring us…”

Upon hearing Yumiko, Keiko smiled calmly before beginning to descend the stairs with elegance—fully aware of the darker desires of her dear friend and fellow retired colleague. After all, that damp spot she’d seen earlier in the afternoon had been far too telling. Yet, curiously, she didn’t feel jealous or wary—it simply struck her as amusing, which inevitably led her to reflect deeply on her own feelings.

(Could Nemuri be right? Have we shared Kai for so long that it’s become so natural to us we no longer feel jealousy…? Is that why their strange relationship actually works…?)

...

Before long, Yumiko finished descending the stairs and stood there smiling at the scene before her—where all the girls were hugging Kai while comforting a tearful Eva with bright, beaming smiles. They radiated such genuine happiness that she couldn’t help but be swept up in it. This was a happy family—not the cold, routine-filled relationship she had grown used to after years in a lifeless marriage.

“Yumiko, come on, let’s eat. I’m starving.”

As Yumiko was lost in her thoughts, she suddenly heard Kai’s voice, which pulled her out of her reflections and made her look up—just in time to see Kai extending his arm toward her, while all the girls and Chatora looked at her with cheerful smiles. This brought a huge smile to her lips, and feeling as if she had become twenty years younger, she ran happily and threw herself into Kai’s arms, causing a wave of laughter among her family—laughter she joyfully joined.

Chapter 194: I kept my promise.

Chapter Text

Since Eva and her little one had dinner with them, the evening went by normally, with some casual conversations among everyone. However, Eva couldn’t help but glance at Kai with a bit of surprise—just when she thought no one besides Keiko and her daughter could eat so much while still looking so slim and toned, Kai showed up eating more than the two of them combined, leaving her amazed at how impressive some quirks could be.

After dinner, Eva said her goodbyes and headed to the room she was using with her son, as she wanted to bathe him and get him ready for bed. Meanwhile, the rest of the family gathered in the main living room, and just as Kai sat down on the largest couch, Momo and Nejire happily sat on his lap, their faces lit up with cheerful smiles—though a hint of shyness could still be seen on Momo’s face.

Seeing Momo and Nejire’s affectionate behavior, Chatora, Nemuri, Ryuko, and Shino couldn’t help but laugh a little, clearly amused. Meanwhile, Tomoko, wearing a rather “combative” expression, suddenly jumped like a cat to sit on Kai’s left side and cling to his arm. This made Kai glance at her with a touch of surprise—after all, while Tomoko did enjoy clinging to him from time to time, her competitive and slightly jealous expression was far from her usual demeanor.

Meanwhile, when Keiko and Yumiko saw their daughters sitting on Kai’s lap, it somehow transported them back in time, as it was very common for the girls to do exactly that when they were little. However, upon seeing Tomoko’s actions, they couldn’t help but frown—though they quickly relaxed when they noticed the confusion on Kai’s face, along with the slightly guilty and uncomfortable looks on Momo and Nejire. It didn’t take much for them to put the pieces together.

“Uh, well, I don’t know if everyone’s already aware, but I think it’s important that I say it myself.” Although a bit surprised by Tomoko, Kai quickly set it aside and spoke while letting his gaze pass over everyone present. Then, with a serious tone, he announced.

“I’m actually in a romantic relationship with Nemuri, Shino, and Ryuko, and Momo and Nejire joined us a few days ago. I don’t expect you to understand or support us; I just hope you can tolerate us and give us the chance to see where this leads.”

Upon hearing Kai’s serious announcement, Momo and Nejire quickly turned to give him each a loving kiss on the cheek. At that moment, Nemuri—who had already taken off her hero costume and was now wearing simple and comfortable light gray pants along with a loose white blouse tied at the waist—walked over cheerfully and hugged Kai’s neck from behind, then kissed him on the cheek and said with a big smile.

“I know you all already know, but still, we’ll be in your care. Even if it might seem strange, I want you to know that we’re truly happy, and we intend to keep it that way.”

Soon after, Shino and Ryuko also walked over to Kai—Shino was wearing a simple short red sundress with thin straps and a cat print in the center, while Ryuko wore tight pink shorts along with a comfortable tank top of the same color.

Shino and Ryuko sat to the left and right sides of the couch, respectively. Ryuko wrapped her arms around Kai's, while Shino—who was next to Tomoko—simply rested her hand gently on her friend’s thigh.

“I also want to apologize for keeping this a secret for so long. It's just that we weren’t sure how to break the news, let alone how you’d all react.” Shino said in a serious tone, to which Ryuko responded with a cheerful smile.

“Yeah, but now that you know, we really feel more at ease and comfortable. Though I assure you, our dynamic isn’t going to change much—you’ll hardly notice a difference.”

Ryuko spoke with a calm smile, and at that moment, Nemuri, Shino, Nejire, and Momo turned to look at her with questioning expressions. After all, they did want some things to change. They wanted to be much more open and affectionate at home without having to hide.

But when they saw Ryuko simply smiling back at them calmly, they quickly began to reflect and realized that perhaps it wasn’t such a good idea after all. It could affect the mothers, and it was probably better to take things one step at a time to avoid rejection.

“As Kai usually says—what’s done is done. Since this is already happening, I just hope you take care of yourselves and be cautious. We don’t want to see any of you get hurt, and even less do we want to see the family fall apart because of misunderstandings or arguments.”

Chatora said in a calm tone, looking seriously at each of them. Everyone nodded solemnly in response, and that’s when Kai spoke, his tone slightly solemn as well.

“It's the last thing I want. I’ll do everything I can to make sure that never happens.”

“We all will.”

Nemuri quickly added with a serious and solemn tone, to which the other girls nodded in agreement. At that moment, Keiko sighed and spoke in a calm voice, looking at Kai with affection.

“Actually, Kai, Yumiko and I spoke with Nemuri, Shino, and Ryuko, and we were convinced by their sincerity. And since Momo and Nejire are far too stubborn for anyone to even think about changing their minds, you have my support. If anything happens, you can always come to me—you know you can count on me for anything, at any time.”

“Thank you, Keiko. I know that, and I truly appreciate it.”

Kai responded quickly with genuine gratitude and happiness, and Keiko gave him a warm smile, not caring in the slightest whether or not Kai had picked up on the subtle message hidden between her words. It was then that Yumiko spoke in a calm tone.

“It’s the same with me, Kai. No matter what it is, you can count on me. Don’t hold back in any way. Though I would like to ask you to take good care of my Nejire—she’s my princess, and I don’t want to see her suffer. I know you’d never hurt her intentionally, but I still want to ask this so that you stay even more aware. The relationship you’re all in is incredibly complex, and a lot of things could go wrong...”

“I know, and believe me, even though I made sure each of them understood the challenges of this madness, I’ll still do everything I can to make sure things go well—or at the very least, that no one gets hurt. And if I fail, rest assured I’ll take full responsibility and find a solution at any cost. And not just for Nejire—Momo, Nemuri, Shino, and Ryuko too. I’ll do everything I can for them.”

Although Kai’s words brought warm smiles to Keiko and Yumiko’s lips, they made Nejire and Momo frown as they turned to look at him. Nejire cupped his cheeks and spoke in an unusually serious tone.

“Kai! I was the one who made the decision to join despite your warnings. And while I really love how much you care about me and want to protect me, this is an exception. This relationship is something we’re all in together, and the responsibility falls on all of us equally. Just like you want us to be happy, we want you to be happy too. And with so much on your mind, that’s going to be hard unless you take it easy. Like you always say—step by step.”

“Nejire took the words right out of my mouth. Relax, Kai. We’re all in this together. You don’t have to carry everything by yourself. Let us do our part.” Momo added firmly, which made Shino, Ryuko, and Nemuri smile tenderly. After a small chuckle, Nemuri spoke up.

“The girls are right, Kai. Let us take care of you too—you’re not responsible for everything.”

“Yes, darling, things have been going well. We’re happy, and we know the kind of person you are—and you know the kind of people we are. We’ll all do our part to make sure everything turns out fine.”

“I feel exactly the same as the others. We’re doing things right, so let’s keep it that way.” Shino said with a calm smile as she looked at Tomoko, gently rubbing her thigh, to which the beautiful turquoise-haired woman nodded with a serious expression.

Meanwhile, Chatora, seeing how incredibly united they all were, couldn’t help but smile with joy. Even though it was a bit different from how he had imagined his soul sisters’ happiness would look, it was easy to see that they were genuinely happy—radiating vitality and hope for the future.

For the first time in many years, he felt a heavy weight of guilt lift from his heart, leaving him feeling incredibly light and joyful. As if he could run ten marathons in a row without the slightest hint of exhaustion.

At the same time, Keiko and Yumiko looked at each other and nodded in satisfaction. Things were much better than they had expected. Just as the girls had said, the relationship hadn’t changed much—it had simply brought them all closer together, more in sync, as if they now all felt with the same heart. That realization brought them a great sense of peace, along with a subtle tinge of longing.

“I’m not promising anything, but I’ll try to relax a little more from now on.”

Being ‘attacked’ from all sides, Kai could only respond with a happy smile. But his expression quickly turned serious again, which caught the girls’ attention. He then spoke in a calm voice while looking at Nejire.

“But setting that aside for now, there’s something else we need to talk about—and though I’m not sure if you know, your father came by this morning, Nejire.”

“Dad came?!”

Upon hearing the announcement, Nejire couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise, then quickly turned to look at her mother in disbelief—she hadn’t mentioned anything. The others did the same, except for Keiko, who calmly accepted the cup of tea served by Mrs. Yoshiko, the family’s trusted housekeeper. She always wore her dark purple hair shoulder-length, perfectly styled and silky.

Her face, slightly marked by the passage of time due to her age, always carried a soft and professional smile. This, combined with her attire—which resembled a service uniform, though only slightly, as it wasn’t truly one but rather something Yumiko had designed specifically for her when she insisted on having one—made her appear consistently elegant and dignified.

That expression remained perfectly unchanged even after hearing the shocking news about Kai’s immoral relationship with five women—she didn’t even twitch an eyebrow, as if she hadn’t heard it at all. It was that unshakable demeanor that had earned her not only the affection but the complete trust of the entire family. To the point where no one felt the need to hold back what they said in the house, even in her presence.

It wasn’t for nothing that she was the family’s most trusted confidant, and Kai paid her a literal fortune every month. Even though she knew everything about everyone—some things more compromising than others—not a single word had ever left her lips in all her years of service at the mansion. Not even to her own family. She was an impenetrable vault of secrets who held such an important place in the household—especially in Kai’s heart—that she’d only have to open her mouth for everyone to come running to defend her without asking a single question.

“Don’t look at me like that. I was planning to bring it up after dinner since there were more important things to talk about. Kai just stole my moment—I swear I was going to mention it in a bit.”

Yumiko responded in a serious tone, completely certain of her words—swearing she’d take to the grave the fact that she had completely forgotten that that worthless man had even shown up.

“…What happened with Dad…?” After a few seconds, Nejire asked in a quiet, conflicted voice, prompting Yumiko to gesture for her daughter to sit on her lap as she began to speak.

“Nothing important. He came trying to convince me to give him the designs for the upcoming collection. But right then, Kai woke up, and after a brief argument, your father told me he wanted to start a new life with his lover and the baby on the way. He claimed he never meant to steal the company, just wanted to protect it from creditors after the mess he made—and a bunch of other things.

“Even though I didn’t really believe most of what he said, I told him that if he was telling the truth, then he should respond to the summons from my lawyer that would arrive in a few days to sign the divorce papers, and that he should follow our instructions to return the company to my hands. Then he left—not without first saying that he’s going to fight to keep half of what’s mine in the divorce.”

As Nejire moved from Kai’s lap to sit on her mother’s, Kai looked at Yumiko with suspicion. After all, while her account wasn’t too far from what had actually happened, it was impressive how, with that brief summary, Haruto now somehow came off as far more ‘villainous’ and ‘bold’ than he had actually been at the moment. It was then that Nemuri couldn’t help but ask, not entirely convinced.

“He really dared to say all that in front of Kai?”

“Well, he squirmed a bit, and Kai gave him a couple of hits, but then healed him, and everything turned out fine.” Yumiko replied casually, gently stroking her troubled daughter’s head. At that moment, Ryuko couldn’t help but glance at Kai and ask, somewhat surprised.

“You showed your powers just like that, Kai?”

“Not really. I healed him, but I didn’t let him see what was going on, so he can’t be sure how I did it—or even if it was me. Besides, the guy has more important things to worry about right now.” Kai answered calmly. Nejire then looked at him with a complicated expression, prompting him to quickly add in a serious tone.

“I left him good as new—I swear! I kept my promise!”

“I know…”

Nejire replied in a soft voice, feeling deeply conflicted. Even though her father was a bastard, and she fully understood that, she couldn’t stop loving him—he was still her father, after all. At the same time, she loved Kai deeply and knew exactly how much he despised traitors. So, the fact that he hadn’t torn her father to pieces with his swords already said a lot about how much he valued his words and promises. And yet, she couldn’t stop feeling sad and hurt.

Chapter 195: The key to happiness.

Chapter Text

“Don’t worry, baby. Kai really didn’t do much to him—he just made him angry, and you know how Kai is—he can be a bit explosive, so he ended up hitting him a little. But I can give you my word that nothing serious happened, and Kai healed him properly afterward.”

Seeing her daughter so downcast, Yumiko spoke in a gentle, maternal voice, delicately stroking her silky hair, which made Nejire hug her mother tightly, wanting to numb her feelings. At that moment, Momo got up from Kai’s lap, signaling him to come with her, and at the same time, Nemuri, Shino, and Ryuko gave him gentle pats, encouraging him to go as soon as possible.

As he got up, Kai quickly walked over to where Yumiko was, and Keiko shifted a little, leaving a space for him between the two of them. Kai sat down and began to gently stroke Nejire’s back, who took his hand and pulled it toward her, then pressed it against her chest, seeking the security she needed from the man she loved.

“… And do you think it’s true that he doesn’t want to steal the company?” After a while, Chatora asked tactfully as he looked at the others, and Keiko replied in a calm tone.

“Well, seeing is believing. Besides, with so much money at stake, anything is possible. But if he’s telling the truth, things will be much easier.”

“So when will we start with our plans?” Ryuko asked as she looked at Keiko, to which Yumiko responded in a gentle voice.

“My idea is to summon Haruto and that woman this very week to a neutral location so they can sign the documents we’ve prepared to give us full control over both companies. At that moment, we’ll fulfill the agreement we have with the creditors and make the payment we promised them, while also announcing the upcoming collection with great fanfare.”

“With that action plan, according to our projections, the company would be debt-free in less than a year, so we could liquidate that woman’s shell company, finally putting an end to this mess once and for all.” Keiko added in a calm tone, to which everyone nodded in agreement. At that moment, Nemuri, who sat down with Momo in the spot where Kai had been, commented in a serious tone.

“Then you can count on us for whatever you need. If you need more liquid funds or anything like that, the royalties payment from the last movie will be coming in soon, so you can use it however you see fit, right, Kai?”

In the end, Nemuri turned to look at Kai. After all, even though Kai didn’t want any credit for his ideas, to her, at least half of the money she made from her books belonged to Kai. And although at first he refused to accept it, after Nemuri’s tireless insistence, he finally ended up agreeing.

“It’s fine by me.” Kai replied calmly, to which Keiko shook her head and then commented.

“It’s not necessary. We’ve already reached an agreement with most of the creditors, and while injecting more money could speed things up, it could also end up being counterproductive—greed and the nerve of banks know no limits. It’s better to stick to the original plan.”

“Still, thank you so much for the offer. I know I can count on all of you, so thank you, guys.”

Yumiko added warmly, which made everyone present smile happily, sparking a casual conversation among them all. But as time passed, the heroes started glancing at Kai more and more, each with a different expression, though all seemed to convey the same message.

There were countless questions they wanted to ask but couldn’t find the words, something the blue-eyed boy quickly noticed. He opted to stay silent, giving them time to organize their thoughts. At that moment, Eva entered the room and greeted them in a timid voice.

“Good evening.”

“““Good evening.”””

Everyone turned to look at Eva and greeted her in unison, which made her chuckle a bit and allowed her to relax enough. She then bowed deeply, following Japanese etiquette, and spoke in a serious voice.

“Although I know I’ve said it many times, thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me. I’ll never be able to repay you for so much kindness.”

“Don’t worry about that. Why don’t you sit down and let’s chat a bit?”

Nemuri commented with a calm smile, pointing to an empty seat on her left, to which Eva nodded after straightening up, then walked over and sat down. At that moment, Shino asked with a smile.

“And tell us, how do you feel? Do you have any concerns?”

In response to Shino’s question, Eva smiled sweetly. Ever since she had been healed, she had felt amazing—her body felt more energetic than ever, and she felt much more lively and vigorous, as if she had magically returned to her youth. Even the bitter memories of that island, though they still hurt, now felt distant, as if many years had passed since she lived through them.

That magical feeling was so wonderful that Eva felt like a new woman, ready to face life, while her gratitude toward that brave blue-eyed young man and the little fairy became infinite, indelible in her heart, and beyond repayment. There was truly nothing she could think of that could repay such a debt, so with a calm smile, she turned to look at Kai and spoke in a gentle, melodic voice.

“I feel really great. I honestly never thought I could feel this way again. I really don’t know how to thank you, especially you, Kai. I owe you more than my life. If there’s anything you want from me, I promise I’ll do everything I can to make it happen.”

“Mmm, if you feel that way, I’d appreciate it if you avoided mentioning my powers to anyone else. If people ask, just say it was All Might who rescued you—don’t mention me.”

Kai replied after thinking it over for a bit, which left Eva a little bewildered—not just because the request was strange, but because it was far too simple. That would never make her feel as if she were returning even a fraction of the young man’s infinite kindness, so she responded in a serious tone.

“If you ask me to, you can be sure I won’t say a single word, but I feel like it’s too little—I don’t feel like I’m repaying you just by doing that.”

“Well, the thing is, I really don’t want anything in return for what I did. I’m not a pro-hero, so I don’t need the fame; I’m already wealthy, so I don’t need money, and I have my family by my side, so there’s really nothing else I want.” Kai replied in a calm tone, although for some reason, his words faded a bit at the end, prompting Eva to comment with a smile full of admiration.

“You’re a very fortunate person, Kai… There are so few people in the world who could say the same as you. I’ve had the chance to meet people from all walks of life, from multimillionaires to people in very tough situations, and still, I could count on one hand the number of people I’ve met who think like you do.

“Most people, no matter what they have, still feel like something is missing for them to be truly happy—whether it’s money, fame, reputation, love… In short, almost nobody is satisfied with what they have, which has led me to think that happiness comes from within, from the incredibly valuable ability to truly appreciate what you have, to be content with it, yet still keep building little by little to improve. And I can see you have that, Kai.

“That’s why I’d like to congratulate you—you already have the key to happiness. And if you know how to cultivate that skill properly and don’t forget it, I’m sure you’ll continue being one of the few genuinely happy people in this world full of insatiable ambitions—a truly fortunate person.”

“The key to happiness…?” Upon hearing Eva’s words, Kai paused to reflect for a moment but quickly shook his head, setting his thoughts aside for later. He then looked at Eva again and commented in a calm tone,

“Thank you; I hope it stays that way. But since we’re on the topic, what are your plans for the future? Do you want to stay here in Japan or do you want to leave?”

“Well, actually, today I got in touch with Oliver’s grandparents, and they’re very excited to hear that we’re okay. They’re going to catch a flight to come get us—they should be here by tomorrow afternoon.”

Eva replied with a small smile, still feeling surprised by the drastic change those two elderly people had undergone. Before, they couldn’t even stand the sight of her and barely acknowledged Oliver as their grandson. But now, the moment she contacted them, they almost had a heart attack from the shock, but even so, they didn’t stop apologizing in the midst of bitter tears for their past actions.

As they told her after they had calmed down enough, after her shipwreck, they were left completely alone in the world. And even though they hadn’t been particularly close— their relationship consisting mostly of occasional visits and calls to Oliver—losing him made them fully aware that they no longer had any family left in the world. It was as if they were lentils scattered in water, with nothing to hold on to, delivering a harsh dose of reality to the elderly couple that left them on the verge of depression.

For months, the elderly couple refused to declare them dead, spending most of their savings trying to find them. They even kept her apartment exactly as she had left it, ready for her to return at any moment with their beloved grandson—the only thing they had left in the world and the most important part of their lives, a realization they only came to after almost losing him forever.

“Oh, so you’re leaving us. It’s a little sad, but do whatever you think is best. You know that if you ever come back to Japan, you can count on us for anything you need.” Ryuko said in a cheerful tone, to which Eva replied with a smile.

“Thank you so much; you’ve all been so special to me. But I feel like I need to return to my country—everything I know is over there, and here I don’t even speak the language. Besides, Oliver’s grandparents are already old and deserve to have their grandson with them in their final years.”

“Well then, we wish you all the best in the world, and rest assured we’ll come with you to the airport to see you off.”

Chatora commented with a cheerful smile, which sparked a pleasant conversation that lasted for several hours, even cheering up Nejire. After a while, Nejire got off her mother’s lap and sat by her side. The conversation finally ended when Eva yawned a little, visibly tired, prompting Shino to comment.

“It seems you’re tired, Eva. You’d better go to sleep. We can talk some more tomorrow.”

“All right, I’ll get some rest. It really has been a busy day.”

After yawning, Eva spoke in a tired voice, then said goodbye to everyone and went to her room. But the moment her figure disappeared from view, a brief silence fell over the group, which ended when Tomoko looked at Kai and asked in a soft, conflicted voice.

“…Kai, why did you save Eva…?”

Upon hearing the question, Kai turned his head to look at the ceiling for a moment, as if considering his next words. After a few seconds, while everyone watched him with different expressions, Kai began to explain in a slow, slightly reflective tone.

“To be honest, I’m still not really sure why… but maybe it was because she reminded me of someone, and before I realized it, I had already revealed myself. From that moment on, all I could do was move forward, and things just kept getting more and more complicated, with no chance to run away.”

“…”

At Kai’s response, everyone fell completely silent, looking at him contemplatively, almost as if savoring his words. That answer was enough for them to imagine what Kai must have been thinking at that moment—a mother with her young son on the verge of death. It was a scene that would undoubtedly stir emotions in Kai, someone who had to watch his own parents die right before his eyes.

But as the minutes passed, one question wouldn’t leave everyone’s mind, so Chatora, with a solemn expression, asked as he looked at the calm Kai.

“… And what do you plan to do about that place?”

Chapter 196: There isn’t even the slightest chance.

Chapter Text

“…And what do you plan to do about that place?”

“I’m going back. That place holds too many secrets, and it’s far too dangerous. No matter what happens, I have to go back. I won’t be able to sleep peacefully unless I check every inch of that island myself. I can feel that place is hiding something monumental, something that could change our lives forever.”

Kai replied in a serious, resolute voice, which caused a strong reaction from everyone, especially Keiko and Yumiko, who immediately grabbed his jacket tightly. At that moment, Keiko cried out urgently.

“You can’t go back! Under no circumstances can you go back! You almost died there!”

“I understand those spiders better now, and I’ll make all the necessary preparations. The same thing won’t happen again—I promise. Before, I was just too overconfident, and I won’t make the same mistake again.”

Kai looked Keiko in the eyes and spoke in a measured, steady tone, but instead of calming her, his words only heightened her panic. Keiko quickly pulled him forcefully toward her, burying his face in her ample chest, then exclaimed, full of fear.

“You’ll only go back to that damned place over my dead body.”

“It’s alright, everything’s alright, don’t worry.”

With his head buried between Keiko’s large breasts, Kai spoke in a gentle, warm voice as he softly stroked the beautiful woman’s back. But Keiko couldn’t help but respond with visible distress.

“How do you expect me to calm down after what you just said, Kai? I couldn’t bear to lose you, so please don’t take that risk. You’re not obligated to do anything. You don’t owe anyone anything, and no one can force you.”

“But I’m not doing it because I want to play the hero or because I feel obligated. I’m doing it because I truly feel it’s vitally important. There’s something in that place—everything I saw there points to it; even my instincts are screaming that there’s something there. I have to go.” Kai replied in a calm voice, still gently stroking Keiko’s back, who couldn’t help but break into tears as she spoke with a pleading voice.

“Please, Kai… Don’t do it… I’m begging you…”

“Don’t worry, it won’t be right away… I still have a lot to prepare…” Kai said in a voice full of guilt, trying to comfort Keiko. At that moment, Nemuri announced seriously.

“Kai, actually, we’re already planning a raid on that island, so it would be best if you gave us the location, and after we investigate it a bit, you could go and look for what you want.”

“There isn’t even the slightest chance of that happening.”

Without hesitating for even a second, Kai lifted his head and looked Nemuri straight in the eyes as he spoke with a firmness that left no room for argument. Then he continued, his gaze moving to each of the heroes in the family.

“Not even if All Might himself led the team could you guarantee your safety. I nearly died because of those spiders, and while part of that was due to my arrogance and another part to not fully understanding the scope of the conditional webs—which caught me off guard a few times—the power of those things was truly devastating. Only I, with my varied repertoire of abilities, could survive in that place.”

“Kai, you’re seriously underestimating us—professional heroes.” Chatora quickly replied in a serious tone and continued.

“While it’s true that we’re nowhere near the level of people like All Might or yourself, we have years of experience, and there are all kinds of quirks that are incredibly useful for specific situations. That would be vitally important in a place like that. And you, even with your entire repertoire of abilities, can’t compare to that.”

At that moment, Shino nodded in complete agreement and quickly continued after Chatora’s words in a firm tone. Since she loved her man, it was necessary to make him see his mistakes—and right now, he was making a serious one.

“Kai, you just admitted that your defeat was due in large part to your arrogance, but you’re not letting go of it. Right now, you’re being incredibly arrogant to think that you alone are better than a group of professional heroes specially selected for the task. And believe me, not even All Might at his peak would have dared to think something like that.”

“Darling, this time you’re really wrong.” Ryuko quickly joined in with a firm and clear voice, looking Kai straight in the eyes, and continued.

“While I understand your point that only someone like you or All Might could face something like those Driders, it was not having the right support that really cost you. If you had, I can assure you things would have turned out very differently.”

“As for me.” At that moment, Tomoko added seriously.

“Although I feel like I understand a bit better what you’re trying to convey, many of your abilities can’t be used on others, and you’re afraid that something might happen to us. Even so, I have to say that this time you’re wrong. Besides, you just barely escaped something really difficult—you need time to recover from all that, both physically and mentally. It wouldn’t be right for you to go back there for a while.”

“No matter what you say, I’m the one who knows how to get back to that place, so I’m the one holding all the cards—and I say I’ll go alone.”

Kai quickly replied seriously, since even though he didn’t like arguing with his family, he truly felt that place was just too dangerous, so it was a price that needed to be paid. At that moment, Nemuri added in a calm voice, looking Kai straight in the eyes.

“Kai, I understand your fears. I know all you want to do is protect us, but we feel the same way—we want to protect you, too. You went through a lot in that place, and we wouldn’t want you to go back anytime soon. But instead of turning this into a conflict, I think we can reach an agreement, with both sides making concessions.

“Your power and abilities would undoubtedly be of great help there, but we will never agree to let you go alone. Therefore, you could become part of the team we’re assembling to venture into that place—since, as you said, for now, only you can get there.”

“Also, since I know you don’t like having your abilities revealed, and showing them in front of a group of professional heroes would greatly increase the risk of exposure, at the very least I can promise you that the team will be made up mainly of us, along with a few other trustworthy heroes who know how to keep their mouths shut. Still, you should be aware that Eva has already seen you fight—it’s only a matter of time before your abilities come to light.”

“…”

At Nemuri’s words, Kai fell silent, deeply reflecting on his options—especially on his chances of getting his family out of that place if everything went to hell. Even though a good portion of his abilities were designed to protect them, he could still vividly remember how that corrosive web wrapped around him even inside his barrier. His family’s trump card for defense was the barrier conjured by the Accomplices at the cost of their lives—so in that place, they would be practically defenseless.

Moreover, if there was such a thing as a ‘conditional web,’ the chances that there were other things just as strange—or even worse—that could partially or completely bypass their defenses were far from zero. In a complex situation, losing concentration for even a second could be fatal, especially with those bizarre things full of strange abilities.

Seeing that Kai seemed to be deeply considering things, the heroes in the family were able to let out a small sigh of relief, since that meant not all was lost. After all, they knew perfectly well that the only thing keeping Kai talking with them about going to that place was the love and respect he had for them. After all, just as he had said, he was the one holding all the cards—he was the only one who could go back to that place.

Frankly speaking, he never really needed to discuss it with them; he could simply go on his own and there would be nothing they could do to stop him. Given how things were going—after several days of active searching, they hadn’t found even a single clue about that place—to the point that, if not for Eva’s existence, they would doubt it was even real, it was highly likely that this raid would never actually happen.

“For now, I think it’s best to leave this conversation for later. It’s better if everyone thinks things over carefully and we reach an agreement in a few days. Besides…”

The silence was broken by Yumiko, who spoke calmly but quickly turned to Kai with an incredibly serious expression. At that moment, she announced in a tone that left no room for argument, using Kai’s own words against him without the slightest mercy.

“There isn’t even the slightest chance that Kai will leave this house before he’s fully recovered. Is that understood?”

When he heard Yumiko, Kai snapped out of his thoughts and turned to look her directly in the eyes, beginning a brief staring contest. It ended after several seconds when Kai let out a sigh and spoke with a hint of defeat in his tone.

“I actually need to prepare several things first, so it’ll take me a while before I go back.”

Hearing this, Yumiko smiled charmingly, although Keiko was still clinging tightly to Kai, terrified that if she let him go, she could lose him at any moment. Using her Accomplice’s ability to accelerate her thoughts to the extreme, she was planning an endless array of strategies to convince him not to go. At that moment, however, Kai gently took her face in his hands and spoke in a warm voice.

“I know you’re worried, but I promise everything will be alright. Or do you not trust me, Keiko?”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you…” Keiko quickly replied in a low, conflicted voice, which made Kai smile before he added warmly.

“Then let’s follow Yumiko’s words and call a temporary truce for a few days. If all goes well, I’m sure that by then I’ll be able to show you something that will greatly ease your fears.”

“…I really doubt something like that exists…” Keiko muttered, sounding like a little girl refusing to be fooled, to which Kai responded with a small smile.

“Won’t you give me the benefit of the doubt?”

“Alright… I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, but I can’t promise anything. I’ll probably keep refusing with all my might after a few days…”

Keiko answered softly, looking at Kai with a slight apprehension that, for some reason, made her look incredibly adorable—so much so that the blue-eyed boy couldn’t resist and ended up giving her a kiss on the cheek, then added with a smile.

“You’re the best, and don’t worry—in a few days, you’ll see these aren’t just empty words.”

After receiving Kai’s kiss, Keiko gently touched her cheek, blushing slightly as she glanced at the others, only to find them looking at her suspiciously. On the faces of Nemuri, Shino, Ryuko, and Yumiko, she could see small, knowing smiles that made her nervous, so trying to hide her embarrassment, she quickly replied.

“We’ll see about that.”

“Well, now that we’ve decided to leave all the complicated things for later, how about we go out to the garden and look at the stars? These past days, our worries haven’t let us do anything, and I really miss those peaceful moments with everyone…”

After a moment, Yumiko spoke calmly, earning a big nod of agreement from everyone. They quickly started moving, grabbing mattresses, cushions, pillows, and blankets, and carrying everything out to the garden, where they put it all together to create a huge bed. Everyone lay down together, watching the stars as they chatted about random things, relaxing deeply, and letting the little worries fade from their minds.

Chapter 197: The greatest villain in my past life (R-18).

Chapter Text

In the middle of the night, once the conversations had faded and only the rhythmic breathing of everyone could be heard, Kai stayed awake, gazing at the stars, completely lost in his thoughts. His mind wandered through his erratic fight against the spiders, wondering what could happen if he really went with the girls to that island, but without a doubt, what echoed most in his mind were Eva’s words.

For some reason, those words kept appearing in his head again and again, inevitably leading him to compare his current life with his past life—a life where he felt he lacked everything to be happy. He lacked respect, he lacked recognition, and most importantly, he lacked money, which ultimately resulted in his almost obsessive pursuit to become the next self-made young billionaire. Achieving that goal, he believed, would give him everything he needed to be happy.

Although in his previous life he couldn’t reach that goal—in fact, he fell quite short—now he was a young billionaire, though technically, he wasn’t exactly self-made since his parents’ inheritance was insane, especially his mother’s. Still, through his own technological breakthroughs, especially his chips, he had managed to amass a fortune worth billions. So, in a way, he had achieved the goal that had obsessed him for much of his previous life.

But even though now he had more money than he could possibly spend—so much that he ended up investing it in different ventures because he’d run out of ideas on how to spend it—and he was certainly happier than he had ever been, he was also keenly aware that his happiness didn’t come from his money or his achievements. In fact, he could lose it all and would probably still be just as happy, as long as his family was by his side.

His happiness didn’t come from the yacht he never used, nor from the cars he couldn’t drive, nor from his mansion, and even less from the disgustingly expensive toys he kept in his workshop. His happiness came from his daily interactions with his family, from those silly, insignificant things that happened every day—things that, like a complete fool, he ended up taking for granted in his past life.

In his past life, he was probably happy even before he made all the money he eventually earned, but he was so foolish that he never realized it. And to make matters worse and complete the image of his stupidity, that money never brought him happiness; instead, it only condemned him to a painful “curse” that lasted until his death and almost carried over into a new life.

Feeling thirsty, Kai carefully got up, trying not to wake Nejire and Shino, who were lying on either side of him. He then made his way to the kitchen and opened the fridge. When he saw a pitcher full of cold strawberry juice inside, a strange smile appeared on his face. After all, in his previous life there had also been a pitcher like that—though it was a cheap one, and the fridge was nothing like the absurdly huge smart fridge he had now—but when he was with people who loved him, that pitcher of juice was always there for him.

(It seems the greatest villain in my past life was none other than myself… I made the stupidest possible decisions and then cursed the consequences of my own stupidity as if they were the result of fate or life itself… Honestly, I’m just an idiot who likes to look smart…)

While he poured juice into a glass, Kai thought to himself in silence, his face showing nothing but an expression full of mockery and self-contempt. That expression soon turned into a small smile as he looked at the glass of juice, but instead of drinking it, Kai took both the pitcher and the glass to the main living room. He sat down in an armchair that allowed him to look out into the garden near a small table, where he began to slowly sip his juice, silently watching his sleeping family.

…

Little by little, time passed in silence as Kai drank his juice, lost in his thoughts. But this abruptly ended when he noticed Shino sitting up on the mattress, still a bit drowsy, looking around with slight confusion. When she saw him inside the house, his beautiful girlfriend gave him a lovely smile, full of genuine love and devotion.

Quickly and very carefully, Shino got out of bed, making sure not to wake the others. She then walked toward Kai without making a sound, soon reaching him. Before he could say anything, she took his face in her hands and started a tender kiss, full of longing and love, which Kai quickly reciprocated, wrapping his hand around the slim waist of his beautiful girlfriend.

Feeling the hand of the love of her life on her waist, Shino, without breaking the kiss for even a moment, quickly moved closer to him, then climbed onto his lap, ending up straddling him, facing him. At that moment, she hugged him tightly, almost as if she wanted to fuse herself with her love. After several minutes, the kiss naturally came to an end, and Shino pressed her forehead against her beloved’s, then whispered in a soft voice.

“I love you, Kai… I love you with all my heart… You can’t imagine how much I missed you or how scared I was… I was dying to kiss you…”

“I love you too, Shino. You really have no idea how lucky I feel to have you in my life…”

Kai replied in a soft whisper, full of emotion—something Shino could easily feel, which inevitably made her heart melt with love and prompted her to start another affectionate kiss. This kiss slowly grew more and more passionate, quickly shifting from a tender kiss into a fierce battle of tongues, which only ended when Shino pulled away to catch her breath.

With heavy breaths, Shino looked at her beloved with eyes full of predatory desire, gently caressing his face, which inevitably made Kai smile. A moment later, he whispered in a slightly playful tone.

“And here I was thinking you were mad at me…”

“They’re two very different things. I’m still mad at you, and I think you’re being stubborn and arrogant—but that doesn’t change the fact that I love you with every cell in my body…”

Shino replied in a low, heavy voice, visibly thick with desire, before sliding off Kai’s lap. Standing in front of him, she guided his hands beneath her simple dress, then smoothly slid down her underwear in one fluid motion, removing it completely. Holding them up with one hand in front of her beloved, she let Kai see that they were a pair of sexy black thongs.

Letting her tiny thongs fall onto Kai’s legs, Shino quickly reached for her lover’s pants. With a swift movement, she freed his erect manhood. Unable to hold back, Kai glanced at the sleeping family in the garden and whispered.

“Are you sure? They could wake up any minute. We could go somewhere else…”

“I can’t wait any longer… I want to feel you inside me, now…” Shino replied in a lustful whisper, stroking her lover’s cock with her hand. Then, leaning close to his ear, she murmured in a voice dripping with perversion.

“Besides… remember? I’m your exclusive slut, ready for you anytime, anywhere…”

After trembling slightly from a small orgasm brought on by her own words, Shino quickly turned around, her back to Kai and her front facing the garden. Lifting her short dress with one hand, she slowly lowered herself onto her lover’s lap.

After adjusting the position of her sexy boyfriend’s manhood with her hand, rubbing it against her pussy, which was completely soaked with love juices, Shino quickly sat down, feeling something fill her entirely. This sent a pleasure through her so intensely that it nearly made her scream. But, biting her lower lip, she managed to hold it back in time. Still, she had to stay still for a few moments just to get used to it.

Feeling the warmth of her beloved inside her, beyond just pleasure, Shino also sensed a strange feeling of fullness—as if she were finally whole again. Because of this, all her worries vanished like mere mirages, giving her a dual satisfaction, both sexual and emotional. It brought her a pleasure beyond words, one that made her realize once more just how deeply she loved her man.

At that moment, Shino felt Kai’s strong, warm hands gently embrace her waist before slowly pulling her against his chest. Then he whispered softly into her ear with a voice thick with restrained desire.

“Are you okay…?”

“Yes… I missed you so much; I came just from having you inside…” Shino whispered back in a lustful, seductive tone, which only fueled Kai’s predatory desire.

“You’re such a pervert…”

“I’m your pervert… your slut… your girlfriend… your woman… I’m completely yours… So use me, my love; use me to satisfy your lust—don’t hold back… fill me up completely…”

Shino quickly whispered into her beloved’s ear with a heavy, seductive voice, so turned on that she even began licking his face as she spoke. At the same time, she started slowly moving her hips, sending waves of pleasure crashing through the two lovers with devastating force. It was then that Kai reached for his sexy girlfriend’s ample breasts, pulling down her dress to expose them completely.

“Then I’ll treat you like the slut you are…”

Kai whispered into Shino’s ear while roughly squeezing her breasts and pinching her small nipples, making the sexy pro-hero bring her hands to her chest, placing them over Kai’s, urging him to squeeze harder. At the same time, she let out a broken whisper, overcome by a rapid succession of orgasms.

“Yes… give me what I deserve… I’m a slut who can’t live without your cock… these past few days… even though I was dying of worry… in the middle of the night, I’d get up to masturbate endlessly, thinking of you… I even recorded videos while doing it to show you… because it turned me on even more… imagining your face when you saw how filthy and lustful I am… I came hundreds of times…”

“This slut needs harsh punishment for coming without her owner’s permission…”

Kai replied in a deliberate voice as he increased the force of his thrusts, making Shino arch her back like a cat. To keep from making noise, she bit her lower lip so hard it bled, which only heightened her arousal even more. Then, between husky, orgasmic gasps, she whispered into her beloved’s ear with a gaze full of lustful madness.

“Punish me… I deserve harsh punishment… I deserve to be completely destroyed… especially because I made those videos as depraved as possible, just to provoke you… I always started the videos standing in front of my phone, recording, and said, ‘Hi, I’m Sosaki Shino, a professional hero and the exclusive whore of my master, Saito Kai. Today I’m going to masturbate because I miss him so much and I want him to punish me when he sees this for how filthy I am.…’.

“Then I’d take off all my clothes and spread my legs wide, showing my pussy, my ass, my tits, my face—everything—and then I’d masturbate standing in front of the phone until I came… After that, I’d spread my pussy so you could see everything inside—how it trembled with desire for you and how wet I’d gotten… Then I’d start fucking myself with a huge dildo, the same size as your cock, and I’d cum over and over again, screaming your name…"

Amid brutal orgasms, Shino confessed her misdeeds over the past few days—though in truth, just a few minutes with her beloved were infinitely better than those endless solo masturbation sessions that never truly satisfied her. The only way she could even reach orgasm was by imagining her lover’s piercing blue eyes watching her through the phone. But at that moment, Shino heard her master’s voice in her ear, giving her a firm command that made her lose herself completely in lust.

“This shameless whore needs exemplary punishment… So from now on, she is completely forbidden from wearing underwear in this house.”

“Yes…! I’ll never wear anything that keeps you from taking me again… I’ll burn all my underwear… I don’t deserve that luxury…”

Shino responded ecstatically, feeling pleasure coursing through her veins like never before. But the moment she finished, the love of her life gripped her sensitive breasts tighter than ever, then whispered in her ear in such a dominant tone that it made her climax uncontrollably.

“You’re mine, Shino. Only I can see you and taste you. No other man is allowed to look at what belongs solely to me—and I’ll never let that possibility exist. I forbid you from going out without underwear.”

Hearing Kai’s words and feeling his firm dominance over her, Shino couldn’t take it and ended up having such a devastating orgasm. She sank her teeth deep into her lower lip, causing a stream of blood to run down her chin. At the same time, a powerful jet of her love juices gushed out, forming a large puddle on the floor.

“Forgive me… I’m so sorry… I didn’t think it through… This body is only for you. Only you can look at it and ruin it—no one else is worthy… From now on, I’ll never wear the tiny lingerie I bought to seduce you outside… I’ll lock it all away in a drawer and only wear it for you when you order me to…”

After several minutes of mind-shattering pleasure, Shino spoke in a broken voice as her beloved placed two fingers on her torn lips. At that moment, they glowed with a soft light, making the pain disappear and restoring them to their previous state—perfectly healed.

“That’s more like it…”

As he tended to Shino’s lips, Kai whispered in a lustful voice into his beautiful girlfriend’s ear. She turned to look at him, her face completely flushed, and her pupils dilated to the extreme, before whispering back in a voice dripping with depraved desire.

“Kai… your little slut wants a reward… She wants a huge creampie… ”

“You’ve earned it…”

Kai quickly replied in a heavy voice, which brought a beautiful smile to Shino’s face. She immediately bit her lips hard to stifle her moans as the man began thrusting into her with force, sending her spiraling into orgasms that left her mind blank. After whom knows how long—just as her consciousness was on the verge of fading—Shino felt something warm spill inside her, leaving her utterly satisfied.

“I love you, Kai… I really do…”

As her eyelids grew unbearably heavy, Shino murmured in an incredibly soft voice, letting herself collapse onto her beloved’s chest. She felt the warmth inside her spread through her entire body, lulling her gently—until she heard the loving voice of the man of her life whispering in her ear.

“… I love you too, Shino… But don’t forget to delete those videos.”

“…”

Though his words filled Shino with happiness, the beautiful woman couldn’t help but bite her lip. Then, in a low, almost childish voice—like a little girl about to cry after having her precious candy taken away—she muttered.

“… But I recorded them for you… I wanted us to watch them together…"

“…Alright, we’ll see them together, but at least let Sage secure them. Though after we look, we’ll have to delete them—it’s too big a risk to keep that data around…” Kai quickly replied in a whispery voice, almost as if comforting the emotionally fragile Shino, who couldn’t help but flash a beautiful smile before answering.

"Okay… let Sage keep them for a few days…"

"I love you…"

Kai responded tenderly, prompting Shino to reach back and pull him toward her. Then, with heavy-lidded eyes, she spoke in a voice filled with love and sincerity.

“And I love you more than anything in the world…”

“Rest, my beautiful pervert...”

As Shino drifted into the world of dreams, Kai murmured in a soft, warm voice, holding her tightly around the waist. But after a few minutes, he glanced around and couldn’t help but smile bitterly, whispering to himself.

“Well, time to clean up.”

Chapter 198: Coded Arsenal.

Chapter Text

After cleaning everything up, Kai cleaned Shino and tucked her into her room. He then began carrying each person to their respective rooms, making sure none of them woke up by using Mystical Palm. Afterward, he put away all the mattresses and other things, changed into sportswear, and went down to the garden, where he stood gazing at the stars, a little lost in thought.

In the middle of his musings, Kai turned his gaze toward the forest. For a moment, he thought he saw a man with light brown hair and honey-colored eyes standing in the shadows, looking disheveled and defeated, stripped of any trace of pride or confidence—a true loser in every sense of the word. This inevitably made Kai smile.

(It’s time to leave you behind, Daniel. In the end, you were the true villain of your story. You made the stupidest choices possible and then blamed fate and life when you had to face the consequences. If only you had listened to Mom, to Kate, or to anyone who warned you about where your actions would lead, things could have been very different.

(But that’s all in the past now. Right now, even though I’m not perfect, and I’ve made plenty of mistakes, your story has helped me avoid making mistakes as stupid as yours. From now on, I’ll keep living my life trying not to sink as low as you did, and that starts by ensuring the safety of my family—the only thing that truly matters.)

After a few seconds, Kai turned his back to the forest and began walking toward his workshop, not looking back even once, determined to break free from the shadow of his former self, no matter how difficult it might be. At that moment, he called out to his trusted assistant in a calm voice, full of resolve and firmness.

“Sage, let’s get to work.”

With Kai’s words, a beautiful fairy, no larger than the palm of his hand, with reddish-blonde hair, blue eyes, elongated elf-like ears, and two pairs of almost translucent wings on her back that looked as if they were made of light, materialized at his right side. She quickly responded in a serious tone.

“At your service, Master.”

“How are you doing with the new Aura Script pattern based on the genetic data from the male Drider?” Kai asked calmly, to which the beautiful fairy replied in a serious tone, simultaneously conjuring several holographic screens in front of her master containing the relevant information.

“After running simulations using about eighty percent of our computing power, I’m fairly confident that it’s possible to create an Aura Script pattern to stabilize teleportation using the male Drider’s network of genetic intersections as a reference.

“In fact, although more testing is still needed, it’s highly likely that the excessive genetic complexity of the male Drider is due to it having different patterns encoded that are similar to those of our Aura Script.”

“…Sage, where do you think that thing came from?”

Upon hearing his trusted assistant, Kai couldn’t help but ask in a slightly apprehensive tone, to which the beautiful fairy could only respond in a voice full of uncertainty.

“We have no way of knowing, Master. In this world full of ‘quirks’, practically anything is possible. There might be someone with abilities very similar to yours, or it could be something from a distant past or far-off future. It might even be something from another world—we can’t rule anything out.”

“That’s true as well…” Kai couldn’t help but nod, fully agreeing with his trusted assistant, but he quickly shook his head to organize his thoughts and promptly added.

“For now, let’s not dwell on that and focus on what’s important. Do you already have a base framework to work from?”

“Yes, although it might need some modifications, for now, I have this.” Sage quickly replied while creating a new holographic screen in front of her master, displaying a complex Aura Script pattern, and explained.

“It’s an adaptation of the Drider’s genetic connections, which had some similarity to the data from the portal Nomu and the Kokuto pattern, organized into a theoretically functional pattern as far as we know.”

With a focused expression, Kai studied the information on the screen for a few seconds, then nodded and commented thoughtfully.

“Perfect. Let’s go with that, then.”

At the same time, Kai arrived in front of his forge workshop. At which point the doors opened automatically, revealing a spacious but simple place with only a few furnaces of different sizes and shapes, some mechanical tools, shelves, and several anvils. There were also various tools and unhandled swords hanging perfectly organized on the walls. On the floor, not far from the anvils, several disproportionately large hammers could be seen.

Upon entering, Kai headed to a shelf near the door, which was completely filled with stacked ingots separated by labels on the front. Each label had a unique reference number that encoded the composition of each ingot. Kai took a couple of ingots from there, at which point Sage began turning on the furnaces, extractors, and other equipment.

With the ingots in hand, Kai walked over to a mechanical saw, which he quickly powered on and reinforced with his Aura. He then began cutting the ingots into perfectly equal layers, a task he finished with great speed thanks to the saw, which, intensified by his ability, sliced through the metal ingots as if they were butter.

“By the way, Sage.” While alternating the layers of different metals to create a tower, Kai commented in a calm voice, then added.

“Come to think of it, instead of using up the last slot of [Coded Arsenal], we could use the ‘general altar’ and combine the Kokuto pattern with this one. After all, its only purpose is to stabilize the teleportation ‘bridge’—everything else we’ll handle with Emission, and that would make us much more flexible.”

“That’s a great idea, Master, although unexpected issues could arise. After all, the [Coded Arsenal] pacts are a bit restrictive.”

Sage replied in a contemplative tone, while her wings began to shine in different colors, running calculations at full power to determine the feasibility. Kai could only nod in agreement and comment while picking up a welding machine from a corner.

“That’s true as well, but it doesn’t hurt to try.”

As they discussed the details and possible scenarios of Kai’s idea, he quickly welded the tower of metal layers he had made to a metal rod, then placed it in a furnace that Sage had previously heated. Once it was hot enough, he took one of the enormous hammers next to an anvil and began hammering with a force greater than that of a typical power hammer, but with almost surgical precision.

After hammering, cutting, and re-welding the metal he was working on, Kai finished with an elongated piece of metal, which he heated up to begin shaping into a double-edged sword. At that point, he set it aside, then placed his hand on his chest, where his two necklaces were, and gripped the hand-shaped pendant, closing his eyes.

“…It seems the requirement has been fulfilled. Let’s go in.”

After a few seconds, Kai opened his eyes and spoke in a calm tone, to which Sage quickly nodded and then sat on her master’s head. Kai walked over to a corner of the workshop, where an Aura Script pattern was inscribed on the floor. He sat down there and closed his eyes again as his aura began to concentrate around the open-hand pendant in his hand. After a few seconds, Kai and Sage found themselves in a place that looked almost like a copy of the workshop, though with some differences.

First of all, the walls were densely engraved with Aura patterns, which glowed with a pale bluish color while emitting small clusters of light that began to act like tiny fireflies wandering throughout the space. This created an almost mystical atmosphere in the room. But without a doubt, what stood out the most were the six sword altars, perfectly arranged in a secluded corner.

The sword altars, which were organized in a pentagonal pattern with a larger one at the very center, had different Aura Script patterns meticulously carved across their surfaces with astonishing precision. These patterns appeared to connect to the swords they held, as if they were all part of the same piece.

On the five altars arranged in a pentagon, there were the swords [Secrets Keeper], a gladius; [Will Keeper], a curved black dagger; [Conqueror's Shackles], a flamberge with chains hanging from its crossguard; and what appeared to be an extraordinarily thin greatsword with striated blood-red edges, while the last altar stood empty.

Meanwhile, on the large central altar, there were various types of melee weapons, from Jian swords to daggers, including greatswords, bastard swords, and more, as if it were a small private exhibition. Even more curious, each and every one of these weapons had an Aura Script pattern that connected perfectly with the one inscribed on the altar—which was none other than the Kokuto pattern.

“Well, this is going to take a while, so let’s get to work…” Kai said, stretching lazily, to which Sage replied in a serious tone.

“Master, should we run a test with the empty slot before trying the ‘general altar’? Even though we still need to update the Kokuto pattern, it would be much more efficient to work on a stable, refined base.”

“You’re right, let’s do that then.”

Kai nodded in agreement at his trusted assistant’s suggestion, then took some carving tools from their place on one of the walls and began calmly engraving the empty altar, following the pattern that Sage displayed on a holographic screen.

The reason Kai was able to conjure his swords so easily—all of them different and incredibly complex—was actually very simple: he was cheating. He didn’t follow the traditional Nen conjuration method from the original series in his past life, which involved becoming so intimately familiar with something that you would even see it in your dreams. Only then attempting to conjure it. That approach was terribly inefficient and limited a conjurer’s options regarding what they could create with their aura.

Instead, after several years of experimenting, Kai managed to find a way to ‘cheat’ and skip a bit of that long process, creating one of his most important abilities: [Coded Arsenal]. This ability was an application of his aura's Manipulation properties directed at himself, using as a catalyst the necklace Nemuri had given him so many years ago for his birthday. Since, Manipulation abilities generally required a real object with which the user had a strong emotional connection.

But by combining Manipulation with the mnemonic technique known as the “mind palace,” “memory palace,” or simply the method of loci, Kai was able to create a mental space that replicated his forge workshop. In that space existed the sword altar, which allowed that, once a sword was forged inside the mental workshop and placed on the altar, it became indelibly engraved in his memory down to the last detail.

In this way, Kai was able to conjure his swords with unparalleled precision—not only making them indistinguishable from a real one, but even several times stronger than before. However, Kai considered that achievement only a small milestone. After much experimentation, with the help of Sage—who at that time was still a sphere of light with wings—he managed to create the “secondary altars,” which allowed him to create special swords with independent pacts, or in other words, unique abilities.

That’s where the [Keeper] line was born, a name chosen with the future in mind—swords whose main purpose was to protect the girls. And thanks to the “secondary altars,” the only sword with actual combat utility was also created: Conqueror’s Shackles. That crimson blade was designed for such a specific scenario that it was unlikely to ever happen, but it was better to have it occupying one of his scarce slots than not to have it at all.

The reason there were only five secondary altars was simple: after trying countless pacts and Aura Script patterns, that was the best he could achieve. Unlike the cards, the swords had virtually no limitations, but he had made sure that the number of altars would increase with his total amount of aura. This had recently granted him the fifth slot, as originally, there had only been four.

Chapter 199: It worked!

Chapter Text

The pacts of [Coded Arsenal] were several, though quite simple. First of all, to enter the 'mental space,' Kai had to be completely calm, with no emotional fluctuations. Additionally, he first had to forge a sword with his own hands. Although it didn’t need to be very detailed, as long as it resembled a sword and had a certain level of durability and technique, it was considered valid.

Secondly, any sword Kai wished to place on the altar had to be forged from scratch in the 'mental workshop' down to the last detail. This included the Aura Script pattern, which also had to be manually engraved beforehand on the altars and had to match the sword perfectly—otherwise, the altar would reject the sword.

Likewise, the sword designs on the altars had to be different from each other, or they too would be rejected. As for the independent pacts of the secondary altars, in order to create something so useful, Kai had to make several ‘sacrifices’. To begin with, the design of the ‘sword’ had to be somehow related to the ability it would manifest.

More importantly, each sword on the secondary altars could hold only one sword design at a time, and each sword had to have a unique name that represented its ability—or at least gave a clue about it. This name could be spoken aloud to enhance the effects of its ability.

Meanwhile, the ‘main altar’, or the ‘original’—the first one Kai conceptualized when he created the ability—functioned in a slightly different way. Not only was it larger, but it could also simultaneously hold a large number of different sword designs, all influenced by the Aura Script pattern engraved on the altar.

Additionally, on the main altar, the swords didn’t need to have names, and Kai was virtually unrestricted in conjuring them—aside from the aura cost, which was quite low. In return, however, the main altar could hardly support any pacts. It was the only one so far where, by speaking its name aloud, Kai could conjure a large number of copies of the selected sword, resulting in the ability known as [Sword Field].

On the other hand, once a sword was placed on one of the altars, there was no way to change or modify it. The only solution was to ‘reset’ the altar, returning it to its empty state and starting the process again from scratch with a new sword. This affected all altars, which is why it had been a long time since Kai had touched any of them—it would be a huge amount of work to make any changes.

But in exchange for all those limitations, what Kai gained was an ability that, on one hand, allowed him to conjure perfect swords with extreme ease. On the other hand, it gave him a platform on which he could easily create derivative abilities that functioned almost automatically. This ultimately served as the foundation for the creation of the skill cards.

…

“With this, the grooves are ready.”

After a couple of hours, Kai looked at the empty altar, now completely covered with an Aura Script pattern, carefully engraved with extreme precision. He commented with a satisfied smile.

“Shall we start with the sterling silver (silver-copper), master?” The beautiful red-haired fairy asked quickly in a serious tone, to which Kai nodded.

“Yes, let’s go with that.”

At her master’s response, Sage quickly floated over what looked like a deposition syringe filled with a pale metallic gray paste with faint reddish reflections. The blue-eyed boy took it and began carefully filling the channels, making sure to fill each groove completely without spilling over. Once he was done, he used a small spatula to correct any imperfections and remove the excess.

“Hand me the Tantalum and the Nichrome (nickel-chrome), Sage.”

After finishing the filling of the tracks with the silver-copper alloy paste, Kai gave the order in a calm tone as he set the syringe aside. His reliable assistant responded swiftly by floating two new syringes in front of him.

“Immediately, Master.”

Taking the syringes—one containing what appeared to be a dark gray paste with a deep, barely noticeable violet hue and the other a dull silver color, resembling metallic graphite—Kai quickly began filling various nodes of the pattern, which were shaped like tribal runes. He first filled the outer part of each node with the silver paste, then the center with the dark gray one.

“Now the gold.”

After finishing with the tantalum and the Nichrome, Kai gave the order in a serious tone. A new syringe appeared in front of him, and the process repeated several times until all the grooves on the altar were completely filled.

“That should do it.”

After giving the Aura Script pattern its final touches with the help of a spatula, Kai commented with a satisfied smile, then walked to a corner of the workshop where a high-precision thermal lamp was located. He soon placed it in front of the altar and calmly gave his next command.

“Bake it, Sage. I’ll start forging the weapon.”

“Understood, Master.”

Sage responded quickly in a serious tone, then took control of the thermal lamp and began to ‘bake’ the multi-metal alloy paste with focused precision. Meanwhile, Kai went to the metal ingot shelf, selected a couple, and began methodically and calmly forging a new blade.

…

After several hours of uninterrupted work, Kai finished what looked like a knife with three blades—almost as if it had a sharpened handguard. At that moment, the blue-eyed boy couldn’t help but smile with some amusement and cheerfully remarked.

“Of course, if it’s ‘teleportation,’ it had to be this one, hehe. Should I start calling myself the Black Lightning?”

“Shall I start designing your ‘Hokage cloak,’ Master?” Sage, who understood the reference perfectly, replied in a playful tone, to which Kai chuckled and responded.

“Wouldn’t be bad, but let’s leave that job to Yumiko—if we tried, it’d just turn out embarrassing, haha.”

Now in much better spirits, Kai quickly placed the ‘Kunai’ into a long electric furnace, then stood in front of the altar—now cured perfectly and ready. He gathered a considerable amount of aura in his index finger and immediately began touching the nodes of the Aura Script pattern in a specific sequence. Then he stepped back to watch the spectacle.

Using [Gyo] in his eyes, Kai could see his aura rapidly flowing through the Aura Script pattern, then starting to ‘vibrate,’ as if resonating with something. After a few seconds, the aura gradually began to settle and eventually disappeared—at which point Kai smiled brightly.

“It worked without a hitch, so now it’s time to engrave it onto my ‘Kunai,’ hehe.”

In a great mood, Kai said with amusement as he began running more tests with the Aura Script pattern engraved on the altar. Meanwhile, Sage couldn’t help but smile warmly—she loved seeing her master so cheerful, especially after everything he had gone through on that island and how down he’d been since waking up. Truly, building things—especially forging—had a magical effect on her master.

Shortly after, Kai tempered the blade of his Kunai, then began carefully engraving the Aura Script pattern across its surface. He made sure that the grooves were no more than half a millimeter deep so as not to compromise the weapon’s structural integrity. Then, using the same metal paste syringes, he filled in all the grooves.

After some time, Kai pulled his freshly forged Kunai out of the curing furnace and activated the carved pattern with his aura. Just like with the one on the altar, it responded perfectly, putting a huge smile on his face. Visibly excited, he commented.

“Well, Sage, this is it—the moment of truth. Since we’re not using any pacts for this, if the Altar accepts the Kunai, we’ll be more than halfway to achieving teleportation.”

“Let’s go, Master!” Sage said, equally excited, clenching her tiny fists in front of her. At that moment, Kai gripped the handleless Kunai tightly and overloaded it with Aura.

At the same time, he walked over to the empty altar, then drove the Kunai into it and let his aura flow into the altar, which began to glow softly. This made Sage clench her tiny fists even tighter—if the altar simply dimmed and shut off, they had succeeded. But if they failed, the altar would automatically reset, destroying the ‘sword’ in the process and forcing them to start from scratch.

After several seconds that felt like hours, the altar began to flicker. Kai gripped the Kunai harder, and Sage bit her lower lip in anticipation. But soon, the altar began to dim, slowly returning to its original state—prompting both the young man and the fairy to exhale sighs of relief, which quickly turned into beaming smiles. At that moment, Kai joyfully declared.

“I name you, [Static Mark].”

“We did it!”

As Kai released the Kunai and took a step back, Sage cried out in pure joy, launching herself to wrap her tiny body around her master’s head in a hug. He responded with a big smile as he watched his aura flow seamlessly through the entire Aura Script pattern, moving from the Kunai to the altar and back again without issue—a process that lasted a couple of minutes until both the altar and the Kunai took on the same appearance as the other five.

“Well, now for the most important part—let’s test it!” Kai said with visible excitement, prompting Sage to nod eagerly and reply with a huge grin.

“Let’s do it!”

Kai quickly reached for the necklace around his neck, grasping the pendant shaped like an open hand. He then closed his eyes and calmed his emotions. After a few seconds, he reopened them—now back in his real forging workshop. Without wasting a moment, he made his way to the exit, just as the first rays of sunlight were beginning to peek through. Since the 'mental workshop' existed in his mind, his accelerated thinking made time pass several times faster inside than in the real world.

Once outside his workshop, Kai extended his Observation Haki to scan the surroundings, quickly realizing that the entire family was still asleep—only Mrs. Yoshiko was awake. Without delay, he sprinted toward the forest, soon arriving at a wide clearing where he came to a stop.

In the center of the clearing, Kai extended his hand and conjured the new Kunai, [Static Mark], with a single thought—so naturally and fluidly it was as if he’d been doing it his whole life. He inspected it from various angles, making sure everything was perfect, then spoke in a serious tone.

“Here we go.”

As Sage nodded with an almost solemn expression, Kai threw the Kunai several meters away, embedding it in the ground. He then spoke in a grave tone.

“Help me monitor it, Sage. If things go south, let me know—I’ll enter ‘Zetsu’ mode immediately.”

“Don’t worry, Master. I’ve just paused all other processing threads and allocated all available computational power to this task—I won’t miss a single detail. You can proceed with Protocol 26. According to my calculations, it has the highest probability of success.”

As her wings shimmered like a kaleidoscope, Sage spoke with an incredibly serious tone, fully determined not to overlook even the slightest detail. At that moment, Kai nodded and replied.

“I trust you.”

Immediately after speaking, Kai closed his eyes and focused entirely on his aura—specifically, on that small portion of it separated from his body in the form of the Kunai. He didn’t bother saying the Kunai’s name, since he wasn’t using a pact—just the basic function of the Aura Script pattern—so it wasn’t necessary. Then he began to follow Protocol 26, one of the many procedures they had developed over the years in their attempts to achieve aura-based teleportation.

Using [Ten], Kai began synchronizing his aura perfectly with the aura forming his Kunai. Then, with extreme care, he started compressing both his aura and the aura surrounding the Kunai, as if attempting to perform an inverse Emission. This process lasted several minutes until, after some time, he reached a kind of “singularity”—a moment in which, in a way he didn’t fully understand, Kai felt his aura “reconnect.”

Although he had experienced that feeling before, the sensation of reconnection was usually so fleeting it vanished within fractions of a millisecond—so fast that he could only perceive it by accelerating his thoughts to the point it gave him headaches. But this time, the sensation lasted for nearly half a second before fading, which led him to open his eyes and exclaim with excitement.

“It worked!!”

Chapter 200: Haki seems to have changed.

Chapter Text

“It worked!!”

At the same time that Kai exclaimed, dozens of holographic screens filled with information appeared in front of him, just as Sage’s melodious voice announced excitedly.

“Yes, Master, it worked! Although we need to run more tests, it's a fact that we managed to connect two points in space in a stable way for 0.62 seconds! The Aura Script pattern was a complete success.”

“Even though it working raises a countless number of questions, let’s leave that for later—right now, there are more important things.” Kai quickly replied in a serious tone, but the excitement visible in his eyes was so intense that Sage couldn't help but comment, full of concern, imagining the idea running through her master's mind.

“Wait, Master! It’s not a good idea to try teleporting! It could be dangerous!!”

“Don’t worry.”

Kai quickly replied in an excited voice and immediately closed his eyes to concentrate on his aura, which made Sage bite her lip in worry, once again facing an existential dilemma. She doubted whether her master’s safety or following his orders was more important. But before she could come to a conclusion, her master vanished—only to instantly reappear right in front of the Kunai a few meters away.

“It works!! Hahaha!!!”

While her master laughed with all his might, filled with excitement, Sage, without saying a word, set aside all her thoughts and tasks to use all her computational power to check every last detail about her master. She searched for any problem his recklessness might have caused. That’s when Kai commented with a huge smile, his eyes shining like flashlights.

“I'm fine, Sage. Although teleportation is more costly than I expected, I didn't feel in danger at any moment. It was so fast that I could barely process it, even with my thoughts accelerated to the maximum.”

“Master, I thought you had learned to restrain your impulsiveness.” For her part, Sage commented in an accusatory tone, staring intently at her beloved master with her hands on her hips. He couldn't help but laugh in amusement and reply,

“Don't scold me. I had a feeling everything would turn out fine, and look—just as I expected.”

As he spoke, Kai conjured a new Kunai and threw it, but this one remained floating in the air. At that moment, Sage commented in an almost solemn tone.

“Master, no more tests until all the diagnostics have been completed.”

“Are you giving me an order?”

Kai turned to look at Sage and asked in a flat tone, his eyes giving off a strange glow, which almost made the beautiful fairy step back. But, having decided that her master's safety was more important than anything else, she gathered her courage, put her hands on her hips, and replied in a firm tone.

“I'm not going to let you do anything reckless again, Master!”

“Heh, so my Sage is entering her rebellious phase...”

Kai commented in a flat voice, analyzing every last detail of the tiny fairy floating in the air. Sage couldn’t help but lower her head and tremble slightly with visible apprehension, biting her small lips hard to hold back the tears forming in her beautiful blue eyes. At that moment, Kai dispelled the Kunai and spoke in a more relaxed tone.

“Run all the diagnostics, Sage. We need to perfect the skill as soon as possible. It will be vital when we return to Spider Island.”

Hearing her master’s voice, Sage turned to look at him, filled with surprise, but a huge smile quickly formed on her face, and she exclaimed with visible happiness and relief.

“Yes!!”

After speaking, Sage shot straight toward her master’s head and clung to him like a koala, unwilling to let go for anything in the world. This inevitably made Kai laugh in amusement, and after a moment, he spoke again in a serious tone.

“Well, now that that’s settled, there’s something that’s been bothering me. Sage, is it just my imagination, or do the ‘voices’ we sense with Observation Haki now ‘fluctuate’ slightly?”

“That is certainly the case, Master. Although I haven’t been able to study the phenomenon in depth since I was completely focused on the Aura Script pattern. Ever since you asked me to schedule it along with the [Alcatraz] investigation, I’ve been gathering some data, and in general, Haki does seem to have changed.”

Clinging to her master’s head like a Koala, Sage replied in a serious tone while creating holographic screens with specific data in front of her master, which made her look somewhat funny. At that moment, Kai began to study the data carefully, then asked, sounding both doubtful and surprised.

“Are you sure about this, Sage?”

“There are still many more tests to be done to confirm it beyond any doubt, but it’s highly likely that our Haki has generally taken a step forward. During some small experiments, I noticed that the maximum range and precision of Observation Haki have increased by about 30%.”

Sage responded seriously, which immediately reminded Kai of the strange vision he’d had upon waking up—that out-of-body, black-and-white vision—prompting him to comment thoughtfully.

“There’s also that strange vision…”

Quickly, Kai sat down on the ground in a lotus position, then began to breathe deeply, focusing completely on his own voice. Little by little, he delved deeper into it, while his aura began to fluctuate rhythmically in unison with his breathing, until, after a while, an image appeared in his mind: himself, sitting in a lotus position, surrounded by an aura that also fluctuated rhythmically.

But the moment his mini-self appeared in his mind, Kai noticed something strange. Although its lotus position had hardly changed, now there was a slight smile on its face that hadn’t been there before. This left him a bit confused, since until now, the expression of his mini-self had always been blank and expressionless, as if it were asleep or something similar.

However, though he was curious about the strange smile, Kai quickly set it aside and focused entirely on the aura of the mini-self. This quickly allowed him to notice something interesting: for some reason, it was now much easier to control. Although not at the level of his own aura, the difference was noticeable, which practically confirmed for him that something had changed—and perhaps something quite significant.

After manipulating the mini-self’s aura in various ways, Kai took note of the new level of control he had over it. Then he tried to influence the mini-self itself in some way, but no matter how hard he tried, nothing happened—the mini-self didn’t even react. So, after a while, he started to control his own aura to try to influence the mini-self and provoke some kind of reaction.

At that moment, Kai saw that the aura of the mini-self imitated, to some extent, the movement of his own aura. This sparked a crazy idea in his mind that he couldn’t help but try, so he slowly concentrated his aura in his eyes—something the mini-self’s aura imitated. That was when he felt something ‘click’ in his mind.

Almost instantly, Kai felt his Observation Haki expand uncontrollably, allowing him to sense everything within several kilometers. At that moment, a 360-degree black-and-white image of the surroundings formed in his mind, incredibly similar to what he had seen when he woke up, so he quickly opened his eyes.

Unexpectedly, what appeared in Kai’s vision was the same black-and-white, 360-degree view, which made him a little dizzy. But after a few seconds, he focused in the direction of his mansion, causing his vision to somehow move through space, quickly reaching Keiko’s room, where he saw her black-and-white silhouette sleeping in the bed where he had left her.

Surprised, Kai tried to “move” his vision, which allowed him to start “wandering” between the girls’ rooms, seeing their silhouettes in black and white as they slept. But as the seconds passed, Kai began to “see” a sort of “double outline” around everyone’s silhouette, so he focused completely on Shino’s silhouette, who was “in front of him.” This allowed him to see that the second outline fluctuated slightly, which he quickly associated with the strange fluctuation he had been perceiving.

But just at that moment, Kai felt his “vision” suddenly cut out, and a strong wave of fatigue washed over him, forcing him to fall backward to the ground. Sage immediately cried out, visibly worried.

“Master! Are you alright?!” As she spoke, Sage began running all kinds of tests on her master in rapid succession, to which Kai replied, somewhat amused,

“I’m just tired; the fatigue from Inverse Flow is quite severe. More importantly, Haki really has changed. Now I can somehow see at a distance, so we need to study this phenomenon carefully. And it’s probably a good idea to do some yoga; I think it’ll bring excellent benefits this time.”

“I understand, Master. I’ll add it to the schedule.” Sage responded in a serious tone, never stopping her thorough examination of her master, who quickly got up from the ground and commented.

“Adjust today’s schedule, Sage. First, we’ll do yoga for two hours, then we’ll have breakfast, and after that, we’ll work on my armor while you run all the tests and diagnostics for teleportation.”

“Understood, Master.”

With Sage’s reply, Kai headed to the gym, where, after stretching, he went to grab a yoga mat. But just then, in the mirrors covering all the gym walls, he noticed something he hadn’t realized until now—his forehead was completely smooth, with no trace of the scar that had accompanied him for ten years.

“So, I lost this…” As he touched his forehead with his fingers, Kai couldn’t help but comment in a bitter voice, which prompted Sage to explain in a voice full of guilt.

“It was my fault, Master. Your face was so badly injured that your scar reopened completely, so when I activated Angel’s Breath, it was erased along with everything else…”

“It’s not your fault, Sage. You did what you could to save my life—in the end, it was my own actions that led to this outcome…” Kai replied bitterly as he ran his fingers over the place where his scar used to be, but at that moment, a strange smile formed on his face, and he commented.

“Life is ironic—usually the problem is ending up with a scar, not losing one…”

“But the pain is still there, Master…” Sage said in a soft, sad voice as she moved closer to give her master a kiss on the forehead, to which he replied with a small smile.

“There’s no point in dwelling on it anymore… all that’s left is to learn and move forward.”

After letting out a sigh full of emotions, Kai took the mat to the center of the gym and began his yoga routine with absolute concentration. Soon, this caused his aura to start moving rhythmically, almost as if following his movements, until, after a while, Kai could clearly hear a ‘click’ sound in his mind.

In that instant, his aura automatically entered Ren state, expanding throughout the gym, then returned to Ten state, visibly calmer—a process that repeated cyclically every few minutes until finally it settled completely. At that moment, Kai sat in the lotus position on the mat and began to meditate as his aura and Haki flowed through his entire body.

…

Waking up, still somewhat sleepy and confused, Nemuri found herself in her room, the one she had been forced to use again over the past few days. But after just a few seconds, the memories of the previous day came back to her, causing her to jump out of bed in one swift motion. She glanced at herself in the mirror for a moment and quickly fixed herself up. After which, she hurriedly left her room.

As she straightened her pajamas, which consisted of simple and comfortable light gray pants along with a loose white blouse, and fixed her hair, she soon ended up at Kai’s room, which she opened with familiarity. She found it empty, which left her slightly disappointed, but she quickly headed to the bathroom to make sure her beloved wasn’t there.

Once she confirmed the bathroom was empty as well, Nemuri started walking toward the exit, feeling an overwhelming urgency in her heart to see her beloved. Due to the circumstances, she had been forced to hold herself back until now, and it was taking a toll—her body felt like an oven about to explode, and only the love of her life could cool her down.

But as she returned to the room, Nemuri couldn’t help but laugh in amusement. At that moment, Ryuko cautiously entered the room, wearing nothing but a pair of cat ears on her head and a black choker around her neck, leaving her sexy, toned body completely exposed. This led Nemuri to comment in a low, teasing voice.

“Well, well, what do we have here—a clever little cat burglar…”

Chapter 201: A magical and unique relationship.

Chapter Text

“Well, well, what do we have here—a clever little cat burglar…”

“!!!”

Hearing the voice, Ryuko jumped in a panic and tried to cover herself as best as she could, but when she realized it was Nemuri, she let out a sigh of relief and then collapsed to her knees. The emotional shock had weakened her legs, and at that moment, she murmured quietly with her hands on her chest, feeling her heart pounding like crazy.

“My heart almost jumped out of my mouth…”

“Fufu, that’s what you get for being so ‘wild’...”

Nemuri replied playfully, to which Ryuko quietly responded as she began to get up, not feeling the least bit embarrassed. After all, the one in front of her was her ‘sister’, and not only were they fully aware of each other’s fetishes, but they had already seen each other in far more embarrassing situations—so her current state was nothing in comparison.

“I just missed my darling so much…”

“I completely understand; I feel the same.”

Nemuri nodded in full agreement, but after looking at Ryuko once more—perfectly made up and styled, yet completely naked—an idea she couldn’t resist began to form in her mind. A mischievous and lustful smile spread across her beautiful face as she licked her lips seductively. Then, in a soft, tempting voice, she said.

“But I like your idea... Let me join in.”

Hearing Nemuri, Ryuko couldn’t help but turn to look at her, a little surprised, just in time to see her sister hastily undressing. She revealed her voluptuous, perfectly proportioned body that seemed almost tailor-made to awaken lust in anyone who saw it. At that moment, the beautiful blonde couldn’t help but ask with slight disbelief, glancing around.

“Are you sure…? Darling doesn’t seem to be here.”

“No, he’s not—that’s why we’re going to look for him, fufu.”

Nemuri commented playfully as she stretched out her long, slender leg to let her tiny black thong fall to the floor. At that moment, Ryuko couldn’t help but ask in a heavy voice, her eyes fixed on the door she had left slightly ajar.

“What if someone sees us…?”

“Don’t worry, I have a plan. But first, I need to do something, fufu.”

Nemuri replied with a wide smile as she reached out her arm toward Ryuko. After hesitating for a few seconds, Ryuko took a deep breath, her face completely flushed, and with trembling hands took Nemuri’s hand, speaking in a heavy voice filled with emotion and lust.

“Let’s go…”

With a wide smile on her beautiful face, Nemuri squeezed Ryuko’s hand and pulled her out of the room. At that moment, Nemuri's body began to release her sleep-inducing aroma, forming a pink cloud that quickly spread throughout the house—carefully avoiding Shino’s room and Ryuko. Ryuko couldn’t help but remark in realization.

“Of course! Your sleep scent!”

“Exactly. Now everyone will sleep soundly for a few more hours. In the meantime, we can have a little fun and make up for lost time with our man—so we can head to work full of energy, fufu.”

Nemuri replied with a cheerful smile, never stopping as she walked toward her room. Once inside, she headed straight to her massive wardrobe, which was practically a room of its own. In one discreet corner, she moved a false wall, revealing a shelf filled with all kinds of sex toys, erotic clothing, and more. From it, she picked up a headband with a pair of long dog ears. Ryuko couldn’t help but comment in mild surprise.

“I didn’t know you had something like this at home…”

“My libido has always been a bit hard to control. Terrified of doing something terrible to Kai, I searched for all sorts of ways to keep myself ‘satisfied.’ But ever since my first time with Kai, this place fell into disuse—I kept it only as a memory, and now I use it to store things that others really shouldn’t see.”

Nemuri spoke with a slightly nostalgic smile as she took a choker from the shelf, adorned with a charm in the shape of a minimalist Saluki dog head. She brought it to her neck just as Ryuko stepped behind her and gently took the ends of the choker, fastening it carefully around her neck while asking with a hint of curiosity.

“You didn’t even use anything these past days? Honestly, I had to touch myself a bit just to fall asleep—sleeping without Kai was really hard…”

“Kai has spoiled us far too much, so it’s only natural that we feel aroused at night. Our bodies have already adapted to the sexual rhythm we share. But honestly, I didn’t even masturbate these past few days. I tried, but all I managed was getting wet without feeling any real pleasure. So I stopped trying and have been holding back ever since. My body’s already become incapable of feeling pleasure unless it’s with my Kai.”

Nemuri spoke in a soft and sweet voice as she straightened the choker her beloved sister had fastened around her neck. Ryuko couldn’t help but nod as she took a step back, then spoke with a voice full of understanding and connection.

“I know exactly what you mean. When I touch myself, even though it feels good and relaxes me enough to fall asleep, it feels empty and kind of miserable—like I’m just giving myself a massage to sleep rather than actually masturbating. It’s a whole different world when we’re with Kai. In those moments, even if I’m touching myself alone, just the fact that he’s watching me gives me a kind of pleasure I’ve never felt on my own.”

“Seems like we’ve become addicted to Kai… we’ll have to make him take responsibility, fufu.”

Nemuri replied playfully as she walked over to pick up a lipstick and began applying it to her beautiful lips while looking into one of the wardrobe mirrors. At the same time, Ryuko picked up a box of face powder, opened it, and began dabbing the puff inside while speaking just as cheerfully.

“You’re absolutely right. We have to make him take responsibility and give us lots of love every day. And now that we don’t have to hide in the house anymore, we can spoil him even more and shower him with kisses all the time.”

“Though we shouldn’t go overboard either. Even if Keiko and Yumiko aren’t opposed now, who knows what might happen if we get too shameless. It’s better to stay moderate for a while.”

After sitting down on one of the benches near the walls of her wardrobe, Nemuri spoke in a serious tone as she closed her eyes, allowing Ryuko to begin applying the powder to her face. Ryuko couldn’t help but comment in a somewhat uncertain voice as she carefully made sure to beautify her beloved sister.

“Speaking of that… for some reason, I can’t shake the feeling that Keiko and Yumiko look at my darling with the eyes of a ‘woman.’ I get the sense that they desire him just like we do. Do you think I’m imagining things?”

“It’s not that crazy to think, you know?” Nemuri replied in a calm, casual voice, still with her eyes closed, letting Ryuko finish applying the powder, then continued.

“Especially with Keiko. Over the years, I’ve noticed certain looks and behaviors she has toward Kai… and in a way, they remind me of myself before I started my relationship with him.”

“Should we do something about it?” Ryuko asked with a bit of curiosity as she stepped back, having finished.

“In what sense?”

Nemuri asked in return as she opened her eyes to look at herself in the mirror, finding a fine, smooth layer of powder on her face that made her look even more beautiful. At that moment, Ryuko spoke as she picked up an eyeshadow palette and a brush from Nemuri’s makeup kit, explaining with a cheerful smile.

“Well, you know… should we give them a little push? The truth is, I’ve never felt as close to anyone as I do with you and Shino since we started this relationship—especially since the three of us began making love with Kai together. You two are the people I love and trust the most after my darling. Close your eyes.”

Ryuko said with a smile, prompting Nemuri to quickly comply, closing her eyes. The beautiful blonde then began to do her sister’s eye makeup as she continued speaking.

“With you, I feel completely free and safe. I can show who I really am and trust you with even my deepest secrets, without inhibition or shame. There are even things I tell you first, before I tell my darling. This is such a magical and unique relationship—one that, I think, could only exist in our unusual, even immoral context. A bond where we see each other in our most embarrassing moments and still accept each other exactly as we are.

“And the perfect example is Shino. Even though we’ve been friends our whole lives, and I’d trust her with my life without hesitation, before our first 'orgy', there were things I didn’t dare tell her—much less show her. But look at us now—we can casually talk about how we masturbate while being completely naked, without even blushing. That’s a level of trust and love so deep that I’d love to share it with them too… to be even closer than a real family.”

Ryuko expressed her most sincere feelings with a warm and loving smile as she carefully and attentively did her beloved sister’s makeup. Nemuri couldn’t help but smile, touched, and responded in an equally joyful voice.

“I completely understand what you mean. I never stop thanking the heavens every day for giving me the courage to take the first step in starting this relationship. It fulfills and satisfies me in every possible way—mentally, physically, and emotionally. Kai understands me, supports me, protects me, and fills me with love and happiness. And you girls make me feel understood and accepted.

“And to be honest, I never expected things to turn out so well—or that someone as perverted as me, who gets insanely turned on by seeing the love of her life with other women, could actually find companions with similar tastes who would support me. At first, I was a little scared about how everything would turn out… but now I’m so happy that sometimes I’m afraid it’s all just a dream.”

Nemuri finished explaining with a huge smile on her face, just as she felt Ryuko lift the makeup brush from her eyelids. She opened her eyes to find her sister smiling warmly at her, holding up a mirror so she could see the final result. After a small giggle, Ryuko spoke.

“Fufu, to be honest, at first, I wanted to share my darling with Shino because I felt a bit inferior due to my age, and I thought that offering Kai something that many men say is their dream would make him agree to be with me. Besides, I knew Shino loved him too, so I figured we might as well try… though I never really had the courage to take the first step.

“That’s why, when you took the first step, I agreed without hesitation. But deep down, I felt insecure and uncomfortable because I couldn’t stop feeling miserable about having to share my man with two other women just to get a little bit of his attention. But my desire to kiss and touch my darling was so strong that I swallowed those feelings and went ahead with it anyway.”

Ryuko spoke in a cheerful, relaxed tone, but her words caused Nemuri’s expression to visibly tighten—which made the beautiful blonde laugh. Ryuko picked up a mascara tube from the table where all of Nemuri’s makeup was and added, genuinely amused.

“Don’t make that face; I’m speaking in the past tense.”

“I’m sorry… at the time, I was so lost in my desires that I didn’t realize it—or to be honest, I didn’t want to realize it.” Nemuri said in a serious tone, full of guilt. Ryuko cheerfully replied as she crouched down to apply the mascara to Nemuri eyelashes, wearing a bright expression.

“I know, but you don’t have to feel guilty, much less apologize. I’m a grown woman, and from the beginning, I knew exactly what I was getting into. Besides, the fact that you—and more importantly, Kai—didn’t notice was the best thing that could have happened to me. Because knowing him, he would have ended the relationship right then and there and wouldn’t have dared to try again… and I would’ve missed out on the happiness I feel now.”

“It’s truly a relief that you feel that way, Ryuko. And please, never keep something like that to yourself again. Trust me and tell me— you know I love you, and I’ll understand and support you.” Nemuri said in a serious voice, to which Ryuko nodded with a beautiful smile and replied in a more serious tone.

“I know, and believe me when I say I would’ve regretted it for the rest of my life if I hadn’t accepted your proposal. Though there’s something I’d like to ask you—no matter what, please don’t ever make me stay away from my darling. That’s the only thing I fear, and the one thing that might keep me from telling you something. So, if that worry doesn’t exist, then believe me—there’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t trust you with.”

Chapter 202: I’ll have to apologize properly (R-18).

Chapter Text

Upon hearing her sister, Nemuri smiled as Ryuko applied her mascara and commented in a serious tone that conveyed her sincerity and true feelings.

“You are my sister, and believe me, I feel it from the bottom of my heart, which is why I will always save a place for you beside my Kai. But there is one thing that hasn’t changed and never will: the only love of my life is Kai. Just as he supports me in my craziness, I will make sure to support him in his, and you already know how possessive he is.

“So, if at any point you start to feel interested in someone else or something like that, I hope you’ll tell me. Because even though that would mean you’d have to step away from the relationship, if we deal with it in time, we can still be good friends. And I assure you, Kai will understand. But if you keep it to yourself and things spiral out of control, our relationship could fall apart — and that’s something I could never forgive.”

“Fufu, that warning is unnecessary — my body and heart belong solely to my darling.” Ryuko said cheerfully, then closed the mascara and gently pressed Nemuri’s bare left breast, speaking in a playful tone.

“Besides, not even this lustful body, which draws male and female gazes from everywhere, stirs anything in me — so believe me, there’s no man or woman in this world who could awaken anything in me besides my darling.”

Quickly, Ryuko finished applying the mascara to Nemuri’s lashes, then picked up an eyebrow pencil and began to trace over her sister’s beautiful brows, explaining in a more serious tone.

“On the other hand, I’m 100% on your side in that regard—we're in this relationship because we love Kai and are completely faithful to him. And while I would love for Tomoko, Keiko, and Yumiko to join us, if they can’t agree to that, then it’s better they don’t. The same goes for Momo and Nejire because I’m sure Shino shares the same view.”

For her part, Nemuri couldn’t help but smile with joy, happy that her sister shared her opinion. She quickly responded in a cheerful and curious tone.

“I’m glad you feel that way, Ryuko. And as I already told you, that’s my only reservation. Beyond that, I’ll support you in whatever you come up with. But going back to the topic—what made you stop feeling so bad about sharing Kai?”

“Well, it’s really hard to point to just one thing as the cause.” Ryuko said, somewhat nostalgic and amused and continued.

“It was more of a combination. At first, I honestly did feel a bit ‘miserable’ as a woman. But when I was with Kai, all of that would just vanish from my mind. Just feeling him, hugging him, or kissing him was more than enough to send me to cloud nine. Though I won’t deny that when I saw him kissing you or Shino, I did feel a bit jealous.

“But as time went on, we grew closer, becoming more confidants, so those little feelings of jealousy gradually faded until they almost disappeared. Also, the fact that my darling pampered and cared for me so much helped a lot. And having to hide our relationship excited me like crazy, so even with all that strange mess of emotions, I didn’t want to stop.

“As time passed, before I knew it, I had gotten used to us all being together—to the point where it actually felt a little strange to be alone with my darling. So I started to reflect deeply on what I was really feeling. Were those jealous feelings truly mine, or were they just preconceived ideas I had about how a relationship ‘should’ work?

“In the middle of that existential doubt, I started paying more attention to you. Because if I was feeling jealous, how was it possible that you—who had the chance to have our darling all to yourself—chose to talk to us about sharing him? And all it took was one look at you when Shino kissed our darling to realize you were having a visual orgasm—you didn’t even blink.”

Hearing Ryuko’s playful tone, Nemuri couldn’t help but laugh in amusement, imagining what her sister’s expression must have looked like at that moment. At the same time, Ryuko picked up a nearby comb, removed Nemuri’s dog-ear headband, and began gently brushing her hair while continuing to speak in a cheerful, melodic tone.

“Although it was a bit shocking at first, it was also eye-opening. I had never even considered the idea that seeing the man you love with another woman could be something exciting and pleasurable instead of sad or humiliating. So after that, I kept secretly observing you, wanting to know if it was just my imagination—or if you really were turned on by watching our darling with another woman. And you became so obvious that I ended up completely convinced it was real.”

“Fufu, around that time I was way too excited—my secret fetish was playing out right in front of me, so I just couldn’t hold back.” Nemuri said in a playful tone, which made Ryuko laugh before quickly continuing.

“Fufu, I figured as much. But going back to the topic, that brought another question to my mind: was that fetish something unique to you, or were there more women like you? So I secretly started researching online, and soon I discovered that there were entire communities of people who shared the same fetish—both men and women.

“After reading crazier and crazier stories—some of which were honestly hard to believe—I decided to approach the relationship with an open mind and just enjoy it, letting whatever had to happen, happen. And thanks to that mindset, I gradually started to realize that if I stopped caring about other people’s opinions and just focused on what we had and how happy I was when I was with our darling. Those feelings of jealousy and inferiority would disappear. This would leave only happiness and peace.

“After that, I had my first time with our darling, and I have to confess that I was pretty scared at first—not only because it was my first time, but also because I still had some doubts about whether I was doing the right thing. But our darling was so sweet and special to me that I gave myself to him without a second thought, and I haven’t regretted it for a single day. It was the most special day of my life, and I treasure it deep within my heart.

“From that moment on, I was completely sure that he was the love of my life and the only man for me. My fears and doubts vanished, and I guess over time you ended up rubbing off on me because I eventually started enjoying watching him with other women. It’s such a unique and addictive kind of pleasure—it’s really hard not to fall for it. Seeing and being seen while having sex is quite… electrifying.”

Ryuko ended her words with a lustful smile as she placed the dog-ear headband back on Nemuri. Nemuri stood up and made an arch with her right arm, then spoke with a smile full of lust.

“So, what do you say we go find our man?”

“Let’s go!”

Ryuko replied enthusiastically, hooking arms with Nemuri as they walked out of the room together. At that moment, Nemuri began to release her sleep-inducing scent, which spread out and accumulated several meters ahead of them, creating a sort of pink veil that prevented them from being seen.

For her part, Ryuko, upon seeing the pink veil that surrounded them, couldn’t help but nod with a happy smile—once again confirming that the mutual understanding everyone shared in their relationship was truly magical and special. Even though the thrill of possibly being seen excited her, she genuinely didn’t want anyone besides Kai or her sisters to see her, so that veil was the perfect solution: pure pleasure without any real risk.

After leaving the room, Nemuri and Ryuko, sharing a silent, tacit understanding, chose not to head toward the stairs. Instead, they made their way to Shino’s room and carefully opened the door. But upon seeing her peacefully asleep, they decided not to disturb her and quietly closed the door, then continued toward the stairs alone.

…

A few minutes later, as Ryuko trembled slightly and clung to Nemuri’s arm — completely overwhelmed by pleasure, since even with the pink veil covering her, the feeling of the air on her skin and the grass between her toes was far more stimulating than she could have imagined—the two beautiful women arrived in front of the gym, where they were sure their beloved Kai would be, as he never skipped a training session.

Just as they expected, upon entering the room, they saw the man they loved sitting cross-legged on a mat with his back to the door. But thanks to the mirrors in the room, they could easily see that his eyes were closed, and he was fully focused. Ryuko couldn’t help but ask with visible disappointment.

“Should we… go back?”

“Let’s wait a bit.”

Nemuri replied with a small smile, then confidently took a step forward, urging Ryuko, who was still trembling slightly, to follow. At that moment, Nemuri carefully closed the gym door, making sure not to make a sound, then deactivated her sleep-inducing scent and began walking calmly toward her beloved.

When she reached Kai, Nemuri let go of Ryuko’s arm and grabbed a mat, placing it in front of him before sitting down. She then gently patted the free space next to her while looking at Ryuko, who quickly sat down with her knees together—the same position Nemuri had taken.

As she waited in silence, Nemuri began to carefully study each of her beloved's features, finding him incredibly fascinating—impossibly handsome. Even with the calm expression on his face, almost as if he were asleep, she couldn’t stop seeing him as devilishly charming, to the point that her body began to heat up intensely, ready to welcome him inside her.

(Being in love is truly a wonderful thing...)

Feeling those lovely butterflies in her stomach, Nemuri couldn’t help but smile beautifully, feeling immensely happy and blessed by the life she had. All her dreams had come true one by one. Her career couldn’t be more successful, with so much money that it would never run out, no matter how much she spent, and with an enviable reputation—respected and admired throughout the country, and even with fans all over the world.

Meanwhile, her love life couldn’t be in a better place, receiving love and care from her Kai. And her twisted fetish, instead of bringing her pain or misery, had given her the most beautiful and pure relationship she could have ever had with another woman—a bond of companionship and complicity even deeper than the one she once shared with Alisa, the person she had loved most in the world at the time... though that place now belonged to her Kai.

Feeling her body preparing for what was about to happen, with her beautiful pink nipples hardening and her pussy flooding with love juices, Nemuri turned her head to look at Ryuko. She quickly noticed that her sister had a seductive blush on her cheeks. She stared intently at Kai, letting out heavy but silent gasps.

Lowering her gaze, Nemuri couldn’t help but smile as she saw Ryuko with her hand on her pussy, knees still pressed together, gently touching herself before stopping—as if afraid of coming alone. At that moment, Nemuri could hear the slightly surprised voice of her beloved.

“I wasn’t expecting this kind of welcome…”

When Kai opened his eyes, the first thing he saw were his beautiful girlfriends waiting for him, sitting completely naked yet perfectly made up, wearing nothing but headbands with cat and dog ears. It took him completely by surprise. But just then, Ryuko lunged at him, initiating a deep, passionate kiss while clinging to his neck with all her strength.

“I missed you so much, darling… You have no idea how much…”

After several minutes, Ryuko ended the kiss and began to speak while passionately covering Kai’s face with kisses. The blue-eyed boy then took her by the waist and sat her on his lap before speaking in a voice full of sincerity.

“Forgive me; it was my fault. I’ll do my best to make sure it never happens again.”

“I know, honey… I know… but let’s not talk about that now… I need you…”

Ryuko murmured in a heavy voice, not stopping her kisses along Kai’s face, before moving her hands to his jacket and impatiently pulling it off, managing to do so quickly. At that moment, the beautiful blonde clung to her beloved as tightly as she could, wanting every part of her skin to touch his, allowing her to feel a pleasure both physical and mental like no other.

As he held the trembling Ryuko in his lap, Kai reached out his hand toward Nemuri, who was still sitting in front of him with her knees pressed together, staring at him with an expression full of lust and depravity. The sexy woman then began crawling toward him sensually, her enormous, elastic breasts swaying hypnotically, before licking his cheek and moving to his ear, where she whispered in a voice dripping with desire.

“That naughty kitten missed you so much… So give her all your love. No foreplay needed—she’s already ready. Just push it in, wreck her, and cum… She’ll take everything...”

Meanwhile, Ryuko, who was recovering, quickly tore open Kai’s pants, freeing his erect cock—prompting two simultaneous, audible gulps from both her and Nemuri. The beautiful blonde then gripped her beloved’s manhood with her right hand, while spreading the lips of her soaked pussy with two fingers of her left.

Without hesitation, Ryuko quickly aimed her beloved’s cock toward her pussy and, in one swift motion, sank all the way down onto it. A powerful jolt of pleasure surged through her body, making her tremble uncontrollably and forcing her to cling tightly to Kai as wild, pleasure-drunk moans spilled from her lips.

Meanwhile, Nemuri crawled behind Kai, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her enormous breasts against his back. She began passionately kissing his neck before reaching his ear, where she whispered in a panting, lust-heavy voice.

“Do you like how your kitten feels…? Her warm, wet insides are just for you… to use however you want… to mold and ruin as you please…”

“Yeah… I love it. She’s tight and fits me perfectly…”

Kai replied in an equally rough voice before gripping Ryuko’s slender hourglass waist. He started moving her slowly, prompting the beautiful blonde to speak with a tone of ravenous lust.

“Ruin me, baby… Make me yours… Give your kitten her cream…”

Following his beloved girlfriend’s wishes, Kai began thrusting into her wildly—a sight that alone sent Nemuri into a light orgasm. She quickly released Kai’s neck from her crawling grip and collapsed onto her back to his right, spreading her legs wide and locking eyes with him as she used her fingers to part her dripping folds for him.

Kai, unable to resist Nemuri’s puppy-dog eyes and erotic display, immediately reached out and plunged his fingers inside her. The moment he did, Nemuri shuddered violently—almost convulsing—as she moaned like an animal and unleashed a high-pressure spray of her juices, drenching both Ryuko and Kai in the flood.

“She really had been holding back...”

The sudden 'downpour' inevitably caught Ryuko's attention, and as she glanced at Nemuri and commented, she couldn't help but moan between ragged breaths—never stopping the relentless movement of her hips for even a second, feeling herself on the verge of a brutal orgasm.

“I really made you suffer... So I’ll have to apologize properly.”

At that moment, Kai spoke with a predatory grin, his eyes flashing with an electric glint. Immediately after, he squeezed Ryuko’s left breast while his right hand began stimulating the trembling Nemuri’s clit—igniting a perfectly orchestrated symphony of wild, lustful moans.

Chapter 203: Goodbye Eva.

Chapter Text

A couple of hours later, in the middle of the gym, Kai could be seen completely naked, lying on a mat with Nemuri and Ryuko clinging to him with satisfied smiles on their faces. Though they looked sweaty and tired, their bare skin glowed softly under the gym lights, as if they were some kind of precious gems.

“I want to stay like this for the rest of the day…” Ryuko murmured almost like a cat, her voice low as she gently rested her head on her beloved Kai’s shoulder. At that moment, Nemuri spoke with a smile.

“I know what you mean, but we have duties to attend to.” Nemuri quickly lifted her head to give her beloved a soft kiss on the lips and added with a smile full of love.

“And thank you for holding back and leaving us with enough strength to go on with the day, Kai. I know it's hard for you, but tonight the girls and I will make sure to pamper you plenty.”

“Haha, don’t worry about that. Let’s go take a bath—I'll give you both a massage so you can recover your energy and work at full strength today.”

Kai replied with a relaxed laugh, which made Nemuri and Ryuko’s eyes sparkle with delight. After all, aside from sex, the greatest pleasure Kai could give them were his massages—a different kind of pleasure, but just as comforting and addictive. So much so that the lazy Ryuko quickly regained her enthusiasm, sprang to her feet, and then extended her hand to her beloved, speaking with a radiant smile.

“Come on, the others will be waking up soon, and we don’t want to be late, so we don’t have much time!”

“Let’s go!”

Nemuri, who also got up quickly, commented with visible excitement, making Kai chuckle in amusement. He promptly got to his feet and followed the girls to the bathroom, where they took a quick shower together.

Afterward, they headed to a room in the gym equipped with several massage tables, where Kai gave the girls a quick massage using his aura, his hands gliding over their soft, sensual, naked bodies.

“Your massages are truly one of a kind…”

After her massage, Nemuri stretched out comfortably and spoke with a radiant smile. At that moment, a quadruped robot with no defined shape entered the room, carrying what looked like a bag. Kai spoke with a slightly amused tone.

“It’s bringing you clothes so you can head out—and maybe try not to be so ‘wild’ around here. Even if we’ve been accepted, it’d still be awkward for everyone if they saw you like this.”

…

In the middle of the mansion’s main dining room, the entire family was enjoying breakfast with wide smiles on their faces—especially Nemuri, Ryuko, and Shino. So much so that Yumiko and Keiko, experienced women themselves, couldn’t help but glance at them suspiciously. At that moment, Momo, who was wearing her U.A. uniform and sitting to Kai’s right, spoke with a smile as she fed him from her plate.

“By the way, Kai, with everything that’s happened, I forgot to mention it—but the others want to come visit you. What do you think?”

“Who wants to come?” Kai asked back after eating the bacon Momo had offered him. She quickly replied with a smile.

“Mina, Jiro, and the others are worried and asked if they could come see you.”

Hearing this, Kai looked at Momo for a moment, but upon seeing her bright eyes and radiant smile, he could only smile back with mild amusement. Then, after biting into the toast playfully offered by Nejire—who was sitting to his left, also dressed in her U.A. uniform—he responded in a calm tone.

“Then let them come. It’s a good opportunity to talk to them—there’s something I want to propose to a few of them.”

“What do you want to propose?” Momo couldn’t help but ask, a bit curious—a sentiment shared by everyone present, who all turned their eyes to Kai with interest. He began to explain in a calm but serious tone.

“It’s actually something simple. Those spiders were too big of a warning sign to ignore. If they had shown up in the middle of a populated city instead of that strange island, I seriously doubt I could’ve protected all of you by myself. So, I want to start training a group of them to reach a more useful level of combat ability.

“One high enough to at least hold off something like those spiders long enough for us to do something about it. And for the heroes in the family, this will come with an upgrade to their Accomplices and other improvements I’ve planned, which should raise your individual power levels significantly. And, like in Salem’s case, your abilities might even evolve into more powerful forms.”

Upon hearing Kai, the entire family widened their eyes in surprise. At that moment, Tomoko asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Kai, can my Quirk evolve and be like yours or All Might’s?!”

“Haha, it’s possible—though you won’t be as strong. But in exchange, your own Quirk might mutate or become stronger. After all, the upgrade and improvements are basically a downgraded version of One For All—All Might’s Quirk—but without the side effects.”

Seeing the joyful Tomoko, Kai couldn’t help but laugh and explain. However, his words hit the others like a bucket of cold water. They were left speechless—absolutely stunned—especially Tomoko, since her Accomplice’s ability was essentially a weakened version of Iron Palm’s original [Force Control], which allowed her to selectively enhance parts of her body. To compensate for the lack of power, Kai had given her electric cat gloves.

“Are you being serious, Kai?” Chatora, the first to recover from the shocking announcement, quickly asked in an incredibly serious tone. Kai nodded and replied in an even more serious voice.

“Very serious. In fact, it’s something that’s been in testing for quite a while now. But because of everything that happened with the spiders, I decided to push forward with the Accomplice upgrades. Even in the middle of that ‘exhausting’ battle, [Vital Reactor]—the ability that copies All Might’s Quirk and will be added to the Accomplices—worked perfectly, without any deviation from what I expected.”

“…”

Upon hearing his response, the entire family fell into a deathly silence, staring at each other in complete astonishment, unsure of what to say. But then Kai chuckled calmly and, in a casual tone, commented as he poked a sausage on his plate with his fork.

“It’s not something to be that surprised about. Besides, it’ll take me a couple of days to have everything ready to begin the upgrades, so I’ll send you a schedule later so you can set aside some time.”

Upon hearing Kai, everyone in the family couldn’t help but look at each other and then smile warmly. That was truly their Kai—always thinking of them and constantly coming up with increasingly wild ideas to keep them safe. He had barely woken up after being on the brink of death, and he already had a detailed plan to make them stronger.

Moreover, even though he didn’t say it out loud, everyone knew that the real reason he was acting so quickly was likely because of the small argument they’d had the day before about going back to that island. Knowing he probably couldn’t convince the family’s heroes not to go, he had chosen instead to strengthen them—to maximize their chances of survival if things went wrong.

“…Kai, could you set aside some time to talk tonight?”

After a few seconds, Tomoko spoke in a serious tone, looking directly at Kai. A bit puzzled by her sudden seriousness, Kai nodded and replied.

“Sure. Around what time?”

“After dinner is fine.”

Tomoko quickly replied, then discreetly glanced at Shino and Nemuri, who instantly understood what she wanted to talk about and nodded in agreement. At that moment, Kai spoke in a calm tone.

“Alright, I’ll be there for dinner on time. Sage, make a note of it.”

“Immediately, Master.” replied Sage, who was sitting on Kai’s shoulder, working with several holographic screens in front of her, speaking in a serious tone.

In the middle of breakfast, Eva arrived in the dining room with Oliver. They still looked a bit sleepy but had cheerful smiles on their faces—especially Oliver, who was hugging the Autobot No. 14, which had become his favorite toy. At that moment, the whole family stood up to greet them and begin breakfast together.

…

“It’s a shame we can’t go with you to the airport.” Ryuko said after breakfast, standing in front of Eva and speaking with a bit of regret. But Eva shook her head and replied with a smile.

“There’s no need. You’re all busy people, and I already feel incredibly grateful for everything you’ve done for me and for my Oliver. I wouldn’t want to trouble you any further.”

“It was nothing at all. It was truly a pleasure having you with us. And don’t forget to come visit us from time to time.” Nemuri added with a smile, to which Eva nodded happily and replied.

“You can count on it. And if you ever come to Australia, don’t hesitate to let me know—I’ll do my best to welcome you.”

…

After the Pussycats, Momo, and Nejire said their goodbyes to Eva—since they wouldn’t be able to see her off at the airport—Kai used Accompany to take the Pussycats back to their base, while Momo and Nejire headed off to U.A. without him. He had been granted time off by Principal Nezu for medical reasons and to rest. In truth, however, he simply wanted to work without distractions on his most urgent projects: teleportation, strengthening his family, and making his armor.

Upon returning to the garden using Magnetic Force, Kai found Yumiko and Keiko stepping out of the mansion, elegantly dressed. Yumiko wore a gray pencil skirt that reached just above her knees, highlighting her seductive figure. It paired perfectly with her sheer black stockings and a fitted jacket that hugged her ample chest and wasp-like waist. She also wore black high heels and matching sunglasses.

Meanwhile, Keiko was dressed in salmon-colored slacks that hugged her slender, long legs, paired with a matching blazer over a black blouse. Though buttoned up, the outfit still revealed a subtle, elegant neckline that framed her ample chest.

“Heading out?” Kai asked curiously upon seeing the stunning mothers. Yumiko nodded and replied in a cheerful voice.

“Yes, we’re going to my office first, and then Keiko has a few errands to run.”

“We’ll be back in time to go with Eva to the airport.”

Keiko added with a lovely smile as she walked over to Kai, closely followed by Yumiko. At that moment, Kai nodded and spoke while extending his Observation Haki to locate Eva, finding her in her room packing with her little one. Though she had arrived with nothing, during her stay she had received clothes, toys for Oliver, and other things she now wanted to take back with her.

“Alright, I’ll stay here and work—I’ve got a lot to do.”

“No training, remember? You promised not to until you’ve fully recovered.”

Once in front of Kai, Keiko said this with a sweet smile, then stretched up slightly to give him a loving kiss on the cheek, leaving a red lipstick mark behind. Yumiko did the exact same on the other cheek, leaving a shimmer of her lip gloss. Kai then commented casually.

“I know. I’ll be in the workshop all day, actually.”

““Take care.””

While wiping the marks off Kai’s cheeks with amused smiles, the pair of mothers said goodbye in unison, then walked to the garage and left in one of the cars with a chauffeur. At that moment, Kai stretched lazily before starting to walk toward the workshop, speaking to his trusted assistant as he went.

“Well, Sage, let’s work on my armor. Keep working on the teleportation project and run the final tests on [Vital Reactor] and the [Accomplices].”

“Understood, Master.” Sage quickly replied in a serious tone. Immediately afterward, she generated a couple of holographic screens in front of her master and asked.

“But Master, before we begin work on the armor, how about we review the Aura Script patterns first? I think we can make several improvements using the Drider’s data, which would enhance various abilities that rely on them—even the ones we engrave into the armor.”

“You’re right. It’s better if we start with that…” Kai said thoughtfully as he looked over the data on the holographic screens. Then he nodded and spoke calmly.

“It’s decided—change of plans. Let’s work on the Aura Script patterns. But also start production on a basic armor model using the specifications from Momo’s armor, and add some Aura Script patterns to it. We still don’t know if those spiders will try something, and if they do, I’ll need armor.”

“Understood. I’ll get started right away, Master.”

Sage replied quickly, her wings glowing in different colors as she spoke. At that moment, Kai entered the workshop, closely followed by Salem and Tama, who had just finished their own breakfast and were returning for their morning nap beside their master.

…

A little over an hour before Eva had to leave, Kai stepped out of the workshop to shower and get ready. He ended up wearing an elegant white long-sleeve shirt, dark blue dress pants, and black leather shoes that matched his belt. As he came down the stairs, he found Eva and Oliver already dressed and ready, with several suitcases around them. He then spoke in a calm voice.

“Are you ready?”

When she heard Kai, Eva turned to look at him, and her eyes couldn’t help but widen a little. After all, while the blue-eyed young man had always been incredibly handsome, dressed like that he looked even more so—making her dormant heart skip a beat. It wasn’t just his looks; somehow, in those clothes, he radiated a refined and calm aura, like a successful and capable man.

“Y-yes, we’re ready.” Eva quickly replied, a bit nervous, to which Kai responded with a calm smile. But at that moment, he turned his gaze toward the entrance of the property and said.

“And they arrived just in time.”

Hearing this, the nervous Eva quickly turned to look in the same direction, where she saw two sleek black cars entering the property. A moment later, Yumiko and Keiko stepped out. They couldn’t help but smile when they saw how handsome Kai looked. They walked toward him calmly and each took an arm, just as Salem leapt gracefully onto his master’s shoulder.

“Well then, let’s go. I can’t wait to meet little Oliver’s grandparents.” Yumiko said with a smile.

…

After waiting for a while at the airport, Eva finally saw her in-laws again after so long. They had aged considerably—their hair now almost completely white, and their appearance frail and worn. But all that frailty seemed to vanish the moment they saw her, especially when they saw Oliver. With tears streaming down their faces, the elderly couple rushed forward to embrace them tightly.

That reunion quickly turned into an almost endless session of apologies, where the elderly pair expressed deep remorse and guilt for how they had treated Eva in the past. Eva had to spend some time comforting them, gently reminding the tearful couple of Kai and the mothers' presence, which sparked a wave of heartfelt gratitude from the elderly couple toward them.

After sharing a meal together, during which they exchanged contact information, everyone returned to the airport, as the couple had purchased a flight for Eva and Oliver, and it was time to board. Upon arriving at the gate, Eva bowed at a 90-degree angle in traditional Japanese etiquette in front of Kai, then offered her thanks from the bottom of her heart.

“Thank you, Kai. I truly don’t know how to express it, but I swear this life won’t be enough for me to thank you properly for what you’ve done for me. From the bottom of my heart, I wish you happiness, and if you ever need anything from me—no matter how small—don’t hesitate for even a second to reach out. I promise I’ll do everything I can to help you.”

“Don’t worry about that. And stand up—for now, just focus on healing and make sure to visit us sometime. I like Oliver, so I’ll be making some toys for him now and then, and you’ll have to come pick them up.”

Kai replied with a calm smile. His words made little Oliver’s eyes light up, causing Keiko and Yumiko—linked arm-in-arm with Kai on either side—to chuckle softly.

“Kai’s right. Don’t forget about us. And if things don’t work out for you in Australia, our doors will always be open to you here in Japan.”

Yumiko said with a cheerful smile, which caused Eva’s in-laws to frown slightly—something that made the beautiful blue-haired mother chuckle softly. At that moment, Keiko added with a smile.

“Don’t forget to let us know when you land. Also, the manager of the Australian branch of the company will be keeping an eye on you and will help with anything you need. So if you run into any problems, don’t hesitate to reach out to her. I already gave her your number, and she’ll contact you no later than tomorrow.”

“You’ve really done too much for me… even though everything that happened was my fault…” Eva replied in a restrained voice, which led Keiko and Yumiko to tighten their grip on Kai’s arms before responding with a smile.

“That’s all in the past now. Don’t dwell on it.” Yumiko said with a smile, quickly followed by Keiko.

“Yes, we’re doing this because we want to. But you’re going to miss your flight if you don’t hurry.”

“That’s true…”

After checking the time, Eva nodded and gave a small smile, then hugged Yumiko, Kai, and Keiko. She said her final goodbyes and left with her in-laws and her son, under the watchful eyes of the three, who remained standing there, a little lost in their thoughts.

For the mothers, the reason they were so kind to Eva and her son wasn’t just out of sympathy for her difficult past. In truth, the main reason was that, in some way, Eva and Oliver reminded them of Alisa and Kai—perhaps because Eva was also from Avalon, or maybe because they sensed that Kai had saved her because he saw a reflection of himself in them. Whatever the reason, the feeling was undeniably there.

For that very reason, Yumiko and Keiko felt a sense of duty to help the poor woman—as if, in some way, they were helping their dear departed friend. But more than anything, they were helping Kai heal a deep wound in his heart, one they knew still hadn’t truly closed. He had just gotten very good at hiding it.

Meanwhile, Kai stood in silence, watching the backs of the beautiful mother and her son. In his mind, her figure began to blend with that of the beautiful, hot-tempered young woman he had once left behind. And that, finally, led him to speak—just as they were about to enter the airport.

“Eva, what do you think of people who ‘take the bread from their own mouths to give it to a stranger’?”

Chapter 204: All Might doesn’t have a quirk anymore.

Chapter Text

“Eva, what do you think of people who ‘take the bread from their own mouths to give it to a stranger’?”

Upon hearing the question, Eva turned to look at Kai with her eyes wide open, visibly stunned, almost as if she doubted what she was hearing. But after a few seconds, she couldn’t help but smile in realization and replied in a somewhat nostalgic voice.

“I suppose that was a common saying in Avalon, and you heard it from your mother. Actually, my mother always told me that ‘taking the bread out of your own mouth to give it to someone else’ only leaves you hungry, so only a child is worthy of such a sacrifice.”

Upon hearing her response, Kai couldn’t help but open his eyes a little in surprise, but this soon turned into a small smile, at which point he commented.

“I see, she was a wise woman.”

“Haha, she was a bit selfish and bad-tempered, but she was a great mother.” Eva replied with a smile full of loss and nostalgia, at which point Kai cheerfully commented.

“Wait a moment, Eva. I forgot something.”

Hearing this, Eva couldn’t help but stop and look at him, a little confused. That’s when the young man stepped closer to her and, without saying a word, took her hand and began drawing something with his finger on her palm. It made her smile, thinking it must be some Japanese custom to wish good luck or something like that since she’d seen something similar online.

(Although he seems like a mature and dependable man most of the time, it’s true he’s still a teenager...)

Eva added to herself with a warm smile on her face, but at that moment, she saw how a beautiful golden card suddenly appeared in the young man's hand. It had a strange pattern in the corners that looked like a mix between electronic circuitry and tribal runes—something she knew was the way the beautiful fairy used her quirk. But before she could say anything, Kai wrote her name in the air with his finger, and the card vanished in a flash of light.

“It’s done. Your turn, Oliver.”

Kai said with a small smile as he looked at the holographic screen in front of him, now displaying 19 registered marks. At that moment, Eva couldn’t help but ask, a bit confused.

“What did you do, Kai?”

“Let’s just say it’s a magic spell to make sure I can get there on time if you’re ever in danger.”

Kai replied with a suggestive smile, which immediately brought back to Eva’s mind the memories of when she escaped from that island—when the brave blue-eyed boy standing in front of her and the beautiful fairy had used those cards to get her out of that place. It made it easy for her to understand what the young man meant, and it inevitably brought a touched smile to her face.

“Thank you so much, Kai… I honestly don’t know how to repay you.”

“Don’t worry about it. Let’s just say meeting you did me some good—and as fellow countrymen, we’ve got to look out for each other.”

Kai replied with a smile as he took the confused Oliver’s hand and then quickly drew the Magnetic Force mark on it, which would allow him to reach his location using any of his movement cards—be it Magnetic Force or Accompany.

“Say thank you, Oliver.” Once Kai finished, Eva commented while squeezing Oliver’s hand. Oliver looked at Kai and, with a slightly nervous voice, thanked him.

“T-thank you, Kai.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Kai replied with a small smile, then ruffled the boy’s hair a little. After that, he said goodbye once more and watched as the mother and son walked away with the elderly until they disappeared inside the airport.

Once everyone had disappeared inside the airport, Kai couldn’t help but smile with mixed feelings, but he quickly shook his head and turned to look at the pair of beautiful mothers who were accompanying him with lovely smiles. Then he asked.

“Shall we go?”

“Let’s go.” They replied in unison.

…

Although they could have used Accompany to return, Keiko and Yumiko refused and decided to go back in the car they had arrived in. While the driver was driving, Keiko made Kai rest his head on her lap, forcing poor Salem to find a corner for himself. She began to gently caress Kai’s face in silence, but with a beautiful smile, wanting to convey all her love and care. Yumiko, who was sitting next to Keiko, did the same.

“Drive slower—take your time.”

Wanting to enjoy the moment a little longer, Yumiko pressed a button on the door and calmly gave an order, as the divider between the driver’s section and the back was fully closed. A firm, professional voice responded through the speakers.

[Understood.]

Meanwhile, Keiko turned to look at Yumiko and gave her a congratulatory smile, which made Yumiko chuckle softly with pride, while Kai simply let out an amused laugh and chose to remain silent, comfortably resting in Keiko’s lap.

…

“No matter how many times I see it, it never stops amazing me—you guys have way too much money…”

Stepping out of a black car, Mina couldn’t help but comment cheerfully as she looked at the impressive property that seemed to blend luxury and nature perfectly. At that moment, Momo stepped out of the car and replied with a small smile as she looked at her cheerful, pink-skinned friend.

“Don’t exaggerate; it’s not that much—it’s just a cozy and peaceful home.”

“You talk like it’s tiny…”

Jiro, who got out of the car right after, couldn’t help but retort, rolling her eyes. Momo nodded in response, wearing an incredibly innocent expression on her face, and then said.

“It’s actually quite small. The main mansion only has 20 rooms.”

“Only 20?! That’s practically a hotel…”

Jiro quickly replied, stunned, to the point that the cables extending from her earlobes started twitching erratically. Mina turned to Momo with a disbelieving expression, and Momo couldn’t help but reply with amusement, as if she’d just heard a joke.

“Fufufu, a hotel—that’s a good one. I’ll have to tell Kai that one of these days…”

“Momo, how many rooms do you think a house needs to have to be considered big?”

Mina asked with a strange tone, to which Momo responded while starting to walk toward the house, a beautiful smile on her face. After all, welcoming her friends into her home always lifted her spirits, and now that Kai had woken up, and their relationship had been accepted by her mother, she felt like she was floating on clouds—happier than words could express.

“I don’t know; maybe 200 or 300, I’d say. But let’s leave that conversation for later. The others shouldn’t take long to arrive, and I want to have tea, desserts, and everything ready to welcome them. I can’t disappoint as a hostess, fufu.”

Meanwhile, Jiro and Mina, after hearing Momo, couldn’t help but freeze in place, feeling like the world of the rich was truly something they could never fully understand. But seeing their black-haired friend practically radiating an aura of excitement and joy, the two students couldn’t help but smile in amusement.

Momo was truly unaware of her own wealth, and from time to time, she ended up delivering devastating remarks without even realizing it. But without a doubt, she was a valuable person and a great friend. Plus, that confused and innocent expression of hers was just too adorable, which inevitably made the two girls laugh before quickly running after their friend.

With the help of Mrs. Yoshiko, Mina, and Jiro, Momo managed to prepare enough tea and cookies for those who would be visiting Kai. One by one, the guests began to arrive—Momo’s extended group of close friends: Hagakure, Kirishima, Kaminari, Ojiro, and Sero, along with a somewhat unexpected group: Midoriya, Uraraka, Tsuyu, All Might, and Todoroki.

“Welcome! Kai won’t take long to arrive, so feel free to wait for him in the living room in the meantime.”

With a beautiful smile on her face, Momo welcomed all the visitors like a perfect hostess, which inevitably brought cheerful smiles to everyone who arrived—her happiness was truly contagious.

“I didn’t expect you to come, Todoroki.”

In the living room, Kirishima couldn’t help but approach Todoroki and ask with visible curiosity. The young man with half-white, half-red hair responded in a calm voice, lowering his teacup from his lips.

“Well, I’ve always been curious about Saito, and to be honest, I’d like to know what could actually make someone like him ‘sick.’ That couldn’t have been a normal illness.”

Understanding the deeper meaning behind Todoroki’s words, Kirishima couldn’t help but nod in agreement. He, too, didn’t believe that someone like Saito Kai could simply fall ill. But Yaoyorozu’s sadness had been very real, which only left one possibility: Saito’s health issue wasn’t a sickness—it was most likely an injury from a fight. And the secrecy all the teachers maintained about it only made everything more suspicious.

The minutes passed until, finally, a sleek black car entered the property. Out of it stepped Kai, accompanied by two stunning women, causing an almost unanimous gulp from nearly everyone present—the girls staring at Kai and the boys staring at the pair of beautiful women beside him. At that moment, Momo smiled brightly and ran toward her beloved.

“Welcome back.”

In front of her family, Momo greeted them with a beautiful smile before jumping up to hug Kai. In response, Kai, Yumiko, and Keiko greeted her in unison.

“““We’re back.”””

But one curious thing Kai noticed was that instead of letting go, Momo blushed slightly. Then she lifted her head and gave him a quick kiss on the lips before hurriedly letting go and walking back with visible embarrassment, which made him laugh in amusement—something the two mothers also found funny.

Meanwhile, inside the house, most of the students present couldn’t help but widen their eyes a bit—not so much surprised by the kiss itself, since everyone already knew there was something going on between the two—but rather by how bold Momo had been to kiss Saito in front of everyone, something she had never done before.

The impact was especially strong on Mina, Jiro, and Hagakure, the invisible girl. Although they had heard directly from Momo that her relationship with Kai had become official, they never imagined she would become so bold so quickly. But before they had much time to process it, Kai entered the room and greeted them with a smile.

“I didn’t expect so many people to come—thank you all for the visit.”

Upon hearing the greeting, all the students—and even All Might, who was standing toward the back to avoid making the younger ones uncomfortable—couldn’t help but look at the blue-eyed young man with a bit of surprise.

Somehow, he felt different—less “sharp”, more gentle. Combined with the absence of his iconic scar on his forehead, it felt a little strange, almost as if they were looking at a complete stranger.

“Saito… are you feeling okay?” Mina couldn’t help but ask, a little concerned, which made Kai laugh lightly as he calmly replied while walking over to an empty couch.

“Honestly? I feel pretty good.”

“Well then, we’ll leave you all here so you can catch up.” At that moment, Yumiko spoke calmly, and everyone nodded in agreement as she began walking upstairs together with Keiko.

“… But what happened that you’ve been missing classes? And your scar is gone… did you get cosmetic surgery?”

After a few seconds, Tsuyu—the frog girl—couldn’t help but ask, displaying her usual straightforwardness. This put a slightly uncomfortable expression on Momo’s face, who had sat down next to Kai on a couch facing everyone. At that moment, the blue-eyed boy responded in a calm tone.

“You could see it that way. In any case, it was just a minor health issue, but I’m still recovering, so I’ll be out of class for a little while longer.”

As he spoke, Kai couldn’t help but speed up his thoughts and focus his gaze on All Might at the back of the room. There was something odd about him—for some reason, with his observation haki, he couldn’t sense the same “fluctuation” in his “voice” that he could feel in everyone else. It caught his attention so strongly that he quickly concentrated his aura and haki into his eyes.

Activating that strange 360-degree black-and-white vision, Kai focused entirely on All Might’s figure, which allowed him to notice something incredible. The “double edge” he could see on the figures in that monochrome view—an outline that trembled or fluctuated slightly on everyone he had seen so far—was, for some reason, almost still on All Might. The movement was so subtle it was barely perceptible, and on top of that, it appeared slightly fuzzy and blurred.

To confirm, Kai examined the figures of everyone else in the room, realizing that indeed, this strange phenomenon was occurring only with All Might. That inevitably led him to reflect on what set the former Number One Hero apart from everyone else—leading him almost instantly to the answer.

(All Might doesn’t have a quirk anymore!)

[Sage, it’s possible that the fluctuation we’re perceiving is related to quirks! It might be the ‘spiritual component’ of the quirks!]

Realizing he may have discovered something of great importance, Kai almost instantly reached out to his trusted assistant through their mental link. The beautiful fairy responded quickly; her voice rushed and visibly excited.

[It’s highly likely, Master! I’m currently recording all the data and organizing research projects around this. This might be what we’ve been missing to use [Royal Silence] on quirks other than One for All!]

[This is very important, Sage. If we’re right, this could allow us to deepen our understanding of the soul and spirit—we might finally be standing at the threshold of gaining some real certainty about something!]

Kai spoke as he moved within the space of his 360-degree vision, quickly focusing on Midoriya. He noticed that the “double edge” or outline of the young man’s figure was unusual—several times larger and completely disproportionate. It was a world of difference compared to everyone else, whose outlines were subtle enough that he had to concentrate to even notice them.

But beyond that—and possibly even stranger—was that this “outline”, instead of following the contours of Midoriya’s figure, seemed to mimic the shape of All Might’s. And yet, not entirely. It looked more like a strange chimeric amalgamation made of different parts, almost like a Frankenstein.

“I apologize for speaking so bluntly…”

While Kai was rapidly processing the oddity surrounding the green-haired boy, he suddenly heard Tsuyu’s voice—exaggeratedly slow and slightly distorted, a side effect of accelerating his thoughts. Knowing that he would now have more opportunities to study both Midoriya and All Might in detail, he slowed his thoughts and responded in a calm tone.

“Don’t worry about it. Honestly, I prefer your style—it’s easier for me to talk with someone like you than with someone who’s overly ‘subtle.’”

“Thank you.”

Tsuyu, who felt uncomfortable after receiving an annoyed look from Momo due to her question, quickly responded with genuine gratitude, bowing her head slightly once more toward Momo in a gesture of apology. At that moment, Kai turned to look toward the garden and commented casually.

“Looks like the rest have arrived.”

Upon hearing Kai, everyone turned to look outside, and they saw a beautiful blue-haired girl surrounded by swirling trails of energy slowly descending into the garden. She was accompanied by a tall, muscular young man with short golden hair and strange oval-shaped blue eyes with no visible sclera, dressed in the U.A uniform.

“Kai!! I heard you woke up!!”

As soon as he landed, the young man shouted enthusiastically and ran full speed into the house, where he found his good friend with black hair and blue eyes standing with a slightly amused smile—prompting the golden-haired boy to leap forward and give him a big hug.

“Thanks for the visit—I heard you came by while I was ‘asleep.’” As he received Mirio’s hug, Kai spoke in a calm tone, patting the broad back of the young man.

“Haha, no need to thank me for something like that. That’s what friends are for! More importantly, I’m glad you’re okay. Sir Nighteye sends his regards.”

Mirio replied with a wide smile on his face—different, yet somehow reminiscent of All Might’s: confident and charismatic. At that moment, Kai casually patted his shoulder, signaling him to release the hug, and said.

“I’m glad you came. Actually, there’s something I’d like to propose to you… but let’s save that for later.”

“You can count on me for whatever you need!”

Mirio responded immediately, full of confidence, which made Kai chuckle a little—something that once again surprised Midoriya and Todoroki. That relaxed, smiling version of Kai was something they weren’t used to. After all, even though he had mellowed a bit before the internships and wasn’t as intimidating as before, he had still always been a serious and quiet person.

Though for Momo’s group—especially Mina, who had spent the most time with him—it didn’t seem all that strange. Kai, while grumpy and a bit intimidating, was a good guy, and Mina could honestly say he was actually quite pleasant when he was in a good mood. He made more jokes, laughed, and overall was far more enjoyable than his usual distant and irritable demeanor.

Chapter 205: Have you seen the strength of my cat?

Chapter Text

Note: Due to some confusion with the timeline, a poll was held on Patreon and, from now on, chapters will begin with the date on which they take place in the story.

***

--Thursday, May 21st, 2172

“Alright, we'll talk about it later then.”

As Nejire walked over to hug him, Kai calmly commented, looking at Mirio, then gave a gentle greeting hug to his beautiful blue-haired girlfriend. She held back from kissing him and instead looked at the visitors and said with a smile.

“Hi everyone, please excuse me for a moment while I go change.”

After saying goodbye, Nejire walked toward the stairs, while Kai turned to face everyone present and spoke in a calm tone.

“Well, although I really can't share too many details, I’m actually feeling much better now. But since you came to visit me, I’d actually like to propose something.” Kai paused briefly, letting his gaze sweep across everyone in the room, lingering for a moment on All Might’s intrigued expression before continuing.

“I don't know if any of you are aware, but just in case, I'll let you know—I'll be training Midoriya for a while. So I'd like to extend the invitation to anyone who wants to join. However, I should warn you, it won't be anything like last time. This time, I'm taking it seriously, so it'll be more or less hell. But in return, I can assure you I have a way to make you several times stronger than the average hero.”

“Did that ‘illness’ make you so cautious, Saito?”

At that moment, Todoroki asked in a solemn voice, forming an idea of what must have happened for the terrifying young man before him to make such a proposition—something that inevitably made Kai smile as he calmly replied.

“Pretty sharp.”

“…”

Kai’s answer left everyone in silence, while All Might widened his eyes slightly in surprise. He truly hadn’t expected Kai to do something like that. But thinking about it, it was a good tactic—those spiders were far too dangerous. And while training professional, experienced heroes might yield better immediate results, the younger students had their own advantages.

First of all, young people—especially at the age everyone present was—could grow incredibly fast under the right circumstances. They were just beginning to explore their quirks, and their potential was virtually limitless. Furthermore, the authority Kai could exercise over them would be far greater than what a professional hero would ever accept, which would inevitably impact efficiency and, therefore, results.

Also, regardless of what happened with those spiders, the training would still benefit the young ones. It would increase their chances of survival if the worst were to happen. And if it didn’t, and they managed to resolve everything, young ones could still become great heroes with what they had learned. That thought inevitably led him to comment with a wide smile.

“You really seem like a true hero right now, Kai-shonen.”

“Ah, don’t get me wrong—I'm doing this because I see it as necessary. But my thoughts on being a professional hero haven’t changed. I'm not cut out for that.”

Kai replied in a calm tone as he looked directly into the eyes of the Symbol of Peace, who couldn’t help but smile with a hint of bitterness. At the same time, Kai noticed that Momo was unusually calm, even after what he had said—almost as if she didn’t care. It was a bit strange, since she usually frowned in these situations. But not wanting to ruin his good luck, he continued speaking as he looked at the students present.

“Of course, you don’t have to accept right now or anything like that. Actually, it’s better if you wait a few days until Midoriya tells you what it’s like to train with me seriously. That way, you’ll have a clearer idea of what to expect.” Kai turned to look at Mirio and added in a serious tone.

“And obviously, the invitation includes you too, Mirio. The training will become more intense and consistent, but I promise you—it’s worth it.”

“I’m more than ready. Just let me talk to Mr. Nighteye and we can start today.”

Mirio quickly responded with confidence—after all, he more than anyone understood how effective training with Kai could be. Not just because of the technical level one could develop with him, but because his blue-eyed friend had some rather magical means of pushing someone’s strength beyond what was humanly possible.

For example, thanks to Kai, he now possessed superhuman strength. Combined with his quirk, [Permeation], which allowed him to phase through anything, this made him a force to be reckoned with. He was capable of landing blows that could bypass any defense, with enough power to leave his fists imprinted in thick steel plates.

“I still can’t train, I’m in recovery. We’ll start on Saturday.” Kai said as he looked at Mirio, who nodded in understanding. At that moment, Kai turned to look at the green-haired boy in the back and added.

“The same goes for you, Midoriya—we start Saturday.”

“U-understood.” Midoriya quickly replied, a bit nervous. That’s when Todoroki stood up and spoke in a serious tone.

“I’d like to come on Saturday too. I’ve always wanted to test myself against you in combat.”

“No problem.” Kai replied casually. At that point, several other students stood up and announced they would come on Saturday as well, and Kai accepted all of them.

…

By the time the students were heading home, All Might approached Kai, who was casually chatting with Momo, Nejire, and Mirio, and spoke in a calm tone.

“Kai-shonen, I’d like to have a word with you.”

“Sure, let’s take a walk.”

Kai quickly replied. After saying goodbye to the girls and Mirio, he began walking with All Might through the garden. After a few seconds, All Might spoke in a serious tone.

“I didn’t expect you to do something like this, Kai-shonen.”

“Well, those spiders are extremely dangerous, so I figured it was necessary to train some competent fighters—and that includes you.” Kai replied with a mysterious smile, which made the Symbol of Peace smile a bit in amusement. Shortly after, he asked.

“So, are you going to train me too?”

“Much more intensely—I want to give you back some of your strength.” Kai replied quickly, a playful grin on his face. That wiped the smile off All Might’s face, who couldn’t help but ask, filled with disbelief.

“Are you serious…?”

“You’ve seen the strength of Salem—my cat—haven’t you?”

For his part, Kai spoke in a casual tone as he pointed to the black cat with blue eyes lying on a tree branch alongside a beautiful white cat. This brought a look of realization to the Symbol of Peace’s face, who quickly asked in a serious tone.

“That’s the result of what you want to do with me?”

“Pretty similar. So you could end up just as strong—or maybe even stronger. Though without the lightning and all that, it would be your own original power.”

Kai replied calmly, still looking at the cat in the tree, as if he were talking about something casual and unimportant—and not about something that could turn the entire world upside down.

“What are the risks?”

All Might quickly asked in return with a serious tone, not believing for a second that this kind of power could be obtained so easily. One for All was supposed to be unique. But to his surprise, Kai smiled and explained calmly.

“Actually, I have two ways of doing it. One is the method my family uses, which is 100% safe and has no side effects—but I retain a certain degree of control over that power, since it originally came from me. The second option, which is what I want to offer you, is to create a quirk from scratch that replicates how One for All works.

“But don’t worry—the research is advanced enough, and the risks are minimal. It’s something I’ll also have my family use soon. So it’s up to you to decide which option you want. Although, to be completely sure, I’d like to examine Midoriya for a while, since my confidence is based on replicating how One for All modifies the body of its new user.”

“…”

Upon hearing Kai’s explanation, All Might fell silent, staring intently at the young man before him—that cunning fox—trying to uncover his true intentions. If there was one thing he had learned about him during the time they'd known each other, it was that Kai, while not a liar, always held back part of the truth.

He would lead others into misunderstanding without ever directly lying—like when he offered to heal him in exchange for a large sum of money, but conveniently left out that he had extensively studied the One for All.

“…I suppose you want Midoriya and me to be your guinea pigs.” After a few seconds, All Might finally spoke, locking eyes with Kai, who couldn’t help but laugh before calmly replying.

“A little, but I’m not lying when I say I’m quite confident I can make it work. I have several different methodologies to achieve it. Besides, I don’t actually need Midoriya to do anything special—while he’s training, I’ll be studying One for All without him even noticing.”

“Then why tell me?” All Might asked, not breaking eye contact. Kai responded calmly.

“To avoid problems. My family will eventually obtain powers similar to One for All—though still far from your prime—so it’s better to be honest with you now to prevent you from forming the wrong ideas that could lead to conflict.”

“That’s incredibly dangerous, Kai-shonen. If a power like that falls into the wrong hands...” All Might replied, eyes narrowed, fully focused on Kai. But Kai simply responded in a calm tone.

“Well, it’s already in my hands, and I’m going to use it to keep my family safe. So it’s your choice whether you want to be a part of it or not. I’m only offering the invitation because of who you are. But if you don’t want it, I’m sure quantity can overwhelm quality.”

“That sounds like a threat, Kai.” All Might responded in a graver tone, to which Kai replied.

“Take it however you want. I think I made it clear a long time ago that you don’t scare me, so don’t waste your time. It’s better if you just think over my proposal and make a decision. I think it’s a pretty profitable deal for both sides.

“Also, don’t forget, we still have to hunt down that quirk thief. I’ve already infiltrated his systems, so we can hit him by surprise at any moment. If you want to be part of that, it’s best we keep being ‘friends.’”

Hearing Kai’s words, All Might couldn’t help but let out a weary sigh. It really was difficult to talk with the young man in front of him—who, while he seemed less aggressive—not even activating that overwhelming pressure of his—was still just as sharp and unyielding. At that moment, the Symbol of Peace spoke in a low voice.

“…You’re right. I’ll think about it. But I want you to give me all the information you have on All For One. That’s something we can’t ignore either.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got him monitored. Though I haven’t been able to fully infiltrate yet—he’s got capable people covering him—I do have his location and some important data. But for now, I think it’s more important to go back to that island and check things out.”

For his part, Kai put his hands in his pockets and spoke calmly, looking up at the sky, a little lost in thought. At that moment, All Might could only nod and reply.

“Either way, I hope you keep me informed.”

“Don’t worry, I will. But for now, things seem pretty quiet. I guess he wants to keep a low profile after everything that happened with the Hero Killer and the Nomus. And it looks like the guy with the hands is recruiting crazed misfits like himself, so they won’t be making any moves in the short term. That’ll give us enough time to check the island and then come back to take them all down.”

Kai answered calmly, which inevitably made All Might sigh again. He quickly responded in a serious tone.

“Capture, Kai. A hero’s main goal is always to capture villains, not ‘take them down.’”

“I’m not a pro hero, and I don’t plan to be, so it’s fine, hahaha.” Kai replied with amusement, causing All Might to shake his head and sigh one again.

…

After the visit ended and everyone had left, Kai spent time in his workshop working on the Aura Script patterns, refining them using the Drider’s genetic data as a guide. He managed to make several important improvements, which left him feeling both pleased and apprehensive, as well as filled with questions and curiosity about the origin of such a creature—one that seemed deeply connected to his strange quirk.

By the time night arrived, Kai stretched lazily and began shutting everything down to head out for dinner. But at that moment, he noticed that his beautiful and reliable assistant was twisting in the air, full of hesitation—a highly unusual behavior that prompted him to ask with concern.

“What’s wrong, Sage?”

“…Master… there’s something I want to report, but I’m not sure if I should…”

Sage replied, full of uncertainty and with a strange urgency born from the fact that the 24 hours her master had set for deleting any 'intimate' content related to anyone in the family had just expired—and yet, she was still holding on to the footage of what Keiko had done beside her master, unsure whether she should show it or not.

“What is it?”

Upon hearing the beautiful fairy, Kai couldn’t help but ask curiously, knowing it had to be something quite unusual for Sage to act this way. It couldn’t be dangerous—his trusted assistant would have told him without hesitation if that were the case.

“It’s about Keiko… it’s something 'intimate' about her.”

Sage replied with an uncertain voice, which confused Kai even more. He quickly began to think about what his beautiful black-haired aunt could have done to make his reliable fairy assistant behave like this. But it didn’t take him long to reach the most likely conclusion, prompting him to ask, slightly surprised.

“Did Keiko do something to me while I was asleep…?”

“She didn’t really do anything to you directly… it was more like something she did beside you and let you do to her while you were sleeping…” Sage said, her voice filled with guilt and uncertainty, which made it easy for Kai to get a sense of what had happened. He let out a heavy sigh and commented.

“…If you have a video, delete it immediately. Also, erase any evidence she might have left behind… this is problematic…”

“Immediately, Master.”

Sage responded hastily, feeling an enormous weight—one that had been eating away at her from within—finally lift. Meanwhile, Kai drifted into his thoughts, trying to decide what to do next.

Though he didn’t really care much about someone doing something to him while he slept—something he had grown used to in his past life—in this new life, where he barely slept, it had only happened once, with Nemuri. The incident itself was problematic, mainly because of his relationship with Momo. He wasn’t sure how she would react, and he genuinely didn’t want trouble. So after a few seconds, he gave a serious order.

“Sage, this never happened. Understood?”

“Yes, Master!” Sage replied energetically, but quickly followed up with a more serious tone.

“But what should I do if something like this happens again? Should I report it or not? I don’t know what to do in a case like that, Master.”

“Report it to me—but discreetly. Even though I really want to stay away from that kind of trouble, it’s better to know than to be unaware and make a mistake.” Kai replied in a serious tone, at which point Sage asked again, this time with a bit of curiosity.

“Understood, Master. But… what are you going to do about Keiko?”

“For now, nothing. I’ll leave things as they are. I’m with Momo now, and she might feel hurt about it. Besides, it could’ve just been a momentary thing—who knows. For now, let’s just observe what happens. We’ll only decide what to do if things start to get out of control.” Kai said in a serious tone as he walked out of the workshop, to which Sage nodded and replied.

“Understood, Master.”

But as the beautiful fairy watched Salem leap onto her master’s shoulder along with Tama, she couldn’t help but wonder if what the girls did with her master was really that pleasurable—enough to do it secretly while he was asleep. Even though she didn’t really have those kinds of desires herself, curiosity was something innate to her nature.

But before she could arrive at any conclusion, the beautiful fairy quickly shook her head and sped up to sit atop her master’s head, pushing aside those silly thoughts. After all, she was her master’s most reliable assistant—not someone who would cause him trouble.

…

After leaving the workshop, Kai joined his family for a calm and cheerful dinner, where the main topic of conversation was the visit from his classmates. However, Kai was more focused on watching Keiko and Momo, studying them discreetly. But they both seemed just like always, with no noticeable differences at first glance. By the end of dinner, this allowed him to relax—there really didn’t seem to be any significant changes coming in the short term.

[Kai, we want to talk to you.]

But as he stretched lazily after getting up from his chair, Kai suddenly received a telepathic message from Shino that put him back on alert. He immediately scanned all his girlfriends discreetly and noticed they were all smiling softly while looking at Tomoko, who seemed quite nervous.

[Alright. Should we talk in my room?] Imagining what this might be about, Kai replied with a tone trying to stay calm. At that moment, Shino responded calmly.

[No. Let’s meet at the usual time in the meeting spot—we want to go to the safe house.]

[Alright…]

Now fully aware of what was happening, Kai responded while looking at the shy Tomoko, who couldn’t help but blush a little and avert her gaze, causing him to sigh softly.

It wasn’t that the idea of being with Tomoko bothered him—but in some way, it made him feel uneasy. He genuinely loved his family and wanted them to be happy, so the fact that even Tomoko now seemed to be joining the relationship made him feel as if he were emotionally manipulating or pressuring the girls—a feeling he didn’t like.

[Sage, is there something wrong with me? Why does even Tomoko want to be with me now?] With mixed feelings, Kai asked his trusted assistant through their mental link, to which the beautiful fairy replied in a calm tone.

[There’s really nothing wrong, Master. I’ve been investigating on my own to see if there’s something special about you that attracts females, but I haven’t found anything so far.]

[I see… keep looking…] Kai responded in a somewhat distant tone, to which Sage replied with a smile.

[I will, Master. But from what I’ve heard, the core of your appeal lies in how thoughtful and considerate you are, hehe.]

[No jokes—this is serious.] Kai replied, rolling his eyes, to which Sage laughed playfully and responded.

[Alright, Master, I’ll take it seriously.]

As Kai spoke with his assistant, he noticed the blush on Tomoko’s face deepen, and she began sneaking shy glances at him. Meanwhile, Nemuri, Ryuko, Shino, Momo, and Nejire smiled mischievously, their eyes shifting between her and him—something that inevitably made Kai sigh.

(It’s not that it’s bad… but it does feel a bit wrong. I really need to set clear boundaries or this could spiral out of control…)

With a complicated feeling stirring inside him, Kai stood from his chair and stretched lazily, then turned to the others and spoke in a calm tone.

“I’ll be in the workshop for a bit longer.”

“Don’t stay up too late.”

Yumiko quickly replied as she walked calmly toward the living room with Nejire and Keiko, to which Kai nodded before leaving the mansion and heading to his workshop to continue working on the Aura Script patterns.

Chapter 206: Since when have I been this perceptive...?

Chapter Text

At the end of the bar in an old and run-down tavern, two men sat together in silence. However, due to the poor lighting of the place, their faces were completely unreadable, and even their figures were difficult to make out.

“Is the mission compromised?”

After setting his glass of cheap whiskey on the table, the man on the right asked in a cold voice. At that moment, the man on the left responded in an eloquent tone that seemed forcibly ‘refined.’

“Not yet, but the fact that there’s so much evidence is worrying. Did they find anything?”

“Talk like a normal human in front of me if you don’t want to lose your teeth.”

The man on the right snapped back with a voice full of disgust, to which the man on the left merely waved his hand, signaling that he’d try. This inevitably made the man on the right scoff before he asked again in a displeased, though noticeably more serious tone.

“And so far, nothing. Whoever sent those messages is too good—every lead we’ve followed ends in a dead end.”

“Haruto keeps insisting the sender of those messages is Saito Kai.” The man on the left replied thoughtfully, still using that fake refined tone, prompting the man on the right to respond in a serious voice.

“Unlikely. The job is too clean—even for us, pulling off something like that would be difficult. So it's more likely that other hands are involved, and they’re trying to use the situation with your sister and 'brother-in-law' as a spearhead to test us.”

“Investigate Saito Kai anyway.” The man on the left said in a dark tone, so much so that his fake elegance vanished. He then took a sip of his whiskey and continued explaining.

“Actually, I was that kid’s teacher for a while, and I never had a good feeling about him. My danger senses would go off whenever he was around—like I was in front of a dangerous beast. That’s why I never got close to Yaoyorozu Momo. My instincts were screaming at me to stay away.”

“Why didn’t you ever report that?” Upon hearing the explanation, the man on the right couldn’t help but turn to look at the man on the left and ask, before adding in a serious tone.

“You even got several reprimands for letting a high-priority target like Yaoyorozu Momo slip through.”

The man on the left began swirling his whiskey in the glass, his gaze distant. Then he downed it in one gulp and slammed the glass on the table, speaking in a serious tone.

“Simple. A lot of people wanted my position, so I couldn’t afford to admit I was afraid of a teenager. But things are different now. We all saw the UA Sports Festival. That kid is a monster—and I think he’s hiding even more.”

“I’ll look into him.” the man on the right said in a serious tone, then took the last sip of his whiskey and placed the empty glass on the table. As he stood up, he continued speaking firmly.

“For now, keep a low profile and wait for orders.”

The man on the left simply nodded, then ordered another drink, his mind lost in thought. Meanwhile, the man on the right walked out of the bar at a slow pace, vanishing into the darkness—as if he were nothing more than a ghost.

…

--Thursday, May 21st, 2172

By the time it was time to meet up with the girls, Kai walked to his room and took a good bath, all while using his Observation Haki to check on what everyone else was doing. That allowed him to notice that all of his girlfriends were gathered in Tomoko’s room, while Keiko, Chatora, Yumiko, and Mrs. Yoshiko were peacefully asleep.

After bathing and putting on a pair of blue jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt, Kai left the mansion and went to wait for the girls in the usual spot deep in the forest. There, he closed his eyes and, just like always, began to breathe following his breathing method while synchronizing his aura and Haki—which was now much easier to control and manipulate.

More than an hour later, Kai sensed the girls approaching, so he opened his eyes—just in time to see Tomoko beautifully dressed and made up, looking exceptionally stunning, perhaps more beautiful than he had ever seen her. She wore light but attractive makeup, along with a white blouse that left her shoulders and the upper part of her abdomen exposed.

Tomoko’s simple blouse was paired with turquoise-green pants, the same color as her hair. The pants sat just above her navel and fit perfectly around her waist, accentuating her sensual hips and long, well-defined legs, giving her a look that strikingly blended elegance and innocence.

“Kai…”

As she arrived, Tomoko greeted him shyly, a faint blush forming on her cheeks, with no trace of the confidence she had shown while Kai was unconscious. This inevitably made the other girls smile in mild amusement, while Kai gave her a warm smile and said in a calm, yet noticeably affectionate tone.

“You look beautiful.”

“… Thank you. You look really handsome, too.”

Upon hearing the compliment, Tomoko blushed visibly, but a beautiful smile inevitably formed on her face. She thanked him in a happy, proud, almost childlike voice, which made everyone around laugh a little. At that moment, Nemuri spoke up in a relaxed tone.

“It’s a bit uncomfortable here. Let’s go to the safe house so we can talk more freely.”

“Let’s go!”

Nejire, unusually energetic, quickly jumped onto Kai’s neck the way Tomoko used to. Tomoko shyly stepped aside, allowing Shino and Ryuko to take their places at Kai’s sides. At that moment, Momo and Nemuri each took one of Tomoko’s arms and gave her meaningful smiles.

“[Accompany] On! [Safe House]”

Once everyone had gathered around him, Kai activated the Accompany card, and in a flash of light, they all shot into the sky and vanished as if it had all been an illusion. Shortly after, they landed in front of an elegant, discreet villa by a beautiful lake, where the girls confidently entered, pulling the shy Tomoko along with them.

A short while later, Kai found himself sitting alone on a couch, while across from him sat Tomoko—visibly shy and blushing. She wasn’t alone; she was completely surrounded by the other girls. Momo and Nemuri stood behind her, whispering things into her ears, while Shino and Ryuko were seated on the armrests of the couch, looking at him with a mix of amusement and seriousness—making it clear they were on the opposing team and wouldn’t budge no matter what.

Meanwhile, Nejire was sitting on the floor between Tomoko’s legs, holding a huge box of popcorn, eating casually as if waiting for the show to begin—a sight that made Kai chuckle a little despite himself. After a few seconds, he asked in a serious tone.

“So… what did you all want to talk to me about?”

Upon hearing Kai’s question, all the girls nudged Tomoko to speak. After taking a few deep breaths, the beautiful woman with turquoise-green hair and golden eyes finally spoke, her voice full of sincerity.

“Kai… Everything that’s happened these past few days made me realize that I want you to be the father of my children. And even though I don’t know if I can be as amazing as Ryuko, Shino, Nemuri, Momo, or Nejire, please believe me when I say this comes from the bottom of my heart. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for years—I just never had the courage to take a step toward it until now. So… I’m asking you to at least give me a chance.

“You don’t have to love me the same way you love the others, or treat me any differently than you already do. I truly love the relationship we have—I feel like we’re even better than lifelong spouses. So the only thing I’m hoping for is that, when the time is right—and I hope it’s soon—we can try to be ‘intimate’... so we can bring a child into this world.”

“…”

Upon hearing Tomoko’s words, Kai fell silent and looked directly into her beautiful golden eyes, where he saw only longing and nervousness. At that moment, he let his gaze wander over each of his girlfriends, finding different emotions in their eyes—though, curiously, not a single one of them seemed particularly negative.

In Nemuri’s eyes, there was a hint of excitement and a subtle spark of arousal. In Momo’s, he could see that his beautiful, young girlfriend strongly related to Tomoko’s words—her gaze urging him to say yes without hesitation.

Meanwhile, Ryuko and Shino, who were gently rubbing Tomoko’s shoulders in support, radiated genuine warmth and happiness. They truly looked pleased that their friend had taken such a brave step.

As for Nejire, she seemed quite cheerful as she munched on her popcorn—though at the same time, she appeared to be counting something on her fingers… who knows what.

(Wait a second… Since when have I been this perceptive...?)

Just as Kai was about to respond, something clicked in his mind—and he suddenly realized something. That instantly prompted him to accelerate his thoughts and connect mentally with his trusted assistant.

[Sage, what’s going on? Why am I so perceptive? And why am I only noticing it now?]

[Master, I’m not entirely sure yet.] The beautiful fairy quickly replied in a serious tone.

[But I suspect it has something to do with the change our Haki underwent. It’s possible you’re now able to sense emotions far more clearly than before. However, we’ll need to conduct a full analysis to confirm it.]

[Then I’m leaving it to you, Sage. It seems like the changes in the mini-self are more important than we thought.] Kai responded with a curious tone.

[Leave it to me, Master.] Sage answered confidently, prompting Kai to slow down his thoughts once more and meet Tomoko’s golden eyes directly—then spoke in a serious tone.

“Well, Tomoko, I imagine you’ve already talked this over with the girls and that they agreed, right?” At his question, Tomoko quickly nodded, followed by the others, who smiled beautifully—prompting Kai to continue with a serious tone.

“In that case, and as you already know, I care about you a lot. You’re part of my family, and what matters most to me is your happiness and well-being. I don’t want you to end up with regrets. That’s why I suggest we give it a try—but take it step by step.

“Even though we know each other well and are very close, a romantic relationship brings extra complications that can be difficult to manage. So I think the best thing is for us to try being a couple for a while first, and then we’ll see if having children together is the right choice or not.”

“…”

Upon hearing Kai’s sincere response, Tomoko felt a strange mix of emotions. On one hand, she was happy—happy that he hadn’t rejected her, that he cared so deeply for her, and that he was protecting her with such tenderness. But at the same time, she felt a little sad, disappointed, and even left out because she knew the other girls were already being intimate with him.

Deep down, a part of her had hoped Kai would throw himself at her—that they’d have their first time that very night. She had even worn sheer lingerie just for him to see. So when that didn’t happen, it inevitably made her feel unattractive and unwanted, as if she were somehow forcing Kai to play along—as if he didn’t truly want to have a deeper relationship with her.

As that strange and conflicting swirl of emotions churned inside her heart, Tomoko suddenly felt someone lean close to her ear, then whisper in a soft, warm voice—a voice she instantly recognized. It was Nemuri.

“Actually, Momo and Nejire are still virgins. You know how Kai is—he’s way too careful with us. We’re only halfway to getting him to be a little more... ‘uninhibited’ in bed. So we’re definitely going to need your help with that soon, fufu.”

Upon hearing Nemuri’s words, Tomoko turned to look at her in slight surprise, then glanced at Momo, Ryuko, and Shino—all of whom simply smiled at her in a knowing, supportive way.

Nejire, who was still sitting between her legs, tilted her head back to look up at her and gave her a playful wink, which—for some reason—made Tomoko feel like she truly belonged. That small gesture erased much of the dissatisfaction she had been feeling.

Meanwhile, Kai, who had caught Nemuri’s whisper, could only roll his eyes—though inwardly, he couldn’t help but reflect on her words. In some ways, she wasn’t wrong. Because of his overwhelming strength, he constantly had to hold himself back to avoid hurting the girls. It was likely that mindset had ended up affecting him in other areas as well.

“Well then, now that the main issue is settled… there’s just one more thing to do…”

After whispering to Tomoko, Nemuri straightened up and spoke in a playful voice, causing the girls’ eyes to light up with mischief as they began to rise from their spots. That was when Nemuri cheerfully announced.

“It’s time for the kiss!!”

At Nemuri’s words, all the girls—except Tomoko—began clapping happily, causing a deep blush to spread across Tomoko’s face. Kai, meanwhile, chuckled in amusement, then stood up and walked over until he was standing right in front of her. With a small smile, he asked.

“Do you agree?”

“…”

Tomoko didn’t say a word in response but gave a small, timid nod—visibly shy, which triggered another round of joyful cheers from the girls. Kai then leaned in and gently pressed his lips to Tomoko’s, giving her a soft and tender kiss—one that the shy pro hero returned nervously at first… but which quickly turned into genuine excitement.

As if the kiss had flipped some kind of switch inside her, Tomoko suddenly shed all her shyness and wrapped her arms tightly around Kai’s neck. Without breaking the kiss for even a second, she showed off her feline agility by leaping up and wrapping her beautiful legs around his waist.

(They did something like this in that 'magazine'...)

Recalling a certain “educational” magazine she kept hidden in a secret spot in her room, the excited Tomoko awkwardly tried to slide her tongue out to intertwine it with Kai’s. A little surprised, yet clearly amused, Kai responded by deepening the kiss with his new girlfriend, his hands moving down to firmly grip her luscious backside—a long-suppressed desire from deep within his heart.

Feeling Kai’s hands on her rear, Tomoko couldn’t help but tremble all over. But instead of pulling away, she clung to him even tighter, the intensity of their kiss growing with each passing second. Her lips expressed a near-desperate hunger—the yearning of a woman who had dreamed of this man for years, and who could finally feel him in her arms.

Meanwhile, Nemuri, Ryuko, and Shino, though slightly surprised to see Kai grabbing Tomoko’s backside—considering they had been his girlfriends the longest—quickly realized he must have heard Nemuri’s whisper and was acting accordingly. However, seeing the scene unfold, Momo couldn’t help but pout slightly in irritation; after all, she still hadn’t had her butt grabbed like that.

Nejire, for her part, just laughed playfully and pulled out her phone to snap a few pictures. This caught the attention of the other girls, who looked at her with a mix of confusion and curiosity. But Nejire simply gave a “wicked” smile and tucked her phone away.

At that moment, the kiss between Tomoko and Kai finally came to an end. Kai gently set the flushed, breathless Tomoko down—but her legs were too weak to support her, so he had to place her back onto the couch.

“Looks like that was a little too much voltage for our dear Tomoko, fufu.”

Ryuko quickly hugged Tomoko from behind as the latter struggled to catch her breath, commenting with an amused smile. At the same time, Shino sat on the armrest of the couch, looked at her golden-eyed friend, and asked with an almost motherly smile.

“How do you feel?”

“Happy…”

Tomoko replied with a nearly melted smile. Kai opened his mouth to say something, but before he could speak, Momo stepped in front of him with a serious expression. Without saying a word, she took his wrists and guided his hands to her shapely rear. Then, wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss.

“Fufu, looks like our Momo’s feeling a little jealous.”

Seeing Momo’s bold move, Nemuri couldn’t help but comment playfully, drawing giggles from Ryuko and Shino. Meanwhile, Tomoko looked up to watch the young couple locked in a passionate kiss, falling completely silent.

For her part, Momo, feeling Kai’s firm grip on her backside, finally felt at peace—but at the same time, that intimate gesture caused her body to heat up rapidly. Within seconds, she could feel her lower half becoming completely soaked, while those pleasant butterflies she always felt around Kai turned into an almost urgent, aching itch deep in her stomach.

After a short while, Momo broke the kiss with her beloved and buried her face in his chest. She was so aroused that even her clothes felt itchy and in the way. But at that moment, she felt his large, warm hand gently stroking her hair—a gesture that gradually relaxed her body until her excitement became manageable. Then she took a step back and spoke with a bright, joyful smile.

“Kai, I love you.”

“And I love you too.”

Kai responded instantly, wearing a similar smile. But just then, Nejire stepped in front of him and took his hands, placing them directly on her large breasts. With a radiant smile full of joy and childlike innocence, she said.

“Kai, it’s time for us to start ‘practicing.’”

“Are you sure?” Kai asked seriously, to which Nejire nodded cheerfully and replied.

“Absolutely. I really want to do it.”

“Alright then, how about we plan it for the first weekend of next month? That way we’ll have time to prepare and make it something special.”

Kai suggested with a calm smile. Nejire nodded eagerly, then leaned in and gave him a kiss on the lips before speaking again, her voice brimming with happiness.

“I’ll look forward to it! I want us to go to the beach!”

Meanwhile, Nemuri, Shino, and Ryuko watched the scene unfold with gentle smiles, silently wishing everything would go perfectly. Tomoko, however, remained completely silent, observing with a neutral expression—though she subtly began to rub her tightly pressed thighs together.

Momo stepped in front of Kai and, looking him directly in the eyes, took one of his hands—still resting on one of Nejire’s breasts—and guided it over to her own. Once there, she pressed it firmly against her chest and, with a serious expression, declared.

“I want to ‘practice’ too.”

“Wow, Momo—so bold, fufu.”

Nejire turned to look at her and commented playfully, which caused Momo’s face to flush completely red. Flustered, she quickly ran off toward Nemuri while calling out with visible embarrassment.

“I’m serious! And I want to go to the movies…”

When she reached Nemuri, Momo hugged her tightly and buried her face in Nemuri’s large breasts, completely overwhelmed. It had taken every ounce of courage for her to make that bold statement, and now she just wanted to hide from everyone. Nemuri burst into laughter, finding Momo so adorably endearing she felt like smothering her in kisses—but instead, she gently stroked Momo’s black hair to help her calm down.

Chapter 207: The I-Expo.

Chapter Text

--Thursday, May 21st, 2172

After a while, between chatting and joking, the group ended up lying down together in the middle of the room on the cushions, with Kai in the center, his head resting on Nemuri’s lap. She was sitting between Ryuko and Shino, who each had Nejire and Momo respectively on their laps, while Tomoko was lying on Kai’s chest, visibly relaxed.

“Ah, Kai, I forgot to tell you something.”

While they were talking about random things, Momo suddenly remembered something, so she turned to look at Kai as she spoke, catching the attention of the blue-eyed boy, at which point she calmly explained.

“Yesterday, Principal Nezu called me to his office and told me that during the summer vacation, the I-Expo will take place on I-Island. So, as the winner of the Sports Festival, you received an invitation.”

“Oh, I-Island? That sounds interesting. I’ve been wanting to go for a while, but never made the time. Seems like a good opportunity. Do you want to go?” Kai said as he looked at the girls, at which point Shino spoke with a slightly disappointed tone.

“It sounds nice, but we have our duties as pro-heroes. Besides, we made an agreement with Principal Nezu to hold a summer training camp, so it’ll be difficult.”

“As for me, UA is still conducting security reviews, and they’re planning to use the summer break—when students are away—for more thorough studies, so I might be busy around that time as well…” Nemuri soon added in a tone similar to Shino’s, at which point Ryuko turned to look at Nejire in her lap and Momo in Shino’s lap, then commented with a smile.

“Looks like only the two of you will be able to go, so you’ll have to take care of our Kai.”

“I can go too?” Nejire asked, a bit surprised, then added with some confusion.

“Aren’t those invitations usually only for one guest?”

“Oh, don’t worry about that.” Kai said calmly, then looked at Nejire beside him and added with a smile.

“Actually, those guys on I-Island are some of the best clients for my chips, and the company has sponsored several research projects there, so it won’t be hard to ask them for a few more invitations.”

“Fufu, you’re the best.” Nejire replied playfully and gave Kai a light kiss on the lips. At that moment, Momo gently tugged on Kai’s shirt and then asked shyly.

“Kai, if you can get more invitations… can I bring the girls? I think they’d really like the idea of going to that place.”

“Oh, that’s fine. I’ll ask for a few more invitations, and we can go on the private jet. It’s been a while since it was last used; lately, it’s just been rented out.” Kai replied calmly, which brought a huge smile to Momo’s face. She quickly gave him a quick kiss on the lips, and at that moment, Nejire asked with sparkling eyes.

“Can I bring Yuyu too?”

“Your friend from UA, right? That’s fine. I think I can get enough invitations. If not, we can always apply a little pressure with the chip deliveries to make them hand some over, hahaha.” Kai replied with an evil grin, clearly amused, which earned him a nose tug from Tomoko, who scolded him in a serious tone.

“Don’t extort anyone, Kai.”

“It’s just a figure of speech, a figure of speech.” Kai said playfully, making Tomoko laugh just as cheerfully. At that moment, Shino poked Kai’s cheek with her index finger and commented with an adorable pout.

“So now you don’t care that we can’t go, huh? I see, I see… since you’ve got the girls, we don’t matter anymore…”

“How could that be? I’ll spend the day at that place, and at night I’ll sneak out using Accompany to come see you and take you out for a stroll.” Kai quickly replied with a calm smile, which brought a beautiful smile to Shino’s face as she responded cheerfully.

“I’ll be waiting then…”

Shino’s comment made everyone chuckle softly, and they continued chatting about random things until, after a while, Ryuko looked seriously at Nemuri and Shino, who nodded. The beautiful blonde then turned to Kai and spoke in a more serious tone.

“…By the way, darling, there’s something we want to talk about…” Ryuko paused, causing Kai to look at her a bit confused by the sudden seriousness, at which point she said firmly.

“We think that after everything you went through, it would be good for you to go to therapy.”

“What?” Kai replied, somewhat surprised and clearly uncomfortable, at which point Nemuri added seriously.

“It’s for the best, Kai. You’ve been through a lot, and it’s necessary—even if it’s just a couple of sessions.”

“Please don’t refuse this time.” Shino quickly added in a serious tone, looking directly into Kai’s eyes as she continued.

“At least try a couple of sessions, we’re begging you. We don’t want you to deal with something like this all on your own…”

“… Please, Kai.” Momo, who was sitting next to Kai, looked him in the eyes and spoke with an almost pleading expression. At that moment, Nejire added in a sweet and loving voice.

“We’ll be with you the whole time and do whatever you want after each session—whatever it is. We just want you to get a little support…”

“Pretty please, okay?” Tomoko added, gazing at Kai with pleading eyes. Surrounded and pressured from all sides, the blue-eyed boy could only let out a heavy sigh.

“I don’t like the idea…” Kai said in a reluctant and burdened voice, which visibly darkened the expressions of all the girls. That inevitably made Kai sigh again, and after a few seconds, he added in a somewhat defeated tone.

“But I’ll try—for you. Just don’t expect miracles or anything. I’ll just… try.”

“““You’re the best, Kai/Darling!!”””

Upon hearing his response, the girls smiled with pure happiness and all exclaimed at once with enthusiasm. Immediately after, they began to passionately kiss their beloved, with Momo taking the initiative, followed by Nejire, Tomoko, Ryuko, and Shino—leaving Nemuri for last. After finishing her kiss, Nemuri spoke with a loving smile.

“Thank you, Kai. This really means a lot to us. And don’t hesitate to ask for anything as a reward—nothing is off the table…”

“In that case, let’s make a deal.” Kai said as he looked over his beautiful girlfriends, who looked back at him with a mix of nervousness and anticipation. He then quickly stated with a smile.

“I’ll go to those therapy sessions, but in return, I want you all to promise to take the idea of adding someone to the relationship a lot more seriously—and to let me know beforehand. Lately, it feels like you’re treating it like a game, and things could get out of hand.”

“…Kai… you didn’t like that I joined…?”

When Kai spoke, the smile disappeared from Tomoko’s face. She asked in a sad, almost tearful voice, to which Kai responded by gently taking her beautiful face in his hands and initiating a tender kiss. She tried to resist a little, but not even a second passed before she gave in and kissed him back.

After a while, Kai pulled away from Tomoko, though he still held her face in his hands. Looking into her eyes, he spoke in a serious and sincere tone.

“It’s not that I didn’t like it… it’s just that I’m really worried this could get out of control.”

“I understand…” Tomoko replied softly, her voice barely above a whisper, completely blushing. At that moment, Nemuri spoke up in a more serious tone.

“While I want to say that we take this relationship very seriously, it’s also true that we acted poorly by not talking to you first. So I promise not to do that again.”

At Nemuri’s words, all the girls expressed their agreement, which allowed Kai to smile and calmly say.

“I know you all take it seriously. I just thought it was necessary to say something because I don’t want anyone to end up getting hurt.”

“““We know…”””

The girls replied in unison with cheerful smiles, then began a relaxed conversation about random topics until Nejire turned on the TV to play the series they were all watching. The evening went on with occasional kisses and touches, until Momo, Nejire, and Tomoko fell asleep.

At that point, Kai carried them home and left them in their respective rooms before returning to the safe house, where he found Nemuri, Ryuko, and Shino waiting for him—wearing nothing but cat ears and their collars.

…
…
…

--Saturday, May 23rd, 2172

On Saturday morning, Kirishima stepped off the subway and walked to the bus stop, where he took one of the routes heading toward the outskirts of the city. His destination: the Saito Mansion, the meeting place they had agreed upon to begin the training session led by their classmate Saito Kai—the strongest person he had ever met, second only to All Might.

“You really think Demon King-sama won’t make his debut?”

While looking out the window at the scenery, Kirishima suddenly heard a curious female voice from the seat in front of him. Instinctively, he shifted to glance at who had spoken, spotting two young women around his age sitting together. One of them was holding a phone showing a paused video of his classmate, Saito Kai, dressed in a simple blue tracksuit with two cats on his shoulders—one black and one white.

“Who knows… his reasons for turning it down are valid. And at the end of the day, everyone’s free to choose their own path.”

At that moment, Kirishima heard the girl on the right respond with a small sigh, to which the girl on the left nodded before speaking with a slightly disappointed tone.

“That’s true… but I can’t help thinking it’s a shame. With how handsome and strong he is, he could easily make it into the top three rankings in no time. That bad-boy aura combined with his looks is a killer combo…”

“Maybe, but if he doesn’t want to do it himself, there’s nothing anyone can do. Still, I honestly find it pretty questionable that he’s at UA without wanting to be a hero. He’s taking the spot of someone who could really make the most of it…”

As the girls began a small debate, Kirishima leaned back in his seat and looked out the window again, getting lost in his thoughts. His classmate, Saito Kai, was truly a strange person. Despite being rich and strong, instead of being more like Todoroki—serious and cold—he was more like a version of Bakugo who was actually scary: confrontational, impatient, and more like a villain than a hero.

But although that was Kirishima’s first impression of him—completely opposite to Yaoyorozu Momo, who, despite radiating wealth and privilege from every pore, was cheerful, charismatic, and always willing to lend a hand when needed—over time, Kirishima came to realize that Saito Kai, that intimidating blue-eyed boy, wasn’t as bad as he had initially imagined.

The first major turning point came during the USJ attack, when that same blue-eyed boy, all on his own, was able to incapacitate an incredibly powerful monster. Just one of his attacks was enough to slice in half the dome covering those massive facilities—an awe-inspiring display of power that few professional heroes could ever hope to match.

But although such a display of strength and skill was truly impressive to Kirishima, without a doubt, what impacted him the most was the speed and decisiveness with which Saito Kai acted—even better than a trained hero. In a matter of seconds, Saito Kai swiftly incapacitated most of the villains, identified the weakness of the most powerful one, and led him away from the area, rescuing everyone.

That was the kind of hero Kirishima dreamed of becoming—strong and fearless, capable of facing any danger with courage and saving the day. Something that was the complete opposite of his true self: weak and cowardly, so much so that he hadn’t even been able to take a single step forward when one of his middle school classmates was in danger. Only able to watch from afar as she defended herself and her friends on her own.

For that reason, Kirishima couldn’t help but admire that terrifying blue-eyed boy—especially when he noticed the look of surprise and admiration on the face of the person who had inspired him to change: that middle school classmate who had managed to save herself while he could only watch in fear from a distance. By a twist of fate, she had ended up in the same class as him—Ashido Mina, that beautiful pink-skinned girl.

Moved by that moment, Kirishima gathered the courage to ask that intimidating boy for some advice. And in doing so, he discovered something he hadn’t expected: that terrifying boy, Kai, was even more impressive than he had imagined. Not only could he do all kinds of things—including hardening his body like himself—but he also managed to identify his weaknesses with just one glance and, with a single sentence, opened up a whole new path for his growth.

This only made his admiration for that blue-eyed boy grow even more—to the point where, taking slight advantage of Yaoyorozu Momo’s generosity, he managed to get Kai to train him for the Sports Festival. It was an opportunity that not only allowed him to become much stronger, but also helped him understand that seemingly grumpy and blunt boy a little better.

Saito Kai was actually much more likable than his first impression suggested. While he wasn’t the funniest or the kindest, and often said things that hurt—since he liked to tell people the blunt truth—he was kind in his own way. A way that, while hard to notice at first, gradually became clear and tangible over time.

The first time he noticed that “kindness” was when he realized that, even though Kai had only agreed to train him at the request of Yaoyorozu Momo—his girlfriend—he still took the job very seriously. He knew everyone’s condition down to the smallest detail, including even the most insignificant aspects of their quirks, and created personalized routines, gear, and more for each of them, all while pretending he was doing it begrudgingly and lazily.

Not only were the training routines he suggested incredibly effective—his advice even more so—allowing everyone involved to achieve tangible improvements in just a few days, but he also produced specialized support gear for anyone who needed it. And even though he claimed it was something they’d have to pay for later, the truth was there was no formal contract—it was all based on trust and a verbal agreement.

While Kirishima was deep in thought, he suddenly noticed the bus coming to a stop, which made him realize it was actually his stop. He quickly got off, since he needed to make a transfer—after all, his classmate’s house was so far from the city that only two bus routes passed near it.

But as he got off, he was a bit surprised to see two of his classmates already there: Todoroki Shoto—the strongest in the class after Kai and Momo—accompanied by Ochako Uraraka, a beautiful young woman with warm brown bob-cut hair, who had an interesting quirk that allowed her to cancel gravity on anything she touched.

“Hey guys, I wasn’t expecting to see you here.” Getting off the bus, Kirishima greeted with a smile.

“Hi Kirishima! Actually, we just ran into each other here, too.” Ochako greeted him with a beautiful smile, while Todoroki calmly nodded and added.

“Hey.”

After the greeting, Kirishima started a light conversation with Ochako, while Todoroki remained quietly composed, only chiming in with a few comments here and there—something quite normal for him. But that attitude changed slightly when Ochako mentioned with a cheerful smile.

“Though I’m still a bit surprised that Saito offered to train us, it’s honestly a relief, considering final exams are just around the corner.”

“Actually, I’d say it’s more concerning than anything else.” Todoroki said in a serious tone, prompting Kirishima to ask with curiosity.

“Why do you say that?”

“Because I’ve seen Saito in action twice.” Todoroki replied seriously, turning to look at the curious Kirishima and Ochako before explaining with a hint of solemnity.

“There’s the time we all saw him at USJ, and the second was during the fight against the villain Stain. In both cases, he was overwhelmingly superior—completely dominating the fight against incredibly dangerous opponents. And considering how he normally behaves, it’s hard to believe he’d offer to train us for free without a reason.

“But if we think about his sudden ‘disappearance’ after the internships, the disappearance of his scar, and the noticeable change in his attitude, it’s easy to deduce that something happened—something serious. Serious enough that it made him realize that, even with how powerful he is, he might not be able to handle it on his own. Not even with the help of those close to him, who are all powerful and well-known heroes, including the Symbol of Peace, All Might.”

“…”

Upon hearing Todoroki, Kirishima and Ochako exchanged concerned looks before turning their attention back to him. At that moment, Ochako asked in a serious tone.

“What do you think might’ve happened, Todoroki?”

“I have no idea,” Todoroki said, shaking his head, then looked at his classmates and added seriously.

“I even asked Endeavor, but he didn’t know anything either. What he did tell me, though, is that All Might has been unusually active lately and asked him to stay alert. So it’s highly likely that whatever is worrying the Symbol of Peace is the same thing that led Saito to propose this training.”

“Something that even worries the Symbol of Peace…”

Kirishima couldn’t help but comment solemnly in a low voice, which caused Ochako to clench her fists with apprehension. But just then, the bus route they were waiting for arrived, so they boarded in silence and took nearby seats. Still, they didn’t speak at all during the ride, as their minds were too preoccupied, each lost in thought about what could possibly be going on.

Chapter 208: Strength doesn’t come without sacrifice.

Chapter Text

--Saturday, May 23, 2172

After a while, the bus finally arrived at the stop near the Saito mansion, so the group got off, and after speaking with the guards at the gate, they entered the estate in silence. They soon reached the garden, where they found Kai alongside Momo and the beautiful blue-haired senpai, who were calmly chatting with the golden-haired senpai capable of phasing through objects with his quirk. Also, Mina, Jiro, Hagakure, Ojiro, and Midoriya.

“Hi, guys!”

When they arrived, they were greeted by the cheerful Mina, sparking a brief conversation that lasted until the others showed up—Kaminari, Tsuyu, the frog girl, and Sero Hanta. However, amidst the chatter, Kirishima and Ochako couldn’t help but glance now and then at the calm Kai, who remained mostly silent, seemingly lost in thought.

“Well, now that everyone’s here, let’s head to the gym.”

Kai, pulled by the sleeve of his sports jacket by Momo, was snapped out of his thoughts and realized that everyone had gathered. He began to speak while scanning the group with his unique black-and-white 360-degree vision, carefully observing the shifting outlines of their silhouettes.

“Today, I want to focus on assessing everyone's strength and skill level. So after two hours of training in the gym, we'll do a quirk test, and then we'll have a short meeting where I'll talk with each of you about your specific situation. In the afternoon, I’ll give each of you specific exercises you can practice here, at U.A., or at home—since I have things to take care of.”

Kai quickly turned around and began walking toward the gym, explaining in a calm tone, though his 'gaze' remained fixed on the silhouettes of those present, taking full advantage of the 360-degree nature of his strange sight—even if it inevitably left him a little dizzy.

Everyone quickly began walking behind Kai, who, as always, had his black cat on his shoulder. At that moment, Nejire turned to face everyone and, while walking backward, said with a big smile.

“Even though there are some new faces, just like last time, you can count on me if you need anything.”

“Same goes for me.” Mirio quickly added with a charismatic smile, then continued.

“I'm not the best at teaching, but if you need an opponent, I'm ready.”

“I'll also be supporting you with whatever you need.” Momo added with a cheerful smile as she looked over her shoulder at her classmates. At that moment, Tsuyu raised her hand and asked in a serious tone.

“Saito, while I really appreciate the opportunity, I can’t feel completely at ease until I know why you want to train us. It’s hard for me to believe you’re doing it just to help us.”

Upon hearing Tsuyu, Kai deactivated his black-and-white vision and turned to look at her over his shoulder with a smile, then explained in a slightly mysterious tone—once again finding that straightforward girl interesting.

“You can relax; I’m not planning to charge you or anything like that. Let’s just say I’ve realized the world is dangerous, and it’s in everyone’s best interest to have strong, brave heroes out there helping keep the peace. So we all win: you get stronger and move a step closer to your goals, and I get the peace of mind of knowing there are capable heroes maintaining safety.”

While most looked at the blue-eyed young man with a mix of surprise and confusion, Ochako, Kirishima, and Todoroki couldn’t help narrowing their eyes—because that answer practically confirmed that something had happened, something big, and their classmate wanted to make them stronger so they could help him carry the burden.

…

Upon arriving at the gym, Nejire and Momo gathered the girls into a group and began warming up, while Kai and Mirio took charge of the boys, starting a joint training session. However, as Kai began striking a massive metal block with his bare fists—surprising everyone—he discreetly focused on the [In] state holographic screens in front of him, which displayed data on all the students, paying special attention to Midoriya’s information.

As he analyzed Midoriya’s data and observed the strange, misshapen outline of his silhouette, Kai couldn’t help but drift a little into his thoughts. Truthfully, that boy made him feel uneasy just by being there. But thinking about it rationally, the problem had never really been Midoriya—it had always been himself. After all, they had barely spoken and had never had any direct conflict of any kind.

In truth, his discomfort with Midoriya was a combination of factors. First and foremost, the boy was a living reminder that he had once viewed the world he lived in as an anime—a fictional story. Even now, ten years after regaining his memories, that thought still made him feel incredibly uneasy and triggered occasional episodes of derealization, where everything felt fake.

But even so, his unease with the green-haired boy went deeper—it came from somewhere else. He had already found that character annoying in his previous life, and although he had played dumb about it for a long time, deep down, he had always known the reason, and it was a pretty stupid one. Somehow, he saw himself reflected in that boy, and Midoriya’s “goody two-shoes” attitude and hero complex reminded him of how foolish he had been for trusting that “best friend” and his ex in his past life.

That led him to hate him—because he knew that no matter what happened in the story, that idealistic attitude would be rewarded in the end. Because that’s how it always went. And that made him feel frustrated, since, in his experience, the world wasn’t like that. It was cruel and unforgiving.

But at the same time, he knew that if the character were to be betrayed and humiliated—“as he should be”—he would feel even more frustrated. Because then it would be “obvious from the start,” and he wouldn’t be able to do anything to change it… just like his own past.

Because of those irrational feelings, Kai stopped watching anime and began to be irritated by even the mention of it. But unexpectedly, he ended up living in the very world of the anime he had come to hate. And now, after years of silently reflecting on it, he was even more aware of just how foolish and irrational his feelings had been.

After all, in his past life, he had never been as “good” or heroic as the green-haired boy. He had only been naive and stupid. He had truly been overestimating himself by comparing himself to that “protagonist.”

…

As Kai reflected in silence, striking the super-dense metal block with increasing speed and such overwhelming force that the ground itself trembled slightly with each blow, the others continued their own training. Yet, they couldn’t help but be drawn to Kai, utterly amazed by the sheer absurdity of his power.

But suddenly, somehow, everyone watching Kai clearly heard a cracking sound—like a wooden stick snapping in half. In that instant, they couldn't stop their eyes from widening in shock, as they saw Kai abruptly stop and glance at his right arm, which was now pointing in an entirely different direction—completely broken.

“Wow, my bones are weaker than I expected...”

Amid the commotion, Midoriya and Mina tried to get up to help, but before they could take a single step, a calm murmur from Kai stopped them. At that moment, they watched in shock as Kai, without making a sound, simply grabbed his broken arm with the other and, with a swift motion, snapped it back into place. He then clenched and unclenched his fist a couple of times in front of him, before walking over to a shelf with a large first aid kit.

Everyone present watched as Kai—still seeming lost in thought—took out several bandages from the massive kit. With practiced movements, he wrapped his broken arm, then proceeded to bandage his other three limbs without even flinching. And immediately after finishing, he walked back to the massive metal block and began striking it again—this time even harder than before.

Completely shocked, all the Class 1-A students present looked at each other with astonishment written all over their faces—especially the girls. Even though they had already heard from Momo that something similar had happened before, seeing it with their own eyes was far more impactful than they could have imagined. This led them to glance at Mirio, Momo, and Nejire, who wore slightly bitter expressions, though they never stopped training.

Perhaps because of the shock, everyone began to feel like the cracking sounds were growing louder and more frequent, which drew their eyes toward Kai’s limbs. He was throwing punches and kicks at the metal block as if it were made of cotton, without holding back in the slightest. This inevitably caused Kirishima, Todoroki, and Midoriya to clench their fists tightly.

(How much pain has he endured to become so indifferent to such agony…?)

Midoriya, who had broken his arms on several occasions, couldn’t help but wonder to himself in shock. He, more than anyone, understood the unspeakable pain caused by a fracture like the one he had just seen Kai suffer—that kind of pain was nearly incapacitating.

“Truly, strength doesn’t come without sacrifice…” Todoroki murmured to himself with understanding, something Kirishima overheard and silently nodded at, a solemn expression on his face.

After a few minutes, the students—still shaken—returned to their exercises in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. But one thing was certain: within every single one of them, a new respect had taken root for that strange blue-eyed boy. Because now they understood that the strength they had once envied came at a price they could barely even imagine.

…

“Today was quite a productive session.”

In the middle of a specialized training facility for quirk use, located within the forest surrounding the mansion—recently upgraded with Nezu’s help—Kai spoke in a calm tone while observing the youths sprawled out on the ground before him. All of them seemingly on the verge of unconsciousness. He then added casually.

“I’ve already sent today’s recommended exercises to your emails. As I mentioned before, you can practice them here or wherever you prefer. I have things to take care of, so I’ll see you later—or tomorrow.”

After saying his goodbyes, Kai began walking out of the facility with Salem perched on his shoulder. Meanwhile, the U.A. students, all lying on the ground utterly exhausted and bruised, could only watch him in silence. It was then that Mina, lying flat on her back with her limbs spread out, turned to Momo—who was sitting beside her, breathing heavily—and asked.

“Yao Momo… how do you even deal with him…? He wiped us all out and didn’t even break a sweat…”

Hearing her friend, Momo—completely exhausted—looked around and saw everyone utterly defeated, with Todoroki staring up at the sky, questioning life itself. She couldn’t help but smile with a hint of irony before replying.

“Kai knows how to control his strength perfectly, so unless it’s during training, it’s hard to realize just how strong he really is…”

…

While Mina and Momo were talking, Todoroki turned to look at Mirio, who was nearby and in just as bad—or possibly worse—shape, battered and drained. He then asked in a strained voice.

“Do you have any idea what could make someone that absurdly strong so cautious…?”

“No, but I can tell it’s serious. That’s why we have to train with everything we’ve got.” Mirio replied in a breathless but firm tone, fully aware that if Kai had gotten serious enough to put them through such a beating, there had to be a reason.

Meanwhile, Nejire—who wasn’t in much better shape than Momo—looked toward the path where Kai had left, becoming even more aware of how terrifying he truly was. But more than that, she realized how terrifying those spiders must have been to have defeated him the way they did. That thought made her clench her fists tightly.

She wasn’t willing to let the man she loved keep fighting alone. She wanted to support him and protect him—and for that, she needed to become much stronger. That started with proper training. So, gathering all her strength, she pushed herself up off the ground, and though still a bit shaky, she began generating spirals of energy that flowed through her body. Then, she started practicing the exercises her beloved had recommended.

…

When everyone noticed what Nejire was doing, they looked at each other in surprise, speechless. They were all so battered and exhausted that none of them had wanted to move. But at that moment, Momo stood up and began practicing her martial arts, simultaneously creating all kinds of weapons in rapid succession—displaying a fast, unpredictable combat style that was both lethal and beautiful.

Not wanting to be left behind, Mirio quickly got to his feet and started training, followed closely by Kirishima, who, after checking the exercises on his phone, began his own practice. This motivated the others, and before long, everyone was silently training in the facility, wearing serious, focused expressions.

…
…
…

--Monday, May 26, 2172

On Monday morning, Kai found himself in his room, completely surrounded by all his beautiful girlfriends, who were dressing and grooming him like a doll. They helped him into his U.A. uniform, fixed his hair—and even Salem wasn’t spared, as they caught him, brushed his fur, and put on the custom-made red tie that matched the U.A. uniform.

While Kai wore an expression of mild defeat, Nejire and Momo, who were adjusting the sleeves of his jacket, were grinning from ear to ear. After all, they were finally going back to U.A. with their Kai, and that made them feel like that tragic night was truly behind them—that everything was finally getting back on track, and now everything would be okay.

…

After Chatora, Keiko, and Yumiko had a good laugh at his expense, Kai took the Pussycats back to their base using Accompany, then left for U.A. with Momo and Nejire, since Nemuri had headed out earlier. The two beautiful girls insisted on going by car, wanting to savor the moment—though most of that “savoring” consisted of holding his hands the entire ride and stealing a few kisses, all while keeping the driver’s side window firmly closed.

…

After Nejire said her goodbyes to head to her own class, Momo and Kai walked together toward Class 1-A. But the moment they stepped inside, Kai saw Mina, Kaminari, Kirishima, and Sero standing at attention in front of him, giving a military-style salute with mischievous grins on their faces.

“Welcome back, Demon King! Long live the king!!”

As everyone laughed at the little joke—including Momo—Kai simply rolled his eyes and walked over to his seat, where he sat down calmly. This surprised several students who hadn’t had recent contact with the blue-eyed boy, their eyes widening in disbelief.

After all, judging by the way Mina, Kaminari, Kirishima, and Sero were laughing—along with the rest of the class rep's group—it was clear that the terrifying blue-eyed student hadn’t used that overwhelming pressure on them. That was unexpected, especially since some had even braced themselves to catch others in case they passed out.

But as they looked at him more closely, everyone noticed the absence of the scar on his forehead, which left them both confused and curious. Before they could dig deeper into the strange mystery, Aizawa—their ever-exhausted teacher—entered the room, greeted the class, and began announcing the day’s schedule. But before leaving, he turned to Kai and said in his usual tired voice.

“Saito, Principal Nezu wants to see you after this.”

…

After leaving the classroom, Kai didn’t head to his workshop as usual—instead, he made his way to the principal’s office, where he found Nezu sitting with All Might and Nemuri. The three of them were calmly drinking tea while reviewing some documents spread out on the table.

“It’s truly a pleasure to see you again, Kai-kun. My apologies for not being able to visit—I’ve been a bit busy gathering the team for the expedition.” Principal Nezu, the strange, hyper-intelligent rat/bear-like creature, spoke as he cheerfully raised one of his tiny paws in greeting. Kai replied in a calm tone.

“Don’t worry about it. I was just asleep at first, and by the time I woke up, I was already fully recovered.”

“Good morning, Kai-shonen.”

All Might greeted him warmly, to which Kai nodded and returned the greeting before taking a seat next to Nemuri. At that moment, Principal Nezu slid a folder across the desk toward him—containing various documents that Kai quickly scanned, realizing they were profiles of different pro heroes. That’s when Nezu spoke in a serious tone.

“Although Midnight mentioned you still haven’t made a decision about forming a team for the expedition, I’d like you to take a look at the candidates we have in mind. I truly believe they’ll be valuable assets in uncovering the secrets of that place.”

“…”

Kai remained silent, focusing instead on reviewing the documents. He quickly realized they were profiles of fairly well-known pro heroes—including Ryukyu, Nejire’s internship mentor; Kamui Woods, a hero who appeared to be made of wood; a ninja-like man known as Edgeshot; and the rabbit hero Mirko—an old acquaintance of his.

“Kai-shonen.” All Might said at that moment, his tone serious as he looked at the silent young man and continued.

“Even though you're very strong, you already suffered a defeat on that island. That’s why, this time, we should go in with support. All of them are powerful and capable heroes who will be a great help—and the Pussycats will be going too.”

Chapter 209: The guy’s a hero, let him be one.

Chapter Text

--Monday, May 26, 2172

For her part, Nemuri remained silent and simply looked at Kai while sipping her cup of tea, feeling no need to speak, as she knew her man well enough to get an idea of what he was thinking. And just as she expected, after a few seconds, Kai spoke in a serious tone.

“Although I'm not entirely against forming a team, the truth is that place is dangerous—so much so that I’m certain Mirko, whom I met before, would die easily there even before facing one of the truly large and dangerous monsters. So instead of being a help, they would end up being a burden.

“But even setting that aside, there’s something else that makes forming a team completely unappealing, and it’s this: if the true extent of my powers becomes public, I’m absolutely certain those parasites in their plush chairs won’t rest until they find a way to put a collar around my neck—which would inevitably result in a ‘tragedy.’”

“…”

Upon hearing Kai’s words—especially the strange emphasis he placed on the word ‘tragedy,’ a blatant threat—All Might, Nezu, and even Nemuri frowned. After all, that was a scenario with a high chance of happening, since if the politicians found out the true power of the young man, who knows what foolish thing they might try.

After all, although the young man before them was comparable in power to All Might, he lacked the connections and fame of the Symbol of Peace, who returned to Japan already as a world-renowned hero with important contacts across the globe—especially in the United States. This, in a way, made Kai more vulnerable, something that would inevitably plant ideas in certain people’s minds. At that moment, Nezu spoke in a serious tone.

“… Although that is certainly a likely scenario, all the selected heroes have been thoroughly vetted, and none have any affiliations with the government. They are also discreet and trustworthy. And let’s not forget the Pussycats, who have your full trust—not to mention that All Might will be the one leading the team.

“But even with all that, there’s something else you mustn’t forget, Kai-kun: nothing stays hidden forever in this world. The revelation of your powers is only a matter of time, so a wise course of action would be to start building connections that could help you avoid the worst-case scenario.”

“…That’s also true.”

Upon hearing Nezu, Kai could only nod, knowing it was inevitable that he would eventually come face to face with the politicians. After all, he was still completely convinced that the reason he lost track of those involved in the attack on his parents was due to government interference—and he had a special place reserved for those bastards in Alcatraz.

“So, what do you say, Kai? Will you give working as a team a chance?” After a few seconds, Nemuri asked in a calm voice, which inevitably made Kai sigh before he replied in a serious tone.

“As long as I’m not held responsible for those heroes’ lives, it’s fine with me. But before we depart, I need to prepare my gear—and I also want to have a private conversation with the Pussycats. I’m still not fully convinced they should be going.”

…

After discussing a few more details, it was ultimately decided that the incursion would take place that same weekend. Nezu then asked Kai for the island’s location in order to prepare everything—only to be surprised upon learning that the place was actually in constant motion and could only be accessed by approaching sea level. At the same time, though, that explanation cleared up many of his doubts about why they hadn’t been able to locate it.

“Kai-shonen, may I speak with you for a moment?”

By the time Kai left the principal’s office accompanied by Nemuri, the Symbol of Peace approached him and asked in a serious tone. Nemuri took that as her cue to smile and excuse herself, wanting to give them a bit of privacy since it seemed like something important.

“Then I’ll head off—I’ve got a class to teach. See you later.”

“See you at home.” Kai said goodbye to Nemuri, then turned to face the imposing Symbol of Peace, asking in a calm tone.

“What do you want to talk about?”

“I’m thinking about accepting the proposal you made me, but first, I want to ask you a couple of questions.” All Might replied in a serious tone, slightly surprising Kai, who quickly nodded and responded in a composed manner.

“Then let’s talk in my workshop.”

…

Upon arriving at his workshop in U.A.—which, despite not having visited it in two weeks, was completely spotless—Kai served tea to All Might and poured himself a cup of coffee. He then sat down across from the Symbol of Peace on one of the comfortable sofas in the living area of his elegant workshop.

“So tell me, what questions do you want to ask?”

“There are several, but the two most important ones are these…” All Might said in a serious tone, pausing for a moment as he looked directly into Kai’s blue eyes. Then he asked, in a weighty voice.

“Do you really have a way to restore my strength without leaving any kind of backdoor? And more importantly, are you truly willing to restore my strength without trying to control me in any way?”

Upon hearing the question, Kai smiled calmly and studied the serious, blond-haired hero in front of him. He then took a sip of his coffee and explained quietly, speaking with sincerity.

“I truly will restore your strength without leaving any backdoors or means of control—you have my word on that. And the reason I’m willing to do it is very simple: you’re a true hero, All Might. And if something were to happen to me, you would be the one to keep my family safe after I’m gone. And for that to be possible, your powers need to function even if I die.”

Seeing the surprise and disbelief on the Symbol of Peace’s face, Kai couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle—but he was completely serious. That defeat at the hands of the spiders had made him realize just how much his family’s safety depended on his strength. That’s why he had begun working on ways to strengthen them permanently—methods that would work even without his aura.

This was the case because, although in Hunter x Hunter—the original series where Nen was introduced—it was shown that parasitic Nen beasts could continue to exist even after their creator's death and would only disappear when their host died. There was nothing that guaranteed to Kai that the Accomplices would work the same way. That’s why he needed a backup plan, and having a powerful allay like All Might was a solid complementary measure.

For his part, All Might couldn’t help but study Kai carefully, which allowed him to realize that the young man was completely serious—he was truly preparing for the possibility of his own death. This inevitably led him to speak in a serious tone.

“Kai-shonen, you’re still very young… It’s possible I’ll die before you. You don’t have to be so fatalistic…”

“Life is far too unpredictable. No one can say who’s going to die first.” Kai replied in a casual tone, then added with a slight smile.

“That fight with the spiders made me painfully aware of that. And unlike me, you’ve been a hero for 40 years, and you're still alive, while I—on my very first serious battle—almost died and only survived by a stroke of luck. So it's far more likely that you'll outlive me, which makes restoring your strength a solid investment on my part.

“You, as the hero you’ve been your whole life, will try to keep this country safe no matter what. And if we add your boy Midoriya, Mirio, all the kids from the class I’m training, and the strength and resources of my own family, there’s a good chance that even after my death, they’ll still be safe.

“So don’t worry—I won’t try to control you or anything like that. Your legacy speaks for itself. I just need you to keep doing what you’ve always done. As the head of my family, I’ll simply focus on increasing the odds that they remain safe and happy even when I’m no longer around.”

Upon hearing Kai’s words, All Might felt a lump form in his throat, as he could sense the boy was speaking sincerely and from the bottom of his heart. This boy—whom he had always distrusted and suspected—was now confessing that the only thing he truly cared about was his family and that he was willing to give everything for them, making him more heroic than many professional heroes.

But, even though he was undeniably moved, All Might still didn’t lower his guard around Kai. After all, wanting to protect one’s family didn’t necessarily conflict with being a villain. In his long career as a hero, he had seen villains so contradictory that they could commit a cold-blooded massacre without blinking—only to become the most loving and affectionate people when around those they cherished.

“I’m going to believe in you, Kai-shonen. So I’m willing to regain my strength. What do I need to do?” After a few seconds, All Might declared in a serious voice—causing Kai to smile and quickly reply with visible enthusiasm.

“For now, nothing. I'm still studying One for All in Midoriya to finalize the procedure, which, I assume, will take a little over a month.”

“So it won’t happen before going to Spider Island?” All Might asked with a serious tone, to which Kai nodded and replied.

“Exactly, which is why it's better if you don't go. Your strength has declined significantly, and at any moment you could lose your powers completely. So, if everything goes well after the trip to the island, I’ll come back and focus entirely on restoring your powers.”

“…I can’t do that. That place is too dangerous for me to sit on the sidelines.” After a few seconds, All Might said solemnly, looking Kai straight in the eyes, to which Kai quickly responded with a serious tone.

“Look, I’ll be honest with you. Since it’s very likely the Pussycats will be going to the island, my goal there is just a preliminary scouting mission to check on a few minor things and then come back as quickly as possible. That way, they'll calm down, and I can go alone to handle the important matters. You can come with me then. For now, stay—it’s what's best for everyone.”

“…”

Seeing Kai’s seriousness, All Might couldn’t help but stare at him for a moment, once again realizing how subtly manipulative the boy in front of him was—interweaving half-truths to force a mistake. In this case, agreeing to go as a group to the island just to appease his worried relatives, with no real intention of carrying out a serious operation.

And though what he was saying was probably true—Kai’s concern for his family was real and sincere—All Might still had no intention of listening to him. Even though he wasn’t sure, his instincts told him that Kai could easily abandon the other heroes there or use them as shields or cannon fodder if things got out of control, just to keep his family safe. That was something All Might couldn’t allow.

“No. I’m going.” All Might replied in a firm tone that allowed no debate. Then, looking Kai directly in the eyes, he added.

“No matter what happens, I’m still the symbol of peace. And no one knows what could happen in that place, not even you. So I’m going. Think of it as having a second layer of security for your loved ones.”

“I guess I won’t be able to convince you…”

Kai replied with a small sigh as he studied All Might’s silhouette in his black-and-white vision. The outline was almost completely still and even fainter than the last time he saw it. It was clear that All Might’s powers were about to disappear. At that moment, he added with a serious tone.

“Then there's nothing more to say. Let’s go—but it’s at your own risk. Even though I consider you a valuable asset for my family’s safety, you’re not worth enough for me to risk them to save you. Don’t forget that—they come first. Everything else comes after.”

Kai’s comment only strengthened All Might’s resolve to go, as he was practically admitting he would abandon the other heroes if necessary. So the Symbol of Peace quickly began discussing the details of the trip, then left the workshop. At that moment, once Kai was completely alone, he commented casually.

“Sage, schedule All Might’s procedure, if he comes back alive, that's the first thing we have to do; that guy is too used to being invincible; if he stays in the state he's in, he's going to end up dead sooner or later.”

“Understood, Master.” The beautiful fairy with reddish hair and a blue dress materialized out of nowhere and responded in a serious tone. She then looked at her master and asked curiously.

“Are we really not leaving any kind of backdoor, Master?”

“We’re really not leaving any.” Kai replied as he got up from his seat, adding as he walked toward his office.

“Even though it’s highly likely I’ll end up facing All Might at some point—especially if he tries to protect someone involved in my parents’ case—everything I said was absolutely true. And I’m not about to risk losing such a valuable safeguard for my family’s security just to try to control him foolishly. The guy’s a hero—let him be one.”

“Understood, Master. I’ll make all the necessary preparations.”

Upon hearing her master, Sage nodded calmly and replied, then began manipulating various holographic screens that materialized in front of her. At that moment, Kai spoke seriously while turning on his computer.

“Alright, Sage, let’s do the final checks for the new energy core. Everything with Keiko this afternoon has to go perfectly—my new armor and the girls’ armor depend on it.”

“Right away, Master.”

With his reliable assistant’s response, Kai began working with full concentration, while Sage supported him flawlessly, sitting on his head with a smile.

…
…
…

Upon returning from U.A., Kai gave Momo and Nejire a quick kiss before hurrying off to his engineering workshop, where Keiko was already waiting for him. She wore a simple black dress beneath a white lab coat, which—along with her elegant black-rimmed glasses—gave her an academic air that elevated her already immaculate beauty to another level.

“You look excited.” Keiko said with a smile as she saw Kai enter. She walked up to him and gave him a tender kiss on the cheek, to which Kai responded with visible excitement.

“Of course I am. If this works, not only will we have a new energy core, but we’ll be opening the door to levels we never even imagined.”

“Fufu, then let’s not delay any further—let’s begin.”

Seeing the bright glow in her beloved Kai’s eyes, Keiko felt her heart melt with love and spoke with a beautiful smile. The blue-eyed young man quickly nodded and replied enthusiastically.

“Let’s go!”

Hearing Kai’s words, Keiko smiled warmly and swiftly let her lab coat fall to the floor. Then, she slipped off the delicate straps holding up her dress, causing it to slide gently down her body and pool at her feet, revealing her toned and sensual figure—unashamedly exposed in only a tiny black thong and a sheer bra that did little to cover her ample chest.

Seeing Kai’s smile freeze slightly, Keiko let out a light, melodic giggle and began walking toward a table in the corner of the spacious workshop, swaying her hips seductively as she moved. She lay down on her stomach, putting her firm, round rear on full display. Then, she unhooked her bra, leaving her back completely bare, before turning her head to look at Kai and speaking with a soft smile.

“Don’t just stand there.”

“…I’m coming.”

After a few seconds, Kai replied, holding back the instinctive urge to swallow hard. He then approached the beautiful woman, channeling aura to the tips of each of his fingers, and began massaging Keiko’s back with a focused expression.

As Keiko let out soft moans of pleasure from the massage, Kai couldn’t help but sigh discreetly—he had finally noticed a change in Keiko’s attitude. After all, massages were such a common thing among the family members that they even had special clothing for it. While some skin exposure was needed, a pair of shorts and a sports top were usually more than enough.

Still, even though the change in her demeanor was clear and Keiko’s beauty was undeniably tempting, Kai chose to play dumb and focus on finishing the modified version of the massage he had developed—one specifically designed to temporarily empower a quirk without any side effects, something necessary for the madness they were about to attempt next.

“It’s done.” Kai said seriously once the massage was complete. Keiko, stretching and sitting up, replied in a relaxed voice.

“Your massages are the best thing in life… Oops.”

Keiko, who had “forgotten” that she had unhooked her bra, noticed Kai’s subtle glance at her exposed chest and let out a cute little sound as she brought her hand up to cover herself—though a mischievous smile inevitably appeared on her face.

Meanwhile, acting as if he hadn’t seen anything, Kai turned around and walked over to a comfortable chair surrounded by various medical devices in another corner of the workshop. He began checking over the equipment while speaking to his reliable assistant.

“Sage, temporarily pause all other processing threads. We need every ounce of computational power we can access—this is critical.”

“Understood, Master.”

As Sage replied in a serious tone, she began running calculations at high speed, causing her wings to shift colors rapidly like a living kaleidoscope. Keiko, meanwhile, finished fastening her bra and walked over to the chair, where she sat calmly and allowed Kai to hook her up to various medical instruments and an IV bag filled with specially selected medications.

“Here we go.” After finishing, Kai commented in a restrained voice, then looked at Keiko and began to explain calmly, more to determine if there was a problem with her lucidity than to inform her, since she was fully aware of what they were going to do.

“Sage will take control of your body, and through your Quirk, we’ll attempt to materialize the exotic element we designed as the reactor’s core. So far, it only exists in simulations—but if we can create it, we could be in a position to fabricate any theoretical element with subatomic precision.”

“Let’s begin.”

Keiko replied with a beautiful smile, feeling happier about the wide grin on her Kai’s face than the groundbreaking breakthrough they were about to attempt. At that moment, Kai turned to Sage and gave a solemn command.

“Sage, begin.”

“Immediately.”

After responding, the beautiful fairy flew over and hovered above Keiko’s abdomen. She placed her tiny hands on the woman’s skin, taking control of her body. Then, she began to use Keiko’s Quirk to transform her fat cells, creating a powerful and purely theoretical structure that had, until now, existed only in computer simulations.

Meanwhile, Kai placed his hand on Keiko’s shoulder and began monitoring her physical condition, though his gaze remained completely fixed on the woman’s flat stomach. After some time, a nearly metallic, triangular-shaped figure slowly began to emerge from it, glowing with an almost magical blue light.

As he watched the object take form, Kai unintentionally gripped Keiko’s shoulder a bit too tightly, causing the beautiful woman slight pain. However, she chose to stay silent, focusing entirely on how Sage was manipulating her body—making full use of her Accomplice’s ability to accelerate her thoughts.

After nearly 30 minutes, the small triangular object, barely 3 cm in size, finally separated completely from Keiko. At that moment, Kai moved with impossible speed, grabbing it with a pair of tweezers, and immediately gave a solemn command while rushing to store the strange glowing triangle in a specially designed cabinet that looked like crystal, lined with thick cables.

“Sage, check Keiko’s physical condition down to the last detail.”

“Right away.”

Sage responded quickly as she examined Keiko’s condition—almost checking cell by cell. Meanwhile, the beautiful black-haired woman stood up from the chair and removed the IV needle from her arm. She then walked over to Kai, who was fully focused on the artifact in his hands, and spoke in a cheerful voice.

“Looks like we succeeded.”

“We still have a lot of testing to do, so it’s too early to declare victory,” Kai replied with a wide smile on his face. He turned his head to look at Keiko, who smiled warmly and opened her arms for a hug, then said in a joyful tone.

“We did it.”

“You could say that.” Kai replied with a slightly amused tone, then stepped forward and gave Keiko a strong hug. She embraced him back without the slightest concern about being in nothing but her underwear.

Chapter 210: The wait is over.

Chapter Text

--Saturday, May 30, 2172

Four days later, early in the morning, Shino stepped off a helicopter onto a helipad near the sea, holding down her hair as it flew wildly in the strong wind. She was wearing her red hero suit, which had a cat paw print on the buckle. In the center of each circle of the paw print, there was now a triangle emitting a faint bluish light.

After Shino, Ryuko, Chatora, and Tomoko disembarked from the helicopter as well, each of them also having the strange glowing triangles on their belts. Behind them came a male figure dressed in a black suit of armor with a futuristic, almost organic design covered in a strange pattern that seemed to blend electric circuits and tribal runes, with a triangle on his chest that emitted a bluish light.

Along with the armor that fit his body perfectly, the man wore a full-head helmet, seemingly heavily inspired by the kitsune mask. It had red eyes, cat-like ears on top, and various red details reminiscent of the iconic masks.

As the man stepped off the helicopter, he walked with a firm and steady stride toward the Pussycats, as if completely unaffected by the gusts of wind produced by the helicopter's blades. At that moment, a majestic black panther with blue eyes descended from the helicopter, wearing what appeared to be a type of technological armor on its torso, head, and legs.

The appearance of the imposing panther caused the people around the helipad—fully armed police officers—to grip their weapons tightly, some even swallowing hard. But upon seeing how the panther calmly followed the man without even glancing their way, several of them were able to release a discreet sigh of relief.

As the helicopter lifted off, a beautiful woman with white hair, rabbit ears on her head, and tanned skin—known as the rabbit heroine Mirko—approached the Pussycats and the mysterious man in armor. She had been waiting for a few minutes. With a smile on her face, she greeted them enthusiastically.

“I didn’t think we’d be working together again so soon.”

“We didn’t either, though you could see it as an extension of the scientists' case.” Shino replied in a serious tone, to which Mirko nodded before turning to look at the man in the armor. At that moment, she gave a nearly predatory smile and commented.

“Your hero suit is pretty interesting—you’ve got good taste, boy.”

“It’s combat armor, not a hero suit.”

Almost immediately, the armored man replied in a slightly distorted voice, which couldn’t hide the clear irritation in his tone. This made Mirko laugh, and she responded a moment later with a slightly mocking tone.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, oh great Demon King, hahaha.”

Upon hearing the rabbit heroine’s comment, Kai couldn’t help but click his tongue, but just then, a new helicopter began to land, drawing everyone’s attention. Moments later, three heroes—two men and a woman—stepped out.

The first was a lean and muscular man, with gray hair shaped into three sharp spikes that covered the left side of his face. The lower half of his face was covered by a mask, which matched his traditional red ninja outfit worn beneath a blue tunic. His arms were wrapped in a thin dark fabric that folded into white forearm sleeves, and on his right shoulder, he carried a golden oni mask.

Behind the first man came the second, who was slightly shorter and wore a tight-fitting black suit, accompanied by a wooden helmet that completely covered his face. From a wooden belt hung a kind of pink veil on the left side, along with wooden kneepads and wooden shoes. His arms—visible thanks to the short sleeves of the black suit—appeared to be entirely made of wood.

Lastly, a beautiful woman with chin-length blonde hair stepped off the helicopter. She wore a traditional dark red qipao with a pale green scale-like trim around the shoulders and black knee-high boots. On her head, she had a matching green headband adorned with four large pale purple claws that covered the right side of her face, along with a set of small dragon wings protruding from the back of her head.

“So, you’re the ones they called.” Mirko remarked, her hands on her hips. At that moment, Ryukyu—the beautiful blonde woman—replied in a calm tone.

“It’s a surprise to see you here too, Mirko. Things must be quite serious.”

“So they didn’t give you specific information either.” Upon hearing Ryukyu’s comment, Mirko said thoughtfully and turned to look at the Pussycats, then added with a smile.

“But I’ve got a feeling you do have it.”

“We certainly know more, but everything will be explained in detail shortly.” Shino replied in a serious tone. Just then, All Might walked onto the scene, accompanied by a young police officer and an old acquaintance—Detective Tsukauchi—who spoke in a formal tone upon arrival.

“Thank you all for coming. Let’s head inside, where a meeting will be held to explain the mission details.”

Almost completely ignoring Detective Tsukauchi, Mirko and the three new heroes looked at All Might with their eyes slightly wider than usual. At that moment, the ninja hero asked in a serious, somewhat deep tone.

“All Might will be leading this operation?”

“That’s right.”

All Might responded calmly, wearing his trademark smile. This caused the expressions of Mirko and the three heroes to grow more intense. The hero in the wooden helmet, Kamui Woods, commented in a heavy tone.

“I can’t tell if this mission will be easy... or extremely difficult.”

The others couldn’t help but nod in agreement with Kamui’s words—at which point All Might let out a powerful laugh and spoke with absolute confidence.

“The situation is complicated, but I’m confident we can pull through!”

“Let’s head inside so we can begin the meeting.”

Tsukauchi spoke in a serious tone before leading the way into a nearby building, followed by the others. They soon arrived at an office, where the meeting began and all the information about Spider Island was presented—information provided in its entirety by Kai.

. . .
. . .
. . .

An hour later, the group departed on a police speedboat, which was being driven by Kai, as it was too dangerous to bring a police officer along. With his eyes fixed straight ahead, Kai spoke quietly with All Might, while the Pussycats sat in silence, solemn expressions on their faces.

Meanwhile, Mirko, Kamui Woods, Ryukyu, and the Ninja hero—also known as Edgeshot—were reviewing once again the terrifying data they had been given on digital tablets. At that moment, Ryukyu spoke, her expression incredibly serious.

“This is truly terrifying.”

“Indeed, if All Might weren’t here, I’d doubt the credibility of this data.” Edgeshot replied in a heavy voice, a small bead of sweat trailing down his cheek. Meanwhile, Kamui Woods looked at Kai piloting the boat and spoke seriously.

“But there’s something I don’t understand. Why is the man in the black suit coming with us? I don’t recall ever seeing him before, so he’s not a well-known hero. This is the kind of situation where it wouldn’t be surprising if several of us lost our lives—bringing someone like him is far too risky, even if he is the ‘guide.’”

“That guy is stronger than I am.” At that moment, Mirko spoke with a wide grin, prompting the other three to look at her in surprise. Ryukyu asked in disbelief.

“You know him?”

“Yes, we even fought once—and I couldn’t do a thing against him. It was like a grown-up playing with a child… and he was the adult.”

Mirko responded in a bright voice, almost as if she were proud of having lost, which caused the other three heroes to glance at each other, a look of disbelief shining in their eyes. After all, they were fully aware of the rabbit heroine’s strength—and more importantly, her recklessness—so they knew that defeating her in the way she described was no easy feat. In fact, none of the three believed they could manage it themselves.

“How is it possible that no one knows about someone that strong?”

With a hint of caution, Edgeshot couldn’t help but ask in a low, measured voice. Mirko was about to answer with a grin, but before she could, a slightly distorted male voice cut in.

“Because I’m not a hero, and I don’t intend to be one. You can think of me as a 'mercenary'.”

“Do you enjoy being all mysterious?”

Mirko quickly asked in a playful tone, looking at the man in the black armor piloting the boat, while All Might’s usual smile couldn’t help but twitch slightly. In the back, Ryukyu, Edgeshot, and Kamui Woods exchanged looks once again, discomfort clearly written on their faces.

But before anyone realized it, Mirko leapt up and walked over to stand in front of the man in black armor, who seemed to have finished his conversation with All Might. Then Mirko began speaking to him casually, as if completely unaware they were heading into hell on earth—a place where they could lose their lives at any moment.

…

“Sometimes I kind of envy Mirko’s mindset…”

Ryukyu said with an ironic grimace on her face as she watched the rabbit heroine. But her expression quickly turned solemn as she turned to look at Edgeshot and Kamui Woods.

“This might be one of the toughest missions I’ve ever taken on as a pro hero, and there’s a very real chance we won’t come back alive. But someone has to do it—and I’m willing.” Ryukyu paused briefly and looked at her companions, who nodded in agreement. Then she added seriously, gesturing to the claws covering half of her face.

“Even so, I’d like to ask the two of you for something. If anything happens to me, if possible, at least bring my headband back with you and take it to my family.”

“You can be sure I’ll at least try.” Edgeshot replied seriously, then pointed to the golden mask on his shoulder and added.

“And I like your idea—so I’d like to ask the same. If something happens, bring back my mask.”

“In my case, bring this back and take it to my agency. They’ll know what to do.” Kamui Woods joined in with a serious tone, pointing to the pink veil hanging from his belt. The others nodded solemnly in response.

…

While the trio of heroes spoke solemnly among themselves, All Might turned to look at them with his signature smile, feeling that they truly were exemplary heroes. Even though they were fully aware of the great danger ahead, not for a single moment did they hesitate to act. That unshakable resolve made the Symbol of Peace stand tall—deeply proud of his profession.

Soon, All Might turned to look at the Pussycats, who also wore solemn expressions as they reviewed the island data over and over again, even though by now they should have memorized it. But no matter how focused they were on reading, the group of heroes would occasionally glance at Kai with a wary gleam in their eyes—something the Number One Hero understood perfectly.

After all, he too had seen the video of Kai’s final moments on that island—something that had truly surprised him, not just because of the young man's strength and resilience, but even more so because of his absolute selflessness in protecting his family.

(Kai-shonen, if only you could share a little of that love and devotion with the world at large… you’d be one of the greatest heroes.)

Looking at the young man in the armor, All Might couldn’t help but sigh to himself, while random thoughts passed through his mind on how he might motivate the boy to use his strength for good. After a few seconds, the Symbol of Peace shook his head—none of the ideas convinced him. So he decided to set it aside for now and focus on the exploration mission ahead.

That island was an extremely dangerous place—so much so that even he, the Symbol of Peace, could die if he let his guard down for even a moment. He had to cut off any unnecessary thoughts and focus completely to fight with all the strength he had left... which continued to fade with each passing day.

…

“‘A mercenary,’ huh? It looks like you’re going through that phase, boy. Total chunibyo.”

With a forearm resting on Kai’s shoulder, Mirko teased in a mocking tone, completely relaxed. Kai turned to look her up and down before replying in a tone that matched the rabbit heroine’s.

“Says the one who walks around in a bunny suit.”

“So what? Does it distract you? Then it’s working.” Mirko replied with a wide grin as she gently nudged Kai’s head with her elbow. To that, he casually responded.

“Not bad, but I’m a committed man.”

“Bah, such a ‘gentleman’. This outfit is what they call a ‘distraction tactic.’ If people get distracted, that’s an advantage for me.” Mirko replied cheerfully as she tugged slightly at her suit around the waist, then leaned in and whispered playfully into Kai’s ear.

“Though I’m not the jealous type, you know?”

“Well, look at that—the great Mirko’s flirting with me. Didn’t think you even knew how. I must be truly irresistible.” Kai said in a teasing tone, to which Mirko responded confidently and cheerfully.

“Convinced, but not wrong. You’re strong, you’ve got guts, and you make me laugh. That already puts you above a lot of people.”

“Thanks for the great honor.” Kai replied with sarcasm, making Mirko laugh. At that moment, Kai turned to look at her and asked with mild curiosity.

“But you don’t seem the least bit worried about the danger.”

“I live every day like it’s my last, so I don’t regret anything—there’s nothing to be afraid of.” Mirko replied confidently, a wide smile on her face. Then she pointed to her chest with her thumb and added with a nearly predatory grin on her beautiful face.

“Besides, the hero Mirko isn’t going down to a bunch of bugs.”

Hearing the words of the wild and beautiful pro hero, Kai turned to look at her for a few seconds. She didn’t seem blindly confident in her strength—instead, it was as if she was completely convinced that even if she were to die, she’d fight to the very end to achieve her goal. That gave her a kind of charm that Kai found undeniably appealing, and he couldn’t help but comment with a smile.

“You’re pretty attractive.”

“Hahaha, already falling for me?” Mirko laughed cheerfully, eyeing Kai’s kitsune helmet. He replied casually.

“If I were single, maybe.”

“Life’s too short to overthink. Until now, I’d never met a man stronger than me who I also got along with this well. So, if we make it out alive… let’s have a rematch.”

“Not a bad idea, actually. I had meant to reach out to you for training, but I ran out of time.” Kai replied calmly, growing more certain with each passing moment that the rabbit heroine was an excellent candidate for the Quirk Maker project. Mirko laughed with delight, then spoke with enthusiastic energy.

“We really are way too compatible. If we make it out alive, it’s a promise!”

“It’s a promise.” Kai replied calmly. Just then, he noticed a fog suddenly appearing out of nowhere, surrounding them. He quickly spoke up in a serious tone.

“The wait is over—we’re at the entrance. Get ready for the storm.”

At Kai’s words, all the heroes fastened their seatbelts with solemn expressions—even Mirko moved to a nearby seat and strapped herself in. Meanwhile, Kai turned to look at All Might and said in a serious tone.

“We’ll do it like we discussed: I’ll open the path, and you give us the boost. That storm is too brutal to get through by normal means.”

“I’ll be waiting for your signal, Saito-shonen!”

All Might quickly nodded and moved to the back of the boat, taking position to throw a punch at any moment. Meanwhile, Kai reached out a hand toward Salem, who was lying behind him.

With eyes slightly widened, the heroes watched as a sword began to form from the panther’s black fur, quickly taken by the man in the armor. Then he pushed the boat to full speed, driving it deep into the fog.

Soon, all the heroes could see colossal lightning bolts striking the sea and felt hurricane-force winds slamming against their bodies, threatening to hurl them into the air at any moment.

As the raging ocean violently tossed them about, the heroes saw a towering wave—over 10 meters high—rushing toward them, so awe-inspiring they couldn’t even swallow their saliva properly. It was at that moment that they heard the serious voice of the man in the black armor.

“Now!”

At Kai’s command, All Might immediately unleashed a powerful punch, creating a brutal shockwave followed by a horizontal hurricane that launched the boat forward at incredible speed. As their faces were slightly distorted by the velocity, everyone watched as the man in the black armor raised his sword, then brought it down at full force, unleashing a sort of flying slash of jet-black color.

To their disbelief, Ryukyu, Edgeshot, and Kamui Woods watched as the flying slash sliced through the massive wave and split the sea in two—as if Moses himself had done it—leaving their jaws so wide open a whole orange could’ve fit in their mouths. It was at that moment they heard a near-maniacal laugh from Mirko, who then shouted with pure excitement.

“HAHAHAHA! You’re seriously amazing, boy!!!”

Chapter 211: Disembarking.

Chapter Text

--Saturday, May 30, 2172

In the midst of a calm sea illuminated by the warm rays of the morning sun, which formed a beautiful rainbow that evoked a sense of peace, a strange island could be seen—one that appeared to have gone through an apocalyptic tragedy. It was partially charred and marked by various craters, typical of a recently bombed area. Yet no crater was as striking as what looked like a scar that nearly split the entire island in half.

The place was shrouded in an eerie silence, with the only sounds being the whisper of the waves and the occasional song of small birds. However, their chirping sounded faint and distant, almost as if narrating the dawn after a tragedy. But the peaceful scene was suddenly pierced by a chorus of human screams—full of terror and emotion.

Quickly, the screams grew louder until, suddenly, a speedboat appeared in the air, plummeting rapidly toward the sea. But just before impact, a powerful shockwave struck the ocean, shattering its stillness and warping its surface. This was quickly followed by an ascending tornado that managed to slow the boat’s fall, allowing it to gently touch the water shortly after.

“That was exciting.”

As the boat rocked violently from the waves caused by All Might’s impact, Mirko commented with a huge smile. A stark contrast to the Pussycats, Ryukyu, Edgeshot, and Kamui Woods, who were completely pale and in disbelief. After all, they had just passed through a storm so terrifying that they were certain, had it not been for the overwhelming strength of the Symbol of Peace and the man in black armor, they wouldn't have survived.

But the impact was several times stronger for the Pussycats. Although they had seen the video of how that storm had nearly drowned Kai, those images didn’t do justice to the terror they had just experienced. It hadn’t felt like a storm—it felt more like the wrath of a vengeful god lashing out at the world, something so terrifying it made them even more aware of the real dangers hidden on that island.

After all, in the footage, the storm had seemed “gentle” compared to the hordes of giant spiders and those superpowered monsters. So if merely surviving the storm had been this overwhelming, what lay ahead could only be devastating. This realization led the Pussycats to look with concern at Kai, who appeared completely calm as he stared at the half-charred island in the distance.

“So that’s the island…”

As he unbuckled his seatbelt, Kamui Woods spoke in a solemn voice—though still slightly breathless from the shock the storm had caused. Kai replied in an incredibly serious tone, his gaze still fixed on the island.

“Yes, this is it. So stay fully alert. The storm we just went through is a walk in the park compared to what’s hidden in that place.”

Upon hearing Kai’s words, Edgeshot, Ryukyu, and Kamui Woods stared at him and took deep breaths to steady their emotions. At that moment, All Might spoke out firmly.

“As we agreed, we’ll disembark on the island first and conduct a preliminary reconnaissance. Saito will guide us.”

Everyone nodded at All Might’s words, while Kai restarted the speedboat to head toward the half-charred island. However, beneath his helmet, the blue-eyed boy wore a solemn expression as he gripped the boat’s steering wheel tightly. Just seeing that place again made his heart race and his muscles tense—ready to fight or flee. The memories of his first ‘visit’ were still fresh in both his mind and body.

For their part, the Pussycats took a deep breath and then tapped their belts a couple of times, triggering a strange luminous material to extend from their belts, boots, and gloves. It soon covered them completely, gradually revealing their figures once again—now fully clad in impressive technological armor, prompting Mirko and the others to turn and look at them with a hint of surprise on their faces.

Despite being different colors—matching the original pattern of the Pussycats' uniforms: red for Shino, blue for Ryuko, yellow for Tomoko, and brown for Chatora—the armors all shared a similar appearance. They were composed of interconnected metallic plates that fit together organically, molding perfectly to the wearer's body. Each one featured a glowing triangle on the chest, reminiscent of the one on Kai’s armor.

“That armor looks like ‘Creati’s’…”

Ryukyu, who had allowed Momo to intern at her agency, couldn’t help but comment with slight surprise, paying close attention to the curious skirts made of metallic plates on the Pussycats’ armor. From which metallic tails extended, imitating their original costumes.

“Yes, they were created by the same group of researchers.” Shino replied in a calm voice while reviewing the data that appeared before her eyes on various floating screens.

“I see.” Ryukyu nodded, still a bit surprised, but before she could say anything else, the boat reached the edge of the island, prompting All Might to speak in a serious tone.

“We’re disembarking.”

At All Might’s command, the group jumped off the boat, landing on the charred roots that made up the ground, producing cracking sounds. For his part, Kai threw a kind of anchor into the sea, then jumped onto the island along with Salem. At that moment, he began explaining in a serious tone.

“Although you’ve already read it in the documents, this place is full of spiders of all shapes and sizes—but every single one of them seems to have at least one powerful Quirk, so be extremely careful.”

“Shouldn’t the fire that swept through this place have wiped out the spiders?”

“Watch out!”

Edgeshot asked as he lifted a piece of charred root, but at that moment, Ragdoll’s urgent warning rang out, alerting him. Before the ninja hero could react, he saw a black Jian sword with engraved patterns flash past his face at an absurd speed, immediately followed by a horrible screech. Almost in sync with the screech, the sword spun through the air and slashed at seemingly nothing.

Right after the sword passed, Edgeshot saw the space in front of him distort—and immediately afterward, a spider nearly a meter in size appeared, its legs as thin and long as needles. It collapsed to the ground, sliced cleanly in half, releasing a geyser of blue blood. As everyone gasped in shock, the slightly distorted voice of the man in black armor echoed in their ears.

“Apparently not.”

Kai’s voice snapped all the present heroes out of their shock, and they couldn’t help but clench their teeth. Aside from Tomoko, none of them—even with all their years of experience—had realized that the spider was there. Had it not been for Kai’s swift action, they would’ve suffered their first casualty without even knowing how. A realization that inevitably sent chills down their spines.

That was especially true for Edgeshot, who had been halfway transformed into what looked like a sheet of paper, yet it was still clear that his forehead was covered in cold sweat. He, an experienced hero, hadn’t even sensed the spider—not even when the sword flashed before his eyes. For a moment, he had even thought the man in black armor had betrayed them and was trying to kill him.

“…Thank you. You saved my life.”

After a few seconds, Edgeshot returned to his human form, turned to look at Kai, and thanked him with a heavy voice, his heart still pounding. Kai extended his hand forward, projecting a hologram of a map of the surrounding area marked with dots that varied in size and color. He then spoke in a calm, composed voice.

“Don’t worry about it. Your ability to flatten and stretch your body can be quite useful.”

Kai’s response brought bitter smiles to the Pussycats, All Might, and Edgeshot. But then Kai pointed to the holographic map and continued in a serious tone.

“More importantly, I’m currently detecting twelve spiders in the area. None of them seem especially powerful, but until we face them, we won’t know what abilities they have.”

“We also need a way to protect ourselves from those invisible spiders—I couldn’t sense it at all.” Wiping a bead of cold sweat from her chin, Ryukyu spoke in a serious tone. Tomoko clenched her fist in front of her and added cautiously.

“I can sense the invisible spiders, but they move too fast! As soon as I activated my Quirk, I felt something approaching—but it moved so quickly that all I could do was shout the warning!” Tomoko turned to look at Shino and asked.

“Mandalay, can you help us with that?!”

“Yes, I’ll create a ‘mental room.’” Shino nodded and replied in a calm voice, causing everyone to turn toward her. The brown-haired heroine continued with a small smile.

“A ‘mental room’ is a new ability I developed. With it, we’ll all be able to communicate mentally, send complex messages at high speed, and more—but you must have the intention to communicate your thoughts, or they won’t be transmitted. Keep that in mind, as it could lead to fatal mistakes.”

“That’ll be a huge help.” Ryukyu commented, a slight tone of relief in her voice. But she quickly looked at Shino and asked with curiosity.

“But I didn’t know your Quirk could do that, Mandalay.”

“It’s a recent 'upgrade'—years of training are finally starting to show some results.”

Shino responded naturally, wearing a calm expression, to which Ryuko, Tomoko, and Chatora nodded in agreement. Meanwhile, All Might couldn’t help but glance at Kai, suspecting that this 'upgrade' came from the weakened version of One for All the boy had told him he could share with others.

“So even at our age, Quirks can still develop... I need to train with more dedication.” Edgeshot remarked thoughtfully as he looked at the remains of the dead spider on the ground.

Realizing it wasn’t the time to reflect on his own training, Edgeshot quickly dismissed the thought and looked up—only to be met with four colds, nearly murderous glares from the women.

“I’m 18 at heart.” Ryuko said in a voice so icy it sent a slight shiver down the ninja hero’s spine.

“You’re right, my apologies.” Edgeshot quickly replied seriously, earning four irritated huffs in return. At that moment, All Might stepped forward and spoke firmly.

“Then, Mandalay, create that ‘mental room.’ We’re moving out.”

[Immediately.]

Shino quickly responded by sending a telepathic message to everyone present, creating the initial mental link, at which point she activated her new ability. It was the result of her beloved's hard work—another testament to the infinite love and care Kai gave them every single day, and one of the main reasons she loved him more than anything in the world.

When she activated her [Vital Reactor], faint, almost imperceptible electric sparks flickered around Shino’s head. Using the large amounts of energy, she enhanced her brain's capabilities, fully forming the mental room that allowed for the free exchange of complex thoughts. With the “room” now created in her mind, Shino sent a telepathic message to test it.

[It’s all set. Now you just have to think of something with the intent to share it, and your thoughts will automatically appear in everyone else’s mind. It can be messages like this, or a full mental image.]

As everyone looked at Shino in surprise, she turned to Ragdoll and sent another telepathic message.

[Ragdoll, show them.]

Tomoko nodded and quickly shared the mental image provided by her Quirk. In everyone’s mind, a three-dimensional mental map appeared, covering roughly a 10-kilometer radius. It displayed various colored, almost cartoonish spider-shaped icons that flickered faintly, each varying in size. At the same time, Tomoko’s voice echoed in everyone’s mind.

[This is part of what I perceive with my Quirk! The size of the icons matches the real size of the target, and the flickering represents their heartbeat. Also, each one has small marks in a different color—those are their physical weak points! If there’s something I can’t share visually, I’ll send a message like this! Some things are easier to communicate with ‘words.’!!]

Upon hearing Tomoko’s message, Ryukyu, Edgeshot, Kamui Woods, and All Might widened their eyes even further and swallowed hard. That combination was truly impressive—not only did they now share a mental radar of everything around them, but all the information conveyed through Tomoko and Shino’s “words” instantly appeared in their minds and was understood immediately. They now shared a method of communication infinitely more efficient than speaking.

[These are the targets I marked earlier.]

At that moment, Kai announced, then sent a mental image that materialized in everyone’s minds as three points of light on the three-dimensional map shared by Tomoko.

[I never imagined your Quirks could be used like this… This is a real ‘Game Changer.’] Wanting to try it out, Kamui Woods shared a mental message, which made the astonished heroes nod—just as All Might’s voice echoed in everyone’s mind.

[This is truly impressive—but it’s time to move out. It looks like several spiders are heading toward our position!]

Upon hearing All Might’s voice, everyone examined the mental image shared by Tomoko, where they could clearly see about twenty spiders rapidly approaching their position. The Symbol of Peace stepped forward and began making his way into the partially charred jungle, and the heroes quickly followed.

…

[Kai, are you okay?]

During the march, Shino—worried by how quiet Kai was as he moved forward with Salem by his side—sent him a private telepathic message, bypassing the shared mental room and creating a new link, through which she soon received a reply from her beloved.

[I’m fine. I just feel a bit uneasy… I’ve got a strange feeling.]

[Like that time with the scientists?] Upon hearing Kai’s calm response, Shino quickly asked in a serious tone. Kai replied in a similar one.

[It’s similar, though slightly different. So if things go south, you all know what to do—gather around Sage and get out of here. Don’t hesitate for even a second.]

Upon hearing her beloved, Shino couldn’t help but bite her lip in hesitation. Although they had made that agreement, so Kai would be willing to bring them along, Shino couldn’t imagine herself fleeing if she saw the love of her life in danger. She would rather die trying to save him than abandon him to his fate.

To Shino, life without the love of her life held no meaning. The moment she saw Kai on the brink of death, she became completely certain of that. That day, she felt the world lose its color and life slip through her skin. During the three days Kai remained unconscious, if it hadn’t been for the hope that he would wake up, she wouldn’t have had the strength to even get out of bed.

[… I know. It’s what we promised.]

After a few seconds, Shino replied in a heavy voice, lying to her beloved for the first time. Even though she was fully aware that staying behind in a desperate situation would only make things more difficult for Kai, she also knew that if it ever came to that, Kai’s chances of survival would be slim. And so, she would rather die by his side than escape only to face another bitter, gray day alone.

[You don’t have to feel guilty for running.] As if sensing Shino’s thoughts, Kai spoke in a warm tone, then continued more seriously.

[This time, I have far more ways to escape than I did on my first visit. I won’t fall for the same tricks again. The only issue is that I haven’t mastered them well enough to guarantee your escape too, so it’s better if you all leave ahead of me.]

[That’s what we’ll do.] Shino replied in a calmer tone, though only she knew whether or not she was being completely honest. Even so, Kai seemed convinced and answered.

[Perfect. Then I’ll trust you to lead everyone if it comes to that. I love you.]

Feeling the warmth in Kai’s declaration of love, Shino felt her heart melt and quickly replied with sincerity, ‘speaking’ from the depths of her soul.

[And I love you more than anything in this world.]

Beneath his kitsune helmet—which he didn’t wear just for show—Kai smiled warmly, then looked at Shino and nodded. The beautiful heroine smiled back and nodded in return, then created a new mental room for only her team and sent a message in a serious tone.

[Kai says he has a bad feeling, so he’s asking that if things get out of control, we regroup with Sage and escape from here.]

[I’m not leaving my sweetheart alone in this place. We leave together—alive or dead.] Ryuko quickly replied in an incredibly firm tone that left no room for debate. At that moment, Chatora’s voice echoed in their minds.

[Don’t be stubborn. You, more than anyone, know that many of Kai’s abilities only work on himself. If you stay, you’ll only distract him—you’ll only make things more dangerous for him.]

[So, are you planning to leave, Chatora?]

Tomoko asked in a calm, strangely cold voice—worlds apart from her usual demeanor—which, despite the tension in the air, made Chatora laugh before replying with full confidence.

[Of course not. It’s my job to get you all home; it’s the men of the family’s job to cover the retreat. Don’t forget—I’m the strongest of the four. I’m the best option to stay behind.]

[Ha-ru-ka-chan.]

In that precise moment, Chatora heard a name in his mind that made his hair stand on end, and he quickly replied in a serious tone.

[That name died a long time ago—don’t say it!]

[Then stop talking nonsense!] Ryuko replied in an irritated tone, then continued more seriously.

[We’re in this together. If things get dangerous, I brought the bombs Keiko made—so we’ll blow this place to pieces and escape with Kai. Understood?]

[[[Understood!]]]

The announcement was met with a unanimous affirmative response from her teammates, who clenched their fists tightly, their eyes shining with determination. No matter what happened, they would never abandon Kai to his fate—and even if every plan failed, each of them was resolved to turn that charred jungle into their grave.

***

There are images of the armors on P-tr--n (lordanl) that you can view for free.

Chapter 212: Flies about to crash.

Chapter Text

--Saturday, May 30, 2172

As the group moved through the charred remains of what was once a lush forest—where only a few intact trees and some small, newly sprouting saplings could still be seen—they spotted a spider launching toward them in the shared mental image of the surroundings provided by the combined efforts of Shino and Tomoko.

[Leave it to me.]

Before anyone else could react, Mirko announced excitedly through the mental link, then crouched and leapt using her powerful legs to their fullest, moving at an astonishing speed and living up to her reputation as the rabbit hero. At that moment, a spider about two meters tall leapt toward them at high speed.

The moment everyone could see the spider, it released two high-pressure jets of steaming liquid from its exposed fangs. Mirko dodged by twisting in midair, while Ryuko quickly manipulated the earth to create a hardened wall to block the attack, protecting the entire group.

Spinning in midair, Mirko unleashed a powerful kick that landed squarely on the spider, causing it to shriek in pain. It then tried to stab her with its legs—something Mirko managed to dodge using the momentum of her kick—but the sudden, rapid movement still managed to throw her slightly off balance, as the force created a small shockwave that shattered the nearby charred ground.

Although surprised, Mirko didn’t lose focus and quickly unleashed another spinning kick—this time aiming at one of the spider’s weak points, which she could see thanks to the mental image shared by Tomoko—completely crushing it and killing it. Then, she twisted in the air to look back at the rest of the group, which allowed her to see that Ryuko’s hardened earth wall was now completely frozen.

[That was two quirks, wasn’t it?]

At that moment, Kamui Woods couldn’t help but comment heavily, confirming one of the alarming details they had been told before setting out: the spiders had multiple quirks.

[That’s what I think, too.] Kai replied in a serious tone before continuing with a calmer explanation.

[It’s fairly common for the spiders to have super strength and use various means of attack. Some even seem to have up to five completely different abilities. But none are as dangerous as the ‘conditional webs’—those can appear out of nowhere and kill you instantly. So don’t let your guard down.]

Upon hearing Kai, the others nodded with solemn expressions, now fully convinced that the stories they’d been told about the island and its spiders weren’t exaggerations. It truly was a hellish place—one from which nothing could be allowed to escape, no matter what happened. If even one spider made it off the island, the world would be doomed. This realization caused the Symbol of Peace to clench his fists tightly, filled with determination.

Quickly, the group advanced toward the points of light Kai had shared through the mental link, doing their best to avoid being surrounded by the spiders, which moved as if unaware of their presence. This offered a small sense of relief to most—except for Kai, whose bad feeling only grew worse.

After all, during his initial arrival, the time between when he revealed himself and attacked the spiders, and the appearance of the male Drider along with an entire horde of spiders, had been incredibly short. But now, they were moving in broad daylight as a group, had already killed two spiders, and yet the rest seemed not to notice.

While that might seem like a good thing, it only made Kai more suspicious. After all, one of the three spiders he had marked with the Trace card—the very same ones he found on the island where the scientists had disappeared—was noticeably weaker, and it continued to weaken at a slow but steady pace. It was eerily similar to what had happened with the electric spider, the one that had nearly taken his life the first time.

[Sage, do you notice anything strange?]

Kai quickly contacted his trusted assistant, who had been flying at his side in [In] mode since the beginning, through the mental link he shared exclusively with her. She responded in a serious tone as her wings glowed in various colors, a stern expression on her beautiful face.

[No, Master. But I also feel that something’s wrong.]

[Maybe we’re just ‘flies’ about to crash into the web…]

Kai commented in a serious tone, to which Sage could only nod with a heavy expression, feeling incredibly uneasy. If it were up to her, she would never have returned to this cursed place. Then, with solemnity, she replied.

[I will increase my efforts, Master.]

Meanwhile, Mirko couldn’t help but show a wide grin on her face, feeling her body heat up with excitement. That spider had really been tough—so much so that she could still feel the impact on her right leg. Instead of scaring her, it thrilled her, awakening her 'lust' for battle.

As they advanced, the group inevitably began encountering more and more spiders, which Mirko attacked with fury, a wide, predatory smile spreading across her face. Little by little, she grew more reckless, which prompted All Might to speak through the mental link in a serious tone.

[Mirko, calm down. Recklessness in this situation is dangerous.]

[It’s fine. I’ve just never been good at working in a team, so I’m just having a bit of fun.]

While still in the air after taking down a spider, Mirko quickly replied, her voice filled with excitement. At that moment, an image appeared in everyone’s mind—of themselves being surrounded by spiders—accompanied by Kai’s solemn voice.

[It’s a trap.]

Almost simultaneously, Mirko suddenly found herself suspended in midair, all four limbs stretched out and floating against gravity, as if bound by something invisible. Her eyes widened in disbelief, but she instinctively tried to break free using her overwhelming strength, feeling something gripping her wrists and ankles.

But even as her muscles swelled with effort, the rabbit heroine couldn’t move—let alone break free. It was then that she saw what looked like a massive black arrow flying toward her at impossible speed, and despite everything, a smile formed on her face.

(So this is how it ends…)

“Salem!”

Just as Mirko calmly accepted her end, Kai’s powerful, slightly distorted voice echoed through the area, followed by a mighty roar in response. Everyone could see the imposing blue-eyed panther that accompanied Kai darting off into the distance, leaving behind a trail of bluish electricity.

Mirko then looked on in surprise at Kai’s back, as he seemed to have materialized right in front of her. He launched a slash toward the massive arrow, causing it to sharply veer off to the right. Taking advantage of the momentum from his strike, the young man twisted in the air and, using the two Jian swords in his hands, slashed toward her outstretched limbs.

At the same time, a large number of spiders of varying sizes and colors suddenly appeared around the group, attacking in unison with what looked like multicolored venomous spit. All Might immediately gave a command through the mental link while raising his right fist.

[Prepare to fight!]

“Detroit Smash!!”

As he shouted with power, All Might delivered a mighty punch to the ground, creating a rising tornado that surrounded the group, blowing away both the incoming attacks and a large number of spiders. At the same time, Ryukyu—the beautiful blonde woman in the red qipao—began to grow in size, quickly transforming into a massive Western-style dragon roughly 8 meters tall.

Simultaneously, Kamui Woods’ arms began to grow like trees, while Edgeshot’s torso flattened and stretched, causing his arms and head to rise high above the ground. Then, Ryuko placed her hands on the ground, causing enormous amounts of earth to move as if it were liquid. This shifting mass transformed into a small battalion of monstrous earth creatures, which were then quickly covered in metallic armor.

Meanwhile, Tomoko took a boxing stance as arcs of electricity surrounded her. At the same time, Chatora pulled his right arm back, causing it—and the armor around it—to stretch far behind him. Shino rose into the air using the thrusters on her armor, extending her arms in opposite directions, while the palms of her cat-themed gloves began to glow with an ominous blue light.

[I don’t know if this will work the way I imagine it, but I’ll try to let you all see what’s really going on.]

Suddenly, Kai’s voice echoed in everyone’s minds, and immediately after, a mental image appeared, overlaid with the one Tomoko was already sharing. This revealed a crucial difference: around them were four invisible webs woven in a tight formation, and above them—and below the ground—were two more, completely trapping them in a massive cube.

Thanks to the mental image, Mirko was finally able to “see” what had trapped her—invisible webs—which were instantly cut by Kai, freeing her. The rabbit hero began to fall, just as a powerful explosion echoed in the distance, causing her to turn and look. She quickly noticed that the explosion had occurred in the direction Kai had sent the giant “arrow,” which, for some reason, brought a smile to her face.

[Thanks for the image. Attack!]

Soon, the tornado created by All Might faded, prompting the Symbol of Peace to thank Kai and immediately give the order to attack, even as he crossed his arms in front of him—because despite all the spiders he had blown away, a massive number were still charging at them without any fear of death.

“Carolina Smash!”

With his shout, All Might brought his arms down at incredible speed, creating a cross-shaped shockwave that tore through all the spiders in a straight line. For his part, Kamui Woods extended his tree-like arms, piercing through the spiders at their weak points—clearly visible thanks to the mental image shared by Tomoko.

Meanwhile, Shino began firing lightning bolts from her cat-shaped gloves into the sky, hitting spiders that were dropping down from the web above them. Chatora rapidly retracted his stretched arm, hardened by his Accomplice’s ability, while activating his [Vital Reactor], boosting his superhuman strength to cataclysmic levels. At that moment, he muttered in a heavy voice.

“Iron Recoil!”

Chatora’s blow landed squarely on a spider nearly five meters tall, shattering it to pieces while also generating a powerful shockwave that created a small air hurricane, tearing through several other spiders in its path. This greatly surprised the surrounding heroes—because although he was weaker than All Might, the similarity in power and sheer impact was undeniable.

But their surprise only grew when they saw Tomoko perform a classic boxing-style forward step, but at such an incredible speed that she literally vanished from their sight for a second—only to reappear in front of a spider about three meters tall. She delivered a punch that shattered its exoskeleton while electrocuting it with a powerful current. In the next instant, she vanished again and reappeared in front of another large spider, repeating the process.

Finally, Ryuko’s small battalion of armored earth beasts quickly engaged the smaller spiders, creating a one-sided massacre—tearing through them left and right. Meanwhile, Ryuko herself had her hands on the ground as metallic cables extended from various parts of her armor, burrowing into the earth.

Through the shared mental image, everyone understood that Ryuko, on her own, was holding back the spiders emerging from the underground web—immobilizing them with the earth and finishing them off with her metallic cables, specially designed by Kai and Keiko. These cables could become as flexible, rigid, or sharp as needed thanks to the ability of her Accomplice.

Although impressed by the overwhelming strength of the Pussycats, Ryukyu didn’t stop her assault. Using her massive claws and tail, she began tearing through spiders like an unstoppable killing machine, while the spiders could barely scratch her scales—showcasing the sheer power and durability of the heroine in her dragon form.

In the background, Edgeshot flattened and stretched the upper part of his body, transforming into something like a flexible spear, and began moving erratically—piercing through a large number of spiders in his path.

Then, his body extended outward in the shape of spikes, tearing the spiders apart from the inside. At the same time, Mirko began spinning in the air, landing powerful kicks that shattered the spiders escaping Shino’s lightning barrage, taking out two or three with each strike.

[Area attack incoming; be careful.]

“Whirlwind Slash!”

As they fought, everyone heard Kai’s voice in their minds, just as he announced the technique aloud. Immediately after, they saw a rain of black slashes—similar to the one they had seen split the sea in half during the storm—begin to fall. Looking up, they spotted Kai spinning like a top in midair, unleashing a storm of flying slashes in every direction.

Seeing the devastating power of the armored man once again, Edgeshot, Ryukyu, and Kamui Woods couldn’t help but look at him with a hint of apprehension—while Mirko, grinning like a predator with eyes shining, leapt forward to kick a spider, then launched herself toward another, beginning her own acrobatic slaughter at super speed, dodging the rain of deadly slashes as she went.

[This isn’t ending. We have to retreat!]

Although the indiscriminate attack had created a brief window of relief from enemies on the surface, Ryuko—who was still fighting alone underground—spoke with a worried tone. Just then, a new horde of spiders came rushing out of the webs that only they could see through the shared mental image. Edgeshot quickly responded in a serious tone.

[Those webs are way too strange. While the large-scale attacks from All Might, Saito, and Chatora pass through them as if they don’t exist, every spider comes out of there as if it’s some kind of portal. I’ll try to investigate a bit to secure an escape route.]

[Then we’re counting on you, Edgeshot.]

All Might quickly responded through the mental link, prompting Edgeshot to nod with his flattened head before launching himself toward the top of one of the side webs.

The others began unleashing powerful attacks to decimate the spiders and distract them, ensuring they wouldn’t interfere with the Ninja hero. Upon reaching the web, Edgeshot extended just one finger to pierce the invisible thread.

“AHHHH!!!”

Almost instantly, the ninja hero let out a scream filled with pain, then abruptly returned to his human form and began falling toward the ground. Shino spoke through the mental link in an urgent tone.

[He’s disconnected from the mental link—he’s completely unconscious!]

Without a second thought, All Might leapt at full speed to catch Edgeshot midair, just before he would have landed in the middle of a massive group of spiders. At the same time, Kai stopped his attack and stared at the web the ninja hero had tried to pierce, a thoughtful expression hidden behind his kitsune helmet, as he began communicating with his trusted assistant.

[Sage, was it just my impression, or did that web dim for a moment and the one next to it repair it?]

[It wasn’t your impression, Master. It really happened.]

Sage quickly replied, simultaneously generating a holographic screen in [In] mode in front of her master. It displayed a video showing the web dimming for a millisecond—at which point the web to the right extended over it like a vine, moving so quickly that only the accelerated thoughts of Kai and Sage could perceive it.

When the web extended toward the dimmed one, the latter returned to normal. But Sage highlighted a spider that passed by at that exact moment, which lost a leg due to the sudden dimming of the web. This prompted Kai to comment thoughtfully to Sage while launching a pair of flying slashes to cover Chatora and Mirko, who had become surrounded for a moment.

[So that ‘portal web’ shut down for an instant when Edgeshot tried to pass through it. That means the fact we’re surrounded by six different webs isn’t a coincidence—it’s so they can repair each other if we try to break through. There must be something important on the other side…]

[That’s likely the case, Master.] Sage quickly replied, her wings glowing in various colors as she ran calculations at high speed. Then she added in a thoughtful tone.

[But for now, we can assume that the only way to escape is either by teleporting out… or by ‘shutting down’ all six webs at the same time, so they can’t repair one another.]

[Then shutting them all down at once is the only option.]

Kai shook his head and replied in a serious tone, then added as he sent out more flying slashes—this time to cover Kamui Woods and Tomoko, who were about to be struck from blind spots they couldn’t defend in time.

[Now is not the time to reveal teleportation. Don’t forget that last time, the female Drider created specific countermeasures against the ‘Rail Gun’ after seeing it only once. The less we show, the better—especially since teleporting others is too costly and problematic. The best tactic is to keep it as a trump card.]

[You’re right, Master. That’s the best course of action.] Sage responded quickly in a serious tone.

[Kai! Can you try to heal Edgeshot?!]

At that moment, All Might spoke through the mental link as he landed on the ground holding Edgeshot. The conversation between Kai and Sage had happened so quickly that only a second had passed in the real world—a tactical advantage born from the combination of their mental connection and accelerated thought.

Chapter 213: Seeing it and living it are two very different things.

Chapter Text

--Saturday, May 30, 2172

Upon hearing the urgency in All Might’s message, Kai turned to look at him and saw him striking the ground with a powerful blow that created a tornado, sending all the surrounding spiders flying. He quickly responded using the mental room that Shino had created.

[I’ll try.]

Almost instantly, Kai kicked the air and shot off in All Might’s direction, managing to pass through the hurricane without much trouble. There, he found the Symbol of Peace holding the unconscious ninja hero. Upon seeing Kai, All Might quickly threw the hero into his arms and spoke through the mental room.

[Check his condition. I’ll make sure no spiders get close.]

For his part, Kai caught the unconscious hero and watched as All Might leapt into the air, delivering powerful blows in all directions, shattering dozens of spiders at once. At that moment, Kai asked his trusted assistant through their mental link, who had already begun examining the unconscious hero.

[What happened to him?]

[It’s strange, Master…]

With her wings glowing in different colors, Sage responded with a somewhat confused expression, which surprised Kai—such an expression was rare in his reliable assistant. She quickly explained, still sounding a bit incredulous.

[This person is experiencing a violent immune-neuronal response, as if his own body had identified him as an incompatible transplanted organ. It’s really strange…]

[It certainly is, but for now, sever the connections between the cervical and thoracic lymph nodes, use Mystical Palm threads to encapsulate the medulla oblongata, and perform an emergency lymphatic bypass. Redirect the immune response to the adipose tissue. First, let’s buy some time to break this ‘prison’.]

Kai responded quickly, to which Sage nodded before getting to work. At that moment, Kai activated his 360-degree black-and-white vision and focused on the six webs that surrounded them. At the same time, he threw the sword in his hand toward the nearest web—but just as he expected, it passed through it as if it didn’t exist.

Immediately after, Kai kicked a piece of charred wood on the ground, sending it flying toward the web, but it too passed right through. At that point, Kai sent a message through the mental room Shino had created.

[Ragdoll, grab a spider and throw it at the web.]

[On it!]

Tomoko quickly replied through the mental link, and channeling a greater percentage of strength into her legs, she shot upward at high speed. In almost an instant, she reached a spider that had managed to get past Shino and Mirko’s attack. Twisting midair around it, she then delivered a powerful, electricity-charged kick to the spider, sending it flying toward the nearest web.

[How’s Edgeshot?!] At that moment, All Might asked with a serious tone, and Kai responded while focusing his 360-degree vision on the spider Tomoko had kicked.

[He’s in critical condition. I’m stabilizing him for now, but we need to break out of this place as soon as possible to properly treat him. But don’t worry—I have a plan.]

[What do we need to do?]

Mirko asked, her voice filled with excitement fueled by adrenaline. Just then, Kai saw the spider disappear upon touching the web, teleporting back inside—which basically confirmed his hypothesis. He quickly explained.

[When Edgeshot came into contact with the web, it deactivated for an instant and was repaired by one of the webs beside it. So, it’s likely that in order to break this place, we need to deactivate all six webs at the same time. The problem is that the webs only seem to respond to living organisms—they teleport the spiders, but they reject us, like they did with Edgeshot.

[Therefore, six of us need to ‘sacrifice’ ourselves to get out of here. But don’t worry—I have ways to treat you afterward. Besides, my cat is already on his way back, and he should be able to withstand the violent reaction caused by the web long enough for me to treat him. So, I need four more volunteers for the task.]

[[[I’m in!]]]

Just as Kai finished his explanation, three “voices” echoed in unison in his mind—those of All Might, Chatora, and Mirko—quickly followed by Ryukyu’s voice, who spoke with a solemn tone.

[Count me in as well. In my dragon form, I’m very resilient, so I should be able to endure it for a while.]

[Saito, you can’t go. I’ll do it in your place.] Tomoko’s serious voice rang in everyone’s minds. She quickly explained, fearing her beloved would refuse.

[You’re the only one here who can treat us afterward, so we can’t risk anything happening to you.]

[Ragdoll’s right, Saito. And there’s also Edgeshot’s treatment—you can’t take that risk right now.]

At that moment, All Might also spoke with a serious tone, which caused an unpleasant expression to appear on Kai’s face. But before he could say anything, Shino’s voice rang out in his mind—this time, without using the shared mental room.

[Kai, Chatora and Tomoko trust that you’ll be able to heal them afterward. That’s why you can’t take the risk.]

[…Alright.]

After a few seconds, Kai replied somewhat reluctantly, then added—while simultaneously sending a mental image to everyone showing where they needed to position themselves, taking into account their speed so that they would all reach their respective webs at the same time.

[My cat is here, so I’ll give the signal to move. Ragdoll will take the web below, my cat will handle the one above, and Tiger, Mirko, and All Might will take the ones closest to them.]

[[[Understood.]]]

Everyone responded in unison with solemn “voices,” just as Ryuko began opening a passage through the earth for Tomoko to pass through. Kai quickly gave an order to his trusted assistant, while also conjuring six floating Jian swords around him and activating Mystical Palm.

[Sage, leave the hero to me. Go with Salem and help me synchronize the attack.]

[Right away.] Sage quickly replied and shot off toward Salem, passing through the web without any problem.

[Master, everything is ready. In 1.3 seconds, Salem will make contact with the web above.]

Shortly after, Sage’s melodic voice echoed in Kai’s mind. He quickly ran some mental calculations and, after a few moments, gave the command in a serious tone.

“Now!”

At Kai’s command, All Might, Ryukyu, Mirko, Chatora, and Tomoko leapt toward their respective webs. Salem began to fall toward the upper web, carrying in his snout a spider about 50 cm long, with legs that looked like an elongated arrow. Moments later, a powerful roar rang out, followed by cries of pain.

“““Ahhhh!!!”””

Without losing focus, Kai accelerated his thoughts to the maximum and, through his black-and-white vision, saw each web deactivate simultaneously, then begin to fracture as if made of glass. At that moment, Tomoko, Chatora, and Mirko collapsed to the ground unconscious. Tomoko and Chatora Accomplices materialized out of nowhere to protect them.

[Pixie-Bob!]

Kai called out with a solemn voice, prompting Ryuko to activate her Vital Reactor at full power—so much that small electric sparks flickered across her armor. At the same time, she placed her hands on the ground and announced aloud.

“FOREST OF THORNS!!!”

At Ryuko’s command, the surrounding earth deformed at impossible speed, taking the shape of massive compressed-earth thorns with metal tips. They pierced through all the spiders, tearing them to pieces, yet deliberately avoiding the heroes. At the same time, a beast made of earth formed beneath Mirko, caught her, and leapt away with her in its arms.

[It worked! Let’s get out of here!]

All Might, wearing a grave expression while his body released massive amounts of smoke, sent a message through the mental room. Ryuko sent a mental message with a serious “voice.”

[Hold on tight!]

Instantly, the ground beneath each person lifted into the air and shot off at incredible speed. Meanwhile, Salem—completely covered in lightning bolts thicker than his legs—kicked the air and moved at absurd speed, landing on the platform of hardened earth that was carrying Kai.

Upon landing beside Kai, Salem shrank back down to his true form—about the size of a German Shepherd—breathing heavily, with small electric arcs flashing across his body. That’s when Sage spoke in a serious voice through the mental link with her master.

[Salem was able to withstand the webs’ negative reaction, but it cost him a large portion of his energy. As for Tomoko and Chatora, even though they activated their Vital Reactors to the max, they couldn’t fully resist it either—but they’re in much better condition than Edgeshot. Their lives aren’t in danger!]

[Understood.]

Kai replied while scanning the surroundings with his Observation Haki. To his surprise, the few spiders that were still alive had started fleeing in a panic—a complete contrast to just moments ago, when they had attacked without fear of death, throwing themselves toward certain doom as if their only goal was to bury them under their own corpses.

After watching the spiders with a suspicious expression, Kai turned to look at the platforms carrying the unconscious Mirko and All Might—only to find the latter down on one knee, releasing a thick trail of smoke and no longer in his hero form. He now appeared much thinner and slightly shorter, almost like a retired boxer—still fit but far from the mass of muscle that defined his hero form.

At that moment, Kai saw the platforms carrying the heroes who had thrown themselves against the webs approaching his own, allowing him to notice that Ryukyu, the dragon heroine, was trembling all over and breathing heavily. Just then, Ryuko’s voice echoed in everyone’s minds.

[We’re going to land.]

[Kai, check everyone’s condition. Meanwhile, Kamui Woods, help me set up a perimeter.] Shino quickly sent a mental message with a serious and slightly concerned tone, to which the wood hero nodded promptly and replied.

[Let’s go.]

Shortly after, the group managed to land in a clearing with no spiders in sight. There, Shino and Kamui Woods quickly stepped forward and began establishing an improvised defensive perimeter—Kamui Woods extended his arms and buried them into the ground, then caused a large number of branches to grow, forming a kind of barrier.

Meanwhile, Shino tapped a few times on the forearm of her armor with her index finger, and almost immediately, what looked like launchers rose from her shoulders. They fired discs about five centimeters wide in various directions. These discs glowed softly and began forming metallic barriers.

For his part, Kai checked Mirko’s condition and found it to be quite serious. Although she was in better shape than Edgeshot and not in immediate danger, it had still been too much for her—she was even experiencing minor convulsions. Without hesitation, Kai gave a firm order to his trusted assistant.

[Sage, take care of Tomoko and Chatora. I’ll keep Mirko and Edgeshot stable.]

“That web was terrifying…”

Rising to his feet with some difficulty, All Might couldn’t help but comment in a heavy voice as he looked at the others—especially Edgeshot and Mirko. Then he turned to Kai, who stood silently with his hands placed over them. But due to Kai’s helmet, All Might couldn’t see the expression on the boy’s face.

“I knew it would be dangerous, but still...” Ryukyu, who had returned to her human form, spoke in a hoarse, heavy voice, still suffering from minor spasms. All Might could only nod in response before replying solemnly.

“Yeah. Seeing it and living it are two very different things… we truly underestimated this place.”

“How are they?” At that moment, Ryuko arrived and sat down near Kai, looking exhausted as she asked. Kai answered in a serious voice.

“Tomoko and Chatora are fine—they’ll wake up soon. But Mirko and Edgeshot are in bad shape, especially Edgeshot. He needs urgent treatment.”

“Looks like we'll have to find a way to get him out of here…”

Upon hearing Kai, All Might commented in a heavy voice, slowly beginning to return to his hero form. To everyone’s surprise, instead of replying, Kai looked up at the sky—prompting the others to follow his gaze. But all they saw was the clear, open sky.

“That’s no longer an option.”

As the heroes turned once more to look at Kai, he spoke in a heavy voice. At the same time, a mental image appeared in everyone’s mind—a massive web above and below them—which made their eyes go wide in utter disbelief.

“A larger version of what we saw before?!” Not seeing any side webs in the mental image, Ryukyu asked in alarm, trying to shift back into her dragon form.

“Even though I can’t sense all the webs, they’re most likely there.” Kai replied grimly, then added solemnly.

“You’ve all seen it now—these spiders are intelligent, and they can learn from their mistakes. The last time I came here, I escaped by flying… so this time, they created this setup to make sure I can’t get away.”

Upon hearing Kai, everyone present clenched their fists tightly. However, All Might glanced at the young man out of the corner of his eye with slight suspicion. Even though he couldn’t see Kai’s face, he knew him well—and he was almost certain the boy had some kind of ace up his sleeve for a situation like this. An ace clearly reserved only for his family, and not something he would reveal easily.

[Kai… Is there really no way out?]

At that moment, Shino sent a telepathic message to her beloved. Because although she loved him deeply, she also knew him extremely well. And she was fully aware that if things were truly as desperate as he claimed, he wouldn’t be this “calm.”

He would’ve already thrown everyone over his shoulders and fled with everything he had—even if it meant leaving All Might and the other heroes behind. After all, before coming here, he had warned them.

[…There is a way.] After a few moments, Kai responded through the telepathic link that had formed, confirming Shino’s suspicions. He then quickly began to explain in a serious tone.

[But that’s the last resort. The first time I came here, those spiders managed to prepare a defense against my attacks—and even now, they’ve come up with a countermeasure against Accompany. If I reveal my cards carelessly, they might find a way to counter me again… and then we really would be lost.]

[I understand… but do you really plan to leave the others behind?] Shino asked somewhat anxiously as she looked at Mirko and Edgeshot. But before Kai could respond, All Might spoke in a solemn voice.

“Saito, I want you to be honest. Is there a chance to heal Edgeshot here?”
“…”

Upon hearing the question, Kai fell silent and turned to look at All Might. The Symbol of Peace met his gaze, focusing on the red eyes of Kai’s Kitsune helmet. After a couple of seconds, Kai responded in a calm tone.

“…It’s not impossible. Maybe there’s a 60% chance I can heal him here. But it could take hours, and I seriously doubt those spiders will give us that much free time.”

“…”

All Might remained silent and looked at Kai, but since the helmet hid his expression, he turned to look at the Pussycats instead. Although the group of pro heroes were good at hiding their emotions, to someone as experienced as the Symbol of Peace, it soon became clear they were hiding something.

Knowing Kai’s track record of only telling half-truths, All Might quickly formed a rough idea of the whole truth. Kai should have at least two ways to heal Edgeshot and Mirko, one of them being that bluish glow he’d shown with little difficulty, so it must be far from revealing Kai’s deepest secrets.

On the other hand, the other method must be so special that even seasoned heroes like the Pussycats—whose hearts were always willing to help others—didn’t dare to mention it. Therefore, it was highly likely that Kai wouldn’t reveal it unless one of the Pussycats was on the brink of death. Even if it meant the lives of all the other heroes, including his own.

“I see. One more question.” Now having a clear idea in mind, All Might spoke, drawing Kai’s attention, and then asked.

“How long can you keep Edgeshot alive?”

“Keeping him alive for 5 or 6 hours isn’t a problem. But it would greatly limit me in a fight.” Kai replied calmly. All Might nodded and fell silent for a moment, organizing his thoughts.

(If Kai-shonen says there's only a 60% chance, it's highly likely that it's actually much higher. He might be confident he can completely heal him, just with that blue glow. It’s just that the situation is dangerous, and given how manipulative he’s proven to be, it’s highly probable that his goal is to force the Pussycats—or at least some of them—to retreat while he stays behind.

(If I’m right, I can draw two conclusions. One, this situation is far from being the worst-case scenario for Kai-shonen. And two, he must have at least two different methods of escaping from here—one for the Pussycats and another for himself—since he’s repeatedly emphasized that the spiders can counter the abilities he reveals. Therefore, unless one or two of the Pussycats retreat, Kai isn’t going to get Edgeshot out of here or heal him..)

Once he had a clearer idea of the real situation they were in, All Might looked at Kai again and asked in a serious tone. Though deep down, he felt a slight bitterness at how indifferent the young man seemed toward the life of an injured hero.

“…Saito, you’ve been in this place before. What do you suggest we do to get rid of those webs?”

“There are a few options.” Kai replied as he moved his hands over Edgeshot and Mirko, placing them on their chests. He then began to explain.

“As you saw in the report, I labeled those strange webs as 'conditional webs'—meaning they produce an effect based on a specific trigger. This makes them incredibly flexible and powerful. As you’ve seen, they can teleport living beings, cause damage just by touching them, and more. The last time I was in this place, I nearly died because of those webs.

“At that time, the webs mainly did two things: first, they stopped one of my most powerful attacks, and second, they would instantly wrap around me if I moved too far away. On top of that, they had corrosive properties, which made them deadly. And there’s more than one spider here capable of using that kind of web. On my previous visit, I managed to kill two that used those webs, but it seems more remained.

“In any case, since those webs are 'conditional,' it's possible to bypass them. For example, the attack those spiders blocked last time was based on speed—so I deduced that the trigger condition was related to that. I confirmed it by approaching more slowly, which didn’t activate the web.

“Therefore, this time, we have two options: one is to determine the conditions under which the webs operate and find a way to bypass them; the other is to locate and kill the spider responsible, since doing so completely deactivates the webs. But again, these spiders are very intelligent—almost human—so I don’t think either option will be easy.”

Upon hearing Kai’s explanation, All Might and Ryukyu exchanged solemn looks. While they had read something along those lines in the report, they never truly imagined the spiders would be so clever. After a few seconds, All Might pulled himself together, turned to face Kai, and asked in a serious tone.

“Saito, how likely do you think it is that these spiders are being directed by a human?”

“That’s something I considered at the beginning as well.” Kai replied calmly, placing his left hand on Mirko’s head while lifting his gaze to meet All Might’s. Then he continued speaking.

“But it's hard to confirm or rule out, since it's not unheard of for there to be super-intelligent animals. Just look at Nezu as a prime example. That mouse/bear is extremely intelligent and manipulative, so I don’t see why there couldn’t be a spider here with similar capabilities.”

“That’s true. Although Principal Nezu is quite unique, there’s nothing stopping someone—or something—similar from existing...” All Might couldn’t help but agree, at which point Ryuko looked at her beloved and bit her lip with hesitation. After a few seconds, she asked in a serious tone.

“Saito... is there really no other 'option'?”

Chapter 214: The boy who cried wolf situation.

Chapter Text

--Saturday, May 30, 2172

When she saw her beloved turn to look at her, Ryuko couldn’t help but press her lips together, imagining the expression hidden beneath his helmet. But even if Kai got angry, her conscience wouldn’t allow her to let her comrades die. Clenching her fists, Ryuko met his gaze with determination, starting a small staring contest that allowed Ryukyu, the dragon woman, to get an idea of what was going on. The man in armor had means he didn’t want to share.

For his part, Kai kept looking at Ryuko with a somewhat bitter smile, knowing that she doubted his words a little. And he deserved it—he often withheld the full truth. But this time, he was experiencing the boy who cried wolf situation because he was actually being honest. Mystical Palm, although a powerful and versatile ability, still had its weaknesses. Since it was specifically designed for surgery, it didn’t work very well for anything else.

Things like infectious, hematological, autoimmune diseases, and the like were true challenges for Mystical Palm. After all, even though over time and thanks to his experience with massages, Kai had learned to use Transformation so that his aura triggered different reactions in others—including the effects of various medications. This was far from being as efficient as simply stitching tissues together and accelerating healing.

For that reason, if he wanted to quickly heal the hero, who was suffering from an acute self-destructive immune reaction, Angel’s Breath was the only 100% viable option, and he wasn’t willing to use it. Not just because it was an ability that could bring him a myriad of problems if it were revealed, but more importantly, because of the card’s own limitations.

In addition to its high aura cost and its limit of three uses per month—which reset every 30 days or the February equivalent—Angel’s Breath came with a series of pacts, one of which was a “toll.” The toll of Angel’s Breath was essentially that, depending on the wounds or illnesses the angel healed, Kai’s aura would be restricted by 50% for up to 12 hours. During that time, he wouldn’t be able to cast the card again.

Thanks to his experience, Kai knew that healing Edgeshot would cost him a toll of at least 5 hours. In the situation they were in, Angel’s Breath was a one-time-use ability. There was no way he would waste such a valuable opportunity on someone outside his family, even if it meant they ended up hating him for it.

That didn’t mean Mystical Palm was his only option to treat Edgeshot. He still had a couple of hypotheses to test—but since they were just that—hypotheses, ideas—he didn’t mention them to avoid raising false hopes.

“Saito…”

At that moment, Chatora’s somewhat hoarse voice was heard, catching Kai’s attention. Kai turned to look at Chatora and saw him slowly getting up, a pained expression on his face. Even so, Chatora quickly added with seriousness.

“I know what you’re thinking. This is our fault—you warned us, and we insisted. But let me make something very clear: if you're thinking about saving me and leaving the others to their fate…” Chatora gritted his teeth, wincing slightly in pain, but staring directly at Kai, he continued.

“…then just leave me with the others. I’d rather die than live knowing I abandoned my teammates!”

Although he couldn’t see Kai’s expression, Chatora stood up fully and stared straight into the red eyes of the Kitsune helmet Kai wore. Meanwhile, Kamui Woods and Ryukyu couldn’t help but silently watch the scene unfold. They didn’t understand all the context, but it was clear that the Pussycats were implying that their lives—and deaths—depended on the man in armor.

However, they were professional heroes who had been through countless life-and-death trials. The idea that their lives depended on someone they didn’t even know was not something they were willing to accept. With a solemn expression, Ryukyu quickly stepped forward in her dragon form and firmly declared.

“I don’t understand everything that’s going on… but I can still move. And as long as I can, I won’t just stand here waiting. I’m going to see this through no matter what. Those spiders cannot leave this island, and I’m sure Edgeshot feels the same. Everyone has their secrets; I get that… I just want to know one thing. Saito: Are you on our side?”

Hearing the dragon woman speak, Kai couldn’t help but turn to look at her with a hint of surprise, at which point Kamui Woods added with solemnity.

“I’m a professional hero too, and while luck may have played a big part in where I am today, that doesn’t change who I am.” Noticing that Kai had turned to look at him, Kamui Woods continued, locking eyes with him.

“You’re strong, and you can heal others—you’re a valuable asset to the team. So, I’m with Ryukyu. Even though I don’t want to see Edgeshot die, he came prepared for the worst. I just hope we get the chance to fight together. This place is mysterious, dangerous, and hard to reach—someone has to face it.”

“…”

Hearing the heroes, Kai quickly composed himself and turned to look at Shino, Ryuko, and Chatora, who met his gaze with unwavering determination—something that made him sigh slightly, inevitably. He had already suspected something like this might happen, so it didn’t catch him off guard. He had made preparations.

He had prepared some new “trump cards” to keep things from spiraling out of control. Even though the situation was still risky, he had no intention of falling to those spiders—and even less of letting his family die at the hands of those insects, no matter how stubborn they were.

“… Actually, I do have a way to escape.” After a few seconds, Kai said in a serious tone. Then, scanning those present with his gaze, he added.

“But first, you all need to understand something very clearly: if you have hidden cards, keep them that way.” Kai looked specifically at All Might as he spoke, almost hinting at something, and continued.

“I can assure you that if you reveal any abilities, those spiders will find a way to counter them. As I mentioned earlier, the web above our heads is nothing more than a countermeasure against one of my skills.” Placing his hand on Mirko’s abdomen, Kai added in a deeper voice.

“As for the method I have to get us out of here, it’s not only problematic for me—we also need to be within one kilometer of the webs. And like I already said, it’s almost certain that after we use it, the spiders will find a way to block it, making it a one-time option.” Kai spoke while looking, especially at Ryuko and Shino, and finished as he lowered his head to focus on Mirko and Edgeshot.

“So, I can only offer you two options. One: try to heal Edgeshot here, which isn’t guaranteed to work and could take a long time. Or two: take him out to seek medical attention, but that would mean burning a bridge—condemning our chances of escape later if we stay behind.”

Upon hearing Kai’s words, All Might looked at him with a conflicted expression. Things had come to the conclusion he had anticipated—someone had to leave and take Edgeshot with them. Kai clearly wasn’t willing to make any further concessions and intended to keep the second escape method for himself. After a small sigh, the Symbol of Peace asked.

“Saito, can you fully heal Mirko?”

“Yes. It’ll take me about 30 minutes. Her ‘injuries’ are troublesome, but she’s in better shape than Edgeshot.” Kai replied without lifting his head, which didn’t bother All Might, who simply nodded before asking another question.

“I see. And one last question. After using the method you mentioned to get out… will they have to go back through the storm?”

“…” Kai looked at All Might for a few moments, and the Symbol of Peace met his gaze with his signature heroic smile. After a few seconds, Kai explained.

“There might be a way to avoid going through the storm again, but there’s a good chance it’ll fail. It’s something I already tried once, so the spiders may have set up a countermeasure.”

“I see, Saito. I appreciate your honesty. Now I understand your limitations—and your priorities…”

All Might nodded, a shadow of doubt flickering in his blue eyes—something Kai saw through the screens of his helmet with a blank expression. Meanwhile, the Pussycats smiled bitterly. The slight sarcasm in All Might’s tone was painful to hear, all the more so because they too doubted whether Kai was truly being sincere. Soon after, All Might turned to the other heroes and began speaking in a serious tone.

“Kamui Woods is right—this place is hard to reach. You can only enter at sea level, and first you have to make it through that storm. Leaving is even worse. So, sending an army of heroes is unfeasible. The best option is small, powerful teams like us.”

All Might paused briefly to let the others absorb his words, and seeing that everyone nodded in understanding, he continued.

“Also, those spiders are intelligent, which means that right now—before they’ve seen the full extent of our abilities—is the best opportunity we have to deal enough damage to at least cripple them.” All Might looked at Kai as he healed the heroes on the ground and added in a deep voice.

“With Saito having the ability to heal us, this is possibly the best team of heroes that can be deployed here quickly. Bringing in foreign heroes would take too long.” Seeing that all the present heroes nodded again, the Symbol of Peace gave his heroic smile and added, full of heroism and a sense of duty.

“We’re in a situation where we’re the weaker side—we lack information, and our comrades are injured. We are, undoubtedly, in a truly desperate situation. BUT THIS IS JUST ANOTHER DAY IN THE LIFE OF A PRO HERO!!!” All Might declared with such force that the ground itself seemed to tremble from the power in his voice.

“We are heroes! If this is our only chance to tip the scales in humanity’s favor, then we will fight! Saving lives and protecting the future is our duty! But that doesn’t mean we’ll abandon a comrade! We’re going to save everyone—and to do that, we have to go beyond our limits… we must go PLUS ULTRA!!!!”

“““PLUS ULTRA!!”””

The group immediately responded in unison, full of spirit, their eyes practically glowing with resolve and heroic determination. The powerful roar awakened Tomoko, who began to look around, a little confused and in pain. Shino looked at her teammate and shared everything that had happened through her telepathy, which led the beautiful turquoise-haired woman to look at Kai and exclaim aloud.

“Plus Ultra!!”

Meanwhile, Kai, through the screens in his helmet, looked at the determined expressions of everyone present with a somewhat strange expression—finding them a bit ridiculous, but at the same time, somewhat inspiring. All Might turned to look at the battered Ryukyu in her dragon form, who was still suffering from small spasms, then glanced at his own hands, which also trembled slightly, and soon added firmly.

“Even though we won’t abandon Edgeshot, we also can’t afford to use what might be our only escape route if things go wrong. That’s why our course of action will be to buy time for Saito to fully heal Mirko. That time will also allow Ragdoll, Chatora, Ryukyu, and me to recover.” Seeing his comrades nod in agreement, All Might continued.

“Once Mirko is healed, we’ll split into two groups. One group will stay with Saito to stabilize Edgeshot, and the other will try to take down the spiders—or at the very least, uncover the truth behind them. If Saito succeeds in healing Edgeshot, we’ll regroup.” Immediately after, All Might turned to Kai and asked in a serious voice.

“Saito, do you have any idea where we can hide?”

“Underground,” Kai replied calmly, placing one of his hands on Edgeshot’s abdomen. “Since we arrived, there have been two places where I haven’t detected any spiders: in the sea and underground. Obviously, excluding the earlier trap.”

Upon hearing Kai, Tomoko quickly activated her quirk to the maximum, trying to confirm it—but as she did, she noticed something strange. Her quirk was showing her a position that overlapped with the locations of the spiders Kai had marked. Tomoko’s confusion made her tilt her head slightly. The subtle movement inevitably caught Shino’s attention, who asked curiously after firing a repulsor blast to kill an approaching spider.

“Something wrong, Ragdoll?”

“Yes!” Tomoko responded, nodding as she shared the mental image with the others and explained.

“I marked a spider with my quirk, and now it looks like it’s joined up with the ones Saito had marked!”

“Could it be the one Saito asked you to kick into the web?” Ryuko quickly asked, intrigued. Tomoko nodded and replied.

“Yes, that’s the one!”

“So all those spiders came from the same place…”

Chatora muttered with a hand on his chin, deeply considering the implications, while simultaneously stretching his right leg like rubber to crush a new spider approaching. All Might also took a few seconds to think about what it could mean, but finding no immediate answer, he shook his head and spoke.

“Ragdoll, for now, keep an eye on that spider; we might discover something through it.” As Tomoko gave a sort of military salute to acknowledge the order, All Might turned to Ryuko and asked.

“Pixie-Bob, do you have enough energy to hide us underground?”

“In about five minutes, I’ll be almost fully recovered. Leave it to me!” Ryuko replied as she raised a fist and one of the metal cables from her armor shot out, slicing through three more incoming spiders.

Ryuko’s response caused Ryukyu and Kamui Woods to widen their eyes slightly and study her closely. After all, the display of power the armored blue heroine had shown in the trap was impressive—perhaps even greater than someone like Endeavor. The fact that she could recover so quickly after everything she’d done was truly remarkable.

“I understand.” For his part, All Might nodded at Ryuko’s response and quickly turned to Kamui Woods.

“Kamui Woods, can you create a defensive layer underground to reinforce Pixie-Bob’s?”

“Yes, I still have enough energy.”

Kamui Woods replied as several branches extended from his arms, piercing four more incoming spiders. This made All Might nod in satisfaction before he quickly announced in a serious tone.

“Then that’s how we’ll do it. Saito will focus on healing Mirko and stabilizing Edgeshot. Mandalay, Ragdoll, Pixie-Bob, and Kamui Woods will focus on defense. Everyone else, focus on recovering your strength.”

“““Understood!!”””

Ryuko responded in unison with the others as she placed her hands on the ground. Activating her quirk, Ryuko quickly manipulated the earth, causing it to begin sinking. At the same time, the distant ground erupted into a multitude of hardened earth spikes that pierced through the surrounding spiders indiscriminately, killing them all.

As they descended, Kamui Woods’ arms stretched and twisted to form a kind of wooden dome. The earth soon began to cover the dome and hardened, burying them completely and plunging them into total darkness.

At that moment, Ryuko manipulated the ground to move the dome, relocating it away from the area—while also remembering to create small openings in different places to allow air to flow in.

In the midst of the darkness, Shino gently tapped the forearm of her armor, then aimed her fist at the “ceiling.” From the upper part of Shino’s arm, a sort of disc shot out and attached itself to the ceiling.

Immediately after, she fired three more discs at the “walls.” A few moments later, the discs activated and began to emit a warm white light, fully illuminating the dark dome of wood and hardened earth.

“Looks like they didn’t follow us…”

Analyzing the mental image Tomoko was sharing, All Might commented in a low voice while looking at the beautiful, turquoise-haired heroine. Seeing Tomoko nod enthusiastically with a wide smile, All Might let out a small sigh of relief before announcing.

“Then let’s focus on recovering.”

All Might’s gaze passed over Ryukyu, who had returned to her human form and sat down on the ground, nodding in agreement—then landed on Kai, at which point he spoke seriously. Although in the Symbol of Peace’s tone, there was a clear trace of distrust and dissatisfaction.

“Then we’ll be counting on you, Saito.”

“…”

Remaining silent, Kai simply nodded and focused entirely on healing Mirko, since Sage was taking care of Edgeshot. Seeing the young man so focused, All Might sat down on the ground and began to breathe deeply, though his mind inevitably kept reflecting on Kai’s actions.

…

Even though he didn’t agree with the decision to leave him out of the exploration to care for a hero he had only met a few hours ago, Kai chose to remain silent and continued healing Mirko. After all, getting into a direct conflict with All Might would bring nothing but a pointless argument—and he truly wanted to heal Mirko, so he didn’t want to waste time.

Besides, at the end of the day, All Might could believe he was the leader all he wanted—but he was the strongest human in that place. Trying to force him to do something he didn’t want to was a fantasy. No one there could afford to go against him. Except for the Pussycats, of course.

In any case, as long as their goals aligned, there was no need for an unnecessary fight before its time. And if a certain idea he had in mind worked, he should be able to heal Edgeshot—or at least wake him up—which would solve several problems.

…

Meanwhile, Tomoko calmly walked over and ended up at Kai’s back, where she sat down on the ground, leaning her back against his. Like everyone else, she also had some doubts about Kai. Not just because she knew he had the Angel available—but also because she knew him. And she knew that if saving Edgeshot were truly that difficult, he would never have let her and Chatora jump into those webs so carelessly.

Therefore, Kai must have a way to heal injuries at the level of Edgeshot’s—or at the very least, he must have a hidden card besides the Angel that would guarantee their survival if things got out of control. But that didn’t mean she was angry or disappointed in him. Kai had never hidden or concealed his views and opinions, and she had fallen in love with him despite all that.

Besides, Kai—who always claimed he didn’t care about letting a stranger die right in front of him—had actually revealed one of his healing abilities. In Tomoko’s book, that was something to be happy about.

Yes, Kai was selfish, a bit of a liar, maybe even somewhat manipulative—and possibly more than that—but there were two things you could be sure of with him. One: He loved them from the bottom of his heart. And two: he wasn’t as ruthless and selfish as he claimed to be.

…

For their part, Ryukyu and Kamui Woods couldn’t help but cast a suspicious glance at Tomoko, who looked completely relaxed—to the point of having closed her eyes. Meanwhile, Ryuko and Chatora exchanged awkward smiles among themselves, fully aware that they had angered Kai. He wasn’t even looking at them. But even so, they were heroes by calling. Abandoning someone when they knew they could do something to help just wasn’t something they could bring themselves to do.

Chapter 215: Only my will is absolute.

Chapter Text

--Saturday, May 30, 2172

With his right hand in the center of Mirko's chest, Kai remained completely silent as he used his black-and-white vision to carefully study the outline of the beautiful heroine’s silhouette. There was something Kai needed to figure out, and that was the true cause of the difference in the web's effects between her and Edgeshot.

If he claimed that Ryukyu had not been as affected as the other two because her dragon form changed her biologically, the Pussycats were protected by the Accomplices, and All Might was a weirdo due to his decades with One for All. Then his best “research specimens” were none other than Edgeshot and Mirko.

Both were heroes strong enough to be in the top 5 of the rankings, which, although based more on popularity, still valued strength as an important factor. But even so, Mirko—though she also suffered from a self-destructive immune response—was much less affected, and the difference was quite significant. So much so, it almost seemed like they had been attacked by two different spiders.

Now, there were also differences between the two heroes. First of all, Mirko’s quirk basically made her a humanoid rabbit, so in a way, she was biologically closer to Ryukyu than to Edgeshot. But beyond that, there was another difference Kai believed might be even more important: Mirko was prepared for the impact, while Edgeshot was completely taken by surprise.

The reason Kai thought this was an important factor was simple. At the moment Mirko touched the web, her ‘double-edged’ silhouette fluctuated violently. Meanwhile, in Edgeshot’s case, Kai detected no significant change—he simply fell unconscious and his ‘voice’ faded, but there was no visible shift in the fluctuation.

Over the years, Kai had come up with countless hypotheses to explain the strangeness of his quirk, for which he couldn’t identify a quirk factor. Among them was one that, until now, had been one of the craziest and most baseless: his Haki wasn’t a quirk at all—it was simply the manifestation of his 'soul' reincarnated into this world, something that any similar 'soul' should be able to replicate. That’s why his mother had abilities so similar to his—she had also been reincarnated.

Although he liked that hypothesis—especially because, if it were true, it would mean his mother had also reincarnated—there was virtually no way to prove or disprove it. Finding another reincarnated soul was beyond his reach. But that changed when the idea of the trinity of soul, body, and spirit emerged during the dissection of the Nomu.

In his theory, the soul was a backup of all memories, the body was responsible for interacting with the material world, and the spirit handled two very important functions: self-awareness—or personality—and acting as a bridge between the body and the soul. Since self-awareness is inherently immaterial like the soul, but influenced by the brain or body, it represented a combination of both worlds.

If these speculations were on the right track, it would mean that if Haki was actually the power of the soul, the one responsible for influencing the physical world was in fact the spirit, using the power or command of the soul. Therefore, other people should be able to do things similar to Haki—just on a much smaller scale and with far less control.

Trying to test his hypothesis, Kai began studying the “voice” of everyone around him, looking for any clues, but he hadn’t had any luck—until now. In the case of Mirko and Edgeshot, being aware of the danger might have caused the difference in their states, something somewhat similar to his Haki. Although powerful, his Haki wasn’t automatic—if he didn’t activate it, it was as good as nonexistent.

Therefore, it was possible that Mirko, unconsciously, had used a super weakened version of Armament Haki. If he could confirm that, it would not only open the door to understanding his own abilities better, but also raise the possibility that his family could possess Haki, even if only in a diluted form.

...

[Sage... Did you find anything?]

Somewhat frustrated by his lack of results, Kai asked through his mental connection with his trusted assistant. The beautiful fairy, surrounded by invisible holographic screens, turned to look at her master and replied with evident disappointment.

[No, Master. I practically checked cell by cell and found nothing that could suggest anything resembling Haki.]

[We were too optimistic…] Kai replied as he let out a subtle sigh, but he quickly composed himself and added seriously.

[But anyway, let’s not get stuck. Let’s begin the tests.]

Upon hearing her master’s command, Sage immediately made all the holographic screens around her disappear, leaving only one in front of her. As her wings shimmered in different colors, Sage took a deep breath, then looked at her master and spoke in a solemn tone.

[Everything is ready for the first experiment, Master. I’ll record in detail the influence of your Haki on the efficiency of Mystical Palm healing.]

[Perfect. Let’s begin.]

Kai announced firmly as he activated his advanced Armament Haki and merged it with the aura in his hand over Edgeshot’s chest. With a serious expression, Sage reviewed the holographic screen in front of her, which was rapidly filling with a vast amount of data. After just a few seconds, Sage reported seriously.

[There’s a change, Master. The healing efficiency has increased by 2.3% compared to the tests performed on the 'lab rats'.]

[Is Haki really capable of interfering with the effects of abilities, like in the original series…?]

Upon hearing the information, Kai couldn’t help but comment with a hint of surprise. Although past experiments had shown that Haki improved healing efficiency by about 5%, that improvement had always been consistent, regardless of whether the target was human, animal, or anything else. But now that they were healing the effects of an ability that wasn’t his own, the efficiency had increased—a very telling detail on its own.

[It’s still too early to confirm anything, Master. More tests are needed.] Sage replied in a cautious and serious tone. Kai gave a subtle nod and soon refocused on combining his Haki and aura for healing.

As Kai worked to better merge his advanced Armament Haki with his aura—allowing his aura not only to penetrate matter more easily, but also to enhance it—the effect of his Transformed Aura to induce an immunosuppressive response in Edgeshot’s body began to improve to the point where it soon became evident. At that moment, Sage reported seriously.

[The efficiency increased by 7%, Master.]

[Too much to be just a coincidence...] Kai remarked in a tone full of curiosity, to which Sage nodded, a thoughtful expression on her beautiful face. After a few minutes, during which the improvement completely plateaued, Kai announced seriously.

[Let’s move on to phase two. It’s time for Conqueror’s Haki.]

Sage quickly focused her attention on Edgeshot’s body, while Kai began channeling his Conqueror’s Haki and merging it with his aura. Although the combination was quite difficult to control—due to its exponentially increased destructive potential—Kai already had experience with it, so he soon managed to fully master his power and continue healing the wounded heroes.

[A 25% improvement, Master...]

Sage commented with a voice tinged with disbelief. Kai, for his part, was left stunned—perhaps more than Sage—because he could clearly sense the dramatic change. Somehow, by merging his Conqueror’s Haki, Edgeshot’s body had slowly started to return to normal. But even stranger was the fact that his Observation Haki began to focus on the injured hero all on its own.

Surprised by the strange event, Kai tried to withdraw his Haki, but at that moment his mind went blank and was filled with the image of his mini-self sitting in a lotus position, a smile on his face. Before Kai could do anything, he saw the mini-self open its eyes on its own, releasing a strange light.

………

Sitting against the wooden wall of the dome, Shino alternated her gaze between Ryuko and Kai. Ryuko appeared composed, but the way she glanced at Kai every couple of seconds out of the corner of her eye made it obvious that she was worried. After letting out a sigh, Shino leaned her head back against the wall, visibly troubled.

This was possibly their first fight since their relationship had begun, and it had happened in the worst possible situation. But thinking about it, it seemed inevitable. Although Ryuko sincerely loved Kai—and he loved her too—their views of the world and of what was “right” were quite different, something that could only lead to arguments and, if not handled well, even a breakup.

After letting out another sigh, Shino shook her head, trying to push aside all unnecessary thoughts and focus on the mission. But in that instant, a brutal pressure struck her. Alarmed, Shino turned to look at Kai with her eyes wide open, only to see him surrounded by what looked like black lightning, with Tomoko jumping to her feet.

“What are you doing, Saito?!” All Might, completely alarmed, shot to his feet and, clenching his fists, asked in a serious tone.

At the same time, Chatora, Ryuko, and Shino stood up with expressions that mixed surprise, uncertainty, and concern. Meanwhile, Ryukyu and Kamui Woods began to prepare for battle. Seeing that Kai remained silent, All Might clenched his fists so hard that he created small shockwaves, and asked cautiously.

“Saito! I asked you what you're doing!”

Seeing that All Might looked ready to attack, the Pussycats activated their Vital Reactors and stepped forward, ready to protect Kai. As Ryukyu’s and Kamui Woods’ expressions turned grim, everyone suddenly heard a soft murmur coming from Kai.

“In the sea of stars, only my will is absolute...?”

………

In Kai’s mind, after the mini-self opened its eyes and the light faded, he suddenly found himself in what seemed to be a dark space illuminated by trillions of incredibly tiny points of light. But in the middle of that strange space appeared what looked like a colossal halberd made entirely of countless points of light, with a strange pattern running along its entire shaft.

[In the sea of stars, only my will is absolute.]

Curious, Kai focused on the pattern, but at that moment, a phrase suddenly surged into his mind with such force that he ended up murmuring it, almost as if trying to fully understand it. But before he could form another thought, the strange vision vanished abruptly, and he snapped back to reality—only to find All Might just a few steps away, wearing a solemn expression and clenching his fists.

“What are you doing, Saito?”

Soon, Kai heard All Might’s solemn voice, which made him blink a few times, but before he could say anything, Sage’s voice appeared in his mind—filled with equal parts confusion and disbelief.

[Master, Edgeshot suddenly recovered. His physical condition is even better than Mirko’s.]

“I think I found a way to heal Edgeshot…”

Still confused, Kai murmured in a strange voice, largely masked by the distortion caused by his helmet. Surprised, All Might asked seriously, though still not unclenching his fists.

“Are you serious?”

“Yes…”

Kai replied almost reflexively, but quickly snapped back to himself and checked Edgeshot’s condition for himself—realizing that the immune reaction had diminished so much that he could now treat it easily. In a calmer, more focused tone, Kai added.

“I should be able to heal him now, just like I did with Mirko.”

"...Why the change of heart…?" Surprised, All Might couldn’t help but murmur quietly while staring at Kai, who simply turned his head to focus on the wounded heroes, ignoring him completely.

With a slightly bitter smile, All Might finally relaxed his fists and turned to look at the others. All the heroes around him looked tense and ready for battle—especially the Pussycats. All Might noticed that the group of cat heroes was watching him with a certain caution, something that inevitably made him reflect. That look was probably the same one he gave Kai most of the time.

(But seriously… why the change of heart?) Though still confused, All Might quickly shook his head and looked back at Kai, then spoke seriously.

“Then we’ll trust you, Saito.” Seeing Kai simply nod in response, All Might turned to the others and announced in a calm but firm voice.

“As you all heard, Edgeshot can now be healed as well, so focus on recovery. We can now move forward with this matter without major concerns.”

…

[Sage, what happened?]

Ignoring everything happening around him, Kai accelerated his thoughts to the limit and asked his trusted assistant. Sage responded shortly after, wearing a helpless expression.

[I have no idea at all, Master. That image of the 'sea of stars' could’ve simply been a hallucination. But the dramatic improvement in Edgeshot’s condition is an undeniable fact. It seems we’ll need to study the mini-self carefully.]

[You’re right about that.] Kai replied with a hint of resignation, as he too couldn’t come up with an explanation for the strange event. Not wanting to waste time, Kai pushed aside unnecessary thoughts and responded in a firmer voice.

[But setting aside that strange vision, we can practically confirm that, just like in the original series, Haki has the property of negating the effects of others’ abilities—especially Conqueror’s Haki.]

[The probability of that being true is quite high, Master. But we still can’t confirm it—the sample size is too small to rule out other factors.]

[That's true.] Kai agreed with a nod, then quickly gave a serious order. [Set aside time in the schedule to verify it.]

[Understood.] Sage responded promptly and firmly. Kai nodded, satisfied, then refocused on healing the pair of wounded heroes.

…

After sitting back down with the others, Shino looked at the silent Kai in the center of the dome with a somewhat doubtful expression. Maybe it was because she was still upset, or because he had barely spoken since he started healing Mirko and Edgeshot—but Shino felt her beloved was distant, far away, and indifferent, to the point where she even hesitated to send a telepathic message to ask him what had happened.

As Shino hesitated, she turned to look at Chatora and Ryuko, who returned similar expressions. But at that moment, Shino caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye—Tomoko, after circling Kai a couple of times, slowly knelt down behind him, then gently rested her body against his back.

Instead of rejecting her, Shino saw Kai lift his hand from Mirko and give Tomoko two light pats on the head. Though they landed on her helmet, the pats seemed to completely soothe Tomoko. The beautiful woman with turquoise-green hair quickly wrapped her arms tightly around Kai’s waist, then turned around, leaning back against him fully before closing her eyes.

[…Kai… are you okay?] After a few seconds and gathering courage thanks to Tomoko’s actions, Shino sent a telepathic message to her beloved in an uncertain tone. Kai soon responded in a calm voice.

[Yes. Something strange happened. But this isn’t the time to talk about it. I’ll explain later.]

For some reason, Kai’s calm and composed voice completely dissolved all of Shino’s apprehension, allowing her to let out a small sigh of relief she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Feeling much more at ease, Shino quickly sent another telepathic message.

[I understand. So is it certain that Edgeshot will recover?]

[Yes. Although I still don’t quite understand why. Edgeshot’s condition is now not much different from Mirko’s. Healing him won’t be a problem.] Kai replied calmly. After biting her lip with uncertainty, Shino asked.

[Are you mad at Ryuko and Chatora…?]

[A little.]

Kai responded concisely. Shino let out a small sigh—part relieved, part troubled—since Kai didn’t seem as angry as she’d feared, but it was clear he wasn’t going to let it slide either. After a few seconds, Shino sent a new message.

[I understand… Just don’t blame them too much. We’re heroes—saving people is what we do. But that doesn’t mean they don’t love you.]

[You know… maybe what they love is the idea they have of me, not who I really am.] Kai replied, somewhat thoughtful, which made Shino clench her fists. But before she could say anything, Kai added.

[But now’s not the time for that. Let’s leave it for later.]

Seeing that Kai had no intention of continuing the conversation, Shino leaned back against the wall and began to reflect deeply on his words. Kai wasn’t a hero—that was something they had known for a long time. And yet, whenever the moment came, they always expected him to act like one. So it wasn’t at all foolish for Kai to have that doubt.

But at the same time, Shino knew it well—it wasn’t that they loved an idea of Kai or what they wished he would be. They loved him. They loved how sweet he was with them, how he always cared for and protected them against everything and everyone, how he always took their side, how over the years he had become the pillar of the family. Despite being the youngest, he acted almost like a loving father to all of them.

It was just that, as heroes who truly loved their work and did it out of vocation—not for fame or money. Seeing the man they loved stray so far from what they had believed their entire lives to be just and right left them at a crossroads.

On one side was the man they loved, who cherished them like his greatest treasure—and on the other, a lifetime of beliefs and values that defined who they were. A crossroads that, if left unresolved, could one day cost them the happiness they now enjoyed.

Chapter 216: Burn a bridge.

Chapter Text

--Saturday, May 30, 2172

“What a headache...”

After a while, Mirko's voice echoed through the silence, drawing the attention of those present. Mirko began to sit up, covering her eyes with one hand.

“How are you feeling?”

At that moment, Mirko heard a female voice beside her, causing her rabbit ears to twitch slightly. Sitting up, Mirko turned to her left, where she found Ryukyu in her human form, sitting against the wall. Curious, Mirko quickly asked as she looked around.

“What happened?”

As she listened to the story of what had happened while she was unconscious, Mirko studied the people in the strange cave. Near the center was Kai, with one hand on Edgeshot’s head—who was unconscious—and the other on All Might’s back, who was sitting close by.

All Might and Kai greeted her with a nod, to which she responded in kind. Meanwhile, Ragdoll was sitting with her sword resting against Kai, her eyes closed, gently petting the armored black panther that slept peacefully at her side.

A little further to the left were Kamui Woods, Mandalay, Pixie-Bob, and Chatora, who all seemed fully recovered and ready to fight as they spoke in hushed tones. They also greeted her with a nod. But one thing Mirko noticed was that Mandalay and Pixie-Bob kept sneaking glances—subtle but constant—at Kai. A clear sign that something had happened beyond what Ryukyu was telling her.

“I see, it’s good you had the guts to stay and fight.”

When Ryukyu finished recounting what had happened, Mirko commented with a wide grin on her face. Knowing the reckless rabbit heroine, Ryukyu gently shook her head, then spoke in a calmer voice. She had already been healed by the man in armor in such a quick and thorough way that her curiosity about the strange man couldn’t help but grow several levels.

“We're just waiting for Edgeshot to wake up. But more importantly, how are you feeling?”

“A bit dizzy, but totally ready for battle.”

Mirko replied with full confidence, flexing the muscles in her arms and legs as she tested the condition of her body. Ryukyu nodded, then turned to look at Kai. At that moment, she asked in a low voice.

“You know 'Saito', don’t you?”

“Yeah, I know him.” Mirko replied with a teasing smile. Ryukyu chose to ignore Mirko’s expression and asked again.

“Is he someone trustworthy?”

“I don’t know him well enough to answer that.” Mirko replied, then let her gaze sweep over Ryuko, Shino, and Chatora, finally settling on Tomoko, who was still sitting behind Kai. That’s when she added in a suggestive tone.

“But I guess you’ve already figured out who does know him—and they seem to trust him a lot.”

“…”

Ryukyu nodded and focused her gaze on Tomoko, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully—like a cat in its favorite sunny spot. That scene, for some reason, stirred a strange mix of longing and a hint of envy in Ryukyu. Having someone to trust that deeply was something she had never had the privilege of experiencing, leaving a void in her life that she had no idea how to fill.

“Something’s coming!”

While Ryukyu wandered in her thoughts, she suddenly heard Ragdoll’s voice. Snapping back to reality and becoming fully alert, Ryukyu focused on the mental image as she turned to look at her. Tomoko’s eyes were wide open, and she was looking to the left—just like Kai.

“Get ready for battle. It feels like something big.”

Jumping to his feet, All Might spoke as he flexed his muscles, creating small shockwaves that stirred the air. Quickly, all the heroes stood up—but at that moment, Kai’s slightly distorted voice echoed through the cave.

“It’s the strong ones.”

Upon hearing Kai, everyone turned to look at him, just as images of his battle with the monsters—and their corresponding information—appeared in their minds. Alarmed, All Might asked urgently.

“Those monsters?!”

“They’re weaker, maybe around your current level, but there are three of them—and they’re different from the ones I sensed last time.”

Kai replied in a heavy voice, as that practically confirmed that the spiders were capable of producing new ‘powerhouses.’ For his part, All Might turned to Ryuko and ordered seriously.

“Pixie-Bob, move the earth and get us out of here! We can’t fight something like that while Saito is healing Edgeshot!”

“Right away!”

Ryuko responded firmly as she placed her hands on the ground. In an instant, everyone felt a strong jolt from the sudden inertia, letting them know they were being moved at high speed. At the same time, the heroes formed a circular formation around Kai, all wearing grim expressions and clenching their fists tightly.

With a deadly serious expression, Ryuko manipulated the earth to move the dome they were in, pulling them away from the spiders, which she could see thanks to the mental image shared by Tomoko. But thanks to that same image, everyone present could tell that of the three spiders following them, two seemed to be at the same height—they were also moving underground.

“They managed to prepare a ‘countermeasure’ in just 30 minutes…?”

Kamui Woods commented in a grim, heavy voice as he repeatedly reviewed the mental image. Kai, who was using both hands to heal Edgeshot, responded in a composed tone.

“That’s actually a good thing. Last time, it took them less than five minutes.”

“…”

The other heroes turned to look at Kai in complete silence, with Ryukyu and Kamui Woods breaking a light cold sweat on their foreheads. Meanwhile, Shino asked in a thoughtful tone, one hand resting on his chin.

“Do you think they’re ‘weaker’ now?”

“That, or they’re being more cautious.” Kai replied in a calm voice, his eyes fixed on Edgeshot. “Last time, they quickly sent their strongest and overwhelmed me with numbers—but I still managed to escape. This time, they might be trying a different tactic.”

“Are they luring us into another trap?” Ryukyu asked, equally thoughtful. All Might quickly gave an order in a serious tone.

“Pixie-Bob, try going down.”

“Alright, but I’ll have to cut off the air tunnels. Get ready.”

Ryuko replied, then manipulated the earth to lower the dome. Curious, Shino looked at All Might and asked through the mental link, since everyone was regulating their breathing like before.

[Why go down?]

[I suspect their intention is to drive us back to the surface.] All Might explained with a serious expression and added.

[The markers Saito and Ragdoll placed in the mental image seem to point downward, and from what we saw, Saito’s last attack wiped out everything on the surface—but there are still plenty of spiders left.

[So, it’s likely their nest is underground, and they don’t want us getting close to it, or they wouldn’t need to block our path with webs. It would’ve been more effective to just let us pass and overwhelm us with numbers.]

[It seems you’re right.]

Kai’s voice reached everyone’s minds just as the spiders in the shared mental image rushed downward, trying to intercept from below. At that moment, Mirko stood up, slammed her fist into her palm, and sent a message through the mental link radiating excitement and a hunger for action.

[I bet there’s a queen or something down there. Let’s go get her!]

[Possible—but how do we get through the web below?]

Chatora asked in a serious tone, then turned to look at Kai. The others also looked at Kai in silence, just as he withdrew his hands from Edgeshot. Then, looking at them, he sent a message through the mental link.

[The method I have can only be used once every six hours—and it might not even work. Also, don’t forget, using it means burning a bridge.]

All Might turned to look at Kai, intending to ask something, but at that moment, the young man raised his hand to signal him to stop and looked at Tomoko. Curious, All Might glanced at Tomoko and found her looking at Kai and nodding—with what seemed like a mix of surprise and understanding on her beautiful face. The Symbol of Peace quickly asked.

[What is it?]

[There’s something strange about 300 meters below the lower web.] Kai sent through the mental link, while his fingers, glowing with small arcs of electricity, hovered near Edgeshot’s chest. Tomoko quickly added.

[Spiders are appearing out of ‘nowhere’!]

Upon hearing Tomoko, everyone quickly focused on the shared mental image, where they could “see” dozens of spiders gradually appearing, as if emerging from a hole.

But curiously, all the spiders were forming a horizontal line beneath them, as if they were emerging from the same place. Both confused and intrigued, All Might turned to look at Kai, intending to ask a question—but unexpectedly, he found the young man electrocuting the unconscious Edgeshot.

“Ah!”

Suddenly, Edgeshot jolted upright, visibly alarmed and letting out a strange sound, which finally allowed the Symbol of Peace to breathe a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Kai looked at Ryuko and sent a telepathic message in a serious tone. For some reason, that seriousness made everyone’s skin crawl—something felt off, as if the temperature had suddenly dropped by several dozen degrees.

[Pixie-Bob, I need you to open a cavity that connects us to the place where those spiders are coming from. There must be something down there capable of deceiving my perception—and I need to investigate it.]

[Is something wrong, Saito?] Sensing a strange shift in Kai’s attitude, All Might asked with a hint of confusion, while glancing at the newly awakened Edgeshot with mixed feelings. Kai replied in an incredibly serious tone.

[It’s the first time I’ve encountered something like this. Even when Ragdoll’s quirk is blocked, mine has always been able to perceive the surroundings clearly. If there’s something capable of hiding from me, I have to find out what it is—no matter the cost. So, this is the last chance to back out. I’m about to burn a bridge to get through the lower web.]

Upon hearing Kai—especially the cold tone in his voice—the Pussycats looked at each other, disbelief written clearly across their faces. They understood perfectly where those emotions were coming from. In the case of Kai’s parents’ murder, there was a mystery that, even to this day, remained unanswered. If Kai’s perception was inherited from Alisa, then why hadn’t she realized they were being followed on the day of the attack?

As Ryukyu approached the confused and dizzy Edgeshot, Ryuko quickly placed her hands on the ground and opened the passage Kai had asked for, which ended up being about 50 cm in diameter. At that moment, Ryuko looked at Kai and spoke in a voice full of determination.

[There’s nothing to think about. We’re going with you.]

[You think I’d back down, boy? Don’t underestimate me! Let’s go kill some spiders!!] Mirko announced quickly, a huge grin on her face. Meanwhile, Kamui Woods and Ryukyu exchanged solemn looks.

[From the start, I came here with the intention of fighting to the end.] Ryukyu declared, looking directly at Kai. [If the escape method helps uncover the truth behind the spiders, so be it. I came here without expecting to leave, so I won’t need it.]

[I feel the same way. There’s nothing to consider.] Kamui Woods added as he clenched his fists tightly. [We go all the way!]

[Even though I still don’t fully understand what’s happened.] The still-dizzy Edgeshot said as he stood up. [we are pro-heroes. Going further is the least that’s expected of us. Let’s move forward with a Plus Ultra.]

[You heard them, Saito-shonen.] All Might said, stepping forward and sending a telepathic message while looking at Kai, then added with his iconic heroic smile.

[We go all the way.]

At that moment, two kunai formed from Salem’s fur, each engraved with the pattern of an electrical circuit and strange runes, along with what looked like a sharp handguard. Kai took the kunai while looking at the brave heroes in front of him with a calm expression, then added in a composed tone.

[I hope you won’t regret this.]

[Never!!] Mirko replied with a predatory grin, while the Pussycats stared at Kai with slightly offended expressions.

With a smooth motion, Kai pointed the kunai in his hand toward the opening, as several electric arcs sparked around his hand. After a few quick flashes, the kunai shot into the hole faster than a bullet. As the heroes looked at Kai in surprise, his steady voice echoed in their minds.

[Touch a part of my body.]

Though a bit confused, the heroes quickly followed Kai’s instructions and touched a part of his body. Meanwhile, Kai took another five kunai that emerged from Salem’s fur and threw them to the ground, forming a kind of pentagram that encircled the entire group.

At that moment, Kai formed the Flying Lotus mudra with his hands, holding the final kunai between his thumbs, and then released a surge of electricity that passed through all the heroes around him, ultimately linking the five kunai on the ground with crackling arcs of electricity.

[Total chunibyo. ] Mirko sent telepathically, grinning mockingly as her muscles twitched involuntarily from the current.

[It’s awesome, not chunibyo!] Tomoko shot back, glaring at Mirko with defiance—looking far less affected by the electricity.

Meanwhile, Shino, Ryuko, and Chatora, although internally curious—since it was the first time they’d seen Kai do something like this—chose to remain silent and endured the numbing sensation. At that moment, Kai announced loudly.

“Static Mark: Stormbound Shift!”

With Kai’s declaration, bluish electric arcs surged from his body, enveloping everyone and greatly intensifying the numbness in the heroes’ bodies. Along with the lightning, the group suddenly felt a strange sensation of vertigo that made them slightly dizzy—at which point they realized their surroundings had completely changed.

Instead of the well-lit dome they had been in, the heroes now found themselves in a circular tunnel about 15 meters in diameter. The tunnel was dimly lit by scattered crystals emitting a greenish glow, which allowed them to see dozens of spiders of various sizes moving throughout the area.

The heroes stared at the new scene with wide eyes, nearly frozen by the combination of electricity still running through their bodies and the shock of this strange new place. But at that moment, the electricity abruptly stopped, and a distinct cracking sound echoed through the tunnel—snapping them out of their daze all at once.

Looking down, the group noticed that the kunai in Kai’s hands had shattered as if made of glass—something that seemed to serve as some kind of signal. The surrounding spiders, who had appeared just as dazed as the group of heroes, suddenly let out a high-pitched screech before leaping in to attack the intruders.

“Let the party begin! HAHAHA!” Mirko shouted loudly, then burst into laughter as she launched herself toward a group of three charging spiders. At the same time, Kai called out in a deep voice.

“Salem.”

Letting out a powerful roar, Salem unleashed fierce electric arcs throughout the tunnel before rocketing forward at high speed, tearing through spiders in every direction. Meanwhile, Kai—his expression hidden in shadow beneath his helmet—accelerated his thoughts to the limit and expanded his Observation Haki and [En] to the fullest.

[There really are ways to hide from Observation Haki…]

Studying the strange tunnel, which was packed to the brim with spiders, Kai spoke in a heavy, reflective tone through the connection he shared with Sage. The beautiful fairy, flying beside her master in her [In] state, replied as a large number of holographic screens appeared and disappeared rapidly in front of her.

[We need to collect samples from this place, Master. Something here is capable of blocking Observation Haki. Though it doesn’t seem to be able to do the same against [En].]

Kai understood what Sage meant. After all, at first, when the spiders suddenly started appearing, he had believed they were teleporting. But it only took extending his [En] to realize the truth: beneath them lay a complex network of tunnels filled with spiders—completely undetectable by his Haki.

[How likely do you think it is that these spiders are connected to the attack on my parents?] Kai asked Sage with a flat, cold expression. The beautiful fairy responded in a thoughtful tone.

[Impossible to say, Master. But without a doubt, this is a lead. We’ve never encountered anything capable of blocking Observation Haki.] Sage’s expression suddenly turned resolute, and she added in a tone filled with ferocity and a thirst for vengeance.

[But I believe we finally have a thread to follow—to find the real killers!]

[Record every detail of this place, Sage.]

As his Conqueror’s Haki began to leak out, Kai gave the order in a serious tone, his gaze sweeping over the Pussycats, then to Mirko and the rest of the heroes. After a few moments of silence, he added in a calm voice to his trusted assistant.

[And once you’ve secured a retreat route for the Pussycats, find a way to get the others out—especially Mirko and All Might.]

[I already have several plans prepared, Master.] Sage replied as several information screens appeared on Kai’s helmet. Kai responded in a satisfied tone.

[You’re the best, Sage.]

Chapter 217: Prepare for battle!

Chapter Text

--Saturday, May 30, 2172

[Is it just me, or is the air in here better than outside?]

While Kai was speaking at super speed with Sage, Kamui Woods sent a telepathic message with a bewildered tone at the same time he extended his right arm to attack a spider. Everyone present nodded in agreement. The air didn’t just feel fresh and abundant; it even made them feel more energetic. At that moment, Shino sent a comment through a telepathic message.

[According to my armor’s data, the oxygen level in the air is close to 28%.]

[Is that why the spiders are so big?! Are they like dinosaurs?!] Tomoko asked with sparkling eyes. All Might quickly stepped forward and sent a telepathic message in a serious tone.

[Now is not the time for that. The spiders that came out are coming back.]

Upon hearing All Might, the group focused on the mental image, where they indeed saw that the spiders that had left were starting to return. Even the three ‘super-powered’ spiders that had been chasing them earlier were now rushing toward the web at full speed, ready to crash into it head-on. Edgeshot, stretching his muscles a bit and recovering from the dizziness, sent a telepathic message while looking at Kai.

[Ryukyu just gave me a summary of the situation. Thanks for the help, Saito.]

[I won’t thank you. But I’ll give you something even better later, kid!]

Spinning around, Mirko landed a kick on a spider and sent a telepathic message with a meaningful smile on her face. Shino, Ryuko, and Tomoko instantly turned to look at Mirko with a hint of hidden caution in their eyes, only to find her grinning brightly with her hands on her hips. To no one did she seem like someone who was flirting. For some reason, though, this didn’t bring them the relief they expected and only made them even more cautious.

[There’s nothing to thank me for. More importantly, let’s move on—those spiders will be back soon.] After slowing down his thoughts, Kai responded in a flat tone. All Might nodded and commented.

[Saito-shonen is right; we have to move. I’ll lead the way, and Saito will cover the rear.]

[Don’t hog all the fun, All Might.] Mirko quickly replied with a challenging smile. Ryukyu, who was at the back, sent a telepathic message with a serious expression.

[Don’t forget that, in the last trap, the spiders caught you first, Mirko. If it weren’t for Saito, you might not even be here anymore.]

[Oh, that’s true. I owe you for that too, kid.] Mirko commented while looking at Kai, who was using a sword to take samples from the tunnel.

[I already told you, there’s no need to thank me.]

While collecting all the samples he had gathered—dirt, crystals, and more—Kai replied without much interest. Immediately after, a card appeared in Kai’s hand, decorated with golden aura script patterns. Besides the typical golden Aura Script pattern, the card had a golden vault door in the center, with magical chains crossing it and containment symbols spinning around.

“[Sealing Vault] On!”

Quickly, Kai placed the blank card on top of the pile of samples and announced loudly. As it activated, the card transformed into a beam of light that completely enveloped the small pile. Moments later, the light vanished completely, taking the pile of samples with it. When the light was gone, only a card remained, decorated with a golden Aura Script pattern and what looked like a simplified image of the small mountain.

With a swift motion, Kai took the card and approached it to his suit’s belt, which shifted to reveal a card case inside. Meanwhile, all the heroes present looked at Kai with slightly widened eyes. But the surprise was especially great among the Pussycats, since they had an idea of how Kai’s Quirk and skill set worked—and neither teleportation nor the card he had just used were among them.

(Can he reproduce anything he’s really familiar with…?)

For his part, All Might looked at the young man who stood up with his swords in hand and his panther at his side. He wondered what Kai must have become familiar with to be able to pull off something like that. But like a flash of inspiration, an idea came to All Might’s mind, bringing a bitter smile to his face.

(That explanation was only a half-truth, like most of what comes out of your mouth, isn’t it, Kai-shonen?)

[The spiders can get through the webs.]

Noticing that the three strong spiders that had been following them had just passed through the web and were dangerously approaching the tunnel, Kai commented in a serious tone. All Might quickly pushed aside any unnecessary thoughts, clenched his right fist, and ordered solemnly.

[Let’s move! Let’s try to get to the bottom of these tunnels!]

With All Might at the front and Kai bringing up the rear, the group hurried through the tunnel. Meanwhile, Kai silently began calculating the total aura cost of the [Sealing Vault] card, the latest card he had developed. The card was born from what he learned from the male Drider’s genome, theories he had about how Alcatraz worked, and, most importantly, his experiences with teleportation.

[Sealing Vault] worked by creating a Nen space capable of storing different things inside, becoming his first formal success in creating a Nen space. However, since it had been developed in a rush and on a very weak foundation, it still left much to be desired—so much so that it was more of a curiosity than a truly useful ability.

First of all, the card could only create a Nen space of about 5 cubic meters—smaller than the smallest car—so it couldn’t store anything too large. Secondly, the space could only contain inanimate matter; if he tried to store anything else, the card wouldn’t activate.

But even more important—and its biggest flaw—was that the Nen space was trapped inside a card, and if the card was damaged in any way, the Nen space would collapse, destroying everything inside. Additionally, the aura cost was high as well, with a single activation using up about 5% of his total aura capacity, and he could only activate it 10 times a month, with a maximum of 5 Nen spaces active at a time.

…

[Prepare for battle!]

As they hurried forward, All Might noticed that a large number of spiders in the mental image were gathering ahead, so he ordered in a serious tone, clenching his fists tightly and creating small shockwaves that rippled through the tunnel. At that moment, Kai’s voice echoed in everyone’s mind.

[None of them compare to the three that chased us before, but I’m marking the strongest ones. I’ll leave a red mark on them in the shared mental image.]

Upon hearing the announcement, Mirko flashed a huge grin as she crouched slightly and tensed the muscles in her powerful legs. Meanwhile, Edgeshot transformed his torso into something like a bandage, ready to shoot forward at the speed of sound at any moment. At the same time, Kamui Woods’ arms began to stretch out like tree branches.

For her part, Ryukyu, due to the limited space, only partially transformed—she kept dragon wings on her back, a tail, and scales on her arms and legs. While this form was weaker than her full dragon form, it was still much stronger than her human form.

“Texas Smash!”

All Might announced as he unleashed a powerful punch forward, creating a brutal shockwave that turned into a cannon of air, blasting all the spiders backward. Soon, the horde of spiders crashed into a wall and were crushed with great force, quickly exploding into a multicolored bloody mist that stained the walls.

But as if there were no end to the spiders, soon some managed to crawl out from among the corpses, while a new horde of spiders surged toward them. With a powerful roar, Salem shot forward, leaving an electric trail behind him, then began tearing through all the spiders in his path with ease.

“What did you feed that ‘cat’…?” Kamui Woods asked in disbelief as he watched the devastation caused by the panther.

Ignoring the wooden hero’s shock, the Pussycats leapt forward, showing off a speed comparable to Mirko’s. Touching the ground, Ryuko manipulated the tunnel walls to create enormous spikes that impaled a great number of spiders, while also forming a kind of labyrinth that made it harder for the horde to advance.

Navigating through the labyrinth of giant, hardened earth spikes with feline agility, Tomoko and Chatora began fighting the spiders head-on, destroying one with every blow. Meanwhile, Shino extended her arms and started firing lasers at high speed, leaving charred holes in any spider that crossed her path.

“Hey, leave some for the rest of us!”

At that moment, Mirko shot into the labyrinth, exclaiming in annoyance, which snapped Ryukyu and Edgeshot out of their astonishment at the panther’s colossal display of power. After Kamui Woods, Ryukyu, and Edgeshot entered the labyrinth, Kai followed, leaping from spike to spike with great agility, but in complete silence, not making a single attack.

…

As they moved through the spikes Ryuko was creating along the way, the group “watched” with solemn expressions as the three powerful spiders drew closer and closer to their position. Suddenly, the spiders violently accelerated, bursting through the tunnel’s “ceiling,” which caused a violent shockwave that sent them flying and destroyed all the spikes in their path, raising a great cloud of dust.

“Nebraska Smash!!”

In that instant, All Might’s powerful voice echoed through the cave along with a hurricane-like blast that swept away the entire cloud of dust and crashed head-on into the three spiders. Almost in sync, the heroes felt a brutal pressure fall upon them, nearly forcing them to their knees, while what looked like dark electric sparks began flashing all around.

Almost magically, all the heroes could clearly hear steady, calm footsteps behind them, prompting them to look back with shocked expressions. There, the heroes saw the enigmatic man in black armor walking calmly, surrounded by terrifying arcs of dark electricity and holding two jet-black Jian swords. The man was accompanied by his black panther, who had somehow returned to his side.

“Fall back. These things aren’t easy.”

As the man passed through them, everyone could hear his slightly distorted voice, which, for some reason, now sounded full of authority—like a king giving orders to a commoner. Just then, a beam of energy shot out from where All Might’s hurricane had struck, arriving instantly in front of the man in black armor.

Without breaking his stride, Kai calmly moved his right sword, causing the massive energy beam to split in two and crash into the tunnel walls several meters behind. As the air swirled chaotically from the shockwaves, All Might landed to Kai’s left and spoke in a serious tone.

“Did my punch do anything to them?”

“Nothing.” Kai replied concisely, which made the Symbol of Peace smile bitterly, unable to resist glancing over his shoulder at where one half of the beam had exploded.

“You’re getting less and less scientific every day, Saito-shonen. Now you’re cutting energy beams.”

“The shonen thing is back, eh?”

Kai commented in a calm voice, which caused the Symbol of Peace to open his eyes slightly. Until Kai mentioned it, he hadn’t realized he actually hadn’t used it—probably an involuntary reflex born from his distrust of the boy. Without giving it any more importance, Kai spoke in a flat tone.

“It’s better if you don’t wear yourself out. Leave the fighting to me and Salem.”

“I want to face those spiders and feel their power for myself.”

All Might replied in a serious tone as he looked forward again, also choosing to let the matter go. Kai glanced at All Might and activated his black-and-white vision, confirming that the double outline around All Might’s silhouette was visibly fading—very likely an indicator that he was running out of ‘fuel’—and then commented with a slightly sarcastic tone.

“If you want to burn out early, it’s no problem for me.”

“…”

Hearing the comment, All Might couldn’t help but fall silent. He was fully aware of his situation. The last embers of One for All in his body were dying out, and every punch only sped up the process—to the point where it wouldn’t be surprising if they went out at any moment. With a solemn voice, the Symbol of Peace replied,

“I’ll do it anyway.”

“Do whatever you want. I’ll leave you the one on the left.” Kai said casually, no longer concerned with the stubborn Symbol of Peace.

At the same time, the three spiders stepped forward, emerging from the cloud of smoke and revealing themselves. The first one on the left was about 3.5 meters tall, with an armored body resembling volcanic rock, softly glowing red eyes, legs so thick they looked like columns, and a segmented abdomen that resembled a mountain.

The spider in the middle was a bit smaller and as black as night, but it had a sort of cosmic shimmer, like a starry sky. Its legs were long and thin like needles, each ending in a curved blade, while on its abdomen there was a strange pattern of twinkling stars.

The last spider was about four meters tall and seemed to have a metallic exoskeleton, with glowing red eyes like burning coals and a strange abdomen with metal tubes releasing steam that stained the surroundings. Meanwhile, from the spider’s mouth, a vapor emerged resembling that of an active volcano—so hot that it melted the ground it touched.

From the back, the moment the spiders revealed themselves, the Pussycats and the other heroes felt a cold chill that made their skin crawl and their hearts race. Even Mirko, the adrenaline addict, felt her legs tremble slightly in front of the terrifying spiders, almost as if her animal instincts were screaming at her to run as far away as possible.

At that very moment, the heroes felt an overwhelming pressure—one that completely surpassed the terror the spiders caused—fill the entire air. Standing between the Symbol of Peace and the three-meter-tall panther, Kai was suddenly surrounded by completely dark electric arcs with a faint purple edge, crackling violently.

As if they took it as a provocation, the three spiders let out high-pitched screeches that made the air vibrate and forced the heroes in the back to take a step back, then launched their attack. The mountain-like spider on the left struck the ground with one of its front legs, causing a violent earthquake that made the heroes lose their balance.

At the same time, the glow from the spider on the right increased exponentially, causing the temperature to spike so quickly that the walls began to slowly melt. Meanwhile, in front of the spider’s jaws, a sinister ball of energy started to form, giving the impression of compressed plasma.

Finally, the spider in the middle crouched slightly and let out a screech toward Kai. Almost instantly, in eight points around Kai, there appeared strange fluctuations, as if the very space was bending. Moments later, what looked like elongated spikes made of black webbing, patterned with glowing dots similar to those on the spider’s abdomen, shot out from the fluctuations.

The heroes in the back widened their eyes in disbelief as they tried to regain their balance in the midst of the brutal earthquake. Meanwhile, the Pussycats, gripped by panic, clenched their teeth and tried to leap forward to help Kai. But at that moment, everyone saw the man in the armor take a calm step forward, as if he wasn’t affected at all by the furious shaking.

To the heroes’ disbelief, that single step from the armored man was enough for all the web spears to graze past him, not leaving a single scratch. At the same time, All Might shot toward the spider that looked like a mountain, flipping in the air and launching a punch downward as he shouted with power.

“California Smash!!!”

As a powerful shockwave spread out from All Might’s blow, it was intercepted by another shockwave coming from the right. Confused, the heroes turned to look, only to see the spider that looked like a furnace rising into the air, completely surrounded by bluish electric arcs, while three of its left legs and part of its abdomen had vanished—almost as if it had been hit directly by a hypersonic projectile.

…

[Another spider with spatial abilities…] While dodging the web spears, Kai sent a message to his trusty assistant. [Let’s try to capture it, Sage.]

[Understood, master.] The beautiful fairy quickly replied, her lovely dress of light transforming into a female prison guard uniform at the same time. [I’ll do my best.]

[I trust you.]

Kai replied as he crouched down a bit. Using his terrifying super strength, Kai shot up into the sky, soon positioning himself right above the black spider. With his swords crackling with dark electric arcs, Kai spun gracefully in the air, then unleashed two colossal flying slashes while announcing in a flat voice.

“Electric Slash.”

Chapter 218: Alcatraz.

Chapter Text

--Saturday, May 30, 2172

At the back, Mirko, like the other heroes, was sent flying by the shockwaves released from the attacks of All Might, Kai, and Salem. But even as she shielded her face from the fragments of rock shooting out like shrapnel, the rabbit heroine couldn't help but gaze with shining eyes at the young man in the black armor. Even her rabbit ears seemed completely focused on him.

With her red eyes gleaming with a predatory light, Mirko watched as the two colossal flying slashes created by Kai, crackling with electricity, raced toward the spider's back at an absurd speed. But to her surprise, just before the slashes hit the spider, strange ripples formed over it, as if it were a pond, and the attacks ended up ‘sinking’ and disappearing.

At that moment, the ground shook even more violently, and as the tunnel began to collapse, the floor rose up as if it were the spider’s maw, trying to swallow All Might in a single bite. Simultaneously, the spider that looked like a furnace began to glow dangerously, which pushed Mirko’s alertness to the maximum. That spider seemed to be preparing to explode.

Alarmed, Mirko kicked a falling rock nearby, trying to propel herself toward the ground. But just as she was about to land, a powerful feline roar made the entire tunnel tremble. Looking up, Mirko saw Kai’s black panther standing in front of the furnace-like spider with its mouth wide open. In front of the panther’s maw, there was a bluish energy sphere nearly a meter in diameter, releasing thick arcs of electricity.

“Detroit Smash!!!”

At that moment, All Might’s powerful voice echoed everywhere, and the stone maw exploded into a thousand pieces, which shot out like shrapnel at absurd speeds in every direction.

“Get down!!”

Shino shouted urgently as she threw herself to the ground. At the same time, with a panicked expression, Ryuko also dove to the ground and created a barrier about a meter high. The barrier was made up of several layers of hardened earth and metal in equal parts.

Recovering from the stupor caused by such a tremendous display of power, the heroes threw themselves to the ground. As the barriers Ryuko created began to break apart under the shockwaves and shrapnel, Ryukyu, the dragon woman, looked at Shino and asked in a solemn tone, using the mental link that the red-armored heroine had created.

[Who is the man in the black armor? Not only is he ridiculously strong, but even his panther seems to rival All Might!]

[…] Shino fell silent at the question, watching the distant battle with a solemn expression.

Not willing to let the question go—mainly because of the danger such colossal power represented—Ryukyu prepared to press Shino for answers. But before she could do so, Ragdoll’s voice echoed in her mind, making an announcement that left her paralyzed for a few moments.

[He’s my husband! He’s really strong, but he doesn’t want to be a hero! The only reason he’s here is to protect us!!]

[You’re married?] Kamui Woods asked, visibly incredulous. Tomoko, with a proud look on her face, answered cheerfully.

[Yes! But it’s a secret! Don’t tell anyone!!]

[So you’re the one the kid was talking about!]

Mirko commented, realization dawning on her. Tomoko nodded proudly, which put complicated expressions on Shino and Ryuko. At that moment, Mirko asked with a huge grin.

[Hey Ragdoll, lend him to me now and then. I like him!]

[That’s fine. But you’ll have to convince him yourself!]

Tomoko replied cheerfully, as if she were talking about something completely casual. Edgeshot and Kamui Woods exchanged glances, their faces full of disbelief. Meanwhile, Shino and Ryuko traded bitter smiles. As for Mirko, she laughed happily, as if she’d just heard the best joke in the world, then replied with a huge grin.

[You’re really strange, but I like your style!]

[Could you stop talking about someone while he’s in a life-or-death battle with a super-powerful spider?]

At that moment, Kai’s calm voice echoed in everyone’s mind, making them feel a strange sense of embarrassment, like when the teacher catches you slacking off in class. But all those odd feelings were suddenly erased when thick black arcs of electricity crackled above their heads, followed by brutal shockwaves and literal hurricanes that threatened to send them flying once again.

…

With such incredible speed that he disappeared from sight for an instant, All Might began to move around the mountain-shaped spider, nimbly dodging shrapnel and the creature’s quick attacks with its legs. At the same time, the Symbol of Peace executed the classic boxing jab-cross, creating brutal consecutive shockwaves that ended up shattering the spider’s legs one by one.

Meanwhile, Kai began to kick the air with force, appearing and disappearing in different spots around the black spider—locations from which he launched powerful flying slashes. Some of these attacks were blocked by the spider, while others managed to hit their target.

These strikes had managed to remove almost all the spider’s legs, as well as two of its eyes and more than half of its abdomen. But even so, the spider was still alive and fought back with spears made of webbing that appeared out of nowhere.

[These spiders are just too tough…] Kai sent a telepathic message to his trusted assistant, his tone a bit bitter, but then he added, sounding a little more thoughtful.

[Although, just as I suspected. The spider’s spatial control has its limits, both in range and in speed. Also, it seems to consume a lot of energy—its ‘voice’ is fading pretty quickly.]

[That’s only natural, master. It costs us a lot of aura too. Even the male Drider, who was much more powerful, took pauses between teleportations.] Sage replied in a calm tone, her wings shining with different colors as she wore her female guard uniform. Kai responded in a calm voice.

[That’s true. Although I feel that the way this spider manipulates space is much more compatible with what we want to do with the ‘Inner Palace.’ We need to capture it or, at the very least, make a full copy like we did with the Drider.]

[I’m on it, master.] Sage answered seriously. Meanwhile, Kai glanced at Salem’s fight out of the corner of his eye, having sensed something odd in the ‘voice’ of the spider he was fighting.

“Salem, shoot at All Might’s spider.”

Noticing that Salem was about to shoot at the furnace-like spider, which seemed on the verge of exploding, Kai quickly gave a calm order. All Might immediately stepped forward at super speed, then delivered an uppercut to the air right beneath the spider and announced loudly. All Might’s powerful blow generated a massive upward air cannon that sent the spider flying upward.

“Detroit Smash!!”

In perfect sync, Salem turned his head and let out a powerful roar. The huge sphere of energy in front of Salem’s maw shot forward at high speed toward the spider. Thanks to the powerful upward air cannon, both the spider and the sphere of electrical energy were launched upward, blasting through all the earth in their path and threatening to reach the surface.

“All Might, let’s both go after the one that’s about to explode—let’s send it into the sky.”

Sending a rapid volley of flying slashes at the black spider, Kai announced in a firm voice. As the black spider crashed against the wall from Kai’s attacks, now left without legs or a stomach, All Might quickly replied while moving toward the furnace spider.

“On the count of three.”

Kai swiftly threw the sword he was holding in his right hand at what was left of the black spider’s torso, focusing his full Conqueror’s Haki on it, then shot toward the furnace spider. When the sword pinned the black spider to the wall, creating cracks that spread out like a web, Kai arrived at All Might’s side. Kai’s right fist was tightly clenched, surrounded by ominous, dark arcs of electricity.

“1, 2, 3. Detroit Smash!!” All Might counted down and shouted loudly, once again delivering a brutal uppercut toward the furnace spider.

“Electric Collapse.”

For his part, Kai announced in a neutral voice as he sent an uppercut in sync with All Might’s. But just as the two shockwaves collided, a powerful electric explosion erupted right beneath the spider, further boosting the upward air cannon.

With unstoppable force, the air cannon created a tunnel toward the surface and sent the spider shooting through it at an absurd speed. At that moment, Kai sent a mental message through the mental room Shino had created.

[Let’s move; this place is about to collapse.]

…

In the back, where the heroes were barely managing to stay on the ground thanks to Ryuko’s metal cables, everyone saw the place start to cave in, with huge rocks about to fall on their heads. At that moment, All Might sent a punch their way, unleashing a shockwave that blasted the falling rocks away.

At the same time, Ryuko manipulated the ground to create pillars of earth that moved everyone toward All Might and Kai. Halfway through, Mirko jumped from her earth pillar and landed in front of Kai, grinning widely as she looked at the black spider impaled against the shattered wall.

“You’re really impressive, kid. We need to train together.”

“Sure, but let’s get out of here alive first.”

Kai replied in a calm tone as he sent several flying slashes with his left sword to destroy the debris falling from the ceiling. But just then, the ground shook violently, and through the hole All Might and Kai had created to the surface, flaming air began to pour down.

“Let’s go!!”

All Might quickly ordered, and all the heroes started running through the tunnel, getting as far away as possible from the collapsing area. Meanwhile, Kai, who was bringing up the rear, couldn’t help but look at Sage, who had her delicate hand on the spider while in [In] mode. Kai asked in a worried tone through the mental connection they shared.

[Did it work?]

[Yes! Forcibly cutting the neural connection was effective, master! Alcatraz detected it as defeated!] As she returned to her master’s side, Sage replied in an excited tone, which made Kai smile. The blue-eyed boy gave his next order in a visibly satisfied tone.

[Perfect. Now time it precisely. Just before the explosion reaches the spider, isolate it. Make it look like the explosion consumed it.]

[I’ll do that.] Sage replied with a beautiful smile as her dress shifted back to her usual blue light gown. Kai nodded and quickened his pace behind the heroes, with Salem at his side.

Besides creating a couple of pacts for Static Mark and crafting the armor, during their preparation time, Kai and Sage had gone back to study Alcatraz from scratch. Although Sage was aware of how the Alcatraz ability worked, since she was born with it, even she wasn’t sure of all the details—and the failure to capture the male Drider had made that very clear.

The way Alcatraz worked was relatively simple. At most, Alcatraz could mark up to 275 living “entities” as prisoners, as long as Kai was the one to defeat them or deliver the finishing blow. But among those prisoners, Alcatraz could only isolate a maximum of 36 and could only have total control—using them as puppets—over three prisoners at a time.

If he controlled them only partially, the number increased to seven. But this came with the risk that the prisoners could resist the control. In fact, if their will was strong enough, they could even ignore Sage’s orders. However, even if they resisted partial control, the Alcatraz mark wouldn’t disappear unless Kai wanted it to or if he died—which would cause all the isolated prisoners to die with him.

But within that simplicity, there was a point that turned out to be quite misleading: what was considered “defeated.” During the attempt to capture the male Drider, it was shown that even cutting its brain in half wasn’t enough for the ability to consider it “defeated.” So, Kai and Sage began running different experiments to determine what criteria Alcatraz used to judge a defeat.

Of course, those who contributed tirelessly to the success of the research were the lab rats, who were able to enjoy a few moments of freedom before being captured again.

Thanks to all the tests, Kai was able to determine that the point at which Alcatraz judged someone as defeated was when the “voice” of the living entity faded almost completely, being totally unconscious.

Since Alcatraz’s criteria seemed to be somehow linked to the “spirit,” Kai decided to test his theory of the soul-spirit-body trinity by manipulating the body to affect the spirit.

After giving it some thought, Kai and Sage concluded that the best approach was to use electrical aura to forcibly cut off a target’s neural interactions for a few seconds, just barely keeping the targets alive.

Although everything had worked perfectly with the lab rats, and Alcatraz recognized them as defeated once their neural interactions were cut, Kai and Sage still had doubts about whether that approach would work on the spiders.

So, they decided to add a full-power Conqueror’s Haki attack, hoping the combination would be enough. Fortunately, everything worked as expected, and now Kai had a valuable living “database” on the power of space manipulation.

…

As the heroes raced through the tunnel at full speed, Ryuko extended her right hand to touch one of the walls and activated her quirk, wanting to mitigate the incendiary shockwave as much as possible. Soon, the back of the tunnel began to twist and shrink, while multiple layers of hardened earth barriers coated with metal formed.

As the incendiary shockwave crashed against the deformed walls and barriers, they began to melt, allowing it to advance almost unimpeded. Gritting her teeth, Ryuko activated her [Vital Reactor] at maximum, causing small electric sparks to surround her body. As if a dam had burst, the tunnel walls began to deform at an astonishing speed, closing completely.

At the same time, the layers of earth and metal barriers not only began to form much faster, but they were also much thicker. In addition, the barriers were now completely covered in what looked like a thick layer of polished, gleaming steel. This was very different from the previous metallic coating, which had not only been dark, but also appeared thin and fragile.

“!!!”

Shocked, Ryuko glanced over her shoulder. There, she saw that the incendiary shockwave was now being contained before it could reach the last layer of the multiple barriers. Not believing what she was seeing, Ryuko stared at her hands in astonishment, while the other heroes came to a sudden stop and turned to look at her, their faces full of disbelief.

The moment she activated her [Vital Reactor] at full power, Ryuko felt something click inside her body. In that instant, she suddenly felt much stronger, and the earth and metal became much easier to control, as if they had suddenly become “lighter.” Still, she never imagined she would be capable of such a display of power.

But even though she was surprised by the incredible strength that seemed to fill every cell of her body, Ryuko felt an indescribable sweetness in her heart that made her look at Kai at the back. The very fact that she could use so much power without a single side effect was proof of Kai’s tireless efforts.

After all, although that strength was based on One for All, she had seen what happened to All Might’s successor when he used too much power. So, Kai had not only accomplished the nearly impossible task of copying One for All but had also modified and adapted it so they could use it without worries. A titanic task that must have cost him blood, sweat, and tears to complete.

Most likely, while she slept peacefully, the love of her life stayed up late working to increase her strength and keep her safe. Such a display of love and dedication was so great that Ryuko felt herself falling in love with her Kai all over again.

At the same time, however, the beautiful heroine couldn’t help but fall into deep contemplation about whether she truly deserved so much love and care and what she had done to earn it.

“I didn’t know you’d become so strong, Pixie-Bob.” Edgeshot commented in surprise as he looked at the silent Ryuko. Snapping out of her thoughts, Ryuko replied in a serious tone:

“Let’s move. Even if I managed to stop the shockwave, this place could still collapse at any moment.”

“Pixie-Bob is right. Let’s move forward!” All Might soon ordered in a serious tone, taking the lead into what seemed like an endless, dead-end tunnel.

Following the Symbol of Peace, the Pussycats looked at Ryuko, then at their own clenched fists in surprise. That was the power Kai had given them without asking anything in return—a power with the potential to put them on equal footing with the greatest hero in history, the one and only Symbol of Peace.

Even though Ryuko’s display of power was still a bit short of All Might’s greatest feats, Kai had explained to them that the [Vital Reactor] was an evolving ability. The more time passed, the stronger they would become. So as long as they trained diligently and mastered the skill, the next Symbols of Peace could be them.

When faced with the possibility of achieving a dream they had never even dared to consider before, Chatora and Ryuko—who both knew they had made Kai angry—couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable and guilty.

Even so, if the same situation happened again, they would probably make the same choices, since they were true heroes. Still, disappointing someone who had given them so much without asking for anything in return was a too bitter pill to swallow.

Chapter 219: Thump Parade.

Chapter Text

--Saturday, May 30, 2172

As the group advanced through the tunnel, spiders hurled themselves at them fearlessly, using their lives to try and stop them, even if just for a few seconds. Although at first All Might took care of most of the spiders, sending powerful shockwaves toward them, over time the Symbol of Peace began to look visibly exhausted. To the point where a faint trail of smoke started to surround him.

[All Might, you’d better move to the rear.]

Seeing the state of the number one hero, Shino sent him a telepathic message with a worried tone. All Might turned to look at the beautiful heroine in red armor, but at that moment, Mirko’s energetic voice echoed through the place.

“Leave these French fries to us, All Might! You’re hogging all the ‘fun’!”

All Might turned to look at the other heroes, who nodded at him with serious expressions. The Symbol of Peace couldn’t help but let out a subtle sigh as he looked at his hand, which was releasing a slight trail of smoke. But being the Symbol of Peace that he was, All Might didn’t show his complex emotions and instead put on his iconic smile, commenting in a firm and powerful voice.

“Then I’ll leave the advance to you!”

“Plus Ultra!!”

In response to All Might’s announcement came Tomoko’s energetic voice, as she sped up to face a spider head-on. The announcement brought a smile to the other heroes, who quickly accelerated to join the fight, shouting at the top of their lungs, full of motivation.

“PLUS ULTRA!!”

Slowing down to let the other heroes pass, All Might smiled with a hint of pride and soon arrived at Kai’s side. After glancing at the silent young man in black armor, All Might looked at the impressive power displayed by the Pussycats, especially Ryuko, which made him reflect. A few seconds later, the Symbol of Peace looked back and spoke in a serious voice.

“Kai-shonen. Does the Pussycats’ strength come from the method you told me about to regain my power?”

“It’s the first method.” Kai replied calmly. “It’s the safest, and the one I have a certain level of control over. And with this armor, I’m Saito.”

“That’s right, my apologies, Saito-shonen.” All Might apologized sincerely, then asked curiously.

“Is the second method stronger? You talked about regaining my strength, and although the Pussycats’ power—especially Pixie-Bob’s and Tiger’s—is impressive, it’s still far from my maximum power right now.”

“That’s because there’s a certain degree of ‘accumulation’ involved. It takes time for the body to adapt to the changes and reach its full potential.” Kai pointed at Salem and commented in a calm tone.

“I used the same method on my cat. Does it seem weak to you?”

“Although I haven’t been able to test its raw power.” All Might commented seriously, looking at the terrifying blue-eyed panther. “Right now, your ‘cat’ is faster than I am.”

“That’s because it’s had time to adapt.” Kai explained calmly, turning to look at the Symbol of Peace before adding.

“But most likely, you won’t need to wait long. Your body is perfectly adapted to the One for All, so in your case, it’ll be more like ‘reactivating’ your strength—instead of giving it from scratch, like with Salem and my family.”

“I see…” All Might commented calmly, then asked as he looked forward again.

“How long will it take you to finish the ‘second method’?”

“I can’t give you a specific date.” Kai replied seriously. “But I can tell you it won’t be much longer. The last few days training Midoriya have been very productive.”

“I see…” All Might looked at Kai with a complex expression. Kai looked at the Symbol of Peace and commented with a somewhat puzzled tone.

“I didn’t know you had such a ‘thick skin,’ All Might. First, it looks like you’re about to punch me, and then you ask me for a favor while still suspecting me. And all without even blushing—you really are quite the ‘talent.’”

Upon hearing Kai, All Might almost stopped in his tracks but quickly recovered and kept running, glancing at Kai with a bitter expression. The boy was really right. Maybe because it was the first time he interacted with someone whose strength compared to his own but with a somewhat gray and complex morality, All Might treated the boy in a contradictory and even shameless way.

“You’re right. I’ve treated you unfairly, Saito-shonen.” All Might said in a serious tone. “You’re so strong that the fact you’re not willing to be a hero makes me uneasy. I guess I’ve gotten old, and if I’m not in control, I feel insecure and act impulsively.”

“If even you, the Symbol of Peace, go through that… What do you think will happen when the politicians—useless parasites addicted to control—become aware of my strength?” Kai asked calmly, looking at All Might.

(This journey could change things forever, in more ways than one…)

Looking ahead, All Might couldn’t help but fall into deep thought. Kai was too dangerous and unstable an element to ignore, and the worst part was that using force against him would only be counterproductive. But even knowing that, he couldn’t help but act on it unconsciously, and he knew far too many people who wouldn’t be able to sit idly by if they ever learned what the boy was truly capable of.

Imagining possible scenarios where the Japanese government found out about Kai’s power and the endless possibilities of his quirk—especially the Public Safety Commission—All Might’s expression couldn’t help but darken considerably. No matter how he looked at it, only more and more devastating scenarios came to mind. Kai’s strength and stubbornness against the arrogance and lust for control and benefit of the politicians was something that could only end badly.

“A crossroads?”

While All Might was racking his brain, he suddenly heard Ryukyu’s voice up ahead, which made him look up. At the end of the tunnel in the distance, they could see a larger area filled with spiders, illuminated by the same crystals that lit their current path. It seemed to connect seven different tunnels.

At the same time, All Might focused on the mental image Tomoko was sharing, which allowed him to estimate how many spiders were clustered at the crossroads and in the different tunnels.

“Things are getting complicated. From here on out, we’ll have spiders in both the front and the rear.”

Running with his right hand in front of his face, index and middle fingers raised in the classic ninja sign, Edgeshot spoke in a serious tone. Even if they killed all the spiders in their path, more could come from the other tunnels and follow them—something that could eventually overwhelm them.

“We have no choice but to keep moving forward.” All Might said as he jumped to the front, speaking in a serious tone. “But we can try to slow them down by killing as many as we can here and then sending Pixie-Bob to the rear to work with Saito and keep them at bay.”

“Then it’s time to go crazy!” Mirko said with a huge smile on her face before launching herself forward at full speed with a powerful leap.

“Wait, Mirko!” Ryukyu quickly shouted, wanting to stop the reckless heroine since she was wary of a possible trap.

“Luna Ring!”

Without listening to anyone, Mirko quickly rushed into the wide circular space, performing a spectacular somersault in the air while striking down a large number of spiders. Seeing Mirko begin to kill spiders left and right with impunity, Ryukyu was finally able to let out a sigh of relief. At that moment, All Might firmly gave the order.

“Let’s go!”

After speaking, the Symbol of Peace shot forward at super speed toward the entrance of one of the tunnels. Upon reaching it, All Might clenched his right fist and unleashed an attack with all his strength into the tunnel, causing an apocalyptic air cannon to blast through, mercilessly destroying everything in its path.

“Texas Smash!!!!”

Meanwhile, Chatora jumped to land on top of the spiders. While in the air, Chatora activated his [Vital Reactor] to the max and hardened his fists, then began swinging his arms at incredible speed while stretching them out. Chatora’s arms moved so fast that afterimages were left in the air, giving the impression he had hundreds of arms.

“Iron Claw Storm!!!”

With Chatora’s announcement, a rain of shockwaves struck the spiders, creating a brutal massacre that made the ground shake violently. At the same time, Tomoko crouched down, taking the typical runner’s stance, while dangerous-looking arcs of electricity began crackling around her body.

“Thump Parade!”

Launching herself forward at such a high speed that she vanished from sight, Tomoko announced in a cheerful and adorable voice. Soon, the beautiful turquoise-haired pro-hero began appearing in different places, delivering a blow that finished off a spider before disappearing again. Her speed was so insane that it looked like she had multiplied, leaving afterimages in several places at once.

“Edgeshot. Let’s attack together!” At that moment, Shino stepped forward and spoke to Edgeshot, who was about to shoot forward with his body looking like a bandage.

“What do I need to do?” Edgeshot quickly turned to look at Shino and asked curiously. Shino quickly replied.

“Just attack all the spiders that stop moving.”

Right after speaking, Shino rose slightly into the air using the repulsors on her armor, then brought the index and middle fingers of both hands to her temples and closed her eyes. Soon, subtle arcs of electricity flashed around Shino’s head, at which point the beautiful heroine suddenly opened her eyes and announced in a serious tone.

“Catatalk.”

Almost instantly, a large number of spiders stopped in their tracks, nearly catatonic, which Edgeshot saw as his cue. Moving at the speed of sound, Edgeshot transformed into a flat spear and effortlessly pierced through each and every one of the spiders, killing them instantly. But even in death, the spiders didn’t react in the slightest, remaining completely paralyzed until they collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

“Wildclad Stampede!”

At that instant, Ryuko crouched down and placed her hands on the ground as she announced her move. As if it were a vision straight out of the apocalypse, the ground beneath the spiders trembled and split open, creating cracks through which many spiders fell. But from those same cracks, a large number of earth beasts with exoskeletons and metallic claws soon emerged, beginning to slaughter any spiders they encountered.

Meanwhile, Ryukyu and Kamui Woods entered the cave along with Kai, watching the devastating display of power with expressions full of surprise. The power the Pussycats were showing far surpassed their own. To the point where the pair of heroes dared to say that each of the Pussycats was approaching the power of Endeavor, Japan’s famous Number Two Hero.

“Salem, don’t move unless I give the order.”

For his part, Kai gave an order to his cat and looked around the chamber, especially eyeing the webs visible at the top with a suspicious gaze, while tightly gripping his swords. Something told him things couldn’t be that simple. The spiders were too intelligent to just let themselves be killed like that without retaliating—especially after they had already taken down the previous three spiders.

[Sage. Activate the AP Field.] Kai ordered his trusted assistant through their mental connection, his tone serious. Sage soon responded with equal seriousness.

[Immediately, master.]

Without delay, Sage extended [En] throughout the entire area, simultaneously activating advanced Observation Haki to the maximum. This created a field of absolute perception, allowing her to gather data on almost everything: a detailed and precise awareness of the space, people’s emotions, intentions, and even visions of the future within a wide area. It was an ability Sage herself had developed during her experiments to awaken advanced Observation Haki some time ago.

Because the passive function of advanced Observation Haki—which shows future images of immediate danger—was completely ineffective against conditional webs, Sage and Kai thought of different ways to solve the problem, ultimately settling on the simplest one. If passive vision didn’t work, then they had to look into the future actively, and the best ability for the job was none other than [AP Field].

With her wings glowing in different colors, Sage began processing the enormous amount of data she was receiving from both the present and the future. Before even a second had passed since the order was given, Sage shared a vision of the future with her master.

In the vision, Tomoko and Chatora were suddenly wrapped in corrosive web cocoons, very similar to the ones that had nearly killed Kai the first time he was on the island.

[Sage. What’s the condition?!]

Almost instantly, Kai asked in alarm as he was surrounded by dark electric arcs with a slight purple edge and shot off toward the midpoint where Chatora and Tomoko ended up wrapped in webs. The beautiful fairy, surrounded by hundreds of holographic screens, replied in an equally urgent tone.

[I don’t know yet, master! It still seems too random for now. I need more data!]

[Mobilize more aura and haki. I have a feeling this is just the beginning, and we need to figure out the condition for the webs!] Kai replied urgently, simultaneously maxing out his Conqueror’s Haki and coating his swords with it.

…
…
…

If anyone asked Tomoko what the secret to her [Thump Parade] was, the answer could only be “precision.” At first, Tomoko felt that acquiring the [Vital Reactor]—the copy of All Might's quirk—would make her Accomplice’s ability useless, since the [Vital Reactor] also granted super strength that could be activated selectively. But reality turned out to be very different.

Instead of overlapping, her Accomplice’s ability and the Vital Reactor actually fused, giving her millimeter-level control over her power—a level of control that went beyond even what Kai was capable of. Now, she was able to distribute the maximum potential of the Vital Reactor to enhance anything from her smallest joint to her entire body, and all with absolute precision. But that wasn’t even the best part.

…

After smashing a spider with a single blow, Tomoko, with incredible fluidity and speed, shifted the force distribution in her body. She boosted her right leg to 75% of her total power, left her left leg at 10%, and distributed the remaining 15% equally among her arms, torso, and head.

Immediately afterward, Tomoko kicked off the ground with her right leg, shooting forward like an arrow toward the strongest spider nearby. Even though the spot where she kicked the ground was left completely intact, showing no trace of the power she had used.

Reaching the spider, Tomoko once again adjusted the distribution of her strength: assigning 45% to her right fist, 10% to her right leg—which acted as an anchor—15% to her torso and hips to generate torque, and 5% to her left arm and head. Meanwhile, the remaining 20% was concentrated in the knuckle of her middle finger, at the center of her right hand.

Thanks to her quirk—‘Search’—Tomoko knew the spider’s weak spot was on the side of its abdomen, so she aimed her jab directly there. At the moment of impact, a burst of air shot out from the knuckle of Tomoko’s middle finger, similar to All Might’s Smash attacks, but this one was only a few centimeters wide.

With 20% of the [Vital Reactor]'s total power concentrated and boosted by 45%, the force of the air cannon was such that the spider's abdomen exploded into pieces, killing it instantly as it was sent flying. Meanwhile, Tomoko, with a small smile on her lips, readjusted the distribution of strength in her body to charge at the next spider that could survive Chatora’s shockwaves.

But just as Tomoko was about to deliver the finishing blow to the next spider, a brutal pressure filled the air. Recognizing the pressure as one of her beloved husband’s abilities, Tomoko looked up. In the air, she could see Kai surrounded by dark electric arcs—right in between her position and Chatora’s.

Believing her husband was about to show off his power again, Tomoko’s smile couldn’t help but widen, her eyes shining with anticipation. But to her surprise, Kai moved his swords in her direction and Chatora’s, sending several dark flying slashes toward them. However, just before an expression of disbelief could form on her face, Tomoko saw how, out of nowhere, a large amount of webbing appeared around her.

“It’s a trap!”

Just as the webs wrapped around her, instantly melting her armor, Tomoko heard the voice of her beloved. At the same time, the black slashes Kai had sent moments earlier made contact with the webs. Almost magically, the slashes completely destroyed the webs without leaving a single scratch on her half-melted armor.

As a shiver that made every part of her body stand on end ran through her—brought on by feeling death so close—Tomoko looked up to gaze at her beloved. In that instant, all the spiders screeched at once, and Kai’s terrifying pressure intensified by several levels as he sent flying slashes toward Ryuko and All Might. A sight that caused Tomoko's heart to clench painfully.

Chapter 220: Just a distraction.

Chapter Text

--Saturday, May 30, 2172

With a solemn expression on his face, Kai ‘saw’ through a future vision as webs appeared out of nowhere around All Might and Ryuko. Quickly, Kai sent several controlled flying slashes to cut the web cocoons without hurting the people inside. At the same time, Kai asked his trusted assistant in a serious tone.

[Sage, any clues?!]

[Too many to be useful, master. They even contradict each other.] Sage replied, completely surrounded by holographic screens. [There are too many things connecting the people who were attacked.]

Just then, Sage shared with her master a vision of the future, where the tunnels began to close rapidly as Shino, Edgeshot, and Mirko were wrapped in cocoons of corrosive webbing. But the problem was that the three of them were in different directions, unlike All Might and Ryuko, or Chatora and Tomoko, who were relatively close by.

The spiders practically wanted to force him to choose between advancing through the tunnels or protecting the others. Gritting his teeth, Kai pushed his thoughts to the limit—earning himself a splitting headache—and started thinking of a way to avoid having to choose. As he reviewed his memories of his experiences with corrosive webs, Kai realized something important, causing his eyes to shine.

[Mandalay, Edgeshot, and Mirko. Don’t move!] Using the mental room created by Shino—which was much faster for sharing information than speaking—Kai gave the order in a solemn tone.

From the start, the conditional webs had been reactive—unless the condition was met, they wouldn’t activate. Therefore, they required an action from the target, and since the positions of Shino, Edgeshot, and Mirko were slightly different in the future vision compared to the present, there was a high probability that this was related.

[All Might! Let’s deliver a combined attack at twelve o’clock.]

Seeing that his slashes were tearing apart the webs covering All Might, Kai quickly sent a message. All Might, who had several first-degree burns from the corrosion on different parts of his body, quickly replied in a solemn tone.

[At three!]

After throwing his right sword toward Shino, Kai clenched his fist and gathered as much aura and Haki as possible into it while kicking the air to launch himself toward All Might. Just as Kai was about to arrive by All Might’s side, a new vision of the future came to Kai—in which he, Mirko, and All Might were wrapped up in a web cocoon.

With only fractions of a second to act, Kai was forced to conjure a sword out of thin air in his right hand while spinning in the air to send flying slashes toward Mirko and All Might. Meanwhile, all he could do was grit his teeth and use his aura, advanced Armament Haki, and advanced Conqueror’s Haki to coat his skin and armor.

[What—?]

Confused by Kai’s sudden movement, All Might tried to ask a question via telepathic message, but before he could, the light in the cave flickered for an instant and webs formed around him once again. Seeing firsthand the reason behind Kai’s erratic actions, All Might’s eyes widened in disbelief.

But thanks to his decades of active service, All Might instantly recovered and took defensive action. Activating One for All at full power throughout his body, All Might covered his face with his arms and clenched his teeth, bracing for the pain.

“Kai!!!”

Seeing cocoons of web forming around Mirko, All Might, and Kai, Shino felt her heart tighten. But when she saw flying slashes saving the rabbit hero and the symbol of peace, while Kai himself had nothing protecting him, Shino let out an almost desperate cry, at the same time activating her armor’s repulsors at full power.

[DON’T MOVE!!!]

Before Shino could ‘run’ toward Kai, his voice echoed in everyone’s mind, leaving them completely frozen in place. At the same time, two black Jian swords appeared floating around Kai and began spinning rapidly, cutting through the cocoon of corrosive webs surrounding him.

[Sage. Any ideas?]

With an ashen expression from being forced to conjure swords out of nowhere, Kai asked his trusted assistant after sending the mental message through the mind room created by Shino.

[Just a hypothesis, master.] While controlling the swords to free her master, Sage replied in a bitter tone and explained.

[Right before the attack, the light flickered and changed subtly, which caused your shadow to overlap slightly with All Might’s and Mirko’s. And that shadow overlap also happened during the attack on Tomoko and Chatora, with Ryuko and All Might, and even in the future vision of the attack on Shino, Edgeshot, and Mirko.]

[What a strange condition,] Kai replied as he brushed the remnants of web off his body and immediately sent a new message through the mind room created by Shino while watching the tunnels close completely.

[Mandalay, light up the entire place—leave no shadows!]

With a swift movement, Shino quickly typed on her armor’s forearm and then fired a large number of disks at the walls and ceiling, following the instructions of the onboard computer, which handled all the calculations to erase the shadows. At that moment, Mirko’s voice echoed in everyone’s mind.

[You saved my life again, Saito.]

Kai turned to look at the rabbit hero and found her with several burns on different parts of her body as she flipped through the air, landing with a powerful kick on a spider. At that moment, Ryukyu’s solemn voice echoed in everyone’s mind.

[We’re trapped.]

Upon hearing the dragon hero, the other heroes looked around and realized that, indeed, all the tunnels had been closed off, even the one they had entered through. In that instant, Kai’s eyes widened in disbelief, and he instantly sent an urgent message through the mind room, while at the same time calling for his loyal pet.

“SALEM!!”

[Pixie-Bob, bury us and get us out of here now!!!]

Upon hearing the order, Ryuko quickly placed her hands on the ground and created a hole beneath each of them, while Shino turned off her armor’s repulsors, dropping straight down the hole. When everyone had fallen through the holes, Ryuko once again ‘heard’ her beloved’s urgent voice in her mind.

[Ryuko, cover the entrances with everything you’ve got and bring us together!!]

With a solemn expression due to the urgency in her beloved’s tone, Ryuko pushed herself to the limit, creating layer after layer of hardened earth barriers reinforced with metal, while at the same time interconnecting the holes. In that instant, a violent earthquake shook the ground, and the layers of barriers Ryuko had created began to shatter into pieces at an absurd speed.

Gritting her teeth, Ryuko used up every last drop of energy she had to create even more layers of barriers, to the point where her skin turned slightly red and she began to sweat profusely. But even though she was doing her best, the barriers were shattered like sheets of paper. Lifting her head to look up, Ryuko saw a white flash filtering through her barriers.

“Is this the end…?”

As she felt her consciousness slipping away from exhaustion, the beautiful blonde hero whispered to herself with a bitter expression. She still wanted to apologize to Kai, tell him how much she loved him, and enjoy many things with him. But it seemed that was no longer possible. That realization made Ryuko let out a sigh filled with disappointment.

Soon, Ryuko began to feel as if she were underwater, and everything around her slowed down. She even thought she heard her beloved’s voice in the distance, but she was so exhausted that she couldn’t even understand what he said. Just then, Ryuko felt something grab her by the neck and pull her away at high speed, which completely erased her last trace of consciousness, leaving her totally unconscious.

…
…
…

In the middle of the small dome Ryuko had created by interconnecting the different tunnels, three bulky figures appeared and gathered in the center. The three figures turned out to be All Might, Kai, and Salem carrying the others. Kai was carrying Shino, Chatora, and Tomoko. All Might had Kamui Woods and Ryukyu, and Salem had Mirko, Ryuko, and Edgeshot.

“[Absolute Fortress] On! [3 meters] [5 minutes]!”

Upon reaching the center of the dome, Kai conjured a card and activated it without a moment’s hesitation. Soon, the card turned into a beam of light that surrounded them. The light quickly transformed into metallic walls covered with a pattern of Aura Script, crowned by a bluish energy dome that allowed them to see outside.

“Don’t leave the walls.” After setting Shino, Chatora, and Tomoko down on the ground, Kai ordered in an incredibly serious tone. Immediately afterward, Kai took the unconscious Ryuko from Salem’s jaws and activated his Mystical Palm.

At that moment, all the heroes could see through the energy dome as a bright light filled the space. Surprised, the heroes shielded themselves as best they could and closed their eyes, but after a few seconds of feeling no change, they opened them again. What greeted them was a scene that practically made their jaws drop.

All the earth around them had completely disappeared and had been replaced by a massive amount of smoke that blocked almost all visibility. Seeing the smoke, all the heroes instantly understood the reason behind Kai’s actions and his urgency. The trap this time had been an explosion so powerful that it even managed to frighten someone as strong as him.

At the same time, however, the heroes couldn’t help but look at the metallic barrier surrounding them—not just because it was impressive enough to remain intact in the face of the explosion, but also because of how magical it was. After all, through the dome, everyone could see small traces of melted and vitrified rock amidst the smoke.

That was nothing less than proof that the power of the explosion was comparable to that of an atomic bomb—something capable of vaporizing all of them in an instant. Yet, even so, inside the barrier they were not only perfectly fine, but they didn’t even feel a vibration or hear a sound. It was something so magical and strange that it was hard for them to believe it was real and not just a high-resolution video.

But if the barrier was intriguing, the one who had created it was even more so. That man in black armor, besides having power comparable to All Might, possessed far too many strange but powerful abilities. He could heal, control electricity, send out energy slashes, and even seemed to have some sort of predictive power. Such a wide and terrifying set of abilities was too varied to be the result of a single quirk.

For his part, All Might turned to look at Kai with an expression that combined surprise, gratitude, and a hint of realization. Although the Symbol of Peace had always suspected that one of the young man’s many abilities was seeing the future, now he finally had confirmation. After all, that explosion had come out of nowhere, without any warning. So, if it hadn’t been for Kai, they all probably would have perished right there.

But even though he was grateful, the Symbol of Peace remained clear-headed enough to realize that Kai hadn’t revealed the whole truth about his quirk. That incredibly wide set of abilities the young man possessed made him a danger comparable to All for One—or perhaps even worse.

After all, All for One relied on stealing to expand his repertoire of abilities, which meant he could be tracked to some extent. Meanwhile, Kai seemed able to create anything he could imagine. That difference meant no one could ever be truly sure what the young man had hidden up his sleeve, and there was nothing as terrifying as the unknown and uncontrollable.

“How is she?”

While all the other heroes were lost in deep thought, the Pussycats gathered around Kai, and Shino asked, full of worry as she looked at the unconscious Ryuko. Kai, with his hand over Ryuko’s chest, replied in a calm tone.

“She’s fine, just exhausted. She’ll recover in a few minutes.”

“That’s a relief…” Shino commented with a small, relieved smile. Although comforted by the answer, Chatora couldn’t help but look at Kai seriously and ask,

“What happened just now?”

“I don’t know.” Kai replied in a flat tone that seemed to hide a multitude of emotions. “All of a sudden, my instincts warned me to run as far as possible. So I focused on that. But I really don’t know what they did, much less how.”

Hearing the answer, Chatora looked up to see the smoke outside with a solemn expression. Even though Kai hadn’t been very clear, he could easily understand what he meant. In a single moment, Kai must have seen a future where he died, so he got everyone out of there. But somehow, the spiders managed to block his perception and keep him in the dark from beginning to end.

For her part, Shino clenched her fists and bit her lips hard as she stared at the smoke. With every minute they spent in that place, Shino felt more and more that the spiders were invincible. Not only did they have the power to destroy the world, but they were also incredibly intelligent and adaptable. Like simple flies, the spiders kept leading them into increasingly complex and dangerous traps.

…

[The whole shadow trap was just a distraction.] With an ashen expression on his face, Kai communicated with Sage, who also wore a grim expression. The beautiful fairy soon replied in a heavy voice.

[After a preliminary analysis of the explosion, it appears to be four times stronger than the blast from the 'furnace spider'.]

[Most likely, several furnace spiders surrounded us underground and detonated at the same time.] Kai commented through gritted teeth. [Those bastards have a way of bypassing my observation haki at will.]

[There’s still a chance there was a tunnel nearby.] Sage responded, clenching her tiny fists tightly.

[It doesn’t matter what it is.] Kai commented in a cold voice, then added, his eyes shining with a light full of murderous intent.

[I won’t rest until I’ve kill every last one of those damn spiders and brought this to an end!]

…

“What will our next move be?” With a solemn expression, Edgeshot looked at All Might and asked in a serious tone.

“The first thing will be to analyze our surroundings.” All Might replied in a heavy voice. “But we definitely can’t keep using the tunnels. The spiders know them too well and will use them against us.”

“We can’t move on the surface or underground. What path do we have left?” Ryukyu asked with a heavy, somewhat resigned sigh. At that moment, Kai stood up, carrying Ryuko in his arms like a princess, and spoke in a serious tone.

“From this moment on, I’m heading straight for the spiders’ gathering point with everything I’ve got. Meanwhile, I want you all to move around and distract them.” Handing the unconscious Ryuko to Chatora, Kai looked at everyone and explained.

“Moving together allows the spiders to concentrate all their power in one place. So, it’s best for you to split into two groups—one with All Might and the other with my cat. Meanwhile, I’ll infiltrate deep inside and make my way to the base. We’ll stay in contact through Shino’s mind room.”

Upon hearing Kai, Tomoko, who had remained silent, quickly jumped up to hug Kai around the neck. At the same time, Shino unconsciously reached out to take Kai’s hand, her expression full of worry. But to Shino’s surprise, Tomoko announced in a cheerful and determined voice.

“Take care, Kai! Salem and I will keep everyone safe here!”

“Moving alone is too risky.” Kamui Woods said seriously at that moment.

“For me, it’s actually more dangerous to move in a group. I have ways of moving unnoticed, but only when I’m alone.” Kai quickly replied in a cold tone as he took something from his belt and tossed it to All Might. As All Might caught the object, Kai explained.

“That’s a prototype detector for nearby life signatures. It’s not as good as Tomoko’s quirk, but it’s better than nothing.”

“Are you sure about this, Saito-shonen?” All Might asked seriously, since he honestly couldn’t think of any path that wouldn’t end in a deadly trap like before. Kai nodded with a serious look.

“Yes. No matter what happens, those spiders have to die today. We can’t give them any more time.”

“Does anyone have anything to say?”

All Might turned to look at the other heroes and asked in a calm tone. The other heroes remained silent while the Pussycats bit their lips in frustration. After a few seconds, All Might looked back at Kai and spoke in a serious tone.

“Then let’s do that.”

“Let me heal you first and give you some recommendations.” Kai said as he extended his hands toward Mirko and All Might, which lit up with a faint bluish glow.

“First, be very alert when it comes to webs. If you see webs nearby, avoid getting close. It’s highly likely that it’s a trap, because even though this place is full of spiders, webs are actually scarce.”

As Kai spoke, All Might and Mirko stepped forward so he could heal them. Meanwhile, Edgeshot couldn’t help but look at the heroes’ wounds, then at the armor worn by Chatora, Ryuko, and Tomoko, which showed signs of corrosion from the webs in several places. Finally, the ninja hero examined Kai’s black armor in detail. Though it had some traces of damage, they were minimal compared to the Pussycats’ armors.

“Secondly, be careful with your movements.” Placing his hands on the backs of Mirko and All Might, Kai continued his explanation.

“Conditional webs are reactive—in other words, they need a trigger to activate, and this is usually based on movement. Also, remember that your job is just to distract the spiders; avoid direct confrontations, don’t repeat tactics, and don’t stay in the same place for too long.”

Seeing the group of heroes nodding, Kai glanced at a screen on his helmet that displayed different routes and action plans proposed by Sage. After a quick look, Kai selected the ones he liked best and sent them to the Pussycats, while also looking back at the heroes to give his final warning.

Chapter 221: A blood-red orb.

Chapter Text

--Saturday, May 30, 2172

“But more importantly, never let your guard down.” Kai said in a serious tone, looking especially at Mirko. “The last time I came here, that mistake almost cost me my life. If you see an opportunity, it's highly likely it's a deliberate opening—a trap. Your job is only to distract them; I’ll be the one going all the way to the end.”

As the heroes watched with a hint of surprise how All Might’s and Mirko’s burns healed in a matter of seconds, the Symbol of Peace looked at Kai and spoke seriously.

“Saito-shonen, while it’s true that splitting up is almost our only option right now, that doesn’t mean you have to face the spiders alone. The moment you need help, call us—we’re in this together.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Kai replied in a calm tone. Meanwhile, Shino bit her lip in hesitation, but after a few seconds, she gathered her courage and sent Kai a telepathic message that left no room for argument.

[Kai, don’t even think for a second about sacrificing yourself to save us—especially not me. I came here fully resolved to either make it out together or die by your side. If you do it, rest assured I’ll take my own life the moment I can. There’s no place in this world for me if you’re not in it.]

Upon hearing Shino’s declaration, Kai turned to look at her with an expression of absolute disbelief. Shino met her beloved’s gaze with complete determination. After all, it was a decision she had made a long time ago—the only reason she had hesitated to share it was because she didn’t want Kai to see her as some obsessive lunatic. But when Kai’s life was placed on the scale, the choice practically made itself.

For his part, seeing the resolve in Shino’s eyes, Kai felt a weight comparable to a mountain suddenly land on his shoulders. While he had always known Shino struggled with self-esteem, he never imagined she would say something like that.

To him, his own death wasn’t such a terrible thing—he had already died once, so in a way, he saw himself as living on borrowed time. And with how good his life had been, even if this was the end, he was at peace with it. But the lives of those he loved… that was something else entirely.

Maybe it was because he had had to say goodbye to his mother twice, but the death of a loved one was one of the things that terrified Kai the most. To the point that, even knowing he wouldn’t be there to witness his family’s suffering or death if he died, he still did everything in his power to ensure their well-being and safety after he was gone. That’s why the idea of Shino taking her own life because of him was something he simply couldn’t accept.

[Shino…]

With a voice full of discomfort, Kai tried to respond through the mental connection that had formed. But Shino quickly sent a new message, her tone full of unwavering resolve, cutting off Kai’s words.

[You can’t convince me otherwise. Just like you’re willing to die to protect us, I’m not willing to live without you. So remember: your life counts for two. I’ll support you in everything you want to do, and I’ll always be by your side—in life or in death.]

[…]

With a strange feeling that mixed helplessness and fear, Kai decided not to respond. Instead, he quickly reached out to his trusted assistant.

[Sage, any ideas?]

[None, Master.] With an expression of helplessness on her face, the beautiful fairy replied, then added a bit hesitantly.

[Though… I’ve read that having a child helps a lot with women who think like that…]

[…]

Kai could only sigh at his assistant’s reply, but after a few moments, he looked back at the others and spoke in a serious tone.

“One more thing—try to create as much chaos as you can from a distance. I’ll do the same while trying not to expose myself. That way, the spiders will have too much to focus on to concentrate their efforts on wiping us out again.”

After all the heroes nodded, Kai focused entirely on healing Mirko and All Might. However, the expression on the rabbit hero’s face looked somewhat dissatisfied. While the idea of causing chaos everywhere sounded appealing to her, the fact that Kai would be the one infiltrating alone didn’t sit well. It made her feel like just a decoration.

…

Shortly before the duration of [Absolute Fortress] ran out, Kai managed to almost completely heal both Mirko and All Might. As he pulled his hands away from the pair of heroes, he spoke in a serious tone.

“The barrier will disappear soon. Form groups as you see fit and head out in different directions. I’ll stay until the barrier fades.”

At that moment, Ryuko opened her eyes and began looking around, which allowed Chatora—the first to notice—to let out a sigh of relief. Shino, who also noticed her teammate’s awakening, quickly sent her a telepathic message to bring her up to speed.

“The Pussycats need to split up…” Still a bit dizzy, Ryuko quickly spoke in a serious tone.

Upon hearing her, all the heroes turned to look at the beautiful hero in blue armor. As she stepped down from Chatora’s arms, Ryuko explained after taking a deep breath.

“My quirk, along with Mandalay’s and Ragdoll’s, will be key in this. If we all stay in one group, we’ll limit our potential to cause chaos and draw attention.”

“You’re right about that.” Edgeshot quickly commented, nodding his head. “Mandalay will be our ‘communication channel,’ Ragdoll our ‘eyes,’ and you the path.”

“Then the teams should be formed like this.” Shino said in a calm tone. “Ragdoll, Tiger, Ryukyu, and Mirko will be on All Might’s team, and Kamui Woods, Edgeshot, Pixie-Bob, and I will be in the other. We’ll move erratically to create confusion, while your team will move with precision to hit key points and retreat.”

“Sounds reasonable.” All Might agreed with a nod of satisfaction. At that moment, Kai spoke in a serious tone.

“Ten seconds left—go.”

Upon hearing Kai, everyone nodded solemnly, then formed their teams and exited the barrier. As the heroes left, Kai quickly summoned the [Shadow Cloak] card, but just before activating it, Shino’s voice echoed in his mind.

[Kai, I love you. Please come back safe and sound.]

[Give it your all, Kai! I know there’s nothing you can’t do—you’re the love of my life and the best man in the world!] Immediately after, Tomoko’s energetic voice rang out in his mind, followed by Ryuko’s.

[Darling, I know you're angry with me. But I want you to know that I truly love you. I’m just a stubborn fool who fell hopelessly in love with you and needs to apologize properly, so please… don’t leave us alone.]

[I love you all too, and don’t worry — I won’t let what happened last time happen again.] Kai soon replied, his voice serious but filled with affection. Then he added with unwavering resolve and certainty.

[I will never lose again!]

[[[We love you!!]]]

Shino, Ryuko, and Tomoko sent the message at the same time, which made Kai smile slightly. He responded sincerely as he raised the card and activated it.

[I love you more — and don’t forget to make full use of the Accomplices. Your safety matters more than keeping secrets.]

“[Shadow Cloak] on!”

…
…
…

As she leapt out of the barrier, Ryukyu held her breath, finding herself completely surrounded by smoke. At the same time, she transformed into her dragon form to take flight—just as the other heroes landed on her back. Moving silently through the haze, Ryukyu turned her head to look at the enigmatic metal wall, realizing that it was actually floating in the air. The crater created by the explosion was colossal.

Though surprised by the overwhelming power of the spiders, the dragon hero was even more impressed by the strength and resources of the man in the black armor— something that made her keep her gaze fixed on the barrier. Just as she reached the edge of the crater, Ryukyu heard Pixie-Bob’s voice in her mind, along with a mental image of a massive crater laced with multiple tunnels.

[I created a tunnel network using the maximum range of my quirk. I’ll keep digging and sharing a mental map of them so you can move around.]

Upon hearing the announcement, Ryukyu quickly headed toward the nearest tunnel. Just before entering it, the dragon hero cast one last glance at the metal wall—just in time to see it turn into a beam of light and vanish. But to her surprise, the area was left completely empty, with no trace of the man in the black armor.

“Let’s move quickly.” All Might said in a serious voice. “Ragdoll will guide us. We’ll strike and retreat as fast as we can.”

“““Understood!!!”””

Ryukyu responded in unison with the others, then entered the tunnel and reverted to her human form, beginning her first sprint through the underground paths.

…
…
…

Cloaked in the black veil of [Shadow Cloak], Kai slipped out of the walls just two seconds before it vanished, letting himself fall to the bottom of the crater while extending his Observation Haki. Just a few meters above the lava that had become the crater floor, Kai kicked off the air and shot forward at high speed toward one of the tunnels Ryuko had created.

As he ran through the tunnel, Kai noticed that the mental image shared by Ryuko was changing rapidly. His beautiful girlfriend was creating a vast and complex network of tunnels while moving at full speed around the crater. Quickly, Kai crouched down and touched the ground with his hand.

He sent out his aura like a sonar, trying to find a tunnel that wasn’t included in Ryuko’s mental map. Soon enough, Kai did detect a tunnel not too far away, so he quickly sent a message through the mental link created by Shino, sharing a mental image at the same time.

[Pixie-Bob, create some tunnels that intersect at different points with the one I’m sharing.]

[On it immediately.] Ryuko, who was just within range to create the tunnels, responded right away.

Soon, Kai could sense several tunnels opening nearby, allowing him to feel a bit of what was inside them—where a large number of spiders began to emerge. At that moment, the blue-eyed young man contacted Sage while sprinting toward the nearest tunnel.

[Once the outer layer of the tunnel breaks, I can sense the inside…]

[We should collect a few more samples from those tunnels, Master.] Sage replied seriously as she gathered as much data as she could about the tunnels.

[I’d like to.] Kai shook his head and answered. [But I need to use this moment to move forward. Just look at the spiders—they’re moving so erratically it’s like they’re in a panic. Whoever is controlling them probably didn’t expect this outcome.]

[Or maybe the previous trap was a major effort, and now they’re recovering their strength.] Sage added thoughtfully. Kai nodded and sent a new message through the telepathic link.

[That’s also possible. But whatever the case may be, right now we just need to focus on getting as far ahead as we can.]

Running with all his strength while dodging the erratic spiders, Kai soon entered the tunnel, which was packed with them. Leaping and flipping to land on the ceiling, Kai used his aura to stick to it and continued sprinting at full speed. But after a few seconds, he sensed something in the distance with his Observation Haki that instantly caught his attention.

Right at the edge of what his Haki could perceive inside the tunnel, there was a relatively strong ‘voice’ that seemed to be taking its final breath. Curious, Kai pushed forward with everything he had through the spider-filled tunnel, until, after a couple of minutes, he finally saw what was going on.

In the middle of the tunnel was a massive white spider, about eight meters long, lying on the ground and drying up rapidly — as if something were draining the moisture from its body.

But the strangest thing was that near the large spider were two small spiders, about 50 centimeters in size, with a strange pattern on their oversized backsides that resembled an electronic circuit. Upon seeing the two small spiders, Kai immediately realized they were most likely electric spiders—the kind that moved faster than he could using Shadow Cloak.

[Should we take the risk and mark them with Trace, Master?] Sage asked hesitantly as she observed the spiders. [It looks like they’re waiting for something before they run off.]

[It’s not worth the risk.] Kai replied, still upside down. [ Most likely, once they finish whatever it is they want to do, they'll run straight to where all the spiders gather. We'd better watch and see what they're waiting for.]

Sage nodded toward her master and focused her gaze on the two small spiders and the now almost completely hollow giant one. Soon, the massive spider began to crumble and turn to dust until it nearly vanished—at which point, a blood-red orb, about 20 centimeters in size, dropped to the ground.

The instant the orb appeared, the two small spiders leapt toward it, surrounded by electric sparks, striking it at full speed. As if it were made of glass, the orb shattered into pieces, then turned into reddish points of light and vanished. At that moment, the electric spiders sprinted down the tunnel at incredible speed, quickly disappearing from sight.

[I wasn’t expecting that…] Kai commented, his tone filled with surprise and confusion. Sage could only nod, wearing a similarly puzzled expression.

[Let’s keep moving. I have a feeling we’ll find out soon enough why those two destroyed that orb.] After a few moments, Kai added in a thoughtful tone before dashing through the tunnel at full speed.

After about five minutes of running, drawing closer to the location of the spiders he had marked with Trace, Kai noticed a change in their behavior. From their previously erratic movements, the spiders now moved in a more controlled manner. Some began running in unison toward the spot where he had entered, while others moved through the tunnel as if searching for something.

Moving more carefully to avoid raising any suspicion, Kai continued down the tunnel until he suddenly sensed a "voice" with a strength similar to the one that had dried up earlier. Wearing an expression full of intrigue, Kai ran toward the spider, soon managing to see it with his own eyes. The spider, though with some subtle differences, was nearly identical to the one that had dried up — same size, same white color.

[Could the orb be some kind of signal repeater used to control the spiders?]
Kai asked curiously as he looked at the massive spider. Sage quickly replied in a thoughtful tone.

[It’s likely, Master. The timing of the spiders’ behavior shift doesn’t seem like a coincidence.]

[If that’s the case, then there must be a limited number of orbs. That’s why those other spiders destroyed it.] Kai remarked, a subtle glint in his eyes, before sending a message through the mental link Shino had created.

[Keep an eye out for white spiders around 8 meters in size. When you kill them, avoid destroying the red orb inside their bodies.]

[Did you discover something?] All Might quickly asked, somewhat surprised, prompting Kai to promptly explain what he had seen.

…

[Your idea makes a lot of sense. If we see any of those orbs, we’ll avoid destroying them.]

After hearing the whole story, All Might responded in a serious tone, secretly a bit impressed by Kai’s insight. After all, they had been in the tunnels the same amount of time, and Kai had already uncovered an important clue—while they had only been killing spiders here and there.

[We’ll do the same.] Soon, Shino’s serious voice echoed in Kai’s mind. The blue-eyed young man sent another message.

[I’ll keep investigating. If I find anything else, I’ll let you all know.]

With extreme caution, Kai landed on the ground and analyzed the spider’s movements for a few seconds, then reached for his belt. He pulled out a small disk, and at that moment gave a firm order.

[Sage, give me the best moment to move.]

[Understood.]

Sage quickly responded in a serious tone. Using the full computational power of both her own and her master’s armor, Sage analyzed all the spiders. She was searching for the perfect moment for her master to drop the disk without anyone suspecting the presence of someone invisible—since that would immediately cause Shadow Cloak to deactivate.

[Now!]

After a few seconds, Sage gave the signal urgently. Kai immediately dropped the disk right where he was standing, then leapt to the ceiling and sprinted down the tunnel upside down. After gaining some distance, Kai let out a quiet sigh of relief upon seeing that Shadow Cloak was still active. He hadn’t been detected.

Soon, the white spider ended up striking the disk with one of its legs. The disk deformed slightly and subtly adhered to her without raising any suspicion. Seeing that the spider continued moving without hesitation, Kai finally relaxed and kept moving through the tunnel. That disk was actually a bomb—one he and Keiko had worked on—designed to incapacitate the spider in case of an emergency.

…

Kai continued moving through the tunnel at the highest speed he could without raising suspicion, all while analyzing the spiders’ behavior. Interestingly, although the spiders near the white one behaved like a well-trained army, the farther away he got, the more “independent” their actions became—a clear sign that the control had a limited effective range.

[Take note of the effective range, Sage. I’ll send the info to the others.]

[Approximately two kilometers, Master.] Sage quickly replied. Kai was about to send a message through the mental link when suddenly, the voices of All Might and Shino echoed in his mind at the same time.

[[We’re under attack!]]

[Sage, give Sentinel control of the bomb on the spider.] Kai quickly ordered his trusted assistant.

[Done, Master.] Sage responded immediately in a serious tone, prompting Kai to send a new message through the mental link.

[It seems the spider’s control range is about two kilometers. Beyond that, its effectiveness drops sharply, so try to move away. If you can’t, or things get complicated, I’ve planted a bomb on the white spider. Sentinel can access its location or detonate it if necessary.]

[Sentinel?] All Might asked, confused. Shino responded immediately.

[The virtual assistant in our armor. I already have the spider’s coordinates—I’ll send a mental image.]

Quickly, a mental image showing the spider’s location appeared in everyone’s mind, though Kai didn’t have time to look at it. After all, he had just arrived at a junction similar to the previous trap—but what caught his attention wasn’t the structure itself but rather a strange, half-destroyed stone statue in one corner of the chamber.

Chapter 222: Damn invaders!

Chapter Text

--Saturday, May 30, 2172

[I feel like I’ve seen something like this somewhere before...?] While staring at the strange statue—which looked like a minimalist representation of a demon holding a child upside down—Kai asked in a confused tone. Sage quickly replied in a serious voice.

[Although further analysis is still needed, its shape is very similar to some statues found in the center of the Granadan Confederation. Some archaeologists estimate they could be between 8,000 and 12,000 years old.]

[South America?] Kai asked, clearly surprised. Sage nodded and responded.

[That’s right, Master.]

[What the hell is a relic from South America doing down here...?] Kai asked, dumbfounded, as he looked again at the half-destroyed statue. But at that moment, an image came to Kai's mind, prompting him to speak in a more serious tone.

[But this isn’t the first time... There’s also that necklace we found in the tribal leader’s cabin.]

[Indeed, Master.] Sage replied calmly. [Although I looked into it a bit, I didn’t find much. The necklace is over 100 years old, and many records from before the Quirk Awakening were lost in the chaos.]

[Let’s keep moving. It’s possible we’ll find an answer inside.] Kai said as he shook his head, trying to dispel the wave of speculation forming in his mind.

After glancing at the tunnels for a moment, Kai noticed that although spiders were coming out of all of them, the one on the far right had the largest number emerging. While staying tuned into the conversation that Shino and All Might were mainly having through the mental link about the ongoing attack, Kai entered the tunnel where most of the spiders were coming from.

Due to the large number of spiders crawling through the tunnel, Kai had to move erratically to dodge them, but couldn't make much progress. Just then, he heard Chatora speaking urgently through the mental link.

[They caught Ryukyu in webs! I’m going to detonate the bomb!]

[We’re nearby, we’ll try to recover the orb!] At that moment, Ryuko responded with similar urgency.

Meanwhile, Kai saw how the spiders suddenly began emitting strange screeches, then started moving erratically—some even turning back. Taking advantage of those that were retreating, Kai quickly moved forward through the tunnel. Before long, Shino's frustrated voice filled his mind.

[We managed to see the orb, but we were too late. A small spider with an electric pattern on its back destroyed it before we could do anything.]

[We managed to rescue Ryukyu.] Chatora quickly reported. [When the bomb detonated, the webs lost a lot of their strength, and we were able to free her without much trouble. And thanks to her dragon form, her injuries are still manageable.]

[Then the white spiders must somehow be connected to the webs as well. Did you hear that, Saito-shonen?] All Might said in a serious tone. Kai, rushing down the tunnel, quickly replied.

[Loud and clear. But don’t let your guard down. Now that the spiders know we’ve discovered the white ones, it’s likely they’ll change tactics.]

[Saito-shonen is right—let’s move quickly!] All Might ordered in a firm voice. At that moment, Ryuko chimed in with a similar tone.

[I’m going to increase the number of tunnels. Let’s try to confuse them using my tunnel network.]

While the heroes discussed how to deal with the spiders’ next attack, Kai began moving through the tunnel, performing acrobatic leaps from side to side. He wanted to avoid alerting the spiders while still making as much progress as possible. After all, if things worked the same way as he had seen before, it would only be a matter of minutes before another white spider appeared to command the others.

Just as he expected, a few minutes later, the spiders regained order and started moving forward again. Fortunately, Kai had already reached an intersection of three tunnels, one of which was essentially a dark hole from which a large number of spiders were climbing up—something Kai saw while upside down, his feet firmly stuck to the ceiling.

[No matter how I look at it, this tunnel complex is way too elaborate to be the work of spiders. It feels more like an ant hive.]

[That does appear to be the case, Master.] Sage replied thoughtfully, her wings glowing in various colors.

Finding no opportunity to move, Kai remained on the ceiling, closely watching the heavy flow of spiders coming out of the massive hole. Not long after, Kai could feel the 'voice' of the white spider, confirming that it would indeed emerge from the hole. In a serious tone, Kai gave an order through the mental link with Sage.

[Sage. Let’s try attaching another bomb—but this time, let’s be more careful.]

[Understood, Mas—]

Sage quickly responded, but the message was cut off halfway. After all, both she and her master could sense a new ‘voice’ near the white spider—one with power not much lower than that of the current All Might.

[Looks like they gave it an escort…] Kai remarked with a small smile on his lips. Sage replied with a grin that made her look like a cunning little imp.

[Indeed, Master…]

The smiles shared by the pair—assistant and master—were due to the fact that assigning a guard to the white spider was very telling. On one hand, it was highly predictable—a clear sign they were running out of ideas. But more importantly, the fact that they only sent a single escort meant they were running out of strength. It was possible their supply of super-spiders was dwindling.

[Let’s fall back a bit.] Kai said in a cheerful tone, then jumped onto the wall of the tunnel he had come through.

After moving a few meters along with the spiders, Kai began dodging them to stay in place. Meanwhile, Sage started making calculations at high speed, analyzing the entire area, looking for the right moment and location to plant the bombs. Not long after, a new white spider emerged from the tunnel—but unlike the two before, this one was much smaller, roughly five meters in size.

Upon seeing the spider, Kai and Sage couldn’t help but grin even wider—and when they saw the spider accompanying it, they nearly burst into laughter. The escorting spider was about two meters tall and looked as if it were made of rock, clearly meant to modify the tunnel to protect the white spider and catch the others by surprise.

[Even though it looks like their forces are starting to run low, it’s best to stay cautious.] Kai said in a more serious tone, despite his cheerful mood, not wanting to make a mistake out of overconfidence. [Let’s plant several bombs a bit farther back—it wouldn’t be good to get discovered now.]

[Understood, Master. I’ll handle all the calculations.] Sage replied seriously. After nodding, Kai moved several meters back and began planting the bombs, following Sage’s instructions.

[It’s done.] Kai said, slightly relieved to see that his Shadow Cloak was still active as he began moving through the tunnel again. Sage spoke while simultaneously checking several holographic screens.

[I’ll transfer control of the bombs to Sentinel as soon as they attach to the spiders.]

[Perfect.] Kai said, satisfied, as he moved as far away as possible from the white spider and the rock spider that had just entered the tunnel.

Holding his breath to avoid drawing any attention, Kai watched as the pair of spiders passed just a few meters from him—the white spider moving along the floor and the rock spider crawling across the ceiling. Fortunately, neither of them noticed him and continued down the tunnel.

At that moment, Kai leapt back up to the ceiling above the hole and remained there, focusing his Observation Haki, trying to sense whether the bombs had successfully attached to the spiders.

Although not all the bombs had stuck, two of them managed to attach to the white spider’s legs without raising any suspicion. Meanwhile, by a stroke of luck, the protruding rock where one of the ceiling bombs had been camouflaged broke loose due to the small tremors caused by the rock spider's movements—causing the bomb to fall and attach almost directly to the center of the rock spider’s body.

[A new white spider is on the way, along with one of the powerful rock spiders.] Kai quickly sent the message through the mental link created by Shino. [I managed to plant a few bombs on them and already handed control over to Sentinel. That said, the bombs might not be enough to take out the rock spider, so let Salem finish the job.]

[Fantastic.] All Might replied enthusiastically, then added in a more serious tone:

[Everyone, let’s try to stall for as long as we can to buy Saito time to infiltrate deeper.]

[[[Understood!!]]] the rest of the heroes responded firmly.

…

After waiting a few minutes above the hole, Kai finally saw the spiders' movement turn chaotic again, giving him the chance to slip through. Releasing the aura on his feet, Kai began to fall straight into the dark hole. As he descended, a spider suddenly jumped from the left wall to the right, crossing directly into his path.

Without panicking, Kai extended his left hand, from which a thin thread of aura in [In] state formed, sticking firmly to the wall. By pulling the thread, Kai was able to change direction, narrowly dodging the spider by mere centimeters. From that point on, relying on his Observation Haki, Kai analyzed the spiders’ movements to create different threads, using them to maneuver and avoid detection.

Not long after, Kai created several threads and attached them to the walls, using them to slow his descent—at which point a faint light began to shine from the bottom. After a few more seconds, Kai was finally able to see the end of the tunnel with his own eyes, so he quickly pulled on one of the threads, propelling himself toward one of the walls.

Maintaining precise control over his aura, Kai descended along the wall until he was finally left hanging by his hands, which were stuck to the edge of the exit. This allowed him to look inside the place—and what he saw left him stunned. It wasn’t the egg-filled cavern he had expected. Instead, it looked like a lost ancient city, with step pyramids, stone houses, and other structures where spiders moved about calmly.

The place, though dark, was clearly visible thanks to massive crystals embedded in the ceiling, emitting a greenish light. They looked like larger and slightly refined versions of the crystals that lit up the tunnels. But what stood out the most was a colossal step pyramid in the very center of the city. At its peak was a metallic sphere with strange patterns that resembled a fusion of electronic circuitry and geometric symbols.

[I really wasn’t expecting this...] Completely stunned, Kai commented through his mental link with Sage. The beautiful fairy responded in a calm but visibly shaken tone.

[At the very least, now we know where the statue came from… The design of the pyramids and the structures is very similar to the ancient cities found in different parts of the Americas…]

[Sage… Is it just my imagination, or is that metal sphere engraved with an Aura Script pattern...?] Kai asked, slightly shaken, as he looked at the sphere atop the central pyramid. Sage adjusted her master’s helmet to display a magnified image of the sphere while responding.

[It’s not your imagination, Master.]

[Let’s try to get a little closer…] Kai said in a serious tone, then flexed his body as if doing a sit-up, soon flipping back onto the ceiling.

But at that exact moment, Kai’s eyes widened in disbelief—he had just felt a sense of death like never before, so intense that it left him momentarily paralyzed. Forcing his mind into overdrive, Kai conjured a Jian sword less than a meter away from himself—and immediately teleported to its position.

The instant Kai appeared next to his sword, the dark veil cloaking him vanished abruptly, revealing him once again to the world. At the same time, all the spiders let out a deafening screech that nearly made Kai dizzy.

Cold sweat ran down Kai's back as he looked at the spot where he had been just moments ago. He could sense that the area had been completely obliterated by what looked like dark spears made of webbing, laced with strange glowing points.

With a grim expression, Kai grabbed the Jian sword he had used, then conjured a new one in his right hand—along with six more that floated behind him. In that moment, the entire cavern shook from a screech so powerful it sent a shockwave through the air. But to Kai’s complete shock, he somehow understood what that screech meant.

[Damn invaders!!]

[Sage, AP Field!!]

Alarmed not just by the strange event but even more so by the fact that he couldn't sense the 'voice' of the spider that had let out the screech, Kai quickly gave an order to his trusted assistant. Sage, who had activated the ability the moment Shadow Cloak was disabled, didn’t respond—instead, she quickly shared a vision of the future with her master. In that glimpse, Kai was pierced by seven new web spears that materialized out of nowhere.

Using one of the swords floating behind him as an anchor, Kai instantly teleported with a single thought. At that very moment, seven spears appeared out of thin air in his previous location, tearing through everything in their path. Kai quickly jumped away from the area while simultaneously commanding the six floating swords behind him to spread out, each one moving three meters away—giving him a solid buffer for dodging.

[Saito! The spiders are acting strange! They’re returning to the tunnels!] At that moment, All Might’s voice rang out in his mind.

[Run! They’ve found me!] Kai replied solemnly as he kicked the air to dodge three beams of energy fired from the spiders below.

[We’re coming to support you!]

Immediately after, Shino spoke, her voice filled with urgency. Kai quickly responded in an incredibly firm and authoritative tone, all while kicking the air repeatedly to launch himself toward the pyramid with the metal sphere—since the screech seemed to have originated from there.

[Don’t come! These things are too dangerous! Focus on escaping—stay as far away as possible!!]

[Sage, if any of the Pussycats get close, send them away!] At the same time, Kai ordered his trusted assistant. Sage responded immediately and seriously, her dress of light shifting into a full-body feminine armor made of glowing plates.

[Understood!]

Just as Kai was about to reach the pyramid, a new vision of the future flashed in his mind. In this vision, he was caught in a web cocoon that looked several times stronger—strong enough to shred through his armor on contact. With a single thought, Kai teleported to the sword farthest to the left, but in that very instant, another vision appeared—this time of him being caught by webs again.

“Sword Field!!” Knowing the spider had figured out the mechanism behind his teleportation, Kai quickly conjured a hundred swords. At the same time, Sage reported through the mental link.

[Initiating a coordinated attack!]

[It’s all yours.] Kai replied, teleporting to a random sword near the pyramid.

At that moment, a new screech made the entire cavern tremble and violently stirred the air, almost creating a hurricane. Just like before, Kai somehow understood the meaning behind the frustrated scream.

[Damn slippery fly!! Wake up, my babies!!]

With that screech, Kai suddenly sensed two colossal 'voices'—no weaker than the male Drider’s—appearing out of nowhere from the rear of the cavern. With a grim expression, Kai unleashed his Conqueror’s Haki, surrounding himself in thick, dark electric arcs that began coursing through the cave indiscriminately, knocking out a large number of the spiders on the ground.

At the same time, his swords were imbued with advanced Armament and Conqueror’s Haki, along with as much aura as he could channel. Immediately after, Kai began spinning like a top at an outrageous speed, creating a tornado in the area. Less than a second later, he stopped abruptly and unleashed a massive spinning flying slash toward one of the voices, shouting with all his might.

“Thunder Guillotine!!!”

In perfect sync, the hundred Jian swords controlled by Sage launched a coordinated series of flying slashes toward the second voice. At that moment, Kai saw that the voices were coming from what appeared to be smaller pyramids. The spinning slash and Sage’s coordinated attack easily destroyed the pyramids, revealing a scene that left Kai somewhat shaken.

Inside the pyramid were what appeared to be several large eggs housed within rusted, and in some cases broken, medical capsules. Curiously, atop the capsules were two electric spiders, pouring massive amounts of electricity into them—even at the cost of their own lives. Their ‘voices’ were fading rapidly.

Upon witnessing the scene, Kai suddenly felt several mysteries unravel at once. These spiders weren’t natural—there was a scientific hand behind them. At the same time, given the decrepit condition of the capsules, it was logical to assume this had been an abandoned project. But more importantly, he finally understood where the superpowered spiders came from—and why the electric spider had weakened so much the first time he came.

Chapter 223: Just get out of here!

Chapter Text

--Saturday, May 30, 2172

[Sage, destroy the pyramids and don’t leave a single electric spider alive!] While sending out several flying slashes toward the electric spiders, Kai ordered his trusted assistant in a serious tone.

[On it, master.] Sage replied as she simultaneously pushed her computing power to the limit to identify and eliminate all the electric spiders, launching flying slashes in every direction.

[DAMN YOU ALL!!!!]

At that very moment, the brutal screech echoed once more, but this time with such colossal power that it triggered an earthquake. Simultaneously, the air surged with such force that the spiders were blown away in every direction. Even Kai was sent flying by the hurricane-like wind, which was so violent it prevented him from even kicking the ground to regain his balance.

With a quick thought, Kai created a thread of aura and attached it to one of the walls, using it to gain some stability. But at that moment, the strange screech echoed again, filled with a bizarre mix of pain, madness, and resignation.

[Damn invaders!! You snuck into our lands, killed my father, my tribe, and now you even want to destroy the sacred land!! I won't allow it!! All of you will die today!! Our lands will become your graves!!!!]

Stunned, Kai watched as arcs of electricity began to surge from the central pyramid, then shot out toward every single structure in the area. With a solemn expression, Kai unleashed his electric aura and his Conqueror's Haki with everything he had—a desperate attempt to disrupt the awakening of who-knows-how-many monsters. But to his dismay, 'voices' soon began to appear within his perception, each carrying overwhelming power.

[Summon the Accomplices and run!!!!] Kai sent a message through the mental channel, filled with solemnity and urgency.

...

As she flew through a tunnel using the repulsors on her armor, Shino bit her lip, full of frustration. She wanted to run to her beloved’s side and fight—or die—with him. But she was so weak that, in the end, all she could do was threaten the man she loved with suicide like some lunatic, and run away so as not to get in his way. Thoughts very similar to those running through Ryuko’s mind, who was flying just a few meters away while touching the wall, wearing an equally dark expression.

[We’re at nine o’clock from your position!] At that moment, everyone received a telepathic message from Tomoko.

Quickly, Ryuko manipulated the earth and created a new tunnel through which they advanced to regroup with the other team. Salem, who was bringing up the rear, killed a few spiders by firing off some lightning bolts—but just as he entered the tunnel, he suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked into the distance.

“Is something wrong, Salem?”

Ryuko, noticing that the cat had stopped, turned around and asked him while cautiously scanning the surroundings. In response, Salem simply let out a roar. But at that very moment, the tunnel began to shake violently, and a deafening screech—caused by all the spiders screaming in unison—struck their eardrums like a hammer.

Salem quickly surrounded himself with lightning and let out a brutal roar that made the very air tremble. Meanwhile, the heroes had to cover their ears, pained expressions on their faces. But within moments, the helmets on Shino and Ryuko automatically closed and began actively canceling out the noise, giving the heroines a moment of relief.

[Don’t worry about us—move forward!]

Seeing that Ryuko and Shino were starting to recover, Edgeshot quickly sent out a telepathic message as he shot forward in the form of a bandage. At that moment, Ryuko, seeing that Kamui Woods could barely stay on his feet, turned to Salem and ordered in a serious tone.

“Salem! Carry Kamui Woods!”

Thanks to the powerful speakers in her armor, Salem was able to hear Ryuko, so he quickly grabbed Kamui Woods by the neck with his jaws and began running after Shino and Edgeshot. Shortly after, All Might’s group appeared in the distance, with Chatora carrying Mirko. The rabbit hero was in even worse shape than Kamui Woods—after all, her ears weren’t just for show; they were actual rabbit ears, highly sensitive.

[Summon the Accomplices and run!!!!]

Seeing the other group, All Might was about to speak, but at that moment, Kai’s voice echoed in everyone’s minds—filled with urgency and near panic, something they had never heard from the young man before. Upon hearing Kai, the Pussycats summoned their Accomplices, their hearts tightening with anxiety. Just then, All Might’s urgent voice rang out in everyone’s minds.

[What’s happening, Saito-shonen?!]

[Just get out of here!!!!] Kai 'shouted' back, visibly angry.

Though surprised by the response, All Might instantly knew the situation was dire. Looking at the panthers of various colors—matching the Pussycats’ hair—he quickly gave a serious order without even bothering to ask how they had suddenly appeared.

“If those are the ‘Accomplices,’ then let’s move. Something serious must’ve happened!”

“I’m staying.” At that moment, Shino declared with a voice full of resolve, as if accepting her fate. She added. “Saito must’ve prepared something for us with the Accomplices. Someone take mine.”

“Don’t stay behind and get in the way! What, do you want Kai to get distracted saving you and end up getting killed?!” With an unusually angry expression, Tomoko glared at Shino and shouted.

Hearing the scolding, Shino’s eyes widened in disbelief, and she turned to look at Tomoko. Just then, All Might let out his iconic laugh—a sound that, almost by instinct, calmed the heroes present. For decades, hearing that laugh meant everything was going to be okay, something etched deeply into the bones of the heroes gathered there.

“We’re a team! Let’s try to assess the situation and figure out how we can support Saito-shonen!”

“All Might is right. The first thing we need to do is analyze what’s going on. Let’s not waste time.” Chatora quickly stated in a serious tone, staring directly at Shino. The heroine in red armor nodded and replied in an apologetic tone.

“You’re right, I rushed. My apologies. Get on the Accomplices—they’re pretty fast. We can fly.”

“What strange creatures…”

Mirko, who had recovered enough to jump down from Chatora’s hold, commented in a somewhat subdued voice and quickly mounted the turquoise-green panther. With some hesitation, Ryukyu, Edgeshot, and Kamui Woods each got on an Accomplice. At that moment, All Might gave a firm command.

“For now, let’s head back to the crater! That’s the last place we saw Saito-shonen, and it’s a good place to start.”

“I’ll open a straight tunnel.” Ryuko quickly added as she placed her hands on the ground. Once the tunnel opened, All Might shouted with energy and heroic spirit.

“Let’s go—it’s time to go PLUS ULTRA!!”

“““PLUS ULTRA!!!””

Shouting in unison the iconic cry of Japanese heroes, the group shot forward at an astounding speed through the freshly created tunnel. The speed of the Accomplices greatly surprised All Might, while at the same time, a seed of doubt was planted in his mind—wondering just what else the enigmatic blue-eyed young man was hiding.

…
…
…

[Sage, try to destroy as many of the eggs as you can!!]

Kai commanded with urgency as he sensed at least a hundred new 'voices' suddenly appear—ranging in power from the current level of the Pussycats all the way to the present All Might. These new presences appeared alongside the two original ones, which also 'reignited' with power just slightly below his own. The beautiful fairy quickly responded, two black Jian swords suited to her size appearing in her hands.

[Prepare yourself, Master. The energy consumption will be extremely high!]

[Don’t worry about anything. Just attack!] Kai gave the order while using one of the swords orbiting around him to get close to the ultra-powerful eggs.

Upon arrival, Kai was blown away by the hurricane-like winds that filled the area. But being prepared, he was still able to make his move. Focusing every ounce of Haki and aura he could muster, Kai hurled his swords—propelled by both his raw strength and improvised magnetic fields. At the same time, the blue-eyed boy shouted with all his might.

“RAILGUN BLAST!!!”

The swords shot forward like twin beams of dark purple light, piercing through the rain of Sage’s attacks and arriving almost instantly in front of the eggs. Just before they made contact, a strange yellow light emerged from the eggs—but when the blades' dark lightning struck it, the light scattered violently, weakened significantly.

With nothing left to stop them, the swords tore straight through the eggs with such force that everything in the surrounding area was blown to pieces, triggering a powerful tremor that shook the entire cave. At the same time, an explosion erupted from within the swords, expanding outward like a plasma sphere—turning everything it touched to ash.

[You damn murderer!!!!]

At that moment, an even more brutal screech echoed throughout the cave, and the wind it generated was even worse than before. But this time, Kai stood firmly with his feet planted on the ground, so he didn’t get blown away—instead, a smile formed on his face. The ‘voices’ from the eggs had completely vanished, and Sage was now rapidly eliminating the new ‘voices.’ But his smile didn’t last long.

[It’s all your fault; you forced me!! End it all, my babies!!!!]

The screech rang out again, and from within the central pyramid—which, even under Sage’s rain of attacks, remained standing with only minor damage—two figures, each barely two meters tall, soon came flying out. In that instant, Kai’s smile turned into a solemn expression; the ‘voices’ of those two figures were every bit as menacing as the male Drider’s.

Upon seeing the figures, Kai gripped his swords tightly—but before he could launch his first attack, the two figures suddenly materialized in front of him and struck simultaneously with what appeared to be spears. Using his swords, Kai barely managed to defend himself as the ground beneath him exploded into a thousand pieces. Just then, All Might’s voice echoed in Kai’s mind.

[What’s happening, Saito-shonen?!]

Along with the question, Kai sensed three more small figures emerging from the pyramid—each also around two meters tall. Though weaker than the first two, their power still surpassed that of the current All Might. Activating his powers to the maximum and letting his Conqueror’s Haki roar wildly as it merged with his aura, Kai responded with fury while forcing the figures to retreat.

[Just get out of here!!!!]

…
…
…

After a few seconds, the group of heroes finally reached the end of the tunnel, returning once more to the crater where they had previously split up. Since the smoke had mostly dissipated, the heroes were now able to clearly see the true extent of the crater—and what they saw left them stunned. The crater was at least the size of a 50,000-seat stadium and stretched all the way up to the surface.

That massive opening allowed them to see something that left them even more incredulous. The sky no longer showed the sunny day they had seen upon arrival. Instead, it now looked like a cloudy night—without moon or stars. At that moment, Edgeshot spoke in a thoughtful tone.

“Is the invisible web still there? Ever since we entered the tunnels, Saito stopped sharing the mental image that showed it.”

“That’s true! Our perceptions were blocked inside the tunnels, so we have no idea what happened outside!!” Tomoko added with a curious and energetic voice. Ryukyu, staring at the sky, spoke seriously.

“I’ll fly up there. We need to know if it’s still there.”

“Let me do it.”

Chatora said in a serious tone as he lifted slightly into the air with the help of his armor. Ryukyu jumped off the Accomplice she was riding, landing at the bottom of the crater before ascending into the air in her dragon form. At that moment, the dragon hero spoke in a firm voice.

“Last time, only All Might and I were able to stay conscious after touching the webs. In our current situation, we can’t afford to lose anyone.”

With a powerful flap of her wings, Ryukyu shot toward the sky and soon managed to see the surface again. The others, watching from the tunnel, widened their eyes in surprise. The webs were gone. At that moment, Kamui Woods couldn’t help but comment quietly.

“Now we can escape…”

Kamui Woods’ comment earned him a couple of sharp looks from Shino and Ryuko, making the hero slightly embarrassed. Just then, Ryukyu’s voice echoed through the area, sounding a bit strained.

“The webs are still there—I could feel them. But now they’re much weaker. Only about 20 or 30% of the damage I felt the first time.”

“So they’ve only weakened.” Edgeshot commented in a thoughtful tone. Meanwhile, All Might looked up at Ryukyu in the sky, then turned his gaze to the tunnels, and spoke in a serious voice.

“We’ll split up. Those best suited for combat will follow me to search for the tunnel Saito-shonen went through. The rest will head to the surface and assess the situation up there—and how feasible it is to retreat.”

“Last time, I collapsed just by touching the web.” Edgeshot quickly added with a serious tone. “It’s better if I take the tunnel.”

“No way I’m letting you hog all the fun, All Might.” Mirko replied with a predatory smile on her face.

“I’d like to go too, but my husband told me to stay out of it. So I’m heading to the surface!” Tomoko added with a grin. “By the way, the Accomplices can’t go too far from us!”

“I’ll go into the tunnel.” Chatora stepped forward and spoke in a firm voice.

“I’m not particularly good in combat. But I don’t think I’d be much help up top either, so I’ll go into the tunnel,” Kamui Woods said in a calm tone. At that moment, Shino let out a small sigh and spoke seriously.

“I’m not specialized in direct combat, so I’ll head to the surface.”

Meanwhile, Ryuko bit her lip in hesitation. On one hand, she wanted to help the man she loved—but on the other, there was what Tomoko had said, which had struck her deeply. All Might, seeing the uncertainty on Ryuko’s face, quickly spoke up in a serious tone.

“Pixie-Bob. It’s better if you go up. In case of an emergency, you can create tunnels to the surface for us, so it’s best that you stay safe.”

“…You’re right. I’ll go up.”

After letting out a small sigh, Ryuko replied with a serious tone, then tapped the buckle of her armor belt a couple of times, causing it to release. Offering the belt to All Might, Ryuko spoke in a solemn voice.

“This belt contains some very powerful bombs that Chatora can detonate. Use them only in case of an emergency.”

All Might took the belt and handed it to Chatora, then spoke seriously as he looked Ryuko directly in the eyes, wanting to convey that he would do everything in his power to rescue Kai if he was in danger.

“Thank you. We’ll do the best we can.”

“I’m going to recover a bit up here. If I go back down right away, I’ll be too hurt to fight.” Ryukyu’s draconic voice echoed through the area. All Might quickly nodded, then gave the order.

“Perfect—let’s move out!”

“Let’s go, hahaha!”

With All Might’s command, Mirko immediately jumped off the Accomplice she was on, laughing with an almost maniacal grin, then started sprinting full speed along the sloped walls of the crater, aiming to reach the other side. Behind her, All Might launched himself with a powerful leap, and Edgeshot followed in the form of a bandage. Meanwhile, Kamui Woods extended his arms to use them like vines.

“Let’s head up.”

At that moment, Shino activated her [Vital Reactor] at full power and spoke in a heavy tone before rising into the air. Her Accomplice followed her, kicking through the air in a way similar to how Kai did. Behind her, Tomoko also lifted off, and Salem leapt onto the wall, then began running upward surrounded by lightning.

Although the powerful Salem was a bit displeased that those weaklings hadn’t considered him when making decisions, that didn’t change what he had to do. In his master’s absence, it was his duty—as the number one follower—to protect the females. Those unappetizing eight-legged prey were far too dangerous for the weak females. If he didn’t look after them, one of them might end up in a monster’s stomach.

…

After just a few seconds, Shino felt herself pass through a strange, uncomfortable barrier—similar to entering an air-conditioned room during summer, but far more intense. So much so that her stomach churned violently, and her muscles tensed up involuntarily, causing her great pain. After a few moments, the strange sensation finally faded, and she reached the surface.

There, Shino once again saw the completely devastated landscape of the island. But unlike before, the spiders were behaving oddly—some were running around aimlessly, others were attacking each other to the death, and some even jumped into the water in an attempt to flee. Upon seeing the situation, Shino quickly spoke in a serious tone.

“I’ll create a separate mental channel just for us.” Turning to look at Tomoko, who was flying not far from her, Shino continued via telepathic message.

[Ragdoll, identify the spiders most likely to break through the storm and share the mental image through the new channel. We have to take them out.]

“Understood!” Tomoko replied energetically and soon activated her Quirk at full power while also sharing the mental image.

Chapter 224: I can help, and you know it!

Chapter Text

--Saturday, May 30, 2172

[Pixie-Bob, focus on recovering 100% and stay alert in case Saito or the others need an escape tunnel.] After Tomoko shared the mental image, Shino looked at Ryuko and sent a new telepathic message.

[Understood.] Ryuko quickly responded, also sending a message, but her gaze was fixed in the distance, as if she were trying to see something.

[For now, let's check the boat to see if it's still there.] Shino sent a new message, looking at the dragoness who had landed in the corner of the crater.

[I already saw it, it is there, but it’s in pieces. Looks like the spiders destroyed it while trying to escape.] Ryukyu, who had landed near the edge of the crater, commented via telepathic message. Shino quickly replied seriously.

[Then you focus on recovering too, Ryukyu. It's likely we'll be depending on you to get out of this place.]

[Yes, I will.] Ryukyu responded with a serious tone. After giving one last glance at their surroundings, Shino gave a firm order.

[Let’s start moving.]

Soon, the group of girls began moving across the surface, aiming to reach the coast. But just at that moment, the ground started shaking violently—so much so that it felt like the surface of the sea on a stormy day. Immediately, all the girls tried to lift into the air, but at that instant, a pillar of light shot up into the sky.

Along with the pillar of light, the girls saw thick black lightning bolts shooting out in all directions, accompanied by a crushing pressure that almost made them lose consciousness. As they staggered, dizzy and disoriented, they saw a beam of light shoot down and crash into the ground like a meteorite. But just a few seconds later, the girls realized it wasn’t a meteorite at all.

From the impact crater, a man dressed in armor—broken at the arm and leg—rose into the air, surrounded by thick arcs of jet-black electricity. Instantly afterward, the man shot upward like a bolt of dark purplish light toward the pillar of light, letting out an almost maniacal laugh that echoed across the island, making it tremble violently.

…
…
…

Immediately after sending the strange figures that had attacked him flying, Kai launched several flying slashes at them while simultaneously retreating, raising a massive cloud of dust. At the same time, Sage, controlling the hundred swords, unleashed a wild barrage of slashes at all the surrounding ‘voices,’ which grew more numerous with each passing second.

As he stepped back, Kai felt one of the voices suddenly appear behind him, prompting him to look over his shoulder. Raising his right sword over his shoulder, Kai blocked and deflected the spear-like weapon that was attacking him while moving fluidly and spinning around, unleashing a devastating slash with his left sword.

“Electric Slash!!”

Completely caught off guard, the figure took the full force of the impact and was sent flying at high speed, crashing into one of the walls of the massive cave. This caused it to explode into a thousand pieces and triggered a shockwave that violently shook the air.

[Sage, what’s going on with the Haki? The amplification of Conqueror’s Haki is way too much.] As the strange screech shook the cave once again, Kai communicated with his trusty assistant, his tone full of surprise.

[I don’t know, Master.] Sage replied while pointing with her right sword to the right, where many strong ‘voices’ were gathering. [The mini-self’s aura level is the same, but the effects of the Conqueror’s Haki have increased by about 30%.]

Though intrigued by this newfound power, Kai had no time to reflect on it further, as the ‘voice’ he had sent flying reappeared in front of him, and the second was approaching at a speed no less than his own. For some reason, both enemies appeared only as pitch-black humanoids, as if they had been painted in pure black.

Unleashing his Conqueror’s Haki at full power and deeply blending it with his aura—similar to how he had done when healing Edgeshot—Kai engaged in a high-speed exchange of blows with the figures. Using fluid movements powered by his electric aura, Kai defended against and countered the relentless attacks of the black figures.

The high-speed clash caused the air to swirl even more erratically, while brutal explosions shook the cave, shattering nearby structures and hurling massive chunks of rock that obliterated the surrounding spiders—something Sage took advantage of to synchronize the attacks of the swords.

But the more blows they exchanged, the more obvious something became to Kai: the figures had almost no technique. Their movements were far too simple, relying mainly on brute strength and speed—a performance several levels below that of the male Drider, who had actually seemed like an experienced fighter.

But even though their technique was pathetic, the two figures shared something with the male Drider: aside from their super speed and strength—comparable to All Might’s—they also seemed to possess that strange internal destruction ability. Something that felt almost like a crude imitation of his advanced Armament Haki.

Having fully assessed the figures’ skill level, Kai changed tactics. Deflecting an attack from the figure that seemed to teleport by swinging it over his shoulder, Kai caused its spear to clash with the spear of the second one attacking from behind. In that instant, Kai used his right sword—still blocking the first figure’s spear—to drive both weapons downward as he spun, all in one fluid motion.

“Electric Slash!!”

Mid-spin, Kai shouted powerfully as he unleashed two dark flying slashes, crackling with electricity. They struck the figures head-on, sending them flying with such force they broke the sound barrier. Upon landing, Kai stomped the ground hard and shot toward the central pyramid at terrifying speed—prompting a chilling howl to echo once more through the cave, though this time it sounded desperate.

[Don’t come any closer!!!]

Using his aura to hold his ground against the hurricane-force winds tearing through the cave—so powerful they sent multi-ton boulders flying like paper—Kai advanced, surrounded by purple electricity. But suddenly, he sensed something strange: the ‘voices’ he had previously knocked away were becoming erratic, though their strength didn’t seem to change.

With a serious expression, Kai came to a halt, and as his body continued to move forward from inertia, he turned and unleashed a powerful counter-slash behind him. Almost in perfect sync, two spears—moving faster than the speed of sound—collided with the slash and were sent flying backward. But Kai’s expression didn’t ease.

Suddenly, one of the dark figures materialized in midair, catching both spears, then threw one toward the ground. But strangely, like some kind of shell, the dark figure in the air began to crack and dissolve, revealing a pale, coarse grayish skin covered in long, twisted hair. At that moment, the second figure—moving at high speed—caught the spear the other had just thrown.

Soon, in front of Kai appeared what looked like two monsters—twisted hybrids between humans and spiders. The one who could teleport resembled a human with spider-like mandibles and six red eyes, with gray skin covered in hair reminiscent of a spider’s, along with unusually long arms and fingers.

Meanwhile, the second one looked more like a humanoid insect, with double-jointed, backward-bending legs, three long claws on each hand, and skin that resembled an exoskeleton. Additionally, the strange creature had a head that looked like a deformed version of a spider’s, very different from the other one, whose face resembled a human's but with spider eyes and mandibles.

Before Kai could fully take in the details of the horrifying figures, they shot toward him at high speed with their spears aimed at him. Extending his sword forward, Kai entwined the tip of it with the humanoid insect’s spear, attempting to deflect it.

But to his surprise, at that moment he felt the intentions of the ‘voice’ become complex, momentarily throwing him off. This lapse allowed the monster to apply enough force to knock his hand aside, creating a huge opening that the second monster—the ‘spider-human’—immediately took advantage of.

Materializing in front of Kai, the spider-human swiftly thrust its spear straight at his heart. At the same time, the screech echoed through the cave once more, but this time it was filled with equal parts apprehension and rage, along with a hint of hope.

[You must die!!!]

Along with the meaning of the screech, an image appeared in Kai’s mind—a vision of the future in which he was impaled by four dark web-spears with points of light that appeared from nowhere, followed by being decapitated by the monsters standing before him.

With a thought, Kai teleported, using one of the swords he had randomly chosen as an anchor—but to his shock, a nearly identical vision appeared in his mind again, only the location was different.

Opening his eyes in disbelief, Kai quickly teleported to a new sword—randomly chosen from the nearly one hundred Sage controlled—but once again, the image of himself impaled and decapitated appeared in his mind. With a dark expression, he teleported again, but nothing changed. The spider had even managed to counter his teleportation.

…
…
…

Using his Quirk to stretch his body, Edgeshot advanced through the tunnel, which trembled slightly, weaving through the spiders that had managed to escape the powerful assaults of All Might and Chatora, who were moving ahead of him.

But internally, the ninja hero felt increasingly solemn. After all, the further he moved through the tunnel, the heavier and slower his body felt—almost as if it were screaming at him to run away.

But aside from that strange sense of foreboding, as he continued forward, Edgeshot noticed that the trembling in the tunnel was intensifying—rapidly reaching the level of a moderate earthquake. A clear sign that the battle taking place ahead was of cataclysmic proportions.

Suddenly, a brutal cannon-like blast of air nearly sent the ninja hero flying, but he quickly managed to stabilize himself by throwing himself against one of the walls.

After a few seconds, the hurricane-force wind died down enough that Edgeshot no longer needed to cling to the wall. At that moment, All Might’s serious voice echoed through the tunnel.

“Let’s move!”

All Might quickly took the lead, rushing forward at full speed, followed closely by Chatora and Kamui Woods—who was riding on the back of the strange brown panther. Edgeshot elongated his body and launched himself after his teammates.

Soon, the team saw that the tunnel they were in intersected with another one—just as a new blast of air struck them head-on. But they all noticed that the air was coming from the intersecting tunnel.

Once the gust settled, All Might immediately jumped into the second tunnel, with the others following right behind. After a few more hurricane-like bursts, the group finally began to see flashes of dark purple lightning in the distance—and they quickly followed them.

But along with the lightning, the team felt an overwhelming pressure, as if something were trying to crush the air from their lungs and slam them into the ground in total submission.

The pressure made Edgeshot feel as if he were running straight into the lair of a terrifying beast. A primal fear took hold of him, causing his entire elongated body to bristle uncontrollably. It seemed the spiders couldn’t withstand it either, as nearly all of them were either dead or unconscious, swept away by the hurricane-force winds.

“Sage! Let me through! I can help, and you know it!!”

Soon, the group spotted a massive, dark pit in the distance. But at that moment, Chatora’s serious and almost urgent voice rang out in the tunnel. With confused expressions, everyone turned to look at him—only to see his fists clenched tightly, full of frustration and helplessness.

All Might was about to ask what was going on, but before he could speak, Chatora looked at them and spoke with a voice filled with urgency.

“Move quickly! Something serious is happening!”

Without another word, Chatora leapt directly into the tunnel, his heart heavy. He was closely followed by All Might, whose face had turned solemn.

As soon as he entered the tunnel, Chatora heard Sage’s voice warning him that she had orders to send him away if he took one more step forward. Growing impatient and desperate, Chatora tried to plead with the fairy, knowing it was pointless—Sage would never disobey Kai’s orders.

But to his surprise, after a few moments, Sage agreed to let it go in a heavy tone, while also warning him to keep his Accomplice summoned. Something like this was almost unheard of—for Sage, Kai’s words were law, and there was only one thing that came to Chatora’s mind that could make the fairy ignore them: Kai’s life was in danger.

…

Jumping into the well, Edgeshot soon reached the bottom, allowing him to witness a scene he would probably never forget. Over an ancient city with a stepped pyramid at its center, dark and whitish lightning bolts could be seen spreading in all directions.

At the same time, what appeared to be blurry humanoid figures were moving everywhere at impossible speeds. The figures collided with such overwhelming force that their clashes caused explosions and tremors that threatened to collapse the cave.

(How can anyone be this powerful…?)

The ninja hero could only stare wide-eyed at the scene before him. Such colossal, soul-crushing power was something that should belong only to the greatest hero—the one and only Symbol of Peace, All Might. And yet, here was someone he had never even heard of, unleashing a power that perhaps even surpassed that of Japan’s brightest star and strongest pillar of justice.

That revelation caused a tight knot of uncertainty to form in the ninja hero’s chest about what the future might hold. But at that very moment, Edgeshot felt all his instincts scream at once—so loudly that time itself seemed to slow. His mind dulled, and brief flashes of his life began to flicker before his eyes. He didn’t understand how or why, but it felt like the end had come.

“Get down!”

At that moment, Edgeshot heard All Might’s firm voice, and almost instinctively, he threw himself to the ground. Just then, a brutal explosion went off behind him, sending him flying through the air uncontrollably. But before he could be flung too far, Edgeshot felt a strong hand grab his arm midair. He quickly turned to look—and saw the outstretched arm of Tiger, stretched like rubber.

…
…
…

Although the spider seemed to have found a way to counter his teleportation, Kai discovered that it wasn’t perfect. There was a slight delay—anywhere from a few milliseconds to a full second. That was more than enough time for him to jump to another sword and avoid immediate danger, though at the relatively high cost of aura. Each teleportation consumed nearly 1% of his total aura per use.

But the problem was that he wasn’t alone. There were those humanoid spider-monsters, who—after shedding that dark ‘shell’—began launching complex and precise attacks, like seasoned warriors. On top of that, there were still spiders that managed to resist the effects of Conqueror’s Haki and survive Sage’s relentless assault with the swords, attacking him the moment they had even the slightest opportunity.

The strain of teleportation, combined with his ongoing clashes with the spider-monsters and Sage’s unrelenting sword assault, was draining Kai at a terrifying rate. So much so that his vast reserves of Haki and Aura could be completely depleted in less than five minutes. It was enough to cast a dark expression over Sage’s beautiful face.

Even though the lovely fairy knew her master still had a trump card—Inverse Flow, a technique that would give him five minutes of unlimited aura—and from what it seemed, Haki was now also affected by that ability. Still, it was clear that unless they uncovered the secret behind the web-spears, even if he had a full hour, the only outcomes left were death… or retreat.

Because of this, Sage—amid her relentless assault in all directions, trying to thin out the seemingly endless swarm of spiders—pushed AP Field to its maximum capacity, determined to figure out how the spears worked. But even though it was obvious that those web-spears must function like conditional webs, she couldn’t identify anything consistent among the attacks and future-vision projections—except one thing: her master wasn’t a spider.

Reaching the worst possible conclusion, Sage realized that retreat might be their only option. But she also knew her master wouldn’t agree. The “mother” spider—the one controlling the others—had its own consciousness, and just those two humanoid spider-monsters alone were more than enough to erase someone like All Might from existence. If they didn’t eliminate everything here and now, the consequences would be catastrophic.

Worse still, the Pussycats were still on the island. If the spider monsters made it out of the cave, they would be in serious danger. But at the same time, they were too far away for her to reach them and use Accompany to send them to safety—and using the final ability of the Accomplices would drain her master so heavily that it would force him to activate Inverse Flow, effectively condemning him to finish everything within five minutes… because five days of total inactivity afterward could prove fatal.

While Sage wrestled with what she should do, a dark expression shadowing her beautiful face, she suddenly sensed that Chatora had gotten closer than he should have. Not wanting to drain any more of her master’s aura, Sage chose to interpret his orders a bit more freely and quickly sent a message to Chatora’s armor.

[Chatora, don’t come any closer. I have orders to send you away if you take even one more step.]

[Sage! Let me through! I can help, and you know it!!]

Chapter 225: Forgive me, Master.

Chapter Text

--Saturday, May 30, 2172

[Sage! Let me through! I can help, and you know it!!]

Quickly, Sage heard Chatora’s urgent response, which made her bite her lip in frustration. It was true—if the condition of the web spears was truly to attack anything that wasn’t a spider in the cave, then the appearance of more people would either break that condition or weaken it, preventing all the power from focusing solely on her master.

Although Sage was also aware that the worst-case scenario was still possible. Anyone who entered, without the ability to teleport like her master, would be killed instantly. Letting Chatora in was a very dangerous gamble—one her master would never accept. Therefore, the decision was hers. She could either disobey her master’s orders and let him through or stand by helplessly as her master wore himself down once again until death.

[Go, but keep your Accomplice close and summoned.]

After a few moments that felt like hours—time in which Sage wrestled with herself tirelessly—the fairy sent a message while biting down hard on her lower lip. She felt incredibly dirty and guilty for disobeying her master’s orders for the first time. But the life and well-being of her beloved master were above everything else.

Even if her decision caused him to stop trusting her, to never summon her again, or even to cast her aside, that was a price the fairy was willing to pay with a smile. Her master was all she had and what she loved most—his well-being was what mattered most, above everything.

…

After intercepting another wave of attacks from the spider monsters, Kai sent them flying a few meters, then teleported to a new sword with a serious and contemplative expression. Those monsters, aside from having an impressive defense comparable to his Haki, were also capable of healing from the cuts he managed to land on them. So unless he could gather some power, defeating them seemed impossible.

The moment he appeared in front of a sword about 50 meters away, Kai instantly felt a change. The usual vision of his death did not appear. Instead, the image only showed a single spear, which he could intercept with a flying slash. For some reason, the spears seemed to weaken—both in number, power, and speed.

Puzzled, Kai quickly focused his Observation Haki, which allowed him to sense four familiar voices in the distance, causing his eyes to widen in disbelief. With a voice that conveyed his anger, Kai asked Sage while simultaneously gathering a massive amount of aura and Haki in his swords.

[Why is Chatora here?]

[He insisted, and you need help, Master. They can distract the spears.] Sage replied in a serious tone, though one laced with guilt.

Sage’s response caused Kai’s Conqueror’s Haki to burst out in all directions wildly, shaking the surroundings. Feeling her master’s rage through his Haki, Sage lowered her head in shame and guilt, then sent another message in a sorrowful voice.

[I'm sorry, Master… I'm sorry from the deepest part of my heart… I betrayed your trust, and I know I no longer deserve to be by your side… but please, let me accompany you this one last time. I just want you to return home safe and sound. I’ve already designed a pact that will allow you to destroy my consciousness, leaving Alcatraz behind… Please, just let me be a part of your strength one last time…]

[…]

Sage’s message only made Kai’s Conqueror’s Haki roar with even greater fury, to the point where the air began to swirl violently and the ground shook with intensity. Meanwhile, tears began to gather in Sage’s eyes—her master’s silence was more painful than anything else. She would have preferred him to yell at her, to insult her. That silence spoke only of his deep disappointment, something that shattered her heart into a thousand pieces.

[Forgive me, Master… please… forgive me…]

…
…
…

Landing on the ground, Edgeshot suddenly felt as if a mountain had settled on his shoulders, forcing him to kneel as a hurricane-like wind threatened to blow him away and the ground shook violently. With a heavy heart, Edgeshot looked up, where he saw the man in black armor suspended in the air, surrounded by black electric arcs larger than he was.

But the moment the man in black armor was reflected in his eyes, Edgeshot felt he was no longer looking at a man. Somehow, he resembled something closer to a god—a superior being that could only be looked upon with reverence. Yet that perception didn’t come from the overwhelming power he was witnessing. No, it came from something much deeper—an instinctive feeling, a reverence born from the very depths of his being, of his soul.

“Let’s move! We have to lighten Saito-shonen’s burden!”

At that moment, Edgeshot heard the magnetic voice of the Symbol of Peace, snapping him forcefully out of his trance and allowing him to regain his composure. Almost in perfect sync, a barrage of attacks appeared in front of them, ranging from fire blasts to energy beams and even strange webs.

“Tiger, let’s go together. Texas Smash!!!”

All Might declared firmly as he launched a powerful punch forward. Chatora quickly followed, stretching his right arm back before snapping it forward at an absurd speed, delivering a punch at the same time as he shouted with conviction.

“Iron Recoil!!”

The combined blows from Chatora and All Might created a shockwave so brutal that it unleashed a massive cannon-like blast of compressed air straight ahead, obliterating everything in its path. Meanwhile, Edgeshot cast one last apprehensive glance toward the sky, where he caught a fleeting glimpse of the man in black armor—just before he vanished.

Shaking his head, Edgeshot brushed aside any unnecessary thoughts. He quickly activated his Quirk to lengthen his body and shot off after All Might and Chatora, with Kamui Woods close behind them. Whether the man in black armor was a god or a demon mattered little now; he was a pro hero, and as such he had to neutralize the threat posed by the spiders.

…

[Don’t cry, Sage.]

While his Conqueror’s Haki roared in madness, Kai sent a telepathic message thick with anger. But that anger wasn’t directed at his adorable assistant—it was aimed at himself. His weakness had driven his faithful assistant, who held only him in her heart, into a painful crossroads, even as it put his family in danger.

Upon hearing her master, Sage turned to look at him in surprise, her beautiful face stained with tears. But that surprise didn’t come from his words or his anger—it came from the massive shift she could feel in her master's aura. His aura and Haki were fluctuating so rapidly they were practically vibrating, and at the same time, she could feel him overflowing with power.

[In the end, it’s my fault. I’m too weak. If I were strong enough, my family could do whatever they wanted, and you would never have to cry.]

Kai added as he fully focused on his mini-self, forcing the aura around it to merge completely with his own by sheer will, becoming one. Immediately afterward, Kai declared with a voice filled with conviction and rage.

[But that ends today! No one—nothing—makes my Sage cry and lives to tell the tale!!]

With Kai’s declaration, the mini-self suddenly opened its eyes, and the fusion of their auras happened almost instantly, as if they had always been one. But at the same time the mini-self opened its eyes, its expression began to twist—its small smile warped into rage, becoming an almost deranged grin, overflowing with murderous intent.

Feeling stronger than ever, Kai looked at the six-eyed spider monster, which materialized beside him out of nowhere, and swiftly moved his swords like serpents, engaging in direct combat at an absurd speed. But this time, the monster’s strikes felt slower, weaker—and even its “internal destruction” was so faint it couldn’t pierce his armor anymore.

Little by little, cuts began to appear across the monster’s chest, nearly exposing its bones—varying in length and growing in number and depth with each exchange—causing the creature to let out pained shrieks. Meanwhile, the aura script patterns on Kai’s armor began to glow with increasingly intense light, as if they were overloading.

…

While All Might and Chatora unleashed brutal shockwaves with every strike, decimating spiders left and right, Edgeshot moved in his elongated form, piercing through any conscious spider in his path. But in that instant, Edgeshot was sent flying along with Kamui Woods by a violent shockwave.

Stunned, Edgeshot looked toward All Might—only to see him standing with his arms crossed in front of him, blocking a thrust from what appeared to be a black wooden spear. The tip of the spear seemed to have pierced the Symbol of Peace’s flesh, reaching all the way to the bone, contorting the hero’s face in pain.

“Iron Claw Storm!!!!”

At the same time, Edgeshot heard Chatora’s urgent voice, prompting him to turn. The hero was swinging his rubber-like arms at an absurd speed—so fast it almost looked like he had dozens of limbs delivering punches simultaneously. Chatora was attacking what appeared to be a humanoid insect, the one holding the spear that had struck All Might.

With quick thinking, Kamui Woods stretched one of his arms to grab the insect’s legs. Meanwhile, Edgeshot elongated his body, moving at the speed of sound, aiming to pierce through the joints in the monster’s exoskeleton, which appeared to be its weakest points. Meanwhile, Mirko jumped into the air and began to spin to deliver a powerful kick from above.

[Damn intruders!! Filthy flies!!! I’ll—]

But in that instant, a deafening screech echoed through the cave, shaking the very air. Yet, to everyone's surprise, somehow they were able to understand its meaning—leaving them in a state of shock. That shock only deepened when the shriek abruptly stopped, replaced by a calm statement in a voice they all recognized.

“Don’t be impatient. Your turn will come.”

Turning toward the source of the voice, they all stared in disbelief as the man in black armor stood with his right sword driven straight through the head of a strange humanoid monster—with six eyes and spider-like mandibles on its face. In that moment, Kai drew back his sword and pointed at the monster with an open palm—just as a sphere of light, a purple so dark it looked black, began to form in front of him.

The sphere of light soon struck the monster, then expanded until it engulfed it completely—at which point the screech resumed, almost deafening everyone. However, although this time they couldn’t understand the meaning behind the scream, it was clear to all that it carried equal parts terror and rage, with a hint of madness.

In that moment, the ground began to shake violently, as if a magnitude-9 earthquake were hitting the island. At the same time, the metal sphere above the central pyramid began to rise into the air, and the pyramid started to collapse, revealing what was hidden inside.

Within the pyramid was what appeared to be a biological laboratory filled with old, rusted equipment engraved with strange patterns—a bizarre fusion of electronic circuitry and geometric runes. But what truly captured everyone’s attention was a massive black spider, roughly 15 meters tall, suspended inside a giant tank filled with greenish liquid and connected to all kinds of cables.

In front of the tank stood a spider-monster similar to the one with six eyes but much more monstrous. Mainly humanoid, but with six eyes, strange fur, spines in different parts of the body, and other peculiarities that made it look like a chimera.

However, this one appeared more feminine—she had long blonde hair, breasts, and narrow hips. She was also dressed in a burlap-like outfit that Kai recognized as very similar to what the strange tribe had worn the first time he came.

But even stranger, above the tank was the last of the marked spiders still alive—the one with metallic-looking mandibles that Sage had theorized possessed a Quirk for storing genetic material. The spider had its rear submerged in the water, slowly releasing a multicolored liquid. But releasing that liquid seemed to be killing it, as it looked nearly dried out and its “voice” was fading fast.

“Saito!! Go after her! Leave this place to us!!” All Might shouted quickly as he used all his strength to push back the spear of the humanoid insect.

After looking at Chatora and his Accomplice for a few seconds with a deep, thoughtful gaze, Kai teleported to the sword closest to the pyramid. Now just a few meters away from it, Kai couldn’t help but grip his swords tightly, feeling a wave of apprehension—not because of the humanoid monster, but because of the spider in the tank.

Although he hadn’t sensed it before, the moment the pyramid collapsed, the “voice” of the spider suddenly entered his senses, leaving him stunned. That spider, though it appeared to be asleep, possessed an overwhelming power—several times greater than his own. A fully awakened version of it could easily defeat even a prime All Might.

“Conqueror’s Shackles!!”

Summoning the chained sword, Kai quickly called out in a serious tone, aiming to capture the female spider-monster and unleash a full-power Kamehameha to destroy the spider in the tank. But to his disbelief, the female monster somehow appeared behind him and sank her fangs into his neck—without him noticing, and without even a future vision from Sage to warn him.

“MASTER!!!”

Sage’s desperate scream echoed through the area, but it was abruptly cut off as the beautiful fairy vanished into particles of light—along with all the surrounding swords. In the distance, Chatora’s eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Kai, only to see him in the arms of the female monster. Terror surged through him as he screamed.

“Kai!!!”

Leaping with all his strength, Chatora shot toward Kai, his Accomplice close behind. But in that instant, the humanoid insect dropped its spear and moved at astonishing speed. Appearing in front of Chatora, it delivered a massive blow to his chest, warping his armor and sending him crashing to the ground, creating a massive crater.

“Texas Smash!!!”

Seeing that the monster was about to finish Chatora off, All Might immediately launched a powerful punch with everything he had—but the monster dodged it effortlessly. At the same time, Chatora’s Accomplice grew to double its size, letting out a wild, furious roar.

Soon, Chatora leapt out of the crater with a dark expression, clutching his chest. He had managed to harden his body just in time to avoid more serious damage, but the blow had still hurt him badly, and even his armor had taken significant damage. But none of that mattered to Chatora—all that mattered was Kai’s situation, trapped in the arms of the monster.

…
…
…

“Damn invader…”

In the midst of a dark void, Kai saw a young woman, around 25 years old, standing before him, speaking with an almost guttural voice. The young woman had straight blonde hair and reddish eyes, along with a body comparable to Nejire’s—large breasts, a wasp-like waist, and delicate, beautiful facial features. Without a doubt, she was a stunning woman.

“Who are you?” Kai asked, looking around at the surrounding darkness. The young woman stared at Kai with hatred and replied.

“You killed my father… you killed my tribe. I’m going to take everything from you—just like you did to me…”

“If you’re talking about the tribe leader, he was trash. He deserved to die.” Kai replied calmly as he tried to move, realizing he was standing on invisible ground , then added casually.

“As for the tribe, that wasn’t my fault. They were killed by the monster I assume you sent to finish me off.”

“But it was your fault!!! If you had never shown up, I never would’ve had to send it!!!” The young woman shouted, full of rage. “And my father wasn’t trash!!!”

Kai didn’t bother responding to her. Instead, he focused on his Observation Haki—because even though this dark space was strange, it felt eerily similar to the visions he experienced with his mini-self. As for the woman in front of him, he didn’t even consider her a threat—he couldn’t sense the slightest danger from her.

“It’s too late for regrets. I’m going to take everything from you.”

Misinterpreting Kai’s silence, the woman spoke again, filled with hatred. In that moment, a massive number of lions, tigers, and giant spiders appeared out of nowhere and charged at Kai with the intent to devour him. Watching the animals appear with mild curiosity, Kai tried to summon a sword—but to his surprise, the sword appeared in his hand before he even conjured it, as if mere intention was enough.

Even more curious, Kai attempted to summon a hundred swords, which instantly appeared in the sky without him needing to do anything other than will it. Wanting to test the limits, Kai willed a thousand swords… then ten thousand… and so on. By the time he reached ten million, he heard the terrified voice of the woman.

“What… are you?”

Turning to look at her, Kai saw the woman sitting on the 'ground,' staring up at the sky—completely filled with swords—her mouth wide open and her face extremely pale. Strangely, all the animals had vanished, leaving her utterly alone before the literal sea of swords.

“A human, I suppose.” Kai replied casually. “But putting that aside—since you tried to attack me with animals and spiders, I’m guessing the goal of this place is to kill us. So, goodbye.”

“No, wai—”

Kai had casually caused the sea of swords to fall upon the young woman, who tried to speak, but her words were cut off when the first sword struck her chest, followed by all the others. The massive movement of the swords and their collision with the invisible ground caused the strange dark void surrounding them to begin fluctuating violently.

“Sage.”

Curious, Kai called out to his trusty assistant almost out of habit to help him investigate the place. But as he realized that things were appearing simply by willing them, Kai quickly looked to his side, curious to see whether Sage would appear without the need for aura or not.

Chapter 226: Fragmented memories.

Chapter Text

--Saturday, May 30, 2172

“Where are we, Master?”

After a few moments, Sage appeared next to Kai and asked while curiously watching the darkness and the sea of swords. Realizing that even Sage could materialize just by his will, Kai replied as he looked at the sword in his hand, which was exactly the same as the conjured swords.

“I have no idea. That thing bit me, and I ended up here.”

At that moment, the tremor of the dark space calmed slightly, and the swords started to vanish along with Sage. The beautiful fairy looked at her body disappearing into wisps of light with curiosity, while Kai, wanting to somehow use his aura to keep Sage present, focused entirely on conjuring her for real.

Soon, all the swords disappeared, and the black space began to fluctuate violently, but Sage remained and soon began to regain her original form, with her beautiful dress of blue light. At that moment, Kai asked, full of curiosity, while extending his hand for the little fairy to land on it.

“How do you feel?”

“The same as always, Master. I don’t feel any different.”

Sage replied as she landed on Kai’s hand, though traces of guilt and apprehension could still be seen on her face. Kai used one of his fingers to touch the little fairy’s face and commented with a smile.

“Don’t worry about what happened with Chatora. I know you just wanted to help me.”

“But I disobeyed you, Master… If I can’t even follow your orders, how can I keep being your reliable assistant…?” Sage replied in a sad voice as she took Kai’s finger between her hands and rested her forehead against it, filled with visible regret.

“That’s true.” Kai nodded, then added with an amused smile. “Therefore, the disobedient Sage needs a punishment.”

“A punishment?”

Hearing her master, Sage looked up in surprise and asked, only to find a mischievous smile on his face that made her feel a little nervous. But at the same time, a strange feeling of anticipation stirred within the innocent fairy. Kai smiled calmly and, looking at the darkness that was starting to fade away, commented.

“Yes, a punishment—but let’s leave that for later. It looks like something’s changing.”

Holding her master’s words close to her heart, Sage quickly nodded and turned to look at the surrounding darkness, just in time to see it vanish completely, revealing a strange scene. Looking around, Sage realized they had returned to the tribal camp they had first seen.

Things looked very similar to what they remembered of that camp. There were wooden houses everywhere and people with a ‘normal’ appearance, showing no signs of quirk-induced mutations, all dressed in coarse jute clothing. The people were going about all sorts of tasks—sewing clothes, smoking meat or fish, building new houses—seemingly without noticing them at all.

Full of curiosity, Kai approached a man in his twenties who was dragging a log and tried to touch him, but his hand passed right through, as if the man were a ghost. Sage quickly flew up a bit and settled on her master’s shoulder as he asked, curious and confused.

“What do you think this is, Sage?”

“We're probably inside that spider woman’s mind, Master. We're here because of her, after all.” Sage replied somewhat uncertainly as she looked around. Kai responded in a calm tone while gazing toward the nearby forest.

“That seems to be the case. That girl looks a lot like the woman from before.”

Looking in the direction Kai had indicated, Sage saw a blonde-haired girl with reddish eyes running with tears in her eyes, being chased by five other children carrying wooden sticks. At that moment, a man carrying several meerkats tied together with a rope over his shoulder quickly ran toward the girl and shielded her behind him, shouting at the other children.

“Get lost, brats!”

Perhaps because they were inside the spider woman’s mind, Sage and Kai could perfectly understand what the man meant. The man quickly embraced the little girl and began to comfort her with a fatherly gentleness. Meanwhile, Kai stepped closer to them and, staring intently at the man, asked—more to confirm than anything else.

“Is that the young leader?”

“That’s correct, Master. Based on an aging analysis of the leader’s face from the records, there's a 98% match.”

Sage responded in a calm tone as she attempted to create a holographic screen to show her master. Curiously, the holographic screen appeared—but Sage realized she hadn’t used any aura. The moment she thought of creating the screen, it simply materialized out of nowhere.

“So we’re watching that woman’s past… I hope we don’t waste too much time on this…” Kai remarked in a calm voice, continuing to follow the man who was now carrying the girl to a cabin, as she had fallen asleep.

To Kai’s surprise, the moment the man laid the girl down on a mat of leaves, the surroundings became blurry. Soon, everything shifted, and Kai found himself once again on the outskirts of the camp. There, he saw the girl running once more from the same children, who seemed intent on beating her. But unlike the first time, one of the boys threw a stick at her, hitting her in the head.

Hurt and frightened, the girl began running toward the forest, with the other children chasing after her. Kai quickly tried to extend his Haki, but nothing happened, so he attempted to use En—but again, there was no response. Slightly disappointed, Kai commented as he began walking after the girl, not wanting to lose sight of her.

“Looks like we can only follow her.”

“If this is a memory, we might get pulled along with it.” Sage said thoughtfully from Kai’s shoulder. The blue-eyed boy nodded but kept walking as he replied.

“Could be. But we’d better follow her—there’s nothing interesting to see here anyway.”

As they entered the forest behind the girl, Kai saw the children begin to panic upon realizing they were lost, with some of them breaking into tears. The crying soon attracted what looked like a tiger, which mercilessly attacked one of the children, killing him instantly and terrifying the others.

Completely terrified, the girl began running as fast as she could deeper into the forest, but soon she came face-to-face with what seemed to be a snake resting in a tree. The snake quickly lunged at her and wrapped itself around her body, intending to suffocate her—but in that instant, both the snake and the girl froze in place.

At the same time, the surroundings became blurry once more, and Kai found himself back in the dark space, where the girl and the snake now were. The girl, utterly terrified, fell to the ground and began crawling backward, while the snake moved rapidly toward her, unconcerned by anything else.

Just as the snake was about to reach her, the girl covered her face with her hands—but the expected pain never came. This made her raise her head. In front of her stood a tiger, very similar to the one that had killed one of the boys earlier. It began to fight the snake and soon managed to kill it, even as it was being suffocated.

The moment the snake died, the black space rippled, and Kai saw the girl in the same position he was—watching what appeared to be the snake’s memories. But perhaps because it was an animal, the memories didn’t last long. Soon, everything became blurry again, and Kai found himself back in the jungle, in front of the snake and the girl. The snake collapsed dead on the ground, and the girl, confused, took off running with all her strength.

But as she ran, her speed began to increase—nearly doubling—while her pupils turned vertical and her skin became slightly scaly. As she dashed through the trees, Kai spoke in a voice filled with surprise but also discomfort and disgust.

“Is that her quirk? Stealing the memories and abilities of those she kills in the black space? Is that why she talked about taking everything from me? After this… am I going to become a monster like her?”

“Let’s hope not, Master…”

Sage spoke in a complex tone. Although she would never stop loving her master, no matter what he looked like, she also knew that appearing that way would be a heavy blow—for him and for the family. So she genuinely hoped it wouldn’t come to that. But as she analyzed possible outcomes, her wings glowing in various colors, an idea quickly came to her. She added in a serious tone.

“Master, remember that Haki has the ability to interfere with the powers of others. It’s possible we can interrupt this ability and prevent the transformation.”

“Let’s hope it works…” Kai replied in a dark voice, genuinely disgusted by the girl who was now moving through the forest at great speed, trying to find her way back to the tribe.

Night soon fell, and the girl was forced to spend it in a tree, loosely following the memories of the snake. The next day, she once again searched for a way back but encountered a lioness who tried to attack her. However, the girl, moving with incredible agility and showing a flexibility worthy of a snake, dodged the attack and, almost by instinct, bit the lioness on the neck—revealing two long fangs.

Finding herself once again in the dark space, the girl thought of the tiger and the snake from earlier. They appeared and quickly killed the lioness. After viewing the lioness’s memories, the girl gained the ability to extend her nails like claws, and her fangs became much thicker and stronger. In addition, a pair of lion ears appeared atop her head. Using her claws and fangs, the starving girl tore into the lioness’s flesh and ate it raw.

...

As the girl wandered through the forest, completely lost, she continued killing animals to survive—each time using the black space and becoming more monstrous. But something Kai noticed was that the girl’s quirk seemed to have a limit: after her tenth prey, the scaly skin on her body disappeared.

Time went on, and the girl eventually fell into a hole by accident, falling for about five seconds. But using her superhuman abilities and the experiences of her prey—among them a monkey—she managed to slow her descent and landed safely on the ground. However, what interested Kai far more was the place they had arrived at: the ancient city.

Curious, the girl moved through the city, which was completely silent, with no sign of the spiders Kai had encountered there. After wandering for a while, she entered one of the smaller pyramids and found inside a high-tech biological laboratory—worn down and rusted, as if it had been abandoned for decades.

Filled with curiosity, Kai looked at the eggs inside the medical capsules filled with greenish liquid. But before he could examine them more closely, he saw the girl—now acting more beast than human—break one of the capsules and bite into the egg. In the black space, what appeared was a strange spider about a meter in size, which, the moment it materialized, died instantly without putting up any fight.

Wearing an expression of confusion very similar to that of the monstrous girl, Kai stared at the dead spider, then looked toward the darkness, which flickered briefly before vanishing without showing anything further. Back in the lab, the girl began to move uncomfortably, and seconds later, four arachnid legs sprouted from her back, along with two extra eyes on her face.

But even more impressive than all that was the moment the girl, purely by instinct, managed to create a ball of fire in her hand—something both she and Kai observed with curiosity. However, that seemed to be the last clear moment in the girl’s memories, as everything changed drastically afterward.

The surroundings around Kai began to blur and shift erratically, blending scenes or fragments of them into a strange mishmash. But Kai was able to understand that the girl had continued eating the eggs, seeking to gain more strange abilities. After some time, Kai finally saw a clear scene: the girl discovering the giant spider inside a tank of green liquid.

Though her monstrous, arachnid face clearly showed an overwhelming desire to eat the spider, at the same time, there was fear and submission in her expression. As if, along with the abilities from the spider eggs, she had also absorbed an instinctive subservience to the spider.

After several seconds standing before the creature, the girl tried to run away, using one of the many powers she had gained—a skill that allowed her to use electricity to boost her speed.

But to her surprise, that electrical spark ended up activating the place, causing everything to come to life. The laboratory lit up, and one of the three medical capsules—where three humanoid figures were sleeping—opened, spilling the greenish liquid onto the floor and over one of the humanoid figures. Startled, the girl instinctively leapt at the humanoid and bit it.

Back in the dark space, the girl was confronted by a half-human, half-spider figure similar to the one Kai had killed, though this one was pale in color. With almost robotic movements, the humanoid monster attacked the monstrous girl, who quickly defended herself using all the abilities she had, while also summoning all the animals she had consumed up to that point.

After hours of battle—in which the girl lost an arm to a sudden strike from the humanoid monster, who remained slow and mechanical throughout—she finally managed to defeat it, unlocking its memories. But curiously, the memories were fragmented, with only a few clear glimpses.

In those memories, what appeared to be humanoid lizards were using the monster to put the giant spider to sleep, inside a version of the laboratory that was clean and fully operational. But the clarity didn’t last long, and the girl soon began to scream in pain as the surroundings blurred and shifted to reveal another scene.

When the clarity returned, Kai saw the girl waking up on the floor—now transformed into something very similar to the monster that had attacked him. She had grown from a small child of 90 cm to a height of 1.8 meters. Moreover, the lab was once again completely shut down, except for one thing: the giant spider in the tank had started to move slowly.

Upon seeing the spider stir, the girl quickly ran and touched the tank, which caused the spider’s movements to stop. Letting out a sigh of relief, the monstrous woman looked around the area. But before Kai could make sense of anything, everything became blurry again, and another sequence of fragmented memories began.

Among the fragmented memories, Kai could barely make out that the girl had finally managed to return to the tribe—only to find her father now old, just slightly younger than when Kai had seen him. Additionally, it seemed the girl was treated as a goddess despite her appearance, thanks to the “magical” abilities she displayed—controlling fire and lightning.

Using her status as a “goddess,” the girl arranged for her father to be named leader, while she took several people with her—whom she killed in the ancient city and placed into the giant spider’s tank, where they soon vanished, as if dissolved.

As more fragmented images flashed by, Kai began to understand the girl's actions. Somehow, she knew she had to keep the spider asleep, and it appeared that the ability she used to put it to sleep had its limits. The spider needed to be “fed” every so often in order to fall back into a deep slumber.

Among the memories, Kai also witnessed the origin of the ritual he had seen the first time he arrived. From what he understood, the spider seemed to sleep for longer periods when it consumed people with quirks, who had slowly started to be born among the tribe. Because of this, the girl ordered that anyone with abilities be sacrificed to the goddess. She would then use them to feed the spider and keep it asleep.

But one thing that left him shocked was that the spider—despite being asleep—occasionally laid eggs, which the girl initially consumed but later began to store. From those eggs, spiders eventually began to hatch, each with different types of quirks. However, one detail Kai noticed among the fragmented memories left him with a dark expression.

“The spider combines and strengthens the quirks it consumes…” Kai said in a grim voice as he watched the fragmented scenes. Sage added with a similar expression, several holographic screens floating around her.

“According to my analysis, the spider also undergoes subtle changes every time it consumes someone with a quirk... It’s possible that it’s acquiring them itself.”

“That spider is more dangerous than the Quirk Stealer… We have to kill it at all costs.” Kai said in a solemn voice, to which Sage could only nod deeply.

Among the memories, Kai also saw that the monstrous girl began to understand how the spiders worked. She activated the eggs in the other laboratories and even managed to control them using a red orb she created from her own blood.

Additionally, in some fragmented images, the girl was seen giving her blood to her father to drink—perhaps that explained why he had those spider guards. But one thing became clear: the spider was not satisfied by eating other spiders. Instead, it thrashed violently. It seemed that only humans with quirks could truly satisfy it.

At the moment when there was no longer a single person with a quirk left on the island, Kai saw how the spider began to move more and more erratically—almost as if it could awaken at any moment—which only caused great fear in the woman. Growing desperate, the monstrous woman began feeding the spider various animals from the island, which seemed to calm it for a time.

It appeared that the “stranger” the creature's meal was, the longer the spider would stay asleep. But the island’s biodiversity was dwindling, and the monstrous woman was desperately searching for solutions. Around that time, Eva and her son arrived on the island, accompanied by their group—greatly surprising the woman.

Noticing that each of the new “visitors” had quirks, the monstrous woman began feeding them to the spider one by one, trying to prolong its slumber as much as possible. At the same time, she started gathering a group of spiders. Eva’s arrival seemed to inspire her with the idea of exploring the outside world.

Chapter 227: Are my emotions affecting the mini-self…?

Chapter Text

--Saturday, May 30, 2172

Unfortunately for the woman, her exploration of the outside ended up attracting Kai. From the monster woman's perspective, Kai realized that she saw him as some kind of demon, and filled with hatred over her father's death, she wanted to destroy him as quickly as possible. So, she ran toward a pyramid not far from the central one.

Inside the pyramid, Kai saw a tank similar to the spider's, but in this one, a male Drider was sleeping. The woman quickly woke him up using her strange ability. Unlike with the spider, the woman seemed very confident in front of this Drider—to the point that, when he woke up, she calmly created a blood orb and pressed it against his chest, making it disappear.

Thanks to those memories, Kai also realized that the monstrous woman was aware of his movements at all times. Apparently, she could use something similar to his observation haki, but with a much greater range. Additionally, this ability manifested as ghostly images through which the woman could move.

But besides that, Kai saw one more thing: the female Drider he had faced also came from a tank and had awakened on her own at the moment the male Drider died—surprising even the monster woman. Though startled by the female Drider’s awakening, the monster woman quickly created a blood orb and placed it on the Drider’s chest, then gave her commands through that strange screech.

Moments later, Kai saw how the woman cried tears of blood while staring unblinkingly at the fight against the female Drider. At the same time, she ordered the electric spider to sacrifice itself to awaken an egg. She already had the plan to kill him in her mind, even though the fight with the female Drider was only halfway through.

“That woman, though ignorant, was truly intelligent.”

Seeing that the woman was responsible for every trap that had pushed him to the brink of death—and that she had improvised most of them on the spot—Kai couldn’t help but comment with a hint of admiration. Sage, recording everything she saw, nodded and replied in a serious tone.

“Indeed, Master. It’s fortunate she never had access to the outside world or more information—otherwise, we wouldn’t have survived the first time we came here…”

Kai could only nod in silence, wearing a serious expression. With her quirk and intelligence, that woman could have been a villain on the same level—or even worse—than the quirk-stealer. Because even though he wasn’t stronger than All Might in his prime, he wasn’t that far behind either—and he was much more versatile.

So if she had been able to push him to the edge of death so many times, All Might simply wouldn’t have stood a chance. She would’ve had him dancing in the palm of her hand like a toy before killing him.

“So she was actually controlling the female Drider like a puppet...”

Analyzing the images, Kai commented with realization. He could see ghostly webs extending from the woman’s fingers, connecting to the distant female Drider—something he hadn’t even seen with Gyo at the time. Sage nodded and spoke in an analytical, reflective tone.

“Although it’s still unclear, that woman clearly knows things we couldn’t see in her memories. She has far too much control over her abilities, and the fear she has of the spider in the tank seems to go beyond instinctive terror.”

“Well, we saw a lot of ‘fragmented memories.’ There could be important information we missed in there.” Kai replied in a calm voice. Sage nodded and asked in a thoughtful tone.

“Could it be that the fragmented memory phenomenon is because she’s the owner of the quirk? Or is it something else?”

“Seems like we won’t be able to find out.”

Kai commented as he watched in the images how the woman’s plan succeeded, allowing the electric spider to teleport through the conditional spiders and pierce through his chest. But while a sadistic smile formed on the woman’s blood-stained, madness-stricken face as she witnessed his final moments against the spiders, he began to laugh like a madman.

“Master… why did you laugh at that moment?”

Upon seeing that traumatic scene again, Sage couldn’t help but look at his master and ask in a low, heavy voice. Kai looked at his ghostly figure through the monster woman’s perspective with a deep gaze and replied.

“I’m not entirely sure. At that moment, it just felt genuinely funny that my second death also came from trying to save someone. Even more so because I was trying to save someone who looked so much like the daughter of the woman I tried to save the first time. Also… looking back on my whole new life, I felt a strong sense of fulfillment—like I had surpassed my former self.

“Now I have everything I ever dreamed of, and I’ve had a lot of fun. But more importantly, in that moment I realized that—unlike in my first life—I haven’t wasted a single moment of this one. I have practically no regrets. And realizing that made me truly happy. So much so that I could only laugh, even as I forgot I was about to die and lose it all.”

“…”

Sage listened in silence to her master’s words while imagining herself in his place. She knew everything about her master—his first life, his bitterness, his sorrows, his regrets, and even more, how painful his final moments had been. At the time of his death, more than pain, her master had been filled with frustration—frustration at losing everything just when things were finally starting to get better.

But the worst part was that he couldn’t express it—not even shed a tear. In that moment, all he could think about was how to ease, even just a little, the trauma his death would cause to the only woman who had helped him. That woman who had pulled him out of the pit he was in and set him back on the right path. And the only thing he could think to do… was smile.

That macabre, blood-soaked smile of Kai—Daniel, at that moment—was his way of trying to show Mrs. Eva how grateful he was to her, that he was at peace with the life he’d lived and with how it ended. All of it was meant to give Mrs. Eva an excuse to ease any guilt she might feel for his death, which had happened while protecting her.

“You’re way too sentimental, Master…” After a few moments, Sage commented with a knot in her throat, which made Kai laugh, and shortly after he replie.

“Haha, a little—and with ‘old age’ it only gets worse. I just get more twisted. That’s exactly why I could never be a hero.”

“…” Sage remained silent, deeply moved by her master’s words.

Meanwhile, in the monster woman’s memories, the sky turned black and a literal rain of lightning began to fall—a phenomenon that, up to that point, neither Kai nor Sage had been able to explain or replicate. But that scene caused the monster woman to stumble backward and fall to the ground, gasping for air.

As he watched how incredibly terrified and frustrated she was by his existence and his power, Kai began to focus on his mini-self. The memories were about to end, and he didn’t want to become a monster like that woman. Even though that quirk was truly powerful—especially the part that allowed her to view memories—he was far from weak.

Besides, his own “quirk” had infinite potential, and now that he had experienced the “magical” phenomenon, with a bit of luck, he might be able to create an ability to view memories himself. Therefore, if that quirk worked the way they believed it did and he was about to inherit it, he had to resist it somehow—and the best idea he could come up with was to use haki.

He had already confirmed with Mirko that the “spirit” seemed to have the ability to resist other people’s abilities. When combined with what he knew about his own haki and his theory of “soul-spirit-body,” there was a good chance he could resist it. Additionally, since his near-death experience, his haki had grown much stronger, and strange things had started happening with it—like that mental image of the halberd.

…

Closing his eyes, Kai took a deep breath and emptied his mind completely, entering a sort of meditative state. Soon, the image of himself in lotus position appeared in his mind—the mini-self—but Kai quickly noticed a change. The mini-self’s smile had shifted; what was once a soft smile now seemed like an angry one. Remembering the rage he had felt when Sage started crying, Kai quickly came to a conclusion.

(Are my emotions affecting the mini-self...?)

Thinking about it, the smile on the mini-self had appeared after he laughed like a madman when he was on the brink of death. Perhaps the combination of his intense emotional state and being at death’s door had caused a fundamental change in the mini-self, which had led to the strange changes happening with his haki.

(If that’s the case, then maybe I’m slowly ‘merging’ with the mini-self, and that’s the reason for the increase in power. Could it be that if I fully merge with the mini-self, I’ll become much stronger…?)

Filled with more questions than answers, Kai focused entirely on the mini-self, wanting to influence it somehow. This was something he had tried to do ever since he first discovered it a decade ago. But unlike all those previous attempts, this time he began to feel a kind of connection with the mini-self—one that grew stronger with every passing second.

Along with the strange sensation, Kai began to feel something unusual. His observation haki, which had been inactive since he entered the dark space, started to return to him little by little. Through his haki, Kai could vaguely sense his surroundings in the “real world.”

This allowed him to realize that, even though he had seen who-knows-how-many years' worth of the monster woman’s memories, only a few moments had passed outside. But in those few moments, things had changed significantly.

Vaguely, Kai could feel that the voices of Chatora and the others were fluctuating violently while also weakening. However, one strange thing he noticed was that the fluctuation in All Might’s voice was fading at an accelerated rate—almost as if it were being “extinguished” somehow.

(Is One for All disappearing completely?)

Kai quickly arrived at a hypothesis about what was happening in the “outside” world. But at that moment, Mirko’s voice seemed to take a heavy hit and was mostly “silenced”—something that soon happened to Chatora’s voice as well. Imagining what had just occurred, Kai was filled with rage and fear—emotions that were immediately reflected in the mini-self’s expression and in his aura, which began to violently “boil.” In that instant, the mini-self's eyes snapped open.

…
…
…

With his hand over his chest, Chatora looked up at Kai, suspended in the air and held in the arms of the monstrous woman. Worry, fear, and rage completely overtook him. Kai was far from perfect—at times, he even seemed more like a villain than a hero. But that boy was the child he had helped raise with his own hands, someone he loved like a son. And he would rather die a thousand times than let anyone hurt his kid.

“AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!”

Activating his [Vital Reactor] at full power, Chatora screamed with all his might, his bloodshot eyes locked on Kai’s figure. Using every ounce of his strength, Chatora launched himself toward Kai, pulling his right arm back and hardening it, pushing the ability of his Accomplice—who was running behind him—to its limit.

At that moment, the humanoid insect appeared in front of him, and without a moment’s hesitation, Chatora retracted his extended arm. Using everything he had, he unleashed the most powerful blow he was capable of, shouting so hard that his vocal cords nearly tore apart.

“Iron Recoil!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

As he threw his punch at the humanoid insect, Chatora felt something click deep within himself—and suddenly, his strength, speed, and durability surged, filling him with the confidence that he could save Kai.

But as if to shatter that foolish hope, the insect humanoid threw a punch of its own that collided head-on with his, creating a shockwave so powerful it blew everything around them away as lightning streaked through the air.

Even with his strength enhanced, Chatora couldn’t withstand the power of the humanoid insect and was sent crashing toward the ground, the armor on his fist shattered. Though the damage was serious, his arm—despite the pain—was still fully functional, all thanks to the Accomplice, who had activated an electric shield just in time.

But pain was the last thing on Chatora’s mind. He could only grit his teeth, filled with rage and helplessness, as he slammed into the ground, creating a massive crater. And just at that moment, the heroic voice of All Might echoed throughout the cave.

“Detroit Smash!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

With apocalyptic force, All Might—who had suddenly appeared beside the humanoid insect—unleashed a powerful blow straight into its spider-like face. The punch triggered a violent shockwave that blasted out in all directions, sending everything flying, carving deep cracks into the cave walls, and making the entire cavern tremble.

The full-force blow from All Might managed to send the humanoid insect crashing to the ground. At the same time, Mirko, using every ounce of strength in her legs—to the point that they swelled disproportionately—launched herself toward Kai, shattering the ground beneath her. The once predatory and crazed smile on her face now seemed filled with anxiety and urgency.

As Mirko tore through the air, breaking the sound barrier, her teeth clenched from the discomfort in her sensitive ears, the rabbit hero suddenly saw, with disbelief, a blurry figure appear at the edge of her vision. Before she could even begin to process what was happening, Mirko was sent hurtling toward the ground at even greater speed, creating a brutal explosion upon impact.

...

While attacking the surrounding spiders, Kamui Woods felt the ground shake violently, prompting him to look toward the source of the noise—only to see All Might falling to the ground, surrounded by a thick trail of smoke. Meanwhile, the humanoid insect, who was walking toward him with measured steps, suddenly extended its hand and caught a thin band flying toward it at the speed of sound.

In an instant, Edgeshot returned to his original form, a thick thread of blood dripping from the corner of his mouth as he was firmly held by the neck in the insect’s grasp. Upon witnessing that scene, Kamui Woods knew his end had come. He took a deep breath, then screamed with all his strength as he plunged his arms into the ground. A true hero had to fight until the very end.

“Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!”

As branches shot from his arms and burst out of the ground in all directions, converging toward the humanoid insect, Kamui Woods saw Tiger’s brown panther appear beside him in a protective stance. Meanwhile, the 'cat hero' launched himself toward the man in the black armor, breaking the sound barrier with both arms extended behind him.

Almost instantly, the humanoid insect blurred and reappeared in front of Chatora, kicking him in the chest. But the insect’s leg was blocked—five hexagonal electric light shields now covered the hero’s chest. At the same time, Chatora pulled back his arms at an impossible speed, then struck the insect’s chest with both palms.

Because of the brutal shockwave, the humanoid insect was pushed backward—at that moment, Chatora spun on himself while extending his right arm, then retracted it quickly and delivered an open-palm strike, triggering a shockwave that launched himself toward the man in the black armor.

Upon seeing all of that, Kamui Woods widened his eyes, filled with shock at the hero's skill—but before he could feel any relief, he saw the unconscious Edgeshot appear in front of Chatora. Almost in a panic, Chatora opened his arms to catch Edgeshot, but at that moment, he felt a sharp impact in his abdomen, prompting him to look down.

There, Chatora saw a wooden spear that had completely pierced through his stomach. Blood began to pour from the wound, staining his armor. Seeing his condition, Chatora could only offer a bitter smile, then looked up at Kai in the sky with a sense of resignation and helplessness. Even after giving everything he had—and more—he hadn’t been able to save the one he loved like a son.

On the ground, All Might watched as Chatora was impaled, his expression full of rage, surrounded by a trail of smoke. The last embers of One for All within him had practically faded; after that day, he might never be able to use that overwhelming power again—the power that made him the strongest. He would become just an ordinary man without a quirk.

But even as his powers were disappearing, All Might, exhausted and with his arms covered in blood, took a step forward, gathering all his willpower for a single blow. A blow in which he would sacrifice everything to force open a door to everyone’s survival. He was the Symbol of Peace, and he would save the day—even if it was the last thing he ever did.

“United Sta—”

Using the last of his strength, All Might leapt toward the humanoid insect, shouting the beginning of his attack. But at that moment, an overwhelming pressure filled the air, and lightning so dark it seemed to absorb all light surged through the space—stopping him dead in his tracks.

Feeling as if a mountain had come crashing down on his shoulders, All Might looked toward the humanoid insect, who had begun to tremble in fear, staring up at the sky. Looking up at the sky, All Might saw Kai surrounded by absurdly thick arcs of electricity, and along with his black Kitsune helmet, he looked like a Demon King descending to earth, capable of commanding the very weather.

But even more terrifying than Kai’s appearance was the inexplicable sense of reverence and fear that arose from the depths of All Might’s being. He felt as though he were witnessing something that went beyond what could be called 'human'.

Chapter 228: Accompany On!

Chapter Text

--Saturday, May 30, 2172

The moment the mini-self opened its eyes, the mental image vanished from Kai’s mind and was replaced by a 360-degree black-and-white view of the entire cave. But unlike before, the vision was now incredibly sharp and clear. If he ignored the lack of color, the view was even better than what his own eyes could perceive.

This new ‘vision’ allowed Kai to understand what was happening—Chatora had been impaled by the spear thrown by the humanoid insect. At the same time, Kai was finally able to feel his body and aura again, which now seemed to have merged completely with his haki, with no perceptible differences, as if they had always been one and the same.

Wanting to act, Kai unleashed the roar of his conqueror’s haki and channeled his new aura-haki throughout his body as he opened his eyes. Upon opening them, Kai saw the image of the monster woman’s memories—showing her running with tears of blood toward the place where the tribe once stood, now reduced to ashes.

But almost instantly, everything around him began to shatter as if made of glass, then exploded into a thousand pieces, returning him to the 'real world.' Back in his body, Kai quickly kicked off the ground and shot toward Chatora, who was falling slowly, causing the monster woman to be blown away.

[Sage, let’s go all in.]

Just as he was about to reach Chatora, Kai spoke in an incredibly calm tone. At that moment, Sage materialized next to her master, her wings glowing brightly, while her blue light dress began to transform. Soon, Sage’s dress took the shape of a complex network of circuits, and a small tiara appeared on her head.

At the same time, several consoles filled with massive amounts of code began appearing on the screens of Kai’s helmet, then quickly returned to normal. At that moment, Sage spoke in a calm tone.

[The link has been successfully established, Master.]

At that moment, Kai appeared in front of Chatora, who was still holding Edgeshot, and placed a hand on his shoulder. Simultaneously, a massive stream of information flashed across Kai’s eyes, the screens of the Kitsune helmet, and the wings and dress of Sage in rapid succession. Before Chatora could even sense his presence, Kai had obtained all his physical data—down to the tiniest detail, as if he had made a perfect copy, cell by cell.

At that moment, Kai was combining his maximum mental ‘computational power’ with that of his armor and Sage’s, effectively becoming a walking supercomputer. It was something he had specifically developed together with Sage to overcome the disadvantage of losing connection to the satellites. Although the aura cost and the headache afterward were significant, he wanted to finish everything as quickly as possible and get his family out of there.

After the analysis, Kai placed his hand on the spear lodged in Chatora’s stomach and, using his aura, destroyed it from the inside. Using the information he had gathered about Chatora, Kai activated Mystical Palm, and the hole in Chatora’s stomach began to close at an alarming speed. Although Kai was only performing first aid—since some organs had been compressed—it would still be necessary to use Angel’s Breath to eliminate any possible long-term effects.

As a slight burning sensation spread through his stomach, Chatora looked at Kai appearing in front of him with a surprised expression. But soon, the eyes of the imposing hero filled with tears, and holding Edgeshot with one arm, Chatora extended the other to tightly embrace Kai and said in a trembling voice.

“I’m so glad you’re okay…”

“Don’t talk—you’ve got a hole in your stomach.” Kai returned the hug and replied in a calm voice. Chatora couldn’t help but laugh softly through the pain and said.

“Heh… it’s just a hole… not that big a deal…”

Seeing Chatora’s awkward, blood-covered smile, Kai couldn’t help but shake his head, then looked at the Accomplice, which was turning into points of light—activating its self-destruction to keep Chatora alive and get him out of there. In a calm voice, Kai gave a command while staring at the massive panther.

“Cancel the self-destruction and get your host out of here.”

Upon hearing Kai’s words, the Accomplice quickly returned to normal and stood beside Chatora in its battle form, ready to dash away. At that moment, Kai looked at Chatora and spoke in a serious tone.

“For now, go back to the girls. You won’t die, but there could still be aftereffects if we don’t use the Angel, so don’t push yourself—you’re not fully healed yet.”

“…”

Upon hearing this, Chatora looked at Kai, eyes filled with reluctance. But when he looked down at the unconscious Edgeshot in his arms, he could only sigh and nod before replying in a slightly broken voice.

“…Understood. I’ll take Edgeshot and Mirko with me.”

“Go.”

Kai said as he gently pushed Chatora to mount the Accomplice. With impressive speed, the Accomplice shot off toward the spot where Mirko had fallen. At that moment, Chatora reached out his arm to wrap it around the hero’s body. Immediately after, the Accomplice dashed toward the hole in the ceiling through which they had entered, climbing it with agility that defied all logic.

Meanwhile, Kai—keeping track of their movement with his haki—conjured two Jian swords in his hands and turned around. Behind him, Kai found All Might, surrounded by a thick trail of smoke, and the humanoid insect trembling and slowly backing away. But Kai’s vision was now strange—even without activating the black-and-white mode, he could easily ‘see’ the silhouettes of people, which were almost certainly tied to their quirks.

Looking at All Might, Kai realized that the hero’s ‘double edge’ had almost completely vanished. Or rather than vanished, it had simply thinned—so much so that, compared to the massive double edge from before, it now looked like a toothpick next to a building. It seemed that the One for All had completely left the Symbol of Peace.

Curious, Kai glanced at the humanoid insect’s ‘double edge’ and noticed that it was somewhat strange—somehow ‘hollow,’ not as solid as that of a normal person. Though that didn’t mean it was weak—its ‘voice’ was still at least a hundred times more solid than that of something like a Nomu.

There was something else Kai noticed: the reactions of the insect and All Might to his haki were very different. The monster seemed terrified, while All Might looked more surprised and confused. Kai could even sense a trace of something resembling ‘reverence’ in him—something that left him puzzled. After all, that same sense of reverence was even more obvious in Kamui Woods, who was watching him intently from the other side.

After spending a few milliseconds analyzing the situation, Kai kicked off the ground and shot toward the metal sphere that continued to rise ominously into the sky, leaving behind a faint trail of dark electricity. At the same time, Kai conjured three swords that aligned at his side, immediately surrounded by thick arcs of dark lightning.

“Railgun Blast!!”

With Kai’s shout, the middle sword shot forward at supersonic speed toward the humanoid insect, disappearing from sight. Simultaneously, the swords on either side shattered as if made of glass, as if they'd reached their limit just by propelling the middle sword. The sword arrived almost instantly in front of the humanoid insect—so fast that, despite having crossed dozens of meters, there was still no trace of the sonic boom.

Though trembling, the monster quickly tried to shield itself and jumped backward. But the sword strike was unstoppable—cutting through its arms like butter, then piercing straight through its chest, sending it flying at supersonic speed into one of the cavern walls, triggering a brutal explosion that shook everything.

As a plasma sphere expanded outward, erasing the humanoid insect into nothingness, Kai reached the metal sphere. There, he conjured the Sealing Vault card, intending to take it for study before worrying about that monstrous spider in the tank. But at that very moment, the “voice” of the monster woman—who had fallen somewhere nearby—went completely silent.

“Ah!!!!”

Simultaneously, Kai felt something unpleasant trying to enter his body, so he immediately unleashed the full force of his Conqueror’s Haki with a roar. At the same time, he channeled his dark aura—merging its Enhancement properties with the defensive qualities of Armament Haki and the raw power of [Vital Reactor]—to protect himself both internally and externally, rejecting any foreign agent.

[Sage, help me reverse any changes happening in my body!!] At the same time, Kai quickly reached out to his trusted assistant, who responded with urgency and seriousness.

[I’m on it, Master!! There’s some kind of virus trying to rewrite your DNA, and I’m doing everything I can to eliminate it!!!]

As Kai fought against whatever was trying to merge with his body, he could feel the ‘voices’ of the spiders in the tank beginning to ignite, just as his body began to convulse. Sensing the danger, Kai screamed with all his might, and his aura began to boil wildly. Massive black lightning bolts surged through the cavern, destroying everything in their path.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”

…

Down below, All Might looked at Kai, filled with shock. That young man seemed more terrifying with every passing second. But at that moment, the symbol of peace saw the metallic sphere in the air begin to spin rapidly—just as he heard an incredibly sharp crack, like a plate being shattered.

Along with the crack, All Might saw a powerful flash erupt from the sphere, blinding him for an instant. But soon after, a violent earthquake began to shake the cavern, and the flash of light turned into a beam that shot straight into the sky, blowing apart the ceiling with a massive explosion. As he was thrown through the air by the shockwave, All Might caught sight of Kai being hit directly by the beam of light and launched upward.

“Kai-shonen!!”

With a grave expression, All Might shouted as he tried to kick the air to take flight—but his colossal strength didn’t respond, causing him to look down at his leg in disbelief. At that moment, a vine-like strand of wood wrapped around his waist and yanked him to the side.

“This place is going to collapse! We have to run!”

Using his extended wooden arms like vines to swing and dodge falling debris, Kamui Woods shouted urgently, catching the Symbol of Peace’s attention. Seeing the young hero save him, All Might couldn’t help but offer a bitter smile before turning to look at the pillar of light with growing concern.

…

Since all their focus was on preventing the woman’s quirk from breaking through, neither Sage nor Kai had the capacity to react in time—and Kai was struck by the beam of light and launched toward the surface. Fortunately, thanks to the protective layer of his dark aura, the damage was minimal. At that moment, Sage’s voice echoed in Kai’s mind.

[Master, the light is somehow slowing down the ‘virus’!! I’m gaining the upper hand!!]

[What great news.] Kai couldn’t help but respond, feeling somewhat impressed by the unexpected stroke of luck.

At that moment, Kai sensed that the spider in the tank was also struck by the beam of light and sent flying along with him. Feeling the spider’s ‘voice’ growing increasingly active, Kai quickly asked his trusted assistant through their mental link.

[Sage, can you handle that ‘virus’ on your own for a bit?]

[Leave it to me, Master!]

Sage replied with a serious tone, fully tapping into all the computational power she had access to. Kai responded while gripping his swords tightly and beginning to spin at high speed.

[I trust you!]

“Thunder Guillotine!!”

Moments later, Kai stopped spinning and released a massive, devastating flying slash toward the spider—a spinning strike crackling with dark electricity. Almost instantly, the attack reached the spider just as it was about to awaken. But at that moment, a strange yellowish light appeared around the spider and halted the attack, as if time itself had frozen.

“Royal Silence!!!”

But at that moment, Kai unleashed the roar of his Conqueror’s Haki, aiming it directly at the spider’s silhouette and shouting with force. Almost instantly, the spider’s silhouette froze, and the yellowish light around it began to flicker violently before finally shattering—allowing the slash to reach the spider. Instinctively, the spider curled up into its legs like a ball to shield itself, managing to block the attack at the cost of losing two legs.

Seeing the result, Kai couldn’t help but flash a wide, predatory grin—not just because [Royal Silence] had worked, even on a monster so terrifyingly powerful, but also because he realized he himself had become much stronger than before. The fusion of his Haki and aura had triggered a qualitative change, granting him a fearsome new level of power.

But in that instant, the spider extended its legs outward, unleashing a brutal shockwave that sent Kai flying out of the column of light. He was hurled into a meteorite and crashed into the violently trembling ground, creating a massive crater. As Kai began to rise from the crater, Sage’s voice echoed in his mind.

[Master, the virus is under control! You can fight at full power!]

[Perfect! Let’s go after that spider! Its body is a treasure we can’t afford to lose!!]

Upon hearing Sage, Kai couldn’t help but let out an almost maniacal laugh before shooting straight toward the column of light. As he reached it, something in the sky caught his eye, making him widen them in disbelief.

In the sky, where the invisible web had vanished, a complex pattern of light began to appear. It looked like a fusion between an electric circuit and geometric runes, spreading out as if they were inside a massive sphere.

[Isn’t that the same pattern that was engraved on the sphere?!] Kai asked in shock, to which Sage quickly responded with equal surprise.

[It’s the same one, Master!]

As Kai stared up at the sky and recalled the sphere, an idea began to take shape in his mind—an idea that, if it worked, would finally allow him to create the ability he desired most: [Inner Palace]. But just then, he heard a distinct cracking sound, and the light patterns in the sky began to fracture and turn erratic.

Sensing imminent, mortal danger, Kai pushed aside all other thoughts and shot toward Shino, Ryuko, and Tomoko, who were on the shore along with Ryukyu and Salem. At the same time, Kai focused his Conqueror’s Haki on Ryukyu, causing her to collapse unconscious under the overwhelming pressure. Landing beside her, Kai grabbed Ryukyu and threw her toward Shino, then shouted urgently.

“Group up!”

The first to react was Salem, who immediately dashed toward Shino with his super speed, followed closely by Tomoko and Ryuko, who quickly leapt to her side. The girls knew the situation was serious and chose to obey first and ask questions later. At that moment, Kai gave a serious command to his trusted assistant.

[Sage! Get them out of here!]

Upon receiving the order, Sage quickly exited her [In] state and positioned herself above Shino. At that moment, the Accompany card appeared, floating beside her. Placing her right hand on the card, the beautiful fairy announced urgently.

“[Accompany] On! [Pussycats’ base]!”

Soon, the card transformed into a sphere of light, which shot into the sky before vanishing. Meanwhile, Kai sped off toward Chatora, who wasn’t far away. As he got close enough, Sage—who had re-materialized beside Kai—quickly flew at full speed toward Chatora, hovered above him, and conjured a new card.

“[Accompany] On! [Pussycats’ base]!”

“Kai, wai—” Chatora shouted hastily as he found himself trapped within the sphere of light, but his words were cut off halfway—he had moved away too quickly.

Without looking back, Kai then shot toward the crater, where he spotted Kamui Woods hastily climbing while carrying the Symbol of Peace. Without a moment’s hesitation, Kai focused his Conqueror’s Haki on them, successfully knocking Kamui Woods unconscious—though, surprisingly, All Might, even without his quirk, was able to withstand it.

As Kamui Woods fell unconscious, he began to plummet, while the dizzy All Might tried to grab onto something. At that moment, the symbol of peace heard a melodious voice above him, and he was suddenly enveloped in a sphere of light.

“[Accompany] On! [Pussycats’ base]!”

[Let’s try to copy something from the spider!]

The moment All Might and Kamui Woods were launched into the sky, Kai kicked off the ground and shot toward the column of light once again, giving the urgent command. Sage quickly responded, preparing to use the full computational power of both the helmet and her master—which would definitely give him a serious headache.

[I'll do my best!]

Almost instantly, Kai arrived in front of the pillar of light, where the spider was moving erratically, trying to escape. But curiously, even though the spider seemed to be using different abilities, all of them were blocked within the pillar of light. Additionally, it appeared much weaker than its ‘voice’ had suggested. It seemed that the virus being affected by the pillar of light was no coincidence—this light was capable of weakening the spider, although it did nothing to him.

As Kai analyzed the spider’s situation, strange cracks suddenly formed in the air, as if space itself were fracturing. At the same time, the island began to shake with such force that it started breaking apart, while monstrous waves over 20 meters high began to rise in the sea.

[Sage!!]

Knowing he couldn’t waste even a single second, Kai conjured the Magnetic Force card in his right hand while calling out to his trusted assistant. Like a supersonic bullet, Sage shot toward the spider, surrounded by arcs of dark lightning. Causing Kai a sharp headache, Sage used every last drop of computational power—making time appear to stop completely from her perspective.

Moving within this ‘frozen time,’ Sage dodged the spider’s legs with a determined expression on her beautiful face, managing to reach its head, where she placed her hand. Using [Vital Reactor], along with the enhancement and manipulation properties of his aura and his electricity, Kai pushed his brain function to the absolute limit—something Sage took full advantage of to make a copy of the spider.

But the spider seemed to sense Sage and began attacking her with its legs, along with lightning, fire, ghostly webs, and a strange yellowish light. As she dodged everything moving in slow motion toward her, Sage couldn’t help but bite her lip in hesitation upon seeing her master clutching his head in pain—while the cracks in space worsened to the point that even she could perceive them moving quickly.

[Sage! Don’t stop! Copy everything you can!!]

Chapter 229: You’re a tsundere.

Chapter Text

--Saturday, May 30, 2172

[Sage! Don’t stop! Copy everything you can!!]

Feeling so much pain he was dizzy, Kai sent a message to Sage, as she seemed to be hesitating. Hearing her master, the beautiful fairy bit her lip even harder and dedicated herself fully to making the copy. She had already failed her master once, and it had hurt so much that her heart couldn’t bear doing it again.

Seconds passed, and Kai, squinting from the pain, watched the cracks around him grow larger. It seemed like space itself was collapsing, and if he didn’t leave now, he might never be able to. After a few moments of hesitation, Kai thought of his family and, after taking a deep breath, sent a message to Sage.

[Sage, how far along are you?]

[65%, Master.] Sage quickly replied, a trace of hope in her voice. Kai immediately sent a message through the mental link as he announced out loud.

[That’s enough.]

“[Magnetic Force] On! [Pussycats’ base]!!”

Seeing the light envelop her master, Sage let out a sigh of relief, then showed a beautiful smile on her lovely face. With her eyes fixed on her master as he drifted away through the air, Sage continued dodging the spider’s attacks, trying to scrape together every last bit of information she could before disappearing.

Soon, Sage vanished suddenly from the spider’s head, which seemed to fully awaken and let out a powerful screech that made space itself tremble. But that only served to accelerate the collapse of space, which began folding in on itself.

Even though the spider screeched with all its might and unleashed all its power, it couldn't resist. It was soon torn in half, then kept breaking into smaller and smaller pieces, until everything condensed into a single point that imploded, erasing it from existence.

…

“[Magnetic Force] Cancel!!”

Seeing that Sage had reappeared by his side with a beautiful smile on her face, Kai did a quick mental calculation and soon conjured a Magnetic Force card to cancel the ability. As the sphere of light vanished, Kai began to fall from the sky but quickly kicked the air, managing to stabilize himself—at which point he focused his gaze on the sea.

Although the marked spiders had died long ago, Kai could still calculate that the island had been located there. But surprisingly, despite everything that had happened inside, the outside was clear, sunny, and peaceful, as if he had arrived in an entirely different world. Just then, Kai spotted a small bubble on the surface of the sea, along with a tiny flash of light that disappeared almost instantly.

“Was that it?” Kai asked in disbelief as he watched the scene unfold. Sage replied as she deactivated the mental link with her master, allowing his overloaded brain to rest.

“We were probably inside something like a pocket dimension, Master.”

“Although I suspected it before, this pretty much confirms it.” Kai remarked in a thoughtful voice. “But the question is, where did those aura script patterns come from? The monster woman didn’t know anything. She just stumbled upon the place.”

“It’s highly likely those patterns came from the humanoid lizards we saw in the fragmented memories, Master.” Sage responded as she reconnected with the satellites, which allowed her to ‘see’ that the Pussycats had returned home safely. Kai murmured in a reflective tone, completely lost in thought.

“You’re right… but where did those guys come from? Their appearances were almost identical—could they be twins with the same quirk? And why did they abandon the place? The power of those spiders is more than enough to destroy the world. And what about that ancient city and the pyramids? Is it just a coincidence, or is there something more?”

“For now, it seems we have no way of knowing, Master.” Sage said as her wings glowed in different colors in rapid succession. “I can't find any trace of that place—not even with En or Conqueror’s Haki.”

Upon hearing Sage, Kai quickly extended his [En] and activated his black-and-white vision, but indeed, he found nothing unusual. Feeling his headache becoming unbearable and a wave of exhaustion hitting him hard, Kai summoned the Magnetic Force card once more and spoke in a weary voice.

“… Let’s go back. I’m tired; I want to rest. We’ll figure out how to solve this mystery later. [Magnetic Force] On! [Pussycats’ Base]!”

Soon, a sphere of light enveloped Kai and shot up into the sky, vanishing shortly after. Inside the sphere of light, Sage sat on her master’s shoulder with a small smile, feeling happy and relieved that he had made it out of that dangerous place practically unharmed. She truly didn’t want to feel the fear of losing him ever again.

…
…
…

When the sphere of light disappeared, Shino—who was holding the unconscious Ryukyu in her arms—turned to look at the sky with a worried expression. Tomoko and Ryuko linked their arms with Shino’s in complete silence, also staring up at the sky. Not knowing anything about Kai and Chatora had their hearts in their throats.

Soon, a beam of light materialized in the sky, then descended at high speed, filling the trio of beautiful heroines with a surge of emotion. Once the light vanished, the girls saw Chatora a few meters away, holding the injured Edgeshot and Mirko in his arms. Although one of their worries was eased, their hearts still clenched, and they quickly ran toward Chatora.

“Chatora, are you okay? What happened to Kai?!” Ryuko asked urgently. Chatora replied with a voice full of concern as he turned to look at the sky.

“I’m fine, just a minor wound Kai took care of. But he stayed behind—I think to rescue All Might and Kamui Woods.”

Upon hearing Chatora’s words, the expressions of the three heroines darkened considerably, and they stood beside him, all gazing up at the sky with worry written across their faces. But after a few seconds, another beam of light materialized in the sky, filling the group of heroes with equal parts apprehension and hope.

The Pussycats watched with clenched fists as the light faded, but the moment they saw only a 'skinny' All Might holding Kamui Woods, their hearts sank. On the verge of tears, Ryuko quickly spoke as she activated her armor.

“I’m going after Kai!”

“Wait, Ryuko. Let’s trust Kai.” Shino said in a serious tone, though her lower lip was stained with blood—a sign of how hard she’d been biting it out of worry. Tomoko, with a smile, quickly added.

“Kai is the strongest of all, and we still have a date! He’ll be back in no time!!”

Shino and Ryuko looked at Tomoko, who, despite her usual energetic voice and smiling face, was clenching her fists so tightly that even her armor creaked.

“You’re right. Let’s trust Kai. He’ll come back...” Ryuko said, her voice heavy with concern as she tried to force a smile.

For his part, All Might looked around with a somewhat conflicted expression. Kai truly had all kinds of abilities—so many that it was almost terrifying. But at the same time, All Might felt like he was dreaming. The shock of completely losing the One for All, combined with the moment Kai had returned to save him, left him questioning whether any of it was real.

…

Seconds passed, and the worry in the Pussycats' hearts only grew stronger. But just as they were about to activate their armor and take off, a new beam of light materialized in the air—finally allowing them to breathe a sigh of relief. With tears welling up in their eyes, the Pussycats watched as the light faded, revealing Kai in his black armor.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Ryuko and Tomoko leapt forward to embrace him, clinging tightly to his chest. Seeing his beautiful girlfriends on the verge of tears, Kai held them close, wanting to give them reassurance. Then he spoke, looking toward Chatora and Shino, who were staring at the unconscious people in their arms with complicated expressions.

“Let’s go inside. I’ll heal them there.”

After speaking, Kai walked into the agency. At that moment, Salem shrank down in size, letting her armor fall away, then leapt onto Kai’s shoulder with an adorable meow. Inside, Tomoko and Ryuko exchanged glances for a few seconds, but upon seeing the almost pleading look on Ryuko’s face, Tomoko let out a sigh and reluctantly released Kai before going off to find stretchers.

Meanwhile, Kai, having noticed the deep wounds on the Symbol of Peace’s arms, walked over and activated his Mystical Palm to heal him. The Symbol of Peace watched the bluish glow surrounding Kai’s hand with a hint of surprise—the light had changed. From a pale, soft blue, it had become a deep, electric blue. With a complex expression, All Might watched as small blue lightning bolts ran across his arms, closing his wounds at an astonishing speed.

“Thank you, Kai-shonen.” All Might said as he clenched his fists. Kai waved his hand casually and replied.

“It’s nothing.”

At that moment, Tomoko finished unfolding the stretchers, so Chatora, All Might, and Shino laid Edgeshot, Mirko, Kamui Woods, and Ryukyu on them. Kai began healing the wounded. Meanwhile, Ryuko quickly tapped Kai’s helmet a couple of times, causing it to open and reveal his tired face and sweat-drenched hair.

“What happened after you got us out of there, Kai-shonen?” All Might asked as he sat down on a sofa with a somewhat bitter smile. Without turning around, Kai replied as he healed both Mirko and Edgeshot at the same time.

“Not much. The place collapsed and vanished.”

“Collapsed and vanished?”

Shino, who was walking with Tomoko to the kitchen to prepare something to drink, couldn’t help but ask in confusion. Kai nodded and explained in a tired voice, while Ryuko—having grabbed a towel and a chair to stand on—began drying his damp hair.

“Yeah, that place was like a separate dimension or something. Spatial cracks appeared everywhere, and then it disappeared. I managed to record everything and already uploaded it to the server.”

Upon hearing this, Shino quickly tapped the forearm of her armor, while Chatora, who had sat down next to All Might, began typing on a glass table in front of them. Soon, multiple holographic screens appeared in front of Shino and above the glass table, showing the footage Kai had referred to.

“What was that place…?” Chatora couldn’t help but ask, filled with shock, his voice still sounding a bit strained. All Might added in a thoughtful tone.

“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to recover much useful information beyond that ancient city we saw… and those old labs.”

Without even looking at the screens, Ryuko quickly tapped the glowing triangle on Kai’s chest a couple of times from behind. Soon, Kai’s armor began to retract into the triangle of light, revealing his clothes underneath—a fitted black athletic outfit. After detaching the triangle of light from Kai’s chest and his belt, Ryuko tapped the triangle on her own armor, causing it to retract as well. She then began massaging Kai’s shoulders with great care and focus.

All Might, choosing to ignore Ryuko’s actions—and especially Tomoko’s earlier comment that Kai was her husband—quickly began reflecting on how likely it was that those spiders had any connection to All for One. After all, they had multiple quirks, which in a way made them resemble the 'Nomus'. But after a few seconds, the Symbol of Peace shook his head. If All for One had those spiders, he would’ve conquered the world a long time ago.

“Well, at least we managed to stop the threat, so it’s a victory.” Chatora said in a calm tone, to which All Might could only nod.

“You’re right, it is a victory. If those spiders had made it off the island, it would’ve been a disaster.”

All Might replied in a deep voice, then added as he turned to look at Kai—who was healing the wounded while Ryuko massaged his shoulders from a chair, looking somewhat amusing in the process.

“But this victory is entirely thanks to Kai-shonen. If it weren’t for him, it’s possible none of us would’ve made it.”

Upon hearing All Might’s words, both Chatora and Ryuko couldn’t help but smile with pride and affection. Even though they knew they had upset Kai, the fact that he had saved the day felt even more satisfying than if they had done it themselves.

Even though they knew he would never be a hero like them—and that they would probably end up arguing and upsetting him again—their love for him was real. They were heroes by choice, and while they would never stop hoping that Kai might choose to be one too, they were also able to see all his other virtues. And now, they had confirmed yet another: he wouldn’t let someone die in front of him. Kai hadn’t just saved them—he had saved the other heroes too. He hadn’t left anyone behind.

“Thank you, Kai-shonen. You saved my life, and you saved the world. Thank you.” All Might said sincerely as he stood up from his seat, then bowed at a 90-degree angle.

Seeing All Might bow, both Ryuko and Chatora couldn’t help but open their eyes wide in shock. The Symbol of Peace—unshakable in the hearts of all—was bowing to thank the young man they loved.

Sensing All Might’s gesture, Kai turned slightly to glance at him over his shoulder and spoke in a calm tone.

“You don’t have to thank me. I may not be a hero, but that doesn’t mean I’ll just stand by if the whole world is in danger. I have a family to protect, after all.”

Chatora and Ryuko’s expressions grew incredibly warm, tears welling up in their eyes as they were deeply moved. Those words from Kai weren’t just talk—he had proven them time and time again. He might not save everyone like All Might, but he would always save them… and do whatever it took to make them happy.

As for All Might, he couldn’t help but smile with mild amusement as he straightened up. He looked at Kai and spoke in a much warmer voice.

“You know, Kai-shonen… this journey gave me an unexpected reward. I feel like I understand you a little better now. You’re a tsundere.”

“Take that back.”

Kai turned to face All Might, speaking in a cold voice and with a dangerous glare, as small dark electric arcs crackled around him. All Might simply let out a laugh—one that felt far more genuine than his usual heroic chuckle—and then added.

“Definitely a tsundere.”

Kai’s eyelid twitched, and he quickly prepared to give the Symbol of Peace an impromptu lesson on why it’s a bad idea to anger the strongest person in the room. But just then, Tomoko entered the room carrying a tray with a full glass pitcher and freshly made fries, announcing excitedly.

“Kai! I brought your strawberry shake and fries!”

“You're lucky I’m hungry.” Kai muttered with annoyance, shooting a glare at the Symbol of Peace and letting out a huff—which only made All Might chuckle softly again as he sat back down.

“Is he always like this?”

As he watched Tomoko and Ryuko feed Kai while he continued healing Edgeshot and Mirko, All Might accepted the tea Shino offered him with a smile and asked. Shino looked at Kai with a warm, loving smile and replied in a gentle voice.

“More or less… though he’s much sweeter with us.”

“I see… he’s a good man.” All Might said in a reflective tone, then took a sip of his tea. Chatora spoke up after lowering his own cup from his lips.

“He is. It’s just that, like everyone else, he’s not perfect—and his personality tends to cause misunderstandings pretty easily.”

All Might let the warm tea pass down his throat as he recalled what had happened on the island, along with all his interactions with Kai. The Symbol of Peace couldn’t help but acknowledge it was true—but not solely because of Kai’s personality. It was also due to his overwhelming power. No one could afford to take the words of someone like Kai lightly. A single careless action from him could result in hundreds of deaths.

“…Back to the serious stuff—how are we going to write the report about what happened?” While All Might was deep in thought, Shino sat down on a nearby sofa and asked as she took the last cup of tea from the tray she had brought.

“That part’s tricky. Kai’s powers will make a lot of people... ‘cautious.’” All Might replied, remembering the words Kai had said to him on the island. If things weren’t handled carefully, it really could lead to a disaster—especially now that he no longer had his strength.

“Do you think that, if we talk to the others, we could come to an agreement to keep things quiet?” Chatora asked tentatively, to which All Might responded in a serious tone.

“They’re trustworthy heroes. But even they might feel uneasy about Kai’s power—especially since he’s not a hero.”

“…What a complicated situation…”

Shino let out a heavy sigh and spoke. Although she knew it was only a matter of time before Kai’s powers became public knowledge, she still wanted to delay it as much as possible—it would be troublesome. Even though her family had the connections and money to avoid many problems, it was a fact that their current way of life could change forever.

“I can come to an agreement with Mirko. And as for the others… well, sometimes people just don’t manage to escape in time.”

Kai said this in a calm tone, causing everyone to look at him with irritated expressions. At that moment, Tomoko shoved a handful of fries into his mouth to shut him up. As much as she loved him, that foul mouth of his could be seriously infuriating at times.

“It’s comments like that that make people wary of you, Kai-shonen…” All Might sighed, speaking in a slightly bitter tone. Shino added in a calm voice.

“For now, all we can do is speculate. Let’s focus on having Kai heal everyone first—then we’ll figure out what to do.”

“That might be for the best…”

Chatora said with a small sigh, to which All Might could only nod. At that moment, Kai finished eating the fries Tomoko had stuffed in his mouth. After giving her a venomous glare, he spoke out loud.

“The part about not escaping was referring to me. ‘Saito’ could have heroically sacrificed himself to save everyone. Even if it sounds suspicious and they don’t fully believe it, it’ll still serve to divert attention and reduce caution—especially among these heroes, since they’re the ones who truly saw my power.

“The others can only speculate based on their testimonies, which will conflict with yours. That way, we can confuse them—forcing them to choose whether to believe three well-known heroes, or the Pussycats, Mirko, and the Symbol of Peace. This simple strategy would not only give us plenty of time to prepare, but also the initiative.”

Chapter 230: It’s good to see you’re okay.

Chapter Text

--Saturday, May 30, 2172

Upon hearing Kai’s words, everyone turned to look at him in surprise, which made Kai roll his eyes at them. Feeling a bit embarrassed, All Might and the Pussycats let out awkward laughs as they looked at each other, surprised.

Although many could link Kai to Saito, since there were several clues—Salem and his closeness with the Pussycats being quite incriminating—it was still a viable plan. It would truly cause a lot of confusion, and since no actual crime had been committed, it would be difficult for anyone to act against them through “official means,” which would be a great relief.

At the end of the day, it was those “official means” they feared the most. After all, if it came down to less decorous methods, well… they had two mad tech geniuses, a global fashion icon with contacts all over the world, five top-ranked pro heroes, two trainee heroes capable of putting any pro to shame, a “lightning All Might,” a cat capable of tearing apart the number two hero, and practically unlimited funds. Messing with them wasn’t exactly a smart idea.

…

The more they thought about the proposal, the more viable it seemed to everyone present. Even if it turned out to be only half as effective as they imagined, like Kai said, it would still help them buy time and take the initiative. And if they played their cards right, they might even be able to shape the narrative and control the pace, which would let them deal with problems one at a time.

“That idea is interesting, but how would we explain our appearance at your base?” All Might asked as he looked at Kai. Kai responded after taking a sip of the strawberry shake Ryuko had offered him.

“Simple. You won’t appear here. You’ll have to get a little wet and wait to be rescued.”

“We’re going back to the sea?” Chatora asked, almost rhetorically, to which Kai calmly nodded.

“It’s the best option. Being able to reach ‘anywhere’ without being detected can be quite terrifying.”

“That’s true. That’s a pretty terrifying ability…”

All Might commented in a deep, contemplative voice as he glanced sideways at Kai. Meanwhile, Kai communicated with his trusted assistant, who was sitting on his shoulder in [In] state.

[What happened with the mark on Spider Island?]

[It’s still active, Master. But it’s acting a bit strange—we should check it.]
Sage replied calmly as she brought up a holographic screen with the list of marks, which surprised Kai a bit. He commented shortly after.

[That’s odd. For now, let’s avoid using it. But add it to the agenda—we need to investigate it.]

[Understood, Master.] Sage quickly replied with seriousness while displaying a calendar screen—Kai’s packed schedule.

“Are we going to use the ‘ability’ to get back?” While Kai was finishing his meal, Shino asked, looking at him. Kai replied.

“Yes, but I have to go first. I won’t take long.”

With just that answer, All Might was able to infer that there were several limitations to that escape ability, which gave him a bit of relief. Although Kai was incredibly powerful—and even seemed to have grown stronger after fighting those spiders—the fact that he still had limitations meant he wasn’t 'all-powerful.' He was still human, a human who could be stopped if he ever went down the wrong path.

“Can I go with you?” Ryuko asked in a somewhat uncertain voice, hoping to have at least a moment alone with Kai to talk. The young man with blue eyes shook his head and replied.

“No, I need to go unnoticed, and I do that better alone.” Kai turned to look directly into Ryuko’s blue eyes and added in a low voice, one All Might couldn’t hear, though it was filled with seriousness.

“But we’ll have a talk in private afterward.”

“…”

Ryuko nodded silently, biting her lip, but after a few seconds, she took a deep breath, and her expression turned resolute. At that moment, she began massaging Kai with more dedication. Meanwhile, Tomoko set the now-empty basket of fries aside and, using a white cloth, gently wiped Kai’s lips with a cheerful smile—earning a smile from her beloved in return.

...

After some time—during which Shino, Chatora, and All Might discussed what they would say to the police—Kai finished healing Mirko, Edgeshot, and Ryuko. He made sure that they, along with Kamui Woods, wouldn’t wake up too soon, since they needed to regain consciousness at sea to avoid suspicion.

“Well, I won’t take long. I’m going to make some preparations.”

In the high-fenced yard of the Pussycats’ agency, Kai spoke with Salem—now in her smallest form—resting on his shoulder, a box in his right hand, and what looked like thick chains wrapped around his torso. Shino, who was standing alongside All Might and the others in front of Kai, commented with a small smile on her face.

“We’ll be waiting for you.”

“Kai-shonen. When could we see each other again after this?” At that moment, All Might called out in a serious tone, catching Kai’s attention. Kai replied calmly.

“Don’t worry, I already have you scheduled in.”

Upon hearing the response, All Might’s eyes widened slightly. He had seen firsthand how terrifyingly strong the blue-eyed boy had become on that island—so strong he was able to kill the humanoid insect with a single 'blow,' and that creature would have been a serious challenge even for him in his prime.

All Might had assumed the young man would be proud and arrogant by now, thinking himself capable of handling anything. That he wouldn’t need him to protect his family. And since he had always been critical and cautious toward Kai, All Might believed it was almost certain the boy would regret ever trying to give him his powers back. After all, he was well aware that—directly or indirectly—he would end up being a thorn in Kai’s side.

“Don’t look so surprised. My word carries weight, and since I made a promise, I’ll keep it. Besides, the situation hasn’t really changed—there’s no such thing as someone invincible in this world.” Seeing the surprise on the Symbol of Peace’s face, Kai spoke in a calm voice, which led All Might to look at him with thoughtful eyes and say.

“I really do have a tendency to judge you too quickly, Kai-shonen.”

“Well, you’re old. That’s normal.” Kai replied casually, then looked up at the sky and added.

“But let’s talk later. Let’s finish this as soon as possible.”

At that moment, Kai crouched down and jumped, launching himself into the sky at high speed. After kicking off the ground several times to reach a height where no one could see him, Kai activated the [Shadow Cloak] card, which transformed into a cloak that fully covered both him and Salem.
As he recalled what he had seen in the memories of the monster woman, Kai continued to kick off the air, “flying” toward the sea without being detected by anyone.

…

After some time, Kai arrived at the spot where he had first entered Spider Island. He quickly landed on the water and pulled the cord on the box, which caused a small raft to inflate. Once the raft was floating on the surface, Kai used the thick chains as a kind of anchor, then picked up Salem and placed him gently on the raft.

“Wait for me a few minutes. I’ll return to the base and send the others.”

Salem, clearly unhappy with the arrangement, meowed in protest as he stared out at the endless sea, sounding full of indignation and frustration. Kai chuckled a little, and as he gently stroked the small cat’s head, he spoke in a calm voice with a slight smile on his lips.

“Don’t worry. As a reward for your excellent work this time, not only will you get a feast of all-you-can-eat food, but I’ll also create an Accomplice for your girlfriend Tama and build you a house just for the two of you so you can be at peace with her.”

Salem quickly looked up at his master and meowed, his blue eyes shining, which made Kai laugh. He playfully shook the cat’s head and replied.

“Alright, it’ll be a big house where you can live with lots of females to build your own 'pride.' We can even build it together, so it’ll be just the right size for you.”

Upon hearing the promise, Salem meowed contentedly, and after rubbing his head against his master’s hand a couple of times, he began to circle around the raft before finally lying down to sunbathe.

“What a weird cat I have, haha.” Kai commented with amusement, at which point Sage materialized beside him and spoke with a cheerful smile.

“He grew up with you, Master—so you’re just reaping what you sowed.”

“I say it was Momo and Nejire who made him that way. Can’t you see how intelligent, grounded, and mature I am? Nothing like that stupid cat.”

Kai said with a playful tone as he summoned the Magnetic Force card, prompting a small giggle from Sage, who covered her lips with her hand and responded in a teasing voice.

“Especially the ‘grounded and mature’ part—that’s definitely what everyone remembers most about you.”

“I like your honesty, Sage. Those are exactly my defining traits.” Kai said with a cheeky grin, which made Sage roll her eyes playfully. At that moment, Kai held the card up in front of him and activated it with a tired voice.

“[Magnetic Force] on! [Pussycats’ base]!”

As his black cloak vanished, Kai was enveloped in a sphere of light and shot up into the sky, soon arriving once again at the base. The Pussycats and All Might were waiting, each carrying an unconscious person in their arms. Kai quickly walked over to them and activated the Accompany card under All Might’s curious and surprised gaze.

“[Accompany] On! [Salem]!”

Soon, the group was enveloped in a sphere of light and shot up into the sky—something the Symbol of Peace watched in astonishment. Kai’s abilities really seemed more like magic than anything else, each one stranger than the last. Meanwhile, Ryuko and Shino gently rested their heads on Kai’s arms, while Tomoko buried her face against his back.

Upon landing, the group fell onto the inflatable raft, which rocked violently. At that moment, Salem leapt onto Kai’s shoulder. Keeping his balance on the raft, Kai yawned tiredly and said.

“Alright, see you later. If anything weird happens, just call me.”

“Don’t worry about us. We’ll just have to answer some questions and file reports. You should focus on resting.” Shino said with a concerned expression. Tomoko quickly added with a sunny smile.

“Get lots of sleep, Kai! I’ll try to leave as soon as I can to keep you company!!”

“You deserve a break, Kai. Get some rest and leave the rest to us.” Chatora added with a calm smile, to which Kai nodded.

“Alright, but don’t hesitate to call me. See you later—at home.”

After speaking, Kai gave a small jump and kicked off the air, rising into the sky and flying away—something All Might watched with slight confusion, not understanding why he didn’t use that strange ability of his to travel. At that moment, Shino—who knew that Kai was probably just messing with the Symbol of Peace—spoke in a calm voice.

“I’ll contact Command so they can come pick us up.”

After receiving unanimous nods, Shino jumped into the sea with Ryukyu in her arms, soaking herself to make the story more believable, and then got in touch with the police base acting as the central command for the operation. The others quickly followed her into the water. At that moment, Chatora destroyed the raft and let it sink into the sea along with the chains.

…

In the living room of Kai’s mansion, Nemuri, Momo, Nejire, Yumiko, and Keiko were all sitting together—some reading, others typing on laptops. But one thing they all had in common was the nervous expression on their faces and the way they occasionally glanced toward the garden, as if expecting something to happen.

At that moment, a light landed in the center of the garden, prompting the beautiful women to immediately rise and rush outside with anxious expressions. As they ran, they saw the light fade away, revealing Kai in a sweat-drenched athletic outfit, with Salem perched on his shoulder.

“Hey…”

Seeing the girls, Kai raised his hand and greeted them with a small smile. But in that instant, he was tackled by Momo, who leapt into his arms with all her strength. Not wanting to hurt her, Kai didn’t resist and allowed himself to be pushed down onto the grass, landing with a beautiful woman in his arms. Salem casually walked over to Tama, who was softly running out of the house.

Before Kai could say anything, Momo grabbed his cheeks and asked, staring straight into his eyes.

“How are you, Kai? Did something happen? Where are the others?”

“They stayed behind to give the report. I’m going to play ‘dead’ for a few days…” Kai explained with a small smile, but at that moment, Nemuri appeared above him. Without saying a word, she knelt down on the grass and gave him a sweet kiss on the lips.

“I was really worried… It’s good to see you’re okay.” Nemuri said with a warm smile on her lips, looking more beautiful than ever.

“My turn!”

At that moment, Nejire shouted enthusiastically and knelt down in front of Kai’s head, then gave him a gentle kiss. Soon after, she stood up looking satisfied, and Kai felt a soft tug on his shirt. Looking down, he saw a beautiful Momo gazing up at him with wide, tender eyes—almost demanding something.

“Come here.” Kai said with a smile, which brought a joyful grin to Momo’s face as she quickly leaned in to give him a sweet kiss.

But Momo’s sweet kiss soon turned into one filled with passion—until a fake cough echoed through the area, snapping her out of her daze. Turning her head toward the back, she saw Keiko and Yumiko standing there with smiles that were somewhere between amused and awkward, causing a subtle blush to appear on the girls’ faces.

“Let’s head inside first, so you can tell us what happened more calmly.” Yumiko said in a serene voice as she crossed her arms beneath her ample chest. The others simply nodded and stood up, following the beautiful mothers into the house.

Chapter 231: They’ve come for us.

Chapter Text

--Saturday, May 30, 2172

Inside the house, Kai sat in a large armchair, with Nemuri and Momo sitting on either side of him, intertwining their hands with his. Meanwhile, Nejire stood behind the chair and hugged him around the neck with a huge smile on her face. Seeing her daughter’s smile, Yumiko could only shake her head, at which point Keiko looked at Kai and asked with a small smile.

“How did it go? Was anyone hurt?”

“You could say it went well. Chatora was injured, but I healed him, and once he returns, I’ll treat him with Angel’s Breath so he doesn’t suffer any lasting effects.” Kai said in a tired voice as he rested his head on Nejire’s large, soft breasts. For her part, Nemuri turned to look at Kai and asked with concern.

“Was it that difficult?”

“Quite a bit.” Kai nodded and explained. “We fell into the spiders' traps a couple of times, and at the end there was a pretty tough fight. Luckily, everything turned out fine in the end, and we wiped out all the spiders. There are several videos on the server so you can see in more detail what happened.”

“We’ll watch them later.” Nemuri nodded and reached out to touch Kai’s cheek, which was a little sticky from sweat, then added with a small smile.

“For now, let me prepare a nice bath to wash off all that sweat so you can sleep peacefully. You look exhausted.”

“I made you something to eat with Mrs. Yoshiko. You must be hungry.” Momo added, squeezing Kai’s hand with a smile that reflected her frustration at not being able to help more. Nejire quickly kissed the top of Kai’s head and said.

“Then I’ll get your bed and a super comfy pajama ready!”

“Thanks… I do feel a bit tired.” Kai said, mid-yawn. Nemuri gently stroked Kai’s cheek, then gave him a soft kiss on the forehead and said.

“I won’t be long.”

“I’ll go to the kitchen!”

Momo gave Kai a quick kiss on the cheek and exclaimed as she ran off to the kitchen to find Mrs. Yoshiko. Meanwhile, Nejire kissed Kai on the head before running upstairs, calling out cheerfully.

“Mom! Cover me up being a pillow for Kai!”

“Fufu, see you in a moment.” Nemuri looked amused at the surprised Yumiko, then calmly walked upstairs behind Nejire.

At that moment, Keiko left the stunned Yumiko behind and sat next to Kai, gently pulling him so his head rested on her soft, elastic breasts. Stroking Kai’s face lightly with her fingertips, Keiko made him close his eyes as she spoke in a warm, affectionate voice.

“You must have pushed yourself really hard… Those silly Pussycats only know how to get you into trouble…”

“Although it was troublesome that they were there, in the end, it actually turned out to be a good thing…”

With his eyes closed, Kai spoke in a soft, almost whispered voice. Yumiko, who had gotten up from her spot and sat on the other side of the couch, asked somewhat worriedly as she lifted Kai’s legs so he could lie down on the sofa. Meanwhile, Keiko adjusted herself so Kai could rest comfortably using her as a pillow.

“What happened?”

“At the end of the fight, there was a moment when I was attacked by a strange spider, and I was knocked out for a few seconds. If the others hadn’t been there to distract the rest, I might not be here…”

Upon hearing Kai’s words, Keiko’s expression visibly paled. She quickly unzipped Kai’s tracksuit jacket and began checking his body hastily, visibly worried and urgent, as she asked.

“What happened to you? Are you hurt?”

“No… I’m fine… in the end, nothing happened…”

Kai replied in a soft whisper, allowing Keiko to remove his jacket and the shirt underneath. Meanwhile, Yumiko finished taking off Kai’s shoes and socks, then began to gently massage him to help him relax, speaking in a voice filled with conflicting emotions.

“Even though I know it was necessary to deal with those spiders, my heart screams that I shouldn’t have let you go… The idea that something could have happened to you terrifies me…”

“What’s done is done… things turned out well… that’s all that should matter…” Kai said in a slow, whispering voice, gradually drifting off into sleep.

Keiko, having confirmed that Kai had no injuries, let out a sigh of relief—but soon bit her lower lip in frustration. After a few seconds, the beautiful black-haired mother let out a heavy sigh, then embraced Kai and kissed his head softly, speaking in a fragile voice.

“Be very careful, Kai… If something were to happen to you… I don’t know what I’d do… I couldn’t bear it…”

“Sorry… I’ll do better in the future…” Kai opened his eyes, turned his head to look at Keiko, and spoke in a serious voice. Keiko gently guided Kai’s head back onto her chest, kissed his cheek tenderly, and replied in a soft voice.

“I know… You’re the best of all, just a little stubborn and reckless… But that’s the Kai I love so much…”

“Thank you…”

Kai whispered his thanks, making Keiko smile. She tapped his cheek gently with her index finger before hugging him warmly. At that moment, Yumiko rested Kai’s feet on the couch, leaned in close to his face, kissed his cheek, and spoke in a soft, loving voice.

“We’ll always be waiting for you at home… Don’t leave us behind…”

“That could only happen if I die—and I’ll do everything I can to make sure that doesn’t happen.” Kai looked at Yumiko and Keiko and spoke with a serious and confident tone. The two mothers smiled beautifully, then responded in unison.

““We know.””

Realizing they had spoken at the same time, Keiko and Yumiko looked at each other and laughed in amusement. While Yumiko returned to massaging Kai’s feet with care, Keiko gently helped him close his eyes and spoke in a soft, almost whispering voice.

“Get some rest. I’ll wake you when Nemuri has the bath ready…”

………

On a large inflatable raft, Mirko lay completely soaked and unconscious. Suddenly, the rabbit heroine’s ears began to twitch, and she abruptly sat up, scanning her surroundings with sharp eyes, ready to fight.

Surveying the area, Mirko spotted the Pussycats sitting alongside All Might, all of them wet, their suits and armor damaged. In addition to them, she also saw Ryukyu, Edgeshot, and Kamui Woods lying unconscious not far from her. But no matter how hard she looked around, there was one person missing, causing her heart to tighten.

“What happened? Where’s the boy?”

Mirko quickly asked in a somewhat hoarse voice, which made the Pussycats and All Might exchange complex looks. That silent exchange only made the rabbit hero’s heart tighten even more, prompting her to raise her voice and ask again.

“Where is the boy?!”

“Uh… well… Saito stayed behind—”

Tomoko tried to speak, clearly uncomfortable about having to lie to someone so visibly worried. But before she could finish, Mirko jumped off the raft and started swimming at high speed, prompting Shino to urgently send her a telepathic message.

[What are you doing, Mirko?! Come back!!]

“I’m going to find the boy!!”

Mirko didn’t bother replying telepathically—she simply shouted as she swam even faster. Seeing that Mirko was determined, Shino looked at the others, and after they nodded in agreement, she sent a telepathic message to the rabbit heroine.

[Calm down, Mirko. Kai is safe.]

Hearing the seriousness and certainty in Shino’s "voice," Mirko stopped swimming and turned to look back at the raft, which she had left far behind. She then sent a message using the mental link that had formed.

[What happened? Where is the boy?]

[Kai wants to pretend to be ‘dead’ to avoid questions about his power, but he’s fine, don’t worry,] Shino replied with a serious tone, which brought a confused expression to Mirko’s face. She responded.

[Why go through all that trouble?]

[Kai doesn’t want to be a hero, and because he’s so powerful, he’s afraid politicians will target him.] Shino summarized the reasons, which only deepened Mirko’s confusion.

[And that’s why he’s pretending to be dead? Wouldn’t it be easier to just become a hero? That way he could even find strong people to fight every now and then.]

[Although you’re a little bit right, things aren’t that easy… ] Shino replied with a complicated expression, prompting Mirko to shake her head and say.

[So the boy’s one of those…]

Mirko began swimming back toward the raft, at which point Shino asked with a slightly concerned expression.

[I told you because I saw how worried you were, but I hope you won’t mention it…]

[Don’t worry, I won’t say a thing. If the boy wants to play dead, let him. It’s none of my business.] Mirko replied calmly, allowing Shino to let out a small sigh of relief before sending another telepathic message.

[Thank you, Mirko. I know this will be troublesome for you, but you just have to say you don’t know what happened to ‘Saito.’ We’ll simply say he stayed behind and never came out, so it’s likely he died inside.]

[Got it… and what happened with the spiders?] Mirko asked as she climbed back onto the raft, completely soaked. Shino replied with a calm expression.

[They were neutralized.]

Mirko nodded toward Shino, then fell silent on the raft. After a few minutes, Edgeshot, Kamui Woods, and Ryukyu woke up with a start and began looking around. Seeing the sea around them, the heroes were quickly able to piece together a mental image of what had happened—but one question pounded in their minds: Where was the man in the black armor?

“What happened to the spiders? Where are ‘Saito’ and the panther…?”

After a few seconds, Edgeshot could no longer hold back his curiosity and asked seriously while looking at the Pussycats. All Might was the one to answer, with a calm and firm voice.

“The spiders were exterminated, but Saito stayed behind on the island...”

Hearing the response, Edgeshot couldn’t help but study the Pussycats and All Might with a sharp gaze, unsure whether to believe them or not. Though all of them looked tired and battered, they appeared unusually calm and composed—enough for the ninja hero to easily suspect they were lying. Still, Edgeshot said nothing. He simply stared silently at the calm sea for a few seconds, then spoke in a quiet voice.

“I see… I hope he made it out.”

Upon hearing Edgeshot, the Pussycats looked at him with a hint of surprise, while Ryukyu and Kamui Woods silently nodded. They didn’t know if what was being said was true, but one thing was certain: they were all alive and well thanks to that man in the black armor. He healed them, guided them, and even fought the most terrifying spiders on his own.

Though his power was overwhelming—and his variety of abilities even more so—they were experienced heroes who had seen a lot throughout their careers. So they were fully aware that the man, despite not being a pro hero, wasn’t exactly a villain either. He was more like a vigilante… or something along those lines. After all, even the Symbol of Peace was willing to cover for him—and if there was one person who could never be mistaken for a villain, it was him.

For that reason, they saw no need to antagonize him directly—especially when they owed him their lives. If the man wanted to play dead and remain mysterious, that was fine by them. Although they would still keep their guard up—power like his couldn’t be ignored.

If the man in black armor ever decided to cause harm, it would be truly disastrous. Perhaps only the Symbol of Peace could stop him—and to Ryukyu, Edgeshot, and Kamui Woods, it was painfully clear that the Symbol of Peace had grown weaker.

…

“Any more questions?”

Amid the awkward silence caused by All Might’s answer, Tomoko asked with a slightly mischievous smile, already imagining what her fellow heroes were thinking. Kai was far too cautious and pessimistic to realize it, but she knew better. Kai was practically a force of nature—so strong it was demoralizing. No hero would want to go against him without a very good reason.

Heroes risked their lives every day—no one knew better than they did that it was always best to avoid a fight when possible. And Kai wasn’t just strong—he also possessed one of the rarest and most valued abilities among heroes: the power to heal. As long as Kai didn’t directly threaten people, most heroes would rather have him as a friend and ally than an enemy.

That didn’t mean Kai’s concerns were unfounded, though. The idiots who never risked their lives and only gave orders from behind a desk wouldn’t think the same way. They really might try to get their hands on Kai. After all, Tomoko—being a renowned pro hero—had dealt with enough foolish politicians trying to manipulate her to know exactly what they were capable of. She even knew of some who had actually fallen for their tricks.

“Were the spiders really exterminated?” Ryukyu asked All Might seriously, to which the Symbol of Peace gave a solemn nod.

“Yes. Although it will be necessary to maintain strict surveillance along the nearby coasts in case any managed to escape, the strongest and most dangerous ones were all killed.”

“That’s a relief…” Ryukyu replied, letting out a sigh of relief—just as the sound of helicopter rotors echoed in the distance, drawing the heroes’ attention in that direction.

“Looks like they’ve come for us…” Chatora spoke with a slightly hoarse voice.

Chapter 232: A little devil.

Chapter Text

--Saturday, May 30, 2172

In the middle of the main hall of the Saito mansion, Kai slept peacefully in Keiko’s arms, who had a warm smile on her face as she gently caressed the young man’s sleeping face. At that moment, Nemuri came down the stairs and walked over to the sofa, where she softly touched Kai’s cheek and spoke in a gentle voice.

“The bath is ready.”

“Why don’t we let him sleep a bit…? He’s really tired…”

Yumiko, who was checking her phone with Kai’s legs resting on her lap, looked at Nemuri and spoke in a low voice. Nemuri hesitated for a few seconds as she looked at the sleeping Kai, but just then, Kai’s eyes fluttered slightly before opening. Still looking quite drowsy, Kai spoke as he pulled away from Keiko.

“I’ll take a bath and eat before going to sleep… I spent a lot of energy…”

“Let me help you!!”

At that moment, Nejire jumped down the stairs and announced, full of energy. Everyone turned to look toward the staircase, where they found Nejire with a beautiful smile on her face, wearing a light-blue bathrobe that suggested she had nothing on underneath. Before anyone could say anything, Nejire ran toward Kai, took one of his arms, pulled him toward her, and spoke with a grin.

“Just like old times, this Onee-chan is going to wash you, Kai-chan!”

Like a whirlwind of energy, Nejire quickly scooped up the sleepy Kai as if he were a princess and dashed upstairs, leaving Nemuri, Keiko, and Yumiko staring at each other completely speechless. After a few seconds, Nemuri chuckled softly and spoke with genuine cheer.

“Fufu, it’s impossible to get bored with Nejire around.”

“… I feel like I should be worried… but nothing’s coming to me…” Yumiko remarked with a slightly conflicted expression as she looked toward the stairs, which made Keiko and Nemuri laugh. The beautiful black-haired mother stood up and spoke in a calm voice.

“What’s the point in worrying at this stage? Things are the way they are, so let’s not overthink it and just go with the flow. Everyone’s happy, and that’s what matters.”

“You know, I never expected to hear you say something like that.” Nemuri commented, looking at Keiko with a hint of surprise. Keiko looked back with a smug smile and replied as she started walking toward the stairs.

“I’m still annoyed that you all got involved with my Kai behind my back, but in life, you have to make concessions, and Kai’s peace and comfort are worth any price.”

“How mature of you…”

Yumiko rose from the sofa and spoke in a playful tone as she watched Keiko climb the stairs, who simply waved dismissively and continued on her way. At that moment, Nemuri turned to Yumiko and spoke in a calm but warm voice.

“Even though I’ve said this a few times, I never get tired of saying it. Thank you for letting me be so happy.”

“There’s nothing to thank me for.” Yumiko smiled at Nemuri. “Like Nejire says, it’s better to be a happy weirdo than a depressed normie. For now, let’s just keep moving forward. I want to see where this takes us.”

“Thanks.” Nemuri smiled happily, while Yumiko went back to checking her phone. After putting it away, Yumiko looked at Nemuri and spoke with a smile.

“Stop thanking me already; it gets annoying. And take care of the family; I need to step into the office for a moment.”

“Leave it to me.” Nemuri replied with a smile, to which Yumiko waved her hand and walked toward the mansion’s garage.

Once Yumiko disappeared through the door, Nemuri stared at it for a few seconds before laughing in pure happiness. Soon, she began to walk toward the stairs with incredibly light steps, as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

When she reached the second floor, Nemuri walked straight to Kai’s room and opened the door as if it were second nature. A playful smile instantly spread across her face. The room was filled with the soft scent of relaxing incense and was dimly lit, with only a projection of a starry night sky on the ceiling.

What truly made Nemuri smile, though, was the bed—on the floor, there was a trail of rose petals leading to the bathroom. Meanwhile, on the bed, there were several adorable plushies shaped like every member of the family: Kai, Nejire, Momo, Shino, Ryuko, Tomoko, Chatora, Keiko, Yumiko, Nemuri herself, and even Salem and Tama. Nejire had really gone all out.

With a cheerful smile, Nemuri walked toward the bathroom, which had its door wide open. Inside, she saw Kai in the bubble-filled bathtub, half-asleep, while Nejire—wearing a beautiful light-blue bikini—was gently washing his shoulders with a soft sponge.

“Need a hand?” Nemuri asked in a sing-song tone, catching Nejire’s attention. The latter turned with a bright smile.

“I’ll leave the hair to you!”

“Leave it to me…”

Nemuri replied playfully, quickly unfastening the straps of her gray cloth overalls, which slid down her smooth skin to reveal comfortable blue boyshorts under her white blouse. After removing the blouse, Nemuri was left in a simple but comfortable blue lingerie set. She neatly placed her clothes on a nearby shelf before walking lightly toward the tub.

“Wow, bold much!”

Nejire remarked, glancing at Nemuri—even though her underwear was plain and not particularly seductive, her body seemed crafted to spark desire in anyone, making her look incredibly sensual regardless. Nemuri chuckled and replied as she grabbed the shampoo from a nearby shelf.

“It’s nothing; it’s just underwear.”

“You’re super mature, Onee-chan! Will I be like that too?” Nejire asked with shining eyes, not stopping her washing of Kai’s arms. Nemuri replied calmly while lathering Kai’s hair, who was more asleep than awake.

“Of course, it’s part of growing up. Naturally, you start caring less about some things and valuing others more. It’s part of life. Though, some things never change.”

“That’s true. I feel like I’ll never stop loving Kai, no matter how much time passes…” Nejire said softly, contemplatively, before looking at Nemuri with doubt.

“Do you think I’m obsessed with Kai?”

“Maybe, but I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing.” Nemuri met Nejire’s gaze with a smile. “I don’t have much experience myself, but Alisa used to say that a woman’s love always involves a certain level of obsession. We’re so emotional that if we don’t live our love to the fullest, we’ll never feel satisfied. And she was a very renowned therapist, so she knew what she was talking about.”

“If Aunt Alisa said so, then it must be true… And thinking about it, I’ve always kept Kai in my heart, and I’ve never felt unsatisfied…” Nejire reflected aloud, momentarily stopping her washing of Kai. But soon her eyes lit up again, and she smiled at Nemuri.

“Maybe obsession makes me happy.”

“Fufu, if you’re not hurting anyone, be happy. Life is meant to be enjoyed.” Nemuri replied with a smile, to which Nejire nodded enthusiastically. At that moment, a woman’s voice came from the bathroom door, drawing both women’s attention.

“Alisa, though she was a great therapist, had some rather ‘controversial’ opinions, so take her words with a grain of salt.”

Keiko, standing at the door in a sensual red nightgown, spoke with an amused smile at their surprised expressions. Confidently, she walked toward the bathtub, where Kai was nodding off, and added in a calm tone.

“Though I do think she had a point about the obsession…”

“Why did you change…?” Nemuri asked with a hint of surprise, eyeing Keiko’s nightgown. Keiko looked her up and down and shot back with a smile.

“Well, it’s been a long time since I slept with my Kai. And since I imagine you two plan on doing it, I don’t see why I shouldn’t as well.”

“Then it’ll be a pajama party! I’ll tell Mom!” Nejire exclaimed full of emotion, her eyes shining with a hint of mischief. Nemuri shook her head and explained.

“Yumiko went to the office.”

“Oh, that’s a shame… I wanted all of us to sleep together…” Nejire said, slightly disappointed, which made Keiko laugh. After gently touching Kai’s cheek and getting a sleepy, glassy-eyed look in return, Keiko spoke with a small smile.

“I’ll go check how Momo’s doing with the food. Even if he’s exhausted, it’s not good for Kai to eat something too heavy before bed.”

After speaking, Keiko left the bathroom at a relaxed pace, prompting Nejire and Nemuri to exchange a look of mixed confusion and surprise. After a few seconds, Nejire asked in a doubtful voice.

“Onee-chan… Do you think…?”

Although Nejire didn’t finish her question, Nemuri knew exactly what she meant—Keiko seemed to be sending strange signals. While nothing explicit had been said, any woman could see that Keiko had certain ‘ideas’ and was testing the waters. But instead of worrying, the realization thrilled Nemuri so much she had to press her thighs together and brace for a change of underwear.

The thought of her Kai enjoying an ‘oyakodon’ while she looked away was so taboo and immoral that it made her mouth water. The idea of a beautiful, experienced mother teaching her innocent daughter step-by-step how to please the man of her life was a scene she felt she needed to witness at least once. The orgasm it would give her would be unforgettable—probably on par with her first time.

Still, as tempting as it was, Nemuri preferred never to realize that fantasy if it meant hurting her Kai or any of her ‘sisters.’ Their relationship was too beautiful to risk over a mere fantasy, and Momo could be seriously affected—not to mention Kai or even Nejire. It was something she had to handle very carefully.

“I don’t know, but… does it bother you?” Nemuri, calming her arousal, looked at Nejire and asked cryptically while subtly covering Kai’s ears. Nejire replied with an unusually sly smile.

“On the contrary, it might help convince Mom.”

Hearing this, Nemuri couldn’t help widening her eyes in shock, then asking in a low voice, feeling her body melt and her underwear completely soaked.

“You… with Yumiko…?”

“Fufu, it’d be interesting, don’t you think? Life would get several times more fun.”

Nejire’s smile was a mix of lust, cunning, and mischief—a stark contrast to her usual innocent, bubbly demeanor, almost like she was another person entirely. But her words only made a lustful, ‘wicked’ grin spread across Nemuri’s face as she whispered, feeling a trickle of viscous liquid down her thigh.

“You’re quite ‘naughty,’ fufu. I like you.”

“I just want to enjoy life. If we’re all happy, then we’re doing things right!” Nejire replied with an innocent, cheerful smile, making Nemuri laugh. She reached out to brush a strand of blue hair from the girl’s face and spoke with a small smile.

“You’re a little devil. But be careful—people’s hearts are fragile and unpredictable; don’t push too far.”

“Don’t worry, it’s just an idea. If it happens, great, but if not, life’s already plenty of fun as it is.” Nejire replied happily, making Nemuri nod in satisfaction. Seeing that Kai had completely fallen asleep in the tub, Nemuri smiled.

“Well, let’s not neglect Kai. Let’s finish up.”

“Yes!” Nejire replied with a bright smile and renewed energy as she resumed washing Kai.

…

After washing Kai’s hair, Nemuri and Nejire quickly finished washing the rest of his body, then dressed him in dark shorts and a white sweatshirt before laying him on the bed. At that moment, Kai’s stomach growled loudly, making them laugh.

“Even asleep, he’s hungry, fufu.” Nejire said playfully. Nemuri then gently nudged Kai while calling to him in a tender voice.

“Kai, eat a little; the food downstairs should be ready…”

After a few minutes, Kai finally opened his eyes and still a bit lost, got up and began walking out of the room. Nejire and Nemuri quickly supported him and helped him downstairs. When they reached the dining room, the three found Momo setting plates on the table with Mrs. Yoshiko, while Keiko sipped a glass of wine in one of the chairs.

Without saying a word, Kai began eating quickly, still half-asleep, which worried Momo greatly. She immediately started cleaning and helping him, quickly joined by Nemuri and Nejire. After eating his fill, Kai fell asleep right there at the table, bringing affectionate smiles to the girls’ faces.

“Let’s take him to bed.” Momo said with a smile, wiping Kai’s mouth with a white cloth. Nemuri quickly nodded.

“Leave it to me.”

She promptly picked Kai up from the table and carried him upstairs, followed by Momo and Nejire. At that moment, Keiko set her wine glass aside and headed toward the stairs, leaving Mrs. Yoshiko, who calmly began cleaning everything up with a serene smile on her face.

Chapter 233: Five major projects.

Chapter Text

--Sunday, May 31, 2172

Before the first rays of sunlight appeared in the sky, Kai began to open his eyes, at which moment an uncomfortable headache struck him. As his expression twisted in discomfort, Kai opened his eyes fully and looked around, finding a scene that brought a somewhat strange smile to his face.

Around him were his beautiful girlfriends, sleeping in different positions alongside plush toys representing every member of the family. To his left were Momo and Nejire, with Momo resting her head on his shoulder and Nejire hugging his leg as if it were a pillow. Meanwhile, lying on his chest were Shino and Tomoko, sleeping as if they were some kind of giant cats.

Further down was Ryuko, who was using the inner part of his right leg as a pillow. But what surprised Kai was the scene to his right. There lay Nemuri, sleeping on his shoulder in a similar way to Momo—but just behind her, using his forearm as a pillow, was someone unexpected: Keiko.

After looking at Keiko sleeping with a peaceful, serene expression and a subtle smile on her face, as if she were having a pleasant dream, Kai turned his gaze back to his girlfriends, a hint of concern appearing on his face.

(Now how am I supposed to get up…?)

[Shall I help you with Mystical Palm, Master?]

At that moment, Kai “heard” the voice of his reliable assistant in his mind, prompting him to quickly lift his gaze. Floating above him was the beauty with tiny wings, smiling warmly at him. Pleased with his dependable assistant, Kai nodded and sent a message through the mental link they shared.

[I’ll leave it to you, Sage.]

[Leave it to me, Master.] Sage showed a beautiful smile as she replied, then flew over to each of the girls and touched them with her small hands.

Once Sage finished, Kai began to move gently to free his arms and legs, eventually standing up with Shino and Tomoko in his arms, whom he then placed in the spot where he had been lying. Beside the bed, Kai started stretching with slight discomfort due to his headache, but at that moment he noticed that Shino’s nightgown had ridden up to her stomach.

(Looks like Shino took the no-underwear rule in the house seriously…)

With a smile somewhere between amused and surprised, Kai shook his head and adjusted Shino’s gown, then covered her with a blanket and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead. After giving one last look at the beautiful women, Kai took a metallic-looking belt from the nightstand and quietly left the room, walking lightly to avoid making noise.

Upon reaching the first floor, Kai was greeted by Mrs. Yoshiko, who was already perfectly dressed in her uniform and holding a silver tray with a steaming cup of coffee on it. The uniform consisted of an elegant dark blue shirt decorated with floral patterns, long black trousers, and an apron matching the shirt.

“Good morning, Mrs. Yoshiko.” Kai greeted her with a casual smile as he took the cup of coffee. Mrs. Yoshiko brought the tray to her chest and bowed respectfully as she returned the greeting.

“Good morning, Mr. Kai.”

“Did anything happen while I was away?” After taking a sip of the delicious coffee, Kai looked at Mrs. Yoshiko and asked casually. Mrs. Yoshiko shook her head and replied in a serious, formal tone.

“No, sir, only two minor matters. This afternoon my niece will be coming, as she will be my replacement next week, and there is a small error with my payroll receipt.”

“An error?”

Kai remarked in surprise and looked at Sage, who was sitting on his shoulder without bothering to hide. The fairy quickly created a holographic screen in front of Kai, displaying the full payroll receipt. Mrs. Yoshiko nodded with a calm expression and explained.

“Yes, sir, there’s a rather sizable extra bonus.”

Looking over the payroll receipt, Kai quickly reached the end, where indeed there was a bonus listed for hundreds of thousands of dollars, but without any additional explanation. Kai immediately understood what it was about, so he looked at Mrs. Yoshiko and explained with a smile.

“It’s not an error—it’s my gift for your vacation. The girls have also prepared some things; they’ll give them to you later.”

“Something like that isn’t necessary, Mr. Kai. I didn’t do anything to deserve that money.” Mrs. Yoshiko replied in a serious tone. Kai took a sip from his cup with a smile, then began walking out of the house as he spoke in a playful tone.

“Too bad. It’s already in your account, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Now all that’s left is for you to buy yourself something nice in my name.”

“…”

Mrs. Yoshiko watched Kai’s back with a helpless expression as he left the house, then shook her head and bowed respectfully. Once Kai had disappeared, Mrs. Yoshiko walked to the kitchen with a small smile on her face. Kai was always like that—always finding all kinds of excuses to give her money—which had, by now, made her wealthier than her own husband. And while the money itself didn’t matter, the gesture revealed how much he valued her.

…

“Sage.”

Soon, Kai arrived at his personal gym, calling out to his reliable assistant as he walked toward one of the treadmills. With a casual wave of her hand, Sage activated the entire gym, at which point heavy metal music began blasting through the speakers, bringing a smile to Kai’s face.

[Sage, make sure to run a full analysis on the samples we managed to collect from the tunnel.] While running at such an extreme speed that his legs looked like a blur, Kai spoke in a calm tone through his mental link with the fairy, who quickly replied with seriousness.

[I’m already on it, Master, and at the same time I’m analyzing the data we recovered from the ‘mother spider.’ But something important happened yesterday. The space spider we managed to capture woke up inside Alcatraz’s Nen space and tried to escape using its powers. Although it failed, 4% of your aura was used to make it to sleep by force.]

[It tried to escape?] Kai looked at Sage in surprise. The fairy nodded and created a holographic screen filled with data.

[Here’s a summary of what happened.]

[It seems Alcatraz’s containment isn’t infallible. We need to be careful from now on.] Kai sent the message in a serious tone while reviewing the data with a focused expression. Sage nodded and replied.

[Indeed, Master. We’ve never had ‘something’ this powerful in containment before, so it’s possible that Alcatraz’s isolation has a limit.]

[Hopefully that limit is tied to my strength…]

Kai remarked in a reflective tone as he brought his right hand up in front of him. At that moment, he recalled the strange phenomenon of his aura merging with his Haki, so he quickly activated [Gyo] in his eyes and focused his aura into his right arm.

To his eyes, his aura ceased to be white and instead turned into a kind of deep, dark blue. Filled with curiosity, Kai closed his eyes and focused on his own “voice,” seeking to find his mini-self, who soon appeared in his mind. But to his surprise, instead of sitting in a lotus position, the mini-self was clumsily imitating his movements, running in a somewhat comical manner.

[The mini-self has changed quite a bit…] Kai commented in a surprised tone. Sage quickly added with seriousness.

[Your physique has changed as well, Master. You are now stronger and more resilient. Also, the aura moves much faster, and while its ‘quantity’ hasn’t increased, it feels at least 40% more powerful. Now, in a one-on-one fight against Prime All Might, you would have the advantage, Master—though not by much.]

[I’ve gotten that strong…?]

Kai opened his eyes and looked at Sage with genuine surprise on his face. After all, even though he had defeated the humanoid insect in a single blow, that was because, after the fusion, he had been able to see that its “voice” was unusual. While it was much stronger than a Nomu, it was weaker than a strong human like Mirko—not to mention the Symbol of Peace—so he had the advantage thanks to his haki.

[For now, it’s only an estimate based on simulations I’ve been running while you slept, but reality shouldn’t be too far off.] Sage replied in a serious tone, prompting Kai to reflect. He spoke in a thoughtful voice.

[It’s obvious that the path forward to improve is to ‘merge’ at a deeper level with the mini-self, but… how do we do that?]

[It’s difficult to aim for something so specific, Master.] Sage said in a serious tone, drawing Kai’s attention before explaining as she created several holographic screens.

[So far, there have been three major changes in the mini-self. The first was when you practiced yoga for the first time, the second was during the first battle against the spiders, and the third was in the second fight. So it’s likely that either specific triggers are needed or a sudden shift in your emotions or mental state, Master.]

[I’d say it’s the emotions, but it’s hard to be sure…] Kai commented in a reflective tone but quickly shook his head and added with seriousness.

[For now, let’s just keep an eye on the matter in case there are any changes. We have much more important and urgent things to deal with. At the moment, we have five major projects in our hands. Number one, we need to find out where the spiders came from and who those lizard men were.

[Second, we need to perfect the Quirk Maker project to return All Might’s powers to him and strengthen the family. Third, we need to determine how those tunnels were able to interfere with my Observation Haki. Fourth, we have to study in detail the data we recovered from the spider to see if it also has Aura Script patterns in its genome.

[But the fifth is the most important of all—we have to officially begin the Inner Palace project. With what we saw on Spider Island, the space spider we captured, the Aura Script patterns, and the portal Nomu, it’s possible we have a good chance of creating the family’s final bastion. Also, we can’t forget there’s still that quirk thief to take down.]

[All noted, Master. I’ll begin a preliminary investigation and present the results to you as soon as possible.] Sage replied with utmost seriousness and commitment, which made Kai nod with particular satisfaction.

[You’re the best, Sage. Even though we have more work than ever, now that we’re stronger, we’ll find a way to make it happen.]

[…]

Hearing the praise, Sage fell silent and looked at her Master with a complex expression, as if wanting to say something but lacking the courage to do so. Noticing the expression on his reliable assistant’s face, Kai couldn’t help but look at her in confusion and ask aloud,

“Something wrong, Sage?”

“…Master… I…”

Sage looked at Kai and spoke with difficulty, but soon her words got stuck in her throat, leading her to bite her lower lip in frustration. Kai, now even more confused and somewhat concerned, asked without slowing his run.

“What is it, Sage?”

“…” Sage looked at her Master for a few seconds, then took a deep breath and, gathering her courage, spoke in a hesitant voice.

“Master, I made a grave mistake on the island, but the conversation was left unfinished.”

“Oh, you mean that.” Kai replied in realization and with a hint of relief, then waved his hand as if downplaying the matter and said.

“Don’t worry. I understand you were in a tight spot, forced to choose, and you made a decision with my survival in mind.”

“The reasons are irrelevant, Master. I disobeyed you, and that is an irrefutable fact.” Sage replied firmly, looking directly into Kai’s eyes, before adding in a voice full of fatalism.

“I am no longer fit to be your assistant, Master. I have failed you.”

“Oh, that’s right—we did talk about a punishment for your mistake.” Kai said casually before jumping off the treadmill and landing steadily on the floor. At that moment, Kai extended his open left hand toward Sage, then ordered with a smile.

“Come here, Sage. It’s time for your punishment.”

“…” Sage looked at her Master’s hand for a few moments but quickly gathered her courage and spoke in a firm, resolute voice, like a soldier marching toward certain death.

“Understood.”

Sage swiftly landed in her Master’s hand, and he gently took hold of her before turning her around so that her rear was exposed. The sudden movement left Sage stunned, but before she could say anything, she felt a light tap on her backside, prompting her to look back in disbelief.

With eyes so wide they looked ready to pop out, Sage saw her Master—an amused smile on his face—use his index and middle fingers to give her a quick but precise “spank,” leaving her with a strange sensation running through her whole body.

After five spanks, Sage was suddenly released by her Master, but she could barely stay aloft as she stared at him with nothing but sheer stupefaction on her beautiful face. At that moment, Kai spoke with a playful smile, genuinely amused by the expression of the lovely fairy.

“That was your punishment. If you make a mistake like that again, I won’t be so merciful.”

Speechless, Sage just stared at her Master with her mouth slightly open, completely at a loss for words and with her mind short-circuiting. Amused, Kai gave one last glance at the dumbfounded Sage before jumping back onto the treadmill and returning to his previous pace, once again drifting into his thoughts.

Chapter 234: I wish it doesn’t take too long. (R-18)

Chapter Text

Amid what looked like a cutting-edge biological laboratory, packed with state-of-the-art technology and different tubes filled with a greenish liquid in which all kinds of monsters could be seen. A man stood before a tube at the center of the huge place. His hands were behind his back, completely lost in thought.

"There's an urgent report from the top brass!"

Suddenly, a young man of about twenty, with bluish-black hair and a lab coat, came in holding what looked like a memory unit in his right hand. A bit irritated, the man looked over his shoulder and asked in a cold, calculating voice.

"What happened?"

"Near Japan, a pocket dimension full of spiders with multiple Quirks was discovered!" The young man explained without stopping his hurried pace, which made the man's gaze sharpen as he replied, deadly serious.

"Give me the data."

The young man quickly plugged the storage unit into a nearby PC tower, which caused different screens to appear around the man, showing various videos of heroes fighting giant spiders.

"These videos have been tampered with." The man said in an icy tone after only a few seconds of playback, which greatly surprised the young man, who quickly replied.

"Those videos were reviewed by three different teams, and all determined they were legitimate."

"The videos themselves are legitimate—the spiders and the heroes really were there. The problem is that man with the fox helmet and the blue-eyed panther. Although I can't detect what was changed, my Quirk tells me there's something false about them." The man said seriously, focusing his gaze on the man in black armor who was using a sword to cut down spiders. The young man quickly exclaimed with a serious expression.

"I'll report it immediately."

"Leave that for later. First tell me what information we have on that man with the fox helmet." The man demanded in a cold voice, shaking his head. The young man quickly took a tablet from his coat and began explaining in a serious tone.

"There's no concrete information about him. He isn't registered as a professional hero in any country, and nothing related was found in the database, but he called himself 'Saito' and was included in the mission at the express insistence of All Might."

"Saito…?" the man murmured under his breath, eyes fixed on the man with the fox helmet. He looked at the young man and asked firmly.

"Where is he now?"

"Unknown. The pro heroes testified unanimously that 'Saito' voluntarily stayed on the 'island' to cover their escape before the place collapsed, and there's a video to back it up, so he's been tentatively recorded as a casualty of the mission." The young man answered seriously while reading his tablet. The man looked again at the videos on the screen and commented gravely.

"That's probably a lie, but do we have data on the collapse?"

"There's only one video shot from far away."

The young man quickly manipulated the tablet, and one of the screens changed to show a video taken from the sea, where the man with the fox helmet could be seen cutting spiders left and right. Meanwhile, horrible spatial fractures began to appear in the air.

"This video is almost completely fake." the man said seriously, then looked at the young man and ordered.

"Dig up whatever you can on this 'Saito.' There's much more to this story."

"Two teams have just departed to investigate the site, and a preliminary investigation into 'Saito' has already begun, but I'll file a request to raise the priority level."

"…"

Hearing the response, the man fell silent and simply nodded as he turned to look at one of the tubes on the left, where what appeared to be a humanoid lion could be seen.

…
…
…

--Sunday, May 31, 2172

With a distant expression and a subtle blush on her face, Sage followed Kai as he went through his entire daily workout routine with Salem, who arrived at the gym about an hour later. Sage's mind wandered through the unfamiliar emotions and sensations brought on by that "punishment," something that amazed her greatly. But then her expression sharpened, and she quickly reported in a serious tone.

"Master, it's just been confirmed that the movements on the net pointing to people gathering information about 'Saito' are organized efforts by at least six different groups."

Hearing the announcement, Kai—who was showering with Salem after the strenuous round of exercises—smiled wickedly and spoke in a pleased voice.

"Perfect. Keep an eye on the most persistent ones and watch the area around the island's last known position. There will be many interested in confirming the information, and if there's any organization that had some kind of connection with the lab in the ancient city, they'll definitely try to learn more."

"Understood, Master. I've already identified one of the groups as people connected to the security office, but there are two that are particularly stealthy. I would have missed them if not for the latest upgrade to the server park." Sage said seriously as she created holographic screens in front of her master. Kai reviewed the data for a few seconds, then commented in a calm tone.

"Looks like there are capable people out there… Start revealing the 'decoys.' Confuse them to the point it looks like 'Saito' deliberately tried to pass himself off as me to create a distracting bluff. We need to know what their priority is—Saito or the spiders."

"Initiating plan [Deception Maneuver 3-B], Master." Sage replied in a serious tone as her wings glowed at high speed in different colors. Kai stepped out of the shower and put Salem in his dryer, then commented with a flat expression.

"We need to get better with the names, Sage."

"I'll keep that in mind, Master, but I don't think you should get your hopes up…" Sage replied with a slightly ironic tone, to which Kai could only sigh in resignation before starting to dry off and get dressed.

...

Soon, Kai returned to the mansion, and upon entering, he found Momo coming down the stairs, stretching lazily still in her pajamas. When she saw Kai at the door, Momo flashed a beautiful smile and quickly approached her beloved with small, excited hops, like a little girl bubbling with joy, greeting him with a singsong voice.

"Good morning…"

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" Kai smiled and greeted her back, but as Momo reached him, she jumped up to wrap her arms around his neck and initiated a tender kiss.

Feeling her beloved's hand around her waist, holding her firmly, Momo's heart melted, driving her to hug him even tighter, almost wanting to merge with him. Soon, a strange heat began to fill her completely, causing the passion and intensity of their kiss to surge dramatically while her cheeks flushed.

Falling victim to a primal desire rising from within, Momo, feeling her clothes were in the way, quickly slipped her hands under Kai's shirt, touching his skin directly. At the same time, almost unconsciously, she jumped and wrapped her legs around his waist, allowing her to feel something hard and hot pressing against her sensitive spot.

As if a dam had broken, Momo felt her special place flood while a wave of pleasure coursed through her body, leaving her ecstatic. Completely consumed by desire, she began moving her hips to rub against her beloved's waist while, in the midst of their passionate tongue battle, she brought her hands to her top, wanting to tear it off.

Just as the buttons of her pajama top were about to give way, Momo felt Kai grab her backside with one hand, causing a seductive moan to escape her lips and her neck to arch back involuntarily. At that moment, she felt one of Kai's hands wrap around hers, and his breathless voice echoed near her ear.

"Are you sure? Do you want to go further right here with everyone in the house?"

"…"

Moving her hips gently again, filled with desire, Momo looked at Kai with an expression brimming with lust and indecision. On one hand, her girlish heart longed for something more special and romantic, but on the other, her primal instinct craved to become a woman right then and there.

Just as Momo wrestled with her feelings and desires, Kai suddenly initiated a passionate kiss, tossing all of her worries out the window. She surrendered to her desire without caring about anything else. Though it wouldn't be as she had imagined, Kai was the man of her life and her lifelong husband; as long as it was with him, the moment and place didn't matter.

As Kai climbed the stairs, Momo tugged hard at her shirt, ripping the buttons and freeing her large, round breasts to the world. In the middle of their kiss, she gently squeezed her delicate, pink nipples, causing a stifled moan to escape as the movement of her hips intensified.

But feeling it wasn't enough, Momo pulled away from Kai and, holding her breasts as if presenting them to him, looked at his lips and then at her erect nipples with a desire-filled expression. Just then, she heard a door opening, making her glance around a bit startled, but upon realizing they were now in her room, her desire soared to its peak, and she spoke in a heavy, lustful voice.

"Kai… Suck them…"

Without a word, Kai closed the door with his foot and quickly took one of Momo's erect nipples into his mouth. Feeling the warm, wet sensation on her nipple, Momo let out a seductive moan and tightly hugged her beloved's neck, pressing his head into her massive chest, nearly as large as his head.

"Kai… I need you… Make me a woman… your woman…"

As a gush of love juices sprayed from her lower half, soaking her pajamas and Kai's clothes, Momo announced between seductive moans, but at that moment, she felt herself falling, only to land on something soft and familiar—her own bed.

Seeing herself on her bed, Momo felt a flicker of panic in her heart, finally realizing she was about to become a woman. But as she looked at her beloved gazing at her with desire and the prominent bulge in his wet pants, she cast everything aside and, with one swift tug, pulled off the shorts of her pajama set.

Wearing only a pair of comfortable, soaked pink panties, Momo spread her legs and, staring at her beloved with practically hearts in her eyes, spoke in a heavy, lustful voice.

"Take me…"

Like a beast, Kai launched himself at the sensual Momo, initiating a passionate kiss and sliding one hand toward her wet panties. Pushing the panties aside, Kai revealed her tender, pristine, and tight vagina, then located her small clit and began to stimulate it.

As if a bolt of lightning were coursing through her, Momo started writhing while letting out stifled moans, soaking the sheets with her love juices. At that moment, Kai broke their kiss and leaned close to her small ear, whispering in a heavy voice.

"…My precious Momo deserves a first time just as she dreamed, so let's wait a little longer…"

Hearing this, Momo turned to look at her beloved in surprise and lust, just as he lowered his head to her exposed chest and began sucking on her beautiful nipples with just the right force, triggering another orgasm.

…

After some time, Momo, utterly exhausted and wearing only completely soaked panties, clung to her beloved and buried her face in his chest, whispering in a voice full of love and delight.

"Thank you, Kai… Even if I wouldn't have regretted it, having a special first time is a memory I want to cherish for life…"

With a smile on his face, Kai kissed Momo's head and replied in a soft, affectionate voice.

"It'll be as you wish. Since you want to give me such a special moment, it's my duty to fulfill all your desires."

"Fufu, then I wish it doesn't take too long." Momo looked up and commented in a playful, cunning voice, making Kai laugh as he replied with a smile.

"Your wish is my command."

"Let's take a short vacation next weekend…" Momo said in a soft, sleepy voice. Kai responded in a calm, almost lulling tone.

"I'll prepare something nice. Let me know if you have a place in mind or something special."

"I'll tell you later…" Momo replied in an even sleepier voice before falling completely asleep on her beloved's chest.

After a few minutes, Kai got up with Momo, quickly changed the blankets, cleaned her with a towel, and tucked her comfortably into bed. After giving the sleeping Momo a tender kiss on the forehead, Kai left the room while using his aura to calm his raging erection.

Just as he touched the doorknob, Kai sensed with his 'Haki' that Shino had woken up and was leaving her room, making him hesitate for a second about stepping out. After a brief moment, Kai decided to face things head-on and opened the door. Given their relationship, hiding anything made no sense; if Shino got upset or something, he'd deal with it then.

"Good morning."

As he left the room, Kai saw Shino and greeted her with a hint of discomfort, prompting her to look him up and down with some surprise. Noticing his wet pants, disheveled shirt, and messy hair, Shino immediately understood what had happened.

With a small smile, Shino began walking toward her beloved boyfriend, swaying her hips like a serpent, soon reaching him. With a lustful expression, Shino brought her lips to Kai's ear and, as she pulled down his pants, whispered in a seductive voice.

"Your little slut wants some love too…"

Releasing her beloved's erect "dragon," Shino smiled with satisfaction and lust, then turned around and bent over slightly, lifting her short nightgown to reveal her wet, ready vagina. Spreading the folds of her moist pussy with her index and middle fingers from below, Shino looked at Kai with an expression full of desire and lust, sending a telepathic message.

[Your exclusive flesh bath eagerly awaits your love to bless it and satisfy your needs in it. Show no mercy, just shove it in and come; that's all your exclusive slut desires.]

Without holding back, Kai grabbed Shino by the elbows and penetrated her hard, causing the pro hero's beautiful face to contort in pleasure and depravity. At that moment, she sent another message while biting her lips as hard as she could to avoid moaning.

[I love you so much, Kai!! Don't hold back, unleash all your frustration into my womb, it exists only to be used by you, fill it up, remind it once again that you are its only owner!!]

Chapter 235: Maybe I’m cut out to be a villain.

Chapter Text

--Sunday, May 31, 2172

“So, how did it all end?”

In the middle of a large bathtub, Kai asked Shino in a calm voice as she snuggled in his arms with a pleased, cheerful expression. Letting her head fall onto her beloved’s chest, Shino replied in a slow, lazy voice.

“A little different from what you expected. Everyone deliberately avoided talking about your powers and only highlighted your important role as a guide and that, thanks to your efforts, we were all able to come back alive.”

“That was really unexpected…” Kai commented, slightly surprised. Shino, with a happy smile, took Kai’s hands and brought them to her chest as she spoke in a placid voice.

“Actually, everyone is very grateful to you and hopes to work together again in the future, so as long as you’re not a villain, they won’t deliberately attack you.”

“I see…” Kai replied calmly, then squeezed Shino a little tighter. But at that moment, Kai sensed through his 'Haki' that the others were starting to wake up, so he remarked with a relaxed smile.

“The others woke up. It’s time to get out.”

“Mmm… I wanted to stay like this a little longer…”

Shino replied reluctantly, but after a few seconds she let go and stood up, leaving her sensual, curvy body fully exposed. As she stepped out of the bathtub, the beautiful heroine remembered something, so she looked at her beloved and said with a lovely smile.

“By the way, Tomoko is eager for her date, so don’t make her wait too long.”

“Don’t worry, I have something in mind.”

Kai answered with a smile as he got out of the bathtub. With a little hop, Shino came up to Kai and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips, then stepped away and grabbed a bathrobe as she added brightly.

“Do something cute.”

After Shino left the bathroom, Kai dried himself with a towel, at which point a set of new athletic clothes floated into the bathroom, courtesy of Sage. After putting on clean clothes, Kai left the room—one of the unassigned ones—and headed to his workshop. Since the U.A. kids weren’t coming today, he planned to spend most of the day working.

…

After a few hours in the workshop, Kai pushed off the table in front of him, sending his ergonomic chair rolling backward, and stretched lazily, then left the workshop to look for breakfast. As he stepped through the door, Kai was intercepted by Salem, who quickly leapt onto his shoulder and meowed, demanding something, so Kai spoke with an amused smile.

“Don’t worry, your feast will be tonight, and tomorrow we can start building your house.”

Hearing his master, Salem meowed contentedly, then jumped and landed softly on the floor in front of Tama, who had just come up to Kai. After a casual meow, Salem took the white cat by the scruff and jumped back onto Kai’s shoulder, where he set her down, then hopped to his master’s other shoulder.

As Tama settled on Kai’s shoulder, Salem meowed as if asking something. Kai spoke in a casual tone as he walked toward the mansion.

“Let’s do Tama’s Accomplice this afternoon.”

Salem meowed in approval, then rested calmly on Kai’s shoulder as he entered the mansion. Soon, Kai found his whole family gathered in the dining room, while Mrs. Yoshiko and Momo arranged various dishes piled high with food.

Seeing Kai arrive, Momo smiled, visibly smitten, and ran to him. After giving her beloved a tender kiss on the cheek, Momo took his arm and led him to the main chair, which drew a suspicious look from everyone present. Something seemed to have changed with adorable Momo.

“You’re very happy this morning, Momo.” Yumiko commented with a motherly smile as she looked at the young woman, who couldn’t help blushing a little and cheerfully replied.

“A little.”

Yumiko and Nemuri couldn’t help but chuckle softly, while Keiko looked at her daughter and at Kai with a hint of surprise. Almost unconsciously, the beautiful mother subtly licked her lips—a gesture that Shino, who was right in front of her, saw from the front row. With a surprised expression, Shino turned to look at Nemuri and Ryuko, who returned a look that said they were aware.

But Shino couldn’t help noticing that Ryuko looked unusually downcast and kept sending occasional glances at Kai, who looked back at her calmly. With a sigh, Shino joined the quiet conversation that everyone had started, until Momo finished filling the table with food and sat down, officially starting breakfast.

………

After breakfast, Ryuko followed Kai to her room with heavy steps and an apprehensive expression. Ryuko felt like she was walking to the firing squad; after all the time they’d been in their beautiful relationship, this was their first real fight, and it had been her fault.

That fact filled Ryuko with fear—she didn’t want to damage the relationship or be pushed aside—and thanks to her inexperience in love, she didn’t know how to handle the situation.

Entering the room, Kai took a chair and sat in front of the bed, which he pointed to with one hand, signaling Ryuko to sit across from him. With heavy steps, Ryuko walked over and sat down with her head bowed, wanting to be anywhere else but there. At that moment, Kai began to speak in a serious tone.

“I imagine you’re wondering why I’m talking to you alone when I also have to talk to Chatora about what happened.”

Ryuko shook her head and, in a soft, guilty voice, spoke without daring to raise her gaze to meet her beloved’s blue eyes.

“…No… I understand. It’s because I’m your woman, and I should support you, but I didn’t… I’m sorry…”

“That’s part of it, but the real reason is something else.” Kai said calmly, which made Ryuko lift her head to look at him with a touch of worry and panic. In the same calm voice, Kai looked into Ryuko’s blue eyes and explained.

“Even though on the island you tried to subtly force my hand in favor of the other heroes, it’s not like I don’t know who you are. You’re a pro hero, and therefore you’ll always try to save others, even if you have to sacrifice yourself or your relationships.”

Hearing Kai, Ryuko tried to speak, but although her mouth moved, no words came out. Even though she wanted to deny it and swear that Kai was the most important thing in her life and that she wouldn’t sacrifice their relationship for anything in the world, she couldn’t.

As much as she truly loved him with every last piece of her soul, she could never let someone die in front of her eyes knowing she could do something to prevent it—her conscience would never allow it.

“Don’t strain yourself; I understand you. I grew up with you; I know what kind of person Ryuko Tsuchikawa is. Between a stranger’s life and her partner’s trust, the pro hero Pixie-Bob will always choose to save a life.”

Kai spoke in a neutral, measured voice as he looked at Ryuko, who couldn’t help biting her lower lip hard, seeking physical pain to distract her from the ache in her ‘heart.’

Feeling sad and helpless—since Kai was practically breaking up with her—Ryuko hugged herself as tears began to run down her cheek, but at that moment she felt a warm hand on her face.

“Don’t cry. I don’t intend to hurt you; I just want to point out that we have worldviews that are completely incompatible with each other.”

As Kai wiped away her tears, Ryuko looked at him with a calm expression on his face and a small smile on his lips, while a sharp pain pierced her chest. With a trembling hand, Ryuko took Kai’s hand on her cheek and asked through tears full of pain and hopelessness.

“Why is it so hard for you to be a hero, Kai…? Why do you refuse so much to help the needy? Why? Is it because of Iron Palm?”

“Although my father has something to do with it, the real reason is something else—it’s something much more ‘fundamental,’ so to speak.” Kai replied evenly, then lifted his gaze and began to explain in a thoughtful voice.

“It’s not like helping someone would kill me, and I’m certainly not a being without empathy. I can’t be a ‘hero’ because of a mix of two things. First, I’m fully aware that people see kindness as weakness. If you’re too ‘kind,’ they’ll take advantage of you, take what you give for granted, and demand it as if it were their ‘birthright.’

“You only have to look at how many good pro heroes, police officers, and the like are criticized, sued, and repudiated because they didn’t arrive in time, made a mistake during an operation, or something like that. Those they saved at the risk of their lives not only don’t thank them, they blame them for not doing it the way they wanted. And of course there’s never a shortage of people looking to profit.

“So, since I don’t want to live through something like that, and I certainly don’t need to be a hero to live, I prefer not to get involved—and that’s not to mention that fame doesn’t appeal to me much. But the second thing that keeps me from being a hero is something that comes from the deepest part of who I am. Under no circumstances would I be willing to sacrifice what I love for someone I don’t know.”

Kai lowered his gaze and focused on Ryuko’s beautiful, slightly surprised eyes, then added in a firm, resolute voice.

“I will never sacrifice you. You are my priority, above everything. If to save you I had to sacrifice the lives of innocents, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second. I will always protect my family against anyone and anywhere—no exceptions, no doubts, no delays. I owe nothing to anyone but you, my family. I owe you what I am, and in return I give you my love and my care.”

As Ryuko’s eyes widened slightly and she squeezed his hand, Kai showed a slight smile and added in a softer voice.

“I once read somewhere that a true hero is capable of sacrificing the love of his life for the good of the world, while a villain is someone who can sacrifice the world for his ambition. Maybe I’m cut out to be a villain… because I wouldn’t hesitate to destroy everything to protect you.”

Feeling her heart clench tightly, Ryuko squeezed Kai’s hand on her cheek as she looked at him with tears in her eyes. She didn’t know what to say—moved and scared in equal parts—so after a few seconds, all she could do was leap forward and cling to him with all her strength. While hugging Ryuko, Kai spoke in a more serious tone.

“That’s why I want you to think very carefully and make a decision. I’m not a hero, and I never will be, so I don’t want you to try to change my mind anymore, nor try to push or manipulate me into saving others.

“If I see it’s feasible to help, I will, but if I think doing so puts you in danger, I won’t lift a finger. So if you’re okay with what I am, I’m more than happy for us to stay together and continue our relationship, but if not, it’s best that—”

“No!” Ryuko didn’t let Kai finish and announced in a tearful voice, then pulled back from him and added as she looked straight into his eyes.

“I don’t want to break up with you, darling. I love you from the depths of my heart, and I can feel your love too. Even if we’re different and don’t agree on this, I want to stay by your side, no matter if we argue, fight, or get angry.

“I want to stay by your side, be your woman, enjoy your love and your care; I want to take care of you and support you; I want to be an important part of your life. So I have nothing to think about—I choose to stay with you, and I promise I’ll do everything I can to understand you and support you.”

“Are you sure? In the future something similar—or worse—than what happened on the island could happen, and you might end up seeing me leave someone to their fate.”

Kai said with a serious expression, which made Ryuko bite her lip hard. But after just a few seconds, the blonde hero looked her beloved in the eyes and replied.

“My calling is to be a pro hero. Just like you said—that’s what I am. So, since I’m the hero, I’ll be the one to save others. And even if at some point I make you angry again, I want you to know that I love you with all my heart.” Ryuko brought her forehead to Kai’s and added in a sincere, tearful voice.

“Our relationship is the most beautiful and valuable thing I have in my life, and if you give me the chance, I want to stay by your side until the very last day… Would you give me that chance, Kai? Would you allow me, as I am, to share my life with you…?”

“How could I say no to my Ryuko?” Kai said tenderly. Ryuko let her tears fall and spoke in a moved, happy voice,

“Thank you, darling… I really love you…”

As Ryuko began a tender kiss with her beloved behind the door, five beautiful women who had been holding glasses to the door let out sighs of relief and looked at each other with joyful smiles. After nodding, the beautiful women slipped away quietly, wanting to give the newly reconciled couple a bit of privacy.

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