"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.
***
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