Chapter 12: Kame… Hame…

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.