Chapter 133: What really happened at sea?

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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