Chapter 230: It’s good to see you’re okay.

--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.

***

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