Chapter 40: It’s better if you don’t name it

"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.