"They really do look alike…"
As she exclaimed, Sage simultaneously displayed on a screen a graphical representation of the genetic interaction network based on the raw data Kai had been studying, along with a visualization of the Aura Script pattern he had mentioned. This made it clear that part of the Aura Script pattern shared a significant similarity—around 45%—with the genetic network, both resembling electrical circuits combined with strange runes.
"Do you think it's just a coincidence…?"
Staring at the holographic display before him, Kai couldn't help but ask in a low voice, not believing his own words. After all, the resemblance was far too strong to be mere coincidence. In response, Sage shook her head and replied in a serious, analytical tone.
"Hard to believe, Master. And don't forget—the abilities that Drider had were quite similar to yours. And there were also those conditional webs... Somehow, those spiders seemed to possess derivative abilities from yours, almost like a copy…"
"… This is really making me uncomfortable, Sage. There's something about those damned spiders—something I seriously don't like. No matter what, I need to go back to that place as soon as possible." Kai said with a voice full of solemnity, feeling as if he were standing before a monumental secret hidden behind a thin veil.
"But we don't know what else might be there. What we saw could've just been the tip of the iceberg…"
Sage replied with evident nervousness, visibly reluctant to return to that place. After all, the pain of seeing her master defeated and on the brink of death had been too much to endure even once, let alone again. In response, Kai spoke in a serious tone, his gaze fixed on the Drider's genetic interaction network.
"While there may be a larger, more powerful female spider, I still doubt they have much combat power left beyond those we've already killed. Otherwise, they would've sent them to finish me off, and I wouldn't be standing here right now. Still, don't worry—although I plan to return, I want to be better prepared first. That place is a complete mystery, and who knows what else might be hidden there."
"I understand, Master…"
Sage answered with clear reluctance, obeying her master solely out of unshakable loyalty—the same loyalty that made her question whether or not she should show him the video of Keiko. She knew him well; he would rather not know. But hiding it didn't seem right either. As doubt filled her mind, the beautiful fairy heard her master speak again in an incredibly serious tone.
"Sage, there's something I can't get out of my head. Let's try restructuring the [Kokuto] pattern based on the Drider's data."
"Understood, Master."
Without delay, the graceful fairy responded and operated the computer in front of her master to open and configure all the custom tools they had developed for crafting Aura Script patterns. At that moment, Kai began to work with intense concentration, assisted by Sage in every way he required.
Aura Script patterns were unique; each one designed much like a microprocessor, following a set of rules and limitations that had been discovered over the years through trial and error.
Each pattern had a specific function—such as the one named [Kokuto], which was named in honor of the legendary black swords born from the Haki of the most powerful and mythical swordsmen.
The function of the [Kokuto] pattern was quite simple: it significantly enhanced the durability, hardness, and other mechanical properties of aura constructs that mimicked metal. Additionally, it greatly improved the conduction of Haki, Aura, and—most notably—electricity, while also amplifying them by a small margin. This was, in fact, the very pattern used by all the common swords Kai conjured.
…
After two hours of uninterrupted work, Kai completed a restructured prototype of the Kokuto pattern. Though it still had differences compared to the Drider's data, its similarity had increased to nearly 70%. At that point, Kai leaned back in his ergonomic chair and gave an order in a voice filled with a strange amalgam of emotions—ranging from curiosity to apprehension.
"Sage, run the simulations."
"Immediately, Master."
Upon replying—with a voice that now sounded somewhat like her master's—Sage instantly utilized nearly all available computational power to run billions of simulation iterations, testing the performance of the new Kokuto pattern in various ways. Her wings glowed like a kaleidoscope as she worked, until, after a while, Sage spoke—her voice now filled with sheer disbelief.
"Master… overall performance increased by 32.6%..."
Upon hearing her response, Kai couldn't help but take a deep breath, utterly shocked. Though one of the possible outcomes in his mind had been some improvement, he had never imagined it would be so staggering.
After all, the Kokuto pattern was the result of years of work and refinement—now considered its 'stable' and most efficient version, with little room for short-term improvement. Or at least, that's what it was supposed to be. This inevitably led Kai to voice his doubts.
"Is there someone else with abilities like mine? Is Aura Script more than just a way to enhance my aura? Could that damned monster have just been a Nen beast? Could it be that Alcatraz didn't register it as defeated because of that? Is there someone even more terrifying on that demon island…?"
As thousands of questions swirled through Kai's mind at an ever-increasing speed, Sage quickly began analyzing the Drider's full data set, focusing especially on the parts that showed similarities to the genetic data from the portal Nomu. She then projected graphical representations of the results onto holographic screens and spoke in an incredibly serious tone.
"Master, what if we tried creating an Aura Script pattern based on the Drider's data to stabilize teleportation...?"
Hearing Sage's words, Kai immediately stopped his string of murmured doubts and turned to look at his trusted assistant, eyes full of surprise. He was stunned for several seconds before his mind finally calmed down enough for him to reply in a soft voice.
"That sounds like a good idea…"
…
…
…
Upon arriving at the mansion, Chatora parked the car in the garage, and the group walked together to the medical room to check on Kai's condition. However, the nurses there quickly informed them of the good news—Kai had awakened. This prompted the team of pro-heroes to sprint at full speed toward the mansion, where they found Eva deeply focused on something on a computer while her little one watched TV.
"Eva, is it true Kai's awake?! Where is he?!" Ryuko asked, visibly rushing and jogging in place to keep her momentum. Her sudden outburst greatly startled Eva, who quickly looked up and responded.
"I-I don't know, but I saw the others upstairs."
""""Thanks!!""""
The group of heroes shouted their thanks in unison in English before dashing up to the second floor at superhuman speed. Once there, they split up to check the different rooms, with Ryuko taking the task of checking Momo's and Nejire's rooms, which were right next to each other. When she reached Nejire's room—the first one—she quickly knocked and called out urgently.
"Kai?! Are you in there?!"
"He's in the workshop now, but come in—we want to talk to you."
The calm voice of Keiko came in response, which for some reason made Ryuko feel a little uneasy. There was something about her tone that didn't sit right with her, but she couldn't just run away either. So, she quickly opened the door while apologizing, feeling a twinge of disappointment that Kai had locked himself in the workshop—she had wanted to see him as soon as possible.
"Sorry…"
As she opened the door, Ryuko found herself in a spacious and elegant room decorated mainly in pink, filled with hundreds of plush toys of various shapes and colors. There were even several plushies shaped like Kai in different outfits—one of them even wearing the U.A. uniform. Behind the large double bed covered in pink blankets stood a massive smart window, darkened in a soft pink hue that matched the rest of the room's aesthetic.
But what truly caught Ryuko's attention was on the bed full of plushies: Keiko and Yumiko sat with their daughters resting their heads on their laps, gently stroking their hair. Momo and Nejire both looked utterly enchanted, their faces glowing with beautiful smiles.
"Hi…"
Not quite sure what to say, Ryuko spoke as she glanced around the room, feeling oddly apprehensive—something she quickly attributed to her earlier conversation with Chatora. At that moment, Yumiko pointed toward what looked like a small pink dining area in one corner of the room, where several plush toys were seated on the chairs. She then spoke in a calm tone.
"Take a seat—there's something we want to talk to you about."
Feeling her heart race, Ryuko nodded silently and closed the door behind her before walking over to one of the chairs—where a large chibi-style plush toy was sitting. It had an enormous head, short limbs, and no matter how she looked at it, it was clearly Kai dressed in All Might's hero costume. The sight nearly made Ryuko burst into laughter, but the strange tension she could sense from Keiko and Yumiko made her hold it in.
Carefully placing the plushie on the table, Ryuko took the chair and moved closer to the bed, occasionally casting discreet, questioning glances toward Momo and Nejire. They smiled at her reassuringly, as if to say everything was fine—which did nothing to calm Ryuko's nerves. She sat down quietly and looked at the two mothers, just as Keiko asked in a calm tone.
"Where's Shino?"
"…Looking for Kai… she should be here soon…"
Hearing the question, Ryuko's heart skipped a beat. She responded with a tense voice, closely studying the expressions on the mothers' faces. They looked incredibly calm—perhaps too calm—which made Chatora's warnings echo in her mind over and over.
"Well then, let's wait a bit for her to arrive. It's better if we all talk together." Yumiko said calmly as she gently stroked her daughter's silky hair.
Meanwhile, Momo and Nejire couldn't help but giggle a little at Ryuko's worried expression. They found it so amusing that they decided to play a small prank by staying silent. After all, they had just finished a heartfelt conversation with their mothers, openly expressing their feelings, how happy they were, and their thoughts about the future.
During a pleasant group bath, the girls had talked about their dreams and their relationship—something their mothers received with warmth and joy, showing no sign of rejection or judgment. This made the two young women incredibly happy; they felt like they were on cloud nine. They were with the man they loved, and their mothers accepted and supported them—that was exactly what they had dreamed of, everything they needed to be happy.
Curiously, and perhaps due to the way Kai had expressed himself, their mothers had come to the mistaken conclusion that they already had an active sexual life with him. As a result, they began explaining contraceptive methods and the precautions they needed to take. They even emphasized how important it was to be clear about their boundaries and aversions in that area and to never stay silent—otherwise, they might end up unhappy or frustrated.
Despite feeling embarrassed, the two beautiful girls chose not to correct the misunderstanding and listened attentively to their mothers. After all, even if it wasn't the case now, they would eventually begin their sexual life with their beloved—and it might happen sooner than they had originally thought.
Seeing Kai in such a fragile state made them realize that every day was precious. They loved him, desired him, and wanted to properly consummate their relationship—they wanted to strengthen their bond and feel the security of a stable relationship. Above all, they didn't want to live with regrets if something ever happened. After all, they had spent years fantasizing about their first times, and they wanted to make those dreams come true as soon as possible.
Time continued to pass in awkward silence for Ryuko, who could do nothing but imagine countless possibilities while studying the expressions of the four others present, trying to find any kind of clue. Eventually, hurried knocks sounded at the door, accompanied by the voices of Shino, Chatora, and Tomoko calling out in unison.
"Ryuko, Nejire, is Kai there?!"
Hearing the voices of her teammates, Ryuko gently clenched her fists and sat up straighter in her chair, while small smiles appeared on Keiko and Yumiko's lips. At that moment, Keiko spoke out loud in a calm tone.
"Kai is in the workshop—he'll come out for dinner. But come in, Shino, there's something we'd like to talk to you about."
***
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