"Is it the reunion which happens in the climax of a film?" Knuckleduster asked as he saw the scene of Kaina sobbing on Shido's chest while embracing him. But he got no answer from others as they were too perplexed by what they were seeing.
Danjuro looked at Knuckleduster and Knuckleduster looked at Danjuro and then they remembered something at the same time. Danjuro was the first one to speak.
"Kaina-san was looking for a guy named Shido and we thought she was searching for someone related to Night Slash but in actuality, she was searching for her lost brother but by some coincidence, her lost brother happens to be Night Slash. So in a way our initial thought that she was looking for Chief, is correct." Danjuro said to Knuckleduster and he nodded after listening to the confusing explanation.
They all then looked at the scene transpiring in front of them.
"Kaina, What are you doing? Let go of me!" Shido squirmed a bit as he felt a bit uncomfortable in another woman's arms. But the opposite happened.
"I won't... This time I won't let you go!" said Kaina and tightened her embrace around Shido.
"We can talk... about whatever you have to say but let go of me first, it's getting uncomfortable," Shido finally pushed Kaina away from himself. Kaina had a look of disbelief on her face.
"Why? We use to hug all the time back when we were kids... Why is it getting uncomfortable now?"
When he heard this a confused expression covered Shido's face.
"What do you mean by 'all the time back when we were kids'?! I don't even know anything about you other than the fact that you were an Ex-HPSC Assassin." Shido's voice started rising. All of his composure that he held till now was crumbling. The frustration that he was holding back till now was coming out.
Announcement as a Hero, Fighting Phantom 5, Resignation of Team Members, Genesis' Claims of taking over his body, and Now this drama. All these things happening in one day was too much for Shido to handle.
Kaina then moved closer to Shido took his hand in hers, and caressed it. "Do you still not remember... Do you still not remember me? Do you still not remember anything about us?" Tears once again gathered in her eyes. She moved close to him.
"Are you playing games Shido-Nii and still pretending to not remember me? I am sorry. I promise I won't leave you this time... Please don't play these games... Please don't hate me anymore," Her voice cracked when she apologized to Shido as tears fell down her eyes.
Looking at the tearful Kaina, Shido - without saying anything - stormed off to his room with heavy steps. If she wasn't going to explain things and spew random bullshit at him then he had no time to listen to her. He just needed to talk to his daughters right now because that's the only source of relief he could think of.
Kaina saw his face before he left. Kaina was hurt by this action of his but what hurt her the most was that when he left, he had no expression on his face. It was like she didn't matter to him at all.
Kaina fell to her knees and broke down crying when Shido left. This shocked the teammates when they saw her crying like that. Kaina always had a serious vibe around her and they have rarely seen her smile or show any other expression other than hate towards HPSC. Seeing her cry like this really was a shocker for the team.
La Brava was quick to react and came out of her shock. She rushed to Kaina to console her. Knuckleduster and Danjuro didn't approach her as it would be inappropriate for them to do so. La Brava hugged Kaina's head and caressed her head. Even if Kaina was serious all day, she had developed a friendship with Danjuro and La Brava while working on the Evidence Formation.
La Brava had no idea what to say here as she has no knowledge of the history between Shido and Kaina. It was not her fault, even Shido himself is oblivious to that. While La Brava was racking her brain to find what to say, Knuckleduster spoke up.
"A guy just said he would take over his body and take away his family and in response, he couldn't even punch the guy. His mind is a mess right now. So leave him alone and give him enough space and time to sort the mess in his mind. If you want to try to talk to him again, do it after a few days," Knuckleduster suggested.
"There is no point in trying anymore... He hates me... This is karma hitting me back... I left him when he needed me the most and now he refused to even recognize me..." Her tears didn't stop. Everyone was confused about what she was talking about so they just nodded their heads to show that they understand what she is going through.
And like this, the Night Raid's Resignation Meeting concluded.
______________
After abruptly leaving the tearful Kaina behind in the living room, Shido went to his room and called Eri on her tablet. The call connected and the face of Eri appeared on his phone screen. She had a large smile on her face when she appeared on the screen.
Eri - :: Hello Papa!::
Shido - "Hello, Eri... Am I clearly audible?"
Eri - :: Yes Papa. All Clear::
Shido - "Hmm... Nice. Where is Himiko? Is she not with you?"
Just as he asked about Himiko, She popped up from Eri's back with a huge smile on her face. She stood in All Might's Signature pose and said,
Himiko - :: I AM HERE!::
Eri just lowered her head in embarrassment when her idiot sibling pulled something like that off while Shido laughed when he saw Himiko doing that.
Shido - "You are quite the All Might fan, Himiko"
Himiko - ::No. I am Night Slash Fan:: She then acted as she had a katana in her hands and then she made a slashing action :: You've been Night Slashed!::
This made Shido laugh again. He was right about talking to his daughters or else he would've to constrict all that anger and frustration inside him.
Shido - "So you too watched the fight?"
Eri - :: Yes. We also watched some analysis videos of the fight. Papa, Do you have Blood Manipulation, and Invulnerability?::
Shido - "No I don't have any powers like that... My actual powers are... you know, a bit complicated to explain. So maybe in the future, I will tell you about my powers."
Himiko - :: Papa, What happened to NRG? You defeated Jetstream, El Macho, and Breeze but we didn't see him getting defeated::
Shido - "He ran away... I wasn't able to hurt him physically as his body was made of energy I guess, but the fire extinguishers did a bit of damage to him. I will think of how to deal with him later but tell me where is Fuyumi right now?"
Eri - :: She is getting ready...::
Himiko chimed in,:: We are going to meet Mama's mama::
'Fuyumi's Mother...' Shido thought.
:: Eri, Himiko. Come, We have to leave right now:: Fuyumi called for Eri and Himiko.
Eri - :: Papa, I will call you later, okay? Bye Bye::
Himiko - :: Bye Bye::
Eri and Himiko said their goodbyes and the call disconnected. On the other side of the screen, Shido was looking at the black screen. His anger was calmed down but beneath that anger was this feeling which was nagging him constantly. He felt good after having this small conversation with his daughters but that bad feeling is still not out and is eating him from inside.
He slept off without thinking much, hoping that a good sleep takes away this feeling off him.
_____________________________
[Musutafu, Japan || 11 AM]
Fuyumi paid the fare to the taxi driver and exited the taxi with Eri and Himiko. Himiko being the energetic kid started looking around with a curious gaze and an open mouth. Well, She has rarely seen the outside world after Shido performed {Rewind} on her. Everything is new to her and thus, she is curious about everything.
Meanwhile, Eri being the conscious big sister, nearly facepalmed at the dumb look on Himiko's face. She moved a bit away from Himiko just so the people don't think she is with this little girl who looked around everything like a country bumpkin.
Fuyumi didn't notice this small detail and put the change in her purse. She then firmly held the hands of Eri and Himiko in hers and walked inside the Hospital.
After a brief talk with the receptionist, Fuyumi made her way towards the room her mother was in. During their small walk, the closer they got to the room, Fuyumi's grip on Eri and Himiko's hand increased. When they finally reached in front of the room, Fuyumi didn't enter right away, instead, she stood there for a few moments and took a very deep breath in.
She then exhaled that deep breath and knocked on the door. After a few knocks, She opened the door and went inside. This time Eri too was looking at everything with curiosity. Both the sisters with their heads looking up and with slightly open mouths were observing the entire room and then their eyes fell on a woman sitting on a chair and writing something on a piece of paper with a serene expression on her face.
She didn't turn to see who entered her room, instead, she continued writing. Fuyumi broke the silence by calling the woman.
"Mom..."
When the woman heard Fuyumi's call, She turned to her with a smile on her face.
"Welcome Fuyumi..." She welcomed her daughter with a small bright smile but then her gaze fell on the two little guests who came with Fuyumi. Seeing them holding hands with Fuyumi confused Rei Todoroki more and more. The only person Fuyumi brought to meet her was Fuyumi's Boyfriend, The Quirkless Guy with a Noodle Shop, Shido Kanzaki.
But today she brought these two little girls with her, Rei had some suspicion but she chose to ask straightforward rather than speculating probable cases.
"Fuyumi... Who are these little girls you've brought?" She asked Fuyumi.
"Mom... This is Eri," Fuyumi made Eri move a bit ahead of her, "This is Himiko," She did the same with Himiko. She then looked at Rei's face with a proud smile on her face.
"... and they are my daughters."
_____________________________
He thought the feeling will die down but he was proven wrong when he woke up. Things were the same as the last night with only one change, It is 4 AM in the morning. He looked outside the window and the nostalgic 4 AM-ish scene of dark sky with no stars came into his view.
He threw his suit in the Inventory and took out some casual clothes. After wearing his new apparel, he jumped out of the window for a walk outside as he thought some fresh air would clear his mind.
When he was walking down the road, he found that the entire street was desolate of any person and he was a lone person walking down the road. It was him alone on the road that was slightly lit by the streetlamps.
"Peace..." Shido muttered the word that he sees in these streets desolate of people.
With slow steps and a heavy heart, Shido continued his walk on the footpath. Various thoughts were going on in his mind but all of them were something on the lines of questioning himself and all the decisions that he took till now after his transmigration into this world.
'I transmigrated into this wonderful world with a wonderful power which would've made sure that I live a beautiful life. I was given a new start but I didn't use it to the fullest. I got a beautiful girlfriend, two adorable kids but I took it for granted and accepted Giran's mission. What am I doing? Fighting HPSC, Fighting Endeavor, Fighting Genesis, Just fighting. I became a Vigilante, I became a Hero but I never could become a good father for the kids or a good partner for Fuyumi...
Is this what Genesis was talking about? Always running away from choices. After spending a week with my family, If I would've stayed in Japan instead of coming here, I would be choosing to become a father over a Vigilante. But I chose to come here, balancing the scale between my Vigilante and Father role.
I say I like stability in my life but I am the only one who is burning it with the fire of instability. What an irony, You indecisive piece of shit! Shido... If you had a bit of brain inside you, you wouldn't have continued being a Vigilante after deleting files from HPSC Database but NO! You had to rescue Kaina to destroy HPSC. Destroy HPSC for what? I don't have any beef with them, then why? Fuck this Hero Complex of mine... I said I won't act on my Hero Complex but still, I did the same fucking thing! and I continue to do so again and again and again AAA! How fucking dumb a person can be? I am breaking records in being dumb!'
Shido - who was cursing himself in his mind and had no idea where he was walking to - found himself in front of a park. He went in and sat on a bench. When he sat, he looked at those desolate swings, and slides, the dark sky with no moon or stars, the silent park. Not even the sound of crickets was coming, It was dead silent. There, Shido was alone and was with himself.
He covered his face with his hands, 'Now when I have only 2 days to live, I am contemplating what I did wrong... Fuck, I did everything wrong the moment I chose to continue to my Vigilante side. I should've discontinued right after saving Eri from Overhaul. That would've saved me from all this mess of AVL, Being a Hero, Laws and Law Holders and now whatever Kaina's mess is'
While he was thinking, Caos appeared right in front of him in the park. Shido didn't raise his head after her appearance. She didn't think much about it and started doing what she came for.
"Greetings, Master. I am here to tell you what you would need to do to pass Phase II. You will have to find information about Master Genesis. It would be like those spy movies, where the protagonist searches for the antagonist and then pins their location. After this, there will be a final fight. I hope you pass with flying colors, Master. Were the instructions clear or do you want me to repeat them?" Caos gave Shido a general idea of Phase II and was about to leave after Shido's confirmation but she saw Shido didn't even raise his head after listening to the instructions.
"Master, Is everything okay?" She asked.
"Why would you ask that? You are my enemy..."
"I am a homunculus made out of [Law of Chaos] and am connected to its owners, thus helping me to serve them better. So I know what you are feeling right now... And it's visible on your face." She said and sat next to Shido on the bench. She then looked at the dark sky which was slowly receding back as the sunlight passed through the darkness.
"Do you know? When we are at our hideout, Master Genesis always talks about you. He talks about the information he gathered about your personal life and then how he admires you living two lives at the same time. A vigilante and a family man." Caos started speaking on a completely different topic to divert Shido's mind.
"If he admires me that much, then why he is playing all these games? He could've just passed the Law inside me and gone invisible for 3 days. Just like that, He would've gotten what he wanted without much trouble. Then why take this troublesome route?"
"It's simple. Because he hates you... a lot," Caos replied while looking at the sky.
"He hates you for the thing he admires you for. You live two lives at the same time and have everything without any consequence. You have a family... a happy one. You have a good relationship with your daughters, your girlfriend. Besides that, you live the life of a Vigilante, Kill Villains, and get a meager amount of fun in your mundane life. You have a body that can store 2.5 laws easily and the limit is not known yet.
Master Genesis thinks that There is a price to pay for everything a person gains. In his eyes, you have everything but he cannot see what did you pay for it. You never had to face any consequence of your choices and that makes him hate you more and more.
That's why he is playing these games with you. He wants you to do random stuff while knowing that you are going to lose it all after 2 days thus he chose this Movie type of game where Hero and Villain are fighting each other. He said you would look like a headless cockroach running around trying to find a way to save your life while there is no way to save your life."
"And what if I refuse to find him and play the Phase II?"
"He won't show up for Phase III and your body would be his with no effort. And do you know what he would do after taking over your body? He would continue being Shido Kanzaki and act as nothing happened. He would return to Japan and take care of your family. He said he would cherish them more than you could ever do. He even already has plans for the kids. After he saw Eri's performance, He said he would send Eri to Music School after she gets 8 years old and he wishes Himiko to develop an interest in the STEM field(Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) so he could get her into MIT but he would accept whatever she wants.
I think you don't remember the stakes of the game, Master. The stake is your everything you ever had."
Shido didn't ask how Genesis saw Eri's performance. He somewhat speculated that it was related to how Genesis got to know about his real identity.
"Well... It seems I am trapped to play the game no matter what? But I wanted to ask you something. What do you want to happen in the end?"
"Why would you ask me that? Isn't the answer obvious?"
"You told me these things to convince me to fight Genesis, instead of letting me accept my fate of losing my body after 2 days. If you really wanted to achieve what Genesis wants, You would've told me the details and would've left without saying anything more. But you stayed and told me about Genesis, trying to convince me to fight him... So what do you want?"
Caos slowly stood up and went in front of Shido.
"I want you to defeat Master Genesis..."
Shido didn't say anything to interrupt her and Caos continued.
"Master Genesis is cursed... Cursed with Revenge. Even 26 decades after his supposed death, he continues to hope for the revenge that he wished he could take at that time. His actions and intentions are all orientated to enact that revenge. If he gets your body, his power would increase drastically and he would directly start executing plans after plans for his revenge but all that would end in failure. He and I clearly know that in no way we are going to win this... but he still insists to do it.
I want him to stop and try to start a normal life again but he can not and will not stop. So him losing the final fight against you is the only way I can think that can stop him.
Since now you know my wishes, I hope you would try to fulfill this servant's wish, Master."
"Who is he planning this revenge against? Is it the 'Him' that Genesis is always mentioning about?"
"Yes... He is the one. You can also refer to him as 'He who shall not be named'," Caos said in a grave tone.
'Voldemort?' A name popped up in Shido's head when he heard What Caos said.
"Why he must not be named?" Shido asked out of curiosity.
"Because, If you say his name, He would know where you are. It doesn't matter where you are, who you are, or what time is it, as long as you are alive and say his name, He would know where you are but there is a catch he doesn't like people knowing his name. So you can get an idea what happens when he comes after you."
After listening to Caos' explanation, Shido didn't further urge Caos to reveal more. He already had a lot of things to deal with, He didn't want a guy who has 2 Laws, running behind him just because he said his name once.
"Before leaving, any tip that you would like to give?" Shido asked Caos in hopes she would reveal some useful information about Genesis or his weakness.
"One thing I would say is that you need to compose yourself and throw this self-doubt out, it only weakens you.
You are not indecisive, you just lack the ability to focus and stay still on something till its completion. When you are doing something, you don't complete it, instead, you leave it mid-way and start doing with something else. I am saying this because I know you had the thought of leaving it all here and going back home to spend time with your family.
Master Shido, Finish one thing before moving on to the next one." Caos said and disappeared with a quick flash of light.
Now Shido was once again alone with his thoughts in the park.
'Dissolution of Night Raid is the wake-up call that woke me up from the dream world I was living in. And She is right... I need to do things one at a time.
So for the First Task... Find Genesis and Kill him if possible.'
Not much happened in this chapter. The next chapter will be Phase II.
The chapter of Phase II will be divided into 3 parts: Fuyumi's talk with Rei, Shido finding Genesis, and Genesis doing something.
So yeah, hope that you like the next chapter... I think it would take me a week to write that but who knows maybe 2 weeks?
Thanks for reading!