PART 1: THE SLEEPLESS NIGHT
Ren lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.
2:47 AM.
Sleep wouldn't come.
His mind kept replaying the same scene over and over.
Kaiser Fujimoto. The man with the katana. Throwing Takeshi—a Tier 2, C-rank fighter—fifteen feet through the air like he weighed nothing.
"We're recruiting fighters. You have potential."
The card sat on Ren's nightstand. Simple. Black. Just a phone number.
Forty-eight hours to decide.
Twenty-two hours left.
Ren rolled onto his side, stared at the card.
What am I supposed to do?
Training at the Crucible had pushed him. Made him stronger. Better.
But Kaiser was right.
It was a bubble.
Safe. Controlled. Predictable.
And somewhere out there, people were dying.
Ninety-seven confirmed deaths.
That's what the news had said.
Serial killers, they called them.
But Ren knew better.
He'd seen the bodies in those alleys. The way they'd been torn apart. The impossible speed and strength of the creatures that had attacked him and Akari.
Malis.
That's what Master Kuroda had called them.
Monsters hiding in human skin.
And if Kurokami was hunting them...
Maybe I could actually make a difference.
But the fear was there too.
Gnawing at him.
Kaiser and his team—the Three Shadows—they were operating on a completely different level. They'd beaten a hundred trained operatives without breaking a sweat.
What if I'm not good enough?
What if I join and just get killed in the first week?
Ren sat up, swung his legs out of bed.
Sleep wasn't coming anyway.
He got dressed. Black training clothes. Same ones he wore for his midnight sessions.
Walked to the cleared space in his room.
Dropped into push-up position.
Started counting.
One. Two. Three.
I need to get stronger.
Ten. Twenty. Thirty.
Strong enough to survive.
Fifty. Seventy. One hundred.
Strong enough to close the gap.
Two hundred. Three hundred. Five hundred.
His arms screamed.
He kept going.
Because that's what he did.
That's who he was.
The person who refused to quit.
One thousand.
He collapsed onto the floor, gasping.
Sweat pooled beneath him.
And in that moment of exhaustion, clarity came.
I'm going to join.
Whatever it takes.
I'm going to get stronger.
PART 2: THE CONVERSATION
The next morning, Ren's doorbell rang.
9:23 AM. Saturday. No school.
He opened the door.
Akari stood there, hands in her jacket pockets, expression as neutral as ever.
"We need to talk," she said.
"Yeah. Come in."
They sat at the small kitchen table. Ren's mother was at work—weekend shift at the convenience store.
Silence for a moment.
Then Akari spoke.
"Are you going to join?"
Straight to the point. No preamble.
That was Akari.
Ren took a breath. "Yeah. I think so. You?"
"I don't know yet." She looked down at her hands. "Part of me wants to. The training. The experience. Fighting real threats instead of just sparring. But..."
"But?"
"I'm scared," she admitted quietly. "Not of dying. I've made peace with that possibility. But of... losing control. Of becoming something I don't recognize."
Ren thought about the night she'd killed that Malis. The blank expression. The way her hand had tightened around its throat.
"You won't," he said firmly. "I won't let you."
"How can you promise that?"
"Because we'll be together. We've trained together for three years. If you start to lose yourself, I'll bring you back. And if I start to break, you'll do the same for me."
Akari looked up, met his eyes.
"You really think we can handle this?"
"I think if we don't try, we'll regret it for the rest of our lives." Ren leaned forward. "We've been training for something, right? All these years. All these hours. It can't just be for tournaments and rankings. There has to be more."
"And you think this is it?"
"Maybe. I don't know. But I want to find out."
Akari was quiet for a long moment.
Then: "If I join, it's because I'm choosing to. Not because you convinced me. Understood?"
"Understood."
"And if it gets too dangerous—if I think we're going to die—I'm pulling us both out. I don't care what anyone says."
"Deal."
She extended her hand across the table.
Ren shook it.
"Then let's do it," Akari said. "Together."
PART 3: THE CRUCIBLE – UNEXPECTED MEETING
They arrived at the Crucible at 2:00 PM.
The place was busy—Saturday afternoon training session. Fighters everywhere, drilling techniques, sparring, running drills.
"Should we call the number Kaiser gave us?" Ren asked, pulling out the black card.
"Won't need to," Akari said, nodding toward the entrance.
Ren looked.
Standing near the main entrance: Kaiser Fujimoto. Marcus Ishida. Silas Katsuragi.
The Three Shadows.
And around them—seven other people.
Ren recognized a few faces from the Crucible. Tier 2 and Tier 3 fighters. Good ones.
"They're recruiting others too," Ren muttered.
"Makes sense. They said they needed capable fighters. Plural."
They walked over.
Kaiser saw them approaching, nodded in acknowledgment.
"Ren Kurogane. Akari Shindo. I wasn't sure you'd show."
"We're here," Ren said simply.
"Good." Kaiser gestured to the seven others. "These fighters have also agreed to join Kurokami. Introductions."
The first was a woman in her late twenties. Tier 3, B-rank. Short black hair, athletic build, confident stance.
"Yuki Tanaka," she said, extending her hand. "Former judo competitor. Heard Kurokami pays well."
The second was a massive man—6'4", easily 250 pounds of muscle. Tier 3, A-rank.
"Daichi Sato," he rumbled. "Kickboxing background. Ready to fight."
The others introduced themselves one by one.
Hiro Matsumoto – Tier 2, D-rank. Karate specialist. Twenty-three years old.
Kenji Yamada – Tier 2, D-rank. Boxing background. Twenty-five years old.
Sakura Ito – Tier 3, C-rank. Muay Thai fighter. Twenty-four years old.
Ryu Nakamura – Tier 2, C-rank. Mixed martial artist. Twenty-six years old.
And the last one made Ren's breath catch.
Takeshi Yamamoto – Tier 2, C-rank. The fighter Akari had lost to. The one Kaiser had thrown across the gym.
Takeshi avoided eye contact with both Ren and Akari.
"Didn't expect to see you here," Ren said.
"Yeah, well..." Takeshi rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "After getting tossed around by Kaiser-san, I figured I needed better training. And the pay is good."
"Mercenary," Akari muttered.
"Practical," Takeshi corrected.
Kaiser clapped his hands once, drawing everyone's attention.
"Now that we're all here—nine recruits total—we need to establish baseline capabilities. Follow me."
PART 4: THE TEST
They followed the Three Shadows to a private training area in the back of the Crucible.
Large. Open. Padded floors.
"Alright," Marcus said, stepping forward. "Here's how this works. We're going to test your combat effectiveness. All nine of you against Silas. No weapons. Hand-to-hand only. Fight until he says stop or you can't continue."
Yuki raised her hand. "Nine of us against one of him?"
"That's right."
"Seems unfair."
Marcus grinned. "For you, maybe."
Silas stepped into the center of the training area.
Silent. Gaunt. Cold grey eyes scanning all nine of them like a predator assessing prey.
"BEGIN!"
[The Fight]
The nine recruits spread out, circling Silas.
Professional. Tactical.
These weren't amateurs. These were Tier 2 and Tier 3 fighters from the Crucible. They knew how to coordinate.
Daichi—the big kickboxer—moved first.
Lunged forward with a powerful straight kick aimed at Silas's chest.
Silas sidestepped.
Minimal movement.
The kick passed by him harmlessly.
Yuki came from the opposite side, attempting a judo throw.
Silas dropped his weight, broke her grip, and swept her ankle.
She hit the ground hard.
"Up!" Marcus called from the sideline. "Keep moving!"
Yuki scrambled to her feet.
The group pressed in together this time.
Coordinated attack.
Hiro and Kenji from the front. Sakura and Ryu from the sides. Takeshi and Ren from behind.
Akari and Daichi held back, waiting for openings.
Silas moved through them like water.
Every strike they threw, he wasn't there.
Every attempt to grapple, he redirected.
His counters were minimal. Precise. Devastating.
A palm strike here. An elbow there. Pressure point taps that made limbs go numb.
Three minutes in, Hiro was down. Shoulder dislocated.
Five minutes in, Sakura was out. Concussion from a perfectly placed strike to the temple.
Seven minutes in, only four remained: Ren, Akari, Daichi, and Takeshi.
They were breathing hard. Exhausted.
Silas looked like he'd just woken up from a nap.
"Better than the Kurokami officers," Silas said quietly. "You've lasted longer. But you're still too predictable."
Ren gritted his teeth.
We need to change tactics.
He caught Akari's eye. She understood immediately.
They'd sparred together for three years. Sometimes they didn't need words.
Ren used the Flash Step technique Ujishima had taught him.
Blur—
He closed distance faster than before.
Silas's eyes widened fractionally.
Interesting.
Ren threw a combination. Jab-cross-low kick.
Silas blocked the punches, but the kick landed clean on his shin.
Not hard. But clean.
First hit anyone had landed.
Akari moved simultaneously from the opposite side.
Her strikes were faster. More precise.
Silas had to actually work to defend.
"Good!" Marcus called out. "You're adapting!"
But Silas had been holding back.
Now he stopped.
His movements accelerated.
Suddenly he was inside Ren's guard, hand tapping three pressure points in rapid succession.
Ren's left arm went numb.
Dropped uselessly to his side.
Akari tried to capitalize on the opening—
Silas spun, caught her wrist, applied a joint lock, and gently—gently—put her on the ground.
"Tap or break."
Akari tapped.
Daichi and Takeshi rushed in together—
Silas threw Daichi into Takeshi.
Both went down in a tangle of limbs.
"STOP!" Kaiser's voice cut through the training area.
Everyone froze.
Silas stepped back, released Akari, helped her to her feet.
"Ten minutes," Kaiser said, checking his watch. "You lasted ten minutes against Silas. The Kurokami officers lasted six. You did well."
The nine recruits stood there, gasping, sweating, exhausted.
And they'd barely touched him.
"Rest for fifteen minutes," Marcus said. "Then we go on our first mission."
"Mission?" Ren asked between breaths.
Kaiser's expression grew serious.
"We have a target. A confirmed Malis sighting. Location where two Kurokami operatives were killed three days ago. We're going there. And you're all coming with us."
PART 5: THE BRIEFING
They gathered around a tablet Kaiser pulled out.
On the screen: crime scene photos.
Two bodies. Kurokami operatives. Torn apart.
Several recruits looked away.
Ren forced himself to keep looking.
This is what we signed up for.
"Three days ago," Kaiser explained, "Operatives Kobayashi and Ito were killed in this warehouse in Yokohama. They were investigating reports of a Malis in the area. They engaged. They died. A third operative—Tanaka—survived by fleeing."
He pulled up the survivor's report.
"Target description: Male appearance. Mid-twenties. Average build. Extremely fast. Extremely strong. Shrugged off multiple gunshots. Killed two trained operatives in under thirty seconds."
"And we're going to fight this thing?" Kenji asked, voice tight.
"Yes," Kaiser said simply. "But you won't be alone. I'll be with you. And before anyone asks—yes, I can kill it. The question is whether you can survive long enough for me to do so."
Silence.
"This is your final chance to back out," Marcus said, looking around at all nine recruits. "Once we leave this building, you're committed. No turning back. Lives are on the line. Yours included. Anyone want to leave?"
Nobody moved.
"Good," Marcus said. "Let's go."
PART 6: THE WAREHOUSE – YOKOHAMA
The warehouse was in the industrial district.
Abandoned. Rusted metal walls. Broken windows. Perfect hiding spot for something that didn't want to be found.
The group approached on foot. Ten people total.
Nine recruits. Kaiser in the lead.
Marcus and Silas had stayed behind at headquarters—other missions to handle.
Kaiser held up a hand. Everyone stopped.
"Listen carefully," he said quietly. "The Malis is likely still in this area. They tend to claim territory and defend it. When we engage, stay together. Watch each other's backs. Do not try to be a hero. And most importantly—"
He looked directly at Ren and Akari.
"—if I tell you to run, you run. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," they chorused with the others.
Kaiser drew his katana.
The blade sang as it left the sheath.
"Move in. Stay alert."
They entered the warehouse through a side door.
The interior was dark. The only light came from broken windows high up on the walls, casting long shadows across the concrete floor.
The smell hit them immediately.
Blood. Old blood. And something else.
Something wrong.
"Spread out," Kaiser whispered. "Five-meter spacing. Call out if you see anything."
They moved deeper into the warehouse.
Ren's heart pounded. Every shadow looked like a threat. Every sound made him want to spin around.
Stay calm. Breathe. In for four. Hold for four. Out for six.
Ujishima's breathing technique. The only thing keeping him from panicking.
Beside him, Akari moved silently, eyes scanning constantly.
Takeshi was on his other side, jaw tight, fists clenched.
"Contact," Daichi's voice called out from the left. "Movement. Thirty meters."
Everyone turned.
A figure stepped out from behind a stack of crates.
Male. Mid-twenties. Average height. Average build.
Exactly as described.
The Malis.
It smiled.
"More visitors? How delightful. I was getting bored."
Kaiser stepped forward, katana raised.
"Everyone behind me. NOW."
The recruits scrambled back.
The Malis tilted its head, studying Kaiser.
"Oh. You're different. You're not one of the weak ones." Its smile widened. "This might actually be fun."
"Last chance," Kaiser said calmly. "Leave now. Find another territory. Or die."
The Malis laughed.
"I think I'll choose option three: kill you and feast on all these fresh humans you've brought me."
It lunged.
PART 7: THE FIGHT
FAST.
The Malis moved so quickly it was almost a blur.
Crossed fifteen meters in less than a second.
Kaiser met it head-on.
His katana flashed—one clean horizontal cut.
The Malis ducked under it, came up with a punch aimed at Kaiser's ribs.
Kaiser sidestepped, brought his blade around for a vertical cut.
The Malis backflipped away, landed ten feet back.
"Interesting," it said. "You can actually keep up."
"More than keep up," Kaiser said.
They engaged again.
Blade vs. claws.
Speed vs. speed.
The recruits could barely follow the fight. Just blurs of movement and the sharp CLANG of Kaiser's katana deflecting strikes.
"We need to help him!" Yuki said.
"No," Ren said, eyes locked on the fight. "We'd just get in the way. Watch. Learn."
Because this was a completely different level of combat than anything they'd seen before.
The Malis was fast—faster than any human should be.
But Kaiser matched it.
Every strike deflected. Every feint read. Every opening exploited.
"He's amazing," Akari whispered.
Then the Malis changed tactics.
It stopped attacking Kaiser directly.
Instead, it blurred past him—
Heading straight for the recruits.
"MOVE!" Kaiser shouted.
But the Malis was too fast.
It crashed into Daichi, lifted him off the ground, and hurled him into a concrete pillar.
Daichi hit with a sickening CRACK and crumpled.
Unconscious. Maybe dead.
Yuki screamed.
The Malis grinned. "Weak. Just like the others—"
Ren moved without thinking.
Used the Flash Step.
Closed distance.
Threw a punch with everything he had.
The Malis's hand shot up, caught his fist mid-strike.
"Nice try, boy."
It started to squeeze.
Ren felt the bones in his hand beginning to crack—
Akari's kick hit the Malis in the side of the head.
The thing actually stumbled.
Released Ren's hand.
Turned to face Akari with genuine interest.
"You. You're stronger than the others. What are you?"
Akari didn't answer.
Just attacked.
Her movements were faster than usual. Sharper. More aggressive.
The Malis blocked, parried, but it had to actually defend now.
"Interesting!" it said, laughing. "Very interesting! What kind of human—"
Kaiser was there.
His blade flashed—too fast to see—and suddenly the Malis's arm was hanging by a thread of muscle.
It screamed.
Jumped back, clutching the wound.
"You're STRONG," it snarled at Kaiser. "Stronger than any human I've fought. What ARE you??"
Kaiser's expression was cold. "Someone who's killed things far more dangerous than you."
The Malis's eyes widened.
"Wait. You're not—you can't be—"
"Everyone," Kaiser said calmly, not taking his eyes off the Malis. "Step back. All the way to the exit. This ends now."
Ren grabbed Akari's arm, pulled her back.
The other recruits were already retreating, dragging the unconscious Daichi.
Kaiser and the Malis stood facing each other.
"Last words?" Kaiser asked.
The Malis laughed—a desperate, manic sound.
"You think you can kill me? I'm SUPERIOR! Faster! Stronger! I'm—"
Kaiser moved.
PART 8: THE EXECUTION
What happened next, Ren would remember for the rest of his life.
Kaiser's entire demeanor changed.
The calm, controlled master became something else.
Something lethal.
His katana began to glow.
Not literally.
But there was a pressure around it. An intensity. Like the air itself was bending around the blade.
The Malis sensed danger.
Tried to run.
Too late.
Kaiser moved.
One step. One slash.
FASTER THAN THOUGHT.
The katana cut through the air with a sound like tearing silk.
Horizontal. Clean. Perfect.
The Malis's body separated.
Top half from bottom half.
It hit the ground in two pieces.
Dead.
Silence.
The recruits stared.
Kaiser flicked the blood off his blade, sheathed it in one smooth motion.
Walked over to the Malis's corpse, crouched down.
"Ren. Akari. Come here."
They approached cautiously.
"You fought this thing," Kaiser said. "What did you notice?"
Ren thought back to the brief exchange.
"It was... stronger than the ones we fought before. Faster. More experienced."
"Good observation. What else?"
Akari spoke up. "It talked. Strategized. The other Malis we encountered just attacked mindlessly. This one was intelligent."
"Exactly," Kaiser said. He stood, looked at all the recruits. "This is critical information. Not all Malis are the same. Some are weak. Some are strong. Some are mindless. Some are smart."
He walked over to a pile of crates where blood had splattered.
On one of the crates, a few leaves from a potted plant sat.
Malis blood had dripped onto them.
As they watched, the leaves began to sizzle.
Turning brown. Curling. Burning.
"Malis blood is acidic," Kaiser said. "Toxic to plant matter. Sometimes to humans as well if you're exposed to enough of it. Another identifying factor."
He pulled out his phone, took photos of the corpse, the burning leaves, everything.
"When we return to headquarters, you'll all be debriefed. You'll report everything you saw. Everything you learned. This information will be compiled and distributed to all Kurokami operatives."
He looked at them seriously.
"You all did well today. Better than I expected. You survived an encounter with a Malis that killed two trained operatives. That's no small feat."
"We didn't do anything," Yuki said quietly, looking at the unconscious Daichi. "You killed it. We just... watched."
"You survived. You learned. You didn't panic." Kaiser's voice was firm. "That's what matters on your first mission. The killing comes later, once you're properly trained."
PART 9: KUROKAMI HEADQUARTERS – THE DEBRIEF
Two hours later, they sat in the main briefing room at Kurokami headquarters.
Defense Minister Nakamura stood at the front. Commander Saito beside him.
All nine recruits sat at the long table, some still bandaged from the warehouse fight.
Daichi was in the medical bay. Broken ribs. Concussion. But alive.
"First," Nakamura said, "I want to thank you all for your service today. You've provided critical intelligence that will save lives."
He pulled up a presentation on the screen.
"Based on your reports and Kaiser's observations, we've compiled the following information about our targets."
The screen changed.
MALIS – CONFIRMED INTEL
Physical Characteristics:
Appear fully human
No visible differences in normal conditions
Eyes sometimes appear darker/blacker than normal humans
Blood is toxic/acidic to organic matter
Capabilities:
Enhanced speed (estimated 2-3x normal human)
Enhanced strength (can lift/throw adult humans easily)
Enhanced durability (resistant to small arms fire)
Rapid healing (unconfirmed but suspected)
Behavioral Patterns:
Territorial
Carnivorous (consume human flesh)
Intelligence varies (some mindless, some highly intelligent)
Strength varies (classification system needed)
Identification Methods:
Acidic blood reaction to plants
Abnormally dark eyes
Superhuman physical capabilities
Territorial behavior
Vulnerabilities:
Can be killed by sufficient physical trauma
Decapitation confirmed effective
Severe blood loss appears fatal
Nakamura let them absorb the information.
"This is more than we've learned in three weeks of investigation," he said. "Because of you nine, we now understand what we're fighting. How to identify them. How to kill them."
He looked at each recruit individually.
"You're now officially part of Kurokami. You'll receive training. Equipment. Support. And you'll be sent on missions to hunt these creatures. This is dangerous work. Some of you may not survive. But you'll be saving lives. Protecting people who can't protect themselves."
Commander Saito stepped forward.
"Training begins Monday. 0600 hours. Don't be late. Dismissed."
PART 10: THE WALK HOME
Ren and Akari walked through Tokyo's streets as the sun set.
Neither spoke for a long time.
Finally, Akari broke the silence.
"We really did it. We joined Kurokami."
"Yeah."
"That Malis... it was so much stronger than the ones we fought before."
"I know."
"And Kaiser killed it like it was nothing. Just... one cut."
"I know."
More silence.
"Ren. When you punched that Malis. When it caught your fist. I saw your face. You were terrified."
"I was," Ren admitted. "Completely terrified. I thought it was going to kill me right there."
"But you did it anyway."
"What else was I supposed to do? Let it kill Daichi?"
Akari smiled faintly. "That's why I'm glad we're doing this together. You're reckless. But you're brave. And someone needs to keep you from getting killed."
"Says the person who kicked a Malis in the head."
"It was distracted. Good tactical decision."
They reached their usual intersection.
"Same time Monday?" Ren asked. "We can walk to headquarters together."
"Yeah. 0530 hours. Don't be late."
"I won't."
Akari turned to leave, then paused.
"Ren. Are you scared?"
"Terrified," he said honestly. "But also... excited. For the first time, I feel like I'm doing something that matters. Not just training for rankings. Actually making a difference."
"Yeah," Akari said quietly. "Me too."
She walked away.
Ren stood there for a moment, looking up at the darkening sky.
Somewhere out there, more Malis were hunting.
More people were dying.
But now—
Now there were people fighting back.
And Ren Kurogane was one of them.
He smiled.
Turned.
Walked home.
Tomorrow, his real training would begin.
[END CHAPTER 11]
SIDE STORY: "THE STRONGEST ENEMY"
PART 1: THE RETURN
Kaiser Fujimoto stood outside his apartment door at 11:47 PM.
The mission had been successful. Three Malis eliminated. Zero casualties on his side.
He'd moved through combat zones like a ghost. Cut through enemies like wind through grass.
A perfect operation.
But now...
Now he faced his greatest challenge.
He took a deep breath.
Knocked on the door.
Silence.
He knocked again.
"...Honey? I'm home."
The door cracked open slightly.
His wife's eye appeared in the gap.
Beautiful. Sharp. FURIOUS.
"Oh. You're home." Her voice was ice. "Interesting. Since I specifically told you NOT to go to work today."
"I can explain—"
"I told you we had plans. Family dinner. At my parents' house. Remember?"
Kaiser's blood ran cold.
He'd... forgotten.
"Honey, I'm so sorry, but the mission was urgent, and—"
"Urgent." The door opened wider. His wife stood there, arms crossed. She was 5'4", maybe 110 pounds.
Kaiser had seen veteran soldiers tremble at his presence.
Right now, HE was trembling.
"Urgent enough to forget your own daughter's request to meet Grandma and Grandpa?"
Behind her, their six-year-old daughter Yuki peeked out.
Her little face scrunched up in anger.
"Papa is BAD!" she declared, crossing her tiny arms exactly like her mother.
Kaiser's heart shattered.
"Wait—Yuki—Papa can explain—"
"NO!" Yuki stomped her foot. "You PROMISED!"
This was worse than any battlefield.
PART 2: THE NEGOTIATION
Kaiser did the only thing he could.
He reached into his bag.
Pulled out a stuffed animal. A limited edition character from Yuki's favorite anime.
And a bag of her favorite candy.
And... a premium ice cream container from the fancy department store.
Yuki's eyes went WIDE.
"Is that... is that the SPECIAL ice cream??"
"Yes." Kaiser knelt down to her level, offering the items like peace treaties. "Papa is very sorry. Papa messed up. Will you forgive Papa?"
Yuki looked at the ice cream.
Then at her mother.
Then back at the ice cream.
Her little face scrunched up in concentration.
"...Okay. But only because of ice cream."
She grabbed the items and ran inside.
One down.
Kaiser stood, turned to his wife.
Offered the second bag.
"I got you those cookies. The ones from that bakery you like. The expensive ones. That have the three-month waitlist."
His wife's expression didn't change.
"How did you get those? They're sold out until next year."
"I... may have used my government credentials to skip the line."
"You abused your power as a special operative... to buy cookies?"
"...Yes."
Silence.
Then his wife's mouth twitched.
Almost a smile.
"Fine. You can come in. But you're sleeping on the couch."
"I accept these terms."
She stepped aside.
He entered.
Mission: Barely Successful.
PART 3: THE DINNER
They sat at the dinner table.
Yuki was happily eating ice cream, the earlier betrayal forgotten.
Kaiser's wife had prepared his favorite meal—homemade tonkatsu, rice, miso soup.
He ate carefully, trying to gauge her mood.
"So," his wife said, not looking up from her own plate. "How was work?"
"It was... fine. Standard operation. Nothing unusual."
"Uh huh." She took a sip of tea. "Did you remember to bring the thing I asked for?"
Kaiser froze.
Chopsticks halfway to his mouth.
The thing.
What thing.
WHAT THING DID SHE ASK FOR.
His mind raced through the past week's conversations.
Had she mentioned something?
A specific item?
A—
Oh no.
Oh no no no no.
He'd completely forgotten.
She was watching him now.
Her eyes sharp.
Knowing.
"You... forgot. Didn't you."
Kaiser's professional composure shattered.
He put down his chopsticks with trembling hands.
Turned to her with the most nervous smile he'd ever produced in his life.
"I will bring it next time. I promise. 100% guaranteed. I swear on my honor as—"
Her hand shot out.
Gripped his hair.
"OW OW OW—HONEY—PLEASE—"
"I SPECIFICALLY told you to pick up my package from the post office! SPECIFICALLY! It's been sitting there for TWO WEEKS!"
"I'M SORRY I'M SORRY I COMPLETELY FORGOT—"
She pulled harder.
"YOU HAD ONE JOB! ONE! I don't ask you for much! I support your dangerous work! I don't complain when you come home at midnight! BUT I ASKED FOR ONE SIMPLE THING!"
"I'LL GET IT TOMORROW FIRST THING I SWEAR—"
She released his hair.
Kaiser slumped in his chair, rubbing his head.
Thank god. I'm saved. She's letting it go.
He thought that.
He didn't say it.
But somehow...
His wife's head snapped toward him.
Eyes wide.
"What did you just think?"
Kaiser's blood froze.
"I... I didn't say anything—"
"You thought 'I'm saved,' didn't you."
"How did you—"
"ARE YOU SAYING THIS IS OVER?!"
Her hand glowed faintly.
Kaiser's eyes went WIDE.
"Wait—Honey—are you—DID YOU JUST USE—"
WHAM.
The slap sent Kaiser FLYING backward.
Through his chair.
Through the dining table.
Through the WALL.
Through the CEILING.
He sailed through the night air, spinning like a cartoon character.
"ARE YOU AN ABSOLUTE MASTER?!" he screamed as he flew across the Tokyo skyline.
He crashed three houses down, leaving a crater in someone's yard.
PART 4: THE AFTERMATH
Back at the apartment.
Yuki was still eating her ice cream, completely unbothered.
She'd seen this happen before.
"Mama," she said, licking her spoon. "Do you think Papa will come back safe?"
Her mother sighed, looking at the Kaiser-shaped hole in their wall.
"Eventually. He always does."
"Should we fix the wall?"
"We'll make him fix it when he gets back."
Yuki nodded sagely. "Papa is silly."
"Yes. Yes he is."
PART 5: THE RETURN (AGAIN)
Twenty minutes later.
Kaiser limped back through the front door.
Bruised. Battered. Covered in dust.
His wife was sweeping up debris.
"You're back," she said without looking up.
"Yes," Kaiser said weakly. "I'm back."
"Good. You're fixing the wall tomorrow."
"Yes, dear."
"And getting my package."
"Yes, dear."
"And apologizing to the Satohs for the crater in their yard."
"Yes, dear."
She finally looked at him.
"And you're STILL sleeping on the couch."
"...Yes, dear."
Yuki appeared, holding her stuffed animal.
"Papa, you're silly."
Kaiser knelt down, hugged his daughter.
"Yes, Yuki. Papa is very silly."
His wife walked past, patting his head like he was a dog.
"Welcome home."
And despite everything—the pain, the humiliation, the property damage—
Kaiser smiled.
Because he WAS home.
[THE MORAL OF THE STORY]:
You can be one of the Three Shadows.
You can cut bullets.
You can move faster than the eye can see.
You can eliminate targets that elite soldiers can't touch.
But you will NEVER—NEVER—defeat an angry wife.
Especially not one who's apparently an Absolute Master and can read your thoughts.
Kaiser learned this lesson the hard way.
Multiple times.
He's a slow learner.
[BONUS SCENE]:
The next day at Kurokami HQ.
Marcus noticed Kaiser's limp.
"You good?"
"Fine," Kaiser said, wincing.
"You look like you got hit by a truck."
"...My wife."
Marcus and Silas exchanged glances.
"Say no more," Marcus said, nodding with deep understanding.
"Respect to your wife," Silas added quietly.
"She sent me through a ceiling."
"...How many ceilings?"
"Just one."
"That's not bad," Marcus said. "My ex-girlfriend once threw me through three walls."
"Was she also—"
"Absolute Master? Probably. I never confirmed. I was too busy flying."
The three legendary warriors sat in contemplative silence.
United by the universal truth:
No amount of training prepares you for an angry woman.