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"It's nice to meet you, my hero successor" Tsuna smiled warmly at the boy who just finished sheathing the katana that had come out of nowhere.

Tsuna initially wanted to test Kazuya since he wasn't completely convinced that he really was the one who sent the letter given to him by Kou. Kazuya had proven himself three out of two times by his standards.

The first was his actual battle prowess. As a hero of Edea, even if one was sent back to the earth after being stripped of the blessing of the summoning like he experienced, the amount of growth that the hero received would still have been retained.

Though the boy wasn't as strong as he initially expected, both his knowledge and use of his mana was more than enough to prove that he had learned everything he knew from the sages of Edea.

The second one was the language. Someone else could have written it and given to Kazuya to lure him out of the mountain. With the conversation they were having right now, Kazuya had proved that he indeed spoke the magical language of the elves.

Tsuna was actually surprised the moment he entered the Kouzuki estate. He felt the detection formation the moment he stepped into the property. This was immediately followed by the quick actions of the boy who showed up to investigate as soon as he detected Tsuna's intrusion. Kazuya's clear ownership of the formation was the reason Tsuna didn't immediately launch an attack against the boy as he waited to confirm if there had been anyone else that would show up that had access to it.

"I see you're very knowledgeable in formations" Tsuna walked towards the gate and grabbed a bag that he had left outside. "The amount of mana circulating in this place is quite impressive" he couldn't help but praise.

Though Tsuna had already been convinced that Kazuya was the real deal when Kou talked about him, he couldn't help but feel a little pity because the boy had been too young to have been summoned to Edea. From what he could tell, the boy had already lost the innocence that a child like him was supposed to have and had already experienced things that no one from Earth would ever understand.

"I'm impressed you were immediately able to escape its detection" Kazuya continued to speak in elven tongue. "I thought I would never be able to find someone else that came back from that world" Kazuya breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad that his expectations did not fail him this time.

"Are you sure?" Tsuna grinned as he took out his trusty pipe and put it on his mouth. "You should be feeling the same as me after returning here from that chaotic place, right?" Tsuna once again grabbed the weapon on his back.

How could Kazuya not understand how he felt? As summoned heroes, they were both used to the peace on Earth when they were suddenly thrown into such a chaotic one. Everything didn't work out as smoothly in real life as it did in novels or manga because wars not only took time, they have a way of changing people that no one who hasn't experienced it would completely understand.

Both of them had an insatiable thirst for the battles that they had experienced. How could they not? Heroes experienced being thrown into wars that didn't merely involve regular soldiers. They were sent up against the strongest threats that humanity had at their own respective eras.

"On second thought, maybe you are an impostor after all" Kazuya grinned as he agreed that their earlier exchange hadn't been enough. He grabbed the hilt of his sword before breathing in deeply to prepare for another battle with someone who he already knew he did not have a chance against.

That didn't stop Kazuya from wanting to battle with this predecessor of his. Though he had already experienced losses from his battles with Jirou, Kazuya had never really given it everything he had. A battle with each other was something that both of them never thought that they would experience again. This battle was going to be involving everything they had at their disposal.

*puff* Tsuna blew out some smoke before placing his trusty pipe aside.

The moment he got into a stance, the atmosphere completely changed between them. It had been a bright and sunny summer afternoon yet the wind felt like it had been from autumn. Kazuya focused on nothing else but the person in front of him. Both of them had experienced going through countless battles so both of them held high expectations for each other.

"Oh hey! You're finally here!" Kou excitedly jumped in between the two. Kou was completely oblivious to the atmosphere as he had just come out of the house after getting impatient at how long everyone took to come back.

""(This guy…)"" Kazuya and Tsuna's eyebrows twitched in annoyance. This person really had a talent for getting on people's nerves with his inability to read the atmosphere.

"Hey, hey! Why are you two looking at me like that?" after feeling slight killing intent from both sides who were gripping their weapons, Kou wondered if he did something wrong.

**sigh** The two admitted defeat and let go of their weapons. They knew they would have to wait for another opportunity because the mood had already been ruined by this insensitive guy.

"Hey, hey, hey! Why the long faces, you two? This should be a celebration!" Kou continued. "Did this boy try to kill you, old friend?" he curiously asked after noticing both of them let go of their weapons.

""Enough already!!"" Tsuna and Kazuya shouted at Kou.

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A few days passed by rather quickly. Unfortunately for Kazuya, due to Kou's interruption on the day of Tsuna's arrival, they focused on getting him updated on the current situation after learning what he had done after he arrived at the Kuroganes' main estate.

With Kazuya's current busy schedule, he still hadn't found an opportunity to have a good talk with this predecessor of his. The only consolation for him was that Tsuna had already agreed to stay in town for a while so there really wasn't any hurry to discuss the matters that would still take a few years to happen.

Tsuna wasn't lounging around either. Word of his visit to the Kuroganes spread like wildfire amongst Kou's circle of friends. No one actually expected Kou to be successful in pulling down Tsuna from his residence in the mountains. Everyone wanted to meet with him and catch up, so this other hero had a pretty busy schedule as well.

Despite the festive mood the Kouzukis and their associates were in at the moment, a huge wave started to move on the modern-day battlefield.

Kazuno Tech held a surprising press conference in which their mysterious CEO had introduced herself. Everyone who saw Mei walking out to take the stand was speechless at the secret boss behind the tech company that was supposed to have been the competition of the Kouzuki Corporation that she was supposed to be working for.

Of course, the Kurogane clan didn't miss the chance to sling some mud into her direction. Mei had been labeled as a traitor who betrayed the person who was responsible for where she was today. They even went as far as trying to instigate fights that thankfully didn't escalate much.

"I am very grateful towards the Kouzuki Corporation for teaching me everything and being responsible for where I am today" This line of Mei's was shown repeatedly by the news across the nation. "Like everybody else, I also look to aim for greater heights and decided that it was time for me to build something that my mentor, Kyouko, would be proud of" was what she followed up with but some of the major news reports omitted this part of her speech for reasons that were obvious to those who were present or kept an eye on the actual press conference.

No matter what the Kurogane Clan's intentions were, the fact still remained that the legendary female duo that had taken the business world by storm looked like they had gone their separate ways.

Some people rejoiced, some people lamented, and some people thought that it was inevitable. This was common in their world and no matter who they were or how famous they were, it did not make them exempt form the cruel reality that meeting is a prelude to the inevitable farewell.

"Everything is going as planned" Shishio sat in his office and read the progress reports that his secretary had placed on his desk.

He had gotten quite the scare when he met with Nagato Tsuna again after he saw this ageless old man in his family's estate. Shishio was afraid that Tsuna would have killed his father as punishment for the events that befell Kazuya and the Kouzuki clan quite recently. Shishio was concerned for his father's life but not for the reasons that a normal person would expect him to have.

He could still recall the sense of relief he felt when Tsuna left peacefully after saying and doing what he wanted to. In Shishio's mind, Kurogane Tenma should not die until he had appointed Shishio as the next head of the Kurogane family.

A civil war within their family would erupt if Tenma had died without naming a successor. It had been ingrained in their upbringing that no matter which position a member of their family had, the clan head's word was ironclad. Once a successor was named, his or her words would be followed by everyone in the clan. Those who failed to obey were to be taken care of by the people who were directly under command of the one sitting in the Kurogane Family's seat of power.

"Excuse me sir…" A man entered the room wearing a suit and sunglasses. He was one of the people that Shishio asked to perform specific 'tasks' and it looked like he had come here with something to report.

"Didn't I tell you not to leave your post unless it's something that needed my immediate attention?" Shishio tried to make sure that this man knew that he would not be let off lightly if he had something that didn't require Shishio to personally look after or know.

"It's about the mistress" the man replied. "She started to make a move" he continued after handing his boss a file that was of utmost secrecy.

"This woman…." Shishio read over the files and found a few disturbing things.

The files were messages that his wife was exchanging with a few people. Shishio really didn't care for most of them since they were nothing more than his wife's usual ramblings. He immediately focused himself on the ones that were marked by this man.

"[I want both of them dead]"

"[I'll give you extra if you can show me how you made the kid suffer]"

"[Money is not an issue, I just want those two to be erased from the face of the Earth]"

"[Just make it look like an accident]"

It was more of the same thing as it went on, with each idea getting more absurd. Shishio's brows furrowed until he finally let out an exasperated sigh. Turning towards the man who gave him the report, he shook his head. Nagisa had been growing more rampant as the days went by. He didn't really mind since it had nothing to do with him but now that their interests conflicted, he had to do something.

"Do you remember the matter I spoke to you about?" Shishio's eyes turned serious as he looked in the man's eyes.

"Yes sir" he nodded.

"Book a reservation at the restaurant. I will be taking Nagisa there for dinner" Shishio immediately conjured up a message to invite his wife for dinner outside.

"I understand. I will make swift preparations" the man bowed and excused himself.

Shishio glanced at the portraits on the wall of him and his wife. They appeared to be a perfect couple in the eyes of others but, like most political marriages, it was merely a hollow relationship that was for show. He harbored no feelings for Nagisa and if he had the choice, Kyouko would have been the ideal wife because of her talent and superior looks.

In his eyes, women were nothing more than objects or tools that served two purposes: one would be to enhance a man's influence and lifestyle and two would be to bear the next generation for him. He only preferred Kyouko over Nagisa because she had produced someone like Kazuya who he never expected would have that much potential.

On the side of his desk was a picture of Kazuya and the reports about him that Shishio had read numerous times. Who could have predicted that something like a clone of him would ever exist in this world? He grinned as he continued to think of ways of making the boy see his side of things.

Kazuya may have been a boy that reminded him of himself a lot but he was still a mere boy in his eyes. A boy that had been raised by someone as naïve as Kyouko, so he still had some of his mother's influence in him.

Shishio saw this as a chance, a chance to exploit the boy and slowly paint Kazuya in his own colors. The boy was smart and had every right to suspect him for being after something. He was happy about it, Kazuya wouldn't have been worth his time if he had been easy enough to sway. He wanted to take his time and enjoy it but unfortunately, there were only a few years left before the Kurogane Banquet.

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He had plans to bring his son to the gathering that would allow him to showcase the boy's talents. Shishio wanted to show his whole clan that not only was he the right person to succeed his father, choosing him would also secure the generation after his with Kazuya by his side.

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Nagisa was under house arrest for the trouble she caused Shishio when they visited the Kouzuki clan. She was upset because not only did her husband not defend her from Kazuya's threat, Shishio even sent her away and barred her from exiting the estate until further notice.

She didn't want to take this lying down. The way things were going, her position had already been confirmed to have been in danger. Not only hers, but any child that was going to be born when Shishio and her had a child would always have Kazuya as the eldest son once he was officially recognized by the Kurogane clan.

She had to do something to stop it and one of her friends gave her someone she could contact for such a request. Nagisa jumped at the opportunity and even got so much into discussing how this person was going to deal with the accursed duo of her nemesis and her son that she lost track of time. She fantasized about how wonderful it would be to see those two gone for good.

It wasn't until a message from her husband appeared that she snapped back to reality.

"[Get ready for a dinner with me tonight. You may invite your friends if you want to. Take it as an apology for the act I had to pull to convince those fools that I was on their side]"

She was surprised and quite ecstatic. Though the day initially started out as boring, things were finally looking bright for her. Any opportunity to show off Shishio to her friends was always welcome so she called a bunch of them to set up a dinner at the fancy restaurant that Shishio had booked.

"Looks like he's finally coming around" Nagisa giggled. "It won't be long till I have you all to myself again"

Shishio arrived at the Kurogane estate early that evening. The damage that Nagato Tsuna caused in their estate was almost fixed but all the members who witnessed the domineering visit of this man would never forget the words he said that day. Kurogane Tenma was no exception as he summoned his reliable son to his office.

"You called for me, Father?" Shishio entered the room and politely greeted him.

"I've heard about your plan. Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Tenma tried to confirm. He believed in Shishio's abilities but he still wasn't sure about how focused this son of his was towards his supposed grandson.

"I am" Shishio responded without hesitation. "I believe that you would share the same opinion once you've met him"

Tenma was genuinely surprised by his son's opinion of Kazuya. He knew this son of his and how his mind worked. Shishio would never praise anyone or even compliment them in his presence if they didn't meet the extremely high standards Shishio had. What exactly does this Kouzuki brat did to have impressed this son of mine so? He pondered.

"Though I still have doubts, I do trust your judgement and leave it for you to handle" Tenma gave his blessing. "I just hope that your efforts wouldn't be wasted when the time comes"

"Leave it to me" Shishio smiled. Though it wasn't all that intentional, he was glad that Tenma had taken an interest towards Kazuya. It would make a lot of things easier for him in the future if his father found out more about Kazuya and began to think as he did.

Shishio excused himself and left silently. Tenma stood up afterwards and walked towards the window to observe the damage that reminded him of the slap he had received on the day Nagato Tsuna visited. The old man couldn't help but give a sigh at the calamities their clan was facing.

Their biggest ally and supporter had already crumbled. Muimina Budou acted like a madman and went on an all-out assault against the Domyouji group.

Without the left and right arms of the Muimina clan, how can they put up a fight against someone who had more than a few arms and legs? The prosthetic limbs that Budou forcibly tried to attach himself with, fell off as soon as things weren't going in their favor. It was like something had happened to infuriate the Muimina clan to go against one of the strongest underground groups in the country.

Tenma was upset at this because he wouldn't have cared if Budou had committed suicide once the disappointing Suzaku and his daughter were married. The Kurogane clan not only lost one of their allies, they also couldn't consume the Ringo corporation now that its head had been chopped off so mercilessly by the Domyouji clan.

"I guess it would be up to you now, Shishio…" he whispered to himself as he saw his reliable son leaving their estate with his wife.

Tenma didn't want to admit it but there was no one else that could pull them back up other than him. It would have been different if certain incidents in the past few years didn't happen but Tenma more or less agreed with Shishio's judgement of the situation. What they needed the most now was for an opportunity to rise from the ashes and Kouzuki Kazuya was holding the biggest key to it all.

Not even Kazuya knew how important his existence had become in this life. He probably wouldn't even realize it unless he was told right to his face. For someone who had never experienced any limelight in his time on Earth. In Kazuya's eyes was only the next step, there was no stopping or being content once he had finished out what he started.

"You look beautiful tonight, my dear wife" complimented Shishio as the two of them sat in the vehicle driven by the driver whose vision was blocked from observing what was going on in the back seat.

"What's gotten into you?" Nagisa was a bit startled at how this blockheaded husband of hers finally took the chance to compliment her for a change. "Did you drink alcohol at the office before you picked me up?" she tried sniffing her husband's clothes but found nothing.

"What's wrong with complimenting my wife? Don't you like it?" he laughed out loud.

"You're acting strange" she was glad to hear his compliments but she knew better than anyone what kind of person her husband was. It was likely that he was about to do or ask something that would make her lose her temper. "Are you going to talk to me about Kyouko's kid again? If so, you shouldn't bother. I don't want to ruin my mood especially since we're going to be meeting some of my friends today"

"I don't intend to talk about Kouzuki Kazuya but rather someone else who is connected to the boy" he moved his body closer and put his arm around Nagisa's waist. "Did you hear about the visitor that caused the damage to the estate?"

"Is it that man who carried around a spear and caused explosions when we went to meet Tenma-sama?" she asked. "What does that have to do with the bitch's son?"

"Do you know who he is and what he said on the day he visited?" Shishio asked.

"I don't. Didn't the family already chase him out? What does that brat have to do with anything?" Nagisa had a strange feeling but she kept it to herself for now. She let herself be kissed by her Shishio and she fully immersed herself in it. She didn't have any expectations but it seemed like there might be a chance that she would be able to produce a real heir today.

"That man was Kazuya's godfather" he softly said as their lips parted. "He is a man who can single handedly wipe out our clan if he wanted to. That man gave us a warning that if my son dies and his death was caused by anything other than natural causes, our clan was going to die with him" Shishio pulled Nagisa's body into an embrace as he whispered the words directly to her ears.

"I…" Nagisa was startled. She had already given the order to get rid of the boy and his mother. Her mind seemed like it was spinning at this point. There was no way she could contact the person as she had been informed that she wouldn't be able to get in contact until the job had been completed.

"I already know what you did. I've let you get away with most of the things you did because they weren't much of a big deal but once you put the clan in jeopardy multiple times, you are forcing my hand" Shishio smiled at her. "You already know how important that boy is and my interest in him yet you still dared to do this. My son had even criticized me because of you"

"W-what are you going to do" Nagisa stuttered. She of all people knew how her husband did things and they were heartless.

"Be thankful. You're going to be the bridge that will eventually connect me and the generation after me together" Shishio braced himself in front of Nagisa who noticed a bright light from behind her.

*CRASH* Another vehicle collided with theirs as they were crossing the intersection.

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Inside Kazuya's magic training room, the predecessor stood while the successor was panting on the floor. They finally had their fight and it had been clear who was superior.

Tsuna took out his signature pipe and puffed smoke as he watched Kazuya recovering at an alarming rate. Kazuya's body still hadn't grown to it's peak and he hadn't returned too long ago so it was obvious that he was at a disadvantage.

That didn't stop them from doing what they intended as their thirsts for battle had been somewhat quenched. The training room which Kyouko thought was indestructible had its walls cracked and some were destroyed. This was evidence of how intense the battle between the two former heroes had been.

"I never thought I could fight like this that didn't involve casualties in the end" Tsuna sat on the floor and started a conversation. "I can't imagine the trouble you had to go through to have been summoned in a body like that. Your battle ability is quite high but I can tell that you aren't very used to utilizing magic in the midst of battle" he commented.

Kazuya's body twitched as he heard his predecessor's opinion. He didn't expect any less from someone as experienced as him.

Both of them found out about things they didn't know about each other. Kazuya never thought that the greatest hero mage could battle better than him in close range and Tsuna didn't expect Kazuya to try and combine magic with his fierce battle style. The two had been more alike than they originally thought as curiosity got the better of them and they both tried to delve into the things that were outside their comfort zone.

"Nagato-san… As you can see, I may not be the hero you expected me to be. I'm like an inexperienced soldier compared to you" Kazuya gave his honest opinion.

He initially thought that he would have the upper hand in battle as long as he got close. The hero Natsu had the reputation of finishing battles before the enemies could ever get near him. Kazuya's plan fell into pieces because not only was Tsuna able to fend him off at close range, he could have even finished the battle in it.

How could Kazuya not look up to him? Both of them were heroes yet Kazuya was not only inferior, he was also fooled and killed after he had lost his usefulness towards the people who summoned him. Comparing himself to the hero Natsu who not only established a long era of peace, his influence was still felt after centuries have already passed.

"The hero's blessing was an advantage that would make anyone overconfident. I am no exception to this" Tsuna tried consoling him. "I returned to this world long before you. I learned how to adjust after losing the blessing so you don't have to beat yourself up over it"

"Would you be willing to teach me?" Kazuya mustered up his courage. This would make the difference between him returning to Edea with a knife or a gun.

"You don't need to be so formal" Tsuna gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Both of us are bound by a strange fate. Not only did you turn out to be my godson, you also are someone who experienced the same thing as I did and came back. What kind of godparent and predecessor would I be if I didn't listen to the words of both my successor and godson?" Tsuna laughed.

"Then you mean…" Kazuya looked up and saw the cheerful face that looked at him warmly.

"I'll teach you everything I know and you can teach me everything that you've learned there that wasn't in my time" It wasn't just Kazuya who was interested in this partnership. Tsuna was also looking forward to learning everything that had changed since his time in Edea. Surely they've had multiple progressions already right?

"Thank you, Nagato-san" it was as if a large weight was lifted from Kazuya's shoulders. This cooperation had not been a simple one and would play a big part in his return to the other world.

"Prepare yourself. Your body may not be in its prime condition but I will make it so that when it grows, you will be capable of things that you never thought would be possible here on Earth"

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