The moment Kai got home with Heliana, he was locked out. While he wanted to protest, the girls made sure he wouldn't so he ended up staying at Yoko's house with her father. Kai used magic to repair almost everything superificially so his house and every other house was repaired quite easily.
"I never thought you were the type of guy to be this... controlled."
Seeing Kai's dominant displays in the past, Yoko's father—Kuroshi Akio, thought of him as someone who was wild and only followed himself. Though, he knew that Kai treasured the people he knew and would do everything to protect them.
"I might be able to do things normal people couldn't do, but I won't be able to hurt the ones close to me even if I tried. If they don't want me to do something and it isn't necessary for me to do it, then I'll concede. Though, being locked out of my own house was a little bit too much."
Kai groaned.
"Well, you did bring home another wife. Yoko's mother would've murdered me if I did the same."
Hearing that, Kai laughed awkwardly. Even though he did decide to accept all of them as this world did allow polygamy and saw it as natural for the strong and rich, his conscience as someone from the modern world where monogamy was the majority still partly remained.
The reason Erina was a lot more jealous than Amelia and the others was because she came from the modern world as well. Even two people who are just dating wouldn't like it if their significant others were with someone of the opposite sex alone.
Yoko's mother died when she was born. Yoko didn't have any memories of her mother so she couldn't exactly say she 'missed' her. She was deeply affected by the death of Akane and her father when it happened and Emi's presence was her mental support.
Akane, on other hand, was suffering during all of the years that Yoko mourned her loss. She had lost her mother during the couple of years that Kai was away as well. Kai had met her many times before, considering how close he was to Akane, it was only natural.
Thinking about it again, Kai wanted to beat the crap out of his past self. He clenched his fist so hard that his knuckles turned white. He went away against her wishes, her mother died during that time, and then he came back only to kill her father and friends, and then... her.
Akio looked at Kai and smiled wryly.
"I know what you're thinking about. You worry too much."
Saying that, he tapped Kai's shoulders.
"You might not believe it, but we are grateful to you, somewhat. It's true that you were the reason our souls were taken hold of in the first place, it was unavoidable. It's not like you lured the demon here on purpose. And, we might have disappeared for seven years, but our clan has never had much contact with the outside world anyway."
Holding onto the glory of the past, that was the Kuroshi Clan for many, many years. It was only a matter of time before they imploded and caused their own destruction. That was something that all of the previous clan leaders and many of the elders knew.
If anything, Kai's being possessed, destroying everything, and then recreating everything was the push that everyone needed.
Though, Akio didn't feel the need to say that. Even if he did, it would feel like an excuse.
Even if they did want to get angry, however, those years of being with Akane's soul had already purified most of their thoughts. In a sense, they were all brainwashed not to blame Kai and they were aware of it, but they still couldn't bring themselves to do so.
In the end, he wasn't at fault.
"You better go to sleep, I know you have an early day ahead of you."
Despite not needing sleep, Kai still agreed and after thanking Akio again, he slept in a guest room. Since it was an elder's house, it was quite big. Their relatives were living elsewhere so Kai didn't have to worry about running into anyone either.
As Kai was laying down on the bed with his arms behind his head, he began to wallow deep into his thoughts. It was a habit he developed even way before. If he didn't spend at least a few hours a day being completely submerged in his thoughts, he would feel uneasy the next day.
In the other timeline, he would be using that time to formulate strategies and the rest battling. There were many times his body broke down with his unending stubbornness to continue battle.
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Everyone did their best to try and keep him down but with his infinite mana and healing, he would always go back to battle as soon as even a finger was able to move. Erina even froze him many times in Eternal Frost in an attempt to let him rest but he would always break free and end up more battered.
And... his limbs. He used limbs made of magic instead of the ones he currently used. They sapped at his mana with each second that passed by and in the end, after Emi's death, he forged the very limbs and eye he uses today. And then, when he became a God, his limbs grew back and he had to discard them.
There were many ways for Kai to regain his lost limbs, but he chose not to do so because his current state was stronger.
However, there was a limit.
Like machines that create a certain car, they needed to be upgraded or replaced to be able to create new and better cars. However, the limit was human knowledge.
The machines couldn't create new cars if the humans who plan to create the cars aren't able to make new ones.
It was the same for his artificial eye and limbs. One day, he would be unable to strengthen them above his physical body and the use for it would disappear. That day was soon, considering that he had already reached SS-class. His body in the other timeline was this strong before he became a God, and that was the limit of his knowledge for his limbs.
'I'm out of ways to get stronger...'
It was the problem that had been plaguing him for years. He returned to the past with all of his knowledge, but wasn't he always stuck at this level? Without unlocking his Innate Ability if he had one, and without being able to use Immortal Ki that was incompatible with his body, there was no other way to get stronger other than through equipment, but even that had a limit that he was soon approaching.
He could better his skills, but that could only do so much.
A master swordsman would beat any normal swordsman even if their physical body was weaker. That was due to skill and technique. But, there was also the fact that their physical bodies aren't too different. Even the strongest man on Earth compared to a regular person would only have so much a disparity.
It was different when it came to mana and magic. An A-class can temporarily defend against an S-class but unless they had a secret weapon, they would never win. The only exception was the once in a ten thousand year talent like Wake. Perhaps the other Supreme Being Candidates were on his level as well.
Since they were on other worlds, however, that wouldn't come to pass.
Kai didn't sleep a wink that night and continued to think until the roosters crowed.
"...Where did that rooster come from?"
Staring at the window, Kai saw a rooster on top of the neighbor's roof. He could swear that there wasn't one when he fixed the clan, though. Deeming it as unimportant, Kai decided to continue about his day.
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Without divulging any of the talks that happened last night, Kai accompanied Heliana back to the Empire. At the very least, it appeared that she had gained the approval of the rest.
"Kai, please give me a way to contact them in the future. I would like to keep talking with them as well."
"Sure, sure."
Dropping off Heliana in her room, he teleported into his own. Later in the day, they would go to meet the fire hero, and he would finally see how big of a mess this generation of heroes are.
A few hours later, just as they planned, Heliana and Kai met up in the throne room on official business. Nobody but Lucent was aware that they had disappeared last night. Then, the three of them set off together in a carriage while accompanied by knights.
"We've already sent an order to the knights to inform the fire hero of our arrival and he'll be waiting for us in the inn he's staying in."
Kai nodded as he looked outside. He could've teleported to anywhere on the continent quite easily but for appearance's sake, Heliana urged him to take the carriage. Though, her reasoning was a little flawed, she didn't have any reason to lie to him.
Though, it might just be his imagination, but he felt as if there was some weight pressed on his arm. It was his left arm so he couldn't feel it all that well but he could still feel the sensation somewhat. It was a very pleasant feeling.
As he was in thought, the town could be seen on the horizon. It wasn't particularly large but what caught Kai's eyes were the forest in the far distance with charred trees. A normal person wouldn't be able to see it so clearly but it was simple to him.
They arrived at the inn without anything else noteworthy. The inn didn't look that well-off either. For a hero, it was quite the shabby inn to be in. Though, maybe that had to do with the fact that he burned down a forest and needed to pay off the town for the damages it could cause them.
As far as Kai knew, the fire hero wasn't affiliated with any of the countries. That would mean that nobody is willing to foot his bill.
Kai stepped out of the carriage first and held out a hand to Heliana, then Lucent. The three of them entered the inn without ceremony but when they walked in, the owner was already waiting and was bowing.
"Welcome to my inn, Y-Your Imperial Majesty! It may be unworthy of receiving you but we will do so to the best of our abilities!"
Heliana looked at the owner and smiled at him lightly. She was wearing her usual outfit with a veil so none could see her true beauty, but it was still enough to shock the owner.
"Where is the fire hero?"
"Over here, please follow me..."
The owner did everything he could to act polite and led them to a table where there was a man with red-orange hair eating some vegetables.
'I was right... He's flat broke.'
Someone from the modern world wouldn't want to eat the plain vegetables of this world. There was also the fact that the vegetables and fruits here were cheaper than the other world. A normal person would want some dressing and condiments on their salad which was scarce in this world.
A regular inn wouldn't have those kinds of condiments. At most, they'd have pepper, salt, and some spices.
There was also the fact that the fire hero looked like he was trying to fill his belly with water instead. Somehow, Kai felt pity even before talking to him.
The fire hero also spotted them walking with the owner and finished his meal before they could get to his table. Acting like he was some sort of big shot, he crossed his legs and waited until the right moment to stand up.
"I greet the Empire's ruler. This humble one is named Rob Johnson, and I am known as the fire hero."
"""..."""
Hearing about his personality beforehand, Heliana and the others could only smile wryly.
What was this act?