Around 12:45 AM PST. A two bedroom suite in the connected hotel to the famous theme park in Anaheim, California.
Kai swirled a glass of wine, staring into the dark liquid while mulling over his thoughts.
Yue had retired early to her bedroom, mentioning something about feeling drained from the travel and the change in time zones.
In the other bedroom, Meggie and Tsuki were fast asleep, tuckered out after a whole day's worth of running around trying out various rides.
That left just him, sitting in the lounge of the suite at a table by the window.
"John... What the hell is wrong with you?" Kai shook his head and then took a sip of the wine before setting the glass down.
It didn't make sense. John's actions towards Yue and Meggie were absolutely unforgiveable.
And because of that, Kai didn't know what to think.
He was pissed. That much was sure. Disappointed as well. But most of all... he was confused.
From how John resolved the situation with Shin and the yakuza, the man had unfathomable resources. Not only that, but both Myth Inc. and Project MirAIs were doing great.
So then why the hell couldn't he have at least sent some people with Yue and Meggie on their way out from China?
The two had run across Kai by chance, in America without any luggage, barely any cash, and no phones or means to contact anyone. But if they hadn't, wouldn't they still be looking around in the Mall of America, waiting for someone's charity to help point them somewhere safe? And what if that person had taken advantage of them? After all, a beautiful young woman like Yue and her cute daughter Meggie...
A pang of guilt. As Kai thought about those two in that situation, he couldn't help but see another pair. Tsuki, and a beautiful young woman that looked so much like her...
"Tch." Kai shook his head and then drained his glass. After that, he grabbed the bottle from nearby and poured himself another glass.
It wasn't right. It definitely wasn't right.
If it was him... If it was Kai, he would never have allowed Yue and Meggie to go out alone. Hell, he wouldn't have let either out of his sight. And if he did, it would only be with people he vetted a hundred times over.
Right. Because if he had known about Elise and Tsuki earlier...
Another pang of guilt. Kai grimaced and took a deep sip from his glass.
"Bastard. Doesn't even know how good he's got it."
Yue was right. John and Kai were similar. Too similar.
A young woman saved on a whim while out on a mission. A whirlwind romance that culminated in an intimite night together.
And because of that, when looking at Yue, Kai couldn't help but imagine Elise. The beautiful young woman that he saved in his younger days desperately running around to make allies and gather his forces.
At the time, he was still focused on saving Sakura so he left Elise behind. And then he was so busy that he forgot to check up on her. Forgot to head back to America... No. Not forget. He kept on delaying.
Elise would be fine. Elise came from a rich family, so she wouldn't have any trouble. Elise was smart, so she would figure something out...
Kai didn't realize that it would have ended like that.
Her, disowned and working odd jobs to make ends meet to support their daughter. Still holding out hope that Kai would return some day. Telling stories to Tsuki about her brave and courageous father.
Kai let out a bitter laugh and muttered, "What a joke."
In the end, he didn't end up saving anyone.
Sakura vanished, and no matter what he did, he never heard from her again.
After that, he doubled down into the yakuza world and then did all he could to save everyone he could find. There had been a few more one night stands along the way, but he was sure nothing came from that.
And then recently, he started taking care of the girls in his idol group, hoping to save people who were in situations like Sakura.
But then that incident happened to the three girls whose lives he swore to make better.
They were all alive, but what happened to them...
"Dammit." Kai drained his glass and then poured another one.
It pissed him off.
No matter what he did, Kai couldn't save the people in his sights. Instead, they all slipped through his fingers. Like sand, everything he grabbed crumbled.
Sakura turned out to be alive, but she bore that bastard's child. And while Rin was a sweet girl that he cared for like a niece or daughter, he still couldn't help but think of what ifs.
Then there was Tsuki. Kai thought everything was settled and left Elise without a word, but in the end he left behind a mess that resulted in heartbreak for everyone around.
But John...
He was a miracle worker.
He managed to save Rin and Sakura.
He managed to get rid of the entire yakuza underworld.
He managed to somehow fake the deaths of the yakuza legends and pull them under his banner, only to clean up Japan.
And not only that, he got rid of that bastard Shin cleanly without causing any troubles.
But despite it all. Despite all of that... He still left Yue behind. Yue, and their young daughter Meggie.
Kai frowned and drained the glass again. He glanced at the bottle, thinking about pouring another one. But then he left the glass behind and just grabbed the bottle itself, taking a swig. After that, he stared out the window.
The theme park was still on. Of course. While after hours, there were still private showings and bookings that kept it running 24 hours a day.
Ignoring that, Kai looked up at the sky. The pale white moon was a crescent now, shadow slowly reclaiming it.
Taking a swig from the wine bottle, Kai muttered, "You have everything, John. So why did you leave these two behind?"
He didn't understand it.
From what Yue told him, John left with barely any explanation. All that he said was that he was heading home.
It had taken Yue months to figure out exactly where 'home' was. And even then, by the time she arrived John was already in Japan.
Did he do it on purpose?
Did he leave them behind because he was just playing around with Yue and had gotten bored of them?
John mentioned his beloved wife once... but did he mean someone else? He had to. Why else would he have Alpha and Beta with him and not Yue and Meggie then?
Did he have mistresses overseas? No, did he have a wife in the United States and was Yue the overseas mistress? If he remembered right, Beta and Alpha mentioned something about a 'mistress' as well at some point...
Kai wanted to believe John. He wanted to believe that guy was better than someone who would leave his wife behind. That he wasn't someone who would toy around with a young woman like Yue and then duck his responsibilities.
But Yue's wistful and lonely expressions. Meggie's anger and disappointment whenever John was brought up.
Those weren't reactions that they would give to a husband and father close to the family. So...
Kai frowned and pulled out his phone, thinking it over.
On one hand, if this was all a misunderstanding, then it'd be best to get this all straightened out. Maybe there was a miscommunication somewhere and everything was fine.
But the way that Yue and Meggie reacted...
But if it was a mistake...
Kai dialed John's number, ready to call... but then he remembered. "Ah. Time zones."
Back in Japan... it should be around seven P.M. And since his last phone's service broke after Yue used it, John probably wouldn't answer the random number calling in the evening.
"...I'll call him tomorrow."
Besides, it wasn't like Yue or Meggie seemed to be in a rush to get back to John. And Tsuki seemed to be having fun with Meggie...
"Yeah. I'll just do that." Kai nodded.
Tomorrow, while Meggie and Tsuki went on the rides again in the theme park, he could run through what John had been up to with Yue and clear that up with her. Get her proper opinion on it.
Right. Then that was settled.
But...
A faint brush against the back of his neck. Like someone watching him. And then an unsettling sensation, almost like the air was distorted a bit.
Kai spun around and glanced out the window.
A dark sky. The crescent moon. The theme park, still lit up with the attractions and rides...
"...That was strange..." Kai subconsciously brushed the black four wing necklace that John gave him. "...What was that?"
He narrowed his eyes and focused, carefully scanning the area outside and the potential sniper vantage points.
But as he looked, that strange sensation was gone. Everything seemed to have gone back to normal.
Kai frowned and then glanced at the wine bottle. "...Maybe I should just sleep."
It was probably the alcohol and his upset emotions.
Kai sighed and then walked over to put the wine bottle back in the fridge before plopping onto the sofa bed. Staring at the ceiling for a bit, Yue's story and his experiences with John kept playing back in his head.
What was the truth? Was it a misunderstanding? Was it not?
Did that matter?
His mind told him to make sure, but the anger in his heart wouldn't calm down...
"Tch." Kai clicked his tongue and then forcibly shut his eyes.
He'd find out tomorrow. And if he was wrong about John...
Well. He still owed that guy a punch for having Maji mess with him. A little interest wouldn't hurt.
-----AI|IA-----
5:50 PM JST. The stage that John setup for the stream. His former gaming area.
Standing in front of his piano, John frowned and lowered his phone. "That guy's not answering?"
Since Kai had connections overseas, John wanted to call him to try and spread the message further, but his calls kept getting blocked and his texts kept getting denied.
"Weird..."
From what John could tell, Kai seemed to be in that famous theme park in California with Tsuki, so it wasn't like they were in trouble or anything. The guy had even rented out a two bedroom suite... though John couldn't tell why that guy was letting Tsuki sleep alone in her room.
And the necklaces he gave them also didn't have their protective formations triggered...
John's instincts told him something was up, but he couldn't find any reason for it.
He wanted to say that it was just crappy cell phone service. After all, the guy was using a Japanese phone in America. But considering the way events were flowing...
"Is something wrong, Master John?" Qing adjusted the camera and then glanced over. "You seem concerned... Are you worried that you won't reach your beloved wife?"
"I am, but..." John frowned and then focused.
'Hey, Titor.'
Silence.
'OI!'
*Busy. Talk later.*
John felt the connection forcibly severed, Titor shutting off the link from his side.
John could still sense him. After all, Titor was just a fragment of himself. But that was odd.
"Does that guy know something I don't...?"
"Master John?"
John frowned.
He didn't like it. His mind said there was nothing to worry about. There wasn't a supernatural force at work or anything and there weren't any enemies on Earth or the nearby cosmos. Karma was at a standstill too, and he had stopped accumulating bad events after that realization he had earlier.
But his gut told him that something was afoot.
He couldn't tell what or how, but there was something interfering with him and those around him. And his gut was also telling him that something was going to happen to Kai and Tsuki.
An invisible presence or will that was concealing itself very well.
John thought about leaving it be. But the moment he had that thought, he tossed it aside and said, "I'm not taking any chances."
"Hm?" Qing looked confused. "What are you-"
John held out his hands and focused.
A shadow servant that would be discrete and not stand out from the crowd in America. Someone that could blend in and yet act at a moment's notice. Perfectly trained...
A fragment of John's power swelled out and coalesced into a humanoid form. A tall bald man in a prim suit and tie.
The 'Hitman', Toby Reaper. Or in another world, an 'Agent' that went by a certain number.
The newly formed shadow servant slowly looked around the room before focusing on John with his clear blue eyes.
"Anaheim, California. Kai Jin and his daughter. You understand, right?"
"...Yes." A clear and smooth voice with an accent that couldn't be placed. One that seemed to be from everywhere and nowhere all at once.
"Then go. Take care of any and every threat that appears."
'Toby' nodded and then stepped back, vanishing in a plume of dark shadows.
Qing watched the man leave and said, "Unsatisfied with the search?"
John shook his head. "No. I trust Bai and Beta to look for Yue. That person is to deal with a different problem."
"Hm. If you say so, Master John. Now..." Qing pulled out his phone and said, "Five minutes. You should prepare yourself."
John walked back to the piano, flicking out the coat tails of his tuxedo. "I think I've done enough preparing for the day... but one last warm up then to clear my head. A song to get in the right mood..." He ran his fingers along the grand piano and then started playing a song. "...Right. This should do..."
[Play Just a Dream - For Christina]
-----AI|IA-----
Yue was dreaming.
Was it because she missed him? Or because she felt guilty about not running into his arms right away?
An idle scene. The surroundings were hazy, but she could clearly see his face.
John Smith... her beloved husband.
His attire was different. Unlike the flowing robes she was used to seeing him in, he wore a plain black shirt and a pair of pants made of the strange starchy blue fabric that Kai wore.
"Wifey? What are you doing up so early?"
Yue blinked and slowly looked around. When she did, the surroundings came into focus.
A strangely shaped house. Inelegant and blocky, made of artificial material that didn't have natural harmony. Not only that, but there was a lack of spiritual energy.
Even so, it seemed warm.
Looking around, Yue could see pictures hanging on the walls. Portraits of her and John. Some of them kissing, some of them hugging, others posing in front of scenic backdrops. But there were also portraits of the two with the girls as well. Omega, Beta, Alpha... No. Meggie, Betty, and Alphy.
A calmer and peaceful scene. A lovely and cozy atmosphere. One that showed a happy and content family with not a single sign of any interlopers like that cow of a war goddess, that demon lord, or John's disciple.
"What's wrong, Yue?" John's voice was serious. He quickly walked over and placed his hand over Yue's forehead, frowning. "It's not a fever. Are you still half-asleep?"
"Half-asleep...?" Yue blinked and looked around. "No. I'm..."
A beautiful scene. A wonderful life. A wish that she wanted with all her heart.
But in the end.
"...I'm dreaming."
"Eh? What are you talking about?" John's frown deepened and he said, "...Maybe I should get Betty to take a look at you. Stay there, alright? I'll be right back."
With that, he left the room.
And Yue was alone.
...It was a dream.
She recognized it was a dream.
And yet...
Seeing the pictures on the wall, recalling John's attentive gaze...
Yue pulled the blanket covering her body a bit closer and muttered, "It's fine if I dream a little longer, right?"
And with that, a small *crack* echoed from somewhere in the distance.