Chapter 27: 1994 is Over
"Get your authentic 'Blue Moon Jewels'! Don't miss out! The Pale Moon Tiger's one-and-only partner jewel! One per tiger, one per person, for a lifetime!"
It was the perfect evening. At the amusement park's crowded fountain plaza, the shouting was drawing a huge crowd.
They'd all seen these "Blue Moon Jewels" at the souvenir stalls. Almost no one believed the hype, but it was the local specialty, and—maybe it was just the placebo effect—they really did look prettier under the moonlight, catching a faint blue shimmer.
But the real attraction was the kid holding the jewel. He was maybe five years old, tops.
The boy grinned. "1800 Zeni! Arm wrestle me. If you win, you take the jewel!"
The crowd murmured. One woman laughed, "How cute! Where are your parents?"
"He's so serious! I just want to scoop him up."
"They sell those for 40,000 Zeni over there. This has to be a fake, right?"
"Who cares? It's basically free."
"40,000? The guy I bought from charged me 100,000!"
"Hahaha!"
The crowd, tired from the park and bored, laughed along. Arm wrestling a five-year-old?
Kai pushed away a woman who was trying to pinch his cheek. "Hey, lady, get serious!" he snapped. "I'm working here! You in or not? 1800 Zeni!"
"I'll give you 5,000, sweetie," the woman said, not at all offended. She pulled a few large bills from her wallet. "But if I win, the jewel is mine."
"Thanks, sis." Kai pocketed the cash, hopped onto the stool he'd brought, and put his arm on the table. "Let's go."
The woman chuckled, brushed back her hair, and leaned down, gripping his tiny hand.
"Hehe, of course I wouldn't really... Huh?" The woman hadn't planned on using any force, but... it wasn't moving. She pushed. Nothing. She really pushed. The boy's arm was like a steel bar bolted to the table. She strained, her face turning red, until she was panting and covered in sweat. She finally gave up, her mind reeling. Is this a joke?
The crowd erupted, some cheering, some laughing, and some yelling that it was a setup. "Hey lady, is that your kid? Hahaha!"
"My turn!" A muscle-bound guy in a tank top pushed through, cracking his knuckles. "I hate brats," he grinned. "This vacation is costing me a fortune... Uncle here isn't going to be as gentle as that lady, kid!"
"Bring it," Kai said, his hand steady. "1800 Zeni."
"2,000 for the jewel? Worth it." The man slapped a bill on the table.
Three seconds later, his wrist was slammed onto the table. He stared at his hand, questioning his existence.
Kai was just trying to make a quick buck. He had zero intention of 'holding back' or putting on a show. Man, woman, tall, short—everyone who challenged him was slammed to the table in under three seconds.
With his current Aura pool of around 1,400, even without being an Enhancer, his Ten alone was more than enough. Against normal people, it was a total curbstomp.
Just as he heard park security approaching, Kai grabbed his cash, his stool, and vanished into the crowd.
The crowd dispersed, still buzzing. The only one not happy was a shifty-eyed young man—the original jewel vendor.
"Hey, it's you!" someone shouted. "You're the swindler who sold me one for 100,000!"
The vendor was furious. "I'm the one who got swindled! That kid 'borrowed' the jewel from me! And he just left!"
"So it was a real one, huh? Interesting."
The remaining tourists, satisfied with the dramatic ending, finally left.
Kai reappeared from the shadows, tossing the Blue Moon Jewel in his hand. "1,000 Zeni," he said to the vendor. "I'll buy it."
"One thousand?!" The vendor's eyes bugged out. "You're a bigger swindler than I am, kid!"
"900..."
"Done!"
...
Kai's little side-hustle had earned him 26,700 Zeni. After paying the 900 for the jewel, he'd netted a clean 25,800 Zeni for a few minutes of work.
He placed the Blue Moon Jewel on his nightstand. It caught the moonlight, and Kai fell asleep.
The next day, the routine was the same: Hatsu training in the morning, fundamentals and Aura pool training in the afternoon.
Menchi, the hot-headed girl, ran through her basics with him, then disappeared somewhere to work on her Conjuration ability. Ginta, clearly feeling awkward watching Kai train alone, also left.
Kai was unfazed. He just continued his grind, pushing his Ken to its limit, collapsing, and getting back up, stretching his Aura capacity bit by bit.
In truth, his main focus wasn't even on his own body. He'd already used the Star Marker on his neck to give himself a standing order to train.
This was, quite literally, full-auto, AFK grinding.
Part of his mind was with the two "Kai-Crows," patiently getting Shizuku accustomed to their presence, waiting for the right moment to lure her to him.
Another part of his mind was still watching Babimaina's team on the north coast.
This evening, the broccoli-haired soldier, Babimaina, had made progress.
He'd found the graves.
Kai had rotated in a new pair of birds. Through their eyes, he watched from the treetops as the Kakin soldiers began to dig.
...
"Two bodies total. This one is the Discarded Consort. The other is her hired Hunter."
"We found... no remains of the child."
"Either the person who buried them took the child, or... it was taken by wild animals long before."
Babimaina stood at attention, hands clasped behind his back, listening to the report as he stared down at the woman's exhumed body.
"Document everything. Send the photos to Prince Benjamin," he ordered.
"And the... bodies, sir?"
"Do you make a habit of desecrating corpses?" Babimaina asked. "Record the location and re-inter them."
"Yes, sir."
As the men began to fill the graves, Babimaina stood silently. Far behind him, two birds lifted from the trees, circled once, and flew away.
'Two birds per shift. Six total.'
Babimaina didn't turn around. 'Not a coincidence. Tamed birds? Or a controlled spy... A Manipulator? We'll assume the one who forced Muser to suicide is watching us. Do not engage. Observe.'
'It's possible... this person has the young prince. And is raising him.'
'Why do I suddenly have such a bad feeling?'
Back at his training ground, Kai's main body was charging a Divine Flick. 'I've had those six birds watching the Kakin team for two days straight, without rotating them. That broccoli-haired soldier... a pro like that... he must have noticed them.'
"I can't play these 4D chess games with guys like that. I'm done."
He released his finger. BAM! A Divine Flick, charged with at least 600 Aura, vaporized the target tree, tore through the one behind it, and kept going, ripping through four more trees before it finally dissipated.
A shot like that... if he'd had this power against Garo, the fight would have been over in one hit.
More importantly, even after firing such a massive shot, he wasn't empty. He still had reserves.
He thought about Babimaina re-burying the bodies. At least the man was respectful. That was one worry gone. His only other worry was being exposed. The only solution was to get stronger. He recalled all six birds from the north coast, eliminating the risk and freeing up his focus.
For the next few days, Kai's training became even more demonic. The pressure on Menchi, in turn, became immense.
She stopped showing up, holing herself up somewhere, obsessed with finishing her Hatsu so she could finally compete.
Ginta passed by Kai's "training ground"—which now looked like a clear-cut forest—and thought, 'Is he an Emitter? An Enhancer? Or a Manipulator...?'
...
One day at noon, Menchi finally reappeared, looking triumphant.
"Why are you still training?" she laughed.
Kai cracked open an eye, giving her a look that said, State your business or get lost.
"You're unbelievable... I swear you're twice as strong as you were a few days ago," she said. "But you have to stop. It's New Year's Day! It's not 1994 anymore, it's 1995! January 1st! Come on, I'm cooking a feast!"
She held up one finger, Aura flowing around it. "My Hatsu... it's finished! I'm not going to lose to you anymore! Haha!"
"1994 is over. I'll miss it," Kai said, looking at the sky. "Okay, no I won't. Butch, I'm going! I'll bring you back leftovers!" He waved. "Let's go eat!"
Rock Sparrow chirped and followed. Menchi was practically vibrating, dying for Kai to ask about her new ability.
Kai pointedly did not ask, which seemed to be causing her physical pain.
(End of Chapter)