Chapter 8: Goodbye (Part 2)
No Nen ability is truly invincible.
...
Staring at the bullet hole in the cabin—and the ruined, bloody remains of the Star Marker on Muser's left temple—that single thought flashed through Kai's mind.
He examined the wound.
The rose-gold pentagram was gone. There were no traces of it left, not even on the edges of the mangled tissue. It seemed that the instant the mark was destroyed, it had completely dissipated, just as if Kai had touched it himself.
The wound was definitely not healing, and the body was cold. Muser was dead.
Kai vaguely remembered that when he'd heard the gunshot in his sleep, he'd felt that familiar, hot-and-cold "Death Aura" drill into his heart.
He had no idea how many more of those his heart could take before it burst again.
And no idea how many years he would "grow" when it did.
Kai pushed the troubling thoughts aside. "When a marked target is injured," he muttered, "the Star Marker activates, drawing on the target's own Aura—or some deeper life energy—to heal them. It's a powerful, triggered ability. But if the mark itself is destroyed... I lose my connection, and the target loses the healing effect."
In other words, if he wanted to kill someone he was controlling, he just had to aim for the mark.
No... not quite.
That would only work if he'd placed the mark on a vital spot to begin with.
If he'd put the mark on someone's hand, blowing their hand off wouldn't kill them. It would destroy the mark and the healing, yes, but it would also free them from his control. In that split second, a powerful enemy would have an opening to counter-attack.
As Kai analyzed his own Nen, he signaled for Butch, who was peeking in from the doorway, to come and help.
Butch still had a Star Marker on his belly, but as long as it remained "Dormant" and Kai didn't actively control him, the tiger was free to act on its own.
Butch padded into the room—not because he was ordered, but because he was willing—and gently gripped Muser's body in his jaws, dragging it out of the room as Kai led the way.
"Kai-Wolf" followed behind, dutifully licking up the blood trail.
They emerged onto the deck. A cold sea breeze was blowing, and the distant horizon was turning a pale white. Just as Butch was about to shove the corpse into the sea, Kai said, "Wait."
The tiger stopped, swishing its tail.
"Kai-Wolf" dragged a heavy, rusted anchor onto the deck. Kai used the rope he'd gathered to tie the anchor to Muser's body. Butch then pushed the entire bundle overboard. It hit the water with a heavy splash and vanished. The waves rolled, and it was as if nothing had happened.
Kai leaned on the rail, watching the water. He'd been through so much in the last 12 hours that he was a little disturbed by how calm he felt.
He wasn't sleepy anymore. He went back into the cabin to prepare to leave.
Logically, his five-year-old body should have been completely wrecked. He'd been in a high-stress, life-or-death struggle. In his past life, he'd be so sore the next day he wouldn't be able to move.
But as he touched the Star Marker on the back of his neck, he realized... he felt great. No soreness, no fatigue.
This healing... if I used it for training...
Kai couldn't help but smile. This was basically a low-rent version of Biscuit's "Magical Spa Services"!
He forced himself to focus. This was not a safe place. He had to go.
"Okay, what do I need... Rope. A full coil. Fuel. One bottle should do it. Lighters... I'll take a few. A tarp. And a kitchen knife. Hey, Tiger Bro, give me a boost..." He used Butch's back as a step-stool to reach the knife. "Got it. Shovel? Yes, there's one. Water. And the last of the compressed biscuits. That'll have to do."
He and Butch loaded up, while "Kai-Wolf" scouted. Butch, now laden with bags and a shovel tied to his back, gave Kai an innocent, put-upon look.
"With great power comes great responsibility," Kai said, patting the tiger's head. He had "Kai-Wolf" stand guard while he quickly brushed his teeth, then splashed water on his new, unfamiliar face in the mirror. "Let's go."
The two animals leaped onto the shore. Kai stood on the bow and double-checked: Hunter License, cash. All set.
"Here's hoping we find a town soon," he said, looking at the shore. "Butch, are you just going to stare? Get back here and carry me."
In the faint morning light, the tiger's glowing patterns had faded. It seemed to be a night-only phenomenon. Butch leaped back onto the ship, let Kai climb on, and then bounded effortlessly back to shore. Kai pointed in the direction he'd heard the gunshot from the night before, and they set off.
With the wolf's nose, they found the source of the blood smell quickly. It was the man Muser had killed. A flock of black crows scattered as they approached.
"Birds... birds are useful," Kai muttered to himself. He rode Butch closer. He couldn't tell if this was the original owner of the Hunter License, but one thing was certain: Muser was the enemy, which made this dead man... an ally.
He had Butch help load the body onto "Kai-Wolf's" back. Then, using the shipwreck as a landmark, they headed back to the field where he had first woken up.
When they arrived, Kai took the kitchen knife and began hacking down the tall, unsettling patch of grass. "Kai-Wolf" dragged the mafia corpses out one by one. He and Butch tied the bodies into a single, massive bundle. The two animals then worked together, dragging the heavy load to the ocean and dumping it.
On the way back, they used the tarp to scrub the blood trails from the ground, deliberately making false trails in other directions. Kai had no idea if it would work, but it was better than doing nothing.
After clearing half the grass, Kai was exhausted. Butch finished the job with his claws.
Sitting on the ground, watching the tiger work, Kai suddenly asked, "Hey, Tiger Bro... when this grass patch first exploded with life... you were here, weren't you?"
Butch finished and padded over, nudging him with his big head.
"But just seeing that... that wouldn't be enough to make the 'King of Beasts' this friendly," Kai mused, scratching the tiger's chin. "Wait... were you injured yesterday? And when I passed out, did the energy I released... heal you?"
"Rooar~" Butch, of course, couldn't answer. He just nuzzled Kai affectionately.
Kai shrugged. Whatever. It works out for me.
He had "Kai-Wolf" pile all the cut grass together and then doused it in fuel. He took out a lighter, but paused.
A question he'd ignored: his ability was Star Marker. So why could he control hair and blood? They weren't marked.
"The Four Major Principles... Ten, Zetsu, Ren, Hatsu. All I've been doing is Hatsu," he mused. "I don't know the basics. My Ten is sloppy, and I can't use Ren or Zetsu. I'm a prodigy who learned to fly before he could walk."
"If that's true... then controlling the hair and blood... it must also be an extension of my Hatsu. Part of my Manipulation ability."
It was two sides of the same coin.
One side was the Star Marker: a one-time cost to mark, which then uses the target's energy for control.
The other side was Direct Manipulation: wrapping an object in his Aura.
He tried to replicate the feeling, wrapping his Aura around the lighter. It floated! It wobbled a few centimeters... and then clattered to the ground. Kai's arm went limp, his energy completely drained.
He picked it up, rubbing his hand. He understood.
Star Marker: One-time Aura cost to apply. Control is "free" (uses the target's stamina).
Aura Kinesis: Continuous, heavy Aura cost that depends on the object's mass.
So, Star Marker wasn't the right name for the whole ability.
He flicked the lighter and tossed it onto the fuel-soaked pile. It erupted in flames. He watched the fire burn, thinking. He considered "Golden Spirit," or maybe "Dark Will," but shook his head. Too edgy.
He settled on a name. His Nen ability was Song of the Earth.
He tossed the tarp into the fire. He had "Kai-Wolf" carry the body of the "friendly" Hunter, and...
Kai looked at the last body. The woman who was probably his new mother.
"I can't just leave you out here," he said. "You deserve a proper burial."
He had Butch carry the woman's body, and they left the fire behind.
A short distance away, he had "Kai-Wolf" start digging with the shovel. When the wolf got tired, Butch took over. It was clumsy, but it was a lot faster than Kai doing it himself. After an hour, they had a grave. They buried the "friendly" Hunter and covered the pit.
Then, they walked in a new direction for another hour and dug a second, deeper grave.
They gently placed the woman's body inside. Kai was covered in sweat and dirt. He patted the fresh earth.
"It's... a bit much to ask me to think of you as my real mom," he said quietly.
"But... I can definitely call you my godmother."
Kai knelt and gave three deep, respectful kowtows, his forehead touching the earth. He was so tired he almost couldn't stand up, leaning on Butch for support.
He looked up. The sun was high. A cool morning breeze blew in from the sea.
Kai took a deep breath. "Goodbye," he said. "I'm leaving."
He climbed onto the tiger's back. With a single command, they were off, "Kai-Wolf" running silently at their side.
(End of Chapter)