"You are impatient. It will not serve you well on Martial Island." Taiki said.

"Then, it is a good thing I am not planning to stay in this place for long," Kaito responded.

The two people faced off across the table, and neither was willing to give in to the other. The tension rose as they remained in the same position. After a long moment, Taiki finally sighed before speaking.

"The current state of affairs on Martial Island has caused power imbalance. The main families have lost a lot of power because the middle and lower families choose to risk their lives for subpar manuals instead of bowing to the elite families." Taiki said.

"Our Iekami clan is one of those affected by the shifts in power. Our focus has always been medicine. We have enough wealth and power, but our lack of combat strength means a decline in status and vulnerability to other top families." He added.

Kaito showed impatience and irritation at the continued roundabout explanation. "You have still not answered my question."

Taiki realised that his nephew was not willing to listen to him anymore. He needed to cut to the chase and let him understand his only choice.

"If you can become a powerful champion for the Iekami clan and stand at the top, you will have no trouble leaving Martial Island with pomp and glory." Taiki paused. "You have been wondering what I was plotting when I brought you here."

"This is it. I am concerned about the waning strength of the Iekami clan. We have not made significant progress in resolving the current medical emergency facing the island. It is only a matter of time before we decline. And a decline means becoming prey to the circling vultures."

Kaito did not feel sympathetic to their plight, but he needed to understand his options.

"How do you determine the combat strength of an individual? What is the platform?" He asked.

"Every three years, we hold a combat tournament and allow interested parties to participate. Each clan sends in champions from their affiliated families. Individuals from the outside world with an invitation can also attend. As long as you get a good position, you will win power for both yourself and the Iekami clan."

"And before you ask, it is not possible for you to get an individual invitation. These are only sent out to the outside world by the elite families. They are restricted to strong people that certain clans want to recruit to Martial Island."

Kaito smiled with a wicked air. "I am sure someone wants to recruit me."

Taiki laughed. "Your name has come up several times, but no one chose to go through with it. The consensus among the families was that you were too wild to tame. Your personality makes it impossible for you to work under someone else's orders."

"If you participate under the Iekami banner, you will retain your freedom. No special conditions. We just need to show that we have enough power in addition to medical prowess. As long as we have strength, we can buy time to resolve the emergency without danger."

Kaito was not interested in this idea of fighting for a family he did not know, even if it was related to his dead mother. After all, he did not remember his parents, except for stories and photographic records. It seemed like a major sacrifice for unknown parties.

"I assume that you are going to tell me the tournament will be held in a month, and I must spend all my time training?" He asked flippantly.

Taiki's expression remained serious at the joke.

"No. This is not a cheap fictional wuxia novel. The tournament will be held one year later. This period should give you enough time to train and understand the workings of Martial Island." He responded.

Kaito lost his playful expression. "I cannot remain in this unknown place for a year."

Taiki did not respond for a long time.

"There is another way to amass enough power to gain your freedom." He added.

"What is it?" Kaito asked

"The Iekami clan needs to join in a political marriage. You can simply join the family directly without fighting. Once you are recognised as a member, you can gain power by marrying someone from one of the other elite families. If you are amenable, I have a suitable candidate in mind." The tone was sedate.

Kaito felt anger colour the edges of his vision. It was obvious that this Taiki had already researched his background, but he still made the suggestion. The very words made him feel like this uncle had dishonoured his Akira.

"It seems I have wasted my time with you." He said, standing up.

Taiki also stood up. "I thought you might not be interested in that second suggestion, so I already set the wheels in motion for the first choice."

There was a soft knock on the door followed by the low sounds of boots on the tiled floor. Kaito turned and faced a group of men in black clothing, holding simple tranquiliser pistols in their hands.

"What is this?" He asked.

"We have already concluded that the situation we find ourselves in has only one solution. According to the rules, all external champions chosen by clans can train as desired on Martial Island, but they must remain under guard through the entire period." Taiki said in his usual proper tone.

Kaito took a stance to fight back, even though he thought it was futile. However, he did not expect to feel the pinprick of a tranquiliser dart from behind. His so-called uncle had taken action against him before he had a chance to test the strength of the men before him.

He fell back towards his chair and clutched the table for stability. He looked at Taiki Iekami with dark eyes while the other man retained his sedate expression. He did not seem like he felt anything at shooting his nephew in the back.

"One day, I will make you regret your actions," Kaito said through the last wisps of his consciousness.

"I hope so," Taiki said as he stepped closer and leaned close to his ear. "And I hope you will be able to get revenge for my sister and your mother because I cannot."

Kaito was not comforted by the statement. His wrath grew even more as his eyes closed involuntarily. Once again, his mind held on to Akira. His sweet Akira…

"Thank you, Guardian Iekami. It seems like he would have been a difficult one to handle." One of the men spoke up.

"Naturally, he is special. After all, he is my nephew." Taiki responded coldly. "Treat him with care. I will train him personally."

"Yes, Guardian Iekami." The men responded in unison.

As Taiki watched the men take away Kaito, he felt a weight on his heart. He could almost feel a heavy stare from his sister from beyond the grave. In truth, he wanted to treat his nephew well, but he could not abandon the Iekami family.

So, as a neutral Guardian on the island, he had done all he could do.

He hoped that his faith in Kaito was not misplaced.