Taiki Iekami looked at the two people as they sparred. The fight was not simple and casual, but he had expected as much. Kaito was not a person who fought with a half-hearted nature. He was a true assassin who shot to kill.

His sure moves with the bo staff seemed designed to take out Nicole as efficiently as possible. This kind of attitude would ensure his victory when he was facing people who were more interested in showing off their fighting style.

​​

But Nicole was not a herbivore.

He could not have asked for a more reliable apprentice. She was also not one to fight by showing off flamboyant and beautiful moves. She was a powerhouse. It was inevitable that she would be chosen as a Guardian when her talent was discovered.

In a way, choosing neutral Guardians was a way for the elite families to keep a check on one another. Even though the Guardians had to take on some missions to deal with a few troublesome things, the main goal of choosing the strongest was to prevent any family from dominating too much.

As soon as an overly talented younger generation appeared, they would be marked as potential Guardians.

The fight in the dojo continued in a flurry of movements. Nicole had purer raw power because of the martial arts she practised. However, she could not compare to the speed of a ninja. Even Taiki had trouble keeping up with Kaito.

And Taiki suspected that the speed he displayed was not his maximum potential. Perhaps, if he wanted to see the true face of the assassin, he would have to be in an environment that favoured ninja arts. If Kaito had the advantage of concealment in the shadows, he would be unbeatable.

As Taiki enjoyed the fight with his unchanging face, he thought about his old idea, even if he knew Kaito would be against the very thought.

When he suggested a political marriage for Kaito to give him enough credibility to leave the island, he was not bluffing to force him to a corner. He had the idea of matchmaking him and his apprentice. He did not think it was a bad match.

He felt that a marriage between the two people would solve the Iekami clan's problems, eliminating the pressure they were under. The Jiang and Iekami families were considered good friends, even allies. They were both high in wealth and status, but a marriage alliance could further reinforce their reputations.

The Iekami family would have no reason to prevent Kaito from becoming an official family member. Under normal circumstances, the other clan members would oppose the addition of a new person to the main family because of the distribution of resources.

However, Kaito did not need their resources. He was not only wealthy in his own right. His parents had also left him considerable wealth, both in the outside world and on the island. He would only be an added asset to the Iekami family.

The Jiang family might oppose the union because Kaito was not born on the island. However, he knew Nicole had always liked his nephew. It would not be a hard sell. Nicole was a major pillar of support for the family even as a future Guardian.

But most of all, he did not think it was not a bad thing for Kaito to join Martial Island.

In his opinion, Kaito had already reached the peak of his life in the outside world. He had everything a man desired, and his life could only decline from here on out. If he went on with his current trajectory, he would become mediocre.

In recent months, he had retreated from assassination to focus on his girlfriend. Within a few years, he would be just a businessman with a family, living the boring life he had always lived. Then, his name would be forgotten.

That was not the life for an exceptional man like Kaito.

If he joined Martial Island, he would discover that the world was more than going the motions. He would understand the secrets of a life beyond what was considered normal. He would thrive in the power that came from harnessing the energies of the world and standing at the top.

Taiki pursed his lips as he considered these thoughts that had been prodding his brain.

But he could not decide if he was thinking of this future for Kaito's good or because of his selfish motives. Most of him believed that he wanted Kaito to live a good life away from the scheming Takahashi family.

Perhaps, a small part of him just wanted to keep Kaito on the island to help the Iekami clan.

Regardless of his thoughts and motives, he knew that he could not force Kaito to do anything he did not want to do. Still, he thought that introducing Nicole to Kaito was a good start to showing him how great his life could be on the island.

He felt a little guilty towards Kaito's girlfriend, but he had to suppress it. His nephew could be more than human while that Akira would always be ordinary. He could only do what was best for Kaito. For now, he had a chance with Nicole Jiang.

Luckily, someone had cleaned off all the news about Kaito and Akira from all online platforms soon after he and Kaito came back. Otherwise, it would be difficult to guarantee a good outcome for the two people.

Taiki turned back to the fight just as Nicole jumped into the air and used her bo staff to strike at Kaito's head. Kaito raised his weapon as a shield, but the wooden rod broke at the centre. Instead of being at a disadvantage, he held the two pieces as separate weapons.

As Nicole landed on the ground, Kaito moved like a phantom behind her. He struck her on the shoulders with both pieces, signalling the end of the fight.

Nicole winced at the painful blow on her shoulders, even though it was not debilitating. She turned and bowed slightly to Kaito, admitting her defeat. She knew that she was too impatient at the end. Her endurance had always been poor, so she always got impatient if a fight lasted too long.

"You are as amazing as the rumours say." She complimented him.

"You held back," Kaito said.

Nicole laughed. "I would not exactly say I held back. I just did not exert the full capabilities of my internal force. But I can also tell you held back. Your movement technique showed some hesitation as if you were slowing down on purpose."

Kaito did not deny or acknowledge it.

"Anyway, it is an honour for me to be able to fight you. I have always been a huge fan. My family was on the verge of recruiting you once just like the other families. But we found out that you were related to the Iekami clan." Nicole added enthusiastically.

"You are talking too much." Taiki interrupted.

Nicole stuck out her tongue at her master, but she did not say anything more.

"I will prepare a new strength training method for you." Taiki turned to Kaito. "You are still lacking in power. If you can match your power to your speed, you will be a real contender."