Kai Mikawa

Earth Land, Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Akane Beach.

November, x786.

After returning from the sea, their magical beast subjugation completed, Alfonzo, Cana, and Sun first went to the Akane resort to show proof of their successful subjugation. Then, after buying a few things to go along with the crab they caught, they returned to the villa.

"*Sigh* I kinda feel bad that I didn't do anything during the subjugation." Cana, wearing a teal bikini and lounging on a beach chair, said after taking a sip of a cocktail Alfonzo made for her. "What makes it even worse, is the fact that I asked the two of you to help me on this quest. Hell, you two would have been just fine without me."

"Don't say that, Cana." Sun, wearing a yellow bikini while also lounging on a beach chair, said in an optimistic tone. "If you hadn't told us about it, that crab might have hurt even more people. You might have gotten hurt, too."

"Yeah, I know…" Cana said before taking another swig. "But I don't think I would have gotten hurt. Instead, I would not have gotten any points for this quest.Because I would have probably used my [Super Nova] spell. And that would have caused a huge tidal wave that would have probably damaged a lot of the properties on the shore."

"I'm actually surprised to hear that, Cana." Alfonzo, who was busy grilling a portion of the Emperor Guillotine Crab's meat, said with a smile. "I didn't think you were aware of the damage you caused on quests."

In response, Cana waved off Alfonzo's comment.

"No, I'm always aware." Cana said. "I just get impatient. I mean, I usually have a plan that would end without any collateral damage. But it usually takes too long. So, I end up just bulldozing through it all, without hurting civilians, of course."

Hearing that, both Alfonzo and Sun sighed in unison. Before they could continue the conversation, however, they were all drawn to a killer whale leaping out of the sea in the distance.

"Hmm…?" Sun hummed in confusion. "I lived on Akane Beach for a long time. But I've never seen killer whales here."

"Really?" Cana asked as she sat up to get a better look at the killer whale. "Then, we should be seeing something truly rare. I'll run in and get my photo lacrima. I bet the others back at the guild would love to see this."

'That isn't just a simple killer whale.' Alfonzo thought as he continued to tend to the grill. 'I mean, neither of the girls have noticed yet, but that thing is gonna beach itself if it keeps going the way it is.'

["On top of that, it's staring at Sun."] Bedlam added.

["It's definitely that Kai dick again."] Riot added. ["How dare he look at her like that." Let's kick his ass."]

Meanwhile, Alfonzo continued to cook. At the same time, Cana ran into the villa to grab her photo lacrima. Sun, on the other hand, continued to watch the killer whale. And as the sea mammal got closer, her eye brow started to furrow.

"That killer whale seems familiar for some reason." Sun said to herself. "But I don't know why."

As Sun continued to rifle through her memories, Cana eventually returned with her photo lacrima in hand. Then, the brown-haired woman took as many pictures from as many angles as she could. However, like Alfonzo and his [Armament Spirits], she, too, noticed that the whale would eventually end up beached if it continued on its course. On top of that, it was staring at Sun with… obsession in its eyes.

Eventually when the killer whale reached a point close to the shore, it jumped out of the water. This time, its jump was much more powerful, leaving Alfonzo, Cana, and Sun certain that it would land on the beach.

"Sun, my Darling!" the killer whale, Kai Mikawa, a member of the merfolk race, shouted excitedly as he crossed the tide line. "WE can finally fulfill our destinies together."

As he finished shouting, Kai, in his merfolk form, was covered in light. Then, once the light faded, a young man, looking to be about nineteen, with well styled, ear-length, dark grey hair and eyes wearing a white naval uniform, appeared in place of the killer whale. In the next instant, when Kai landed on the beach, his actions took Alfonzo, Cana, and Sun by surprise.

First, Kai posed like a gymnast at the end of his routine. In the next instant, however, his face began to pale. Then, he began to sweat profusely. After that, it was clear to see that he was starting to panic.

"Ahh~~~~~~~~~!" Kai screamed at the top of his lungs as he fell to his knees. "Somebody, please save me! It's too bright out here. And the space is too open~~~~~~~! Please, someone help me!"

Naturally, this caused Cana and Sun to drop their jaws in surprise. Alfonzo on the other hand, nodded in understanding.

"Well, if I had to guess, that guy is agoraphobic." Alfonzo said in an amused tone. "And if I had to venture another guess, he was so excited to see Sun that he completely forgot about it."

"Agoraphobic? What's that?" Cana asked curiously.

"And why would he be excited to see me?" Sun asked while tilting her head cutely.

"Well, agoraphobia is a behavioral disorder." Alfonzo replied. "Basically, it causes anxiety when someone suffering from it perceives themselves to be in a place that is hard to escape. Like when they find themselves in a crowd or queuing up for something. In this guy's case, it seems to manifest when he's in a wide open space."

"Damn, that's gotta suck." Cana said before taking a swig from her cocktail.

"Yeah, it must make it hard to get things done." Sun added with a nod. "It kinda makes me feel bad for him."

After commenting about agoraphobia, Sun then tilted her head in confusion.

"But why did he seem so excited to see me?" Sun asked curiously. "He even knew my name. How is that possible."

Sun's last question made Alfonzo and Cana look at her with incredulous gazes.

"Obviously, he knows you from the past, Sun.": Cana replied after a few seconds of dumbfounded silence.

"Really?" Sun asked in a confused tone. Then, she looked at Kai, who was still panicking, trying to remember who he was. Eventually, when Kai's anxiety caused him to pass out, Sun spoke once again. "I can't remember him at all. Maybe he's confusing me with someone else?"

Hearing that, Alfonzo and Cana could only continue staring at Sun incredulously. Eventually, they decided to just let it go.

"We should probably call Ren and Gozaburo about this." Alfonzo said while shaking his head. "I'm sure at least Gozaburo is at the Akane Beach residence. You know… Since Sun is here and all."

"Oh, I have no doubt that he followed his little girl here." Cana replied with a giggle. "I mean, he might have gotten better when it comes to dealing with you, Fonzie. But he's still completely nuts when it comes to Sun."

"*Sigh* I know." Alfonzo and Sun replied simultaneously.

In the next instant, Alfonzo went back to grilling the crab. At the same time, Cana and Sun went over the Kai, picked him up, and brought him into the house.

And just as they expected, when Gozaburo found out that Sun would be taking a quest on Akane Beach, he and Masa quickly returned to the Seto Group HQ. And Ren, in order to make sure that her husband did not do something stupid, went with them. So, when they got the call from Sun about a merfolk showing up on the beach, they arrived at Alfonzo's villa in less than twenty minutes.

Then, about ten minutes after the Setos arrived, Kai woke up. And as soon as he did, he started to panic once again. However, when he realized he was in a living room, lying on a couch, he calmed down quickly. Then, he noticed the aroma of seafood.

"Where am I?" Kai asked himself as he sat up from the couch he had been sleeping on. "And what is that delectable smell?"

With that, Kai stood up from the couch. Then, he began sniffing the air. A moment later, once his nose told him where the scent of food was coming from, he let the scent lead him towards the food.

When he eventually arrived, Kai found six people sitting around a table, enjoying a meal.

"Alfonzo, you outdo yourself every time." A woman Kai recognized to be Ren Seto said with a smile on her face.

"Indeed." A man Kai recognized to be Masa said with a nod while eating elegantly. "I've never tasted such consistently high-quality food from the same person in all my life."

"Hmph! It's passable." A man Kai recognized to be Gozaburo Seto, the head of the Seto Group, said in an irritated tone.

"If you're not gonna be honest about it, then you don't need to eat." Ren said as she snatched Gozaburo's plate from in front of him.

"Wait! Give that back!" Gozaburo shouted. "I wasn't done yet."

"Well, if it was only passable, you shouldn't mind, right?" Ren asked. "You can just head back to our house and get the chefs to make you something better."

"Geez, Dad." The fed-up voice of the woman of Kai's dreams, Sun Seto, said, while reprimanding her father. "You're not being very nice."

"Now that he doesn't go into a violent rage anymore, this is fun to watch." The first unfamiliar voice, a woman with long, wavy brown hair, said.

"Yeah, and it would have been much more fun if we had the time to keep watching." Another unfamiliar voice to Kai, a brown-skinned man with dreadlocks, said as he looked in Kai's direction. "Our guest is awake, after all."

Hearing that, the other five also turned their gazes in Kai's direction. While Masa simply nodded at the new arrival, Ren smiled at him and Gozaburo scowled. Meanwhile, Cana looked at him with curiosity. She had never met someone with agoraphobia, after all. Then, there was Sun, who clearly had no idea who Kai was.

"So, it's the brat from the Mikawa Group." Gozaburo said while frowning. "Why the hell are you even here, Kid?"

"Ah, Mister Seto." Kai said while smiling charmingly. "It's nice to see you again. You, too, Mrs. Seto and Masa, as well. And to answer your question, I've come to ask for Miss Sun's hand in marriage, just as I promised I would over ten years ago."

With that, the dining room fell silent. Meanwhile, the confusion in Sun's expression increased to a whole new level.

"Mom, what is he talking about?" Sun asked, breaking the awkward silence. "And who is he?"

Hearing Sun's questions, kai almost coughed up a mouthful of blood. Luckily, he was able to hold back and not ruin his image.

"*Sigh* It doesn't surprise me that you don't remember him, Sun." Ren replied. "You only met him once when you were… seven, I think."

"It was six, actually, Mrs. Seto." Kai said while wearing a fond, nostalgic smile. "That day, when my grandfather brought me with him to discuss business, I knew I had found my soul mate."

"Just my fucking luck, more soul mate bullshit to deal with." Alfonzo muttered in an irritated tone.

While Sun's confusion grew even further after hearing that. Cana stifled a giggle after hearing Alfonzo's muttering. At the same time, Ren smiled wryly, clearly, she remembered that little play date. Gozaburo, on the other hand, deepened his scowl. Clearly, he, too, remembered the meeting Kai was talking about, as well.

"I clearly remember telling you to give up on my perfect, beautiful, precious angel." Gozaburo said in an annoyed tone. "You're not good enough for her."

Although Kai flinched initially, he regained his bearing quickly.

"Yes, I'll admit, I wasn't good enough for one such as Miss Sun." Kai replied. In fact, I doubt that anyone was back then."

Kai then paused momentarily to take in the expressions of everyone sitting at the table. Then, he opened his mouth to continue. At the same time, however, he caught sight of Cana. More specifically, Cana's bikini-clad breasts. And when he did, his eyes widened as blood began to leak from one of his nostrils.

"Wow… He comes here claiming Sun to be his soul mate." Cana said in a derisive tone. Then, she squeezed her arms in front of her, emphasizing her breasts even more as she continued. "But as soon as he sees a pair of nice tits, he forgets everything."

Hearing Cana's statement, Kai quickly wiped his nose and fixed his expression. Then, as if nothing happened, he continued.

"*Cough* Anyway, now, after inheriting the Mikawa Group from my grandfather, I've become the second most wealthy person on the continent." Kai said proudly. "And with my standing, I think a I should be good enough to ask for Miss Sun's hand in marriage."

In response, the dining room fell into silence. At the same time, Ren, Masa, and Cana looked at Kai awkwardly. Sun, on the other hand, looked at him with a frown, much like her father. Meanwhile, Alfonzo glared at Kai with his eyes narrowed. Eventually, the awkward silence was broken by none other than Sun.

"No way, I'm not marrying you." Sun said with a frown. Then, she reached over and grabbed Alfonzo's arm. "I'm already engaged. And if everything works out, I'll be getting married next year."

Hearing that, Kai's mouth fell open while disbelief swirled in his eyes. Then, he gripped his chest as if he were about to have a heart attack. A moment later, Kai shifted his gaze from Sun to Alfonzo with wrath burning in his eyes.

"How dare a lowly human covet the fairest of the merfolk!" Kai shouted angrily. "Then, he reached into the pocket of his naval uniform and pulled out a white glove before tossing it onto the center of the dining room table. "I challenge you to a duel for Miss Sun's hand! And while I'm at it, I'll teach you your place for coveting something beyond a lowly human's reach!"