Chapter 14: Family Reunion

STOP! PLEASE, I'M SORRY FOR WHAT I DID!" Tao yelled, his voice cracking with desperation.

Kaizer's eyes narrowed, the cold fury within him unyielding. He took a step closer, his presence looming over Tao like a shadow of inevitable doom. "You tell your God that on the other side," Kaizer spat, his voice a low growl. "Nothing you can say or do will ever atone for her death unless you bring her back to life."

Tao's voice trembled with a mixture of anger and sorrow as he confronted Kaiser. "How do you think I feel, Kaiser? To find out that my wife of ten years has cheated on me and is pregnant with someone else's baby?" His eyes, once filled with love and trust, now brimmed with betrayal and anguish. "You butted into our lives, disrupting the delicate balance we had, and now all that's left is the wreckage. Nothing but cause and effect."

Kaiser stood silently, the weight of Tao's words hanging heavily in the air. The room, once a sanctuary of their shared memories, now felt like a battleground where emotions clashed with unspoken truths. Tao's fists clenched at his sides, his knuckles white with the strain of containing his fury.

"You think this is just a series of events? That it just happened by chance?" Tao continued, his voice rising. "No, Kaiser. This is the consequence of your interference, your inability to leave well enough alone. You've destroyed my life, my family, and now I don't even know who I am anymore."

"You've destroyed your own life," replied Kaiser, a mocking grin spreading across his face. "No woman will ever love a weak man. Look at you—you're fat, bald, and after ten years, you have nothing to show for it. No wonder Kato had the hots for me. You couldn't even give her any children; all you did was shoot blanks. You should thank me for being your sperm donor," Kaiser laughed, his eyes glinting with cruel amusement.

Tao, once a picture of determination and hope, now stood there, his shoulders slumped, defeated by the weight of his failures.

Kaiser's voice echoed, each word a dagger. "Remember when you had dreams, ambitions? Now, all that's left is a shell of the man you used to be. It wasn't just your body that deteriorated, but your spirit. Kato saw that. She saw the man you were becoming and found solace in someone stronger—someone like me."

Tao's eyes, filled with a mixture of anger and sorrow, met Kaiser's. "You think you're better because you can give her what I couldn't? Love isn't about physical strength or virility. It's about connection, understanding, something you'll never grasp."

Kaiser's laughter was cold, devoid of any genuine amusement. "Spare me the sentimentality. In the end, it's about survival of the fittest, and you, my friend, have proven to be unfit.

The one thing that's unforgivable above all else is you killing my daughter," explained Kaiser, his voice trembling with a mixture of rage and sorrow.

Tao straightened up, his expression unreadable. "Do you really think I'm that cruel?" he asked, a hint of defensiveness in his tone.

Before Kaiser could respond, the front door burst open, and a little girl came running into the house with a bookbag slung over her shoulder. "Daddy, look at what I drew today!" she exclaimed happily, holding up a colorful drawing for Tao to see.

Kaiser watched in stunned silence as the girl, her eyes bright with excitement, approached Tao. "Who's this, Daddy?" she asked innocently, looking curiously at Kaiser.

Tao let out a deep breath, the weight of the moment pressing heavily on him. "This is your real father, Aiko," he said softly, tears filling his eyes. "His name is Kaiser."

Aiko looked between the two men, confusion clouding her young face. "But... you're my daddy," she said, her voice small and unsure.

Kaiser took a hesitant step forward, his eyes locked on Aiko. "I've missed so much of your life," he said, his voice breaking.

Kaiser knelt down in front of Aiko, his eyes filled with a mix of hope and sorrow. "I'm so sorry for everything you've been through," he said. "But I'm here now, and this bastard gonna pay."

"You wanna see Daddy do a trick?" Kaiser asked, his voice dripping with menace.

"Yes!" Aiko exclaimed, her excitement palpable.

Kaiser turned his attention to Tao. "Pay close attention to Tao," he instructed, his tone both commanding and cruel.

Tao's eyes widened with fear as he realized what was about to happen.

"Now you see him..." Kaiser continued, his hand reaching into his trench coat.Aiko's eyes followed his every move, her breath held in anticipation. From the depths of his coat, Kaiser pulled out a Nambu 8-mm pistol. The cold steel glinted ominously in the dim light.In one swift motion, Kaiser raised the pistol and aimed it at Tao's head. The sound of the gunshot echoed through the air, reverberating off the walls. Tao's body jerked violently as the bullet struck him, and then he collapsed to the floor, lifeless.

"...Now you don't." Kaiser finished, his voice calm and devoid of emotion.Aiko's eyes were wide, her excitement now mingled with a hint of fear. She looked up at Kaiser, trying to process what she had just witnessed.Kaiser, unfazed by the brutal act he had just committed, turned and holstered his pistol. "Remember this, Aiko," he said, his voice low and menacing. "Power is about making people disappear."

Aiko regained her composure, her breath steadying as the chaotic energy around her began to settle. Unaware of the reality of death that had just unfolded before her, she started clapping her hands excitedly, a wide grin spreading across her face. Her giggles echoed in the dimly lit room, a stark contrast to the grim scene that had just played out.

"Do it again, Daddy!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with innocent excitement.

Come, Aiko, I'll teach you the trick," Kaiser said with a stern expression. He guided her hands, showing her the makings and workings of the gun. "See this? This is the trigger," he explained, letting her feel its weight and pressure. As she played with it, the gun suddenly went off, the bullet striking Tao's lifeless body once again.

"That's my girl!" Kaiser yelled, a twisted sense of pride in his voice.Turning to Ken'ichiro, who stood watching in shock, Kaiser continued, "And to answer your question about how I would raise my children—this should be living proof. There is no room for weakness or failures in my bloodline."He looked back at Aiko, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes. "Come, Aiko, let's go home."Ken'ichiro remained stunned, feeling a mixture of sadness for Tao and a strange sense of inspiration from Kaiser's ruthless determination.

Freedom is Power and no one dare questioned the powerful.

Ken'ichiro shivered at the gruesome site before him but unbeknownst to him he was transforming into the perfect soldier that they wanted.