Taiki Iekami looked at his nephew and realised that the man was still in worn-out clothing from the previous night. Furthermore, he was covered in dirt and sweat after a rough journey across the ocean. He had to be uncomfortable.

"Take a shower first, and meet me downstairs." He said. "I will explain everything over breakfast."

Kaito weighed his options and nodded. He knew this was not a conversation that he should have while still in his current filthy state. He would think clearer with fresh clothes and perhaps, some food. His current priority was understanding Martial Island so that he could leave it. And Taiki was his only chance at getting answers to his questions.

About thirty minutes later, Kaito walked down the stairs and found his uncle without trouble. The open floor space combined the living room, the dining room and the kitchen, creating a large and spacious area. The design eliminated barriers, allowing one to see across most of the ground floor.

Taiki ushered him to a seat at the white dining table. A basic breakfast was on the table with two place settings. Kaito lifted his brows in question at the simplicity of the meal compared to the grand house. His uncle noticed the small movement and responded with a small smile.

"This house is my private residence. The Iekami clan has a residential district, but I am more comfortable living on my own. I do not like keeping full-time maids or butlers." His tone seemed to hide something dark.

"You know seem a bit too young to be my uncle. The age gap between you and my mother must be quite significant." He commented before starting his meal.

"I was about ten years old when you were born," Taiki explained.

The two of them continued eating in silence. Kaito continued observing Taiki with care, trying to find an answer to the kind of person he was. However, so far, he could only tell he was a powerful and disciplined man with a lot of control over his emotions.

When Kaito finished his meal, he did not waste time.

"Tell me about my options for leaving this island." His tone had an intensity that did not permit opposition.

He did not ask for special information like the location of the place or the routes out of it. He did not imagine that such details would be useful. He was a stranger on the land, without allies or basic knowledge. If the island was as reclusive as it seemed, he would not be able to even walk around without attracting attention.

Taiki sighed. "To understand your way off the island, you should know what kind of place Martial Island is. This island is a place of power and strength. It is a place designed to allow the strongest people in the world to thrive."

"I am not sure about the time the state was formed. But according to our history, it was a deserted island that served as a global but private centre for combat. Champions from around the world would come to this place periodically and fight for titles and spoils."

"Champions who were obsessed with being the top in the world were unwilling to return to their homes. And the patrons who were obsessed with power would also spend their days on the island preparing for the next event."

"With time, Martial Island transformed from a simple secret arena for fights to a secret destination for fighters. And after that, it became the permanent home of people obsessed with improving strength. Of course, the world moved on from revering physical strength to wanting other forms of power."

"Martial Island became more reclusive, even though they continued amassing power in the outside world. However, the families who knew of Martial Island and revered strength established themselves in this place. After a while, the power structure settled, leading to a prosperous age."

Kaito listened with care, even though the information did not like it was shared to help him find an immediate way to get out of the island. He felt like there was a deep secret about to be revealed.

"Did something change?" He asked.

Taiki nodded. "While the outside world no longer cares for combat strength, Martial Island has become more and more obsessed with physical power. Unfortunately, it is inevitable for things to go wrong due to faulty training methods."

"The first uprising of problems on the prosperous Martial Island occurred when some ancient manuals were discovered from some ruins. At first, it was not a major concern because we have good doctors. But the issues escalated as more and more people gained access to the materials. It was at this time that we made a deal with your mother and father."

"The two of them were exceptional in the development of treatment methods and pharmaceuticals. And with your mother's understanding of the methods of Martial Island, they were an unbeatable team. They could come up with a solution to just about every problem that came from those manuals."

The sorrow in Taiki's eyes was real as he remembered his sister.

"Why didn't you just stop people from using the old training manuals?" Kaito asked, ignoring the sadness. "It seems like your little island was working even without them."

Destroying the materials should have solved the problems.

"You should understand that each clan or group has their secret training methods. As a ninja, your teacher must have provided you with secrets to improve your craft, or you would not have risen as you have. People might believe that you are simply fast and strong due to regular training, but I can see it."

"You have something extra in your body that makes you more powerful than others. I can feel it. You have a special energy that allows you to conceal yourself and your weapons beyond the limits of a human and even disappear into the shadows at will. Am I right?" Taiki had a glint in his eyes.

Kaito did not respond. This matter was not something he could speak about without careful consideration.

"These special techniques are monopolised and concealed by the top clans. People kill for these secrets. On Martial Island, there could be magic and creatures known only from myth, and no one would know. We all live by the principle of not asking questions about what does not concern us." Taiki laughed lightly.

"There is no equality in this place, and everyone is always trying to find a new method to rise to the top of the pyramid. The discovery of the new manuals gave the more ordinary people promise of earning more rights in the island."

"But all it did was give them access to flawed power they could not handle. If you are still wondering why our family has been cooperating with Takahashi Senzo, it is to ensure that all the people who were harmed by the materials will recover." Taiki drew a deep breath.

Kaito's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Don't try to manipulate me into doing your bidding by telling me a sob story about your people," Kaito said. "As I already said, I am not interested in altruism. I just want to find a way off this island. You can tell me, or I will try to find out for myself."