Kaito was not in a rush as he walked through the streets of Martial City. He even looked calm and relaxed. His subtle smile did not look like the one of someone who was escaping after being held prisoner for three months.

In his hand, he was holding a phone. It was not a unique or popular brand, so he was familiar with it. However, he was not in a rush to do anything. He looked at the shops and people as he walked, trying to gauge their strength and abilities.

He could not deny that Martial Island was not an ordinary place. Most people he had met looked like they practised some form of martial arts. However, the people working in general jobs were commoners without physical power.

Otherwise, he might not have been able to lift a phone with ease while shopping for clothes. And it was incredibly easy. It reminded him of the first time he went into Tokyo from the mountains and pickpocketed for some time to practice his skills.

After walking for a while, he lifted the phone and keyed in a number. His fingers trembled a little and his stomach seemed to have a weird weight floating around. He tried to calm down as he pressed the dial button.

He knew that he should probably call one of his subordinates for help before anything, but he wanted to hear her voice. He wanted to let her know that he was still alive. He had not abandoned her like those people in her past.

He waited nervously for that familiar dial tone. However, he was bound to be disappointed.

"The number you have called is outside of the local area. Please key in your personal identification number to proceed." An automatic voice spoke up.

Kaito felt like that weight had fallen on his heart.

He knew that things could not be so simple, but he had hoped that it would work out. He thought that after the bad luck he had for the last couple of months, he would catch a break. But it looked like the universe had it out for him.

He cancelled the call interface and looked at the phone for a while. Next, he tried the messaging feature, but he got the same prompt to input a number to access the service.

He was angered by the continued limit, but he calmed down after taking a deep breath. He did not believe that he could not find a way to send a message out. He looked at the apps on the device. He saw a few familiar games and some default apps. But there were also some unknown ones.

He clicked the email feature. He did not know if there was a restriction on the emails, but he was sure it was his best chance. He was not a techie, but he had managed to gain a lot of information from lifting people's devices over the years.

Most people would choose the convenience of autofill, remember password and other features that made accessing their devices easy. Therefore, making calls and sending messages might be impossible, but he did not believe he could not send an email.

He pressed the compose button and looked at the line for the recipient. His face became blank as he realised that he did not know Akira's email. He could also not remember the email of his trusted subordinates.

And he was not willing to send an email to the Shadow Brotherhood account. If things were going as predicted, Ayumi had probably already messed up that place. If the people learned of his predicament, they would be more interested in fighting for power.

It was not like he had set Ayumi up to fail. He had given her the keys to the assassin's castle, literally and figuratively, without messing with anything. He had seen through her petty thoughts when she asked to manage it. She wanted a hold on him.

However, he was not stupid.

On account of their friendship, he did not interfere with anything. He did not need to because he knew that she would not be able to control those mercenaries. Ultimately, those were people with their own interests. If he did not keep a strict hold on them, they always found ways to be crooked.

So, Ayumi was probably busy managing the mess. Plus, he did not want the strings that would be without a doubt be attached to any help.

After a while, his lips quirked up. He did know one email. It was Hu Lei's email from back in the day. Hu Lei was always travelling in strange places, so it was more convenient to reach out via email. His mood lifted as he wrote plainjane.

He hoped she still used the email. Otherwise, he would be back to square one. With quick fingers, he wrote a simple message explaining the situation. He reviewed it for a moment and then replaced the words 'Martial Island' and replaced them with 'that place'.

He could not be sure how far the people on the island were willing to go to prevent leakage of information. When sending the email, there was a prompt, but the password was already input. He pressed ok, and the message was sent.

He deleted the records even though it was probably not that useful. He pocketed the phone and kept walking. After a long while, he left the central part of the city and reached the beach. The white sand against the blue was striking and beautiful.

However, it did not comfort Kaito. A mad impulse in his mind almost made him want to jump into the ocean and swim to Akira. If he knew the location of the island, he might have just done it, even if it tired him to death.

"You don't have to treat the island as a prison." A voice spoke up from behind him.

Kaito was not startled. After the last three months of practice, he could sense his uncle. He had noticed his presence approaching, but he did not want to look at him.

"Is it not a prison?" He asked.

"It is a prison to all of us, in one way or the other. Every place is a prison. Even the earth itself is a prison to those who would like to escape from it and explore the stars. If you choose not to adapt, you will constantly be yearning for formless freedom instead of living." Taiki replied.

"So, you want me to stand quietly while you cut me off from my home?" Kaito said.

"No. I want you to work with me to ensure that you live a good life while you are in this process." Taiki paused. "If you can promise me three months of cooperating with the Iekami clan, I will let you leave openly. Otherwise, you might be perceived as a threat and hunted. I will even overlook your little indiscretions."

Kaito lifted a brow. "What about the championship?"

"I will trust that you will keep up with your training and return at the appropriate time," Taiki responded calmly.

Kaito narrowed his eyes. "Alright. But you will refrain from setting me up with strange women. I already have a wife. You should be more concerned about yourself."

Taiki pursed his lips, but he nodded. "Alright."

The two people shook hands.