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In the beach house, Hu Lei looked at her phone as it vibrated softly. Her face did not betray unusual emotions as she stood up from the nursery floor. Once again, she was on the floor with Hikari giving her life advice while Akira watched on the side. 

"I will be right back." Hu Lei said before stepping out of the room. 

Akira looked at Hu Lei's back with suspicion. She turned to look at Hikari, whose eyes were also stuck to the door, even after Hu Lei disappeared from her sight. 

"She is up to something, just like the rest of them," Akira said to Hikari.

Akira felt like she was missing something since she noticed Uncle Taiki acting suspiciously. The feeling intensified with the appearance of Hu Lei and Zhong Feng. She hated the thought that she was being left out of the loop. 

However, she understood the reason anyone would be apprehensive about including her in their plans. After all, she had just spent a lot of time in a coma. Despite her recovery, she was no longer as strong as she used to be. 

But that did not mean she was helpless. 

Baby Hikari made some baby noises at Akira, and Akira took the babbling as a sign of acknowledgement. But she could not do anything. She was not even sure if she should go to the Arena to watch the fights. It was not the best place for a baby. 

And Uncle Taiki had hinted there would be significant danger. 

That did not stop her frustration. Moreover, she could not talk to Kaito because he had gone to the Iekami clan to listen to the arrangements made for the tournament. She could only look at the bright eyes of her baby. 

Still, she did not need to complain.

At least, if something had come from Hu Lei's visit, Hikari was no longer that much of a cry baby. It seemed like talking to her like one would to an adult kept her calm. She acted like she could hear and understand everything, except for the nonsensical noises. 

It was quite a learning experience for Akira. 

Outside the house, Hu Lei was talking in a low voice. She looked at the prominent clock on the wall. It was almost time for the opening ceremony for the Triennial Championships. 

Logically speaking, she should have been at the arena already, but she was the only fighter chosen for the notorious Yuan clan. The clan that had only one member but held a lot of power on the island... She could afford to be audacious. 

"Are you sure about this?" Hu Lei asked in a low voice while glancing in the direction of the nursery. She did not want Akira to overhear her conversation. 

"You still owe me a favour. You promised me a good fight in exchange for delivering Kaito to Supreme City last year. I never specified the specific arena on which you would be fighting." The man on the other end said. 

"I do not mean about that." Hu Lei did not care about the fight. "I am asking about your girlfriend. She will not let go if she finds out about your plans. I think you are making a big mistake." 

Yuan Haoran was silent for a moment. "I would give up my life for her." 

"But you are not giving up your life for her. You are just giving up your life." Hu Lei could not help saying a few more words. 

"You have some medical knowledge, and you already know my physical condition. I do not have much time left." Yuan Haoran said. "Perhaps, I want to make the final moments of my life mean something. Maybe fate will be kind in my next life and let me live a long and happy life with Nuonuo." 

A long moment of silence followed. Hu Lei did not know what to say when faced with such a demon king. She understood what he meant. He hoped to do a good deed and offset the bad luck in his life. She often did that. 

In truth, it did not do anything, except alleviate the guilt of being evil. 

She said she believed in karma, but she could not say for certain if it was a true principle. For all she knew, she would end up in hell for all the things she had done. 

But who was she to stop a man seeking absolution?

"Then, I will say nothing more." She said. 

The call ended without more words. Hu Lei felt a little melancholic. It was strange that Yuan Haoran had been the source of her misery, and she always hoped to destroy him. Now, seeing him as a withering flower, she felt it was a little sad. 

She returned to the nursery and found two almost identical faces looking at her expectantly. It was a little funny to see the adorable faces. It healed her soul a little bit, letting her see another side of her adventurous life. 

Yeah, even though she might end up in hell, she had lived her life to the fullest. And she would keep on living it until she had no breath in her. 

"You are acting all mysterious," Akira said with a lifted brow. 

"Just another day of being in the demon king's debt. He is quite a character." Hu Lei said. "Have you decided about going to the Arena?" 

Akira nodded before shaking her head. "I want to support you and Kaito, but I do not want to put Hikari in danger. I cannot figure it out. A long time ago, it would not have been a question. I liked taking risks. I could do anything." 

Hu Lei lifted a hand and patted Akira on her head. The hair on her head was long. She did not look like she did in the past. For some reason, the long hair gave her a sense of maturity that did not belong to a young person like her. 

"You are still the same person you were." Hu Lei said. "Right now, you are at a crossroads. You are probably wondering if you should give up on everything in your past and embrace the person you think you should be." 

Akira nodded involuntarily. She missed being Akira the covert agent, Akira the chef, Akira the designer, Akira the musician and all the other Akiras she was. But she was now a mother. She believed she needed to focus on Hikari. 

She did not want Hikari to have a childhood like hers. 

Hu Lei seemed to understand. 

"If you give up on parts of yourself, you will end up unfulfilled." She paused as if uncertain about saying the next part. "You might even end up blaming Hikari for taking away the person you were and the life you had." 

Akira understood, but her mind remained clouded. "How do I get past this hurdle? How do I become my complete self again?" 

Hu Lei smiled. "Wait here." 

She rushed out of the room and came back after a few minutes. In her hand, she was holding a katana, a very familiar katana. It was the same weapon she confiscated from Akira. 

"When you feel lost, go back to the basics." Hu Lei offered the sword with a mischievous smile. 

Akira stood and took the weapon from Hu Lei. At that moment, she felt as if she was once again filled with the spirit of a valiant samurai. 

She lifted the sword. 

And then, in an unexpected move, she chopped off her long hair without pause. Hu Lei was shocked for a moment before she started laughing. 

"That was totally crazy.. I love it!" She clapped.