Edea: Hero Summoning Conspiracy

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With the joint conference between the Kouzuki Corporation and Kazuno Technologies turning out the way it did, there wasn't anything that they could do but end it without their initial purpose. Seeing the reporter's faces, there was no way that any of their announcements will be featurednor will the public remember it after the fiasco that just happened.

As the live broadcast of the press conference, gained traction on the internet, the employees of Kazuno Tech themselves were still shocked even after the broadcast had ended. People who met and conversed with Kaguya were still dazed as they couldn't believe what they had just seen and heard.

"Where's Natsuhiko?!" Kippei immediately shouted as he had been the first to snap out of the shock. He remembered that this new colleague of his mention that he was staying with the Kouzuki clan. There was no better person to ask for any information about this and many of the other researchers looked around to try and find him to get some answers as well.

"Natsuhiko-san was…" Kipper's assistant spoke with a low voice and was immediately startled when everyone's attention turned towards him. "he was assigned by the CEO to lead the people bringing her stuff over back to the Kouzuki clan's residence…"

"Ugh… " Kippei couldn't help but sigh. There was no way he could gain any answers now. "I need a drink but… I still have too much work to do…" he stared at the amount of paperwork that was on his desk and sighed. He had been too engrossed with what happened at the conference that he ended up using the time he had thought of for resting.

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At the magic training area under Kazuya's lab, the main character of today's press conference sat on his knees as the adults surrounded him. Though Kyouko and Mei had kept their composure at the earlier event, many of what Kazuya had revealed earlier were unknown to them.

Tsuna, Kyouko, Lailah, Mei, Yumi, and Kou all looked at Kazuya after having a meeting themselves while insulated inside a sound barrier. They were not oblivious to how Kazuya had thought. Except of the recent addition to the group who had been aware of their secrets, they had spent a lot of time with Kazuya and were more or less aware of how his personality worked.

"Kazuya" Kyouko had been the first to speak. "Did you have anything to do with what happened to the Kurogane clan?"

Kazuya immediately turned towards Tsuna. The old man only responded with silent lips that moved to say that he barely said anything in their discussion.

"I did." He replied without an ounce of guilt or remorse in his expression.

Mei and Kyouko didn't miss the glance that he gave towards Tsuna and realized that the old man had been aware of something. They respected this man, especially Kyouko but that didn't stop them from glaring towards the former hero who immediately felt pressured under the two's glares.

"Tsuna-san! Did you help him with this!?" Kyouko didn't hide her anger.

"I did not." Tsuna raised his hands in defeat as he shook his head. "I attended the charity event because Kazuya here asked me to keep you both safe. I only left the scene because I felt a strong surge of energy towards a certain direction which led me to the Kurogane clan's base."

"Ah… I see… so what gave it away was the concealment formation unable to withstand the force leaking out." Kazuya crossed his arms and reflected upon this revelation.

"Kazuya!" Kyouko, who never scolded Kazuya seriously before shouted. She was really mad this time and Kazuya was startled by this. "Do you know what you've done!?"

"Mom…" Kazuya met with her gaze. He gave a wry smile and figured that there was no way that he could talk his way out of this predicament by his usual means. "I guess I can't really hide it now…"

"Did you know how many lives were lost after that earthquake?" Kyouko's stern gaze remained.

"I do. Kurogane Sousuke's claims weren't all made up. I attended that banquet after all."

"""!!!!!""" The group except for Tsuna had been astonished. After the alibi he had presented before he revealed his identity earlier, they had only thought that he had activated the spell from afar. Natsu was the one who confirmed that with how limited Kazuya's mana capacity was, it had most likely been a grand formation that caused the earthquake.

"You attended the banquet? Why?" Mei was the first one who responded.

"To make sure that there were no survivors." He replied as if it was a matter of fact.

"""…."""

Kazuya didn't want to lie to the people he cared about the most anymore. The Kurogane clan had been dealt with and he felt that one of the biggest burdens on his shoulders had been taken off. He didn't want to keep acting like a different person towards them. The current situation was an opportunity to make everything clear towards them.

"Ever since I agreed to spend time with Kurogane Shishio, I already had a specific plan in mind. When I mentioned that I was going to take them down from the inside, I didn't mean that I would just collect evidences against them so they would be able to defend themselves with chances of being pronounced innocent." Kazuya shook his head.

"Even if they were brought to justice, that wouldn't change things much. They were still a powerful enemy who would stop at nothing to strike back after knowing that it had been me who had taken most of them down. That kind of thing only works for normal kinds of enemies and everyone here knows what type of people we are dealing with." He continued.

This was a fact. No matter how competitive the Kurogane clan had been amongst themselves, they were a petty and vengeful clan who would not stop at nothing against their enemies. The only reason why the Kouzuki clan had been safe after going against them was because of Tsuna who Kou had luckily gotten along with at the time. Everyone else, no matter how small of an enemy had all been reduced to lead unfulfilling lives.

"I started building the formation around the Kurogane estate as soon as I was able to freely wander around the area. I was only able to complete it a few months ago and rushing it seems to have caused the mistake on having the mana containment feature I added to malfunction…" Kazuya explained the details of his plan he made for the past few years in order to destroy the Kurogane clan.

The Kurogane banquet was the perfect chance to get rid of all those who held power in the clan. Being Tenma's heir or the next head of the Kurogane clan hadn't been part of the plan because the only reason he tried to raise his reputation amongst the clan members was for the purpose of being trusted and left on his own.

The decision Tenma made had solved the problem Kazuya had been worrying about. With the Kouzuki clan and the Kurogane clan's history, there was no doubt that the suspicion of them being the perpetrators of anything that happened would cause the Kouzuki clan to be under crosshairs.

"This was the only reason why both Hashiyama Lee and Kurogane Sousuke had survived."

Though Kazuya was surprised to meet Hashiyama Lee at the Kurogane banquet, he was already aware that his former brother had kept his connections with the Kuroganes. He was the baggage that Kazuya had carried after he had left the Kurogane estate that night.

The apartment complex that Shiriharu Kira had lived in was secretly owned by the Kuroganes. The room that Kira had lived in was right next to the one that Lee had been staying in after he had graduated from his reform school.

The unconscious Lee had been placed to sleep in Shiriharu Kira's bed while the bloody knife used on both Kurogane Tenma and Shishio had been hidden in the room. Kazuya then proceeded to place a few leftover equipment and explosives to his former brother's real room before sending Yuriko a few files that led to the supposed hiding place of the killer that had eluded the authorities after his escape from prison.

Of course, by the time the police was able to get the necessary paperwork to break in to Shiriharu Kira's supposed living place. What the police found instead was a confused Lee who claimed to have nothing to do with the said case. Having no idea how he got to where he was, Lee who had been once the victim of Kazuya's framing immediately claimed that he had probably been drunk and entered the wrong room.

He welcomed the police to check his own room to prove his innocence but what Lee didn't know was that the police not only found the bloody knife that contained his fingerprints, they also found the gifts that Kazuya left in his room as well as remnants of clothes that had blood all over them in the building's incinerator.

It was only after these evidences were presented towards him that Lee had changed his story to what he believed to be the truth. He pointed his finger towards Kazuya but by then, Sousuke had already started to paint the blame on the same person who Lee didn't know was the person providing the people with vital information. Lee realized that he would have stood a better chance of proving his innocence if he had only told them about everything about his experience when they first asked.

Lee had been arrested one day after the Kurogane tragedy. Neither he nor the police really had put the pieces together about the significance of the evidences they found at the time. His arrest was kept a secret for two reasons; one was that they did not find any traces of Shiriharu Kira, the second had been was the connection between Lee and Sousuke.

He was once adopted by Kurogane Shishio but was later disowned after his crimes. The family that helped support him was one of the branch families that Suzaku had belonged to. This specific family had belonged to one of the camps that supported Sousuke as the next head of the clan.

It was only after the authorities were granted access to the whole Kurogane estate were they able to connect the dots. The interrogation with Lee afterwards made his mind crumble as he could only madly laugh at his own predicament. He was charged with the murder of various individuals which included the torture of his former adoptive father and grandfather.

"That…" even Mei who loathed Hashiyama Lee felt pity for him. She looked towards Kyouko whose eyes remained sternly on Kazuya. Both women knew the history within the two both in real life and in Kazuya's previous dreams.

After the crimes that he was charged with, there was little doubt that he would be given the death penalty. Even the only remaining survivor of the Kurogane clan's ruling powers would suffer the same fate because there was no one else to suffer for all of the crimes that had been revealed because Kazuya had already given the authorities full access to the Kurogane clan's secrets.

"I killed them. Both Kurogane Tenma and Shishio were given a taste of the pain that they have caused us." Kazuya confessed with a straight face. "I don't feel regret for what I did nor would I have changed the outcome if anyone tried to stop me. If…"

Kazuya hesitated. Seeing Kyouko's stern expression on him, he swallowed nervously and steeled himself.

"If mom and big sis see me as a monster, I will leave immediately and—"

*SLAP!* the loud sound echoed throughout the room.

Everyone turned towards Kyouko in shock. No one ever expected her to ever raise her hand against Kazuya. They could tell from just the sound that Kyouko did not hold back. No one could blame her though. These people knew just how intelligent Kazuya was but they couldn't help but feel that he was being a fool right at this moment.

*drip*

There was no one in the room who didn't miss that subtle sound in the silence. Kazuya turned his head back to look at his mother only to see tears dripping down on her beautiful face.

"…" Kazuya's chest felt like it was tightening after he saw that sight. Even though he never met his mom nor asked much about her in his past life, meeting her and spending time with her after he was given a second chance made him realize just how much this person cared for him.

Parts of the memories he recovered during his first life was proof that Kyouko cared about her son even more than herself. When the accident that took her life occurred, she didn't hesitate and tried to shield her son without hesitation.

"I've already been more or less aware of what you have been doing for the past few years!" Kyouko began reciting the names of the people that used to work for the Kouzuki corporation that had been used as experimental subjects because of their betrayals. "ALL OF THEM had one thing in common! They all started disappearing on days that you weren't at home! Do you think that your mother is like those people who you have been fooling?"

"…" Kazuya glanced towards Mei and saw that she didn't look surprised at all.

Both of them were smart women despite the way they acted around Kazuya. They were also the women who lived and spent time with Kazuya so there was no way that he could fool them since they lived under the same roof.

"I know you've taken care of those people and didn't want me to know about it. That's the only reason why I haven't said anything." Kyouko looked her son straight in the eye to show that she was serious. "You didn't want me to know about this side of you while I also don't want to let you see the side of me that deals with my work! How could you even think that I would ever see you as a monster!?"

She was right. Unlike Mei, who had no problems showing Kazuya her cold demeanor whenever she interacted with anyone other than them, Kyouko never showed a different side when Kazuya was around. Though her reputation was rather positive around the people in the business circle, even Stockton Jonson was someone who acknowledged her talent and attitude to be one of the top in their world.

But who could blame Kazuya? Even with all the experiences he's been through, there was no way he could be knowledgeable about something he had never dealt with. Though he had accumulated quite the amount of knowledge ever since he had been given a second chance, majority of them were towards his preparation for his inevitable return to Edea.

There was no mistake that he treated and saw Kyouko as his mother. He never had any experience about having a real family before so he had assumed that Kyouko would react like a normal human being on earth when she found out how much blood he had on his hands.

This was not a world that turned a blind eye to things such as taking other people's lives. The only reason why Kazuya hasn't gotten in trouble for all the lives he has taken so far was because of his ample preparations whenever he took lives.

Without realizing it, even though Kazuya had already accepted Kyouko as his own mother, there still existed an invisible barrier between them. Both of them acted as if it didn't exist because they feared that it would cause their relationship to crumble. It was now Kyouko who chose to break through this barrier and made sure that Kazuya understood where she stood.

"Kazu." Mei spoke up as she stepped beside Kyouko. "I'm on Kyouko's side this time. I've known just how much you're willing to go to protect us from what happened to the Dokuro clan and I've never seen you as a murderer. You did it to protect us and that's what you've been doing all this time. We both know that."

"I… see…" Kazuya stuttered as he struggled to keep his emotions in check. Tears continued to pour from his eyes like a dam that had its floodgates opened. "I'm sorry for being… stupid."

He had feared that this family that he gained would abandon him after they found out everything he did. Yet, he pushed on and did what he had to do because even if they ended up seeing him as a monster, he would be fine as long as he knew that at least they would be safe from all harm.

The relief Kazuya felt after knowing that the way they saw him after knowing about his deeds was something that only the two former heroes in the room understood. They both understood how significant it was for someone like them to be accepted in this world.

Tsuna had his acknowledgement through how he had been treated by the country while Natsu had someone by his side who had gone through what he did when it was his time in Edea. Kazuya had been transported through time in an era that was peaceful so there was no way that he could have a similar experience his predecessors had.

The two former heroes looked on warmly while trying to maintain their neutral expressions. They looked on as both Mei and Kyouko hugged the boy who rarely showed any real emotion. Lailah herself was crying as she too was happy that Kazuya could finally open himself up completely to his family.

There was only one person who felt differently in the room. Yumi felt nothing but admiration towards her young master. Hearing his plans and how he carried out his plans left her in awe. Though she was also taught about mana and trained after she was tested to have affinity towards it, hearing about how Kazuya utilized his skills had left her speechless. Her young master was capable of things she never even thought of.

"Though I don't plan on reprimanding you of what you've already done, I want you to promise me that you will talk to me before doing anything dangerous." Kyouko wiped her tears and started talking to her son. "Dealing with the Kuroganes and the other enemies of our family should have been my responsibility." She began telling Kazuya about the plans she initially planned on implementing.

Kazuya was amazed at how much his mother's plans complimented the actions he took. If he wasn't capable of doing what he did, Kyouko's plans were certainly one of the best choices considering the rules and laws their world had. Though it would have taken longer, with his help, they would have definitely been able to crush the Kurogane clan together with their branches in the end.

"Mom… Though that plan might have worked, I would have still taken the same actions I did." Kazuya took a deep breath and braced himself for this conversation.

"Why?"

"Do you remember the dream I experienced before I lost my memories right? There are a few things I've never told you or big sis about." Kazuya glanced at Mei who tensed up after hearing that. She had always assumed that Kazuya had taken his own life after all the tragedy he suffered in that dream, so she was afraid of hearing about it.

Kyouko fell silent and listened after giving a nod. Unlike Mei's assumptions, she wondered how her son lived a life without the two of them. She was aware that her son had dreamed more than he let on because of how mature he had been. Unfortunately, it did not reach the point in where it would match an adult's, so she wondered just how far he had gone before he woke up in the hospital with only those dreams as his memories.

"I don't think there is a need to prove about the accuracy of the things that happened in that dream at this point." Kazuya glanced towards the others who were more or less informed about the 'dream' Kazuya had experienced. "I was taken to a faraway place. This was the place where I learned everything about mana."

Though everything had been a vague summarization of what he had experienced in Edea, Kazuya explained that the people who took him there made him feel that he was needed for the first time in his life. They sought his help so he decided to do what he could to help. There, he met various people and eventually found people who a person like him treated like family.

Kazuya left out the unbelievable details and let them understand the situation first. Since it was a place where he learned to use mana, of course using it was a given. He explained that the reason they needed their help was because they needed a talented individual to deal with someone who they themselves couldn't handle.

None of them any qualms about it because they knew that Kazuya's prowess in utilizing mana could only be toppled by someone like Tsuna who had lived a lot longer than him. It was already a testament to how talented he appeared to be when he could give the old man a challenge.

"In the end, those people who asked for my help were able to have their wishes fulfilled." Kazuya gave a wry smile. "at the expense of the lives of the companions I have befriended and treated as family."

"So you're saying…" Kyouko felt nervous after hearing everything.

"I've been preparing to go back there and change what happened as well." Kazuya's gaze was enough to show his mother that he was determined to do this no matter what.

Everyone who knew Kazuya after he had lost his memories were baffled with the change in Kazuya's personality. Though Kazuya was overprotective towards the people he cared about, all of them couldn't understand why even though he had abilities that would categorize him as a superhuman, the boy relentlessly trained as much as he could.

His harshness towards himself when it came to training was finally crystal clear to them. He had already set his sights on changing the regrets he had suffered in that dream of the future he had experienced.

"What about you?" This time it was Mei's turn to give Kazuya some pressure. "Did you end up like those companions who sacrificed themselves?"

Since Kazuya was revealing everything they had been wondering about, this was probably the only chance where he wouldn't hide anything. Mei saw this an opportunity to clarify about things she had been bothering her.

Her initial assumption was proven to be wrong but she felt suspicious about a lot of things after she heard his story. It seemed like he retained everything from his dream that he could use small details such as lottery numbers to take advantage of. Though they considered it a dream, it had been Kazuya had lived in a world with a different reality.

"No…" Kazuya gave a pained expression. "After making sure that the people responsible for my companions' deaths were going to be taken care of. I left that place…" He wouldn't tell them about the fate he suffered in the end because not only will they not allow him to go, they would try and stop him.

"What happened after that?" Mei was puzzled.

"I woke up with only memories of that dream. It was only until a few years later that started recovering fragments of memories that I lost. Though they were not complete, it was enough for me that I remembered the time I spent with mom."

"Where is this place you're going to?" Mei seemed to have thought of something and continued her questioning. "Though you may have been preparing thanks to the dream you had, if you're really determined to help those people, I think it would be better if we helped."

"Though both Tsuna-san, Lailah-san and Akira-san had been there before, it is not a place where they can go back to even if they wanted to." Kazuya shook his head. Though Mei could have met the requirements to be summoned, he didn't plan on taking anyone with him to that world.

The group turned towards the three who had been silently standing on the side. They confirmed Kazuya's claims by nodding their heads. It was no wonder that these three were as knowledgeable as Kazuya when it came to mana. They had visited that place once before.

"How long until you go? How long will you be gone?" Kyouko showed a bit of anxiety. How could she not? From Kazuya's explanation, it was a place that contained dangers.

"It won't be long." Kazuya gave a smile to comfort his mother. "I plan to leave in a few years and if all goes well, I would only be gone for a few months." He gave an answer based on his grasp of the difference of the flow of time between the two worlds using Natsu's time there as reference.

""A few months…"" the three ladies of the Kouzuki household frowned.

They had just concluded the problem that caused their time with Kazuya to be limited. Now they heard about Kazuya completely being gone.

"Please don't worry too much. It is not a place that is as dangerous as Kazuya-kun made it sound like. That place is where I came from after all." Lailah stepped forward and spoke. "Kazuya-kun's explanation about that place had been a little too vague." She proceeded to dispel the spell Kazuya taught her and appeared before him in her elven form.

Even Kazuya was shocked at this sudden development. Though his shock was not because he had never seen an elf before, he had forgotten that there was living proof right in front of him to help them understand about what Edea was.

"E-elf?" Yumi was the first one who could voice out what was on her mind after seeing Lailaih's true form.

"Not exactly." Natsu stepped in to stand beside his wife. "Lailah is a high elf who came back with me after my trip to the place Kazuya talked about. I believe he didn't want his story to become too unbelievable so he left out a few of the minor details." He explained.

"""[Minor Details!!?]""" Even Kou who hardly reacted cursed inside his mind after such a major detail was referred to as something minor. It turns out that they had been living with someone that could only be found in books or legends all this time and none of them were the wiser.

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"It is called Edea. It is a place that is vastly different from earth. I believe the term 'another world' (isekai) would be a better term for it?"

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