"Help!"
The desperate cries of the children pierced the air.
"Somebody save my child!"
A frantic mother screamed before collapsing from fear. Panic spread like wildfire—most of the adults, powerless without magic or training, could do nothing against the massive wild boar charging straight through Hage Village.
"No! Lily, take Yuno and the children into the church—quickly!"
Father Orsi shouted in alarm, grabbing his broomstick. He was about to mount it when—whoosh!—a blur of movement rushed past him.
"Asta?!"
His eyes widened in horror. His voice cracked with fear as he watched the short, scrappy boy hurl himself toward the monster without hesitation.
"That's food!" Asta shouted, tears of joy running down his cheeks. "I've had enough grilled fish and sweet potatoes—I want MEAT!"
"Asta, get back here!" Yuno's voice rang out, his calm demeanor shattered. Asta's reckless charge brought back memories of that freezing winter night, when a scrawny boy—barely stronger than Yuno—shielded him again and again from bullies, fists clenched around his mother's keepsake pendant.
"Yuno! Where are you going?!"
Sister Lily reached for him, but Yuno shook her off and bolted after Asta.
Nash watched in stunned silence. "The bond between Asta and Yuno... Sister Lily was right. They're always pushing each other forward."
Despite knowing they were no match for the beast—no magic, no weapons—they ran anyway.
"Asta! What the heck is youth?!" Nash suddenly roared, fists trembling. For years, he'd hidden behind cowardice and cynicism, pretending he had no dreams. But deep down, he wanted to chase something. To believe. To fight for it.
"Youth?" Asta's grin stretched wide. He paused mid-run and turned his head slightly toward Nash. The next instant, green energy erupted from his body—like a whirlwind!
"Leaf Hurricane!" he cried, borrowing from his latest training inspiration—one bushy-browed, loudmouthed taijutsu master from a manga he'd snuck into the church.
Asta launched into the air, sunlight gleaming off his sweat-covered brow. His foot connected squarely with the boar's head—
WHAM!!
The boar flew through the air like a cannonball, crashing into the forest with an earth-shaking boom.
Silence.
The children stared, mouths agape.
The villagers were frozen.
Father Orsi's broomstick drooped in his hand.
Even Yuno blinked, speechless.
And the boar? Face-down, stars in its eyes. Its final thought before losing consciousness was:
So this... is how I die?
"Asta saved us?" one of the kids whispered.
"He's a hero!" a boy with messy blonde hair shouted.
"Yeah!" another joined in. "Asta protected the whole village!"
The villagers who once mocked Asta for his magicless dreams now looked down in shame. The 'delinquent,' the 'hopeless one,' had done what none of them could.
"Haha, it's just a wild pig. No big deal." Asta scratched his head, grinning. "Father, make sure the church gets extra meat!"
Before the crowd could swarm him, he dashed into the forest, muttering, "Youth waits for no man!"
Father Orsi watched him go, eyes teary with pride. "That rascal…"
Deep in the forest, Asta sat cross-legged, pulling up his system interface—a strange power he'd awakened one night, alongside his obsessive training regimen and questionable manga collection.
[System prompt: Boar defeated. Points gained: +5]
"Jackpot!" he grinned.
He pulled open his Ninja Mall—a store of bizarre but powerful items inspired by fictional heroes of another world. He exchanged his points for four healing potions and ten kunai.
"Ah, it's been too long, old friends," he muttered, running his fingers over the cool steel of the blades.
With a flick, a kunai zipped through the air, hitting a tree trunk and exploding a poisonous spider the size of a fist.
"Clean kill." Asta nodded. "Now—training!"
He dropped to the ground and began his latest challenge: One-finger push-ups. Thumb reps first—600 in total.
"Click, click, click!" His joints creaked, sweat pouring like rain.
But just as he entered a meditative rhythm, the door to the demon skull creaked open.
"Is he finally coming in...?" Asta muttered.
Sure enough, a hesitant figure stepped inside—Nash.
"Yo! Took you long enough," Asta said without stopping.
"As...Asta!" Nash stammered. "I—I want to train!"
"Good. Then give me ten handstand push-ups."
"What?! Are you insane?! I can't even—"
"If you want to break out of your shell," Asta interrupted, "you'd better bring ambition—and pain."
Nash gritted his teeth. Images of Asta flying through the air, of the look in his eyes...that unbreakable will. Nash wanted that.
He pressed himself against the skull wall, struggling to push up.
One… two… three…
By the ninth, his arms shook violently, sweat stinging his eyes.
"Just one more!" he gasped.
And finally—"Ten!"
He collapsed, panting. But Asta nodded approvingly.
"Not bad. Now, 50 squats. Then sit-ups. Then a run around the village—handstand-style."
"WHAT?! Are you a devil?!"
Asta flashed a sparkling grin. "Nope. Just the embodiment of youth!"
When they finally returned to the church—both dripping in sweat—the building was packed.
"Asta! You're back!" Father Orsi rushed over. "Thank goodness! I—I've been trying to keep them at bay!"
Behind him, villagers filled the chapel with food, offerings, and grateful smiles.
But Asta scratched his head awkwardly.
"Uh… what's going on?"
"You're a hero now, my boy," the godfather said. "They're here to thank you."
Asta blinked, then looked at Nash—his first disciple—who still wobbled like a newborn deer.
A grin spread across his face.
"Alright then... who's next to train?"
Hao Fan spoke up immediately, causing Nash—who had just started to relax—to draw in a sharp breath. With his arms now limp and trembling from the relentless training, he opted to start with squats, hoping his legs still had some strength left in them. His arms were completely numb, like overused magic channels blocked by chakra, too fatigued to be of any use.
On the other side, Hao Fan trained like a precision-crafted golem. Every movement was deliberate and controlled—meticulous like a veteran knight polishing his sword. His form was impeccable, reminiscent of Might Guy's youthful discipline from another world. From his fingertips to his shoulders, every inch of muscle was being pushed to its limit.
At the same time, the chakra he had carefully cultivated over the past two days began to circulate faintly through his meridians. Though weak, it helped ease the clogged blood in his arms, accelerating his recovery like a mana burst stimulating healing internally.
By the end of the day, both of them were completely drained. But Hao Fan? He clearly had no intention of letting Nash catch his breath.
"Nash! Come on, handstand push-ups! Let the Grasshopper of Youth show you the vibrant view of Haji Village from a new angle!"
Hao Fan grinned—a blinding, radiant smile that strongly resembled the one Emperor Kai might flash before launching into a thousand push-ups. It was brimming with the spirit of youth, but Nash could only feel a chill creep down his spine.
"Are you kidding me?! Again? Are you even human?! 5555!!"
"This is the power of youth!" Hao Fan declared, giving a gleaming thumbs-up as he balanced on his hands and began running across the clearing, upside down.
With a groan of defeat, Nax could only grit his teeth and follow. There was no room for weakness—not if he wanted to keep up.
By the time the two finally dragged themselves back to the church, both covered in dirt and sweat, they were met with an unexpected sight.
The entire chapel courtyard was swarming with villagers—both adults and children—crowding the entrance with excited chatter.
"Asta! My little ancestor, you're back!!" the Godfather called out, half-laughing and half-weeping as he pushed his way forward.
Normally, the Godfather prided himself on being the most charming man in the village, but today he was utterly overwhelmed. The villagers weren't here for him.
No, all eyes were locked onto the short, muscle-bound boy with silver eyes and boundless energy—the one who'd returned with a new kind of strength.