DAYAM!!! 400 P.S. already?
Here is the next chapter enjoy!!
Here is the bonus chapter.
Next bonus chapter at 500 powerstones,!! Keep it going!!
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The morning light filtered through the paper screens of the ryokan, casting soft, geometric shadows across the tatami mats. It was peaceful. It was the kind of morning that usually preceded a breakfast of grilled fish and miso soup.
Akira woke up with a groan, staring at the wooden ceiling beams.
His first thought wasn't about the beauty of nature or the crisp mountain air. It was about the excruciating silence of the previous night.
That was the most awkward moment of my life, he thought, covering his face with his pillow. I tried to finger-gun Shino Izumi. I finger-gunned a Pro Hero. I should just stay in bed forever. The moss was right. The moss never judges.
He rolled over, dragging himself out of the futon. He washed his face in the small sink, trying to scrub away the embarrassment, and began to pack his bag.
Today was the day. The vacation was officially over.
Once they reached home, the countdown would begin. The countdown to Aldera Junior High.
"Noooooooo," Akira moaned into his open suitcase, his voice muffled by a pile of tracksuits. I don't want to go to school. I reached 10th grade in my last life! I did the algebra! I dissected the frogs! I memorized the periodic table! And now I have to do all that shit again?
He threw a sock into the bag with unnecessary force.
At least I was decent at studies, he reasoned, trying to find a silver lining. This time around, I should be able to speed-run the curriculum. Maybe I can test out of math and spend my free periods sleeping.
Just then, the sliding door flew open with a bang.
"MORNING, SUNSHINE!"
Sasha Izumi stood there, radiating enough energy to power a small city. She was already dressed in her hero gear.
Akira spun around, clutching a t-shirt to his chest like a maiden.
"Does this woman not know about privacy?!" he yelled. "Knocking is a social construct you should really look into!"
Sasha laughed.
"Yeah, sure, kid. You don't have anything I haven't seen before. I changed diapers for a living before I went Pro."
She leaned against the doorframe, grinning. "Come out quick. Your mom wants to meet everyone in the village before we leave. We're doing a farewell tour."
She turned and marched down the hallway, whistling.
Akira stood there, blinking.
Can this be classified as sexual harassment? he wondered. Or just aggressive extroversion?
He shook it off, zipped up his bag, and headed out.
Outside, the village was buzzing with morning activity. Honoka was standing by the jeep, looking refreshed and happy, chatting with the innkeeper.
"You're finally here," she said as Akira approached, tossing his bag into the trunk.
"Yup," he grunted.
Honoka raised an eyebrow. "You don't look so excited. Are you going to miss the mossy rock?"
"I have to attend school," Akira said flatly.
"You have to go," his mother said, not an ounce of sympathy in her voice. "It builds character. Now move, we got a village to say goodbye to."
"Yeah, yeah."
The next hour was a whirlwind of wholesome village hospitality. They went from home to home, thanking the locals for the food and the shelter.
The vegetable lady gave them a bag of daikon radishes the size of toddlers. The blacksmith gave Akira a small, hand-forged knife ("For cutting fruit, not people," he winked). Everyone told them to come back soon.
But the hardest goodbye was at the school.
As they walked past the playground, the children spotted "The Boss."
It was chaos.
"BOSS! DON'T GO!" "YOU CAN'T LEAVE US! WHO WILL LEAD THE REVOLUTION?" "HUSBAND! COME BACK!"
The girl with the pigtails — his self-proclaimed fiancée — had a full-blown mental breakdown, clinging to the fence and sobbing dramatically.
"I'll wait for you!" she screamed. "I'll bake mud pies every day until you return!"
Akira stood by the jeep, waving awkwardly. "Please don't," he muttered. "Education is important. Stay in school. Don't eat mud."
Sasha and Honoka were laughing so hard they had to lean against the car for support. Even Shino offered a small, amused smirk as he loaded the last of the gear.
"You're breaking hearts already," Sasha teased, wiping a tear. "A true heartbreaker."
"I hate it here," Akira sighed, climbing into the back seat.
They gathered at the main gate of the village, ready to depart. The sun was high, the air was clear, and everything felt perfect.
As Shino started the engine, a shrill ringtone cut through the air. It was the theme song from a popular kids' anime.
Sasha pulled a rugged, heavy-duty phone from her pocket. She looked at the screen, and her eyes lit up like Christmas lights.
"HI BABY!" she yelled into the phone, her voice softening into a coo. "HOW NICE OF YOU TO CALL YOUR MOMMY!"
In the back seat, Akira froze. Beside him, Honoka froze.
They both stared at Sasha's back.
Baby? Mommy?
Sasha continued, oblivious to the silence behind her. "Oh, is that so? Math is hard, I know! What is it? Long division? Okay, carry the one... yes! You got it! You're so smart, just like your daddy!"
She listened for a moment, nodding.
"Okay, sweetie. Mommy and Daddy gotta go. We're driving some friends to the airport. I love you! Be good to your Auntie!"
She hung up, beaming.
She turned around to face the passengers. "Sorry about that. Family matters."
She was met with two faces that looked like they had just seen a ghost.
"What?" she asked, blinking.
Honoka unbuckled her seatbelt. She leaned forward, grabbed Sasha by the shoulders, and shook her.
"YOU NEVER TOLD ME YOU HAD A SON!!!" Honoka yelled, her voice cracking with betrayal.
Sasha's eyes went wide. She looked from Honoka to Shino, then back to Honoka.
"Oh, shit!" she laughed, scratching the back of her head. "Lol, I forgot."
"YOU FORGOT YOU HAD A CHILD?!"
"I didn't forget him! I just forgot to tell you! We keep him out of the limelight for safety reasons! His name is Kota! He's three!"
"Kota? Cool name." Akira said.
But then something changed.
Shino, who had been watching the road, suddenly went rigid. His calm demeanor shattered. His eyes locked onto something in the distance — a shimmer in the air, a movement in the trees.
"MOVE!!!!!" he roared.
Akira froze. "Wha — ?"
He didn't have time to finish the thought.
A hand grabbed the back of his collar and yanked him sideways with enough force to bruise.
"DOWN!"
Akira was thrown out of the open jeep door, hitting the dirt hard.
BOOM.
The world turned white. A shockwave hammered against his ribs, knocking the wind out of him. Heat washed over his back.
Akira scrambled up, coughing, dust and gravel raining down on him. He looked back.
The jeep was gone. In its place was a twisted, burning wreck of metal, flipped onto its side.
"What the fuck was that?!" Akira yelled, his voice shrill with panic.
He looked around. Honoka was standing over him, her arm outstretched, green flames flickering around her hand. She had pulled him out.
"Mom?"
She didn't look at him. She was staring at the smoke.
Sasha and Shino landed beside them. Sasha looked furious, her fun demeanor gone. Shino looked focused, water already swirling around his hands, pulled from the moisture in the air.
"This does not look good," Shino said, his voice tight. "That impact... it wasn't an explosive. It was physical force."
"True," Sasha growled. The water Shino created began to dance around her fists, forming high-pressure gauntlets.
The dust cloud from the explosion slowly began to clear.
Standing on top of the flattened remains of the jeep was a figure.
It was a man. But he barely looked human. He was massive, wearing a tank top that strained against his bulk. He had blonde. But the most terrifying thing wasn't his face.
It was his skin. Or rather, what was covering it.
Layers of raw, red muscle fibers were erupting from his arms, wrapping around his body like organic armor.
Akira felt a chill run down his spine.
"Well, well, well," he said. "Would you look at that?"
He flexed his arm, the muscle fibers twitching and expanding.
"I thought the ones stationed here were just the famous Water Hose Duo," he sneered, looking at Sasha and Shino. "But we even have the famous Emberheart, Honoka Shuzenji."
He licked his lips.
"What a pleasant surprise. Three heroes for the price of one. Today is a good day for bloodshed."
"Mom," Akira whispered, stepping back.
Honoka didn't move. Her stance shifted. She wasn't the mother anymore. She was the hero.
"Run back to the village, Akira," she said. Her voice was low, devoid of emotion. "Run. Now."
"What?"
"Tell them to evacuate," she ordered. "Get the children out. Get to the shelter."
"But Mom — "
"The guy standing in front of us is a crazy murderer who kills heroes for sport," Honoka cut him off. "We can't fight him and protect you at the same time."
"Mom, we should fight together! I have Phoenix Drive! I can — "
Honoka whipped her head around. Her eyes were blazing with a ferocity Akira had never seen before.
"AKIRA, I SAID GO TO THE FUCKING VILLAGE AND TELL THE PEOPLE TO EVACUATE! IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?!"
Akira flinched. He had seen his mother angry. He had seen her strict. He had never seen her terrified.
He looked at Sasha. She nodded grimly. He looked at Shino. He didn't look back.
He gritted his teeth. He wanted to stay. He wanted to help his mother. But he knew the numbers. He knew his limits. And the man in the jeep looked like he could crush a tank with his bare hands.
If he stayed, he was a liability.
"Got it," Akira choked out.
He turned on his heel.
Phoenix Drive: 100%.
Blue flames erupted from his legs. He didn't look back. He sprinted toward the village, leaving his mother and the Water Hose duo to face the devil on the mountain.
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SHIT IS ABOUT TO GO DOWN!!!
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