Chapter 10

He didn't want to say anything the night before at the dinner party. However, Suiryu even had an encounter with Amai Mask in recent days. He was just minding his own business wondering the streets and then fighting a monster that appeared out of nowhere. It was a fast take down; Suiryu had the thing dead in mere minutes! Much to the praise of the people, he was starting to get the admiration of the girls once more.

"You're stronger!"

"You're so much faster too."

"You're like a sexy animal!"

"Suiryu, are you doing anything tonight?"

The ladies were more than beautiful; they would flaunt their eyes towards him and try to cozy up. Had he been human, he would have taken all four of them out on dates that very night. Yet, ever since he met Alley, he began to see things far more differently now.

"I'm flattered ladies, but… I am spoken for." He said.

They were shocked. "Spoken for? Since when you do settle down with a single woman!?"

"Since I realized what I wanted." With that, in a single bound, he jumped into the air and began to travel by going from rooftop to rooftop. It kept him out of trouble for the most part, yet also gave him a bird's eye view of the world. He would stop on a tall building that allowed him to peer over the city rather peacefully. He would lie back and just enjoy the quiet every so often. But then, he would hear it. The soft footsteps that approached him.

"You've been following me since the monster attack. Can to show yourself?" he called.

Turning around, he saw Amai Mask linger out of his hiding spot. "Astute as always. I have heard your perception of things are second to none."

Suiryu smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "Wanna sit down? The rooftop is nice and warm."

Amai obliged and took a seat next to Suiryu. They stared out over the city in silence before Mask finally spoke. "You are quite impressive, I have heard of your abilities long before you became… this," he said.

"I tend to make an impression."

"Indeed, now, I wonder though…" Amai paused as he found Suiryu staring oddly at him. "I wonder where you would have gone if this didn't happen to you. Dare I say it, you would have been an S Class hero."

Suiryu smirked. "Technically I am on par with them,"

"But you are not one of them. You know, you would have been one of the very few people I would allow to surpass me."

"I think I would have done that with or without your blessing."

"Maybe so, but I guess you will never know, looking like that."

He was getting offended now. "Why did you follow me?" Suiryu asked. "It couldn't be to just sit here on the rooftop, shooting the breeze with me and watch the city. Besides, I have come to know you rather well through the words of others. They aren't speaking lies about you either. So, which makes me wonder, why are you here?"

Amai smiled. "Seeing if I can save you from the trap you were lured into." Suiryu froze and stared at him strangely. "You do realize that, don't you? Your whole transformation is nothing short of a misconception in circumstance. After all, how ironic that Alley Brawler should develop a cure for monster cells, only to have it finished the day this happened to you."

"You too huh?" Suiryu asked. But then, he snickered. "I've been hearing this so many times, it's funny. Hilarious even!"

His reaction startled Mask. "What do you mean?"

"I was at the arena at the crack of dawn the day of the tournament! I used that time to train and stretch myself out. I was there all day to scope out the competition, not to mention that's when the most devoted fan girls arrive who know who I am!" he said with a snicker. "Sadly, no girls that time, but I was there. No one came in or out from Garou's family. Pac and Hunter came three hours before the event. Their sister didn't come until ten minutes before it started!"

"You are too blind to see that they planned this. How else would Garou's daughter find a mate?"

Suiryu lost it, he folded over laughing his head off to the comment. He fell on to his back still snickering at the notion. "You think… you think that's true?" he said between his fits of giggles. "Why me thought?" he asked. "If they could do this to anyone to give her a mate, why me? Why didn't they do it to you?" he asked.

Amai was taken aback by the comment. "Me?" he questioned.

Suiryu sat up with the biggest grin on his face. "Yeah, why would they want me, when you are obviously the better target? Besides, Garou may hate your guts, but if you would be a strong mate for his daughter, would he not take that chance?" but then, he started snickering again.

"You are not taking this seriously! You don't care if you were used for breeding for his daughter?!" Amai demanded.

Suiryu's smile grew, but he leaned towards Amai and said. "Let me tell you a little secret. Before I became this… I wanted to date her. I wanted to meet Alley and take her out, since there was no other girl like her that I have seen or met before," Suiryu confessed. "Now, I don't know if me becoming this improved my chances, who can say. I do know this though. I have a whole new respect for her, and her family!" He picked himself off the side of the roof before looking over the city once more. He stretched himself out before deciding on a path.

"So it doesn't bother you that you may never do martial arts again?"

"Who said I wouldn't be able to do that? Besides, after the tournament before the last one, I was going to retire and train to become a hero. But then, this one was all too tempting. When I heard a rumor that Garou's sons entered through the citywide elimination battle, I had to step back into the ring one more time. I got in since I was a past champion you know." He paused and smiled. "Wow, I just realized something. If I stayed retired, this wouldn't have happened to me. So… it wasn't the fault of Garou's family. It was mine!" He shook his head to it all. "I do admit though, this is an adventure! I have gotten way stronger than before, but, I also am around others that don't care what I look like, what skills I have. I am with a woman who sees me as me, not just some strong show off!"

"You fail to see, that you are not you anymore! You are okay with that? You are just going to be fine with the idea that you may never be human again!" Amai demanded.

Suiryu smiled once more. "If it happens, it happens," he said, but also smiled. "If that's the case, I got a girl who doesn't mind the least bit!" With that, he jumped off the side of the roof and made his way through the city once more.

"Suiryu?"

He snapped out of his train of thoughts. Sitting across from him at the kitchen table was Alley. "You okay? You looked like you were in your own little world!"

"Oh yeah, I'm fine, just thinking…" he paused. "Say, Alley. Odd question," he said. "If… If I wasn't like this and I asked you out on a date. What would you have said?" he asked.

"Is that what your deep trance was about?" she asked with a snicker. "I would have given you a chance." She said. "But… I am also aware of your little habits with girls, I don't think I would have expected much out of the relationship… why do you ask?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Just curious I suppose." He fell silent for a moment, but a smile spread over his lips as he just remembered something. "Say, I hear there's a street fair going on tonight in City Q wanna go?"

Her eyes lit up, Alley nodded her head with great excitement. Suiryu grinned, another date night!