Days until Boros arrives: 8
Days until the end of the world: 38
The surrounding space churned and undulated, breaking and reforming at the seams.
Stars springing into existence just as quick as they exploded and imploded in agony.
But the being in the center of it all, surrounded by cowering lesser supplicants and frantic pipers, paid little heed to it all.
A massive finger twitched.
"A third who dares defy the will of the heavens?"
Now usually, Yuha and mobile gaming did not mix.
But, in cases like this, he could very well appreciate its existence.
Cause, after he and Grayfia made it back to the Dojo, a message from the association informed him that another round of exams would take place later this day. The association always eager for more recruits to aid mankind in its eternal war with monsters.
So, needless to say, he'd all but hoisted the very surprised Grayfia on his shoulder, the woman's "wawawawa—" not stopping till they made their way to the testing center, his ears still ringing some.
For this served not only as another opportunity to further cement the woman's heroic path and keep her from sliding back into her old ways but also…
The email contained another pretty important tidbit.
All A-rank heroes were pretty much required to give a speech to prospective recruits, basically a sales pitch and warning as to the perils of being a hero both. With Yuha himself being no exception.
Admittedly, he could have done with a bit more warning.
But, he liked to believe that with his capacity to slow down time, courtesy of his ever-growing strength, coupled with his vi and his Bullshit, he did a good enough job.
The recruits certainly walked out of the room with a pep in their step.
All well and good.
And yet…
He sighed and ignored the Company's non essential new notification, blinking on the edges of his screen. Their number having gone up by one since last night. He'd get to them…soon…definitely. Just as soon as King started training!
But for now, sitting on a bench near the wall of the lounge room, paying little attention to the passerbys and waiting until Grayfia finished, he had more important matters to worry about.
His tongue slipped out of the sides of his mouth and Yuha's eyes narrowed in focus as his hovering fingers trembled above the smartphone's tiny screen, waiting, eager, anxious.
"Ok, just one more Qte and I'll finally unlock Shishou's next 'mana transfer' scene, also, damn you mushroom-man for putting said scenes behind a Qte!"
Yes. Important matters indeed.
"S—Yuha! I did it! Everyone was awed by my performance in the physical exam!"
Sweet Mask had been sitting near the room's entrance for some time now, observing. Waiting. Clad in a baggy beige coat, complete with a gray hat and fake glasses, alongside a gray mustache.
And at last, the time for judgment had come.
With an effort of will, he suppressed his instinct, the impulse to rush towards the excited monster—woman and deal with it—her.
For despite the girl's origins, similar to that of Zombieman's in fact, a thorough background check these last few days had revealed the mon—girl to have the heart of a true hero. At least from what she'd shown so far.
The woman, this…Grayfia having saved quite a number of people ever since she found the courage to rebel against the group of monsters she'd been part of.
So no. Sweet Mask would withhold judgment for now. The girl's actions so far enough to earn her a stay of execution and if she continued on the path of Heroism as she seemed so intent on doing? Well, despite her somewhat distasteful origins, he wouldn't hold it against her.
No.
After all, the girl had beauty in spades and, if Tornado's words were to be believed—and if he couldn't trust the one of the two S-rankers worth a damn, the other being King, of course. Then who could he trust?
In any case, Tornado, in her report, had stated that Grayfia had wept and cried most openly at the sight of the carnage and injustice perpetrated by her and Zombieman's creator. Showing a truly Heroic heart, for if she could weep for monsters as well as civilians…
Well, let's just say that Sweet Mask had a good feeling about this one.
"Mmh. Is that so? I'm happy for you, Grayfia. But how did the written one go?"
Zero, on the other hand…
Standing up in one fluid, elegant motion, his disguise flowing away from his body, he strode with powerful confident steps towards his most recent source of woes.
"L-look! It's Sweet Mask!"
"Oh, my!"
Ignoring the murmurs of his many, and rightly so, fans for the moment. As well as doing his best not to grimace at the stench wafting off from some of the nearby civilians and heroes both.
Don't you know that beauty is paramount? What you're doing is irrelevant. What you've been through is irrelevant! Always be clean, always present a confident image for others to rally behind!
Instead of scowling and lashing out, he smiled. Much as it irritated him having to endure the stench coming from some of the sweaty would be recruits, not even the ceiling ac units being of much help, despite doing their best.
…He'd keep an eye on those recruits, too.
The gray-haired woman flushed. "A-ah…about that…ehehehe…" stammering and scratching at the floor with her foot, poking the tips of her index fingers together.
Sweet Mask rolled his eyes. He didn't have time for this. He'd test the mutant and be on his way. He had a lot of songs to record today for his wonderful fans, after all.
His left arm rose, shooting forward. "Move, girl," he growled, making the beauty startle.
"Ah! E-eh?" The woman's eyes widening as she noticed him, and with a wince tried to move to the side and avoid his open palm from pushing her.
"Woah! Careful there, 'friend'," the mutant said, an undercurrent of bass in his voice and an arrogant smirk in place as in between fractions of a second he'd appeared in between his arm and Grayfia, Zero's own right arm having shot up, his palm wrapping around Sweet Mask's, the mutant's arm pushed slightly forward and in the beginnings of a curling position. Just like his. Their interlocked palms about chest level.
Sweet Mask's eyes narrowed.
He hadn't seen the man move.
With a tiny flex, his focus sharpened, the mutant earning more of his attention.
"I respect your desire to meet with me. But, fan or not, there's no reason to not be polite and wait your turn," Zero said, squeezing and Mask squeezed back. "After all, manners maketh the man. Besides, we wouldn't want to have some sort of accident now, would we?"
Is…is he threatening me? Me?! Mask blinked in astonishment. Does he not know who I am?!
On the one hand, the fact that the man had rushed to the defense of his 'protege'—for given Zero carried the woman himself to center, all but made said fact certain—and even if Mask had not really intended to hurt her. It spoke well of the man's character.
Lending more credence to Yuha's many spiels over the past few weeks. Raising the likelihood of Zero simply being a naive idealistic fool, if a well-meaning one, who truly tried to do his best and defend everyone, caring little for what DNA said about someone compared to their actions and beliefs.
Rather than being some-kind of monster lover. In which case…well, Mask would have to deal with him.
But still, did he really not know of him?
Time to test him some more.
"Do you know who you're talking too?" he asked, letting out some more of his true power and being glad for the fact all the civilians and the heroes both were behind him.
Yuha's eyes widened, and Mask felt a stab of disappointment.
Just another cowardly, weak willed fool then who—
'Creak'
He fought back the urge to hiss at the pain shooting up his arm for the power, the monstrous power smacking into him drew every inch of his focus.
Yuha's smile remained fixed in place even if his eyes screamed death as the man met Mask's hidden power…and exceeded it.
"Mmh, no, can't say I do," the man said, raising his other arm and tapping at his chin, staring at the ceiling as if in thought. "Should I?" and Mask noticed the faintest of thin red glows covering the man's skin.
Mask revealed a bit more of his strength, fighting the urge to grit his teeth. It wouldn't do for his fans to see him do something so uncool after all.
Monster…the thought came unbidden and Sweet Mask did not mean it in a racist way, nor did he think the mutant to be something like Grayfia or the actual monsters only worthy of death.
No.
But Yuha's strength…
Such strength belonged only to monsters. To titans of heroism. Like King, Tornado, Sweet Mask…and maybe Blast. Depending on whether the man had a good reason for his recent long strings of absence.
So seeing someone else wield such strength. To see a newcomer join their league. A newcomer who, less than a month prior, could not beat some Demon trash…
Suffice to say, Sweet Mask did not expect something like this when he woke up today and decided to test the man by all but dropping a surprise exam on him. His speech had been adequate as well, much as it grated Mask to admit, even if only to himself.
And he could tell that the man still had strength to spare. Granted, so did Sweet Mask, but nonetheless it remained surprising. As did the fact that the surprisingly perceptive fool could clearly tell that Mask had yet to reveal his full strength as well.
He amended his thought. He is no monster… He has the potential to be either a Saint or the Devil.
For if the man's strength kept increasing at this pace…
Mask shuddered to imagine it.
He would definitely need to keep an eye on the man from now on. For if the worst came to pass—
"I'm in a good mood, so, I'll let you off with a warning. Don'tever try and harm innocent people again, Sweet Mask." The man's voice slammed into his mind with the strength of a sledgehammer, causing an almost imperceptible hiss to escape Sweet Mask's lips. "Or you won't find me so forgiving the next time. After all, it's my job as a Hero to defend the innocent. Even from other…'heroes'."
Sweet Mask's lips parted an inch in surprise, his eyes widening minutely even as they both kept trying to crush the other's arm.
Does he…Does he think, me to be a fake? The mere idea. The arrogance almost made him punch the man then and there, but, it also made him have to fight back the urge to laugh.
For it would seem that Yuha understood what it meant to be a hero, even if not fully. And he had adequate strength as well.
Still, the way the man's eyes all but shone with scorn…
Is this how I look to those weaklings and would be pretenders who try to become heroes merely for fame?
"Ah! How silly of me!" Yuha said, slapping his forehead with his palm, while they both continued to squeeze, the strength and pressure between their palms enough to turn coal into diamonds. "I think I remember you now, you're…Sweet Mask, right? My senior in A-rank? In that case, pleased to meet you, senpai~!" the man offered with a tiny incline of his head.
"Hmf. Indeed. I expected better of you, Zero. But, still, as long as you—"
'Ba-dump! Ba-dump! Ba-dump!'
A monstrous sound slammed into them both and then, King appeared, coming to a stop next to them.
"There you are. Yuha, I have need of you, follow me," the strongest man on Earth said and, glancing at him, nodded. "Sweet Mask."
"Sir."
Right, how had he forgotten about that? Zero had been the apprentice of King himself for some time, had he not?
That, coupled with Yuha's strength and foolish, if apparently true convictions…
Well, Sweet Mask could be generous. The young fool just earned a stay of execution and could live another day.
He'd test him again in the future.
"Hmf. I see. In that case, good day to you, sir. As for you, Zero, we'll talk again later."
"Yes…yes I do believe we will."
They let go of each other's arms and once again, Mask had to fight the urge to snort.
For Yuha really viewed him like one of the trash Mask usually dealt with, didn't he? Well, he could appreciate the irony even if did not particularly enjoy it.
Turning around, he made for one of the exits, making sure to wave and flash plenty of smiles to his fans and, once out of the room and out of view, let out a tiny hiss and rubbing his aching limb.
Although…at the end there, had Grayfia been glaring at him?
Heh. Like master like protege, eh?
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Yuha asked as they made their way out of the exam center, stepping out into the sunlight, the sounds of people talking to one another fading only to be replaced by that of cars and bikes.
King's hand landed on his shoulder, and the man's scary face leaned in close.
"A new dlc came out," the man said, as if that explained everything. And to Yuha it did, small beads of sweet appearing on his forehead.
"I—I see…"
"Yuha, I haven't seen you online for a couple of days. Why is that?" the man asked, leaning in closer, until King's face obscured most of the outside world.
"I—I was busy, y-yeah!"
"Is that so?"
"Y-yes!"
It definitely had nothing to do with the fact that King always kicked his ass in any game they played together, be it co-op, or Marika forbid, straight up pvp.
"Mmh," the man said, his face fully shutting out most of the world. "Well, if that's the case, why don't you come over now? That is, if you're not busy?"
He made to deny—
"Nope! Yuha schedule is completely free for the rest of the day!" Grayfia chirped, and Yuha turned betrayed eyes towards her.
The girl blinking, her eyes widening at his judging stare. "W-what?"
So, this is how you betray me, eh? Et tu, Grayfia?
Yuha's shoulders slumped, and he nodded. "Yeah, I can come."
A frankly creepy smile stretched across King's face, and he gave Yuha's shoulder a squeeze and a couple pats. "Goood, Yuha, very Gooood!" before lowering his arm.
He resisted the urge to shudder, opting instead to point with his thump at the traitor.
"As long as she can come as well, if that's okay?"
King blinked and shrugged.
"Sure, the more the merrier."
Yeah. You'd be fine with more meat for the slaughter, wouldn't you, you sadistic bastard?
Still, even as they started walking to their doom, the comfort that Grafia would soon experience hell alongside him served to ease his suffering. That, and he had a way to payback King for this, even if it wouldn't balance the scales.
"So," he said as they walked, placing his arms behind his head, closing one eye and glancing at his friend.
"King, old buddy, old pall, my good chum~"
The man, to his credit, sensed something to be amiss and tensed.
"Yes?"
"How goes…that?"
The man paled.
"T-that?"
Yuha nodded as Grayfia blinked between them in confusion.
"Yes. That?"
"Errr…" King started sweating up bullets, glancing nervously from side to side.
You fucker! You still haven't trained at all, have you? Damn it, you lazy bastard!
A few hours later, Yuha, carrying a pale, moaning Grayfia, stepped through the door to Bang's Dojo.
"How…how is he so good?!" the girl half-whined, half sobbed.
Yuha just sighed.
Perhaps…perhaps he'd been a bit too harsh in exposing this poor unprepared woman to King's full gaming might. No doubt she meant well after all.
Still, he had opted to take the full brunt of King's strength after the first hour…
"Yeah…he's bullshit like that. Just…just try to forget about it and focus on the fun we'll have tomorrow, yeah?" he tried, but Grayfia continued to shudder in his grip.
"The horror, the horror…"
Yeah, he fucked up.
Cruel and unusual punishment, thy name is King…
He'd try to make it up to her later.
Setting down the mumbling Grayfia in a corner, the woman rocking back and forth, he retrieved his phone and dialed up a number.
"Lily? I'm going to need your help for tomorrow, just as we agreed, yeah?"
Days until Boros arrives: 7
Days until the end of the world: 37
"Noooooo! Please! Stop! I'm worthless undeserving scum, I'm sorry!"
"Ararara? Oh my, what's wrong? Does my beloved need a hug? Shall I perhaps give you a massage, or would you prefer me to prepare you a bath my dear?"
Yuha continued to sob, slumping down to his knees.
"I'm sorryyyyyy! I won't do it again!"
Lily snorted. Everyone knew the man's words to be a lie.
A battle junky like Yuha giving up fighting and not seeking to test himself in deadly combat? Yeah, sure, and pigs, and not monster pigs at that, were about to start flying any second now. Aaaany second.
"Ararara~! Oh…don't tell me, is it perhaps something I did? Apologies, my love, I will strive to do better and—" Yuha jumped to his feet, grasping the hem of Tatsumaki's dress and looking at her mistress sister with big, pleading eyes.
"Forgive meeee and cut this out! I want my dommy mommy back dammit!"
"Arara~"
Lily had to admit, lady Tatsumaki's had certainly come up with a most brilliant and creative idea. After all, how do you punish someone as dense and strong as Yuha?
Why, by hitting him where it hurts, of course.
"Y-yuha," her mistress, standing next to her, licked her lips. "I—I can be your dommy mommy—"
'Smack'
"Eek!"
Fubuki turned betrayed eyes towards her, and Lily giggled as she lowered the tiny collapsible whip she'd purchased, one invented by Metal Knight and thus, expensive, even if not meant for combat situations, but still worth every penny.
"Lily, w-why?"
'Smack'
"Eep!"
She giggled again as in the background, Yuha continued to plead and bargain. Her cheeks burned while by her side, Fubuki squirmed, also blushing.
During the past few weeks, Lily had made many discoveries about herself. And this…
"Hehehe~" she couldn't wait for when the time came and she and Yuha could bully Fubuki together, followed by Yuha bullying her~
But that could wait for another day, for in a few hours, the exhibition arranged by a couple of anonymous donors in Tatsumaki's honor would take place, with the woman herself participating and showing off, of course…
God of war 2 'The end begins' starts playing...