My great thanks to HighFlyingWings, who kindly chose to use some of his free time to be my beta reader!
Pain.
Her whole world was pain.
Every part of her was just pain.
As she stared blankly at the alien star in the sky, her body lying on the dusty ground of an alien world in a heap, her clothes as badly mauled as her body, Fubuki experienced the full meaning of the word pain.
She was burned, bruised, bleeding, and more on seemingly every inch of her body.
She had several broken bones, her ribs had to be broken, her lungs burnt in agony, she could taste blood in her mouth and feel more in her throat…
One of her eyes was closed shut, a black eye and blood from a cut above said eye making sure she couldn't open it. The fingers of her right hand were broken along with the arm, and the left was badly burnt.
Every twitch of her body made her gasp in pain. Every gasp made her shudder in agony. Every shudder made her whimper in suffering.
Even the thought of moving a finger made what was left of her vision move about like a drunken sailor, stars and black spots filling her sight.
A growing puddle of blood was spreading from her fallen body, and Fubuki could barely even remain conscious at this point.
And yet-
She twitched one of her fingers, barely creating a small psychic shield no bigger than a plate (a full shield was completely beyond her right now) which itself barely deflected the pebble shot at her, the small rock impacting the ground near to her and kicking up dust as it dug into the ground.
Even that little use of her power made her groan in agony and cough out some blood, before she took several ragged breaths.
"Well, at least you're getting better at remaining conscious and using your powers despite the pain." calmly said the voice of her tormentor, the demon pretending to be a god looking at her fallen form like a particularly interesting specimen he wanted to dissect.
Her one remaining open eye stared in his general direction, seeing nothing more than a dark, tall form in her exhaustion and pain.
"Still conscious, huh? Good, good. You're improving. Let's see how much longer you can last before you pass out this time."
Fubuki rasped a weak, barely audible groan of despair and agony from where she lied on the ground.
She had never been in as much pain as she had been ever since Aeon had started "training" her. Because of her sister's power, every time that Fubuki was in pain, Tatsumaki usually showed up mere minutes later, if that much.
But Aeon was training her in another dimension. Far beyond even her sister's power's reach.
So he was free to train her to his heart's content… Including his so-called "endurance training", where they basically fought until one side collapsed unconscious.
Needless to say, that meant her.
The worst part was, his training was working. As he healed her fully after every exercise, and pushed her past her limits time and time again, she could feel, and see for herself, her power growing by leaps and bounds.
It was just the most sadistic, painful experience of her life.
Combine that with his extensive knowledge of psychic abilities, one that he was freely sharing and training her in, and she could tell that, in time, she would stand against her past self like Tatsumaki stood above her.
All that she had to do was endure the sheer agony she was repeatedly forced to feel.
Another pebble shot towards her, and she once again barely managed to deflect it before it could hit her.
"C'mon Fubuki, you're one of the greatest Espers in the world, right? A hero? Someone who wants to save the likes of Tatsumaki? Then what are you doing laying in the dirt? Stand up and fight! Do you think your sister would stop fighting while she remains conscious?!"
Fubuki gritted her blood-stained teeth, and painfully raised her upper body, glaring at the taunting figure she could barely make out in her blurry vision.
"Oh, what's this? Did my words hit a nerve? Did you feel like you were done taking a nap? Well about damn time! I was about to take one myself at this rate!"
Fubuki growled as the smug, mocking words thrown her way, and she weakly raised her burnt arm towards the bastard in front of her.
"Hell… Storm." She whispered, a storm of rocks flying at high speed towards the sadistic bastard in front of her.
Thanks to the training, the rocks went much faster than in the past, and were even wreathed in flames to not only cut the flesh off the bones of her enemies, but leave horrific burns as well.
And yet, with a negligent wave of his left hand, the divine bastard deflected all of it to the side.
"Better. Keep it up, and you might even impress Tatsumaki one day. For now-"
More pebbles were sent flying at her.
"-let's see how long you can still last!"
The answer, as it turned out, was not much.
-
I happily took a sip of my tea, the healed Fubuki doing the same nearby as we took a break from training.
Said woman was staring blankly ahead, occasionally taking another sip of her tea, but otherwise barely moving at all.
I left her to it. I could feel the storm of her emotions, and she was visibly building up to confronting me about-
"Why?"
-Ah, here we go.
"Why what?" I questioned, even if I had a good idea. "Why does life exist? Why do we exist? Well, you see-"
"Why are you so brutal?" she questioned, fierce green eyes glaring at me over her cup of tea. "I doubt that you are so hard on my sister."
"I'm not." I confirm calmly.
"Then why? Do you really hate me so much-"
"I don't hate you. If anything, I'm starting to respect you." I cut her off, taking a sip of my tea.
She fell silent, visibly confused.
"Then why?" she once again asked.
I hummed. "Why did you not say anything before? Not even to your sister? Despite all that I've put you through, you never backed down."
Fubuki stared at me, before looking down at her cup. "I'm growing stronger." she admitted. "As brutal as the training is, I can't deny that I'm learning a lot from it."
I nodded.
"Everything I do is meant to make you stronger."
"Even the pain?" she questioned, eyes narrowed.
"Especially, the pain." I replied bluntly.
She blinked, and I smiled thinly. "Do you think I'm hurting you because I enjoy it? I do not. But this pain I'm putting you through is one of the most important parts of your training."
I took another sip of my tea, stared at the dusty alien world around us, and elaborated.
"Esper powers require a great deal of willpower. But how to train willpower? No machine can help with that. There's one thing that can though, and that's being pushed to your limits, and being able to keep going. Every time that you lie on the ground, broken and bloody, but choose to keep fighting rather than let yourself fall unconscious? Your willpower grows. Every time you choose to keep fighting despite unwinnable odds, your willpower grows. Every time you push through the pain and stand up just one more time, your willpower grows. I promised your sister, and yourself, to make you strong. I can teach you how to fight, Fubuki, but just as important is knowing how to keep fighting when defeat seems certain. Especially when defeat seems like a certainty."
I looked at her in the eyes. "True defeat comes only when we let it. As long as we don't give up, even death can be delayed for a time. Doing the impossible, that's what heroes do. You, Fubuki, wish to be a hero worthy of standing by the side of your sister. You will require immense personal power for that. But more importantly, you will require an unbreakable will. A spirit that cannot give in, cannot give up, can never surrender."
I looked away. "I can give you all the power that you want, but the truest measure of you as a person, and as a hero, is when things get tough. When victory becomes uncertain. When victory seems all but impossible."
I stood up from the rock I was sitting on.
"Come on, let me show you."
I unsummoned my cup of tea, and stood before her with a focused expression on my face.
"Your Hell Storm. Use it against me."
Fubuki frowned, obviously confused, but after a moment she stood up, focused on me-
And unleashed it.
A storm of flying, flaming pebbles and small rocks headed towards me, and when the first hit the right side of my face, it left a burnt scorch mark through my flesh.
Fubuki's eyes widened and she gasped at actually wounding me for the first time, then the rest of her technique hit my body.
Without looking away from her gaze, I stood even as thumb-sized to fist-sized holes appeared all over my body, Fubuki staring in shock as she saw the land behind me through the burnt holes in my flesh.
Then I took a deep breath, exhaled even as I gritted my teeth at the agony in my body…
And took a step towards her.
"Stop me." I ordered.
I took another step, even as I sealed all my healing abilities, immunities to damage and more.
Fubuki gaped at me, but I didn't look away from her gaze.
"Stop me." I ordered again, taking another step.
She visibly hesitated, the resentment she held for all the pain I wrought with her warring with the fact that she didn't really want to hurt me, but I didn't leave her a choice.
"Stop me, or I will add fighting after losing limbs to your training." I said coldly.
Fubuki stiffened, but she knew I wasn't joking. I could heal even lost limbs in seconds, I wouldn't hesitate to go that far.
She scowled, and once again attacked me.
I grunted as more holes were punched through me, stumbling slightly as one of my legs had a hole almost the size of my fist in it.
Using magic to keep it moving anyway, I took another step, my eyes still not leaving hers.
She hesitated, her concern about me warring with a newfound fear of me as she stared in horrified shock at my broken body still moving forward despite the horrific injuries I was in.
"Stop me." I growled through a throat full of blood, absently spitting some to the side as I took another step.
Fubuki's face tightened, and she threw a lightning bolt at me.
"Gnng." I grunted in pain as my body seized up, but my gaze still didn't leave her, and I slowly took another step.
A wind blade slammed into my chest, making me exhale in pain, but besides more blood falling out of me like rivers I kept going and took another step.
"You… You…" she muttered, wide-eyed, but I grunted.
"Stop… me." I gurgled, my gaze as cold and hard as ever.
She flinched, then threw a fireball at me.
I stiffened, closing my eyes and gritting my teeth hard as most of my skin on the front of my body was burnt, before I took another step.
I finally fell, and I took a moment to just breathe before I extended my arms forward and began crawling forward, my gaze once again finding Fubuki's horrified green eyes.
Inch by inch, I crawled forward, silently daring her to keep going and stop me.
I was the Good Hunter. I was the God-Slayer who triumphed over Yharnam.
The Eldritch Insight did not break me. The Gods did not enslave me.
The beasts did not claim me.
Neither death nor madness, nor divine curse of maddened monster broke me.
Mere pain was nothing.
I kept moving, inch by inch, Fubuki raising a trembling hand before she broke first and looked away.
"Please, stop." she choked out.
I paused, staring at her, before nodding once.
Then I took a deep breath, and let my powers return, standing back up a few seconds later as if nothing had happened, wiping some dust off my clothes.
Ironically, it was Fubuki who slumped and sighed in relief, looking almost like she was going to keel over at any moment now.
I hummed in satisfaction once my outfit was clean again, before meeting her gaze, seeing and feeling the awe, terror, and shock she felt.
"This is what it means to be a hero." I declared. "Death can have me when it earns me. And I'd kill it first for trying."
She stared.
"Is there anything that can even stop you?!" she questioned.
Well, not as a god, I mused. But when I was still human…
"Depends. Some things really gave me a tough time." I paused. "Like that damn dog…" I muttered.
She blinked. "A… dog." she said slowly, visibly not believing me.
I nodded with a scowl. "Damn thing was a pain in my ass for a while. Took a lot to finally kill the damn bastard."
She stared. "Seriously." she said flatly.
I stared back at her, before a slow, cold smile spread across my lips.
"Oh? You sound doubtful… Tell you what, why don't we do some different training for the rest of today?"
I snapped my fingers, and a second later, we were in a recreation of the Chalice Dungeons.
I smiled at Fubuki, eyes glinting with anticipation.
"You've got one objective: Kill the dog. Good luck, and don't worry: you won't really die, it'll just feel like you will. Let's see how long it'll take you compared to when I had to do it. I'll be watching!"
And then I teleported out.
Poor, poor Fubuki.
Well, it was about time she got into a real fight with her new powers anyway.
And besides, wasn't she going to fight that giant dog monster in the Monster Association? So really, I was just giving her a taste of things to come!
I'm sure that she was going to do great!
-
Fubuki stared at her surroundings, looking much like some kind of ancient ruins or underground civilization.
It was a strange location for Aeon to have created, but she quickly shook the thought off.
That god did things for a reason, even if it wasn't always clear why.
She tried not to think of his burning, stumbling form. Fubuki had seen many things in her life, but that one was always going to stay with her, she knew that much.
The look in his eyes, even as he stumbled forward, as he crawled forward-
She shuddered.
S-Class heroes were true monsters amongst humanity.
It figures that a God of Humanity would be even more terrifying in his own way.
The lesson was clear though. Determination and willpower were important parts of being a hero.
Though Fubuki would prefer not ever having to be burnt alive and having to keep on moving.
And speaking of which…
She stepped forward, coming into a wide room, her eyes immediately zeroing on the monster in the center of it.
The giant, on fire, growling dog-like creature towering above her, fiery eyes narrowed as it stared at her.
"Very well then." she muttered. "Hell Storm!"
With a gesture of her hand, she called upon her signature technique.
A storm of rocks flew towards the monster-
And then it jumped out of the way with shocking agility and speed, bouncing on a nearby wall before rushing straight at her.
Her green eyes widened, and she sent a psychic strike at it, only for the giant dog monster to once again jump to the side and keep going.
She gritted her teeth and flew back, tearing up big rocks from the ground and sending them at high speed towards the monster.
For a second, she thought she'd get a hit-
And then the monster opened his mouth, and spat globs of lava forward.
Her eyes widened, and she quickly flew out of the way, the giant dog on fire (and apparently capable of spitting lava) barely missing her as it barrelled past her, only to jump on the wall of the circular room and run towards her once more, barely even slowing down.
Feeling a bead of sweat falling down her face at the heat from the monster, the lava and the trails of fire it left in its wake, she decided to gamble and wait for him to come closer, closer-
"Hell Storm!"
She threw her technique a second or two before he would have hit her, fully expecting him to be sent flying at worse, outright wound him greatly at best.
Instead, her eyes bulged when it suddenly spinned in the air and slammed its tail on the ground before her.
"Aaaagh!"
She flew back, arms raised protectively before her as a psychic shield glowed brightly before her as a sudden explosion of lava both protected the monster and sent her flying, and she could feel the blistering heat of the lava fill the room.
She grunted as her back hit the wall of the room, quickly getting on her knees and looking up-
And for a moment it felt like time froze as she stared wide eyed at the massive open maw of the monster about to slam down on her.
Then the jaws, each as big as she was tall, slammed down upon her.
A desperately raised shield brought her two additional seconds.
Then the shield broke, and Fubuki screamed as her body melted like ice in a desert within the lava-filled mouth of the monster.
-
"Aaah!"
Fubuki jerked upwards, a hand going over her torso as she felt the lava melt her flesh-
She blinked, eyes wildly jumping around while panting hard for breath, her mind still focused on the sheer agony of… of…
Good luck, and don't worry: you won't really die, it'll just feel like you will.
"That's… what?" she muttered, remembering Aeon's words, but left stunned at how real it had all felt.
She remembered the heat, the pain of the monster's teeth within her body, the way her flesh sizzled and popped from the heat-
She jerked to the side and threw up, the smell of her own burning flesh still in her mind.
Gasping hard for breath, tears falling down her cheeks, she tried desperately to calm down.
She was alive, she was not burning, she had not died.
Taking a few deep breaths, she slowly calmed down and focused.
That monster had caught her by surprise, and the limited space in the room had not helped.
Still, no wonder Aeon had warned her about the realism of whatever he was doing. She had really felt like…
She shuddered. No, no, she was alive and well.
For a moment, she thought of her Blizzard group, wondering if their presence would have helped, but she quickly winced.
In the limited space of the room, their greater numbers would have been a problem.
Also, none of her people were strong enough to face that thing and win. It was definitely too much for anything short of very-high B-rank, if not low A-rank.
If it wasn't for the lava and fire, it would have been easier to kill, but with it, its threat level jumped higher.
Fubuki stood up, green eyes turning more determined.
Aeon was a brutal teacher, but she doubted that he would have made her fight that thing if he didn't believe her capable of winning.
Still, she had to wonder how exactly a human Aeon had dealt with that thing. Considering what he had said about it, it probably hadn't been easy…
She growled and stomped her way towards the monster's room.
No matter. She'd face and win this trial, just like every other one he put before her.
Her sister could kill that thing with ease. She'd prove herself capable of killing it, too!
-
Fubuki gasped, before she violently shuddered.
"Okay… Maybe it won't be so easy. But how the hell was I supposed to know that it could glide on lava?!"
-
Fubuki blinked.
Blinked again.
And then she began cursing.
"Fireball missiles. It can launch guided fireball missiles. What the fuck kind of dog is this?!"
-
Fubuki jerked upwards.
Then she blinked.
"It can spew lava as a high-pressure steam out of its mouth? What is wrong with that thing?"
-
Fubuki glared, panting hard with burns covering her body, sweat trickling down her skin in great rivers.
The monster dog growled, great wounds covering its form with boiling blood falling out of them like the rivers of lava of a volcano.
"This time, you die." Fubuki growled hatefully.
The monster dog snarled back and pounced forward.
Fubuki flew forward, a scream of rage on her lips.
Her glowing fist impacted its maw, and an explosion rocked the room.
-
I smiled, as I watched a barely clothed, wild-eyed, fierce-looking and badly burnt Fubuki stumble and fall near me, gasping raggedly for breath and looking ready to tear apart anything stupid enough to so much give her a mean look with her bare hands.
"Tea?" I asked with a smile, holding her cup towards her.
A glaring green eye peeked from beneath sweat-covered (and somewhat singed) black hair, before her hand snapped forward, and she tilted her head back to drink the tea with the relish of a woman dying of thirst finally getting water.
I snapped my fingers, healing her and fixing her appearance, before looking in amusement as Fubuki half glared, half smiled in gratitude.
"That dog was evil." she said bluntly.
I snorted.
"It kept pulling bullshit techniques out of its ass! Giant dogs shouldn't be gliding on walls! Or on lava! Or on walls covered with lava!"
She took another deep gulp of her tea.
"But you killed it, and I'm sure that you learnt a lot from the experience, no?" I replied with a grin.
She glared at me, before she scowled.
"You didn't have to let me experience what it felt like to die burning alive, you know. I could have lived without the knowledge of what my burning flesh smelled like." she declared with an incredibly dry tone of voice.
"But it motivated you to win, and to fight smarter and harder in order to win." I calmly replied.
She grunted. "Did anyone tell you that your standards of teaching are horrifying?"
"Oh yes. Many times." I shrugged.
She sent me a flat look.
"And that didn't motivate you to change?" she said sarcastically.
"Meh. My own mentor was even more brutal, so really, you had it easy." I explained.
She paused. "Even more brutal?" she repeated, looking as though she could barely even imagine that.
"Oh yes. If I was like him, you'd have fought the lava dog on your first day of training." I informed her.
She stared at me incredulously.
I stared back without so much as a blink.
She looked at her tea. "That explains so much about you." she remarked, before drinking deeply.
I chuckled. "Well, you should be glad. I could have made you fight far worse than the giant lava dog."
Fubuki visibly shuddered at the very thought.
I held back a snort. Oh you poor, sweet summer child.
I could do so much worse than that damn dog.
Like say, Ludwig.
Or Gerhman.
Or hell, a recreation of a Great One like Amy-
Okay, nope.
That was just too evil even for me.
Getting crushed was one thing, getting crushed and SMUGGED at was another.
"Of course, I trust that you understand what you defeating that monster means." I said with an eager smile.
Fubuki looked at me with curiosity and apprehension both.
My smile was gleeful.
"Harder training!"
She blanched.
"It gets harder?!"
I threw my head back and cackled.
Truly, having students was the best feeling ever!
-
I went through the portal, Tatsumaki following after me with a smile on her face.
She quickly sat on the seat she always took when she came by, taking a deep sip of the still warm tea that I had made before our latest training session, before sighing in bliss, the smile on her face growing, her emotions radiating a sort of tired satisfaction that I had come to associate with the end of our training sessions.
I had noticed that, over time, she had become more and more eager for us to train together, and nowadays, she was all but radiating delight and joy while we were doing our best to kick each other's asses, a smile on her face each and every time we fought.
At first, I had thought that it was simply the joy of her being able to go all out without worry, something she wasn't used to before, and it might have been true for a time…
But not nowadays. Or at least, it no longer was her sole reason behind the happiness she radiated to my senses like a warm sun.
No, if I had to make a guess…
Tatsumaki crossed one leg over another, her eyes flickering towards me as she did.
I deliberately took a look at the very attractive legs on display, before taking a sip of my tea.
The ensuing flash of pride, satisfaction, and a hint of lust at my reaction was not something I missed.
No, nowadays, the long dormant desires of Tatsumaki as a woman were visibly acting up, and our sparring sessions were her equivalent to us going on dates together.
Which made sense, when you knew that Tatsumaki was something of a workaholic when it comes to her life as a Hero.
And by that I meant that she had little else she did with her time.
As far as I knew, she was one of the heroes who put in the most "work hours" in the entire association, always flying back and forth across the world to kill monsters as they appeared.
She had no friends to hang out with, didn't spend all that much time with Fubuki, had no real hobbies besides training and killing monsters…
Her towering pride might have helped her deal with the immense loneliness she was living with, but human beings weren't supposed to live by themselves, and even less while all your time was spent training or fighting.
And here I was, someone both strong enough to get past her pride, and good enough at social interactions to avoid setting off her temper.
I was also aware of her past, and "vouched for" by Blast, her personal hero.
I was almost certain that she was spending more time with me lately than she had willingly spent with anyone else her whole life… Except Fubuki.
And it's hardly like I was hiding my interest in her.
All that combined, and I wasn't surprised that she was subtly flirting back with me.
Or well, as subtle as deliberately showing off her beauty and eagerly fishing out for my attention was, at least.
I would have to confront her on her developing feelings eventually…
But it would probably be best to let Oedon have a talk with her first. Tatsumaki was an impressive woman in many ways, but she was not necessarily the easiest to get along with, and while I had no problem getting along with her, that wouldn't necessarily be true for everyone I was with.
Making sure that she understood the fact that I had other lovers and what that meant practically was going to be a needed conversation before we did anything more than slight flirting (and our "dates"/sparring sessions) like this.
For now, I simply smiled.
"Well, you are still growing stronger at an impressive rate, Tatsumaki. And you are getting seriously terrifying with some of those techniques."
"Of course. Did you expect anything less?" she questioned with a smirk.
I chuckled. "No, but it's good to see your potential being realised for real."
I hummed, my eyes narrowing. "Though I had a feeling that you were holding back something…"
She blinked, before grinning mischievously. "You told me to experiment beyond what you taught me. You also told me that I needed to be more than a mere tornado to hope to equal you. I have… some ideas on how to go about things, with all that I've learnt from you."
I looked at her curiously. Her aura was showing signs of a number of things standing out stronger than others, in particular Time, Darkness, and even a hint of the Void that I had begun to teach her about…
"I see. Well, I look forward to what you have in mind, then." I finally replied, deciding to shelve my curiosity for the time being.
She smiled, a hint of eagerness in her eyes, along with a small ember of fear that I would not approve, or not be impressed? Something like that.
Probably the second. Tatsumaki did not show it often, but she did look for the approval of those rare few she respected.
It just rarely showed itself because that list consisted of Blast and myself.
"I also talked to my sister. I wanted to hear about her training." She declared, a measure of unease in her heart that she did not show on her face.
"And?" I asked curiously.
For once, she visibly hesitated, before looking at me.
"She told me what you did, when you allowed her to… to hurt you."
"What of it?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.
She pursed her lips. "Did you have to let her hurt you so badly? There was no need to go that far just to make a point."
Huh. Was she… concerned about me?
"It was nothing, really." I replied, nonplussed.
She gave me a flat look. "You had holes in your body big enough for her to see through you. And that was before she burnt off your skin!"
I blinked. "And? I had much worse in Yharnam. When you are in a fight to the death, your injuries or the pain that you are in doesn't matter. You keep fighting or you die."
She stared at me, frowning. "I'm not saying I'm not impressed by your willpower, Aeon, but hurting yourself that far for just training is going a bit far."
I stared back, then shrugged. "As long as I can heal from it, I don't think it matters, but if you say so. I was teaching her, just as you asked, and there is more to teaching someone than just showing off cool techniques."
She pursed her lips. "Even so, please don't do that again."
I sighed. "Fine, fine. I put my Hunters through much worse, but alright."
Honestly, part of my training for my Hunters was to die fighting something strong so that they can get used to dying in battle. Mere injuries were nothing in comparison.
Sure, doing it to Fubuki would be going too far, but that's because she's not training to be a Hunter, she's training to be a hero. Her training thus must be about learning how to keep fighting through pain, not keep fighting after having died and going back to life again.
And I was someone who believed in leading by example. How could I expect Fubuki to do something I wasn't willing to go through myself?
So all in all, what I did was exactly what needed to be done to serve as an example of what I was trying to teach her, no more.
Honestly, it wasn't like I was expecting someone to pull off a Ludwig and stay alive as just a decapitated head through sheer willpower after having clawed your way back to sanity or anything.
Tatsumaki didn't look too satisfied, but let the matter drop.
"Are you at least satisfied with Fubuki's progress?" I questioned.
"I am. She's growing stronger." she replied, a smile returning to her lips. Then she sighed in frustration. "She's still going through that stupid Blizzard group nonsense, but at least those weaklings aren't dragging her down too much anymore."
"Hmm. You really don't like them much, huh?" I remarked, causing her to scoff.
"There will always be those attracted to our powers. She should be getting rid of those leeches, not welcoming them instead." She replied, scowling.
I gave her a long look. I had a feeling part of that view was her experience as a lab rat clouding her mind on the matter…
But I wasn't going to mention it. There were better ways to go about things than to strike hot iron on an old wound.
"Power will always attract people. It's in its nature to do so. As long as they are loyal, and as long as Fubuki is fine with it, it's not our place to question how she is meant to handle the consequences of her own power." I calmly pointed out.
"Even when she's making a mistake?" she questioned, crossing her arms under her sizable bust.
"Then, and only if and when her bad decision making explodes in her face, it is your solemn duty to look at her in the eyes and declare 'I told you so.'" I said seriously, only the gleam in my eyes and the slight twitching of my lips betraying my amusement.
Tatsumaki snorted, before sighing. "I suppose that some lessons need to be learnt through personal experience." she grumbled.
"Of course, if things work out, she gets the right to do so instead." I finished, smirking in amusement.
She huffed. "Bah, in that case I've got nothing to worry about."
"I guess we'll see." I replied with amusement, taking a sip of my tea.
-
"You wanted to speak with me?"
"I did." said Oedon, smiling gently at the green-haired woman before her. "Come, sit with me."
Tatsumaki sat in front of her, looking at Oedon with a complex mix of emotions.
Oedon's smile softened even more. "I heard that you've been made aware of what Aeon did while he was training your sister."
"And?" Tatsumaki questioned.
"It troubles you, does it not?" asked Oedon, and Tatsumaki grimaced slightly.
"He can take care of himself." deflected Tatsumaki, but Oedon merely gave her a look.
"And yet, the thought of him being wounded that badly concerns you. Aeon is someone that you've come to respect, to care for."
Tatsumaki bit her lip, and Oedon kept going, voice soft. "Someone, dare I say, that you might be developing feelings for."
She tensed, her eyes flashing dangerously at those words, but Oedon merely kept smiling gently.
"So what? Am I not good enough for him?" she mocked, though Oedon could feel her fear beneath her bluster. If Oedon were to disapprove of her, Tatsumaki could tell that it would be very bad for her relationship with Aeon.
"Far from it. I think you'd be lovely together." replied Oedon instantly, Tatsumaki blinking in surprise at the swift reply sent her way.
Oedon smiled, and leaned forward. "You're a strong, beautiful, and dedicated woman, one willing to fight for what she believes in and not afraid of sharing her opinion on anything. Why would I not approve of you?" she pointed out. Also, your children will be incredibly powerful and beautiful without a doubt, she thought but did not say.
Mortals tended to be weirded out by her curiosity about the resulting offspring of various beings starting families together. Odeon partially understood after spending so much time amongst them, but at her core she was still an eldritch goddess, one focused on Blood and Life, so obviously starting and mixing interesting bloodlines was something she was interested in.
Aeon enjoyed building up civilizations, she enjoyed watching over interesting people and their descendants. Everyone found their own hobbies to spend eternity with.
Also, the young mortal before her was way too tense. In Oedon's experience, sex was a great way to relax people.
And sex with a powerful psychic like Tatsumaki would be a new and intriguing experience, to be sure.
Still, for now she refocused on the present, and the stunned-looking young mortal before her.
"That being said, I do wonder if you truly understand what being with him means." She continued, and once again Tatsumaki tensed, scowling.
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
"First, Aeon already has several lovers, and over time he will have more. Are you fine with that? Truly?" she asked, and this time Tatsumaki hesitated.
Oedon kept going, wanting to make sure that she understood what she was in for if she decided to pursue Aeon further.
"More than that, Aeon is a god. An immortal. Are you fine with the idea of being immortal yourself? To live forever by his side?"
"Do you think I cannot?" Questioned Tatsumaki.
"Can you? Of course. Do you want to, now that's the real question to ask." Oedon replied calmly.
Tatsumaki fell silent, and Oedon nodded.
"Furthermore, Aeon is not one to live a peaceful life. One day, he might very well fight beings powerful enough to endanger even him. Would you stand by him even then?"
"I'm a hero. Do you think I'm afraid to fight?" questioned Tatsumaki again, scowling.
"Are you fine putting your sister into danger by your association with Aeon?" questioned Oedon back, and Tatsumaki stiffened slightly at the question.
There was silence for a moment, before Oedon sighed. "Make no mistake, I do hope that you will join my husband and I into our bed one day. But I wish to make sure that you are ready for all that entails. And that is part of it: are you fine with other women being married to the same man as you? Having sex with him? Having children with him?"
"And what of you?" Tatsumaki shot back.
"I am." calmly replied Oedon instantly, making her blink.
Oedon smiled slightly at her surprise. "I love him, and he loves me. That is all I need to know."
"Even with everything that you yourself pointed out?" asked Tatsumaki.
"Indeed. Of course, for me having more women in our bed is a bonus, and as for children…" Oedon trailed off, a slight expression of pain crossing her eyes, before she smiled again. "I would cherish each and every single one of them dearly, have no doubt." She finished firmly.
Tatsumaki stared at her. "Just like that, huh?"
"I am aware that it's not necessarily the most normal of things by human standards, but… despite my appearance, I am an eldritch goddess." she pointed out. "But I still wish for both my husband's happiness and that of all he takes as lovers, and that is why I wish to ensure that you truly understand and think deeply over all that being with him romantically means."
Tatsumaki fell silent, staring at her for a long moment.
"And you truly think we can… we can make it work?" she finally asked softly, looking genuinely vulnerable for the first time.
Oedon smiled softly. "You can. It will take much work for all involved, but that is true for any relationship. I know that you are already having feelings for him. The way you look at him, the joy you feel everytime that you can spend time with him, the desire for more when you must leave, and the envy in your heart whenever you see him with me… Even the concern you felt when your sister told you of what he put himself through just so that he could teach her a valuable lesson. The foundation is there, all that is left is to make it grow. And Aeon told me much about you, Tatsumaki. But he never told me that you were a coward, or a quitter. So if you truly want to go for it, I believe that you can make it work… And I will help you in any way I can. Both of you."
Tatsumaki once again fell silent, but Oedon merely smiled.
"For now, why don't I tell you more of what a relationship with him involves, and you can think it over? There is no need for you to rush things. Aeon will wait until the end of time and beyond for you, if need be."
Tatsumaki bit her lip… but nodded.
And so Oedon spoke at length, making sure that whatever path Tatsumaki chose, it will be one that she is certain of.
Oedon had long ago told her dear Aeon that she would support him in all things.
Aeon may have his own oath towards her as the Good Hunter…
But she had hers towards him as well.
Whether he needed her to be there for him during the Hunt, or as a scientist in his company, or as a hero protecting the world, or even as a mistress making sure his love life was as perfect as it can be, she would do her best to support him.
Always and forever, and in all things that she could help him with.
That was her own oath towards her husband, the man she loved with all her heart and soul.
-
"So, you wanted a spar?"
I glanced at Superalloy Darkshine, who was standing opposite of the sparring room we were in within the building of the Hero Association in A-city.
"That's right." he said with a smile. "I wanted to test your power compared to the strength of my muscles." he declared, flexing slightly.
I smiled, though on the inside I was considering how to go about this little spar he had asked for.
"Well, far from me to disagree with someone wanting to test themselves." I replied. "But I'm curious, what do you expect to gain from this exactly?"
"I simply want to test myself against someone I can go all-out against." he cheerfully answered.
"Is that so?" I mused, my gaze turning slightly colder, more focused. "From what I know, you asked Silver Fang for a spar some time ago too, did you not?"
"I did." he confirmed. "But it was not as satisfying as I hoped. The strength of my muscles protected me from all harm, but he was able to consistently deflect all of my attacks."
I said nothing for a moment, simply taking position on the training ground, ready to start the spar.
"Well, I dare say this is going to be more memorable then." I finally declared, deciding on how I was going to go about things.
I mentally apologized to him, but it was better to learn of one's weaknesses in training than in battle.
And Superalloy Darkshine had a strong body…
But one crippling weakness.
We both stared at each other, ready for a fight, before he launched himself forward, a massive black fist aimed straight at my face almost filling my vision.
Combining both Bang and Bomb's martial arts, it was simple for me to deflect the strike away from my body and return it with a strike of my own, one hard enough to kill a Dragon-level monster instantly.
The man before me didn't even flinch, merely taking a step back to be better centered while keeping a confident smile on his face.
He went for another punch, only for me to deflect it again and punch him once more, even harder.
And we kept going like this, every single one of his punches deflected with ease, no matter the staggering amount of power within them, while I kept pummeling him with my own increasingly powerful strikes, a fierce grin on my face, eyes gleaming as I repeatedly hit him.
For a time, the man in front of me didn't seem phased. He kept trying to hit me, mixing punches with kicks and more, and failing utterly to do anything as my martial art mastery kept me utterly protected.
However, I kept increasing my power, my speed, and the ferocity of my strikes, a fierce grin on my face as shockwaves bursted around us from every hit Darkshine took.
And slowly but surely, I was overwhelming him, pushing him back.
"Well, Darkshine? Is that all you got?" I mocked, punching him in the face hard enough that it would have killed some other S-class instantly.
He frowned, feeling that something was wrong but not being able to tell what.
"You're a hero, right? Can't you do something? If a monster attacked you like this, how would you win?" I sarcastically asked, while still increasing the power, speed and ferocity of my attacks.
"Don't underestimate the strength of my body!" he shouted, beginning to fight harder.
My smile widened, my eyes glinting malevolently.
"I don't. But you, hero, are weak." I said coldly, before beginning to attack even harder, massive shockwaves spreading from all around us.
"Weak?!" he exclaimed.
"Weak." I growled back. "Your body is strong, but your mind is weak! Fragile! Easily broken!"
"I'm an S-Class hero!" he shouted back, frowning at me while we kept trying to punch each other into submission.
"But are you ready to die a hero?" I questioned coldly, and there was the slightest hint of hesitation at those words.
"What do you know about putting your life on the line? You were already so strong when you first became a hero that all monsters died with ease! Have you ever truly felt the fear of death, Darkshine? Have you ever stared defeat in the eyes, knowing that barring a miracle, your life will end?" I pressed.
"And what about you-"
"I fought, bled, and even died in the name of humanity! But you, Darkshine, you are so confident in yourself, in your own power, that the thought of defeat, of death, never comes to mind!" I growled, blurring from the sheer speed and strength I was putting into my attacks.
"I-"
"I'm going to teach you about defeat, today." I growled. "I'm going to show you the limits of your power, and go beyond them. I'm going to break you. Defend yourself, Superalloy Darkshine! Today, you will learn of fear and pain!"
I fought even harder, gritting my teeth as I glared at him.
"You think this is a game? That you can just always win? That the heroes are unbreakable?" I snarled. "I have seen heroes fall! I have seen them die, and be damned! No one who believes himself invincible can grasp the true meaning of heroism!"
He tried to say something, but I cut him off.
"You think you want a challenge, Darkshine, but you're wrong. You're not here to be challenged. You have fooled yourself into believing that lie, but that's not what you truly are after! That's not who you truly are! Putting yourself on the line, betting it all in the name of righteousness, walking the lines of life and death, that's never been your goal! Do you want to know what you truly long for, Darkshine? What in your arrogance do you truly seek out of this fight?! Why is it that fighting Silver Fang left you so unhappy?!"
Our gaze met, and I looked at him coldly even as I did my best to smile cruelly.
"You want the gratification of a hard-won victory." I declared, his eyes widening.
"A challenge was never what you were after! Putting yourself in danger was never what you were after! You just wanted a gratifying victory! That's why you felt empty about fighting Bang! You didn't win, you didn't get the satisfaction that you sought! You, Superalloy Darkshine, are a selfish man caring only about his own self-gratification, fighting monsters not out of genuine heroism but the selfish desire to feel good about yourself!"
He staggered backward, face paling. "That's not-"
"Oh, but it is! Face it, Darkshine! Can you feel the beginning of the word defeat flash in your mind? You, who thought you always wanted an opponent you could go 100% against, can you feel the beginning of fear grip your heart?" I coldly, mockingly taunted him, even as I continued to fight him even harder.
I punched him hard in the stomach, the man flying back with a look of shock before spitting some blood on the ground, at which he froze and stared at it.
"Come on, weakling! Here I come!"
I charged him, and as he looked up at me from his position on the ground-
I saw and felt the flash of fear coursing through him.
"Aaaaagh!"
He yelled, fear overshadowed by anger as he stood up and threw a punch with everything he had towards me.
I smirked in triumph, having been waiting for this moment, and this time I no longer held back.
I met his fist-
*Crack*
-and broke his arm from the sheer power of my punch.
He gasped, stumbling back in shock, staring in wide-eyed shock at his broken arm-
But I did not slow down. I punched him, over and over again, the man desperately trying to hide behind his massive non-broken arm, only for me to viciously break his guard and pull my right hand back, aimed straight at his face for a punch that Darkshine sees is coming while knowing he cannot stop it, even as I grinned cruelly at him with the knowledge that this punch was going to hurt.
And then I threw it, Darkshine closing his eyes and flinching back, a terrified "Eeep!" escaping his mouth.
My fist stopped right in front of his terrified, sweat-covered face, and for a moment neither of us moved.
Then the man hesitantly opened one eye, and I sighed, relaxing and stepping back, letting the cruel mask of a sadistic monster I had put on for this fight go.
I looked at him in the eyes with a sad smile, expression apologetic.
"It is better to bleed in training than on the battlefield." I declared. "Same as it is better to learn of one's weaknesses in a controlled environment, than against someone trying to kill you."
He blinked at me, and I nodded. "A warrior can be strong, but if his will to fight is broken, no amount of power can grant him victory. For what it's worth, I apologize, but you are an S-class hero. I could not let you go on like this,while you were lying to yourself about what motivates you to fight and be a hero. One day, you will find monsters capable of defeating even you. When that day comes, you must be ready, in mind and body, to give it your all. And that begins by understanding what motivates you to fight in the first place."
I sighed, before I turned around and walked away, smiling as I watched Silver Fang enter the training ground.
My True Self at work, I see.
I nodded at the once more young-looking man, before waving at the still unmoving Darkshine. "Talk to him, please? He needs guidance, and I don't think it should come from me."
The martial artist master glanced at the frozen Darkshine, who was looking at me with a complicated expression on his face as it dawned on him that I had deliberately broken him of his delusions for his own good, and looked back at me to nod.
I nodded back in thanks, and then left.
It had been cruel of me to do what I did, but better that Darkshine be confronted about his true desires by someone like me, than by Garou in the middle of an all-out fight for the future of humanity between monsters and heroes.
Honestly, I didn't mind him wanting to fight monsters for his own satisfaction. Not everyone had to be a hero of legend, a bastion of goodness and morality.
But that lie he kept believing about himself was a weakness, and one he had to confront if he truly wanted to grow stronger as a hero.
And who better to bring it out than a god of Truth?
Darkshine was a good man, a kind man even. So it was better to be cruel now, than to let him be hurt later.
Besides, if he needed to do some soul searching, better he did that before the tides of monsters grew to such heights that Humanity would need everyone ready to stand up and fight.
I sighed. To be cruel to be kind wasn't my favorite strategy to get things done, especially towards a good man.
Unfortunately, sometimes, you had to do what was necessary, not what you wanted.
… I might as well go see Oedon. I needed a strong cup of tea, the relaxing air of the Hunter's Dream, and her soothing presence.
Helping people overcome themselves really sucked when you had to play the part of the guy forcing people to acknowledge parts of themselves they didn't want to acknowledge.
I snorted at the thought of Darkshine unlocking a Persona.
As I went through the hallways of the building, my eyes found the twin Summers, currently talking with one another.
Oh boy. Speaking of people who really needed to be honest with themselves and their desires…
I groaned. Nope, not dealing with that today, Darkshine was more than enough, thank you very much!
Now then, about that cup of tea…
-
"You wanted to see me, sir?"
"I did. Please, sit down."
I looked at the young hero taking a seat before me, while I glanced at a nearby waitress of the bar we were in and subtly indicated to her to take our orders… Well, his, since I had taken mine.
Then I looked back at Mumen Rider, Rank 1 Class C.
"As the God of Humanity, I made sure to look into every hero who joined the Association. I usually even help them in various ways, whether in getting the equipment they need to fight as hard as they can, or training, or any number of things."
I took a sip of my tea, then waited patiently as Mumen Rider gave his order to the waitress.
I could see many people subtly, and not so subtly, glancing at our table, but I ignored them.
I was used to the attention, and while I could tell that Mumen Rider was less so, he was still a recognized hero, and as such, used to crowds.
Once the waitress left, I kept going, looking at the man before me thoughtfully.
"Tell me, Mumen Rider, what do you think is the most important for a hero?" I asked.
"A strong sense of justice." he immediately replied, not a shred of hesitation in his voice.
I smiled. "Not power, in order to always defeat evil? Not recognition, in order to inspire hope in the people?"
He hesitated slightly, before shaking his head.
"To be a hero is above all about refusing to tolerate crimes, any crime. To always stand up for what is right, no matter what. It has nothing to do with power or fame- just about doing what is right."
The words were firm and spoken with true belief, though he still visibly flinched and looked slightly panicked as he looked at me.
"Err… That's what I believe, at least, I didn't mean-"
I chuckled, raising a hand to stop him from babbling.
"It's fine. It's a good view, a heroic view."
I sighed. "Not one shared by many, however. I do what I can to fight it, but people naturally focus more on the powerful and heroic, rather than just the heroic. I'm not blind to the difference in treatment between classes, despite all the work to try and help limit the issue."
Mumen Rider shifted slightly, a bit uncomfortable at the reminder that the Hero Association was less than perfect, but after a moment I once again smiled at him.
"That being said, I do like your answer. It's a hero's answer, made all the more powerful by the genuine belief you hold in it."
He blushed slightly. "I just want to help people." he mumbled.
My smile widened, even as it softened. "I know, and I respect you for it. Keep that view, Mumen Rider. The world would be a better place if more people thought like that."
I took another sip of my tea, and then looked thoughtfully at him.
As far as I could tell, he wasn't really religious, even after learning for sure of the existence of me, Oedon, and Lucy.
I could tell he prayed a few times, though. Nothing fancy, but a few times here and there, and I could feel my True Self even helping out subtly as a result of those prayers.
And all of those prayers were directed for the good of others, not himself.
All in all, a good soul, a very, very good soul.
Too good, ironically.
I didn't want to taint such a soul with the life of bloodshed and death of a Hunter.
He deserved to be a hero, not a glorified killer.
Still…
I opened my right hand, summoning an object of gleaming metal in my palm.
"You have prayed to me in the past." I remarked, and Mumen Rider stiffened.
He looked ready to stammer… something, but I cut him off with a smile.
"Here."
I held up the metallic symbol, Mumen Rider taking it with a confused blink.
"What is it?" he questioned, staring in curiosity at the object looking like an upside down person with a rising sun above.
"My personal symbol. The personal symbol of a god, with all that implies. You have a good heart and soul, Mumen Rider, but you lack the power to fully stand up to the greatest evil."
I pointed at it, smiling slightly when he gave me a startled look.
"If you are ever faced against a great evil threatening innocents, and your own strength is not enough to protect them, this will give you power enough to bridge the gap. It will not, and do remember that, it will NOT give you victory, but it will let you fight at a level far higher than your own for a time. The stronger that evil is compared to you, the stronger the effects of my symbol."
He blinked in shock at me, his hand closing tightly around what I gave him.
"You mean-"
"I've watched over every hero, Mumen Rider, and while you are not the most powerful by any means, your genuine heroism is worthy of my respect. This is… a reward, and sign of my respect, towards someone who truly embodies what it means to be a hero."
I smiled warmly.
"So yes, this thing can help you stand up to even dragon-level threats… at least for a time. You wish to help people? To be able to protect them? This will not grant you victory by itself, but it will let you fight well enough to stall for time- time enough for more heroes to arrive and help you defeat whatever evil you are fighting. Still, if the enemy is truly beyond you, this might only buy you time before you go down, and if whatever you are fighting is not truly evil it will not work, so keep that in mind."
Mumen Rider stared at me for a moment, before he stood up, put the symbol around his neck by the chain connected to it, and then gave me a deep bow of immense respect that really hammered the point that this world is based on Japanese culture.
"Thank you. I promise to prove myself worthy of such a blessing!" he shouted loudly, radiating determination to my senses.
I shook my head in amusement. It was because he was already worthy I just gave him that, after all.
Still.
"Just do me a favor?" I asked.
"Anything!" he immediately replied without hesitation.
"Please don't forget to help people, and not just protect them, okay?"
He looked up, blinking in confusion, and I nodded at him.
"Many heroes focus only on fighting and killing monsters, Mumen Rider. But you said that you wanted to help people- that is your goal, your motivation, what drives you. So please, remember why you choose to become a hero in the first place. Protecting people is a good thing, but part of why I respect you is that you go beyond protecting people, you seek to help them in their daily lives. Helping cats down trees might not seem like an important thing, but it is to the owners of that cat, and that happiness you bring to people matters. There are many ways to help people, Mumen Rider, and I do not wish you to use my gift as a reason to focus solely on hunting down monsters. There are other heroes for that, who focus solely on that- but only one Mumen Rider, only one kind man who just wants to help people."
Mumen Rider smiled.
"I understand. Still, if a monster threatens people-"
"Then you will not run, I understand. To take the words of a certain someone, if heroes run, who's there left to fight?" I replied knowingly.
"Exactly!" he exclaimed, looking pleased that I understood.
I chuckled at his enthusiasm, before nodding at his drink.
"Well, now that the heavy stuff is over with, why don't you sit down and talk to me about how you've been doing in general? Who knows, I might be able to help you out with other things, too."
Mumen Rider sat back down, blushing a bit at all the looks he was getting for standing up and bowing like that, but soon enough we were in deep talks about all the things involved in the life of a C-class hero, and I couldn't help but enjoy the simple talk.
It was rare for me to just sit down and talk with someone with a good heart who didn't really require any big advice in life or help in general, the symbol I gave him excluded, and being able to just sit down and relax while listening to the simple troubles of a good, humble man who only desired to make the world a better place in his own small ways was…
Enjoyable.
The part of me that was still fundamentally human certainly approved.
-
A.N: Alright! Here is the next chapter in which we continue the One Punch Man Arc!
Fubuki gets to discover the full joys of Aeon's ideas for training, and it says something that everything she is going through is him actually holding back on the more hardcore parts of it.
Of course, that doesn't stop him from teaching her valuable lessons through horrifying ways by any normal human standards. A friendly reminder that Bloodborne fucked Aeon up in many ways, and that include the limits of what he considers acceptable to do to himself or others in the name of training/teaching others.
Also, Fubuki vs giant dog on fire. I sadly wasn't as inspired as I would like to have been for that part, but hopefully it got the point across.
Tatsumaki also gets to progress her romance, especially when you consider that I fully believe that she isn't someone who would beat around the bush when it comes to following her desires. She's straightforward that way: Piss her off she sends you flying, but if she's attracted to you she'll be fairly obvious about it. Of course, to get her attracted to anyone is a bit of an impossible challenge… if you aren't Aeon, and OP in all the right ways to pull it off.
And yes, Oedon gets to be the wingwoman in this chapter. She usually lets Aeon do his thing, but Tatsumaki is unique enough in terms of personality that they both feel that full communication works better. Good communication is an important part of any relationship, and they get to actually show off their wisdom/experience in matters of the heart by making sure to talk honestly with Tatsumaki before anything really happens between her and Aeon.
Also, poking the tsundere with "Are you sure that you can handle it?" is a sure-fire way to make her even more determined to succeed, so there's that!
As for Darkshine, in canon, those revelations happen when he's fighting Garou in the Monster Association. Needless to say, Aeon figures that letting a problem fester isn't really wise, and decided to force him to acknowledge the truth much sooner in order to help ensure he gets to rebuild himself back up stronger than ever.
Also, for Mumen Rider, Aeon providing him with what is essentially a situational power-up is the best way he could think of keeping him as the same good man that helps others in ways other heroes would never think of doing, while also giving him the tools to match his heroism with actual raw power when he really needs it.
It also lets me call on a little detail about Aeon as a God (his symbol/Eldritch Rune and its powers) that I previously mentioned only a while back… towards the end of RE1, I think.
Still, with all that being said, I hope you all enjoyed this update! Next time, we continue OPM, with more heroes and progress in romance…