"So, eh, we never got your name," Saitama said to the creature. It was sitting up in a customized high chair for now. He was sitting up with Mitsumi in the push cart and eating an appetizer takoyaki dish of squid, scallions and small beef bits. All of the dishes being made were from Zenchu's time, and Mitsumi was amazed at how wonderful it all was.
"This is so good!" she swooned at a bite of egg and spinach soufflé when it was delivered to her. "To think that Zenchu never told me he was a chef before! At least I know he can definitely keep up with Orotsu now. And everything has such a unique blend of spices from what was used back then! It's so cool!"
"That it is. Kinda funny that Zenchu knew how to cook this whole time," Saitama chuckled. "Oh. What time is it?"
"We are almost at dusk, Master Saitama. Ah! Your date night! Yes. We shall prepare a spot," Genos nodded. Saitama now looked at the small, grey creature eating what was likely some of the best food it ever had.
"I asked for your name," Saitama said again.
"Ah! Sorry. This food is simply divine! As for my name, well…I don't think you can pronounce it," the creature chuckled. "Just…call me Chulz. It's a proper shortening."
"Are you a guy or a girl?" Zenchu asked while serving food to his hungry kids. Wind Crane became her human form for this, and was gently guiding in proper etiquette for eating. Starlight was overjoyed at the flavors, and she also helped ensure her brothers and sisters were eating well. At Zenchu's question, that had Chulz thinking on how to answer.
"I am neither. But I am both. I sort of…split apart. My race is rather odd," it admitted. "Memories are shared, too, but we quickly separate to experience new things to keep our needs fresh. Every fifty of your years we do this. So we are a decent race, but slow to come about. A few of us are quite old! I think I'm…oh…roughly two hundred of your years old. We judge age by how often we split apart. I have done so four times. Some have done more than twenty! We go to them for guidance."
"So…you split up like an amoeba?" Kamikaze asked. He was eating grilled eel, squid and even a few pieces of chicken. Tacki was convinced to eat in his lap before having to get back up to work on more projects.
"A what?" Chulz asked.
"I can send you a vision of what he speaks of. If you like?" Inichi smiled.
"You can do mental speak?!" the creature blinked with shock.
"A good portion of us can," Blue Ripple said. He was content to snuggle into Mitsumi and let her feed him some choice parts of fish. Chulz was clearly in shock, but it nodded to let Inichi send the visions. More information was given when asked, and now the creature found itself at a loss for words.
"I…oh…" Chulz blinked the stalk-like eyes. "Now I'm worried."
"About what?" Kamiko asked from where she sat with Genos.
"I don't think I can report anything that I find. Your strength and power can attract all the wrong things. But…it's part of my mission!" Chulz sighed.
"Eh…I don't care what shows up to see us. Just don't destroy or kill anything. That's all that needs to be remembered," Saitama shrugged.
"Hey, folks," King chuckled with Kianna at his side. "Sorry I've been absent for a while. I've been working on tonight's gaming profile."
"That's fine," Saitama nodded to him.
"I hope Child Emperor is well. It's been some time since we saw him," Mitsumi smiled softly.
"He will join the gaming chat tonight," Metal Knight confirmed.
"There is something that troubles me," Chulz sighed.
"What would that be?" Mitsumi smiled softly.
"I do hope that space pirates do not find out about this planet. There was one really notorious one that would go all over just to find the strongest being to challenge. Something about a fortune teller saying not to look for that one and he decided to do it to see if it was true. The leader of that group was one of the strongest fighters out there. He had to wear a specialized suit of armor to hold back his power, too! I know it's been some time since anyone heard of him, but…" Chulz frowned and shrugged.
"There were space pirates that came from outer space to attack us here. I did fight their leader and I killed him. He had a single eye and just wouldn't stop talking! He even punched me into the moon! But I was able to jump back onto his ship. And his ship had weak walls. I ran through and punched holes all over the place," Saitama shrugged. Chulz stared at him with complete shock.
"What? Into the moon?!" Mitsumi gaped at her husband. He smiled and shrugged at her. "And I thought a volcano was bad! But the moon?!"
"Oh, yeah! And that guy with multiple heads? We crushed those marbles that made that guy up," Kamikaze snickered. Chulz was in even further shock.
"It all happened a couple years ago, come to think of it," Bang recalled.
"I have heard about that fight. City A was attacked, so it was all over the news," Mitsumi frowned. "But I learned about it in full a day or so later. I think…that was happening while I was trapped by Ajito…"
"Crap! No! Don't think of him!" Saitama said quickly. She had just started to tremble when he lifted her face up to his. "Look at me, Mitsumi. I'm right here now. It's okay. He's dead. Everything is fine now. Okay?"
"Yeah…" she said softly and snuggled into him. Small glances were given to each other all over, and Saitama gestured to quickly change the subject.
"So, you never learned of Master Sumida's other signature dishes?" Orotsu asked Zenchu. "I know he had a dessert. That was one I never had a chance to learn. The disciple I mentored under knew of it, but not how to create it. Or even what it was called."
"So…would you like me to teach you his signature dessert dish? Because I know what it is and how to make it," Zenchu grinned with a small chuckle. Orotsu stared at him before swiftly clearing off the main outdoor stove and a countertop.
"Teach me!" the octopus monster demanded. Garou's jaw was dropped with complete disbelief. Bright Bolt was highly amused at this.
"I have cleared my debt," Zenchu smirked at Garou.
"Make that dessert and your bet with me will be completed," Bright Bolt snorted. Zenchu sighed and began to look over the ingredients on hand.
"I need fruit pieces of strawberries, melon, grapes, bananas, cherries and blackberries. They can be halved, or chunked small if too big in halves. I need a bowl of honey, too. I'll also need cinnamon and a few bamboo skewers. Sometimes chocolate can be used, but we don't need it for this. Ah. And whipped cream for a light topping," Zenchu said while setting up plates for each fruit he named. Orotsu was already pulling out the fruits named to expertly dice them up. "Do we have a small blowtorch?"
"Yep!" Tacki said and was quick to get it and hand it over. Zenchu tested it and made a skewer of various fruit pieces. Then he dipped the fruit skewer into a bowl of honey before lightly caramelizing it with the heated flame from the blowtorch. While the fruit skewer cooled down, he started to prepare the whipped cream and cinnamon.
"Wait…" Orotsu blinked. "You are making fruit skewers of various fruits before dipping them in honey. I see. Then you are going to use a blowtorch to caramelize them before topping them with cinnamon and whipped cream?!"
"Yep! He called them 'sweet and crisp fruit skewers'. And you can use any fruits on hand. These were the most readily available fruits of my time," Zenchu grinned. "Very simple to make, but incredibly popular for my time back then."
"Let's add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to set the finished skewers on," Anno suggested from where he now stood with them. Zenchu blinked and looked at him with a bit of surprised delight at the idea. "We can lay them flat on it for the flavors to blend, or stand them upright with the ice cream as a base."
"Even better. Anno, make your chocolate lava cake as the base with a scoop of ice cream alongside it," Orotsu chuckled.
"No. Orotsu, make your signature dish to replace the ice cream. Anno should make his newest dish to replace the cake," Saitama said with a small grin. Orotsu paused and found himself making a batch of his takoyaki ice cream dish at the idea. Anno was quick to start making his own takoyaki dish with his lava cake filling. The finished resulting dish was a masterpiece marvel of an ultimate signature dish of intense richness and creativity. It was now carefully shared with the group, and it was enjoyed immensely.
"This will be the new signature dish of Neutral Grounds," Zenchu said with a small grin. "We don't need to add the takoyaki balls, as those should only be for Lady Mitsumi and family, but the other suggestions? Yes. This should be a signature dessert dish for the restaurant and hotel."
"I love that idea!" Mitsumi beamed. "We need a signature meal dish, though. What can that be?"
"Whole roast pieces on beds of noodles never failed. Give us a couple days to put together a good recipe," Orotsu chuckled. "We can do a multi-meat dish with udon noodles. We'll just have to come up with the spices."
"Actually, I do have an idea for you," Mitsumi smiled. Zenchu, Anno and Orotsu all gave their attention to her. "You know I love my Peking duck on a stick. Center it around that with odd meat bits."
"Ahh…!" Anno blinked.
"And with the fruit skewers being a signature dessert dish…" Orotsu mused.
"It's perfect. Let's make it an intensely gourmet dish with wild game and Peking duck," Zenchu grinned a bit wickedly.
"Good. You all work on that. I need my date night to happen now," Saitama said on looking at the sky. "I'm taking Mitsumi back inside to change. We have to be quick to get me to her."
"Takaki should be appeased…" Mitsumi frowned. He nodded and placed his hand over her belly.
"Son, I need twenty minutes from you. I'm not leaving you alone, but I have a very special event planned. After that, I'm paying lots of attention to you and your mom. Just kick my hand to show you understand," Saitama said in a gentle, fatherly tone. A single, solid kick was given before another series of them were done. He laughed and found himself gazing into Mitsumi's loving smile. He pressed a kiss on her mouth and had the tray table moved before he got out of the push cart. He lifted her out of it and nodded to the others.
"Oh! Let me check her outfit!" Tacki said. "Her fans are almost done, too, so I want her to look good first. Then I'll finish the fans up."
"Hurry," Saitama muttered. He carried Mitsumi into the apartment swiftly, and the others moved to clean up and prepare for the special meeting. When the Wind Crane fans set up a small shielding to hide her the moment he set her down, he found himself pausing with a bit of surprise.
"They know it's a special date," Mitsumi giggled softly. Kianna was quick to appear to help Mitsumi with her hair, nails and makeup. Saitama was clearly getting irritated with not being able to hold her, but he was able to hug her to him when she was guided over under a dark red cloak to keep her hidden. She whispered, "I know, love. I know. Please tell Takaki to wait a bit longer?"
"Hmm? Yeah…" Saitama nodded. He rubbed a hand over where her belly was to replenish the time needed to be away. Even his son was irritated a bit, but he was pleased that he was still getting attention. "Easy, son. I know. I said twenty minutes, but it's a little bit longer. Okay? Trust me. The wait will be worth it. Just hang in there for us."
At the kicking done in reply, he smiled that he was understood. She was escorted out a minute later, and he looked over at his original costume hanging up. It was clearly cleaned and repaired to a pristine condition. He sighed with a small, nostalgic smile and was quick to change into it. When he walked outside the apartment, he heard Mitsumi giggling softly in the distance. He found himself following the sound and realized that this was the same thing he did before. I followed her harsh crying before. Now I'm following her laughter. I think…I like this better…
He approached her sitting on the same bench he found her at only a few weeks ago. The cloak was taken away to fully reveal her. She was being entertained with sparkling lights from Cold Snap and Bright Bolt. She held out her hand to let them land on her palm and flicker with a form of delight. Then she turned her head to find Saitama staring at her. "Ah…"
"Hey…" he said softly. She was in her Bao Bao hairstyle again. She was wearing the soft, purple kimono. She is exactly as I saw her that night. Now she's my wife. A mother-to-be to my future son. She's safe. She's with me. She's…as beautiful as I remember her. I'll kill ANYONE that dares to touch her! I'll punch EVERYTHING to make sure she's safe! NO ONE will tear her away from me!
"Saitama?" Mitsumi blinked at the red glow that began to encompass him. At how he seemed to be panting with control, she found herself blushing. "Darling, what are you doing? Come here and sit with me."
"I…" he grunted.
"Don't be an idiot," she said with a sigh. "This is supposed to be a nice time with you. Don't turn it into something else."
"May not have a choice," he growled and tensed. It was now that she realized he had the same temperament from when he needed her.
"Dad?!" Fumio asked and ran over to him. Saitama blinked and shook his head. The instinct to not hurt his son quickly set in, and he found himself calming down quickly. Then Cold Snap ran over to add his support.
"Dad! Everything's okay!" Cold Snap said quickly.
"I know. Just…I need to ensure she stays protected. That's all. I know! I know! She's safe. It's just…this is all me," Saitama sighed and managed to sit next to her. He put an arm around her and gently moved her into his lap.
"You know I'm safe," she murmured softly in his ear. He kissed her and pressed a hand to her belly.
"I know," he muttered and kissed her again. Fumio and Cold Snap moved to sit on either side of them. Then the monster pets were quick to move in and settle around them protectively. Stable Rock swooned at the head scratching he got. Scritch chittered and watched Overgrown Rover move to settle itself over Saitama's hand on her belly. It tilted its head, and the monster dog rumbled at the weasel-like monster.
Scritch chittered again and rose up onto its hind legs. It put its front dual paws together and looked at Saitama. Then it tilted its head, chirped lightly and shuffled on its dual hind legs in a lightly hunched up way. Mitsumi found herself hiding her laughter at the cute display, and Saitama could only sigh when it began to lightly climb up onto his shoulders. Tangled Vine was settled over Mitsumi's shoulders in his own protective fashion.
"I want to climb up!" Bright Bolt grumbled. Blue Ripple only chuckled and noticed they were overlooking the small lake. He glanced up at Tangled Vine to see the plant monster already focusing for a massive weeping willow tree to appear and hover its branches over them. Cold Snap let out more flickering ice blue sparkles to settle around them. Bright Bolt did the same with his electrical ones.
"It's so pretty…" Mitsumi smiled.
"That it is," Fire Flight chuckled and let Shenjou pull up a couple chairs for them. The others slowly brought over their own chairs to sit with them.
"Oh. Something's ready for testing," Tacki grinned slightly.
"Really?!" Bright Bolt asked with excitement. He focused for a set of his fans to shoot over to them with a shimmer of electrical static charge. Mitsumi paused with complete fascination at how Bright Bolt's teeth with pointed like long fangs, and the fans were made to be like webbed claws. His mane and fur easily lined the outside of the fans and underside, and his antlers were slight handles with yellow and blue topaz gems to show the color of lightning. This was only a single crescent set, and it split into their halves to fully show off their design. Then the crescents split into their sets of three for six crescents to show they were alive and ready to protect her.
"These are so amazing!" Mitsumi gasped and held out her palm. The fans reformed into the single circle set before obediently landing in her palm like an electrical butterfly. Tacki beamed that her work was definitely appreciated.
"Okay. I was not expecting them to look like that!" Bright Bolt admitted. "I love it! Are the others done?"
"I just made controlling sets first to make sure they would work. I'll get the others done shortly once I know they'll work out," Tacki nodded. The spiked teeth zapped and even showed electrical streams of conduit between them. Bright Bolt focused to charge them up even more for them to glow and surge with electrical humming. He was thoroughly impressed.
"Hmm…" Fire Flight mused when she felt a nudge. She focused now for a set of brilliantly red fans to fly over. They almost glowed with the color of smoldering coals and had the appearance of a wide flame. The needle-sharp teeth were cone-like and had streaks of glowing red lava moving through them. Fire Flight's scales were used expertly to keep this under control, her feathers lined the spines that held the teeth in and the fan handles were made of lava rock. Small, blood red rubies that echoed the glow of the fans dotted the lining of the handle, too. With a bit of focus, intense heat radiated from them to show they were ready to defend and attack at a moment's notice.
"This has got to be some of your best works yet, Tacki," Garou said while studying the fans. "All of these fans are just…wow…"
"Not done yet!" Tacki grinned. Bang glanced at Stable Rock focusing now. A set of golden, gem-encrusted fans flew over to them, and they resembled flat, formless discs. Solid gold needle teeth flicked out amidst the gem-encrusted gold. The handles were set with platinum and lined with multi-colored diamond bits for intense sparkle and brilliance.
"Can I…change…the look…?" Stable Rock asked on studying the fans. They flew in front of him now to wait on what he wanted.
"With those? Yep! No fur or cloth on them at all. I wanted to see what you had in mind, too, so it's why they really don't have a proper shape. I wasn't too sure on how to proceed," Tacki admitted. He nodded and moved over to her. He focused a bit harder for a small lump of titanium to form and shed off him.
"Put that…in…the handles…?" he asked.
"Oh! Give me a few more for the other fans!" she insisted. This was done, and she gathered up the precious lumps to take right back into her blacksmith shop. The two awakened golden fans swiftly followed her. "Don't wake up any other fans yet! Give me five minutes!"
"I'm very curious on what you have planned," Mitsumi chuckled. Stable Rock lumbered over to her and snuggled her with contentment.
"I still have yet to see my fans," Tangled Vine mused and flicked his tail. He looked over to see Wind Crane walking towards them.
"Zenchu is with the children. Mitsumi, I must tell you something urgent," Wind Crane said. Mitsumi looked at her with a sharp nod. "You need to bond with the fans. I know you know how to use them, and I know they will never hurt you. But this is a very intense clan tradition. Did your prior mentor have you do something with my fans before?"
"Ah! I think so!" Mitsumi blinked. Saitama looked at her curiously. "I danced with them and used them in full to show I knew how. I know I did the same with Blue Ripple's fans at Neutral Grounds, but you think I need to do the same again with the new ones?"
"Yes. You do," Wind Crane nodded. "However, there is something else that I must do for you before your son becomes too large. It's imperative. Tacki had worked on something for me in secret. Saitama, I need her to come with me swiftly. I shall bring her back within five minutes. This is too important to ignore. Please appease your son?"
"Hmm…" Saitama frowned hard.
"It's for the clan, love," Mitsumi said softly.
"Ugh. Just…keep me hidden if you're away from me. I don't want any cameras catching me alone without you," Saitama said sternly. Chulz was watching everything in the distance with a bit of fascination, but it was also recording things for its own needs. It had to stay out of the way as much as possible to show it wasn't discovered. The moment it was approached, all recording stopped to show it was 'hiding' to keep to the rules it had to follow.
"Our son…" Mitsumi winced. Saitama nodded and focused on her belly.
"Hey. I know I keep pushing things back. I'm sorry. I'm not forgetting about you. I'll play with you a lot the moment we lay down to make up for it. Okay? Just keep resting and growing for me. You're doing very well, and I'm proud of you," Saitama said in a gentle, fatherly tone. He ran a gloved hand over her belly to feel the excited kicks. He knew his son was intensely happy that his father was proud of him for behaving.
"I'll be quick," Mitsumi said with a bit of relief. Tangled Vine showed he was going with her to protect her. Even though Wind Crane was there, Saitama felt better that a pet was with her at all times. Several Wind Crane fans were quick to shield Saitama in full from view. That had him sigh and he found himself playing with Overgrown Rover when it huffed at him. Light touches to its muzzle had it mock-snap at him constantly. It even rumbled with frustration and tried to snap at his fingers nonstop with no success.
When Scritch tried it next, it also started to chitter with a form of irritation that it couldn't snap at his fingers. Saitama chuckled and didn't even realize that five minutes went by. Mitsumi was soon waving the fans back to settle in his lap again. He looked at her questionably, but she only smiled warmly and pressed a kiss on his mouth to show things were fine.
"All is well," Tangled Vine chuckled. "I did not see what happened, but I stayed at her side."
"Good," Saitama nodded. Mitsumi sighed with relief when he pressed a hand to her belly. She was still wearing the purple kimono, and she found herself smiling when Stable Rock's fans returned. The titanium was carefully welded into the handle to elegantly lace the platinum, and Stable Rock studied it before focusing. The titanium flattened out further and molded into a fuller handle to have the platinum be the decoration. The titanium further spread out to strengthen the interlocking spines to firmly lock onto each golden tooth. He ensured the mechanism to retract and reveal the teeth was still set, and he willed the fans to split to ensure they still could neatly.
"Wow…" Mitsumi whispered at how each fan was skillfully crafted to hold the tiny gems. It was in such a way that the fans appeared to puzzle lock into place with each gem finding a specialized niche. They were as flat as the others when compressed and easily able to fold in with a series of plates that slid over each other neatly.
Stable Rock focused to carefully spread out the fan design. Instead of flat discs, they were now as wide as Wind Crane's fans were at a foot long at full spread. They were also lightly wedged between each tooth blade. They were almost like Blue Ripple's fans being like nasty saw blades in looks. The tiny gems sparkled and flashed amidst the gold they were bound in, and the entire effect look absolutely beautiful.
"I would say I'd want a set of those fans," Sweet Mask started. Stable Rock grunted at him and snorted. "Not ones like those! But for decoration."
"False…fans…? Hmm…" Stable Rock mused. "Not…with…my teeth. Obviously. Maybe…false ones…made…"
"Tacki could easily do that," Wind Crane smiled. "She could make decoys of all of our fans easily. And they don't even need to have tooth blades in them. They can be simple, decorative fans for show only."
"Just like my performance fans! That would be something," Mitsumi smiled. Saitama seemed to nod with agreement at this.
"Just basic fans? That would be a good decoy," Kamikaze grinned.
"I'll see what can be done later," Tacki beamed. King and Kianna were just as awed as the others when Cold Snap focused next. A set of fans came out now that had icicle-like teeth from his wolf form and were held in with bits of Cold Snap's fur from his deer form. The handle was made from his iridescent antlers, and everything was set with ice blue sapphires, topaz and diamonds. The shape of the fans looked much like Wind Crane's with traditional style and were just as wide. All of the fans so far were a foot wide at full spread.
"Hmm…" Cold Snap thought and focused to let them radiate an intense cold to anyone not allowed to handle them. "Okay. They're set."
"And now for mine," Tangled Vine chuckled. He focused with a heavy purr to let his fans fly out to greet them now. His pine needle-like teeth flicked in and out to show a purplish green slime seeming to ooze from them. That showed they were poisonous in mild ways. The scent from them would also make enemies sluggish from becoming drowsy. The style of the fans looked almost like broad leaves from a rainforest jungle being a bit wide and thick at the base before coming to a gentle point at the top. The moss that hung from his form was like bits of fur for decoration all over the fans. The handle was made from a part of his wooden antlers from his true form, and bits of amber, emerald and deep green jade decorated it. The veins that held in the teeth also resembled the veins of the leaf in a clever way.
"They are all so beautiful!" Mitsumi whispered and let the fans settle all over her. "I never expected such amazing craftsmanship!"
"You're welcome!" Tacki grinned widely.
"Atomic Samurai, you're right. She needs to be an S class hero," Sweet Mask sighed. "She can create things from GOD monsters and do so much more with practically no issues! I am vastly impressed!"
"Don't tell me I need a costume," Tacki said with a roll of her eyes. "Oh. I made the rest of the fans, too…"
"What?!" Mitsumi gasped. "That's…how many fans now?!"
"If we are staying with the eleven sets that can split into three and then count the crescent fans…462 fans in total…" Genos blinked at what he calculated.
"So far," Wind Crane chuckled. "We still need to assist with a controlling set. So, my daughter will be wielding 470 by the time it is done. If those fans are also to split like the rest. Of course, it will only be the single set of crescent fans. Not the sets of ten crescents."
"Wow…" Mitsumi blinked at the thought.
"Mine, too, if it happens…" Zenchu mused aloud when he walked over. Then he blinked at a mental message from Starlight. He sighed and focused inwards to converse with the GOD monster within him.
"And you still have Starlight's teeth when she is grown. Possibly your other siblings, too," Wind Crane said with a knowing smile.
"We need more shelf space," Saitama said to get them all laughing.
"Mitsumi…" Zenchu said. She blinked at how it was just her name, and Saitama narrowed his eyes that it was Black Shade that took over. "You need teeth from me now. Starlight stressed this. She's watching the others."
"Black Sperm has other clones to help," Fumio said from what was whispered to him. Black Sperm nodded and stayed in his lap.
"Fine. I'll pull them," Saitama said. "Change your form."
"Of course," Black Shade nodded. He focused and hissed from the form shifting for the first time. Wind Crane was alarmed, but he said, "We will be fine! Zenchu knows this is a first time shift. It will be painful. Just let me change into what is needed."
"Have food ready, please," Mitsumi said to where Orotsu and Anno were watching. Takeda was already pulling out cooking trays and bowls. Zenchu's form grew out fur, he fell to all fours from the pain, and a savage, hissing snarl erupted from him. He became a form that appeared to be an overly large, saber-toothed black panther with eyes that seethed with shadowy smoke. He roared like a lion before pausing at the scent of a crane fan set that darted past him. He shivered with recollection and looked at Mitsumi. He realized he couldn't speak in this form, but he slowly stalked over and shoved his massive muzzle into her lap. "You became a giant kitty! A KITTY!"
"Mitsumi!" Saitama scowled at her. The others were now dying with laughter at the whole thing. Tangled Vine and Zenchu both looked at each other before lightly batting at each other's noses in light play. That got Mitsumi squeaking with childish delight at the whole thing.
"Let me see your teeth," Tacki said when she walked over. Zenchu pulled away from Mitsumi to open his mouth. "Hmm. They're not very long. Can you become a larger form? The teeth I need have to be six inches in length like the others. The saber fangs are too thick, but I could make neat daggers out of them!"
"Just tell me what teeth to pull out. Not quite like slapping him, but I'll take it…" Saitama mused. He blinked when Zenchu put a massive paw on his face as though trying to strike at him. Garou was dying with laughter at it. Then Saitama pushed the paw aside and said, "Oh. You want me to pull your claws too? For Mitsumi's necklace?"
Zenchu was about to hiss, but found himself pausing with intense thought. He gave a small nod at the idea. Then he grunted and sat on his haunches before focusing to grow larger. He was nearly horse size now, and he opened his mouth for Tacki. She peered in and looked at Zenchu. "I'm gonna need 190 of your teeth. So…are you ready? It looks like they're prepping food for you, and we'll do sets of ten to be as quick as we can."
Zenchu grimaced, but he gave an affirming grunt to show he was ready. Blue Ripple mentally guided on how to have the teeth ready so they could split and form against each other to be removed as three separate teeth in his mouth to be compacted neatly. She gave Saitama a thumbs up, and he set Mitsumi aside. He moved to Zenchu's gaping mouth and reached in to start tugging the teeth free. A basket was quickly set up, and King was amazed that the teeth seemed to give off a misty shadowed look from each one.
Food was given to Zenchu after each set of ten teeth were pulled. This kept going until all 150 teeth needed were claimed. Then he pulled out another thirty for the controlling fans, and the master set had another ten pulled to ensure there were extra teeth after being told to do so. Right after that, he pulled out the saber fangs and tugged a set of claws free. Tacki walked up to show a buzzer for some of his fur, and he let her gather some for material for the fans. Right after Zenchu regenerated with intense healing, he was able to reform back into himself. He was still reeling from the pain, and he grunted, "That…absolutely…fucking…hurt…"
"You need to brush your teeth," Saitama said. "Your breath was bad."
"As if I knew that?!" Zenchu scowled and glared at Garou's breathless form. "But…damn! She wasn't kidding on how many teeth! I would have thought that only thirty teeth would be needed for them to split into three parts. But each fan crescent needs a separate tooth?! I mean…yeah…I focused to flatten my teeth down so they would compact from what Blue Ripple told me on how to do it…"
"Think on this, my mate. The fans are sixty in total when split from three. And even then, they are separate crescents in truth that fit together in sets of two. Even though they are sets of ten when together, the teeth compact so thinly! And the controlling, primary set are also sets of three. The extra teeth may just need one or two of your teeth to have others do this, and they still need their teeth pulled. The extra teeth are to ensure some are on hand for emergency needs. I had my ten teeth removed just a bit ago."
"But each crescent fan needs their own set of teeth?" Zenchu asked.
"I can explain," Blue Ripple said.
"Go for it," Zenchu nodded.
"Yes, each fan set needs its own set of three teeth. If you slice a full tooth down from its full width, it detracts from the power. If you formed the teeth in the way I showed you, then it keeps the power whole when they fit together. Granted, each tooth was made extremely thinly, but this is so they can compact neatly to fulfill their purpose. If you formed them as three sets to make one tooth, that would have been far more painful.
"It takes longer to pull them this way, but the pain is less and the regeneration is faster. Otherwise, you're healing from holes in your jaw. Wind Crane was able to do the full sets of three as her teeth are shed from her beak. She has no pain in her beak. While with us…you get the idea," Blue Ripple explained calmly. That had Zenchu blink with understanding.
"Let's do this now and get the teeth pulling done," Bright Bolt nodded. The monsters were quick to take turns growing larger, letting their specialized teeth get harvested by Saitama and then eating to regenerate quickly. Tatsumaki helped with the larger GOD monster forms that were too big to find places to stand comfortably. This new basket of teeth was taken to Tacki, and Zenchu was finally at a point that he was feeling better. Wind Crane had ensured the children were doing well at some point during the teeth harvesting before returning to assess things.
"Thank you, big brother," Mitsumi smiled.
"Yeah, yeah…" Zenchu sighed and chuckled at her hug. "I'm curious what Tacki can make from all that!"
"She took all of it to her blacksmith shop. She's likely working on them now," Mitsumi smiled. She blinked and her jaw dropped at the sight of all the new fans now flittering around her. The extra fan belts were quickly brought to her to wear, and they all found places to fit in their respective sets of ten. The controlling sets were now in specialized holders along her hips above the dangling belts, and it truly did look like a skirt of fan belts that she wore. The belt was adjustable for more fan belts, and Wind Crane focused to touch the belt to have everything as weightless as air to keep Mitsumi from being weighted down.
"This is awesome," Saitama grinned. "And it fits over your kimono, too!"
"I'm sure I'll have more space and it will look even better with my costume," she agreed. Zenchu walked over to her and flicked his tail to show he was ready to talk to her for a bit.
"I…talked to Black Shade. He will imbue the fans from us with a mild form of shadow phasing. Just enough to help you sort of teleport out of harm's way," Zenchu chuckled. "He's exceptionally pleased with me and really wants to show that he can be…useful. For now, of course. I still don't really trust him, but we don't know if him leaving me will kill me from old age. And he really loathes the thought of inhabiting a vessel that doesn't know what the hell they're doing. So, we have an intense truce right now."
"He should vow to keep the truce going for as long as you live," Saitama said point-blank. "In a sense, he would die without you. He was in limbo, right? Before you called him? He needs to vow to you. Right now. In front of me. That he won't let you get hurt."
At this, one of Zenchu's eyes gained the black pupil to show that Black Shade was present. Then both he and Zenchu said together, "We vow. No harm to the others, to friends or to family. We shall assist where we can. We will not betray, nor will we act out of spite."
"Good. Now let me slap Zenchu," Saitama nodded. At this, Black Shade sunk back down to let Zenchu rage at Saitama to get the others laughing hard. Mitsumi sighed and shook her head with a small smile. He grumbled and flicked his tail with annoyance before blinking at something. He gave a small smile and focused to let his new fans appear before them from the shadows.
"Did they fly over?" Kamiko asked from where she was sitting with Genos.
"No. They used the shadows," Zenchu chuckled. The fans resembled clawed hands at full spread with black fur stitched into them all over. The teeth flicked out and seemed to seethe with a black mist. The handle of the blades were black ebony with tiny black diamond gems decorating them all over.
"That was quick!" Bang blinked. "She just had everything harvested only ten minutes ago! You know the association is going to push her into hero status after all of this."
"Maybe she can make herself a set of shiny overalls as a costume," Kamikaze chuckled. "She's not really one for dresses. She complains they have no pockets in the skirts. She's happy with overalls."
"So…her thoughts tell me of a new dress she did make…" Inichi started.
"That's for the bedroom only!" Kamikaze said quickly. Bang coughed out laughter with Garou and Sweet Mask. When the rest of Zenchu's fans appeared before Mitsumi with a pure, shadowy fashion, she seemed to nod to herself.
"Saitama…I have to bond with the fans now. I think…you might be able to join me. As you know how to use the fans in a way. Just…you'll know when," Mitsumi said with a bit of seriousness. "I know it's our date night, but…"
"This is important. I know," Saitama nodded. He glanced at Chulz, Daiki, Himiko, Zombieman and Kiyoshi. "Stay put. Just bear witness."
"I am doing my job on scouting. I will stay out of the way," Chulz agreed.
"We shall sit with Sweet Mask. I want to watch my niece get stronger," Kiyoshi chuckled. Wind Crane had Zenchu bring all of their children out to witness this important event. Saitama was confused, but he could only watch Mitsumi with a protective gaze. Mitsumi smiled at her friends and family before gently moving the pets away. She did pet each one with appreciation, and she moved to Fumio to hug him before petting Black Sperm, too. Cold Snap also got hugged before she had him sit down with Fumio. Then she turned to look at the lake. She took a deep breath and held out her hands.
It was a signal to the fans. All of them left the fan belts and split apart from their sets of ten. Then to the thirty circular sets they were. Now they split again to become their crescent parts. All 528 crescent fans filled the sky and formed a stairway for her to climb up on. She turned to face them all while over the lake. The fans kept her levitated while she began to slowly dance with them.
Saitama had his eyes locked on her the whole time. Sweet Mask was simply speechless at what he was witnessing. He felt bad that the board members weren't there, but then he saw that Genos and Metal Knight's robot were silently recording the event. When Mitsumi gestured to a fan set to hover her fan belt when it was removed, Saitama tensed that she was removing her kimono. Then a hissing breath of air left him at what she revealed under it after several fans caught the discarded kimono to take to the bedroom.
She was wearing a Wind Crane Clan leader dress. Long plumes from Wind Crane lined her neck and shoulders to fully cradle and outline her from the neck up. A heavy cloak of blue-black feathers adorned her back. The main Wind Crane Clan dress was there, but the cloak part completed her outfit in full. Then she reached up and pulled the crystal pins to undo the Bao Bao hairstyle for the fans to catch them and deposit them into the bedroom. Her hair fell in dark waves around her like another cloak of black down her front. All of the fans circled around her obediently while she danced with them and gestured on where they were to go with her hand movements alone.
She doesn't need the controlling fans?! Saitama seemed to gape in realization. Then he set his jaw. She's a true leader of the clan now. The controlling set is all for show. But even a leader needs a partner…
She looked at him and smiled to show she was acknowledging him. He nodded and rose up to start walking to the lake. The fans formed underneath him to make steps to help him reach her and dispersed after each foot left them. He took her hand in his and began to twirl her. The fans seemed to further disperse into a flocking wave. Some moved into the bedroom before coming back with his Wind Crane Clan costume. They swarmed around the dancing couple to help him change in privacy. His original costume was set respectfully back in the bedroom before the fans converged around them again with a joyful sensation.
Now he was in Wind Crane Clan garments with her to show they were equal leaders in rank. The fans formed around them in a kaleidoscope of color and power with intricate designs. Everyone was watching with stunned silence. He moved his hand, and the fans followed his movements obediently. He looked at his pets and paused to realize they were locked in complete focus with the fans. Even Cold Snap and Zenchu were lightly meditating to focus. Inichi caught what was going on and was able to tell Saitama what was going on. Now Saitama understood the importance of this. They are telling the fans to trust in us. To protect and obey us at all times. I see…
"Saitama," Mitsumi said softly when the dance came to a close. "I'm sorry our date night was a bit ruined."
"Ruined? Oh, no. You forgot the part where we retreat to the bedroom and watch a game," Saitama grinned and pulled her close to kiss her passionately. On pulling back from her blushing form, he looked at all the fans around them. They were still hovering over the lake, but he knew everything was fine. "Okay. Form into sets for resting. It's time to relax."
"What about the dojo?" King asked.
"Ah…" Saitama started to get them all laughing softly.
"It's dark now. We will have to check it first thing in the morning. Not tomorrow, though. I really need Saitama tomorrow. Unless…maybe we can have a camera go through it for live footage?" Mitsumi suggested.
"We can do that," Genos agreed. "If there are places that need to be visited, we can also do the same thing. So we could get things done with you both watching. Certain things you do not need to be present for."
"That is easy enough to do," Metal Knight agreed from his robot. "Siren can also assist with this."
"True. Okay. We'll make plans in the morning," Saitama agreed.
"Oh! See if Tareo would like to come over! I'm sure he could stay in a guest room for overnight needs and enjoy watching King play," Mitsumi smiled.
"I can call him," Fumio agreed.
"Um…" Black Sperm frowned.
"If you have friends to make, do that the day after tomorrow. Before we go anywhere," Saitama said to his pet. Black Sperm saluted at that. "Let me get settled with Mitsumi. Then we'll all talk on the live chat to make plans."
"Can do," Kamikaze nodded.
"I'll head back with Tajima. I have to redecorate my home," Sweet Mask said with a small smile. Tajima blushed a bit and smiled at his squeeze.
"Where can I stay for now?" Chulz asked.
"We have guest rooms available. I shall assist," Inichi nodded and rose up with Fubuki. "Ah! Mr. Saitama, were you planning to stay in the penthouse tonight? To test the hotel?"
"Yes! We'll go there now. Um, Daiki, Himiko and Kiyoshi. And, yes, Zombieman. Feel free to stay on the 9th floor of the hotel. We need to make sure it works. So, Daiki and Kiyoshi, you can both share one room. There's only two rooms on that floor," Saitama said to them.
"We'll go there now!" Daiki said with a small grin. With the others heading out of City Z, the new hotel or their places of rest, Saitama and Mitsumi were guided back to the Neutral Grounds penthouse suite. They got in from the balcony, and all of the new fans found places to settle along the walls neatly. Saitama mused that Tacki must have set that up, and he saw Mitsumi already getting the television ready for King's game.
"I love you," Saitama said when he walked up behind her. He carefully removed the feathered cloak and turned her to him.
"I love you, too," she smiled and let him kiss her in his branding way. When it was done, she said, "Play with your son."
"Ah! Yes! Undress first," he said. Once they were undressed and under various golden sheets, he watched the television screen lock into King's gameplay. He ensured the microphone nearby was muted and he began to lightly tap at Mitsumi's belly. He chuckled at the responding kicks before sighing. This is true relaxation. Being with my wife and growing son. And in my newest treasure bed! I've never been happier. This is the best thing that's ever happened to me. And now my wife is a true Wind Crane Clan leader with me as her equal! Something tells me the next few days are gonna be fun!
*Author's Note - I hope everyone had an awesome holiday season and new year! I did some light editing and back to updating when I can. See you all in the next chapter!
The music of inspiration for the Wind Crane Clan leader dance of fans can be found on YouTube. It is: Two Steps From Hell - Am I Not Human*