Family Not-So-Fun Time! [A-rank Job - w/Elyx]

When was the last time he had this feeling? This feeling of desperation. Just then, he remembered when and what it was. Her. Yeah, it was definitely her that came to mind. He remembered that time he protected her from animals while they were out gathering ingredients for a feast in the evening. That girl spent hours cleaning and bandaging the wounds he sustained after they returned to the castle. Hero remembered the desperation he felt, knowing he wanted to protect and keep the girl safe from harm until they returned. This was the same feeling, except it was for his family. There was a burning desire deep within him that told him to protect his family at all cost, and then the following feeling of responsibility to protect the people of this country washed over him. It was no time to be indecisive after all. He had to find a way in and use his ace. His duty and desire fueled him the mental strength to push forward indomitably in the face of this adversary. "Elyx! I'm ready! Pave a way for me and we will end this battle!" The goal was its head. The giant needed time to reach its head, so it was up to Elyx and the others to give him the opening he needed in order to end it. Yamamoto elongated his stride further and ran full speed at the Ein Heim machine, completely intent on destroying it in one shot. As the man grew closer and closer to the heap of metal, he charged magic power into his legs and feet. The machine caught on to his movements and went for a downward smash, though Hero moved out of the way in plenty of time due to how slow it was. Then he darted in toward the body of the monster with that same impressive speed and threw a punch at the ground in order to lift himself forward and into the air around the machine. Once around, he gripped hard the body of it until he could latch onto a loose sheet of metal and then brought his own body against it. Now that he was firmly latched, he just had to hold on until Elyx could make an opening.

All righty. Stand back everyone, I need space for this to work. He would explain, he palms filled with two spheres of dark wind would appear in his palms once again. Ein Heim roared once again, raising a fist upwards before trying to slam it down onto the mage. Given that Elyx stood still, it would look like he took the hit and is now crushed under the fist. However, that was not the case. He blurred, his speed being that insanely fast, and now he was charging for the machine knight with both palms in hand. He could only climb with his feet now if he wanted to work. Leaping onto the edge of some metal, pressing his foot against it before leaping upwards once again. Another successful grip onto the metal, and he continued to climb upwards. Finally, he'd land on the shoulder. And instead of trying to be greedy and jump once more to get the top of the head, he'd play it safe and strike the two spheres of wind onto the sides of the neck. The pressure of the winds began to cut into the metal with devastating amounts of force, before one final explosion would ripple the metal and cause Ein Heim to tilt for a little bit. With that, the enemy should be almost down and out, and all that was left to do was finish the job off. That was going to be where Hero came in. He'd place his feet onto the ground as he landed, shaking his hands a little bit from signing the contract that he had to in order to carry out the spell he did. Ein Heim was dazed for the moment, it should not be attacking for a little while. Hopefully Hero would attack at this moment, otherwise the Sky Slayer might before forced to finish off the job himself. And that was not the result that he was looking for in the job. With all hope, he would look to his cousin and ask him one simple question. Are you ready to go now? The Wizard Saint would ask, placing his hands in his pockets before looking back to the final boss. Now if your chance. And so he would step away, in case space was needed. Bell seemed to have healed his cousin enough. It was time to step back and enjoy the show.

The window was presented clearly by Elyx who was faster than he could see with his eyes. They really were worlds apart in strength, and Hero could not stand to accept that the family he should be protecting was instead protecting him. The man steadily climbed up the machine so that he would not fall off and ruin this perfect opportunity. As he climbed up, he gathered ethernano into his arms and hands, preparing to put everything he had into this. Eventually the man reached a downward slope on the machine's back and gradually got to his feet. Then he jumped up into the air and looked down at the behemoth Ein Heim. This was going to end it, but what was going to happen afterward? Was anything going to change? Will he have gotten any stronger at all? Was his cousin going to be proud of him? There were a lot of questions the giant had rolling around in his mind at the moment, but he had to leave them behind for the time being. Regardless of the uncertainty, he still needed to do what was necessary to be done. After a few moments, he then pushed off the air and dashed at the machine's head and pulled back his right arm to start the flurry of punches that was about to ensue. Almost in slow motion, he remembered the fights he got through on his way to this moment and found comfort in the fact that he remained useful to the end. He finally came face to face with the thing and landed the first punch, which did not make it even budge. Even still, he threw his left fist at the head and then his right again while increasing the speed of them. As each punch became more potent, he began to feel his arms tearing up on the outside, though he refused to stop. He was not done yet. The fifth hit made the machine's head reel, but he still did not stop there. Each subsequent punch after that threw Ein Heim closer and closer to the ground until his ninth hit, which flew straight through its head and forced it to fall to its side. Hero then stood on top of the machine with an expression of satisfaction. "It is alright now. For we have triumphed." His arms looked like they had been left in an oven to burn into a crisp, blood streaming down several lacerations on each of his arms. It was a small price to pay for his personal victory in a fight he had no chance in hell of getting through on his own. It was not as though he could not walk on his own, however. The man jumped off the destroyed machine and walked toward the other three members, curious about what was to happen next. Were the couple going to leave now that their job was done? He wanted to ask, but he was numbed out from the pain of that paralysis and the recoil of the ace spell he just used.

Strikes, so many of them, all at once rained down onto the helpless boss that could no longer resist after the first blow. Frey and Bell would watch in awe, Elyx would watch with a smile on his face and his arms crossed. Now that seems like something someone in my family would do. The Sky Slayer would say proudly, watching the sparks fly out from it's body as it was falling. The further it fell, the more his cousin would strike down until eventually, a damning final blow to the head would end the battle. The giant machine fell onto the ground slowly, causing the ruins to shake heavily as it was being shut down, no longer online and ready to work. Unfortunate, so much power and potential had to be thrown in the trash, and Frey's grandfather was the only one who had any memory of the robots building. It will not return, but maybe it was best if that were the case. For example, he did notice that Ein Heim was unable to use some of the cannons that it had equipped on itself. What would have happened if it were given the chance to use them? The thought was bitter, and so he would abandon it. Hero would return from the scene, looking back to his cousin, who seemed a bit dazed from the strikes he executed. Elyx would walk over to him, attempting to put the arm of his cousin over the back of his neck, chuckling softly as he tried to support his family member. Easy there man. Rest now, there is nothing left to take care of now. You did it, so rest. The Wizard Saint would explain before looking around for their partners. Frey would be smiling, while Bell would be tilting her head to the side. She seemed a bit concerned.

As much as I would like to agree you with Elyx, there are still Machine Knights out there. We have to take care of them as well. And since they aren't being dragged here, they are going to cause chaos all over your land. Bell would explain. It was true, there were minions. And once minions were free, they had the ability to do whatever they wanted, including trying to rule over their own kind. This could not be allowed, and so he would look back to Hero. Looks like we still have a bit more work to do, eh? He'd tell his cousin, smiling now.

Unfortunately, the man could not use his arms for a while. Even if he truly wanted to put an end to this whole thing completely right now, he would not have been of any use in the state he was currently in. If the giant wanted to be of any use to the group, he had to rest for a few days and allow his arms to recover, otherwise they will eventually start to come apart. "My better judgment tells me that I should rest and let my arms properly recover. That last attack was my ace and at this point I can't handle it very well without my arms ending in being torn up as they are now. I would rather find you two once again and join in on the fight to finish these machines, once I have taken the time to heal." This trip taught him much about his own limitations, as well as how he would likely be fighting in other groups. Yamamoto had to be strong enough to go in guns blazing no matter the enemy and keep them occupied for the rest of the group. While he was fine with that role, he knew that he was not entirely cut out to be a tank that absorbs damage. His desire to protect and save made him want to defeat all opposition himself, rather than let others do the fighting for him. Although, it was not like he did not want help at all. He simply did not want to sit back while others piled on all the heat. Hero wanted to be part of that action, the exhilaration of defeating one target after another for the sake of others. That was what the giant really wanted. Then there was his cousin Elyx he thought about as well. What did Hero want to achieve by becoming stronger? Did he have any actual goals to aim for? If so, what he been doing all those years? Why did it take him so long to realize something so fundamental? What it came down to was that he failed to truly see anything until he learned he had real family. It forced him to remember that girl he made that promise to. "Plus, as Fiore's police, I have a duty to return and write up a report about this whole trip. The higher ups are going to want to know about the machines. I cannot afford to travel with the two of you when I still have responsibilities to uphold. I am not sure about Elyx here, however. He seems pretty eager to join you!"

It's fine, we can handle them on our own. But taking care of Ein Heim was a huge help, and we are in debt to you. We hope to cross paths with you both again. Frey would explain to the both of them with a smile on his face as he looked as the Black Rose mage and the Rune Knight. Little did he knew they were actually family members. Maybe he did know, they did look very similar to each other. Sure, they did not look exactly alike, but that is how it is like to be a cousin. Before given the chance to reply, he would hand Elyx a bag of jewels, a rather heavy one as well. This is only a little bit of what we could do for you. Split the reward in half between you and him, and then enjoy it. It's a heavy amount, though I don't really have much use for the currency here. Maybe you would have some better luck finding use for it. And with that, the bag would be in his free hand while the other was used to support his cousin. Elyx would look back to the both of them with a smile of his own. They were nice people, they deserved better than what they were getting as of this current moment. Thanks Frey. Thanks Bell. I hope the best for the two of you, and would love to give something to you both. But for now, this is the best I can do. The Sky Slayer would explain humbly before then beginning to walk with Hero now on his shoulder, relying on the Wizard Saint to get him the hell out of here. The two of them would travel through the Ruins walking. Sure, he could have used Yuni again, but this was a rare moment. He had the ability to fight alongside his cousin, but he did not want to make that the only moment he had with his cousin.

That was a nasty impact you had to take man. Need me to handle your wounds first? I am the Sky God Slayer, you know. He'd explain. Sadly, he could not show off any green light from his covered up palm, since there was already a bag of jewels inside of it. What a waste of magic it would have been if it were to fail in the end. And so his cousin would just have to take his word for it for the trip.

As the group split up and went their separate ways, Hero already began to feel a little bit more at ease. The pain was nothing to be worried about, since he was rather used to pushing himself at least that far when it came to battle. The young Wizard Saint offered to take care of the giant's wounds and he slowly shook his head. "You are very kind Elyx. However, I cannot accept that offer. As a man who must learn from his wounds, I must bear this pain until they heal on their own. The lacerations are pretty deep but the bones are undamaged and the muscle tissue isn't even entirely burnt up. I should be back to full power in a few days." While he was telling the truth, the pain from said wounds was a lot higher than he let off; Yamamoto kept on a strong face so to not worry his cousin but he did not move from his shoulder. It was a good feeling to be shoulder to shoulder with family after overcoming an obstacle together, despite still not being used to that feeling. There were a lot of habits the man had to break, due to having spent his entire life almost entirely on his own. Speaking of that, Hero never spoke much at all about his past to his cousin. Was it not important to share those kind of things with direct family? He sighed quietly once before speaking. "Elyx, mind if I tell you a story? It isn't a happy one." His eyes became solemn as he started to relive his past as a child. It was painful to remember, but it was important enough to be worth it. "I was born alone. My mother died giving birth to me, and my father died shortly after I was born; I don't remember either of their faces. I lived a hard life of being beaten and cut up by villagers and other children due to my size. Eventually I left that village, though I didn't leave by choice. The other children forced me out and a bunch of them stabbed me all over, which is how I got a lot of these scars. Before I could pull away, one of the girls slit my throat and left me with this ghastly scar here." The man pulled his chin up for a moment to fully expose the large gash wound that stretched across his neck. "After that, I dragged myself out of the village, slowly bleeding to death. I would have died had it not been for this one girl. She was utterly enchanting to me, and her family took me in to care for my wounds." Yamamoto fell silent for a moment and looked ahead, though his eyes showed that he was not looking anywhere.

That girl took you in alone? Where are her parents though? And if she did not have any, why aren't you there with her right now? The Sky Slayer would ask, a smile on his face, though he was a bit concerned. He did hear of stories like this, beatings were often a common trait. If there was one thing that Nea did right, it was that she tried to be a mother, and tried to give him comfort. Well, most of the time. One specific thing she did was way beyond the lines. Not because of the act itself, but because of the true intentions behind it. It was one of the reasons why the Wizard Saint was willing to classify her as a nasty woman. Well, Ill try to be brief with my part of the story. I was a rather spoiled child, especially for one who had only a single mother. When I was a teenager, I found out that both of my parents were dead, murdered in fact. I once accused a man who ruled that nation for their deaths, but in reality. I didn't know. The next day, when I confronted my fake mother, she would try to calm me down. I honestly don't know how she could even expect for that to happen. So I ran away, not knowing what to believe anymore. During that time, my ex-girlfriend was being murdered in front of my eyes, by my own people. And so I resented them all, for so long... i wanted to kill every single one of them. The Wizard Saint would pause, looking down for a moment as if he were trying to collect his thoughts. But... Only for the actions of a few of them. If I had to guess, I think they might have been ordered to do it, I don't even know who did though. I try to not remember my previous homeland, where all this had happened. As of currently, I don't hold anything against them. In fact, I bet if I went back right now, I did not have to fear anything. They are rather nice people in fact. But... there are some to be wary of, and can not be trusted no matter what. I'd rather not take the chance. And that was the end of his "Brief" story. There were a LOT of things excluded, but he did not need to stress his cousin out more than this.

To have been deceived like that must have been far more painful than not having parents at all. It seemed they both had rough beginnings, but those beginnings were what eventually led them to meet each other. That was worth something was it not? Of course the past mattered to some extent because the past played a part in who they were now, but that was not the most important point. The giant had two things now to live for. To become stronger for. To do more than the minimum for. The man started laughing after a little while of silence and then spoke to his cousin. "We are so alike. We are just as clueless! None of that really matters to the us right now. What matters most is what we do with this gift. Sure, we have both had rough beginnings, but hey. We're here now." Laughing so heartily hurt a bit but he did not care at the moment. Yamamoto pulled his arm back and started to walk on his own, still chuckling a bit at his realization. Up until this point, Hero had not laughed like that since he lived with that girl and her parents; it was another something he was not accustomed to. In fact, there were a multitude of things he was not accustomed to because he had been alone for so long. It felt odd being so talkative, and it felt odd having these emotions he seldom expressed except on rare occasions. For the first time in a long time, the man felt genuinely happy. That feeling brought back his memories of that girl he spent those few years with. He wanted to see her. He wanted to keep that promise. However, he knew he was not ready to meet her yet. The man wanted to become stronger before that time came. Perhaps, it was time however to return to his roots. That old castle of a place where she lived. Along the way, he was going to continue his efforts to attain power. "Elyx, what would you do if you made a promise to someone, even knowing you were weak?"

It has always been a good remedy. Who could resist against the fun sense that is laughter? It placed a smile on his face to be able to see someone laugh after such stories. Oh well, that was the best he could do now, just simply laugh it off. They had the experiences, and they did not have to worry anymore. Seems like you are getting better already. Weird how conversations work, eh? The Wizard Saint would ask, a smile on his face now, seeing his cousin laughing brought joy onto himself. Elyx was a calm wizard, he was a tough case to crack when it comes to laughter. But enjoyment was something he could never resist. The next question however was a little bit of a thinker. What would he promise? Well, he wanted to assure them of their safety, as satisfying as that would be. But welcome to the real world, where you either fight or be killed, there is no such thing as a living pacifist to this day. What would I promise? Well, if it were someone I loved dearly, I would promise to never leave them until I am sure that they can survive on their own. That means I'd never die while that person still needs me. When they are able to do it, maybe I might pass one day, but the memories I share with that person and the lessons I passed onto them still continue on. The Wizard Saint would explain, placing his right hand in his pocket. He wondered about why such a question would be asked. Did it relate to their conversation by any chance? It made him curious, but he was hoping Hero would explain further. If not, maybe Elyx could ask him.

Handing Hero the bag of jewels, he would then address their reward for the job. Dude, feel how heavy this is! Elyx would tell his cousin, holding out the bag. Then again, he would then retract it back. Maybe having him hold it in his current state is not the best idea. But the point was, there was so many jewels inside of here just for the defeat of Ein Heim. Actually, forget it. That is a bad idea. But the reward is huge man! He'd explain, his smile increasing. It was exciting to get such an amount of jewels. Once he finished with that, he would then leave the reward topic alone if no reply was given.

"I see. Unfortunately, I couldn't stay with that girl forever. I left in search of family due to an anonymous tip, though as I know now, I did not find anyone. I made that girl a promise that I would find her some day. But am I strong enough to do that? Am I capable of protecting that person I cherish as I am now? I could barely take out that Ein Heim and I am a total mess. What can I do from this point?" The giant's expression was not one of hopelessness though. It was the kind of expression that said he needed to do something, even though he was not sure what he could do. Sure, he could have just left without thinking it through but he was not like that. Hero was unfortunately not naïve enough to do something stupid like that. The problem was not in acting, but in his lack of power. It would have been pointless to leave and then get himself killed before he even had a chance to find her, so that was the reason for his critical thinking. However, he sighed and shook his head while smiling. "Bah, what does it matter right now. This is a happy time that I should be spending in the present, not in my head." The topic was over for the time being, but he knew it was going to come back at some point. After a bit of silent walking, his cousin started to bring up the Jewel they received from the time-traveling couple. It most certainly was a lot, a lot more than Hero had ever gotten in one day. Elyx then urged for him to feel how heavy it was and Yamamoto's expression was not one of amusement. He looked down at his own arms for a moment and then back up to his cousin. "Very funny, jackass. If my arms didn't feel like Jell-O, I'd smack you." The giant kicked Elyx's backside with his right foot and then shook his head. It had been a truly long time since he was able to be this way. It was a refreshing feeling.

What should you do from now? You have to buff yourself up, you slug! Elyx would half joke. But it was true, the only way he was able to be so strong in the first place was because he took so many jobs. So many of his bones were broken, so many times he ended up being shamed in battle, the mental and physical pain he had to endure at some points. But eventually, he had the strength to match that of nations, possibly even worlds. With his physical strength, if he were to go all out, he would be able to throw planets at other planets, playing game of baseball with them. That strength was not cheap, but it could be attained by anyone who dedicates themselves well enough to their jobs. They have to have a consistent job clearing rate, take on the ones that are considered "Impossible". The ones that everyone has called "Impossible", Elyx was able to clear four times. They were not impossible, but they developed so much growth, both physically and mentally. Beatings like that man, I had to take ten times worse before I could get to the level where I'm at today. Feeling hopeless when you are that beaten will not do anything. What you need to do is keep getting beaten on the jobs you take. Because you learn, both physically and mentally. Jobs develop growth, so I suggest you take on plenty. There is no such thing as a man who walked the earth without enduring a little bit of pain. Elyx would explain, placing the bag of jewels in his pocket before placing his own palms in his pocket. His light brown eyes would then look up at the sky as Hero would suggest they change the topic, and that now was supposed to be a happy moment. Nothing beats the present like a good trip to get something to eat. These jewels could give us a feast, so we don't need to worry about anything.

And finally, he would receive a soft kick to his legs, causing him to laugh a little bit. Like hell did he regret it, his cousin could clearly take such a thing. Oh well, he sounded so sure that he could take on his Wizard Saint cousin. When you recover, I'm going to wrestle you onto the ground until you beg for mercy. Elyx would reply, a smile on his face. Life was good.

Elyx was very right. What was most important was doing. There was a time for thinking things through, and there was a time for acting. Hero did too much thinking for so long that it stunted his magic growth. What he needed to do now was act and push himself to the next level. In order to do that, he had to take on powerful opponents like that Ein Heim and learn through experience. Through trial and error. The phrase "no pain no gain" was the perfect analogy to use for Hero due to his indecisiveness over the last twenty or so years. What was the next step? Take on harder opponents and clear the gap between himself and his cousin so that he could protect the people he cherished. Wait, though. Since when did he start thinking about closing that gap? That was a very odd thought in the current moment. Then again, it did make sense considering the fact that Elyx was a Wizard Saint. Was that Hero's goal? Was that what he wanted to become? Would he be considered strong by his own standards at that point? Was that going to be enough? What would happen if he did make it? How would he feel then? That last question had an obvious answer, however: of course he would have felt he could push further. He was also certain that, if he reached that level of strength, he would feel confident enough to say he could protect everyone he cherished. There was something about that thought which made him feel empowered.

Within a single evening, the giant learned something very valuable: he needed to goddamn eat or he was going to die. That gut-retching feeling one got when they were so hungry they could eat raw animal and not care if they got sick from it. It did not help at all when his cousin mentioned having a feast when they got back to the city. Hero's stomach growled angrily moments later and it was slightly embarrassing, though it was also extremely painful. "My stomach took the words right out of my mouth. Lets have a feast in honor of our triumph over a mechanical army. Although... how the hell am I going to eat?" The man looked down at his dead arms and grimaced at the thought of trying to pick up a fork, spoon or knife.

Don't worry! We are of the same bloodline. Good looks are in our genes. You'll pick up a girl who can do it for you, then quickly bail out. Elyx would explain, patting his cousin's back. It was rare for him to be endorsing that sort of activity, but it was time to sit back and relax. They would continue walking until they ended up at a local village, a humble one for Hero to recover in. Ah, screw it, he was going to have to help his cousin eat. Yeah, I know you denied yourself of getting help and all. But, surprise! Elyx would exclaim before quickly filling a ball of wind in his palms before then slamming them onto the arms of his cousins, pressing them close to Hero's sides as the winds injected themselves in. It was a sneaky thing to do, giving the unwanted attention to the paralyzed arms, but they should be healed now. It was likely he get himself chased for it, though he would never be caught. Well, it was either that, or his cousin starving, and though the latter may have been what he wanted apparently, Elyx was going to deny him of that. The Wizard Saint would then step back, hands on his hips and a smile on his face, as if he were presenting his Rune Knight cousin like a master piece. Yup! You are all set to eat. Now lets go get some noodles or something. Elyx would tell his cousin before his stomach would rumble. Even he got hungry when running low on food. And though the Sky Slayer did not even have to breathe, there was no way he could be able to survive without food. Yup, that's an H ranked Wizard Saint of Fiore for you. Remember, that guy somehow has more power than most of Fiore, a 19 year old Brunette who has no business being associated with such an organization. Oh well, the task was done and now it was time to eat as much as they can. Once they did, it was fine time they go home, because the sun was currently setting. By the time they are done eating, it would most likely be dark. Fortunately, Yuni had one more teleportation use, so they would not have to travel in the night time sky. But then again, Hero had to get home as well, so they might not be so lucky.

After they had finally arrived in a nearby village, which was humble, Hero was hit from both sides by waves of wind. To his surprise, however, they healed his arms and hen he realized who the culprit was. Despite him asking Elyx not to, he did so anyway. Sure, he was hungry but if it came down to it, he'd deal with it until he returned home. Yamamoto was not about to get angry over it since it was so minor but there was going to be a well-deserved ass-kicking later down the road. "You're stronger than me now. But I'll be repaying you soon enough. Lets eat something though. I bet you're hungry as hell too." The warning was made in a joking tone, though he was not exactly joking about it. In a way, he did accept the help because after thinking it over briefly, there would have been no real point in wasting several days healing on his own when he did not have that kind of luxury to begin with. Especially now that he had goals to meet and expectations to fill. Over the course of one day, Hero became aware of his priorities and earned a second goal to aim for. Taking down a gigantic machine in the process was more or less a bonus, as well as just the first step toward that goal. Then Elyx suggested they get some noodles after a bit of relaxing; Yamamoto felt that would be amazing for his internal organs. Though perhaps a ramen shop would have been better, so that they could replenish their salts and protein and other vitamins while at the same time warming up. "Yeah, noodles sound great, but lets try and find a ramen shop instead. Ramen's always satisfying after a difficult job." That was the best the giant could offer, without pissing his stomach off even more by talking about food instead of eating food.

Yeah yeah, hollow threats. You are right, I am definitely hungry! Elyx would announce before then ordering some ramen. It was a nice flavor, chicken with some noodles, almost like soup, except without any of the broth. Well, almost. There was a little bit of it inside of his little holder. Oh well, it was fun though to pick up things with his chopsticks, the noodles did not provide him with any challenge whatsoever. Despite supposably being a model as one of the top ten mages of Fiore, he ate like a hungry child. Quickly and violently, practically eating it the same way he would eat a hurricane. With nearly a minute, he chugged through five holders of ramen before patting his stomach, eyes closed. His smile was equipped, and his lips would be licked across with his tongue. It was such a nice meal, but now it was time to get away from the scene. So he'd take a shot at a nearby small trash can and fired all of the holders he had, all at once. They made it exactly into the trash can, nothing but net style as well. Despite it being a badass shot, he played it off like it were nothing, as if it were a typical H rank thing to do in life. And with that, he would wipe off his mouth with the back of his hands, because as we all know, licking your lips was unable to clean that up on it's own anyways, and he would then bow formally to his cousin. This was a great time I had with you man. All jokes aside, we should do another job together soon. There are many things that we could do that strengthen your body. And one day, you might be as ripped as I am, if not even more. He would say, pounding his chest with his right fist to give the nice drum sort of sound to help prove his point. With the flick of a finger pointer and middle finger being held together, he would then depart from the scene by simply walking away. They will meet again sure, he had a feeling.

With that, he jumped up high into the sky, using all of the force in his legs to do so. Once he did that, he would begin to fall out of the village walls before landing on Grassy Meadows. Once he departed, he blurred into the air, his speed once again being that high. And so he would return home, to Black Rose.

And so they found a ramen shop closer to the center of the village and sat down at the bar. His cousin had ordered a chicken miso soup which looked rather delicious, while Hero had ordered something a bit more complex. It was a soup with an assortment of veggies, with pork and beef for the meats. Topping it off was a homemade broth, one of its main ingredients being spiced tofu. As Yamamoto started to dig in, he could have almost cried because of how hot and delicious it was. The broth evenly heated the vegetables and added the spices to the meats which made them more juicy and full of nutrients. In turn, the pork and beef added protein and other seasonings to the broth, which made for a very pleasant drink after eating the noodles. The noodles were so soft, they nearly melted in the man's mouth. All of those intense flavors were heightened by how hungry he was and he finished his one large bowl just shortly after Elyx finished five. It was very clear who the bigger eater of the two was. Hero sighed in a relieved way and thanked the cook after paying for the meal, and then he got up to walk out with his cousin. The young family member spoke about the great time he had and that he wanted to do this again some time. The giant was happy to hear that since he was more than willing to take up another job like this one in the future. "Definitely, brother. Hopefully I'll be a bit more useful next time and you won't have to take care of me. Stay in touch." Elyx then turned around after they had said their farewells for the time being and jumped high into the air and away from the village, similar to the fleeting wind. Yamamoto then sighed to himself and shook his head while chuckling. I have a long way to go if I want to get that strong. The man began walking in the opposite direction, to headquarters and fill out reports about the day before he returned home to sleep for half a year. Exaggerating of course.