Let's gooo!!! We still in the top 10!!
As we hit the 200PS mark, here is the bonus chapter!
Enjoy!
400PS is the new milestone!!! Let's get this!
If you like the fanfic, add this to your library. Powerstones and comments are greatly appreciated!
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The three of them stood there for ten solid minutes. Honoka's arms were locked around Akira's shoulders. Akira's face was buried in the crook of her neck. Nia sat between their legs, purring softly.
Finally, Akira took a deep breath. He pulled back out of the embrace.
He wiped his face with his forearm, wiping a streak of black paint across his cheek. He blinked, his red eyes puffy but clear for the first time in years.
"Phew," he exhaled, rolling his shoulders as if shedding a physical weight. "That felt... way better than I thought. I think I dehydrated myself through my tears."
Nia jumped, scrambling up his hakama and kimono pants with her claws until she reached his shoulder. She head-butted his ear aggressively.
"If Daddy feels sad again," she declared, her yellow eyes narrowing into slits, "I will bite you. I will bite your nose. And I have very sharp teeth. Remember, I am a predator."
Akira laughed as he scratched her chin.
"Got it, my lady. No more sad. If sad, you biting."
Honoka stepped back, smoothing out the wrinkles in her silk robe. She took a moment to compose herself, wiping her own eyes. She took a deep breath, transforming from the weeping mother back into the matriarch of the Shuzenji clan.
"Always remember, honey," she said, her voice steady but soft. "We are a family. We are a team. You can lean on us. You don't have to be the tank twenty-four-seven. Sometimes, you can be the DPS who sometimes stands in the back and eats snacks."
Akira nodded. "Noted. I'll work on my snack-eating strat."
Honoka smiled. Then, she clapped her hands together, the sound echoing sharply in the gym.
"NOW!" she announced, her energy shifting instantly from somber to excited. "For the main reason we came in here! Before we got sidetracked by emotional breakthroughs!"
Nia's ears perked up. "Yes! The surprise! Tell him!!!!"
Nia jumped with excitement.
Honoka looked at Akira, her expression turning calculating.
"So," she started, leaning against a weight rack. "If I am not wrong, your exam results will be coming in about a week, right?"
Akira nodded, picking up a towel to wipe the paint off his face. "Yeah. One week. A week of waiting around doing nothing."
"Exactly," Honoka said.
She started to fiddle with her fingers, a nervous tic she usually suppressed during board meetings. She looked at the floor, then back at him.
"You know, Akira... after the whole thing with Muscular... after the mountains..."
She paused, searching for the words.
"We really stopped having fun."
Akira froze, the towel halfway to his face.
"I mean," Honoka continued, her voice rushing now. "Yeah, we sometimes had dinner together. We watched movies on Fridays. We bought nice things. But we didn't... live. We didn't go on a trip. We didn't do anything that wasn't focused on training or the company."
Akira lowered the towel and looked at his mother.
She was right.
Since that day in the Hida Mountains, their lives had become a mission. Akira had thrown himself into the gym, mastering his flames, perfecting his sword skills, building the "Blade" persona.
And Honoka? She had thrown herself into Shuzenji Enterprises. She had taken his advice to "build an empire" literally. She worked eighteen-hour days, fighting corporate wars, securing contracts, and expanding their influence. She did it to protect him, to build the financial shield he asked for.
I did that, Akira realized, a pang of a different kind of guilt hitting him. I pushed her into that. I told her we needed power.
They had become roommates who shared a bunker, preparing for a war that hadn't started yet.
He nodded slowly. "You're right. We stopped living."
Honoka looked relieved that he understood. "We can use a break, Akira. A real one. Just the three of us. No training. No quarterly reports. No patrolling at night."
"Will Grandma come along?" Akira asked.
"Nah," Honoka waved a hand. "She is too busy with all the U.A. shenanigans. Dealing with the fallout of the exam, arguing with the budget committee about the robots you trashed... she's in her element. Plus, she hates travel anyway."
Akira chuckled. "Fair enough. I'll have to make it up to her later. Maybe buy her that limited edition tea set she wanted."
He threw the towel towards the rack (Of course, he missed)and crossed his arms.
"Okay, Mom. I'm in. Where are we going? Another mountain? Please say no. I've had enough of mountains for a lifetime."
Honoka grinned. It was the same mischievous grin she had worn two years ago before dragging him to the private jet.
"No mountains," she promised. "We are going urban. International."
She walked over to him, her eyes sparkling.
"We received an invitation," she explained, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "From the Celestial Axis Corporation."
Akira raised an eyebrow. "The Chinese support gear giant? Our so-called 'rivals' ?"
"The very same," Honoka confirmed. "They invited us to their Annual Enterprise Summit in Shanghai."
Akira let out a low whistle. "Shanghai. That's big. Why did they invite us? Did they not hate us? We stole all of their market share in Japan last quarter."
"They want to show off," Honoka scoffed. "They want to bring us to their home turf, dazzle us with their headquarters, and probably try to buy us out or intimidate us. It's a power move."
"So why are we going?"
"Because," Honoka smirked, "the invitation includes a 'Cultural Exchange' clause for family members. It's a free trip, Akira. High-end hotel. The Celestial Tower. Authentic food. All expenses are paid by the people who want to crush us. Plus, I will be able to meet the top companies of China, and try to enter the Chinese market."
She counted on her fingers.
"The Summit is on the third day from now. We leave tomorrow morning. We rest. We spend the day after tomorrow exploring Shanghai — eating local food, seeing the Bund, buying useless souvenirs. On the third day, we attend the Summit— I said 'we', you're coming too, sorry — and we smile and wave. And when we are done? We still have three days to do whatever we want before we fly back for your U.A. results."
Akira thought about it.
Attending a corporate summit sounded like a pain in the ass. It meant wearing a suit and listening to old men drone on about stock prices and synergy, playing the role of the "dutiful heir" and smiling at people he probably wanted to punch.
But then he looked at Honoka.
She looked excited. Genuinely excited.
He realized that he needed to get used to this. If he was going to be the Number One Hero — the Symbol of Fear — he would have to navigate politics, along with dealing with the public. This was good practice.
And more importantly...
She needs this, Akira thought.
He raised his hands in surrender.
"I can't promise I won't be bored during the Summit," Akira said, a small smile playing on his lips. "But I will try my best. I'll be the perfect trophy son. I'll even wear a tie."
Nia stood up on his shoulder, puffing out her chest.
"Exactly what Daddy said!" she chirped. "But if they are mean... if they look at Miss Honoka wrong... I will claw them! I will shred their expensive pants! MUAHAHAHAHAHA!"
She let out an evil laugh that was entirely too cute for the threat she was making.
"That's my girl," Akira praised.
Honoka squealed, clapping her hands.
"THEN IT IS DECIDED!" she yelled, her voice echoing in the gym. "THE FAMILY IS GOING TO CHINA!"
"YEAH!!!!!!" Akira and Nia yelled back, matching her energy.
The rest of the evening was a rush preparation.
The solemn mood of the "Portrait of Guilt" was replaced by the frantic energy of packing.
Akira went to his room. He pulled out a sleek, black suitcase.
He started with the basics. Casual clothes — stylish but functional. He packed a few of his "Blade" essentials, hidden in the lining of the suitcase, just in case. Old habits die hard.
He packed his portable gaming console, noise-canceling headphones, and Nia's toys.
Then came the formal wear.
He opened his closet. He ignored the kimonos. For an international business summit, he needed something modern. He pulled out a custom-tailored suit — charcoal grey, slim fit, with a deep crimson lining that matched his eyes.
"Sharp," he muttered to himself.
"What about me?" Nia asked, sitting on the bed surrounded by a pile of cat toys. "Do I need a suit?"
Akira looked at her. "You need a bowtie."
"Yes!" Nia rolled around on the bed. "I will be the cutest being in Shanghai!"
Down the hall, Honoka was packing too. Med-kits, formal gowns, business suits, and casual wear were being tossed into her luggage. She was humming a tune, stopping occasionally to text Nezu about her absence.
By midnight, the bags were lined up by the front door.
The house was quiet again, but it felt different. The heavy, stagnant air of trauma had shifted. It wasn't gone — trauma never really leaves — but it had moved aside to make room for something else.
Anticipation.
Akira stood on the balcony of his room, looking out at the city lights one last time before bed. He held his pipe, unlit, turning it over in his fingers.
"China," he whispered.
He thought about the Celestial Axis Corporation. He thought about the family time.
For the first time in two years, he wasn't thinking about the past. He was looking forward to the future.
"Let's see what the world has to offer," he said.
He turned and went inside, closing the door on the night.
--<<>>--
Yup! We going to China. Time for some world building!!!
You excited for it?
Let me know.
Plus if you want, you can read up to +10 chapters(It's +9 right now, the 10th will be up soon) and support me you can alway join my P@treaon. (Just search up Joe_Mama p@treon on google.)