Hero For Lust

Time moved forward and reached the following day. Caspian had spent the rest of it with Yuta, Mosquito Girl, and Psykos who stopped by. And it certainly flew by.

Now, with noon passed, he leaned against a building in N-City, listening intently to the group just out of sight. His presence here was crucial.

"Erica!? What's going on?" a voice demanded.

"How sad, Feather. I've been fooling you this whole time.

Big Iron, the boss of the Iron Fist. I'm his woman."

Caspian waited, timing his intervention. He could not allow this NTR tragedy, fueled by both the gang's treachery and Erika's infatuation with Tatsumaki, to unfold.

"Hya, hya, he's laughing."

"Erica. You're absolutely right. You really are a terrible actor."

"Hey, hey, you guys didn't finish him off yet!? Why ya having such a tough time with a single lousy rat!?"

"Boss!"

"He's already half-dead, ain't he? Howz about I join in and finish him off in one shot?"

"If there is no hostage, that's perfect. That means I can really let loose. Just you watch—huh, who are you?"

"Charanko."

¤ ¤ ¤

After years away, Suiryu once more climbed the mountains outside Y-City, arriving before the dojo where he grew up. Coming here stirred deep emotions, which was why he'd avoided it for so long. But since his battle against Awakened Cockroach, things had shifted.

Another unexpected change had entered his life: he and Lin Lin had gone out a few times. He'd never done that before with anyone, and he found he wanted to keep spending time with her… it felt strange.

His primary purpose now was to see Suiko; she'd ignored his calls for days, forcing him to visit in person.

Suiryu turned his mind back to the present. His sister's fiancé must be responsible for her odd behavior. That thought spurred his preparation; he came ready for a confrontation.

A sound, like rippling electricity, shimmered from behind him in the large dirt clearing that fronted the weathered but well-kept dojo, his late grandfather's legacy. Suiryu spun around. A man in a yellow one-piece jumpsuit, a short zipper at the collar, and a black belt with a round golden buckle at its center stood there.

How did he—this must be the 'fiancé!' My luck is too good.

Before the man could utter a word, Suiryu reached into his navy blue martial arts uniform, pulled out a ticket, and extended it. "You should know what this is."

The man's reaction, as he glanced at the ticket, was not what Suiryu expected. "You've got to be kidding me…"

Is he scared? My sister shouldn't be with a coward.

Suiryu declared, "To receive my and my late grandfather's blessing, any man must prove himself stronger than us. That ticket is how you'll do so. Thanks to a monster attack in C-City, an opening appeared, and with my reputation, I secured you a spot in the Super Fight tournament. If you wish to marry my sister, you'll have to beat not only me but all the martial artists before me. Until that day, don't think I'll allow you to speak with her."

The man remained silent. He simply turned, pointed, and walked through a strange portal that shimmered into existence before him, then vanished.

Witnessing such an ability caused Suiryu slight discomfort, but he quickly recovered. Nah, I will win.

He turned back and stopped before the entrance, then sat down, facing the clearing and mountain forest once more. How many summer days had he sat in this exact spot between training and dojo upkeep?

Minutes flowed as he reminisced.

Slide

Suiko's voice followed the opening of the entrance. "Brother, y-you actually came back here?"

He glanced over his shoulder. His little sister stood with one hand over her mouth. Pleased by her apparent happiness, he decided to share news of his good deed.

"That I did. And I have something else you'll be happy to hear about. That fiancé of yours showed up a short while ago, but don't worry, I ran him off for you."

"Idiot!"

Getting sent flying from a kick was not the response he had envisioned.

¤ ¤ ¤

Caspian would have preferred being a spectator at the Super Fight tournament, but here he stood, a participant. Oh well, he could spread the name of his 'Ultimate Martial Art' to the world, and an easy way to get on his future brother-in-law's good side lay within reach. There was no reason to pass up such an excellent opportunity.

He gated straight to an outdoor market in Z-City, a hub of makeshift stalls and ceaseless foot traffic. His feet carried him through the crowded lanes, eventually finding a stand with one of the two items he required for the Super Fight tournament.

Guess I won't be getting mugged today…

¤ ¤ ¤

The Super Fight tournament arrived on a sunny day that bathed C-City in resplendence.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have kept you waiting long enough! The competitors for Super Fight 22 are now entering the arena!" The announcer's voice thundered across the packed C-City Super Stadium, his words echoing off steel and concrete.

Six figures sat amongst the roaring crowd: Suiko, Yuta, Mosquito Girl, Psykos, Genos, and Shadow Ring. Each, save for one, had traveled here to witness history unfold; to see a particular martial artist's name carved into the annals of time.

A powerful rush of wind streamed through the stadium's open roof as the crowd's energy intensified, their excitement building with each passing instance.

Across the stadium, positioned with strategic precision, two brothers observed the proceedings. Both carried themselves with the poise of grandmaster martial artists. Their weathered faces betraying decades of combat experience. Today represented the careful coordination with the Hero Association. The bait set; the trap prepared. Now they waited to discover whether their target would take the hook they'd so carefully dangled before him.

"First up, a first-time contestant! The Rank 19 A-Class Hero known as 'Lightning Max,' of the fighting style 'Hyper Karate Max!"

The Super Fight Announcer introduced one contestant after the other finally arriving on a certain two.

"Charanko, of the 'Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist.'

Moving on, the man who wrote 'Please don't aim for my head' on his registration. Is he really here to fight?

Here he is, the other Charanko, with his 'Water Polo Carbonated Fist.'"