A Rather Large Appetite

Suiko's life after her near-defeat by Faultless Marionette in Y-City had been a whirlwind.

Both Caspian and King had left the area so promptly that she ended up receiving partial credit for the monster's defeat, though King had somehow been spotted and given most of the credit. Not that it bothered Suiko.

True to her word, the following day after the fight she took the Hero Entrance Exam, which she found exceptionally easy. Thanks to her assistance in the Faultless Marionette battle, she was promoted directly to A-Class Rank 39. She had initially hoped to make it into S-Class, but it didn't bring her down in the slightest. Hadn't Caspian and King already shown her what genuine power looked like? She just had to push herself even harder going forward.

Regardless, she had felt excited and wanted to share the news. She tried to contact her older brother, Suiryu, but, of course, he didn't answer his phone. He was probably too busy playing around with some woman instead of training. Suiko thought that maybe if he knew she had become a hero, it might inspire him to follow suit, but she doubted it.

And now today, she had accepted her first mission from the Hero Association. A Tiger-level threat had appeared in Z-City, causing a stir before it fled into the Z-City Ghost Town, where Suiko had tracked it down.

But the moment she came face to face with the so-called 'Tiger-level threat,' she realized the estimations on its strength had been way off.

When the giant four-armed monster spotted her, it hurled the large truck it had been carrying directly at her. Thankfully, Suiko had been pushing herself to the brink in her training lately. If not, she might not have been able to avoid it.

Immediately after she land that a woman had appeared. Thankfully, the woman didn't radiate any murderous intent, instead, she simply offered to help.

Suiko turned back, expecting the giant to be bearing down on them. Instead, she was met with a shock—Caspian, the man who had been on her mind since that day, stood where the monster should have been. The giant had vanished without a trace.

There were several things she wanted to say to him. Foremost, she wanted him to have a proper sparring match against him. But beyond that, she needed to ask…how could someone with his insane strength be ranked so low as a hero?

But those questions would have to wait, because the words that left his mouth left her dazed.

She had always considered herself easygoing and carefree, yet hearing herself referred to as 'one of his future wives' stirred an indescribable feeling within her. Perhaps she was too carefree and easygoing. Shouldn't she be upset by such an outrageous claim?

Well, it became clear that Yuta was not particularly carefree and easygoing. The woman froze, silent. Then, in a breath, she snapped. Swords crossed, she spun into a blurred whirlwind, her body a weapon hurtling blade-first at Caspian.

Suiko guessed Yuta had encountered him before and had been deeply affected by his actions, or maybe she was just crazy. Regardless, she certainly seemed to have a lot of pent-up frustration. Considering Suiko's own experience, she was starting to think Caspian had a real talent for getting under a woman's skin.

¤ ¤ ¤

Master isn't answering his phone...

Genos hurried back to the apartment, his training cut short by an unexpected call. Still, he felt satisfied as he had made good strides today in strengthening his willpower.

The call had come from the S-Class Rank 3 Hero, Bang, inviting Genos and his master to visit his dojo tomorrow. There were two reasons for the invitation: first, to meet Caspian, and second, to show them some 'cool' thing that he hadn't specified.

With no response from his master, Genos had no choice but to return to the apartment and inform Caspian in person.

Considering he had been training in Z-City, it wouldn't take him much longer to return at his current brisk pace.

As he navigated the busy streets, his gaze eventually fell upon the entrance gates to Z-City Ghost Town. They were wide open. His eyes flashed as he scanned the area.

A monster? Unlikely. The chains on the ground were severed in a single, precise motion. A monster would simply smash the gate open or enter from somewhere else.

Passing through the metal fence gates he usually jumped over his eyes lit up again. He sensed three targets nearby. Two were already engaged in combat.

Genos increased his speed, breezing through the narrow alley and past the ruined section of the Ghost Town, damage left behind by his master's past battle. Up ahead, he spotted a woman standing in the middle of the road, her attention fixed on the two other people engaged in combat.

"Master!"

His words didn't reach the two locked in combat, but they did reach the woman. Her body swiveled toward him.

"The S-Class Hero Genos! What are you doing here?"

Genos studied her for a moment before responding. "You're Suiko. Are you here to spend time with my master?"

Suiko tilted her head and pressed her lips together. "My name as a hero has spread so fast that even an S-Class Hero recognized me…"

Genos' gaze shifted to the combatants.

"Why must everyone always insist on fighting me?" Caspian asked as he shifted side to side, nonchalantly avoiding the flurry of sword slashes assailing him.

Yuta, daughter of Amahare, who is a swordmaster and member of the Council of Swordmasters. With her strength, she has the potential to become an S-Class Hero. How many other powerful individuals exist outside of the Hero Association?

Though no matter how many exist. There is one thing I am sure of, none of them come close to Master's strength. Not even remotely.

"Quiet! I'm certain it is because of that perverted mouth of yours. Now quit running away and fight."

Yuta halted, her body relaxing. Then, with effortless flexibility, she bent backward until she was nearly parallel to the ground. In a flash, she snapped forward, somersaulting at immense speed, her twin blades whirling like the spinning rotors of a helicopter.

"I love her fighting style. It's so graceful and beautiful," Suiko chimed in.

Genos considered her words, but failed to see it. To him, Yuta's movements were wild and deadly — but 'graceful and beautiful?' Was this a woman's line of thought he couldn't understand?

Caspian seemed to listen, standing still as Yuta closed in. But the moment her blades were about to reach him, he moved faster than Genos could track, catching her arms with perfect precision. In an instant, she was up against him as he firmly gripped her wrists, their faces quite close.

"A womanizer. Is this how all men are? Though, with him, I don't actually mi…" Suiko muttered, her words becoming inaudible by the end.

Genos wanted to refute her words, but he couldn't deny that his master had…a rather large appetite.