Chapter 60 (Extra Long chapter)

{A/N: Slice of life isn't my strong side, combat and action field stories are where my skills lie. So, I wanted to ask a question. How were the past few questions? In the next chapter, we will return to action, the Justice League vs Doomsday, and from there, I will try to make sure not every chapter is all about battle.

Also, I want to know your thoughts on Tyler after this chapter. Thanks for the support.}

"…So, that's the Nami you were talking about? Is there some zombie devil fruit she's going to eat or something?" the Phoenix Force asked, her tone laced with sarcasm.

A vein popped on Ashborn's forehead. When was she going to let the whole zombie thing go? Everything had been going perfectly—god-tier food, his favorite anime, and the ideal vibe.

That is, until the Phoenix Force realized who Nami was. He ignored her, choosing instead to focus on the anime… or at least half-focus.

Sure, the animation was leagues better than what he remembered from his past life, and the visuals were almost divine now, but Ashborn already knew the story. This was a rewatch for him.

So, with his attention split, he turned to his phone, determined to explore exactly what this new creation was truly capable of.

Morning came… As Ashborn started to get up to dress for the day, he heard a faint sniff, followed by a subtle wave of killing intent.

He looked up… Only to see Death quietly wiping a tear from her eye. He turned toward the Phoenix Force. She was doing the same.

Confused, Ashborn glanced at the TV. Onscreen, Nami was in tears, stabbing the tattoo on her arm over and over again.

It was that scene. The one every One Piece fan knew. An emotional moment made even more powerful after the heartbreaking backstory they had just finished watching.

Ashborn blinked. He had wondered why they'd gotten so quiet. But now it was clear… yhey were hooked.

"I have to go, I've got a date," Ashborn said as he paused the anime, right as the main character stepped in to stop Nami from hurting herself.

Two glares immediately locked onto him. One from the Phoenix Force, sharp and cold. The other from Death, softer… but still unnerving.

"You can leave. We'll stay here and keep watching," the Phoenix Force said coolly, not even looking at him.

Meanwhile, Death stared off into space, a thoughtful expression on her face. She'd taken on mortal form before—many times, for many reasons. But this? This might be the most human she'd ever made herself… All for the sake of watching anime.

Was this a good idea? A part of her wanted to leave this omniverse entirely and start searching for the world of One Piece. After seeing Nami's mother, after witnessing how Nami grew up… something inside her stirred. The flood of emotion had overwhelmed her, and now she needed an outlet—some way to vent the feelings pressing against her chest.

When mortals watch something emotional, something that moves them so deeply it makes them want to leap into the screen, they have no choice but to turn their rage towards the story teller.

But Death of the Endless? She could just step outside… and find that world. And that made her wonder—was it wise to let herself indulge in stories like this? To let her humanity run so deep that fiction could make her feel this much?

Should she pull back? Lessen her humanity a little? But if she did… She wouldn't be able to enjoy it.

"No. Control those emotions first," Ashborn said calmly, seeing the tension in the room. "Death is giving off a deadly aura, and you might do something stupid. You two were never truly human, so it might do you some good to master the art of self-control."

With that, he casually formed a toothbrush from the shadows and began walking toward the door. But someone stepped into his path.

"My Lord," the shadow said sternly, eyes filled with displeasure, "you weren't actually planning to step outside wearing the same clothes you've had on for the past few days… were you?"

"Don't worry, it's still clean," Ashborn said, waving his hand dismissively, seeing nothing wrong with it.

But the shadow's expression only darkened. He was clearly displeased—disappointed that his master might actually be the kind of person who'd wear the same clothes for weeks.

Without another word, Ashborn was dragged away, leaving the Phoenix Force and Death sitting in thoughtful silence. After a while, Death of the Endless stood up.

"Take care," she said softly to the Phoenix Force before teleporting away. She had things to confirm.

There was already a theory forming in her mind—that Ashborn was going to do something… significant. But now, she was certain. And whatever it was, it would drag her into it. Whether that was a good thing or not… She didn't know.

"Isn't it a bit too dark?" Ashborn asked, eyeing the black suit he was now dressed in. It was darker than any normal suit—so dark it seemed to absorb light. It hugged his frame perfectly, making him look larger, stronger, and, thankfully, drawing attention away from what he still believed was his ugly face.

"My Lord, trust me—this is perfect," said the shadow stylist, who Ashborn had begrudgingly come to call Fashion.

Fashion's eyes glowed with pride, like a little girl who had just dressed her favorite doll in the prettiest gown imaginable.

Ashborn sighed and let it go. There was no point in arguing.

He made his way to the restaurant where he and Tyler had planned to meet. They had been texting back and forth, setting a time and place while watching One Piece… But what caught him off guard was that Tyler was already there, waiting for him.

"…" Awkwardly, Ashborn made his way to the table and sat down across from Tyler, who was already watching him with a stunned look.

She wasn't the only one. The entire restaurant seemed to pause—eyes drifting toward him, conversations quieting, as if his presence had pulled gravity toward their table. 

"Sorry," Ashborn said with a small, sheepish smile. "I was… forced to overdress."

Then he glanced at her, his gaze softening. "You look amazing, by the way. I never knew a red dress could look that good on someone."

Tyler let out a soft laugh and waved him off playfully.

"Well, I never knew black could suit someone so well… until now," Tyler said with a warm smile. She glanced around the restaurant, noting how many people were struggling not to stare.

Ashborn's suit felt like a black hole, quietly pulling attention toward him—elegant, overwhelming, impossible to ignore. But the suit wasn't the real problem.

It was his face—otherworldly, almost heavenly. Still, she looked back at him, her tone shifting.

"Anyway… I wanted to talk to you about high school." Her voice softened. "I don't really remember much. A few years ago, I just… found myself here. My memory was all fuzzy. I was hoping you could tell me if I had a family or something…"

Ashborn froze, eyes widening slightly in shock.

"I know I could probably ask one of those superheroes for help," Tyler said, her voice light but tinged with unease. "I mean, this isn't my world, so I'm sure I could get their attention… but I don't want some green alien digging around in my head, you know?"

She gave a small, sad smile. "It just feels like fate that we ran into each other. I mean… what are the chances?"

Ashborn blinked, unsure what to say at first.

"Oh… well, we weren't really close back then," he admitted. "But you were the quiet nerd…" He continued, sharing everything he could remember—small details, fragments of the past.

And Tyler listened carefully, her expression intent as she soaked up every word… Like someone trying to rebuild a life from scattered pieces.

But the quiet moment didn't last. Tyler's eyes flicked instinctively toward the window, And widened in horror. A gun, aimed straight at the restaurant.

She moved without thinking. In one fluid motion, she knocked over the food, tackled Ashborn to the ground, and covered him with her body—just as bullets shattered the glass and tore through the air.

Ashborn was caught completely off guard. How could he not be, with Tyler's chest pressed against his face?

But the surreal moment shattered when he heard a sharp, pained moan, And felt something warm and wet drip onto his shoulder.

He looked up. Tyler was smiling down at him, trying to act like nothing was wrong. But her face was pale, and her shoulder, bleeding.

"Are you alright?" she asked softly, the pain clear in her voice despite the brave smile.

"You're injured," Ashborn said sharply. He quickly flipped them over and gently laid her down on the ground.

With a simple thought, a dark glow pulsed from his hand, and Tyler's eyes widened in disbelief as the pain vanished… her wound closed instantly, leaving not even a scar behind.

Ashborn stood slowly, his expression cold as ice. He looked toward the man approaching the entrance—gun still in hand, intent clear.

"Die," Ashborn said flatly.

The would-be attacker froze—just for a second—before he and the others collapsed, lifeless, like puppets with their strings cut.

"Arise," A wave of darkness swept out. From it, five shadows rose, kneeling before Ashborn in perfect silence.

"What were you after?" Ashborn asked coldly, his voice like steel. One of the shadows, the former leader, stepped forward and bowed slightly.

"We were hired to attack you, force you to use your powers… then retreat," he said, tone respectful, eyes cast downward.

Ashborn's gaze narrowed. "Who hired you?"

"That… we do not know. They ensured we had no way of tracing them. We even had to conduct the background check on you ourselves just to track your location." The shadow siad in shame.

 Ashborn's frown deepened. He turned slowly, looking toward Tyler, And paused. Her eyes were wide, filled with fear… But not of the attackers. Of him.

Ashborn started to step forward but hesitated, the fear in Tyler's eyes freezing him in place. 

He remembered Ember's words, the reminder that he was no longer mortal, that he stood on a different plane now. They were from two different worlds entirely, and no amount of kindness could bridge that gap. Still, it stung more than he expected. He had genuinely thought they could at least be friends.

Just as he turned to walk away, Tyler's voice broke through the silence.

"W-wait!" she called, running up to him and quickly slipping a folded piece of paper into his hand.

Ashborn looked at it, then at her, confusion etched into his features as he slowly unfolded it. Three addresses were written across the page in careful handwriting. He glanced back up at her, eyebrows slightly raised.

"The first one is my address, but you can't stay there, seeing as people know we know each other. Those other two addresses are abandoned places where you can hide out. I'll stop by to bring you food and other stuff… now, hurry and run before the police come, or worse—the Justice League," Tyler said in a low, soft voice.

This caused Ashborn to look at her with a weird expression. A second ago, she was frozen in fear, and now she was helping him?

"Don't worry about this. I won't get in trouble," Ashborn said with a smile. His smile widened at the confused look in Tyler's eyes, but he didn't explain.

He simply snapped his fingers, restoring the restaurant to its original state while healing everyone who had been injured.

Under Tyler's uneasy gaze, Ashborn grabbed her hand and pulled her along to find something else to do. When the police arrived, he simply showed them his license to kill, and after giving them a rundown of what had happened, they had no choice but to let him go. 

With that settled, Ashborn returned to his date… though it wasn't really a date, since they were just friends. Still, now that Tyler knew about his powers, Ashborn figured there was no reason to limit themselves—they could go anywhere on Earth.