Void Multiverse, Space Between Universes.
{BGM: "Final Fantasy IX Victory Fanfare" – Kawakami Kazuhiro & Sasai Ryuji}
The final three days in the MHA Universe passed quickly. While Momo had to attend school when Tatsuo, Alfonzo, Akatsuki, and Sakura left, she was able to say her goodbyes the night before. And for the first time, she was finally able to sample Alfonzo's cooking. And just like so many before her, she could not keep herself from moaning because of the taste. In fact, it was even more intense than the moan that tore from her throat the first time she tasted Tatsuo's cooking.
Then again, that made perfect sense since Alfonzo's cooking was better than Tatsuo's… for now, at least.
Other than that dinner, Tatsuo, Alfonzo, Akatsuki, and Sakura spent all their time training in the hopes of [Awakening] their [Quirks]. Seeing how an [Awakening] would affect the [Skills], [Abilities], magic, and Magecraft they were derived from would be interesting. Unfortunately, none of them were able to achieve this feat before they were sent back to their own worlds.
Incapsulated in orbs of light, Tatsuo, Alfonzo, Akatsuki, and Sakura moved through the void at speeds faster than light. While Tatsuo remained calm during the process, Alfonzo, Akatsuki, and Sakura looked on with wonderous expressions on their faces.
"This might just be the coolest fucking thing I've ever seen." Alfonzo muttered in a breathless tone.
"Yeah, it's like moving through space." Akatsuki added in a tond filled with child-like amazement.
Meanwhile, Sakura was too amazed to put her thoughts into words. What she was seeing was more beautiful than anything she had ever seen before. And when you added that to the tragedies she had to endure in her child hood, tears were threatening to spill from her eyes.
'I really don't wanna break the mood, but…' Tatsuo thought to himself while looking at the other three with pity.
However, before he could even finish his thoughts, Tatsuo's body was racked with pain so intense that he nearly lost consciousness.
Naturally, Tatsuo was not the only one to feel such pain, as Alfonzo's, Akatsuki's, and Sakura's expressions crumbled into pain-filled expressions at nearly the same instant. Then again, having your body reverted to the state it was in before the nearly one year they spent in another world and having all their improvements over that year superimposed onto their old bodies could not be anything but painful.
Yet, only one among the four had the presence of mind to speak through such immense pain.
"No~~~~~~~~!" Akatsuki screamed in anguish. "Don't go! My hips, my curves, and my height! Please! Don't go! Damn it! Why is life so cruel!"
Apparently, reverting to her child-like appearance after having a body that was much closer to her ideal image of herself was more than Akatsuki could take, even more than the mind-numbing pain she was experiencing.
Meanwhile, Tatsuo, Alfonzo, and Sakura looked at Akatsuki with pity. Though, it was hard to see it in their expressions through all the pain.
The agonizing pain lasted for what seemed like hours. Though, it could not have persisted for more than a minute at most. Then, just as the pain began to fade, all four noticed that the light orbs they were traveling in began to diverge from each other.
Unfortunately, because of the lingering pain, none of the four were able to offer their goodbyes as they separated. At the very most, they were able to wave weakly at each other before they shot off in different directions.
Hub world, Earth, Japan, Tokyo.
In what seemed like the blink of an eye, Tatsuo found himself standing in his bedroom, the monochromatic color pallet caused by the time stop fading around him.
*Thud!*
And just as the color returned to normal, Tatsuo fell to one knee, supporting himself from falling flat onto the floor with his hands.
"Holy hell..." Tatsuo muttered while trying to keep himself from face-planting. "That was so much worse than all the other times… Even worse than the first time when my body was getting used to having [energy]. I guess reverting to a state where you don't have a [Quirk Factor] is a pretty big change."
*Bang!*
"Tatsu-Chan! Welcome back!"
*Bang!*
As soon as Tatsuo finished voicing his thoughts on the reversion, his bedroom door was flung open, slamming against the adjoining wall. Then, with a squeal, a purple-haired blur slammed into him, knocking him onto his back.
Looking down, Tatsuo saw his mother, Sumire, lying on top of him and rubbing her face on his chest with an ecstatic smile on her face.
"Mommy missed you so much, Tatsu-Chan~~~~!" Sumire cooed. "Even though I know you were only gone for an instant, it feels like I haven't seen you in over a year."
Hearing that, Tatsuo raised an eyebrow, finding his mother's description remarkably accurate.
'Does she have some way of perceiving time when time is stopped, or something?" Tatsuo asked himself internally as he wrapped his arms around his mother's back and hugged her back.
"I missed you, too, Kaa-Chan." Tatsuo said softly.
Sumire's response was to squeal happily. At the same time, Mai, Kasumi, Tio, and Ayane also made their way to Tatsuo's bedroom door just in time to hear Sumire's squeal. And as soon as Mai saw that Tatsuo had returned, she lit up with happiness as she dashed into the room with her arms spread wide.
"Tatsu-Kun, your Mai-Nee missed you so much!" Mai shouted as she threw herself at Tatsuo and Sumire.
*Bang!*
However, before she could join the group hug, Sumire [Blinked] herself and Tatsuo out of the way, reappearing on Tatsuo's massive bed. As a result, Mai, who had dove in their direction, ended up face-planting into the floor with a loud bang.
Hearing that sound, Kasumi and Ayane could not help wincing while Tio looked at Mai with jealousy.
"Ow~~! Sumire-Sama, why did you move?" Mai asked while rubbing her face with tears welling up in her eyes as she looked towards Tatsuo and Sumire. "That was so mean! I just wanted to welcome Tatsu-Kun back."
"Don't interrupt my long awaited reunion with Tatsu-Chan!" Sumire shot back petulantly.
'Long awaited?' Tatsuo questioned internally.
Unaware of Tatsuo's thoughts, Sumire and Mai began to bicker in their usual way. Meanwhile, Kasumi, Tio, and Ayane made their way through the bedroom, stopping next to the bed.
"Welcome back, Tatsuo-Kun." Kasumi said in her usual, gentle, tone. "I trust everything went well."
"Looks like you made it back alive." Ayane said in uncaring tone that carried a hint of worry as she looked over Tatsuo's body for any injuries.
"Welcome back, Mast--- *Cough* Tatsuo-Sama." Tio said with a slight blush on her face.
Being welcomed back by his family, Tatsuo could not help but smile. And when he received the [Notification] from the [System], his smile only widened.
{[Notifications]
Congratulations! You have successfully completed the [Mission]!
Your rewards will be distributed momentarily. Please wait.}
Seeing the widening smile on Tatsuo's face, all the women in the room knew that Tatsuo had received a [Notification] from the [System] he had mentioned in the past.
"Looks like Tatsu-Chan is gonna get stronger again." Sumire said with a smile as she tightened her hug. "Mommy is so proud."
Kasumi, Tio, and Ayane shared the sentiment. Though, Ayane acted as if she did not care. Mai, on the other hand, stood up from the floor and approached the bed. When she got close enough, she narrowed her eyes at Tatsuo, making him feel a bit uneasy.
*Sniff!* *Sniff!*
A moment later, Mai sniffed the air before furrowing her eyebrows.
"Tatsu-Kun… Why do I smell the scent of another woman on you?" Mai asked in a menacing tone. "No… I smell… two women. Would you care to explain?"
"What are you? A dog?" Tatsuo blurted out on reflex. A moment later, he furrowed his own eyebrows while in a state of contemplation. "Wait… Two? I only got one new girlfriend, why do you say you can smell two?"
'Ah, shit!' Tatsuo immediately blurted out in his mind. 'I done fucked up.'
And just as Tatsuo thought, Mai went completely emotionless when she heard Tatsuo's admission. A moment later, however, that emotionless mask broke, and Mai's expression was filled with sadness, big, comical, anime tears welling up in her eyes.
"*Sigh* here we go again." Ayane said in a tired tone. "Seriously, how have none of you thrown her out the nearest window yet?"
"That's not how you treat family, Ayane." Kasumi said gently.
"Hmm… Perhaps Tatsuo-Sama would throw me out a window if I acted like Mai-San." Tio muttered while rubbing her chin with consideration.
Catching Tio's muttering, Tatsuo shot her aglare, causing the masochistic Dragonkin to shudder and begin panting with arousal.
"Wahh~~~~~~~~~!" Mai waled loudly as she dropped to the floor and covered her face with her hands. "Tatsu-Kun! Why!? Why am I not enough for you!? What about that promise we made under the cherry blossoms!?"
"*sigh* What happened to that new material you were supposed to be coming up with, Mai-Nee?" Tatsuo asked in a tired tone while rubbing his temples to soothe the incoming headache.
"I haven't had time to write it yet!" Mai shouted in a heartbroken tone. "Wahh~~~~~~~~~~!"
*Smack!*
*Bang!*
"that's enough." Sumire barked after blinking to Mai's side and slapping her upside the head before blinking back into Tatsuo's arms. "I already said I was gonna change the law so that my Tatsu-Chan can have all the girls he wants. So, stop being so selfish, Mai-Chan."
"Ow! Sumire-Sama~~~!" Mai whined while once again rubbing her face.
And just like that, the usual chaos in the Soramoto Household continued.
{[Notifications]
Rewards have been distributed.
-Obtained: 10,000 Coins
-Obtained 1 Random Reward.
-Would you like to start the lottery? Yes/No}
However, when the next [Notification] arrived, Tatsuo's attention shifted from the usual chaos to the information that appeared in his mind, a smile once again spreading across his face.
"Have the rewards arrived?" Sumire, after seeing Tatsuo's smile, asked with a smile of her own while poking his cheek with an index finger.
"Yeah." Tatsuo replied happily. "I'm about to find out what kind of reward I'm about to get."
{[Notifications]
Beginning Lottery spin. Please Wait.}
"I wonder what kind of reward you'll receive." Kasumi said softly.
"So far, you've gotten a [Skill] called [The End] that lets you learn just about anything, [Purification Magic], and a [Passive Skill] that lets you drive pretty much anything, right?"
"Yeah." Tatsuo replied with a nod.
"I don't like [The End]." Sumire said in a huff. "Because of that, Tatsu-Chan likes to cook his own meals. He's taking away the joy of cooking for my Tatsu-Chan from me."
"His cooking is better than yours, too." Mai said in a spiteful tone.
Immediately afterwards, Mai ducked her head to avoid Sumire's glare.
"I hope he gains some kind of spanking skill." Tio said in a dreamy tone while her cheeks were colored red.
The entire room ignored Tio's remark, deciding that it would be better for their sanity if they didn't think about it too much. Unfortunately, because Tatsuo was included with those who ignored her, Tio's state only worsened.
{[Notifications]
Reward Chosen.
-Obtained 1 Week of training with the God of Smithing and Fire, Yu Illhan.
-Please collect your reward within 60 days.}
Once again, Tatsuo's attention was pulled away from the situation in the room when he received the [Notification] about his reward. And when he saw it, he could not help raising an eyebrow with an intrigued expression on his face.
'Yu Ilhan?' Tatsuo asked himself internally. 'Like the Yu Ilhan from Everyone Else is a Returnee? But he's already the God of Smithing and Fire. So, does that mean it's after the main story already? Or will it happen before the last battle when he stopped time around the new Earth?'
At the same time, Sumire, Mai, Kasumi, Tio, and Ayane fell silent when they saw the expression on Tatsuo's face. Knowing that he must have just received his reward, they let him process what it meant for him.
"So, what did you get?" Sumire asked when Tatsuo's expression returned to normal. "Was it a new superpower? Is my Tatsu-Chan gonna be a superhero?"
"Nah…" Tatsuo replied while waving off his mother's question. "I just finished doing that… Sort of."
"Then, what did you get?" Mai asked in a curious tone.
"A week of training with a god of smithing and fire." Tatsuo replied with a shrug.
"Like Hephaestus from Greek mythology?" Kasumi asked curiously
"Not exactly." Tatsuo replied. "But something like that."
"Don't try to figure it out,
sister." Ayane said nonchalantly. "Apparently, the multiverse is a big place. So, there is definitely more than one God with the same authorities."
"Yes, you must be correct." Kasumi replied with a nod.
"Can you bring anyone with you when you leave to train?" Tio asked eagerly. "If so, I am willing to accompany you. As your manager, I will be there to help manage your schedule."
"Hmph! You only wanna come with me to mess up my schedule so I'll punish you." Tatsuo shot back disdainfully.
Then, Tatsuo ignored the perverted Dragonkin's predictable response, making her react even more intensely.
*Clap!*
A moment later, Sumire, having sat up on Tatsuo's lap, clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention.
"Alright, it's getting late and you three…" Sumire said while gesturing to Tatsuo, Kasumi, and Ayane. "… have school tomorrow. In fact, it's the first day of school, in case Tatsu-Chan forgot while he was gone. And I know none of you want to go to school with racoon eyes. So, you should all get some rest. That way, you'll be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when it's time to go tomorrow."
"I'll sleep with Tatsu-Kun!" Mai said loudly while raising her right hand high above her head. "I'll make sure he's well-rested!"
"Vetoed." Sumire replied after [Blinking] next to Mai and grabbing the back of her collar. She then started dragging Mai out of the room as she continued. "If I left it up to you, Tatsu-Chan would be even more tired."
"Hmph! Yeah right." Tatsuo snorted in an almost offended tone. "If she got her way, she wouldn't be able to act as your assistant tomorrow, Mom. She would be too tired, and her legs would be too wobbly to walk properly."
*Smack!*
Hearing Tatsuo's response, Sumire face-palmed hard enough that it could be heard in the training room on the lower floor. Meanwhile, Mai's eyes lit up with anticipation while her expression turned hungry. As for Kasumi, Tio, and Ayane, Kasumi's face reddened to a worrying degree, Tio pulled out her fan to hide a smile, and Ayane snorted while turning away as her cheeks were dusted pink.
"Wait! Please stop, Sumire-Sama!" Mai said both with excitement and unease in her tone. "That statement needs to be tested. Also, we need to interrogate Tatsu-Kun. How could he possibly know something like that? He's supposed to be a virgin, right?"
Unfortunately for Mai, Sumire completely ignored her argument. She already knew that Tatsuo had not crossed the line she set for him. So, she knew he was just talking shit. Though, she did not doubt it. Especially with his stamina and draconic nature. Though, she did take a look at Tatsuo from the corner of her eyes just to make sure.
However, what she saw surprised her.
"Well, it looks like that rule about no sex 'til sixteen no longer needs to be enforced." Sumire said with a smile. "It looks like your two sides have finished their integration. Even so, don't go overboard when you finally start, okay?"
"Huh?" x 5
The chorus of huhs made Sumire giggle. However, she had no intention of explaining for now. Like she said, Tatsuo, Kasumi, and Ayane had to go to school tomorrow. Meaning, there was no point since it would not matter for the moment. So, while remaining silent, she continued to drag Mai, who was struggling even stronger than before, out of the room, gesturing for Kasumi, Tio, and Ayane to follow her.
Meanwhile, Tatsuo only watched the women leave with a blank expression on his face.