The enigmatic figure known as Stork Spavli stood before Hiyoku, his presence commanding attention even in the dimly lit hotel corridor.
"Who are you?" Hiyoku inquired, his curiosity piqued by the stranger's sudden appearance.
"I'm surprised that you don't know who I am, but allow me to introduce myself. My name is Stork Spavli, the founder of the Spavli automotive manufacture," the man replied, his tone carrying an air of authority.
"What does that mean?" Hiyoku asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
"I make cars. Come, let's walk and talk," Stork suggested, gesturing for Hiyoku to follow him out onto the bustling sidewalk.
As they strolled amidst the throng of vehicles, Stork began to elucidate his vision for the future. "This world has been lacking in technological advancements. The year is 2021, and we mostly focus on creating new spells, and getting strong. Strong for what?" he mused aloud. "I see the future of our planet in technology. But before we get to that, I've started to create cars, and right now, me and my company are in a war against other car companies. Cars are new to the world and will be needed to push our society forward."
Hiyoku listened intently, absorbing Stork's words as they resonated with a sense of purpose he had never before encountered.
"What does this have to do with me?" Hiyoku queried, his interest now fully engaged.
"I want you in one of my commercials. Just like cars, television is a new thing. At least 80% of everyone in this city owns a TV," Stork explained, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Why would you pick me out of anyone? You literally have Habiwa Boko here!!!" Hiyoku exclaimed, his disbelief evident.
"He's in horrible condition, and you beat him! This won't only start your career, but majorly benefit my company, and you'll get a large cut of the money made," Stork elaborated, his words laced with persuasive conviction.
"That sounds AWESOME!!! I'm in, where do I start?" Hiyoku responded eagerly, his excitement palpable.
"You can start by—" Stork began, but his sentence was abruptly interrupted as a man collided with him, causing him to stumble slightly.
"Sorry! I was just chasing around this little buster!" the man apologized hastily, pointing to a young boy standing behind Stork.
"He's my son..." the man explained, his voice tinged with exhaustion.
"Daddy! Can I- Can I get some ice cream?!" the boy piped up, his eyes wide with anticipation.
"Daddy can't afford ice cream right now," the man replied, his tone regretful.
Without hesitation, Stork reached into his pocket and withdrew a substantial stack of money. "Take this, kid. That can get you as much ice cream as you please. You can practically live the next 15 years of your life off of it! You need it," he declared, handing the money to the astonished child.
"Thank you a lot!!!" the man exclaimed gratefully, his eyes wide with surprise.
"Don't thank me, thank your kid," Stork replied tersely, his gaze fixed on the departing figures of the man and his son.
"Is there any way I could repay you?" the man asked, a note of uncertainty creeping into his voice.
"When the time comes, you will repay me..." Stork responded cryptically, his words hanging in the air with an ominous weight.
"O-Okay..." the man acquiesced, casting one last glance back before disappearing into the crowd with his child.
"That was nice of you," Hiyoku remarked, a hint of admiration coloring his tone.
"He stained my suit with his dirty shirt. I'm doing his kid a favor," Stork retorted bluntly, his expression unreadable.
"What do you mean by that?..." Hiyoku questioned, his curiosity piqued by Stork's enigmatic statement.
"Nothing, let's keep walking. I want you to come to one of my mansions. I will show you to a room so you can relax while we set up the set for our commercial," Stork redirected the conversation, his tone brisk.
"Alright, sounds cool," Hiyoku agreed, though a lingering sense of unease gnawed at the back of his mind. This man is shady as hell, I might have to watch my back around him, he thought to himself warily.
Fifteen minutes later, Hiyoku found himself lounging on a plush couch within the opulent confines of a sprawling white mansion.
This is a nice place to stay. But I have to get going soon... They better hurry this up, Hiyoku mused impatiently, his eyes scanning the elegant surroundings.
A woman clad in a red shirt, black apron, and jeans entered the room, drawing Hiyoku's attention.
"Hey, are you a maid?" Hiyoku inquired, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"No, I'm Stork's wife. My name is Albastru," the woman replied with a warm smile, her demeanor friendly and inviting.
"Why are you here? Are they ready to shoot the commercial?" Hiyoku asked, his interest piqued.
"No, but I am here to supply you with snacks," Albastru explained cheerfully, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
"Snacks? What kind of snacks?" Hiyoku inquired eagerly, his stomach rumbling in anticipation.
"Fudge brownies," Albastru announced with a grin, her words eliciting an excited gasp from Hiyoku.
"Fu-FUDGE BROWNIES!? Even though that's a dessert... IT'S FUDGE BROWNIES!!!" Hiyoku exclaimed ecstatically, his eyes alight with joy.
Albastru exited the room momentarily, returning with a tray laden with hot fudge brownies.
"These are my favorite! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!" Hiyoku exclaimed gratefully, seizing the tray from her hands with gusto.
"Oh, and take this," Albastru added, presenting Hiyoku with a glass filled with a fizzing green liquid.
"This is what we like to call, tropical green," Albastru announced, presenting the fizzing concoction to Hiyoku with a smile.
"What is it?" Hiyoku inquired, eyeing the glass with curiosity.
"A mixture of lime soda and green apple wine," Albastru explained, her tone tinged with pride.
"That sounds delicious! I want some of that," Hiyoku declared eagerly, reaching out to take the glass from her hand.
In a blink, the glass disappeared from Albastru's hand, reappearing in Hiyoku's grasp, now empty.
"That wasn't tasty at all! Maybe the wine ruined it, but the brownies on the other hand..." Hiyoku remarked, his words trailing off as he seized the tray of brownies and indulged in their chocolaty goodness.
"All of the brownies disappeared off the tray, and Hiyoku's face suddenly had chocolate smeared all over it."
"I like how they start so sweet, but get so salty at the end!" Hiyoku exclaimed with a grin, his face a picture of pure delight.
"You— You're so fast..." Albastru stammered, her astonishment evident as she watched Hiyoku's lightning-fast consumption.
"I can see by the sweat on your head, that my speed scared you! That's normal," Hiyoku remarked casually, his confidence unshakeable.
"No, I'm just pregnant," Albastru confessed, her hand instinctively resting on her swollen belly.
"OH! How many months?" Hiyoku inquired, his tone filled with genuine curiosity.
"Seven months," Albastru replied, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
"Cool... I don't know how pregnancy works, but that must mean your baby is gonna come out as a pretty strong guy," Hiyoku remarked thoughtfully, his brow furrowing in concentration.
"But you asked how many months..." Albastru pointed out, a bemused expression crossing her features.
"Because I hear a lot of people say that! Thank you for the brownies though, I hope that baby comes out big and strong!" Hiyoku exclaimed, his words sincere as he bid farewell to Albastru.
"You're welcome!" Albastru replied warmly before leaving the room.
"Nice person. WAIT, I'M STILL HERE. WAITING FOR THIS COMMERCIAL TO START PRODUCTION," Hiyoku muttered to himself, his impatience growing palpable.
He stumbled over to a window and peered outside, only to be greeted by a shocking sight.
"What.. WHAT THE HELL!!!" Hiyoku exclaimed in disbelief as he witnessed Albastru outside, pushing down a TNT plunger.
"Did she just—!" his words were cut off abruptly as the mansion erupted in a deafening explosion, flames engulfing everything in sight.
The once grand estate now lay in ruins, flaming chunks of debris scattered in every direction as Albastru fled the scene with the TNT plunger in hand.
But amidst the chaos and destruction, Hiyoku emerged unscathed, his form untouched by the devastation that surrounded him.
He stood amidst the smoldering ruins, a solitary figure in the aftermath of destruction, his expression a mix of bewilderment and disbelief.
"What a pathetic excuse for an assassination," Hiyoku muttered bitterly, his voice tinged with disdain.
Ten minutes later, Hiyoku found himself once again seated in a chair, his posture relaxed but his expression seething with anger. He leaned back in the chair, facing Verte as they engaged in a heated discussion.
"I'm burning this city to the ground, and killing that Stork DICK," Hiyoku declared vehemently, his eyes flashing with determination.
"Why?" Verte questioned, her voice laced with concern.
"This city sucks, and that Stork guy blew me up," Hiyoku replied, his tone dripping with contempt.
"But the world would hate you for killing Stork," Verte cautioned, her words a plea for reason.
"He blew me up," Hiyoku reiterated, his frustration evident.
"And you told me he was going to be a father," Verte reminded him gently.
"He blew me up," Hiyoku insisted stubbornly.
"And what would happen to his company once he's gone?" Verte pressed, her brow furrowing in thought.
"HE. BLEW. ME. UP. I know that you're super nonviolent but, he could be working with the enemy, THIS CITY COULD BE WORKING WITH THE ENEMY, we need to take some sort of action or else we'd be killed by the hands of someone who BLEW ME UP!!!" Hiyoku argued, his voice rising with each word.
"If you're right, we need a good plan for dealing with him," Verte conceded, her expression thoughtful.
"I sense his mana, and throw a fireball at him, hopefully killing him and destroying the entire city," Hiyoku proposed, his eyes blazing with rage.
"Maybe something that doesn't end with this city being destroyed. I don't think the city has anything to do with this," Verte suggested calmly.
"FINE. I'll throw a fireball that just destroys him AND EVERYTHING AROUND HIM!!!" Hiyoku acquiesced, his frustration evident.
"Maybe something less violent. If you do that, you might have a chance at killing his innocent baby," Verte reasoned, her tone gentle but firm.
"You're right. Even if his wife is evil, she deserves a second chance at life without him, to raise the baby. She also gave me some good brownies!!!" Hiyoku conceded, a hint of remorse softening his features.
"Hiyoku, are you sure this was his doing and not just a coincidence?" Verte inquired, her eyes searching his for reassurance.
"I was given pure acid, meant to kill me instantly. His wife thought I didn't know but, I knew it the moment I saw it. Good thing that I used my fighting spirit to neutralize it," Hiyoku explained, his voice resolute.
"Okay... We better not be killing an innocent man," Verte replied, her tone grave.
A knock at the door interrupted their conversation, drawing their attention away from the tense exchange.
"Somebody's at the door," Verte remarked, rising from her seat.
"I got a fireball waiting for him. It's Stork," Hiyoku declared, his hand crackling with fiery energy.
"I can defeat him on my own," Verte assured him, striding towards the door with purpose.
Verte opened the door to reveal Clover, Rose, and Habiwa standing on the other side, their expressions a mix of concern and determination.
"Hi..." Verte greeted, her voice tentative as she stood at the doorway.
"YOU! Are you coming back for round 2!?" Hiyoku exclaimed, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"He has recovered, and wants to tell you some important news, you idiot!" Rose interjected sharply, her frustration evident.
"Even if he wanted a rematch, he would beat you A HUNDRED TIMES OVER!!!" Clover chimed in, his tone brimming with confidence.
"That's enough, you two," Habiwa interjected calmly, his voice carrying a sense of authority. "Hiyoku, while I was exiting the hospital, I overheard Spavli talking about his plans to kill you, and after hearing this, I can confirm my suspicions."
"So, is that all you came here to say?" Hiyoku inquired, his tone skeptical.
"No, I would like to help you defeat this man. From what I've heard about him, he's the boss of a huge mafia family, and keeps his main base south in the city, in a small black building. Many people have entered, but none have come out," Habiwa explained, his gaze steady.
"How do you know this?" Verte questioned, her curiosity piqued.
"An enemy company went deep diving into his history. That company doesn't exist anymore," Habiwa revealed, his expression serious.
"Why do you want to help us?" Hiyoku queried, his suspicion lingering.
"I can't let a possible rival of mine die to a gang. It's such a weak way to go out," Habiwa replied, his voice firm.
"I won't die! I bet they aren't even that strong to begin with!" Hiyoku declared boldly, his confidence unwavering.
"I don't know if you're overestimating your abilities, or I'm just underestimating your abilities," Habiwa remarked dryly.
"Maybe a little bit of both," Verte added with a wry smile.
"So what's the plan? Can we just run through it like a gauntlet?" Hiyoku suggested eagerly, his impatience palpable.
"That's the best possible plan... unless someone here has a way of turning us invisible," Habiwa mused, his eyes scanning the group.
"I have a spell exactly for—" Verte began, but Hiyoku cut her off abruptly.
"NOPE!!! Let's RUN THROUGH THIS BUILDING, WHERE ARE WE GOING?!" Hiyoku exclaimed, his enthusiasm overriding any potential for stealth.
"sigh," Verte sighed in resignation.
"Follow me," Habiwa instructed, leading the way with determined strides.
Meanwhile, inside Stork's base, the man himself sat in his office, his expression unreadable as he conversed with his wife.
"This money will further grow our business! Soon nobody will be able to stop our empire, and if anyone tries anything, I'll just use my special weapon and leave the city another wide open area of nothing," Stork declared, his eyes gleaming with ambition.
"Stork... I need to tell you something..." Albastru interrupted, her voice hesitant.
"What is it?" Stork inquired, his attention shifting to his wife.
"I- I'm pregnant," Albastru confessed, her words tinged with apprehension.
"You're what!? The one time I don't use a condom THIS HAPPENS! I didn't expect that making such a small mistake leads to another. Albastru, I need you to abort the baby," Stork demanded, his tone sharp with authority.
"What, why would I—" Albastru began, but Stork cut her off abruptly.
"That was a request, that was an order. My empire can't be ruined by some unwanted offspring," Stork insisted, his voice firm.
"Please," Albastru pleaded, her eyes pleading for understanding.
"I SAID—" Stork started to raise his voice, but his words were cut short as a mysterious figure materialized atop his desk.
"Who are you!?" Stork demanded, his hand reaching for his weapon.
"The teleporting has put me in a strange location, but I can assure you that I'm not your enemy. Even if you were to fire, it would hurt as much as gas prices do to billionaires. YAHA! YOU SEE WHAT I DID THERE? Gas prices," the stranger quipped, attempting to lighten the tense atmosphere.
"You sell cars... Nobody's laughing... clears his throat," the man continued awkwardly. "I'm a part of M.A.G.I.C, the guy who gave you a deal of 60 billion dollars to kill Hiyoku Esugan. The person who gave you the request is currently busy, so I'm doing their job instead. I'm Z-002, but you can call me by my name given to me at birth, Damiki Kankuso," he introduced himself, his voice carrying an air of authority.
"What are you here for?" Stork inquired, his suspicion evident.
"You're failing your job. Hiyoku is still alive, and he's heading towards you," Damiki explained bluntly.
"He survived???" Stork exclaimed, his disbelief palpable.
"I was about to tell you that he drank a full glass of acid, and ate a full batch of brownies with live Fugu in it. I thought he died from the explosion though," Albastru interjected, her voice trembling slightly.
"You thought? No... I need to prepare the base for battle now," Stork declared, his mind already racing with plans.
"You guys need an army to take him down, take my word for it," Damiki advised, his tone serious.
"I have enough things in my arsenal to easily defeat that brat," Stork asserted confidently.
"Oh... Ok. Stay confident, see you NOT," Damiki quipped before disappearing, leaving Stork and Albastru to contemplate the imminent threat of Hiyoku's arrival.