Eleo groaned as he opened his eyes, his body aching all over. Slowly, he sat up, rubbing the back of his head. The sight before him made his jaw drop. Half the city was in ruins—cracked streets, collapsed buildings, and debris scattered everywhere. Smoke rose from several spots, and people were scrambling to put out fires or recover what they could.
"Whoa…" Eleo muttered, blinking in disbelief. "Did… did me and Nox do all this?"
He staggered to his feet, wincing as his legs protested. As he looked around, he noticed that, despite the destruction, most of the people were unharmed, albeit rattled. His eyes widened, and a grin spread across his face.
"Wait a minute… that means I'm super strong!" he said, throwing his arms into the air triumphantly. "Woohoo! I'm amazing!"
Some nearby townsfolk gave him bewildered looks, but Eleo was too wrapped up in his excitement to notice. He punched the air a few times, shadowboxing with exaggerated movements. "Nox thought he had me, but nope! Eleo's still standing, baby!"
He paused to glance back at the destruction again. His grin faltered slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh… sorry about your city, everyone," he called out, his voice sheepish. "Didn't mean to, you know… level half of it or anything."
A man carrying a pile of wooden planks glared at him. "You think 'sorry' is gonna fix this?!"
Eleo raised his hands defensively. "Hey, hey! At least no one got hurt, right? You've gotta look at the bright side of things!"
"Bright side?!" a woman shouted, shaking her fist. "My bakery is gone!"
Eleo grimaced, backing away slowly. "Yikes. Okay, I get it. You're upset. But, uh… you'll rebuild! Stronger than ever, right? That's what people do!"
Seeing the crowd's annoyed expressions, Eleo decided it was time to make his exit. He gave a small wave and an awkward smile. "Anyway, I'll just, uh… get out of your hair. Keep up the good work, folks! You're doing great!"
Without waiting for a response, he leaped onto a nearby rooftop with surprising agility. He paused for a moment, glancing back at the city. Despite the destruction, he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of pride.
"I really am strong," he murmured to himself, a satisfied grin returning to his face. "Nox doesn't stand a chance next time."
With that, Eleo bounded away.
Eleo finally made it to the ship and staggered up the gangplank to the ship, his energy still bubbling from the aftermath of the battle and his unexpected strength. When he reached the deck, he let out a satisfied sigh and spotted the kitchen door slightly ajar. Curiosity got the better of him, and he stepped inside.
Kenji and Olorun were busy unloading boxes of food and stacking them neatly in the refrigerator. Kenji wiped the sweat from his brow as he closed the fridge. Olorun grinned, holding up a large bundle of carrots.
Eleo's face lit up instantly. "Oh, you guys are back!"
"Yeah, and we brought a ton of food," Kenji replied, closing the fridge door with a thud.
Olorun smirked, holding out the carrots dramatically. "And guess what? We've got a bunch of carrots just for you."
Eleo's eyes sparkled like a child on their birthday. "Really?!"
"Yep," Olorun confirmed with a wide grin.
Before either of them could react, Eleo launched himself at them, wrapping his arms around both Kenji and Olorun in a tight hug. The unexpected force sent all three of them toppling to the ground in a heap.
"Thank you, guys! You're the best!" Eleo gushed, practically bouncing with excitement.
Kenji groaned beneath him. "Okay, okay, okay, let go already! You're crushing me!"
"Sorry!" Eleo laughed, springing to his feet and brushing himself off. "So, when can we eat?"
Olorun scratched his head sheepishly. "Uhhh… good question. I don't know how to cook."
Kenji got up, dusting himself off as he muttered, "Yeah, me neither."
Eleo's eyes darted between them before he clapped his hands together. "Maybe Tony or Chiyo knows how to cook!"
Olorun nodded hopefully. "Let's pray, because I'm starving over here."
Kenji crossed his arms, smirking. "Pathetic. You're always hungry."
But just as the words left his mouth, his stomach growled loudly, betraying him.
Olorun burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! Look who's talking, blue hair! Sounds like you're the one who's starving!"
Kenji's cheeks flushed a deep red. "S-shut up! That's just… hunger from all the hard work I've been doing!"
The sound of footsteps interrupted their banter. Everyone turned to see Tony and Chiyo entering, carrying their own supplies. Chiyo dropped a set of weights onto the floor with a loud clang, smirking as she straightened up.
"We got your weights," she announced casually.
Olorun's and Kenji's eyes lit up. "Alright!" they said in unison, rushing forward to inspect them.
Tony stepped forward, holding up a rolled-up map. "And I got us a map of World 1. It should lead us to the location we need to get to World 2."
"Nice job, Tony!" Eleo said, giving him a thumbs-up.
Tony smiled. "And on top of that, I picked up a hammock for the group."
Chiyo smirked wickedly. "Correction: I picked up a hammock for myself."
"What?!" Olorun exclaimed, turning to glare at her.
Chiyo shrugged nonchalantly. "I'll be sleeping in my own room, remember? You guys can stay down there and figure out who gets to use the hammock. One of you will just have to take turns."
Olorun's eye twitched in irritation. "That's so stupid! Fine, I CALL DIBS!"
Kenji spun to him with a glare. "Hey, you bastard! You didn't even give us a chance to call dibs!"
Olorun smirked, leaning back smugly. "You snooze, you lose, Kenji. Better luck next time."
Kenji's face turned red with anger, his hands clenching into fists. "Why, you—!"
Chiyo rolled her eyes and waved them off. "You two are idiots. Settle it however you want. I'm going to set up my hammock and not deal with this nonsense."
Tony chuckled, watching the chaos unfold. "Well, at least everyone's back and alive. That's what counts, right?"
Eleo nodded enthusiastically. "Right! And we've got food! Let's eat!"
Olorun and Kenji immediately stopped bickering at the mention of food, their expressions lighting up.
"Fine, but I'm eating first," Olorun declared.
"Like hell you are," Kenji shot back, following Eleo and Tony to the kitchen.
Chiyo shook her head, sighing as she walked off. "Good grief. I swear I'm surrounded by children."
Tony opened the cabinets, relieved to see they were stocked with plates and pans. He pulled them out, shaking his head. "Looks like Bobby kept this boat well-prepped. Guess he thought of everything—except decorations." He facepalmed and sighed. "We've still got a ship that looks like a bare-bones warehouse."
He set the pans on the stove, turned on the burner, and headed to the refrigerator. After pulling out some meat and checking the drawers for a knife and other ingredients, he found everything he needed. Placing it all on the table, he began prepping the food.
Eleo suddenly leaned over, wide-eyed. "HEY! What about the carrots?!"
Olorun snickered and leaned against the counter. "Eleo, haven't you ever had meat before?"
Eleo tilted his head, frowning. "I mean, maybe I did? I don't really remember. But I do know carrots are way better than meat!"
"No, no, no," Olorun said, shaking his head and wagging a finger at him. "At least try it. You don't know what you're missing."
Eleo huffed, crossing his arms. "Fine. But if it's terrible, I'm sticking to carrots."
Kenji walked into the kitchen, eyeing the food. "Hey, Tony, do we have any hot sauce?"
Tony checked the cabinet, rummaging around before replying. "Nope."
Olorun looked at Kenji, raising an eyebrow. "You like hot sauce?"
Kenji gave him a deadpan look. "Who doesn't like hot sauce?"
"Normal people," Olorun replied with a shrug. "You know, people who don't want their tongues set on fire."
Kenji rolled his eyes. "You're the weird one here."
Olorun smirked. "Nah, you're weirder."
Kenji's eye twitched. Without a word, he pulled out his sword, slashing at Olorun, who reacted instantly by turning his arms into lightning to block the attack.
"Oh, it's on now!" Olorun said, grinning.
They launched into a chaotic scuffle, Kenji swinging his sword while Olorun dodged and countered with bolts of electricity. Pots clanged, a chair toppled, and sparks flew as their clash escalated.
"FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" Eleo cheered, jumping up and down.
Tony glanced over his shoulder, utterly unbothered. "Of course, they're fighting. Again." He returned to chopping vegetables. "Why am I even surprised at this point?"
Meanwhile, Chiyo was in her room, setting up her hammock with care. She pulled the fabric taut, tested its sturdiness, and gave a small nod of approval.
"Perfect. Finally, a place where I don't have to deal with those idiots."
As she stepped back to admire her work, she heard a faint noise. It sounded like… laughter? Chiyo's brow furrowed, and her head snapped toward the wall.
"What the hell…?" she muttered, walking over to the source of the sound.
Chiyo knelt by the wall, pressing her ear against it again. The laughter was faint but clear, a high-pitched chuckle that sent a shiver down her spine. She pulled back, narrowing her eyes.
"Alright, who's there?" she demanded, her voice low and threatening. She tapped the wall with her knuckles. "You think this is funny? Come out before I make you regret it."
The laughter continued, soft and teasing, as if mocking her.
Chiyo's patience wore thin. "Oh, you think this is a game? You've got five seconds before I tear this wall apart." She cracked her knuckles, leaning closer. "Five… four…"
The laughter grew slightly louder, almost daring her.
"That's it!" Chiyo hissed. She grabbed a nearby broom, poking at the mouse hole with the handle. "I'll flush you out, you little—"
The laughter stopped abruptly, replaced by a tense silence. Chiyo froze, her grip tightening on the broom. She scanned the room, her instincts flaring.
"Not so funny now, is it?" she muttered, standing up. But the uneasy silence made her frown.
As she turned back to her hammock, the laugh came again—this time directly behind her.
Chiyo spun around, eyes darting across the room. "Whoever you are, you better stop playing games before I—"
The laugh echoed once more, playful and taunting. Chiyo clenched her fists, a low growl escaping her throat. "Fine. Stay hidden all you want. But when I find you…" She smirked, a wicked gleam in her eye. "And I will find you… you'll wish you'd kept quiet."
The laughter faded again, leaving Chiyo alone in the room. She huffed, tossing the broom aside.
She turned back to her hammock, sighing as the muffled sounds of Kenji and Olorun's fight echoed through the ship. "This crew is going to drive me insane…"
Shaking her head, she flopped onto her hammock, muttering, "I should've just stayed in the wild."