Ryuji's Earnest Teachings

Looking at the quaint, run-down little room before him, Ryuji smiled faintly. He could tell Steve wasn't exactly thrilled with him, but it didn't matter.

For Ryuji, this kind of old, medieval-style boarding house was a treasure. The higher up the floors, the fancier the rooms got, and the closer they felt to modern times, which he found boring. If you've come all this way, why not enjoy the atmosphere of 1918?

Although the place was old, it was spotless.

The night passed in silence.

The next morning, as soon as Ryuji stepped out, he saw Logan and Victor waiting. He raised a hand in greeting. "You guys eaten yet? If not, let's grab something together."

"We already ate. When are we going to take care of that jackass god?" Victor grumbled impatiently.

"You've eaten, but I haven't." Ryuji replied calmly.

"Uh…"

Both brothers had changed outfits. The soldier gear was gone, replaced with rugged, explorer-style denim and canvas clothes.

Breakfast was ordered in the hotel restaurant, and Steve footed the bill. He might as well—Ryuji insisted on ordering half the menu.

The table was barely set when a pair of striking women appeared.

"Wow—so much food?" Doutzen Carlos exclaimed, practically sprinting to the table. She looked ready to keel over from hunger. She noticed the two rough-looking men across the table and smirked. "Oh? You two actually showed up? Diana, you owe me £100."

She laughed triumphantly.

"...Fine." The woman beside her, Diana, rolled her eyes in exasperation.

Last night, Carlos had forced a bet on whether Ryuji would show up. Diana bet against it, knowing Ryuji's abilities made it too easy for him to escape anyone. It was a losing gamble, but she'd gone along to humor Carlos.

Still, she owed her friend.

"Doutzen Carlos, nice to meet you," Logan greeted with a slight nod.

"Victor here," Victor added. "You two… know him?"

Ryuji and Carlos. Siblings? Friends? There was something strange about their dynamic. Also, the medieval swords hanging at their waists didn't exactly fit the modern setting.

"We're not related," Carlos said, shaking her head. "And her name's Diana."

Victor and Logan nodded politely to the two women. Diana gave a courteous bow in return before sitting down to eat.

Once, Victor would've whistled or made some crude joke about seeing two stunning women. But knowing Zeus' daughter was sitting at the table? That took all the fun out of it. Even if she wasn't as terrifying as Ares, she could probably turn him into a smear on the pavement.

She did smash tanks like they were tin cans, after all.

Logan stayed calm, shooting a look at Ryuji, who tilted his head just slightly in confirmation.

So, Diana was Zeus' daughter.

"By the way," Carlos said between bites, "you two must be impressive to get Ryuji's attention. What's your power?"

She glanced between Logan and Victor. To her, Ryuji looked like the "frail, brainy" type—thin, 5'10", and weighing barely 140 pounds. Not exactly imposing.

The two brothers glanced at Ryuji. When he didn't say anything, they quietly extended their claws beneath the table.

Victor's hand transformed into razor-sharp tiger claws. Logan's fists unsheathed bone spurs between his knuckles before retracting again.

Both Amazons paused, clearly startled—but only for a moment.

"Ugh, that's a bit gross," Carlos muttered, patting her chest to steady herself.

Diana tilted her head in curiosity. "Doesn't that hurt?"

"It did at first," Logan admitted with a shrug. "You get used to it."

"Don't let their looks fool you. These two are over 90 years old," Ryuji added casually while chewing on a pork chop.

Pork in his time had become ridiculously expensive. Now that he was here, he wasn't going to waste the opportunity to indulge.

"90 years old?" Diana's curiosity deepened.

Carlos, however, barely blinked. "Oh, that's nothing. I'm much older." She paused mid-bite, then resumed eating like it was no big deal.

Logan and Victor stared. Older?

Of course, it made sense. Zeus' daughter wouldn't exactly be young. And Carlos? If she was hanging around Diana, she had to be something ancient too.

"Do humans normally live that long?" Diana asked.

"They don't," Ryuji said plainly. "These two have a self-healing factor. They can't be killed easily."

Carlos perked up, her hand drifting toward the hilt of her sword. "So they can be killed?"

"Hey, what're you doing?" Victor recoiled, looking alarmed.

"Eat your food," Ryuji ordered, knocking on the table. "Steve's coming soon."

Carlos grumbled but obeyed, setting aside her curiosity—for now. Victor and Logan exchanged wary glances, both silently thanking Ryuji for intervening.

"So… what exactly are you two?" Diana pressed, still puzzled. The brothers didn't seem human, and they reminded her of creatures from old myths.

"The Awakened," Ryuji said simply.

"The Awakened?"

"I'll explain later," Ryuji replied, his tone firm. "Diana, remember what I told you last night—don't let first impressions cloud your judgment. You'll meet all kinds of people out here. Good or bad doesn't always show on the surface."

Diana nodded thoughtfully.

"Hey, Steve!" Ryuji suddenly called out, waving at the approaching figure.

Steve entered the restaurant with a resigned expression, glancing at the table overflowing with food. He'd known better, yet here he was, being dragged into paying for Ryuji's appetite.

"Come on, come on, pay up!" Ryuji grinned.

Steve's face darkened as he realized the sheer volume of food ordered.

Samir clapped him on the shoulder with a grin. "That's what you get for being stingy, my friend."

Samir introduced himself, shaking hands with Logan and Victor. "I'm Samir. Welcome to the team. This is Steve and Charlie."

"Logan," Logan replied.

"Victor," Victor added.

"Pleasure to have you both on this… unusual journey."

Steve sighed as he made his way to pay the bill. If Ryuji kept eating like this, the small fund Sir Patrick had given him wouldn't last long.

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T/N: Why did everyone stopped giving power stone like you all did on Sunday??? Is this getting boring? Should I drop and focus on new one!?