Chapter 97: Back to Normal?

  Hayato found it hard to believe the man in his arms was the father he respected and hated all this time. He looked so... fragile and helpless. Never had Hayato seen his father like this at any time throughout his 17 years of living. The only thing he could remember in his past about his father was how frightening and larger than life he always seemed.

"Not so big anymore, are you?" Hayato gave a conflicted chuckle.

  Everything just changed so fast ever since he met Zoey. Letting his father down by losing to her, letting himself down by losing to her in their rematch, and now he was homeless! Could this outcome have been avoided if he never tried to assassinate Zoey in the first place? Hayato didn't think so.

"She said there was no point in having a clan of assassins in today's time. We take contracts for magjistars, not daemons. If people need to solve their disputes, they should do it with their own hands. How would you have responded to that, Father?" Hayato asked the passed-out old man.

"You'd probably ignore her words as the words of a child who knew nothing of the world of grown-ups. Like you always told me when I asked questions."

"I always wondered why we trained against daemons when our only targets were humans. But, like the good son I was raised to be, I didn't ask questions. I obeyed orders."

"Now, there are no more orders to be obeyed. You are no longer the strongest person in my life, Father. You lost to someone around my age."

"I always viewed you to be the strongest magjistar in the world. But you were just the strongest magjistar I knew." Hayato sighed as he jumped from tree to tree toward the Star Clan.

"I also had thought I was the strongest of my generation until I lost for the first time. Seeing you like this, I will learn from your defeat and failure, Father. I will become a better man, father, and lover thanks to seeing the mistakes you made while raising me." Hayato didn't know what type of woman he would marry in the future.

  But he certainly knew she wouldn't be like Zoey. No, he would do everything it took to avoid such an outcome. That girl was just too terrifying. How many people their age could claim that they destroyed an entire clan alone? None! That's who.

"Zoey was right in that there was no point to a clan of assassins. Daemons are more active than ever in today's time. Why focus on weakening our allies when we could help keep the daemon population low?" Hayato arrived at the gate of the Star Clan and patiently waited.

"I'll rebuild our clan into something far greater than even you, Father." Hayato vowed as the Star Clan members questioned him.

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"You don't know how fucking happy I am you actually agreed to come out on a date with me." A slight blush appeared on James Johnson's cheeks. "When I saw you put that pretty boy in a chokehold, I fell in love all over again." He stated without any shame. "You know I never bought into that love at first sight bullshit they talk about in fairy tales and movies. Who would've fucking known that I would be a sucker to fall in love with a badass chick because of how she fights." James laughed as the blush on his face never went away.

  On the other hand, Zoey buried her face in her glass filled with icy cold water. Her cheeks were flushed red as she listened to this huge, handsome, muscular bastard aggressively target her weak points. It was like she was the target in a dating sim, and he was going raw dog on all her likes with a guide! Today was the first time in her life she's ever been hit on and suddenly realized that it might be too much for her. Her heart was beating like a drum while her mind was unable to focus as he kept talking about how amazing she was in his eyes!

"Do you think that's even a real thing? What would they even fucking call something like that? A fightsexual? Combatsexual? You know how they're always making up names for new ways to feel about people and shit? Which one do you think would fit best for liking someone because of their fighting style?" James asked.

"Probably one of those two..." Zoey softly responded.

"But don't get me wrong, Zoey! I like you a lot more than just the ways you can fucking knock a motherfucker out. I'm not going to go into detail because this is our first date, but I think you are the shit in every way."

  And with that line, Zoey has officially lost all her HP. It looks like she was in love with a sweet talker. Callie and Katlyn were going to be so disappointed in her when she told them about how well this date went... If she wasn't directly threatened by the two, Zoey was sure James could definitely talk her way into her panties before the night was over.

"Thank you... I think you are a little too nice as well..." Zoey felt like curling up and dying. Why couldn't she just respond normally!?

"Heh, you're a lot more shy outside of the ring. I think it's pretty cute." James was relentless as he smiled at her.

"Let's talk about not me for a bit. Please." Zoey had to throw in the towel. This guy had no shame!

"That's cool. Sorry if I'm coming off strong as hell. I just never felt this way about someone before. Do you have anything you want to talk about?" James chuckled as he felt a little embarrassed.

  Zoey drew a blank. What the fuck would she want to talk about? She was fine with just admiring this giant in a button-up shirt that was way too tight on his... body. Uhhhh...

"What do you do outside of fighting?" Zoey asked.

"Does that include training?"

"Nothing related to fighting."

"Believe it or not, I've actually play chess when I have the opportunity."

"I can tell you that I wasn't expecting that to be one of your hobbies."

"Oh yeah, what were you expecting?" He smirked at her.

"Uh, I actually don't know..." Zoey truthfully admitted. "Maybe football?"

"You know, I used to play football when I was younger. Before I took up boxing. What about you? What do you do outside of fighting and training?"

"I'm on the track team." Zoey's coach let her back on the team.

"For real? What school do you go to? Maybe I could come to one of your games."

'I'll fucking literally die if you do that.' Zoey thought. "I go to Sun Valley High, and I'm not like that good at running... There's no need to do that..."

"With the way you move inside the ring, I don't fucking believe that for a second." He laughed.

"Well, I only lost one race so far, but I've only been in like two or three races. I had to take a break from track because of the YFTL and other stuff."

"I'll come to cheer you on. Just text me or call me whenever you got a track meet. I'd be happy to support you." James was really not giving her a break on this first date.

"Okay..." It was very difficult for Zoey to resist the urge to crawl underneath their table and stay there for the remainder of their date.

  She was sure James would just look underneath the table and give her that stupid handsome stare. Maybe the bastard would even try and join her. If that happened, how could she resist if their clothes suddenly flew off at that point? Right underneath the table in front of everyone, going at it like animals.

'This is lust, not love!'

'Lust can lead to love.'

'How about you just start as friends, you fucking slut.'

'I am! What the fuck do you think I'm doing!?'

'What friends start out by going on a fucking date together!?'

'Ah shit.' Zoey had to admit.

  Maybe going to a restaurant wasn't the best choice for a first date if her plan was to start out as friends. WHICH IT IS! While she is somewhat kind of very interested in James's body and would love to explore and do all kinds of things to it. PATIENCE! Let things happen naturally and in due time. Otherwise, Callie and Katlyn would kill her.

  For some reason, Zoey was treated like the baby of their group. Just because she was lacking in worldly experiences compared to those two popular social butterflies didn't mean she could be tricked out of her clothes by any handsome sweet-talking... Okay, yeah. Zoey understood their worries because she was getting sweet-talked out of her ass right now, and it was working. Working so well, Zoey felt like running away from James and ravishing him at the same time.

"It's getting a little late. I'll take you back home." James looked at his watch.

"Oh." Zoey sobered up. "I already have a ride..."

"Which is us!" Callie suddenly revealed herself with Katlyn at her side.

  The two stood in front of their table. Callie with a confident smile on her face while Katlyn looked somewhat embarrassed. Zoey was just as surprised as James was. Were they seriously looking out for her on her first date!? She wasn't a fucking baby!!!

  But Zoey's heart swelled with happiness to see that they were so concerned about her that they actually secretly followed her.