Chapter 70 - A Family Reunion

"Dolian?!" The two cried out in shock, their eyes wide in surprise to see the person behind the door.

Even though Ryuji appeared far different compared to before, now taller, more muscular, with different hair, different skin tone, and even a more mature face, they can still recognize him with pure intuition alone.

The two couldn't believe what they were seeing for a short while, but they quickly calmed themselves down and regained their bearings.

Ryuji's original Quirk, Dragon of Illusions, comes from the combination of his parents' Quirks—Mind Tether and Psychologist. This meant that both of them are exceptionally great at the domain of minds, allowing them to remain calm and rational in most situations.

Ayumu and Hope appeared almost the same as the last time Ryuji saw them, albeit with a tiny bit of wrinkles to the side of their eyes and forehead, but they were so small that it was negligible. If he wasn't as perceptive as he is because of Dragon of Illusions, Ryuji wouldn't have noticed them in the first place.

They were as lively and as youthful as they were a year prior.

"You little rascal." Ayumu chuckled and spread out his arms.

"Your jokes are being a little too sudden, boy!" Hope snorted and also spread out her arms.

"Hehe…" Ryuji laughed cheekily and hugged the two tightly. With his tall stature, he was even taller than his mother already, more so compared to his naturally short father.

"I miss you guys." Ryuji wore a wide grin and said with teary eyes.

"Awe, you're such a crybaby." Hope chortled and patted Ryuji on the back.

"You've grown so tall in a year. I still remember when your head only reached your mother's neck." Ayumu sighed helplessly as he felt the inequalities of life surface once more with his height.

Everyone around him was tall.

His best friend since high school was tall.

His wife was tall.

His co-workers were tall.

Most heroes were tall.

Even the president of the country was tall.

Now, his son was like a giant compared to his pitiful 5'6 frame!

Ryuji rubbed the back of his head and coughed, "Is dinner ready?"

Hope's eyes widened as she became excited, "Oh yes! You're here just at the right time."

"I've been practicing my cooking skills for a while now and made a little too much curry. Heh, I know just how big of an appetite you have, so you're really lucky this time young man." Hope exclaimed with starry eyes, unable to hide her pride over her cooking skills to her own son.

…

"Uwah!" Ryuji bit into a mouthful of rice, curry sauce, meat, potatoes, carrots, and other vegetables added into the colorful reddish mix. His eyes were shining from delight as he chewed more and more.

Hope grinned and wore a cheeky smile, "Heh, as expected of my own greatness."

"That's right!" Ayumu added in as he was also busy savoring the blend of taste and texture rolling on his tongue and colliding with his teeth.

The pair of father and son didn't want to stop, but with their sharp intellect and terrifyingly high EQ, they stopped at the perfect moment and came to the same consensus.

Storytime!

"So…" Ayumu grabbed a cup of water and gulped a bit of it and placed it back down on the table, then continued, "What happened back in Japan after your eventual escape from child labor?"

"Oh, that?" Ryuji also placed his cup of water on the table and wiped his sauce-covered lips. "A lot happened!"

"After you guys help me bamboozle those United Nations dudes and the American Government, I followed our plan and reached Japan without much problem." Ryuji leaned back on his chair and revealed a satisfied grin.

"I then quickly started to look for jobs to get some stable source of income first and then met Buki-san one day when he was scouting for potential new models."

"Wait." Hope quickly interjected. "You're a model?!"

"Why didn't you tell us!" Hope slammed her hand down on the table with terrifying strength.

"Let the kid have some privacy," Ayumu said in an attempt to calm her down. "Besides, if Dolian has the talent for it, then he should try it out and have some fun."

"Ugh, fine." Hope rolled her eyes and sat back on her chair. "But I need to see what kind of tomfoolery you have been doing with that Buki-san and modeling."

"Oh, that?" Ryuji nodded his head and calmly took out his phone, then opened his gallery and clicked on some pictures. "These are some shots we've done and put on some magazines and on some company's advertisements and-"

"Woah woah woah!" Hope nearly leaped up from her chair again and grabbed the phone in a hurry.

Ayumu was also shocked and stared at the phone incredulously.

"This…" Ayumu gasped and looked back at his son with clear disappointment in his eyes. "This is just too explicit!"

"That's right! Why are you posing so lecherously while shirtless! And this! Why are you biting a flower, and is this wine?!"

"Mom, Dad, you gotta understand, times were rough and I was needing some cash to start my other businesses! Also, I'm already 16, and those pictures are recent! I only did some spicy ones after I became of legal age…" Ryuji paused and coughed. "In Japan, at least."

"But still, you shouldn't be-" Hope was about to rebut again when Ryuji said something shocking.

"I earned thousands of dollars from those pictures."

"…"

Ayumu and Hope looked back at those photos in a new light.

"Huh, well, if those naughty girls, or boys, are enjoying something they paid for, then okay."

"Hmm, it is still honest work, so maybe I looked at it a little too negatively."

…

"Anyways, after earning myself some cash, I started to expand into other businesses and earned myself some nice cash."

"But then, while doing a morning run, I met this dude named Izuku, he was a real shy guy back then!"

Ryuji rambled on endlessly, sharing more and more details of what happened in the last year he has been away abroad.

An indescribable feeling of warmth pulsated from deep within their hearts as the Tatori Family was finally together again after a year of being incomplete.

It was a harmonious scene, with the night sky twinkling with endless stars.

Hope and Ayumu did meet Ryuji from time to time through calls and texts, but it was an entirely different feeling with them being actually together physically and not just through online mediums.

The food was great. The atmosphere was touching. The experience was endearing.

Ryuji let himself go at this moment and savored the warmth of a family.

This was a change he himself didn't notice.

For a long time, he has been busy worrying over his life, with how entities having godlike powers can appear out of nowhere and snap his neck into two like a twig.

This caused him to madly lust over power and strength. He wanted that godlike strength for himself. To grow beyond the shackles of a mortal and be more god than man.

And, through twists and turns, through fake friendships and forced loyalty with all the messed up mind fucking he has done the past decade, he has finally achieved one of his sought-out goals.

Godlike strength was already his, ever growing with the tides of time through the divine ability of One for All.

He was a demigod, a being that has formed a law seed, and is one level below gods, 4th Stage entities that have created their own pathways.

Even though the gap between the two stages was as vast as heaven and earth, Ryuji was already confident in dealing with nearly every problem that runs to his way.

The only thing that he is missing is New Order, and his journey to godhood would now only rely on his luck and talent.

So, with utter confidence in his power, this finally caused his mind to enter an unprecedented state of ease, relaxation, or in other terms, bing chilling.

He finally didn't have to put on so many masks and have to plot so much for meager gains. He didn't have to set up hundreds of members, invade a company, and slowly brainwash a new CEO or business owner, he can just walk in, grab their heads, and fuck up their minds with a single thought.

So what if a meteor comes crashing in out of nowhere? With a wave of his arm, he can destroy that meteor down to the atomic level.

So what if the entire world is going to explode? He can just stop time, or make himself invisible and wander the endless void, and perhaps even make himself a new planet from scratch with his endless lifespan.

Controlling the four fundamental forces is simply too great. He was even confident in dealing with peak 3rd Stage entities that already created an initial form of their pathway.

'The only thing I lack now is New Order, and that's when I can finally begin to deduce my pathway.' Ryuji can already imagine his almighty pathway created from his incredibly deep foundation and absurd abilities.

This was something he has been aiming for for so long. He already has a clear idea of what Quirks he needed and what kind of pathway he can potentially acquire.

Ryuji was an exceptional genius that was given wings with Dragon of Illusions. Through years of planning and painstaking effort, he was able to enjoy the sweet fruits of his labor.

Now, he was simply free enough to do as he pleases.

There was no need for intricate schemes.

There was no need for constant exhausting manipulation.

There was no need to brainwash everyone he meets and submit themselves to him.

With his might alone, very few can take him down.

So, he started to enjoy life as it is.

He became a filial son. He became a playful child. A good friend. A great student.

Was it complacent? No. Ryuji would never make that mistake as his life can be endangered if he started to take things for granted.

He was still cautious as ever, and his strength only allowed him to put less masks on and be more true to himself with the way he acts and moves.

Ryuji walked up to the door with a big smile on his face.

"Are you sure you can't stay here for the night? Your bedroom has been barren for over a year already!" Hope asked with slight sadness.

"I still have to go back to our house, Mom." Ryuji sighed and put on his shoes. "They know me as Ryuji Anwir, not Dolian Tatori. I just think it's not the right time to explain all this stuff to them."

"Also, the house was crazy expensive, so I really need to savor the experience."

"Don't worry, honey. He'll be staying in Glory City for months, we have enough time." Ayumu comforted Hope and patted her on the back.

"Sigh, fine." She grumbled and reminded Ryuji. "Remember to wear protection, okay?"

"Heh, I don't need protection since I'm still single!" Ryuji exclaimed in a haughty tone.

"Wow, you sound a lot like a loser right now. You do know your parents are going to get older and are waiting for their grandchildren already." Hope stared at Ryuji with a deadpan gaze.

"I get it." Ryuji rolled his eyes and stood up. "I'm going now!"

"Take care!"

Ryuji opened the door and took one last glance at his parents, before he then walked through and closed it with a click.

Then, as he walked through the silent streets of Glory City, he looked up to the starry night sky and muttered, "There's a lot of benefits to having strength, huh?"

"Alas, this is still far from being truly unrivaled." Ryuji shook his head and his eyes flashed with an eerie light.

'Soon, the world will come to know Apocalypse.'

AN: This chapter has 2014 words.

I'm feeling a weird mixture of emotions right now. Joy, sadness, confusion, hesitation; A lot would change once today ends, for better and for worse. Alas, the biggest regret I have is not spending more time with the dear friend I have to say goodbye to. FUCK, I wanna cry right now. It's like I'm experiencing their death already because this is gonna be our final goodbye for a very long while. I'm tearing up already. Shit man, saying goodbye to a friend is too much. Especially when your author was a big loser with no friends for three years. This man was someone I can say was a true friend. Heart-wrenching, that's my emotion right now. I might just take a break before I officially start Fortune Stealer tomorrow to process this huge load of depression bubbling inside me.

(May 1, 2023 - 583rd day of writing)