A blond woman, nearly 1.8 meters tall, suddenly smacked the man's head and said,"What are you still chatting for? The customers are already getting impatient!"
"Impossible! I'm flipping four a minute—how could they be impatient? Don't lie to me, woman."
The big brother didn't believe her and turned his head.
Two beautiful girls were devouring the pancakes—each bite disappearing in two gulps. As soon as the vendor finished making one, it was gone.
This time, afraid of being outpaced by the Dark Phoenix, Ganata no longer took her time savoring them.
The other customers, though hungry, weren't in a hurry either. They placed their untouched pancakes in front of the two girls.
Big eaters weren't rare, but ones this beautiful and well-proportioned? That was a first.
"Mother of mercy!" the vendor gasped.
His pancakes were no joke—loaded with ingredients and usually enough to fill someone with just one.
"What are you staring at? You wanna lose your eyeballs?"
The blonde woman twisted the vendor's plump belly.
"Ow! Okay, okay! I'm not looking, stop pinching me!"
The vendor cried out as he hurriedly increased his speed.
"Big brother, is that your wife?" Kino asked with some surprise.
"She's pretty, isn't she? Don't let the fact that I sell pancakes fool you. She married me because she loved my pancakes! Even gave me a beautiful daughter."
The big brother spoke proudly.
"Then you're truly impressive," Kino said with a thumbs-up.
The blonde woman smiled generously and reached out her hand for a shake.
"I'm Susanna. Don't listen to him—he kept bringing me pancakes every day until I was so annoyed I gave in and married him."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Kino." Kino shook her hand lightly.
"Hey, kid, want my wife to introduce you to someone? She has a bunch of girlfriends. Their daughters are around your age and absolutely stunning—"
"Hey, hey, hey! Woman, ease up!"
The big brother's waist was twisted like a pretzel again, but his hands didn't miss a beat—he was clearly used to it.
"How do you know they're stunning?!"
"I don't, I don't! I was just bluffing, chatting with the young lad!"
"Really?!"
"Really, truly! Give me some face here, darling!"
Just then, Dark Phoenix and Ganata finished eating and walked over to Kino.
"Kino, we're done. Let's hit the next spot."
"This place isn't bad. Boss, buy it for me."
Kino waved at the stunned vendor.
"See you next time, big brother."
It was a while before the vendor snapped out of his daze.
"That young lad is seriously badass—handling two at once!"
"Hubby, did they say they're buying our shop?"
"Must've misheard. Who buys pancake stalls anyway?"
But that very evening, someone came looking for the vendor and bought the shop—along with him, the boss.
That's when he realized who the young man really was—the Demon King of Devil Corp!
———
Kino spent the day eating and drinking with the two girls, all while casually inspecting which restaurants failed his standards of taste and hygiene—for future purging.
That's when they ran into familiar faces.
Two men and a woman.
"Bucky, why are you following us?"
Peggy gave the old-fashioned man a tired look.
"I had nothing to do, so I came out for a walk. Just a coincidence."
Bucky wore a flight jacket and had one gloved hand.
"You do realize you're basically a third wheel, right?"
"What do you mean? How am I a third wheel?"
Clearly, Bucky hadn't fully grasped modern slang.
Sigh…
Peggy sighed. Ever since becoming young again, her mindset had also returned to youth. She found herself getting emotional and sentimental easily.
"Bucky, maybe you should—"
Steve looked into Bucky's lonely eyes but couldn't finish the sentence.
He could only look silently at Peggy.
Feeling both men's gaze, Peggy's expression turned neutral.
Why couldn't HYDRA have been a little slower?Steve and I barely had any time to enjoy being together before they showed up.
"One week!"
She held up a single finger.
"…Alright."
Steve hesitated but eventually nodded.
Hearing that, Peggy smiled and said to Bucky,"You can tag along, but today, you're our bodyguard. Got it?"
Bucky's eyes brightened with a small smile as he nodded.
He just wanted to stay close to his two old-time friends—he didn't care about the role.
The three lined up at a burger shop, right behind Kino.
"Looks like you're adapting well to this era," Kino said as he turned around.
Steve was briefly stunned. The face was unfamiliar, but that voice—
"Boss?!"
Pepper and Bucky also changed expressions, wanting to say something.
"Relax. I'm just out having fun today," Kino waved casually.
"So, Steve, are you happy with your life now?"
"Very happy. I have my loved ones, friends… and I no longer have to save the world. This is the life I always dreamed of," Steve said with a smile.
"Empty words. Lying to the Demon King is never a wise move."
"I…"
"Looks like you misunderstood my question last time. Let me ask you again:If you had to choose between family and friends, who would you choose?"
"Family."
This time, Steve answered without a trace of hesitation.
"Perfect answer! We're the same—selfish and self-serving," Kino said."The difference between us is this:I am decisively evil and never regret my actions.You are hypocritically good—always hesitant before making a move."
"…When I first became a super soldier, all I wanted was to fight—to prove myself.But the government made me into a performer instead.Back then, I was just angry. When I saved Bucky, half the reason was to prove myself."
Steve confessed something neither Peggy nor Bucky had ever heard before.
"Boss, when you asked if I saved the world for justice—was it really justice, or just for fame and glory?
I can now answer you.
In that moment—
I did it for justice! To save the world!"
Steve's eyes were resolute. He had thought long and hard about this answer.
Kino stared at him with sharp, piercing eyes that seemed to see straight into his soul.
Steve, however, met his gaze squarely. There was no fear or doubt—only honesty and conviction.
"Then let me ask you…Do you still want to save the world one more time?"
"This world doesn't need me to save it anymore."
Steve smiled and shook his head. There was a relaxed and contented peace in his expression.
Since the Demon King's rise, the existence of Hell had been confirmed—leading many to question the reality of Heaven.
Crime rates plummeted across the world.Though, of course, crazies still existed.
"In a few months, this world will face war.And with your current strength, it might not be enough.Go see Dr. Banner and get the upgraded Super Soldier Serum 2.0.You'll have to provide your own materials, though," Kino said.
"War?! Boss, are you planning to start a war?"
Steve was stunned. The smile vanished from his face, replaced by alarm and concern.
"I don't have time for that nonsense."
Kino rolled his eyes, though his past record suggested otherwise.
"Oh, right—if Fury ever asks for your help, feel free to go.Just don't tell him I said that. Otherwise, I'll be very upset."
With that, Kino turned away and began ordering his burger.
Quote of the Chapter:
"The difference between good and evil isn't the choice itself—but the courage to never regret it."
plz support me if you can
patreon.com/AZFANFICTION
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/AZofficial
This fanfiction is 90-chapter ahead and also this fanfic is 90 chapters ahead there