Chapter 38:Fireworks
Two days have passed after the discussion with Arthur and now he has four years to complete all the work on this planet.
He now decides that he will leave this village in one month after finishing his plan for the future. He knew he had to complete quests as soon as possible ,so he was making a plan that will help him in completing quests.
Now Ank lay sprawled on his bed, his chest rising and falling slowly. Training had drained every ounce of his energy, and the ache in his limbs reminded him of how far he still had to go. His muscles screamed for rest, but his mind never truly rested. Even in sleep, visions of his past ,fighting with his friends,destroying planets ,destroying galaxies haunted him, always whispering—We will definitely kill you one day.
HIs face became pale and If anyone saw him now, they'd think he was dead.
The door creaked open. A soft voice, almost melodic, cut through his shallow slumber.
"Ank," Maya said, her face peeking through the crack of the door, eyes bright with anticipation. "Come with me tonight. The fireworks show is starting soon! Everyone will be there."
Ank stirred but didn't bother opening his eyes fully. His voice was cold, sharp, and decisive.
"No."
Maya blinked. "...No?"
Without a second thought, Ank muttered, "Why would I waste time on something so useless? I don't have much time. I am very busy . I need to plan—train harder. Every second counts." he thought internally.
His words echoed like a blade cutting through silk. For him, it was a casual dismissal, but to Maya, it was a dagger straight into her chest.
She stood frozen, mouth half-open, her invitation crushed before it even had the chance that Ank will understand him. Her cheeks flushed—not from embarrassment but from anger.
"You… you idiot!" she snapped, stomping her foot so hard the wooden floor cracked. "You big-brained bastard! Who rejects me like that?!"
Without waiting for a reply, she spun around and bolted out of the house, her footsteps heavy with fury.
Outside, Maya stormed into the garden, her hands clenched into fists. She sat down on a chair beneath the blooming lantern flowers, muttering curses under her breath.
"Idiot, blockhead, training-obsessed moron! If I invited anyone else, they would have jumped at the chance. I know I'm beautiful. People line up to ask for my attention, and yet he—he didn't even think for a single second before rejecting me!"
She puffed her cheeks, her pride wounded more than her heart. But beneath her anger, there was hurt. She wanted Ank to see something beyond training,beyond endless struggles. Just once, she wanted him to stand beside her and watch something beautiful.
Now he was very angry with Ank's attitude.
A shadow stretched across the garden.
"Maya, what's wrong? Why are you sulking out here?"
It was her grandfather, Arthur, returning from his daily visits around the villages. In his hand he had some flower seed that he had bought from the village market so he could plant in his garden but now his calm eyes immediately sharpened when he saw his granddaughter upset.
At the sound of his voice, Maya lifted her head. Her lips trembled, her eyes glossy with unshed tears, but her voice carried the weight of betrayal.
"Grandpa… Ank rejected my invitation to the fireworks show tonight!"
Arthur froze. His peaceful expression cracked into outrage. He threw the seed in the ground .
"What did you just say? That bastard rejected my granddaughter's offer?!"
Maya sniffled, nodding pitifully.
That was enough to ignite Arthur's fury. His face reddened like a volcano ready to erupt. Without another word, he stomped into the house, he picked a stick from the ground and stuck it banging against the floor with each step like war drums.
Maya, still seated near the door, waited in silence, anticipation mixing with satisfaction.
And then—
SLAP! THWACK! BAM!
The sounds of slapping, kicking, and punching echoed through the walls .
Inside, Ank tried to reason with Arthur, but the old man was relentless.
"You dare reject Maya?!" WHACK!
"She's your friend, the one who looks after you!" BAM!
"You dare ignore fireworks?! What are you, a rock?!" SLAP!
Ank's muffled protests followed.
"Wait—ow! That's unfair logic—ouch! Old man , stop hitting my face that hurt!"
Ten minutes later, the door creaked open.
Ank stumbled out, his cheeks bright red, puffed up like ripe tomatoes. He looked like he had fought with a monster that only attacked on his cheeks—except this monster was an old man with a walking stick and too much pride in his granddaughter.
Ank walked toward Maya with heavy steps, his pride shattered but his voice steady.
"I accept."
Maya blinked, confused. "What accept?"
"Your invitation."
"Which invitation?" she teased, folding her arms, her lips twitching with amusement.
"The invitation to the fireworks," he said flatly, though the redness of his cheeks betrayed his humiliation.
Her eyes widened, and then her face lit up with delight. She clapped her hands together and shouted, "Thank you for accepting my invitation!"
For a moment, she forgot her anger and basked in the victory of having her way.
Ank, however, coughed and quickly turned away. "I'll… go finish my training before tonight," he muttered, trying to salvage his pride as he walked off toward the village.
Arthur emerged shortly after, but his condition wasn't much better than Ank's. Instead of red cheeks, both of his eyes were swollen and dark, as though someone had given him matching black eyes. Still, he carried himself with the same air of authority.
"That bastard… did he accept your invitation or not?" Arthur asked, squinting one eye shut.
Maya giggled, her mood completely transformed. "He accepted. Thank you, Grandpa."
Arthur smirked despite his bruises. "Good. If he ever tries to reject you again, tell him this old man will beat him twice as hard!"
He puffed out his chest proudly, ignoring how ridiculous he looked with both eyes nearly shut.
After that declaration, Arthur also marched off toward the village, muttering, "I need to check if that boy is actually training or just lazing around after all this nonsense."