A/N: This is going to have an erratic update schedule. Once we get to the actual aura farming my writing will become less serious and more gag-like.
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It was a warm, sunny morning. The streets of City B were bustling with life. Children played with one another, laughing, mocking, and hugging as if the world belonged entirely to them. The adults watched from nearby benches or doorsteps, smiling faintly before continuing on with their day. The sun glistened over the entire city like a radiant overhead lamp, washing everything in gold.
Inside this city, a bald man wearing red gloves and a bright yellow jumpsuit stood in a small convenience shop, holding his wallet with an expression of mild concern. A few grocery bags rested at his feet.
"I have... eighty-two yen," he muttered, counting his change with quiet despair. He was too focused on his financial crisis to notice the tremor that shook the ground beneath him.
The lights flickered, then went out completely. A deep rumble echoed from above as the roof began to crack. Dust fell in streams from the ceiling, followed by a deafening crash.
The bald man stepped outside, staring at a massive footprint that had crushed a nearby building like paper.
He slowly tilted his head upward.
A giant loomed over the district, dwarfing every nearby building. Its skin was stretched tightly over muscles carved like stone. A skull-like helmet covered its head up to the nose, giving it an eerie, skeletal appearance.
It was the cause of all this destruction. Another monster attack.
And for the bald man, it was just another day picking up groceries.
At the top of the giant's shoulder stood a man in a white lab coat that fluttered in the wind like a proud banner. His figure was light and weak, a total opposite to the giant he was standing on. He wore light green trousers, a gray shirt, and a pair of goggles perched over his dark-brown eyes. His hair was straight and black, parted neatly.
"Incredible," the man said, his lips curling into a confident smile. In his hand he held a transparent tube filled with a purplish-green liquid.
"This is incredible, little brother!" he shouted again, louder this time, his voice echoing across the ruined streets below.
His white coat swayed dramatically as he raised the vial toward the sky. "I never thought it would work this well!"
Below him, his "little brother" continued to stomp across the city, crushing blocks of buildings like paper toys.
"My brains and your brawn! Together we are the perfect fusion of genius and strength!" the scientist declared proudly. "With the greatest mind and the most powerful body combined, we brothers will conquer everything on this earth!"
He pointed forward, eyes gleaming with mad enthusiasm. "And rule as kings!"
The giant below him let out a deep grunt and swung his massive arm through the air. The motion seemed simple, but the wind pressure alone devastated everything in its path. Dozens, no, hundreds, of buildings were reduced to dust in an instant. The cityscape turned into a wasteland of debris and smoke.
The man on his shoulder trembled, both in fear and admiration. "I… incredible," he stammered, his voice a mix of terror and delight.
"Well done, little brother! Thousands have perished already!" he shouted gleefully before turning his gaze toward the horizon. His smile widened, manic and self-satisfied.
"Now then," he said, spreading his arms like a stage performer ready for an encore, "on to the next town to destroy!"
"This... this is it, big bro!" the titan murmured, its deep, gruff voice rumbling through the air. "This is what I was looking for... to be the strongest man."
It continued walking forward, each step causing fresh catastrophe. Buildings crumbled like sandcastles beneath its feet, and the earth itself seemed to groan in protest.
A blaring siren pierced the chaos. A woman's calm yet urgent voice echoed across the city.
"This is an emergency evacuation warning. A giant creature has appeared in City D. The creature is currently heading toward City B. All residents in the area, please evacuate immediately. I repeat, please evacuate immediately."
The warning was broadcast, and panic spread like wildfire. Families rushed into the streets, clutching what little they could carry. Cars clogged the roads, engines roaring, horns blaring, and voices rising in desperation. Public transport overflowed with terrified passengers as people scrambled to escape.
"Yes, that's right, scatter like rats!" the older brother shouted gleefully, his smug grin stretching ear to ear. "Get them, little brother!"
"I'm the strongest man... I'm the strongest man... I'm the strongest man..." the titan murmured again and again, its eyes glazed with obsession.
Far in the distance, standing atop a half-destroyed building, was a man with golden blond hair that shimmered under the sun. His eyes were a deep red. He wore a crisp white shirt tucked into black trousers, and over it, a black leather jacket hung open and unzipped.
On his face was a blank expression, motionless and calm. His blond hair barely covered his eyes and his jacket moved softly with the wind. His eyes seemed to gaze past everything in front of him, fixed on some distant scene.
'Not yet,' he thought, watching silently.
Below him, a woman clutched her child as debris rained from the sky. A massive chunk of a collapsing building was falling straight toward them.
"HELP ME!" she screamed, her voice cracking with fear.
'Not yet,' he repeated in his mind, his gaze unwavering as the shadow of the debris swallowed them.
The woman closed her eyes, her scream rising in pure despair.
'Now!'
In the blink of an eye, the man vanished from the rooftop. A heartbeat later, he appeared right in front of the woman and child. His movements were sharp and precise, almost too fast to follow.
He raised his hand casually towards the falling mass. A shockwave burst from his palm, and the building fragment exploded into nothing but dust.
He stood there silently as the sun caught his golden hair, his calm expression reflecting in the child's wide, awe-struck eyes.
The woman looked at him in shock, her voice a humble and modest tone. "You... you saved us..."