In the secret base, Aomori and Child Emperor were looking intently at each other.
Grumble...
An untimely sound rang out, causing Child Emperor's face to flush. He waved his hands in panic: "I'm still growing, so it's perfectly reasonable to be hungry often!"
"Yes, children should eat more. As usual, how about braised pork, or Mapo Tofu, Sweet and Sour Fish, Secret Recipe Beggar's Chicken, or Pork Ribs with Potatoes..."
"Adults are the ones who make choices; children should have all of them!" Child Emperor's eyes sparkled as he shamelessly swallowed several times.
Ever since he had tasted the food Aomori cooked, other meals had become bland and unappetizing.
"Alright, no problem!"
Aomori left the base and headed toward the city.
'I remember getting a Supermarket Sale Voucher from a ten-pull, he thought.
...
The Good and Plenty Supermarket was the closest one to Aomori's house, and he usually bought his daily necessities there.
He arrived at the supermarket around 10 AM, the peak hour for grocery shopping. People were constantly moving in and out, and Aomori, who was wearing his Disguise Glasses, didn't receive any celebrity treatment and was nearly squeezed flat by the crowds of middle-aged women.
After finally finishing his shopping, Aomori carried several bags of ingredients and hurried out of the supermarket.
In his perception, another Monster had appeared.
Even while carrying several heavy bags of groceries, Aomori moved with incredible speed. Turning a corner, his pupils contracted as he saw a scarred Tiger-level Mysterious Being about to die.
Without time to hesitate, Aomori put down the ingredients and took off his glasses. Clutching the crimson blade, his body shot forward like an arrow from a bow, diving toward the Tiger-level Monster, shouting: "Hold on, brothers, I'm coming!"
Light Breathing: One Sword Style: Flying Dragon Blaze!
The three figures who were besieging the Tiger-level Monster looked back at Aomori charging in with overwhelming momentum. Their hearts jumped, and they hastily dodged out of the way.
The next moment, Ryuko descended from the sky, wreathed in flame, and sliced the Tiger-level Monster into two halves.
Aomori nodded in satisfaction at the increased points and experience. He looked back at the three men he had startled away and reassured them: "That Monster was too dangerous. Are you all okay?"
"Seriously, you were much more dangerous, you know?" the bearded man in a samurai outfit said gruffly, stroking his chin.
"What's this? He's an Ultimate Hottie! Well, in that case, I'm perfectly fine. Let's start a forbidden romance!" the "woman" with pink cheek pouches said shyly, clutching her face.
"Kamaitachi, Drill, maintain your etiquette," the man in the center, a blonde, blue-eyed swordsman wearing steel armor, said sternly. While admonishing the other two, he also expressed his gratitude for Aomori's help.
With such distinctive appearances, Aomori immediately recognized their identities: A-Class Rank 4 Hero Iaian, A-Class Rank 3 Hero Bushidrill, and A-Class Rank 2 Hero Okamaitachi, Atomic Samurai's disciples, who often acted together.
Among them, Iaian, who had a significant role in the original story, exhibited qualities such as justice, courage, intelligence, perseverance, and responsibility, making him one of the few normal and worthwhile people to develop in the source material.
Aomori, who was looking for companions and opportunities to hone his swordsmanship, naturally wouldn't miss the chance to get acquainted with them. Thus, he raised an eyebrow, flashed a standard kind smile, and spoke gently: "My apologies, I was worried someone might be hurt, so I acted rashly. As it turns out, that Mysterious Being was no match for you three great swordsmen."
Iaian's expression shifted, and he asked, "You know us?"
"Of course, the famous Three Swordsmen, the direct disciples of the Strongest Swordmaster. Your reputation precedes you," Aomori said, glancing at his groceries in the distance, feeling relieved as he continued to chat with them.
"Hahaha, are we that famous? People usually only paid attention to us because of Sensei," Bushidrill said, highly delighted, bursting into laughter.
"Not at all. Your swordsmanship just now was far superior to ours," Iaian stated calmly.
"No, no, no, I'm just a self-taught swordsman who picked up techniques randomly," Aomori paused, then continued, "Actually, I was planning to visit the Strongest Swordmaster's dojo tomorrow to exchange swordsmanship tips. What a coincidence to run into you all. If you aren't too busy, I'd like to treat you to a meal."
"No, thank you. We have to meet up with our master. Perhaps next time," Iaian politely declined, thinking Aomori was just being courteous and not taking his intention to visit the dojo tomorrow seriously.
Aomori understood the need to know when to stop, so he chuckled and said, "Alright, next time for sure."
After saying their goodbyes and walking a little distance, Okamaitachi, who had been frowning and contemplating something, suddenly shouted: "I remember! He's the big star Aomori! Oh no, I forgot to ask for his autograph."
Okamaitachi, though dedicated to the way of the sword, would listen to music and watch dramas in his spare time, but he hadn't fully connected the two images of Aomori until now.
"How many handsome men like that could there be? I should have figured it out earlier," Okamaitachi lamented.
"The big star Aomori?"
"Yeah! His songs are super catchy, and he's super hot! I heard he's also been doing Hero activities."
"A Hero? Then he's just like us?"
"No wonder..."
Iaian turned back but couldn't see Aomori's shadow anymore.
A Hero, huh?
He suddenly looked forward to Aomori actually showing up at the dojo tomorrow.
...
Back at the secret base, Aomori kept his promise and prepared a perfect feast for the impatient Child Emperor.
After eating their fill, the two lay on the sofa to rest.
"Hic!" Child Emperor rubbed his distended belly and sighed contentedly, "Food this delicious is truly something I could eat a hundred times and never tire of!"
Aomori chuckled, rolled over, and moved toward the exoskeleton suit in the corner, beginning to study it carefully again.
Child Emperor wanted to get up, but after several attempts failed, he resorted to using his voice to assist Aomori.
"Big Star, you're planning to start a company to manufacture these exoskeleton suits, right?"
"Correct. I plan to acquire a company that's already reasonably well-equipped."
"In that case, wouldn't having only one product be too little?"
"Of course, it won't be just one type," Aomori paused, then continued, "I intend to design two product lines: a low-end civilian series of self-guided robots, and the high-end military Iron Man series of exoskeleton suits."
"There are already quite a few low-end civilian robots on the market," Child Emperor said, rubbing his small stomach.
The technological level in the One-Punch Man world is quite advanced, and various types of robots have been developed, although mass production for everyday life is limited due to cost factors.
The high-end sector is even more ridiculous; in a few years, a bunch of Dragon-level robots can be mass-produced.
"Therefore, we have to win on price," Aomori unscrewed a mechanical arm and continued, "I have many ideas for robot models. With your help, creating a qualified physical shell isn't difficult. The challenge lies in the Artificial Intelligence that can handle various situations."
Aomori's primary focus was on mechanical manufacturing. He wasn't particularly proficient in programming, and he didn't care for the "small, intellectually disabled" AIs currently on the market.
"Artificial Intelligence, huh? I'll go back and look up some information to study," the supremely confident Child Emperor pulled out a lollipop and happily licked it.
Aomori smiled, "Good. I'll await your good news."
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You can read the ahead chapter on Patr if you're interested: p-atre-on.c-om/Overgod [Just remove the hyphen to access normally]