Hero For Lust

"'How foolish to follow me here: to my true domain. My power transcends your limited mind's capacity to comprehend.'"

Caspian caught the difference in 'God's' voice. No longer sound projected into his mind; now vibration rippling through space itself.

That wasn't the only change. The galaxy surrounding them mirrored the swirling nebulae and countless stars that decorated the 'Gate of the Celestial Rock Cave's' interior: the same patterns found in Cosmic Psykos' eyes and Garou's 'Cosmic Fear Mode.'

A smirk touched Caspian's lips. "You're definitely responsible for Earth's monster surge. They all yap like this before a fight. Planning to monologue now?" He jerked his head toward the emptiness behind 'God.' "Too bad. My friend behind you won't give you the chance."

'God,' a titan in the void, spun around too late.

"Killer Move: Technique 12: Planet Busting Acid Breath."

Divine luminescent green devastation lit space like a newborn star, sending the titan spiraling tens of thousands of miles away.

'God's' roar shook the entire galaxy. "'This cannot be!'"

Caspian didn't bother opening a gate, using pure speed to mimic teleportation. He arrived just as his friend launched a follow-up attack.

"Time to conduct Grorb. Killer Move: Technique 13: Omni-Directional Acid Breath."

The great 'God' couldn't fight back as immeasurable 'Acid Breaths' battered him across his domain.

Caspian flickered to his friend's side as the assault ceased. "Glad you could make it, Groribas. I hope there are no lingering hard feelings from our last encounter."

"None. Considering what you've done for Lord Boros, I couldn't forgive myself if I couldn't forgive you or Tatsumaki."

'God' flexed his body, and a silent spatial tremor dispersed the lingering acid into harmless vapor. He stared down at them both as a sphere of white light emerged at the center of his featureless head, expanding with surging divine power.

"'I will end your lives and the myriad galaxies behind you. Face annihilation! 'Big Bang Gaze of Creation!'"

The sphere imploded, pulling the woven, root-like textures of 'God's' face inward to form a perfect circular aperture: a barrel for a divine cannon. For a split second, a captive supernova danced within. Then, with a searing flash that bleached all color from existence, energy erupted toward them.

Caspian looked to Groribas. "You got this, buddy?"

"Yes. I'll teach this snake-oil salesman a lesson."

Groribas extended his arms, stacking his two gaping entrances atop one another.

"Ultimate Series: Move Number 1: Gloryversal, True Potential, Acid Breath of Extinction."

A heaven-sized pillar of incandescent green energy fired out to meet the 'Big Bang Gaze of Creation.'

The collision defied expectations. No grand struggle; no explosive stalemate. The moment the pillars met, 'God's' brilliant white beam vanished: not shattered or dissipated, but unwritten from existence, devoured whole by the emerald tide. The green pillar continued undiminished, slamming into 'God's' form.

Groribas stomped.

'God' slouched forward, arms hanging loose. The root-like textured skin covering him had melted into smooth surface. "'No. No. No. Inconceivable! Fine... I shall sacrifice myself and be reborn with my cosmos!'" His moon-sized form bloated until it grew past Earth's scale.

"Let me do the honors." Caspian soared to the inflation kink deity. "This is for making Manako cry, and making me fail the Written Test!"

"'What Written—'"

"Killer Move: Serious Serious... Serious Punch."

¤ ¤ ¤

"Caspian!"

After defeating 'God,' he parted ways with Groribas, but not before inviting him to an important event. He traveled to where Blast and Void kept watch, told them the deed was done, and extended the same invitation.

When he returned home, his fiancées were waiting. Not just Mosquito Girl shouted in relief; all seven of them rushed to embrace him. Their hidden worry broke free. If they kept kissing and hugging him much longer, he'd take all of them right there in the living room.

But that would have to wait. Now they had to go meet the 'Observer.'

Time to go.

"Ah!" Fubuki startled the same as always when she fell through a 'Hyperspace Gate.' "I'll tolerate it given today's circumstances."

They stepped away from him and looked around.

"Why did you bring us here?" Tatsumaki asked.

"Doctor Kuseno is spending the day at Dr. Genus' lab," Mosquito Girl said. "And isn't Genos busy preparing his new store with Shadow Ring?"

Caspian opened a small gate, reached through, and punched in the passcode to unlock Doctor Kuseno's lab doors.

Psykos cleared her throat. "We're here to meet the one who 'manipulated' our emotions at the start."

"What?" Wavygyaza looked betrayed. "Here? The place where I was freed from manipulation? That can't be—"

Yuta placed her hand on the idol's shoulder. "Don't get worked up. I'm sure it has nothing to do with Doctor Kuseno." She sighed. "How upset should we be? Look at our lives now. We may have been nudged at the start, but none of us were forced to do anything we didn't want to do. Am I wrong?"

"No..." Wavygyaza murmured.

"You're still worried about that? What you experienced is called placebo."

"All six of us at the same time?" Suiko questioned Mosquito Girl.

Mosquito Girl raised her chin. "Your cycles are synced, aren't they? You girls have gotten so ditzy. You wouldn't last a day without my guidance."

"What was that, you mosquito?"

"Mind having a quick discussion with me over there?"

Click

The doors opened as Mosquito Girl clung to him. "Help! Your other fiancées look like they want to use synchronized PMS as an excuse to assault me!"

"Okay, let's head inside first," he said, hiding his smile.

Mosquito Girl zipped past him and disappeared into the laboratory.

"Jeez she... hey, Caspian."

"Yes, Suiko?"

"Why did you transport us out here first rather than inside?"

¤ ¤ ¤

"Here is the one responsible."

"Not funny, Caspian," Tatsumaki said.

The eight of them stood around a bug-catching jar.

"Carmin, being saved from Genos' blast caused a change to occur." Caspian could see doubt on their faces, but it was the truth. "Mosquito Girl, it should be clear why you weren't affected."

"Hmm?" Mosquito Girl bent forward and inspected the jar on one of the wall boxes.

Carmin phased out of the jar with stardust trailing behind her, surprising six of them.

BZzZz

"If she's responsible, then how and why did she act against us?" Yuta asked.

BZZz

Mosquito Girl nodded. "She said it was to kill her boredom."

"Understandable."

"Caspian!"

"What are you yelling at him for, Fubuki? How ungrateful can you be? Without Carmin nudging you at the start, you'd still be bullying others into joining your group and be miserable." Mosquito Girl grinned. "Besides, now with the 'Carbonated Alliance' at your fingertips, you can bully smaller groups into joining while experiencing a life of bliss."

"Fine. But we still don't know how she did it," Wavygyaza said.

BZzZz

"Ha, so it's like that."

Caspian watched Carmin flutter about, weight pressing on his chest. He hated permanent goodbyes.

"Like what? Spit it out, Mosquito Girl!"

Seeing Tatsumaki's temper flare, he stepped forward and turned to face them.

"To enter this universe, she required a vessel that shouldn't exist. By saving that mosquito destined to be turned to ash in all timelines, I created what she needed to cross over."

"The perfect chance." Psykos joined him, leaning against his shoulder.

"All of this was chance? What about you, Caspian? Do you know why you came to this world?" Suiko asked.

"Yup. Wish fulfillment."

Tatsumaki grumbled. "A ridiculous reason."

BZZZz

"W-What do you mean this is farewell?"

Mosquito Girl's distressed words drew everyone's attention.

BzZz

Carmin flew and landed first on Mosquito Girl's cheek, then Tatsumaki's, then Yuta's, Suiko's, Fubuki's, Wavygyaza's, Psykos', and finally on Caspian's upraised right hand, below his thumb.

"Back to start, huh? Sorry for the poor name choice back then..."

BzZzz

"S-She's forgiven you, and she wishes for all of us to forgive her..."

Silence and exchanged glances culminated in—

"I...I forgive her."

Several more acknowledgments of forgiveness came before only Tatsumaki and Wavygyaza were left.

"Hurry and forgive her, you bratty Espers."

Several minutes of fighting followed Mosquito Girl's comment before the two Espers stated their forgiveness.

BzZZz

"Farewell... she said, wishing us a blessed eternity together."

Caspian smiled and prepared to say the word he didn't want to.

Carmin pecked his finger with her proboscis before dissolving into stardust that drifted toward the heavens.

"Goodbye."