In City D, the sky was a perfect blue, without a cloud in sight.
It had been several days since Yami had defeated both Watchdog Man and Tatsumaki.
Naturally, as the person involved, Yami had heard about everything being said online. He could only sigh at the situation.
After all, in the world of One Punch Man, ordinary people tended to develop a strange, almost fanatical admiration for powerful human heroes.
But as for joining the Hero Association? Yami wasn't interested.
He had no desire to work under someone else's authority.
Sure, the Hero Association was backed by powerful conglomerates, capable of showering their heroes with wealth and benefits. But none of that really mattered to Yami.
Strength is the foundation of everything.
In a peaceful world, conglomerates thrived and earned respect through their wealth and influence, wielding resources beyond the reach of ordinary people.
But in a world filled with danger, where crises were constant, those same resources couldn't guarantee protection.
In fact, they could even become a liability.
Without power to match their wealth, these conglomerates might find themselves on the brink of destruction.
For someone like Yami, that was all the more reason to stay uninvolved.
After all, any S-Class hero, if they desired, could wipe out a major conglomerate singlehandedly. And if they really wanted to, they could do whatever they pleased.
That being said, Yami wasn't the type to indulge in such destruction.
It wasn't that Goddess Hephaestus had forbidden him from doing so—it simply didn't suit him.
There was no satisfaction in bullying the weak. It was meaningless.
True strength should be tested against other powerful foes. Only then could the rewards be truly unimaginable.
While Yami wasn't strong enough yet to defeat the Bald Devil, he wants to fight the big brother who piloted the spaceship.
---
"What? You want me to find something fun?"
In a luxurious hotel room, Yami stared at the three beautiful figures in front of him, his voice rising in disbelief.
He was at a loss.
Goddess Hestia nodded calmly, unfazed by his reaction.
"That's right, Yami-kun. You've stopped battling others and holed up in this place. We're bored out of our minds," Hestia complained. "And what about that exceptional child you promised me? Haven't you found one yet?"
"Are you messing with me?" the petite goddess asked, a suspicious look on her face.
"Of course not!" Yami protested. "Hestia, when have I ever lied? Don't slander me! It's just been tough to find the right person. I did encounter someone before, but it wasn't the right moment to bring it up—too many people were around. But don't worry, I'll find the perfect candidate for you."
Seeing Hestia's doubtful expression, Yami thumped his chest confidently.
Whether he was merely making empty promises, only Yami himself knew.
"And what about me, Yami?" interjected Hephaestus, her eyes glinting with curiosity. "I want to know if there are any rare metals in this world that don't exist in Orario or other realms. Surely, you can fulfill this small request of mine, right?"
Hephaestus had joined the conversation now, adding her own request to the mix.
Artemis, standing nearby, merely smiled at the playful exchange, choosing not to pile on more demands. As the goddess of the moon and hunting, her only true wish was to hunt monsters and reunite her family of followers.
"Rare metals, huh? There should be some," Yami mumbled, scratching his head.
In his memory, the world was home to many ingenious inventors. Their creations were incredible, often using materials that were equally mysterious.
He was confident that he could find something to satisfy Hephaestus.
And if that wasn't enough, there was always the possibility of another "big brother who pilots a spaceship" arriving on Earth.
As the infamous leader of the Dark Matter Thieves, surely that galactic overlord would have something surprising to offer.
"I'm sure there's something out there, but gathering it won't be easy," Yami admitted. "I've heard of such materials, but I'm not exactly sure where to find them. It'll take some time to track them down."
Despite Yami's uncertainty, Hephaestus wasn't the least bit disappointed.
In fact, this was the outcome she had expected.
To her, even receiving a lead on such materials was good news.
As the goddess of forging, Hephaestus was always fascinated by the prospect of discovering new materials, apart from the work crafted by her own children.
It was one of the reasons she was willing to follow Yami across various worlds.
"It's fine," she said with a smile. "We have plenty of time. I can wait. Besides, once we return to Orario, Yami, you'll have the key to access this world again, won't you?"
"Even if you don't find it this time, we can always come back. I haven't even finished studying Sea Prism Stone yet, so I'm in no rush."
Yami rolled his eyes at this, clearly exasperated.
"I've been meaning to ask, Hephaestus. You could just use your divine powers to speed up the analysis of Sea Prism Stone. Why go through all the tedious trial and error?"
Hephaestus shot Yami a sharp look.
"The beauty of forging lies in the journey of discovery. Unless you're a smith yourself, you'd never understand."
Her gaze softened slightly, but Yami knew there was one thing about him that still irked the goddess.
He wasn't a blacksmith at heart.
Even though Hephaestus acknowledged his impressive forging skills, she knew Yami didn't harbor a genuine love for the craft.
In the past, she wouldn't have tolerated someone like him—someone lacking passion for the forge—within her circle.
But now… well, she had already fallen too deep. There was no turning back.