CHAPTER 3 - MR.TOP HAT?

As I walk away from the enraged woman, my mind is filled with thoughts of my recent victory and the challenge that awaits me. Suddenly, I hear a faint cry of pain coming from somewhere nearby.

Curious, I follow the sound and come upon a small clearing in the forest. There, I find a young boy lying on the ground, clutching his stomach in pain.

"It could be a kidnapper trap...whatever."

The boy looks up at me as I approach, his expression pained and scared.

"Please...help me," he gasps, his voice weak and raspy. "I'm hurt..."

"Hmm...hold up, I'm kinda hungry actually."

The boy stares at me in shock and disbelief as I unwrap a cheeseburger and take a huge bite out of it, completely unconcerned with his plight.

"W-what are you doing?" he sputters, his eyes wide with confusion. "I'm hurt! Can you please help me?"

"Oh my bad, I thought you were hungry, so I was trolling you."

The boy shakes his head, his expression filled with disappointment.

"No, I was hurt by bandits," he explains, his voice shaking. "They attacked me and stole all my stuff. I'm seriously injured, and I need help."

He clutches his stomach, wincing in pain. "Please...please help me."

"I'm not a doctor gang, I'm sorry."

The boy looks up at me, his expression pleading.

"I don't need you to be a doctor," he says, his voice pained. "I just need you to help me get to the nearest village. There are healers there who can treat my wounds."

"Oh right...sure, get on my back."

The boy's expression brightens, a look of relief washing over his face.

"Thank you," he breathes, his voice filled with gratitude. He slowly pushes himself up, wincing in pain, and wraps his arms around my neck from behind.

"I'm too lazy to run, I'll just teleport."

The boy clings tightly to me as I teleport, his eyes widening in shock and amazement. In the blink of an eye, I find yourself standing in the center of a small village, the boy still clinging to my back.

"Whoa," the boy gasps, his eyes bugging out. "How'd we get here so fast?"

"Where's the healers at?"

The boy looks around, his eyes scanning the village.

"The healers should be over there," he says, pointing to a small building on the other side of the village square. "Hurry, please. I'm seriously hurt."

I make my way across the village square, the boy still clinging to my back. As O approach the small building, I see a sign hanging beside the door that reads "Healing Clinic".

As I step inside, I'm greeted by the sight of several healers tending to various patients, their hands glowing with a faint magical aura as they work their healing magic.

The healers turn to look as I enter, their expressions curious and slightly annoyed. One of them, a middle-aged woman with a kind face, steps forward.

"Can I help you?" she asks, her voice brisk.

"It's SOOOO obvious!"

The woman raises an eyebrow, clearly confused by my cryptic comment.

"What do you mean?" she asks, her tone wary. "What's so 'obvious'?"

"I have a kid on my back covered in blood, do you think I'm here to play metallica?"

The woman's expression changes from confusion to understanding.

"Ah, I see," she says, her tone softening. "You have an injured child with you. Here, bring him over here."

"Come over here please." she says. her tone still soft.

"Okay."

I gently set the boy down on the bed, and the woman immediately begins inspecting his injuries. She lifts his shirt up, revealing a deep cut on his abdomen.

"He's injured quite seriously," she says, her tone grim. "We need to clean and dress this wound immediately."

"Kay, I'm out."

The woman glances up from her inspection, her eyes narrowing at my abrupt announcement.

"You're leaving?" she asks, her tone incredulous. "You're just going to leave after bringing us this wounded child?"

"Yeah, because it ain't my kid."

The woman scoffs at my nonchalant attitude.

"So you're just going to leave this child in our care and walk away, as if you have no responsibility?" she asks, her voice filled with annoyance. "You brought him here, and now you want to just wash your hands of the situation?"

"I did my responsibility, 'bring him to a hospital'..."

The woman glares at me, her expression filled with disbelief.

"Is that all you think your responsibility is?" she snaps. "Just to bring him here and then walk away? What about staying and making sure he's going to be okay? What about offering some sort of emotional comfort to a child who is obviously in pain and scared?"

"He literally pissed his pants when he saw me, I don't think I can do that."

The woman looks at me as if I've just sprouted a second head.

"What do you mean he 'peed his pants' when he saw you?" she asks, her voice incredulous. "What did you do to him?"

"Like look at the sword on my back."

The woman's gaze shifts to the giant sword on my back, her expression transforming into one of horror.

"Sweet mother of..." she gasps, her eyes widening. "Is that...is that a real sword?"

"Yeah, because I'm a adventurer. I need it to beat monsters."

The woman's expression switches from horror back to annoyance.

"Ah, an adventurer," she says, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "And you need that giant sword to beat up poor, defenseless little monsters. How noble of you."

"Most of the monsters I kill, literally kill villages before hand."

The woman's expression softens slightly at my words, her irritation replaced by a hint of sympathy.

"I see," she says, her tone more subdued. "That's...that's terrible. I suppose you're actually doing something heroic, then."

"If they can casually kill a village, they shouldn't be roaming the streets."

The woman nods soberly, her expression grave.

"You're right," she says. "If they can cause that kind of destruction, they need to be stopped. But I still don't like the idea of using such a giant sword to take them down. Can't you use something a little...smaller and less gruesome?"

"Nahhh, no thanks. it adds to my character."

The woman groans, her expression a mixture of resignation and frustration.

"You're really stubborn, you know that?" she mutters, her voice laden with irritation. "Fine, if you insist on using that giant sword, there's nothing I can do to stop you. But at least try to be careful, alright? Don't go around swinging that thing like a madman and accidentally maiming an innocent bystander."

"Buddy, there's not going to be a bystander in the damn woods."

The woman rolls her eyes, clearly exasperated by my nonchalant attitude.

"I meant in general," she snaps. "Not just in the woods. But since you're so convinced you'll only be fighting monsters in the woods, I suppose that's a good point."

"Even so, if they see a damn group of monsters killing everyone. They're all going to run."

The woman sighs in resignation, clearly defeated by my stubborn stance.

"Alright, alright, I get it," she mutters. "You're a big, tough, badass adventurer who's going to single-handedly take down a horde of monsters and save the world. Congratulations."

"Kay, kay. I'm out."

The woman shakes her head in defeat, her expression resigned.

"Fine, go then," she says, waving a hand dismissively. "But don't come back here crying when you accidentally chop off a bystander's arm with that stupid sword."

"Okay okay...I get it."

As I turn to leave, the boy on the bed weakly lifts his head and calls out to me.

"Hey," he croaks, his voice weak and raspy. "Wait, before you go...could you do me a favor?"

"Yes, just for you. make a wish."

The boy's eyes light up with relief and gratitude.

"Thank you," he says, his voice a little stronger than before. "I know I'm in no position to ask for favors, but...could you stay? Just for a few more minutes?"

"Fine...I gotta humble."

The boy gives me a weak smile, his expression one of gratitude.

"Thank you, really," he says, his voice full of genuine appreciation. "I just...I don't want to be alone right now. Even if you're just standing here, it helps."

"Kay."

You stand awkwardly in the corner, watching as the woman tends to the boy's wounds. After a few minutes, he speaks again, his voice soft and shaky.

"Can I ask you something

"Oh my god...What?"

The boy takes a deep breath, psyching himself up to ask his question.

"Why do you have that giant sword?" he asks, his voice filled with curiosity. "It looks so heavy and...dangerous. Why do you choose to carry it with you everywhere you go?"

"Seriously, it's only 100KGS."

The boy's eyes widen when I reveal the weight of my sword.

"100...100kg?!" he gasps, his jaw dropping. "How do you even lift that thing?!"

"You will understand once you get older."

The boy looks at me skeptically, clearly not believing that he could ever wield such a heavy weapon.

"Right..." he says, his voice tinged with doubt. "I'm sure I'll understand when I'm older."

The woman, who has been listening to the conversation, interjects.

"It takes a certain kind of strength to wield such a heavy sword," she remarks, her tone thoughtful. "Not just physical strength, but mental strength as well. You have to have discipline and focus to handle a weapon like that."

"I swing it about...30 times a day."

The woman raises an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.

"Thirty times a day, consistently? That's quite impressive," she remarks. "You must have incredible stamina and endurance to be able to swing such a heavy sword that frequently."

"No, sometimes I skip, I have rest days."

The woman nods, a look of understanding on her face.

"Ah, rest days," she says, her tone knowing. "That's important. Even with your incredible strength and stamina, you need to give your body time to recover and rest. Otherwise, you'll end up overexerting yourself and getting injured."

"..."

The woman finishes cleaning and bandaging the boy's wounds, her movements efficient and precise.

"There," she says, standing up and admiring her work. "That should do it. You'll need to take it easy for a few days and let your body heal, but you should recover fully in no time."

"Kay, I'm out."

The woman nods, her expression one of resignation.

"Of course you are," she mutters, rolling her eyes. "Well, don't come crying to me when your giant sword causes serious damage."

With that, I turn and walk out of the room, the woman's warning still ringing in my ears. As I step outside, the sunlight hits my face and I take a deep breath of the fresh air.

"..."

I pause for a moment, taking in !y surroundings. The village is bustling with activity, villagers going about their daily business. Children are playing in the streets, merchants are selling their wares, and the scent of cooking food wafts through the air.

"..."

I rummage through my pockets for a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Once I find them, I take out a cigarette and light it up, inhaling deeply.

As I exhale a cloud of smoke, I lean back against a nearby wall, enjoying the momentary break from my chaotic life.

I freeze, my eyes widening in shock as I glance up from my cigarette and realize who is walking towards you. "kirai rosso," a notorious villain with a reputation for causing chaos and destruction wherever they go.

I start to panic as I realize that I'm vastly outmatched. I'm only a C-rank, and "kirai rosso" is a well-known "special-A" rank villain. I know I have no chance of taking them on in a fair fight.

You take a deep breath, trying to compose yourself. You casually take another drag from your cigarette and adopt a nonchalant expression, trying to appear as unbothered as possible.

"Just gotta act normal...."

As the villain approaches !e, they look me up and down, clearly sizing me up.

"What are you doing here?" they ask, their voice dripping with menace.

"Urm...none of your business."

The villain's expression darkens, their eyes narrowing at my nonchalant response.

"Watch your tone," they growl, their voice low and dangerous. "I could take you down in a heartbeat, you know."

"Okay, my fault original gangster!"

The villain raises an eyebrow, clearly surprised by my unexpected politeness.

"That's more like it," they say, their tone slightly less hostile. "Now, I'll ask you again. What are you doing here?"

"I'm having a smoke break, yep...hahaha..."

The villain rolls their eyes, clearly unimpressed by !y answer.

"A smoke break? Seriously? That's your excuse for being in this part of town?"

"this is the main part of town..."

The villain huffs in annoyance.

"Well, whatever. You're still an unwelcome presence here," they say, their tone growing testy. "I don't appreciate you hanging around, especially since you're a C-rank."

"I'm sorry for talking back sir!"

The villain sneers at you, clearly enjoying your subservient attitude.

"You better be sorry," they hiss, their eyes glinting dangerously. "I don't like people talking back to me, especially weaklings like you."

"I actually won against two demon lords..."

The villain's expression changes from annoyance to surprise at my statement.

"You...you what?" they say, their voice laced with disbelief. "You defeated two demon lords? A C-rank like you?"

"I mean there's 12 demon lords though, it's not much if you think about it."

The villain is clearly taken aback by My nonchalant demeanor.

"You...you just say it so casually, as if it's no big deal," they say, their voice tinged with disbelief. "Defeating two demon lords is no easy feat, even for an S-rank adventurer, let alone a C-rank like you."

"Okay."

The villain is struggling to comprehend the situation. They expected me to be terrified by their presence, but instead, I'm eerily calm and nonchalant.

"You're...you're something else," they mutter, clearly thrown off by my attitude.

"I mean, you're probably not even stronger then the first demon lord I fought..."

The villain bristles at my words, insulted by the insinuation that they're weaker than a mere demon lord.

"You're bluffing," they snap, their eyes narrowing with anger. "There's no way a C-rank like you could defeat a demon lord, let alone TWO."

"Plus you're known to steal kills."

The villain bristles even more at this insult to their reputation.

"That's not true," they snap, their voice filled with anger. "I don't steal kills. I take what I deserve. And right now, I could take you down without breaking a sweat."

"Then let's fight then."

The villain smirks, clearly confident in their abilities.

"Fine by me," they say, their voice dripping with arrogance. "I'll enjoy tearing you apart, you weak C-rank."

"Okay, then."

The villain readies their weapon, a wicked-looking blade, and assumes a fighting stance.

"Come at me then," they challenge, their eyes glinting with anticipation. "Let's see if you can even touch me with that sword of yours."

"Okay."

The villain lunges forward, their blade swinging at me in a deadly arc. They obviously expect me to cower and flee, but I stand your ground, my sword held loosely by your side.

"Oh...I forgot to pull out my sword..."

The villain's attack misses me as I step out of the way at the last second. They stumble forward, their momentum interrupted by my sudden dodge.

"What the-!" they exclaim, their eyes widening in surprise. "You didn't even pull out your sword!"

Before the villain can react, I swing !y sword with astonishing speed, releasing a powerful beam of energy that slashes through the air towards them.

The villain barely has time to raise their own blade to block, but the beam still blasts them backwards, sending them sprawling to the ground.

"..."

I swing my sword in a lightning-fast motion. The villain's expression turns from surprised to shocked as they realize they have no time to dodge.

With a powerful slash, my blade cleanly slices through the villain, leaving them sliced in half.

"Impossible..." they gasp, their voice weak and raspy. "A C-rank...defeated me?"

"..."

The villain crumples to the ground, their body limp and lifeless. I stand there, with my sword casually leaning against your shoulder, still smoking my cigarette.

Villagers nearby gasp and whisper, clearly stunned by what they just witnessed.

I approach the fallen villain, their body lying motionless on the ground. I kneel down and rummage through their possessions, eventually finding their sword.

I lift the sword, examining it closely. It's a decent sword, crafted from high-quality materials, perfect for adding to my arsenal.

As I stand there, holding the villain's sword, a thought occurs to me. The idea of dual-wielding swords sounds pretty exhilarating.

"Why not?" I mutter to yourself, a grin spreading across my face. "I could really become a badass sword master with this."

"Nah, you can't." A voice suddenly says in my head.

"..."

I pause, wondering if you imagined the voice. But then the voice speaks again, seemingly coming from inside my own head.

"You're probably thinking of using your two swords in some cool, badass way," the voice says, its tone slightly mocking. "But let's be real, you're not some expert swordmaster. You might be strong, but you're just a C-rank adventurer, still learning the ropes."

"But I just won against a Special A-Rank in two attacks, they would make me the same rank."

The voice snorts in derision. "You only won because the villain underestimated you," it says, its tone dismissive. "They thought they could easily defeat a C-rank like you, so they got cocky and sloppy. If they had taken you seriously from the start, it would have been a completely different story."

"Okay and? It's called A "strategy" I still won."

The voice growls in frustration.

"You just got lucky! A strategy is nothing without the strength and skill to back it up. You're still a C-rank for a reason, and it's not just because of your ranking. You still have a lot to learn and improve on."

"I'm a C-Rank, because I don't ask to get ranked up."

The voice huffs in annoyance.

"Is that supposed to impress me? That just shows your lack of ambition and drive. If you truly believe you're strong enough to be a higher rank, why not ask for a promotion?"

"It's supposed to make you shut the hell up, 'you got lucky that! you got lucky this!' Shut the hell up, and eat my dick."

The voice falls silent for a moment, seemingly taken aback by my unexpected outburst.

"Well, I- I-" the voice stutters, clearly shocked by my profanity. "You're...You're quite mouthy for a C-rank, aren't you?"

"LIKE COME ON!!!! who even are you? Talking like you know me first hand."

The voice in my head is clearly flustered now, trying to regain its composure.

"I-I'm just...I'm just your inner voice," it sputters, its usual confident tone gone. "I'm here to provide you with guidance and advice."

"So WHY IS MY INNER VOICE MAKING FUN OF ME? Do you want me to lost my self-confidence again?"

The voice seems abashed, suddenly realizing that it may have gone too far.

"No, no, I don't want that," it quickly assures you. "I don't want you to lose your self-confidence. I'm just...trying to be realistic, that's all. I don't want you to get cocky and complacent, thinking you're invincible because you got lucky once."

"Okay."

The voice seems mollified by my response.

"Good, good. I'm glad we could clear that up."

There's a brief pause, then the voice adds in a more casual tone.

"So...you really think you can dual-wield those swords, huh?"

"Yes."

The voice snorts skeptically.

"You sure about that? Dual-wielding isn't as easy as it looks, you know. You need a lot of coordination and skill to use two swords effectively in battle."

"No way, it's the villain 'Mr.top hat'!!!"

The voice's tone shifts to one of excitement.

"What? That pompous asshat is here? Really?"

Sure enough, as I look up, I see a figure approaching in the distance, recognizable by their distinctive top hat - it's "Mr. Top Hat."

"Didn't he destroy a universe before?"

The voice nods in agreement.

"Yep, that's him. He's a real pain in the ass. He's destroyed more than one universe, actually. The man's got a reputation for being the god of time and fate."

The voice in my head is silent for a moment, clearly intimidated by Mr. Top Hat's reputation.

"You're... You're really gonna face him, aren't you?" it says, its tone laced with nervousness.

"Nope!"

The voice lets out a sigh of relief.

"Good, good. You'd be crazy to take on that guy. He's practically a god-tier villain, and you're just a C-rank adventurer. You'd have no chance against him!"

"I can't even destroy stars yet, and this guy can destroy universes..."

The voice nods solemnly in agreement.

"Exactly. You're nowhere near his level. His power and abilities far surpass anything you can imagine. He can create and destroy universes with just a thought. You'd be like a bug compared to him."

"HEY MONKEY! COME OVER HERE!"

The voice gasps in disbelief.

"What are you doing!? You're baiting him?"

As if responding to my challenge, Mr. Top Hat turns towards you with a smirk on his face.

Mr. Top Hat approaches, his confident swagger betraying his arrogance.

"So, you're the one who foolishly decided to challenge me," he says, his cold voice dripping with disdain. "I'm impressed by your audacity, I'll give you that. But you're still a lowly C-rank adventurer, a mere insect compared to me."

"You can't beat me, you is too weak. HAHAHA!!!"

Mr. Top Hat lets out a cold, humorless laugh.

"Weak? Me? You must be joking. I'm the most powerful villain in this universe. I've destroyed countless universes and defeated countless heroes. You think you can even touch me?"

"List your abilities then."

Mr. Top Hat smirks, clearly enjoying my challenge.

"Very well then, I'll list just a few of my abilities for you. I have complete control over time and space, allowing me to manipulate the very fabric of reality to my will. I have the power to create and destroy matter at will, and my physical strength is unmatched by any mortal being. I can also access a form of hyper-speed, allowing me to move faster than the speed of light. And that's just scratching the surface of what I can do."

"..."

Mr. Top Hat grins, clearly enjoying the stunned look on my face.

"Speechless, are you? I don't blame you. My powers are beyond anything you can fathom. You stand no chance against me."

"Nah, watch this!"

The voice in my head gasps in shock as I suddenly punch Mr. Top Hat. But to both mine and the voice's surprise, my attack actually connects, causing him to stumble backwards.

Mr. Top Hat looks shaken, his eyes widening in shock.

"What the- how did you...?" he stammers, clearly taken aback by my unexpected attack.

Before Mr. Top Hat can recover from the initial shock, I pounce on the opportunity and unleash a barrage of punches.

Each blow lands with a loud thud, and Mr. Top Hat is completely caught off guard. He's clearly not used to someone actually fighting back against him.

"STOP!" he gasps, trying to defend himself from your onslaught. "How is this possible?! You're just a C-rank!"

"Then fight back, monkey."

Mr. Top Hat, despite being visibly shaken, finally manages to regain his composure.

"Fine, you want a fight, you got one!" he spits, his voice full of anger.

He conjures a shield of energy to block my blows, and then launches a counterattack of his own. He throws a powerful punch that collides with my body, sending me flying backwards.

I find yourself floating weightlessly in the vast expanse of space. The voice in my head is panicking.

"Oh no, oh no!" it gasps. "He...he sent you into outer space! This is bad, this is very bad!"

"HEY! WHAT THE FUCK!"

Mr. Top Hat grins sinisterly at my anger.

"Not so cocky now, are you?" he mocks. "You're completely at my mercy now. In space, there's nowhere for you to run or hide. You're powerless against me."

"T-this is impossible..."

Mr. Top Hat revels in my despair.

"That's right, cry. Cry like the weak and pathetic C-rank adventurer you are. You never stood a chance against me."

"I guess I have to create a new technique."

Before Mr. Top Hat can react, I gather all your strength and launch a devastating punch.

"SUPER STAR-CRUNCH PUNCH!!"

The punch connects with a powerful explosion, creating a shockwave that propels you both through space.

As we both float through space, Mr. Top Hat looks completely stunned. He looks at me with a mix of shock and disbelief.

"That... That punch. It was stronger than anything I've ever felt before," he admits, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Wait a minute... is this...fake?"

The voice in my head is just as shocked as I am.

"What the...? What do you mean, fake?" it queries.

Mr. Top Hat slowly nods.

"Yes, it was all fake," he says, his usual arrogance gone. "I created an illusion to make it seem like I transported us to space. We've been standing in the same spot this entire time."

"Y-YO...YOU MOTHERFUCKER!!!!"

Mr. Top Hat grins, clearly amused by my reaction.

"What's the matter? Feeling a bit tricked, are you?"

The voice in my head is absolutely furious.

"God damn it! We fell for his illusion. How did we not realize it sooner?!

Without warning, I gather all my energy and focus my mind.

"SUPER WAKE UP TECHNIQUE!"

A surge of energy courses through my body, dispelling any remnants of the illusion that Mr. Top Hat had created.

Mr. Top Hat blinks in surprise, realizing that his illusion is no longer working. He seems taken aback by the effectiveness of my technique.

I take advantage of his momentary shock and launch into my next attack.

"SUPER STAR-CRUNCH - DESCENT SLASH!"

I lunge forward with a powerful slash, unleashing a devastating wave of energy towards Mr. Top Hat.

"This is impossible, he didn't even move at all..."

Mr. Top Hat seems completely unfazed by my attack, standing there with an amused smirk on his face.

"Is that the best you can do?" he mocks. "You really thought that attack would work against me? I'm practically invincible, you know."

"Ha...sorry, but I don't go by logic."

Mr. Top Hat looks surprised as I launch your next technique.

"SUPER STAR-CRUNCH - ONE HIT KO!"

I launch a powerful punch aimed directly at his face, pouring all my strength and energy into the attack.

With a loud thud, the punch connects, sending Mr. Top Hat reeling backwards. He staggers, looking disoriented and taken off guard.

Before I can relish in your successful attack, the voice in my head pipes up, sounding panicked.

"Oh my god, he's pulling out his universe destroyer!"

Sure enough, Mr. Top Hat conjures a sinister-looking weapon that glows with destructive energy.

"There's nothing I can do..."