Chapter 17 One-On-One

Silence befell the entire place as they await Satoshi's response. As he stood there, thinking, he realized that what his dad said was right. He didn't spend enough time thinking about it, so when his dad brought the topic up, he realized just how heavy the responsibility he was carrying.

First, if it were true and his superpower didn't have a limit, that means he could be one of the most powerful superheroes in the world, just like his parents. And moreover, he could turn the tides of war if it were to happen. Imagine a limitless army of equipment and evolved animals that don't die— now that Satoshi meditated upon it, he finally realized how scary his superpower can be. If the government or the villains realized what his superpower is, he will unnecessarily be a target whether he liked it or not.

Moreover, it had only been fifty or so years ever since they discovered the Alpha gene. Right now, the government is somewhat walking on eggshells because of the appearance of superpowers. Even with the Superhero Assembly Organization, they know that the control they have over the superheroes is but a walk on a tight rope. If someone like Satoshi were to appear right now, a major change might happen, and the villains wouldn't sit still if they realized that the government became even more unstable.

"Yes, dad. Now that you mentioned it, I do have a scary superpower, don't I?" Satoshi muttered, staring at his hands that were beginning to shake. "With great power comes great responsibility, I know what I must do. Don't worry dad, I won't be reckless anymore. I'll try to limit the usage of my powers outside."

Yukine and Shiroi couldn't understand it first but after thinking about it just like Satoshi, they finally realized what Tatsuki and Ayumu were talking about. Only someone who experienced having a great superpower could recognize an even greater one. As soon as Tatsuki saw what his son could do, he immediately knew that his son could be so much more. In the near future, he could tell that his son would one day surpass him.

After having a few short talks with everyone, Tatsuki heaved a sigh of relief and told everyone to go back upstairs. "I need to talk to Satoshi alone." He said as he grabbed Satoshi by the shoulder.

Once everybody was upstairs, Tatsuki checked his watch and opened the timer. A separate hand started going round his watch, showing him how much time had elapsed after he clicked it. "Five minutes, I'll give you five minutes." He smiled as he took a step back.

"Five minutes?"

"You remember when we used to play arm wrestling and mini-wrestling when you were a kid? We'll relive that, but this time, we'll be using superpowers." He continued.

"So, it's me versus you? But dad, you got that Plunder thing as your superpower... " Satoshi trailed off.

"Well, let's make it easier. If you can touch me, I'll tell you another secret of my superpower. Do you think Plunder is my only superpower?" Tatsuki continued.

Satoshi didn't need any telling twice. Assuming a fighting stance, he started simulating what he had to do in order to touch his dad. It was a simple yet complicated objective since he doesn't know each and every superpower that his dad has. In any case, he could tell that he has a chance. After all, this time, he already has a superpower in his arsenal.

With a snap of a finger, the things displayed inside the lair flipped out of the way as if they were attacked to a detachable floor. Once everything was cleared, Tatsuki extended his hand, gesturing for Satoshi to come at him with all he got.

Straining his ankle, Satoshi positioned his newfound 'familiar' (the ceiling fan that turned into a rotor) behind him as he rode the metal caskets from the nailgun. He flew at Tatsuki at incredible speeds while controlling everything in his head. He then instructed the White Lion to stay right behind Tatsuki and cut off his escape routes with the blue lightning he shoots from his mouth. As for the Ball of Flames, he positioned them to the side, ready to fire off a column of bluish-white flame if Tatsuki gets in their range. It was the perfect setup, but who knows what Tatsuki could do?

To Satoshi's surprise, his dad remained stationary in the middle of the room, intently watching his every move. Satoshi didn't hesitate to accelerate even faster, thinking that he could catch up to his dad if he were to use everything.

And just when he was about to touch him, Tatsuki cleanly dodge to the side and did a triple somersault. In the process, he managed to dodge the oncoming ball of blue lightning and the two columns of flames that were supposed to hit his head and torso. He moved with such precision that even Satoshi was shocked—

— Not because his dad dodged it, but because he never saw his dad moved like that. After all, everything he did was a perfect copy of Satoshi's dodging skills.

Satoshi immediately noticed it— the dodging skills that he honed throughout the years, and his dad just easily executed it without breaking a sweat. He gasped in amazement. "Dad, don't tell me you... "

"What? Surprised?" Tatsuki asked, taunting Satoshi even more by extending his hand one more time, signaling for him to come at him any time he wants.

There was nothing he could do... with his physical capabilities on his father's palms, he knows that he would just easily evade every attack he makes.

"Wait... there was one thing!"

Suddenly, the rotor right behind them grew in size and ran in reverse. One moment, it was blowing everything away, the next moment, it was sucking everything in its path. Satoshi wore a panicked face as he tried to reach for the White Lion, but the White Lion didn't reach him in time. In a split second, Tatsuki could very well tell that his son's power got out of control.

"Son!"