— Aaaah! Who are you? A burglar?!
— Don't come any closer! My... my brother killed a demon without even having a mark, so if you value your life, I suggest you leave... Christ said, his voice completely terrified.
The man replied:
— Huh? What? Man, you're starting to lose it, Christ!
He took the can from his hands.
Christ, a little surprised, asked:
— Uh... Mr. Burglar... why do you sound exactly like my big brother?
The man removed the towel covering his face. In reality, it was Igris, but he had gained an incredible amount of muscle mass in just one night. Seeing his brother, he said:
— What the hell? Why are you calling me a burglar? Do I seriously look like a burglar?!
His little brother examined him from every angle, trying to compare him with his former self. The only things left of the "old Igris" were his afro and his face.
Suddenly, Christ screamed at the top of his lungs:
— MOM!!
Hearing his cry, their mother rushed down the stairs with a stick in her hands, completely panicked. She stormed into the kitchen and asked:
— What? What happened?! A mouse? A rat? A cockroach? A cockroach-rat-mouse?!
Christ pointed at Igris with an accusatory look and said:
— Mom, look at Igris!
Igris gave his mother a simple smile and said:
— Hey.
When she saw her son's muscular body, she fainted, exclaiming:
— Oh, Almighty God...
Continuation of the scene
She regained consciousness on the couch, with Igris sitting beside her. Still in shock, she asked:
— That wasn't a dream? How did you end up like this in just one day?
A shiver ran down her spine, and then she frowned, asking in a worried tone:
— I hope you're not taking steroids?
Igris burst into laughter and replied:
— No, I didn't take anything.
Christ, curious, touched his brother's muscles, impressed by their firmness.
— Whoa... These abs are real. But then, how did you pull this off?
Igris thought for a moment before explaining:
— Well, I'm not really sure... Last night, around 8 PM, when you guys left me training, I kept working on my chest. After two hours, I noticed that the weights I was lifting didn't feel heavy anymore. So I grabbed the heaviest one... but it felt the same.
He paused for a moment before continuing:
— So I kept going. I did a set of 100... then 1,000. And that's when I saw my muscles grow right before my eyes. I trained every part of my body until I reached this physique. But after a while, no matter how much I kept going, my body wouldn't grow anymore. So I stopped around 8 AM.
His mother looked at him thoughtfully.
— So... after killing that demon and awakening your mark, your metabolism changed?
Igris shrugged.
— Yeah, pretty much.
But in his mind, he thought:
"I'm not sure it's just my mark... I have a feeling it's an ability from the demon. A power that lets my body adapt to any situation..."
Departure for the CNTD
Suddenly, an idea popped into his head.
— Uh, Mom, I need to get ready to enroll in the Demon Slayers. I have to go to the CNTD.
His mother smiled slightly before replying:
— Honestly, at first, I would've refused. But after everything you've accomplished... telling you to stop would be pointless. Do what you want.
A wide smile spread across Igris' face. He stood up, bowed respectfully, and replied:
— Thank you, Mom!
Embarrassed, he asked in a hesitant voice:
— Uh... Mom, I swear this is the last time I'm asking you this... but could you give me some money to get a haircut, please?
His mother chuckled softly before replying:
— You are my son, Igris. Whatever you ask of me, I will give you.
She handed him a little extra money for his haircut.
Igris grabbed a pair of black pants and a white tank top, went up to his room, got dressed, and then came back down. When he appeared, he carried himself with the presence of a great actor.
Christ's eyes welled up with tears as he said:
— If someone had told me that one day I'd be this proud to be your little brother... I swear, I would've never believed it.
Igris looked at him with a smile, but his expression shifted slightly. In a dejected tone, he asked:
— Ah... So before this, you were ashamed of me?
— Yes, very ashamed, Christ replied without hesitation.
Igris adjusted the cuffs of his pants and then declared seriously:
— Well... The first step is done. I've avenged Senpai's death.
He walked toward the door and continued:
— Now, it's time for the second part: proving to those demon hunters that they're worthless. Then, steps three and four will allow me to fulfill my best friend's dream...
He opened the door, cast one last look at Christ, and concluded:
— Stopping the demonic war... and becoming the greatest God Slayer of all time.
Then, he stepped outside, determined