MTLNOVEL Chapter 36: Harem?
As he waited, Kade surveyed the restaurant, noticing the posters of Earth's strongest warriors plastered on the walls. He chuckled to himself, thinking that even their most powerful champions couldn't hold a candle to the battles he'd faced in the cosmos. His gaze fell upon the cashier, Launch, who was now frantically punching his order into the register. Her dark blue hair was tied back in a high ponytail, the tips fluttering with every nervous twitch. Her green and blue fast food uniform looked disheveled.
"What's so amusing?" Aria inquired, tilting her head curiously. She was dressed in a more subdued attire today, a simple white t-shirt and blue jeans, trying to blend in despite her ethereal beauty.
"It's just," Kade began, his smile growing wider, "the concept of a 'human-sized' meal. On my planet, this would barely be considered a snack."
"And yet you ordered enough to feed a small army," Aria quipped, her own smile hinting at the amusement she found in his gluttonous behavior.
Kade shrugged, his shoulders flexing under his black hoodie. "What can I say? The appetite of a Saiyan knows no bounds, especially when we're in the midst of such intense training and battles."
The cashier handed over five bulging bags, each one filled to the brim with the tantalizing aroma of cooked meat and fresh vegetables. The clinking of soda cups and the crunch of thick-cut fries filled the air as Kade took the bags with a grin that could have outshone the stars. The sheer weight of his order was a silent testament to his power, the very essence of a Saiyan's might—his ability to consume vast amounts of food to fuel his body for battle.
With a playful wink at the bewildered cashier, Kade turned to Aria. "Ready to teleport?"
Aria nodded, her own smile a mirror to his. "As always."
With a swift gesture, Kade summoned a swirl of golden energy around them, the same power that had carried them from the cosmic battlefield to the quaint Earth burger joint. The air shimmered and distorted as reality bent to his will. In the blink of an eye, the two of them vanished, leaving behind the astonished cashier and the chatter of the restaurant's patrons.
On the other side of the cosmic veil, they reappeared in the gleaming halls of Kade's realm, the Golden Palace of Destruction. The stark contrast between the bustling restaurant and the serene, ethereal beauty of his domain was palpable. The silence was filled with the echo of their laughter from moments before.
Kade didn't bother with the finesse of a dining room table. Instead, he tore into the bags like a starving beast, unleashing an avalanche of burgers, fries, and sodas onto the pristine marble floor. The crunch of the burger buster's signature sandwiches was music to his ears as he devoured them one after another, his teeth sinking into the juicy patties with a ferocity that would make any Saiyan proud. He didn't care about the mess he was making; he was a god, after all, and his hunger was insatiable. Aria couldn't help but laugh at the spectacle, watching as he ripped through the packaging with the same intensity he used to vanquish his enemies.
With each mouthful, Kade's eyes sparkled with delight, and his cheeks bulged like a chipmunk's. Aria observed him, her own hunger for battle temporarily replaced by a hunger for understanding. This was a side of Kade she hadn't seen before—vulnerable, unfiltered, and utterly human in his enjoyment of something so simple. It was endearing, and she found herself smiling in spite of the chaos that surrounded them.
Then, as if the universe itself had decided to punctuate the moment, Kade let out a burp so colossal it seemed to shake the very foundation of the Golden Palace. The sound reverberated through the grand halls, bouncing off the gold-plated walls and echoing into the vastness beyond. Kade's face turned a shade of crimson that clashed with his hair as he tried to stifle it, his cheeks ballooning out like an over-inflated pufferfish. He looked up at Aria, his expression a mix of embarrassment and amusement. She couldn't hold back her laughter anymore—it bubbled up from her chest and spilled out into the room, filling the space with a lightness that hadn't been there in quite some time.
With a dramatic sigh, Kade snapped his fingers, and in a flash of light, the grease stains and crumbs that had adorned his form were gone. In their place, a new uniform materialized around him, shimmering with the same fiery aura that seemed to perpetually cling to his being. The armor was a sleek, black-and-gold ensemble that hugged his muscular frame, complete with an intricate design that spoke of his divine status. His cape billowed out behind him, untouched by the mess he'd just created, as if it had a mind of its own. The transformation was so sudden and seamless that it was almost comical, especially in contrast to the pile of fast food detritus at his feet.
Aria watched from the sidelines, her laughter slowly dying down as she composed herself. "It's a good thing you can clean up after yourself, Kade," she said, her eyes twinkling with mirth. "Or we'd have to redecorate the entire palace every time you had a craving."
A few hours later, as the first light of dawn kissed the horizon of Universe 14, Kade stirred in his chambers. The smell of the Earthly feast still lingered faintly in the air, a strange yet comforting scent amidst the opulent surroundings of the Golden Palace. He stretched his limbs, feeling the lingering warmth from the meal and the joy of the shared moment with Aria. He had forgotten how invigorating a good laugh could be. With renewed energy, he rose from his rest, the divine armor from the night before replaced by a more relaxed set of black robes, the gold embroidery reminding him of his role as the God of Destruction. The time for reflection had ended, and the day ahead was ripe with potential for adventure.
"Aria," he called out, his voice echoing through the grand corridors of the palace, "it's time we set out to find the powerful warriors for my harem... I mean, the Royal Guard." He chuckled to himself, knowing full well that his intentions were not entirely pure. The thought of creating a harem of loyal, skilled warriors was not entirely out of character for him, but he had learned to keep such whims in check. The universe was vast, and the balance of power was a fragile thing.