The next morning, Kenjiro awoke to the gentle sound of birds chirping outside his window. He stretched, feeling more rested than he had in days. He looked over and saw Lyrielle, already awake, sitting in a chair and reading a book, a small, shy smile on her face. The memory of his ridiculous "Peanut Butter Jelly Time" dance came flooding back, and a hot blush crept up his neck.

"M-morning," he mumbled, quickly getting out of bed.

They met the rest of the party in the inn's common room for breakfast. DragonSlayer was a wreck. He had dark circles under his eyes and was pointedly refusing to look in Bombom's direction, instead staring intently at his plate of eggs as if it held the secrets to the universe.

"Slept well?" Bombom asked, a teasing smirk on his face.

DragonSlayer just grunted in response, shoving a large piece of bacon into his mouth.

"We should get going," Gluteus said, his voice a calm, steady rumble in the awkward silence. "Lyrielle, you mentioned you knew the way to this... Aeonfall kingdom?"

She nodded, closing her book. "Y-yes. It is far to the north, beyond the Whispering Mountains. It is a long and dangerous journey."

"Perfect," Bombom said, a competitive fire lighting in his eyes. "A long journey means more chances to train. And more monsters to punch."

"I think I'll pass on the punching for a while," DragonSlayer muttered under his breath.

After a hearty breakfast, they packed their gear and prepared to leave the strange, unsettling village of Gigglecreek behind. As they stepped out of the inn, a familiar ZUUUUUH sound echoed from above. Nomu, the man with the gravity-defying hair, descended from the sky, landing in front of them with a confident smirk.

"So," he said, looking at Bombom. "Ready for that fight?"

"Still no," Bombom replied flatly.

"Come on!" Nomu insisted. "I'll make it worth your while. If you win, I'll give you this." He held out a small, glowing stone. "It's a mineral shard from a fallen star. Incredibly rare. A giant or half-giant blacksmith could forge it into an unbreakable weapon or armor."

Gluteus's head snapped up, his eyes locking onto the shard with an intense, covetous light.

Bombom saw the look. He sighed. "Fine," he said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's get this over with."

They moved to the village square, a small crowd of curious onlookers gathering to watch. "Alright, pretty boy," Nomu said, cracking his own knuckles. "Let's see what you've got."

He rushed forward, his fist a blur of motion. But Bombom, his senses honed by countless life-or-death battles, easily sidestepped the attack. He didn't even bother summoning his shadows. He just used his own, surprisingly nimble body, dodging and weaving around Nomu's powerful but clumsy attacks. After a few minutes of the one-sided dance, Bombom saw his opening. He ducked under a wide hook and delivered a single, powerful kick to the back of Nomu's knee. The man's leg buckled, and he went down with a surprised yelp.

Bombom stood over him, a triumphant smirk on his face. "Had enough?"

Nomu just laughed, a genuine, impressed sound. "Okay, okay, you win," he said, tossing the glowing mineral shard to Gluteus, who caught it with a look of pure, unadulterated joy. Nomu pushed himself to his feet. "You're pretty good, for a Lily. We should fight again sometime." And with another ZUUUUUH, he was gone.

The party finally left the village, their new destination clear. The road to Aeonfall, and the next chapter of their bizarre, chaotic adventure, lay before them.

The party continued their long trek north, following Lyrielle's guidance through winding forest paths and over rolling hills. The journey was arduous, but the mood was lighter than it had been in days. Gluteus was practically glowing, carefully polishing the star mineral Nomu had given him, while DragonSlayer's trauma seemed to have been replaced by a quiet, simmering annoyance.

They had been walking for a few hours when another, familiar ZUUUUUUUH sound cut through the air. A man with an even more absurd, gravity-defying hairstyle—this one a series of sharp, crystalline spikes—descended from the sky.

"I am Zevita," he announced, striking a heroic pose. "I'm going to challenge you, Bombom!"

Bombom let out a long, suffering sigh. "W-what's up with you guys challenging me?"

Zevita huffed, pointing an accusatory finger. "You fought Nomuroto, and now it's my time!"

DragonSlayer sighed. "Just end this, Bombom. We'll keep walking."

"Sure," Bombom grumbled. He rushed forward, his fist a blur. It connected with Zevita's outstretched hand. The challenger felt a weird sensation, followed by a sickening CRACK. He tried to contain his tears, his face twisting in pain. "Y-you've won, Bombom," he whimpered. "But I will be back!" With a final, tearful ZUUUUUUH, he flew away, cradling his broken hand.

Bombom walked back to his team, shaking his head. "He lost with one punch... and those jeans they wear are weird..."

DragonSlayer laughed. "They call themselves the 'Super Jeans.' They think they're from another world and that they could wipe out their own universe." He pulled out his phone and showed them an old, grainy video. On the screen, Nomu and Zevita were being interviewed. "We defeated our universe, and we are going to others to defeat them too!" Nomu declared heroically.

The reporter in the video looked skeptical. "You defeated everyone in your universe?"

"Y-yeah, no..." Nomu stammered. "But we could! Our fans say so!" He struck another pose as the reporter sighed and signaled for the cameraman to cut the recording.

Bombom sighed. "Yeah... their fans will make them die someday..."

They continued their journey, finally arriving at the base of the towering Whispering Mountains. "So... why are we here, Lyrielle?" Bombom asked.

"The mountain is the place," she answered. She began to touch the sheer rock face, her hands glowing as she used her magical eye spell to search for something. After a moment, she found it: a section of the rock that shimmered with a faint, magical light. It was a hidden entrance, protected by a powerful seal. She tried to dispel it, but her magic simply fizzled out. DragonSlayer, SynchroNoice, and Gluteus all tried as well, but it was no use.

Bombom cracked his knuckles. "Let me try it." He placed his hand on the seal. The moment his fingers made contact, the shimmering runes vanished, and a section of the mountain slid open with a low groan. "Ooh. I didn't even use anything."

Lyrielle smiled. "It seems they made a spell that only you could dispel."

They stepped inside, and the stone door slid shut behind them, the magical seal reforming instantly. They walked down a long, dark tunnel until they reached a vast, underground cavern. Their jaws dropped. It was an entire world, complete with its own glowing, artificial sun hanging high in the cavern's ceiling.

"T-they really weren't exaggerating when they told us they evolved their magic skill," Bombom whispered in awe.

Suddenly, a figure erupted from a nearby underground lake. "Water Rush," a voice whispered. A guard, clad in ornate, shell-like armor, appeared before them. "What's your deal with our kingdom? How did all of you get here?" He then looked at Bombom, and his own jaw dropped. "Y-y-you are..." he stammered, his eyes wide as if he had seen something mythical. "Y-y-you..."

DragonSlayer, his patience already thin, scoffed. "Oi, are you going to say it or keep stuttering?"

"Y-you're Bombom..." the guard finally managed to say. "We thought you were a legend, but here you are."

Bombom looked at him, completely confused. "Me? A legend?"

The guard immediately bowed. "Welcome to our kingdom, Sir Bombom. We were not expecting you at all."

"Hey, how could you not know Bombom?" DragonSlayer grumbled. "He's everywhere in the news. He's..." He paused, a deep blush creeping up his neck as he forced the words out. "...the perfect lily." He quickly looked at the guard. "But it's not me who said that! Everyone does! It's not my opinion!"

Bombom laughed, amused by his reaction, an evil smirk spreading across his face. "So, you think I'm perfect?"

DragonSlayer was shocked, feeling overwhelmed by the situation. In his view, Bombom suddenly seemed to grow, becoming a giant, while he was just an ant. He turned his back. "S-shut up..."

"So, we are welcome as well?" Gluteus asked.

The guard nodded. "We are closed to the external world, I'm sorry. But, every friend of Bombom is welcome. Even his boyfriend."

DragonSlayer and Bombom both looked at him with fury in their eyes. "HEY! I'M NOT HIS—" they yelled in unison.

Bombom turned his back with a loud "humpf," stomping his feet. "As if I would fall in love with him!"

"Y-yeah!" DragonSlayer stammered. "Bombom is just insufferable..."

SynchroNoice made a soft "boop" and then said, "NOICE."

Gluteus and Lyrielle just laughed. After the awkward exchange was over, the guard guided them into the magnificent underground city of Aeonfall. In the city center stood a massive statue of King Chadimus III, and right beside it, an even larger, more impressive statue of Bombom and his muscular shadow. The caption read: "The Lily That Saved Our Kingdom."

The guard whispered to a higher-ranking officer, who nodded and marched toward the party. "Welcome to our kingdom, Sir Bombom," he said with a crisp salute. "I will speak to our leader so you can talk with him. Please wait for a while." He entered the main castle.

Bombom smiled. "I'm liking this royalty thing."

"As if your everyday life wasn't like this..." DragonSlayer scoffed.

Bombom slowly turned to him, staring deep into his soul. "What did you say, commoner?"

DragonSlayer turned his face away. "N-nothing..."

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