My System: An Evolved Computer I Made With My Unique Ability—

Chapter 150 Joseph Schwartz (Aquaborne)

The man then tipped his hat towards Tatsuki before coming in. It's as if time stopped as the man trudged straight through the lawn since Satoshi didn't avert his gaze from the man. Even Emma, who had seen everything unfold, was a bit shocked as well. But she wasn't as surprised as Satoshi since she was quite used to seeing people with wonderful superpowers back in their world. "You must be Satoshi, I've heard so much about you." The man said upon entering the house, extending his hand for Satoshi to shake.

Satoshi mindlessly nodded as his jaw dropped to the ground. He didn't think twice about returning the man's handshake.

"Wait, Aquaborne?!" He  exclaimed as soon as he got back to his senses. "Dad, you know Aquaborne?!"

"Oh, we forgot to tell you but we're good friends. He even helped me design my superhero lair back in the day." Tatsuki responded patting the man on the back.

Joseph Schwartz, also known by his superhero name Aquaborne, is actually the number one superhero in Switzerland. Despite being a landlocked country, Switzerland is home to the most powerful water-type superhero in the whole world.

When he was young, Joseph Schwartz actually came to Japan as an exchange student and that's how the two met. They instantly became rivals due to how competitive they were but they never resulted in bringing one another down. Whenever they fight, countless people would watch it because of how close the match would always result to. Before, Tatsuki and Joseph were actually equally strong, but when they both graduated, Joseph had improved in his control even more that Tatsuki couldn't defeat him anymore. Had Joseph Schwartz stayed in Japan instead of moving back to his home country, he would've easily snagged the top spot in the SAO Rankings.

At first, people assumed that Joseph Schwartz had the power to manipulate water and for years, that's what he assumed his superpower was as well. But who would've thought that his superpower goes much more complicated than that? Later on, Joseph Schwartz realized that he can control water down to every molecule of it, and not only that, he could even turn his whole body into liquid as well. He called this superpower 'Liquidation' and the name was stuck ever since.

"Yes, your father and I used to duel a lot back when  we were still students. Our fights are almost always a draw though until we graduated. Since then your dad can't defeat me. Not even once." Aquaborne crossed his arms, teasing Tatsuki who continued patting his back.

"How about a match before breakfast?" Tatsuki challenged, his eyes lighting up. After all, he just met his long-lost rival.

"Fine by me," Joseph responded.

"Dear, you know Joseph just arrived right?" Ayumu interrupted.

"Yes, I have a better chance of defeating him now that he's weakened by jet lag," Tatsuki responded, assuming a fighting stance.

"So that's what you were after, how low." Joseph shrugged.

"You can have your duel later. For now, let's have breakfast. And Satoshi, did you forget your schedule today?" Ayumu softly reminded him. It was the first day of summer break after all, and it's not like there was anything for him to do.

Satoshi nodded as the seven of them, including the driver and the temporary secretary, sat around the table. As everyone started passing the plates and the side dishes around, Satoshi still couldn't believe the fact that Aquaborne is sitting right in front of him. The Aquaborne! He felt his adrenaline rising just looking at the superhero he aspired to be back when he was still a kid.

He could still remember the news when a certain ship named after the fabled Titanic began sinking by the coast of Newfoundland (what are the odds) and Aquaborne came to the scene and rescued everyone, keeping the Titanic afloat using his superpower. He could still remember when he, teary-eyed, pointed at the video of the Titanic, asking his mom if he could be a superhero too— just like Aquaborne who always keeps his smile no matter how dire the situation is. And no matter how hopeless, he would always come out victorious. Of course, he's a huge fan of his parents for being the top superheroes in Japan, but Aquaborne comes a close second in his aspirations.

"You might lose your jaw if you don't close your mouth, Satoshi," Emma whispered to him. "Is he really that great of a superhero?"

"Yes, and he's really powerful as well," Satoshi responded as he closed his mouth.

"Oh, back in my world, we have a superhero there who could turn water into ice, turn his body into water or into ice, control even the water in the atmosphere, and phase through water and teleport anywhere," Emma answered. "But he died,"

"I see," Satoshi muttered in between his bites. Now that he thought about it, he still hasn't asked Emma the full story of their world and why she wasn't keen on going back there. He made a mental note to ask him as soon as possible.

"So, what made you come here after all these years, Joseph?" Tatsuki asked, passing the plate of hamburg steak to him.

"Oh, that? I was curious about this guy over here," He casually responded, pointing towards Satoshi. "I've seen his debut, the entrance exam against a guy with the earth and fire manipulation ability. I also saw his fight against the Slime Alien and his performance during the Inter-High Tournament. As expected of your son.... but I thought he didn't have a superpower, since when did he awaken it?"

Tatsuki shook his head and smiled. "He awakened it a few years ago, he just didn't manifest it until recently. This is quite unusual though, so you came all the way here just to check out our son?"

"Yes, I'm a fan after all." Joseph continued, the laid-back expression on his face was still evident.

"Wow, who would've thought that you'll become a fan of a fan of yours." Tatsuki smiled. "Are you sure that's about it? I can see that you're still not telling me everything."

"Yeah, this is a separate issue and that is another." Joseph nodded, pointing his lips towards the egg rolls, which Satoshi immediately handed to him. "You're aware that I have a daughter, right? She's the same age as Satoshi."

"Hoh, so you want them to enter an engagement? Is that why you came here?" Tatsuki smirked, his smile seemed more mischievous than ever. "Let me think about it, as long as she's got the looks then why not."

"Nice, I guess we can talk about that another time. Haha— "

"Dad, you do know that I'm still here, right?" Satoshi asked, receiving second-hand embarrassment from their topic. 'An engagement? What are they talking about?!' He thought, panicking slightly.

"Jokes aside, I'm here to check out our Alma Mater and meet the headmaster." Joseph stopped laughing. "And I was thinking... maybe your son can accompany me, you know. And then I'll accompany him over to Heimdall's Agency after. He's going there for an internship, right?"

"Yeah, you won't believe how many internships offers my son received here. Almost every agency tried to recruit him. Well, he already chose Heimdall's agency before all these came about though. In any case... are you going to enroll your daughter— " Tatsuki trailed off.

"Yes, her name's Lydia Schwartz and she inherited my power... with a few more perks." He continued. "You know how it is in Switzerland, right? I didn't want her to grow in such a mediocre environment where every superhero just wants to achieve the bare minimum. I was surprised when she told me she wanted to study here in the USA, so I immediately accepted."

"She'll be coming here by the end of summer break, I figured there will be a huge event? Sort of like a hands-on entrance exam, right? The headmaster announced it on the school website. Apparently, hundreds of students wanted to transfer to the USA, all thanks to your son over here for promoting the school."

"Like father like son!" Tatsuki continued.

"Even though my daughter has a strong superpower, she won't grow unless she experiences the cold hard truth— that skill always comes first, and not your superpower. In our school, I know she'll find a lot of rivals there... or at least, there's one she could go head to head with. That's why, Satoshi, I'm leaving my daughter in your care."

'What am I supposed to say here?!' Satoshi asked himself. He couldn't think of what to answer so he just nodded in silence.

"Just like old times, huh. I"m warning you though— your daughter won't be able to defeat my son no matter what she does."

"Even better, that would spur her to hone her skills even more. Somehow, all of this feels really nostalgic, you know." Joseph slightly chuckled.

"I know right," Tatsuki agreed.

"And no, we are not going to have alcohol for breakfast." Ayumu immediately cut him off, sh could already tell what Joseph and her husband were thinking.