Operation GEMINI
[Part 1: THE SWEETEST TABOO]
"Imai, I swear if I hear another word from you about this—"
"It—"
Orochi pounds the table and reaches around her cubicle, but I kick the floor in time, roll away on my office chair, and raise a hand to block a flying pen.
"You know I'm right!" I'm not one to raise my voice, but she has been testing me for almost an hour now. And yet, I cannot blame her. If there's anything I've learned during these few days as an intern, it's that paperwork makes you into the worst version of yourself.
Sometimes heroes have to write reports on their operations or crimes they're responsible for stopping, and they often include a villain at the scene.
"This is middle school stuff. It only affects the user by transforming their body, so it's a Transformation quirk."
It's important to detail anything discovered about the villain because that's how databases are built. That's how the government prepares cells for tricky quirks, and how heroes can easily subdue a villain on the occasion they escape.
And they can't do that if we can't even get the quirk type right!
"If someone has horns and their quirk lets them grow and shoot their horns, it's not a Transformation quirk!" Orochi says, repeatedly jabbing a finger on my chest. "It's a Mutation! Because it's centered around the Mutation of their horns! It would only be Transformation if they could grow and shoot multiple parts of their body!"
I was waiting for this. This is the third time she's mentioned this, and before, I didn't have anything to debunk it. But now, I remember.
"Kamui Woods."
"What about him?"
"He has wooden skin, and his quirk lets him grow and manipulate that wood. Guess what his type is? Transformation! You're being needlessly obtuse."
Orochi goes silent. Then, she starts shaking her head, unwilling to accept it.
"... no, it's the classification system that's bullshit!"
"I know."
"Then why are we even arguing?!"
"Because it's still important for matchup knowledge! Certain quirks differentiate between mutants and non-mutants like copy—"
"What are you two doing?"
Honoken climbs the stairs to the second floor, calmly slurping on a cup of iced latte.
"Honoken!" I greet her at the same time as my opponent.
"Tell Imai the goat villain who escaped today had a Mutant quirk!"
"Please tell her it's Transformation..."
"..."
Our tie-breaker takes a long, last sip of her beverage, then throws the cup away, snorting in amusement.
"Seriously? That's what you two were having a shouting match over? Let this be a life tip from your superhero senior with hundreds of reports under her belt."
Finally.
I don't even care about being right anymore. Please let this end.
"When in doubt, just put in emitter."
Nevermind. Is that even legal? Heroes can't be expected to be medical-level experts on quirks. But just put in emitter? That has to be fine-worthy advice. And she looks so smug about it, too, hands on her hips and everything.
"I won't tell Yuusei if you don't," she adds.
"Deal." Orochi folds instantly, and as she turns back to her cubicle, Honoken shakes one of her hydras to seal their pact.
I guess... the type doesn't really matter compared to what the quirk actually does? When the villain gets caught, they'll find his identity and fill Quirk Type with whatever is on his medical records.
But if they don't get caught, heroes dispatched to capture them will work with inaccurate information.
But that's only relevant in specific matchups, such as copy or nullification quirks against mutant types...
See, this is how awful paperwork is. It's turning me into the kind of person who has imaginary arguments.
"Where is Yuusei, anyway? I texted him about some case files I needed, and he told me they were at his place. That was..." She glances at a clock on the wall. "Almost an hour ago."
"He left for brunch."
"He left for a meeting."
Orochi and I speak at the same time, confusing the sidekick. We glance at each other, and she shrugs, returning to her report.
'You tell her.'
"He said he would talk over brunch with an 'annoying lady' and gave us a location in case of emergency," I explain as I drag my office chair back to my cubicle. "It was… Astoria's Colosseum of Wonders."
Honoken's expression goes through several phases: neutrality as she processes my words, confusion as she tries to recall who Astoria is, and finally, she pinches the bridge of her nose and blows a sigh, eyebrows furrowed in Anger.
"Hah... unbelievable, that guy..."
"What's wrong?"
"That Astoria Belmont lady has contacted our agency for a few weeks. Yuusei always declines because he wants to stay underground, and now you're telling me they're having brunch? This is the worst possible timing."
Orochi peeks over her monitor, puzzled. "Didn't you say the case files were at his place? Just go there and take them. He won't mind."
"Do I look like I have the keys to his place?"
"..." She looks away, wisely not answering, and I do the same, focusing back on my report. Orochi agreed to just put in emitter and I didn't, but I don't want to start another argument, so I'll go with the flow this once.
"... Well, I guess I'll wait for him."
Still baffled by that last question, Honoken leaves for her private office. Perks of being a sidekick instead of an intern, I suppose.
There's a thick silence surrounding the agency, slightly undermined by the clacking of keyboards and occasionally, the sound of hydras chewing on plastic. From the corner of my eye, I notice Honoken walk out of her office... again. At first, she was doing chores, but now she only paces around, her eyes drifting towards the clock. Her agitation is like a constant hum in the background, and I try my best to tune it out and keep typing.
Then, she stops by our cubicles, pursing her lips. "I'm gonna get a snack from the kitchenette. You two want anything?"
"No."
"No."
She comes back a few minutes later, chewing on a protein bar. "I'm so bored~" she drawls out in despair, flopping onto a chair and rolling around.
"…"
"…"
She finds no sympathy. We're bored here too but at least we're working through it.
More time passes, and…
"… hey, why don't we go on patrol?"
Orochi stirs at the word like a sleeper agent. "Sounds good to me," she agrees, turning off her monitor.
"Please don't leave it all to me," I plead.
Honoken aims her grin at me. "Why don't you come, too? Who knows, maybe we can catch that goat villain and save some time on the quirk analysis section."
That, combined with the prospects of fresh air and a change of scenery, is enough for me to leave my chair and gear up.
Outside, the sun shines weakly, and the crisp autumn breeze carries the scent of freshly baked pastries from a nearby store. It's almost peaceful, except for the occasional shout from a pedestrian or car horn in the distance.
A good day for a walk, not so much for a patrol.
Honoken leads us through a route I can't remember ever seeing in Seiryu's patrol plans, and it becomes apparent why as I spot a billboard in the distance, its bright colors and bold font catching my eyes.
Sisyphus vs Impakt
Unstoppable Force VS Immovable Object!
Friday, November 22nd at 7 PM
Astoria's Colosseum of Wonders
I'm not a hero fanboy, but I've watched a few videos of those Colosseum matches. They work with clones of the heroes instead of the real article, and it's clear everything is scripted so those clones don't pop before the full runtime. This is why the show is aimed mostly at children instead of manchil… people who spend inordinate amounts of time in hero forums.
We turn at the end of the street, and the Colosseum comes into view on the horizon — a gaudy, oversized dome emblazoned with its name in gigantic letters.
"Oh wow, what an odd coincidence," Orochi deadpans, and Honoken glances back at us, a look of innocence on her face.
"Hm? Oh yeah. Can't believe we happened to stumble here on patrol."
"Uh-huh. And I suppose since we're already nearby, we might as well visit and say hi to Yuusei."
"Why Orochi, and here I thought Imai was the mindreader!"
As they bicker, my phone buzzes twice in my pocket, and I take the time to check some of my messages. Mom's checking up on me, Chris sent me a link, Inigo sent me a picture, Seiryu sent something in the agency group chat, and—
Huh?
"Seiryu's back at the agency with your files," I tell Honoken. She and Orochi exchange looks of confusion.
"How? Did we pass by each other without even noticing?"
I shrug. "It was sent a few minutes ago. He also asked where we're at."
"Well, tell him," Orochi says, but I'm already typing.
'Honoken took us out to patrol.'
The message is sent, received, but not seen. I wait a few seconds for that to change before Honoken steps closer.
"Just call him."
I almost tell her to do it herself, but she can't. Her costume doesn't have pockets, so she stores her phone in a compartment of her gauntlet. But she never brought it up because she wasn't serious about this patrol.
I lift the phone to my ear after only a few rings.
"Sei—"
"He's busy~"
Before I can utter his name, a woman's voice comes from the other side.
"Can you pass him the phone anyway, Belmont-san?"
"... eh?" she mumbles, confused. "Oi Seiryu, who's Belmon—"
There's a resounding thud, then a grunt, followed by increasingly muffled sounds of struggle.
"Soujyuuro. Where are you and the others?"
Beneath his sharp tone, I still hear that woman laughing in the background.
"… on the way to Astoria's Colosseum. Who was—"
"Keep going, then. I'll be there."
"Wait—"
The line goes dead. Did… did he…
"He hung up on you?" Honoken finishes my incredulous thought as I pocket my phone.
Was he in a fight? What kind of villain would harass him in his own agency—
"Karma."
The thought bursts inside my head like thunder and slips from my lips in a whisper. The other two jolt at the name, and I keep going before they can ask anything.
"I think he was fighting Karma." With those noises, it couldn't be anything else. "She swiped his phone and answered the call at first." Since he's not the type to pick up the phone in the middle of a fight.
I couldn't put it together at first because, for all I heard about their enmity, I hadn't encountered her a single time during this internship.
"It's strange, though... he told me to keep going and that he'd meet us at the—"
A white blur charges past me. I turn around, and she's already halfway across the street, sprinting back to the agency.
"Orochi, wait!"
Honoken flies after her, and I find myself following them on instinct.
"Wait, wait, wait! I know it sounds crazy, but we should listen to what Imai was trying to say!"
The words fall on deaf ears until that last sentence. Orochi's tails twitch and hiss, looking up at the flying heroine.
"Are you kidding? I'm not leaving Yuusei to fight alone when I finally have my license! That bitch has been lucky since this internship started, but not anymore." Orochi's voice drips with malice I didn't know she had, and she uses that venom to fuel her, moving even faster and gaining distance from us.
"It's not luck! Yuusei was avoiding Karma's usual locations on purpose!"
That slows her down enough for Honoken to land ahead of her. Orochi halts, not wanting to tackle our senior into the ground.
"And I'm the one who told him to do it! Even he could see that involving two high schoolers in his feud wasn't sane, so he agreed!"
"..."
Orochi takes a single step back. Then, she cuts past the sidekick, weaving through the pedestrians and disappearing into the crowd.
The chase starts again, and I don't know how to feel about it.
Honoken is right. Seiryu is supposed to show us the ropes of hero work, not carry us off to help in his personal quest against a single villain. And though he understands that on some level, it's not enough for him to let go of that grudge forever, so he's stuck in this borderline between his professional duties and personal desires for a month.
However, this situation isn't something that can be paused and resumed as he pleases. Today is proof of it. He won't stop, because he's stubborn to his core, just like his cousin. And I can't do much about it except support my friend.
As I step inside the Spring Dragon Agency, the echo of my footsteps in the hall tells me I'm the last one to arrive and the silence from above tells me the battle is already over with no clear winner. Glass shards crunch under my shoes as I enter the second floor and go straight to Seiryu's office. Papers are scattered, desks are overturned, and a few drops of blood dry on the corner, but the hero is nowhere to be found. Orochi notices me first, giving me a curt nod. Honoken sits on his desk, seemingly engrossed in her phone screen until she sets it down.
"... he's not picking up."
She turns to me.
"You said he'd be at the Colosseum, right?"
I nod tiredly.
Great. I just got here, and we'll have to turn around and do it all again? I've learned my lesson: never again will I try to duck paperwork. It's a necessary evil.
"Wait," Orochi says, raising her hand. "This timeline doesn't make any sense." She starts counting events on her fingers.
"How could he have gone to the Colosseum, returned here, fought Karma, traveled back there again... all of it before we even came and went?"
"Maybe he never made it there?" I propose. "He could have come across Karma on the way, fought her across the city, and this was one of their stops."
"I already told you two, he's avoiding places where Karma is usually spotted."
"Yeah, when he's with us," Orochi retorts. "Does he do the same when it's only him?"
The sidekick doesn't respond.
"But why tell us to go to the Colosseum?" I stress again. "He's not the type to give up chasing a villain after less than an hour."
"Yeah, much less this specific villain…" Honoken murmurs, shaking her head. "It only makes a lick sense if he was somehow in two… places… at once…"
"..."
"..."
She palms her face. I consider doing the same.
It's strange this is the second thing I'm thinking of, but is this legal? Belmont's license allows her to use her quirk professionally, but only for entertainment.
"... If I go there and it's the clone... I may have to kill the real one," Honoken mutters as she stalks away, Orochi behind her.
I look between their retreating figures and the wreckage in Seiryu's office. "Are we gonna leave this mess here?"
"Duh. Yuusei can clean it. It's his fault... making me chase him all around the city..." the sidekick grumbles as she puts on her gauntlet.
... best of luck to you, Seiryu.
[Part 2: I Couldn't Say Why You And I Are Gemini]
"Simply incredible, isn't it?" Our guide asks as we pass a garment rack carried off by another staff member. "Lady Astoria's commitment to detail is unmatched. Every hero who signs with her can be recreated in any of their eras, ready to bring joy to the audience."
I know this is his job, but isn't he overhyping these clothes? You can put an Endeavor clone in his debut costume, but no amount of makeup will make him look twenty years younger. Still, I nod along. Maybe they have a quirk to help with that. I'm not here to poke holes in their business. I'm just here for my boss.
Each stage we pass through seems grander than the last, and I catch a glimpse of Fake Impakt and Fake Sisyphus practicing a routine for their upcoming match.
We walk through a long hallway lined with signed pictures of the Colosseum's owner, standing beside a collection of heroes with an always beaming smile.
"Kamidani-san can help you three from here. Farewell, heroes!"
Our tour guide gracefully bows out, leaving us in a lavish waiting room.
Beside the ornate doors leading to Astoria's office stands a wooden counter. Behind it sits the secretary, Kamidani. She's a sickly-looking woman, all pale skin and thin limbs.
Kamidani looks up from her computer as Honoken strides towards her with her usual confidence and leans on the counter.
"Good morning, you're speaking to Lady Astoria's secretary. How may I help you?"
"I need to see Lady Astoria. It's pretty important."
"Lady Astoria is currently busy with an equally important engagement."
"With Seiryu, right?"
"I-I'm not uhh... allowed to divulge anything about her potential associates," she stutters, giving away the answer. "Do you even have an appointment, Miss...?"
"No, but listen, I'm Seiryu's side—"
This might take a while. I settle on the plush waiting couch, and Orochi does the same to my left. Another person sits to my right, their wings almost brushing against my face—
Wait.
"… Skycarver-sensei?"
It's class 1-F's homeroom teacher, who looks almost as sickly as that secretary. I know he's not a clone because he's not wearing any variation of a hero costume but instead a black three-piece suit.
"Hello... Soujyuuro, isn't it?"
I nod. "Are you… planning to appear in one of Belmont-san's shows?"
"Not quite. I'm here representing Shiketsu," he explains, patting the suitcase on his lap. "Karaburan is already planning the next publicized school competition, and depending on Lady Astoria's prices, the colosseum might play a part in it."
He turns to me, and I force my body to relax. Despite his tired posture, his gaze is strangely intense.
"And what brings you here? This is a place for hero fans, not hero interns."
I struggle to think of a way to resume it.
"… it's… complicated…"
"Isn't it always..." A faint smile tugs at his lips—
"You wanna go, brat?"
It immediately disappears as he looks to my left, where Orochi is… having a staring contest. Opposing her is a masked girl in a sailor uniform, posturing at her, glaring into her eyes, and… I'd say turning up her nose, but that's a necessity considering the height difference.
"Atsushi, back off of my student. And Suki, I told you to quit it with the menchi beams."
Neither of them seem to hear him, so he rises from his seat with a sigh, ready to break them up.
"Skycarver-sensei! How are you doing?"
Honoken comes back, patting the hero's wings.
"I'm alive," he says bluntly. "And you already graduated, so quit it with the honorifics… also, control your intern."
"What?" she glances at the bizarre delinquent ritual, then shakes her head. "C'mon, you two, I got us into the office."
Orochi doesn't budge, and we drag her off while she glares at Suki. The mini-hydras hiss at their opponent, who lifts her mask, sticks out a forked tongue, and hisses in return.
She snaps back to normal once we close the doors to Belmont's office and block her view of Suki.
"The hell was that all about?" Honoken grills her, and she only huffs in response.
"I had to assert dominance."
What are you, a wild animal…?
I turn away from the doors, the opulent office only catching my eye for a brief moment before I focus on the dragon hero's scarred back. He faces away from us with his arms spread out, the top half of his costume loosened, and his mask hanging from his neck as he speaks.
"... did you ever consider becoming a hero yourself, Belmont?"
The wavy-haired woman also doesn't notice us, too absorbed in her work as she stretches a measuring tape between her hands.
"Little old me? Perish the thought. I'm a lover, not a fighter."
"They're not mutually exclusive."
She laughs. "You'd know, wouldn't you?"
I shift in place, feeling like I'm intruding on something... which I am. Also, for some reason I expected them to be on worse terms.
Honoken and Orochi keep going where I hesitate, and Astoria finally notices us, one hand letting go of the tape to beckon them with a slightly more professional smile.
"Ah, heroes! Welcome, welcome." She gestures to a set of armchairs by her desk. "Take a seat. Kamidani will bring some refreshments soon."
Honoken walks right past the chairs, meeting Seiryu's eyes as he turns to us. She opens her mouth—
"What are you three doing here?"
And almost stumbles.
"What are we—what are you doing here?"
"I'm getting fitted for a clone."
She crosses her arms. "Why."
"I haven't signed anything yet. Belmont's showing me her quirk to answer some of my questions about it."
"Again, why did it even get to this point?"
"Because of her next show."
Belmont, who'd been watching the byplay with a smile, suddenly pauses her measurements to fetch a few papers from her desk.
"Here, here, take a look."
They're all alternate versions of an ad for her next show… and is that Orochi's father?
Goliath Wyrm VS Saurus
Fantastic Beasts VS Pre-historic Juggernauts
Sunday, December 15th at 7 PM
Only At Astoria's Colosseum of Wonders
"The old man's wrestling with Saurus?" Orochi almost shouts, staring goggle-eyed at all the ads.
Seiryu nods. "Somehow, she roped him and a bunch of heroes with animal quirks into a cage match and offered me a chance to help with Goliath Wyrm's comeback into the public eye."
Belmont mimics his movement, looking proud of herself for snagging the two Atsushis. "Hm, hm. We're still workshopping the promos, but this will certainly be my greatest show thus far, featuring an unprecedented amount of heavy hitters. Saurus requested a wrestling theme, so I had to produce a more… complicated script that gave the remaining heroes new personas and costumes. Thus, our Seiryu-kun over here won't have to worry about publicity."
The image of Seiryu in a luchador mask gives me slight mental damage, and Honoken blinks rapidly by my side, likely suffering from the same pain.
"huh… and where does our Seiryu fit into this script?"
"He's a mysterious side character who sacrifices himself at the end of the 2nd act, taking a hit meant for Goliath Wyrm. That gives him a second wind to face the heel, Saurus. Normally, those roles would be reversed between old mentor and young protégé, but I felt like playing with the tropes a bit—"
Seiryu's hand falls on her shoulder, and she playfully rolls her eyes at him. "Right, right. Never a moment wasted with you."
Spreading his arms and letting the measuring resume, he looks at us with furrowed eyebrows.
"Now, why did you three come here? Wasn't my message enough to keep you on standby?"
"What message?"
"You mean the one from your clone?"
"That just left us more confused, not gonna lie."
"…"
A tail sprouts from behind him, earning a muted yelp from Belmont. Seiryu fishes his phone, looks at it, then shows it to us.
'The Colosseum meeting will take longer than expected. Patrol will resume after lunch break.'
Honoken flashes her phone at him, showing an entirely different message coming from him.
"Oh, my..."
All eyes turn to Belmont, who sheepishly scratches her cheek.
"That happens sometimes. Your phone and chip were copied alongside your clothes, so the app got confused and thought your clone had the real versions."
"Wonderful," Seiryu sighs. "And where is that clone now?"
"Fighting Karma," I assume.
"…"
"… or maybe he got popped already," Honoken adds.
"…"
Orochi looks offended at the idea. "Clone or not, he'd last longer than this."
The original takes a deep breath, rigidly turning his gaze to his clone's maker.
"… I thought your clones were supposed to always obey you."
"And I told him to get familiar with his set and not get in the way of the staff." In response to his glare, she puts her hands up and shrugs. "Sure, I didn't expect him to leave, but my first impression of you was that you didn't want to be here, so it makes sense for an imperfect copy to act on that."
It also explains his curtness during the phone call. His first impression really is of an unapproachable guy.
"... Alright, I'm done with my questions," Honoken decides, massaging her temples. "C'mon, you two. Let's leave before this gets any weirder."
Orochi stays in place, clutching the posters of her father in costume. "… can I keep these?"
"Do you have time to read and sign an NDA?" Belmont asks, mercilessly chuckling when the girl lets them down on the desk. With a flourish, she pockets her measure tape, lifts the upper half of Seiryu's costume to cover him up, and pats his shoulders. "At any rate, don't leave so soon! I have enough data to make a proper clone now, so won't you stay and watch? This does involve your agency, after all."
Before we can say anything, her hands are already moving, exploring the contours of a body that doesn't exist yet. Slowly, a clay-like substance flows from her hands, molding itself into the rough shape of a man. Belmont makes the man into a hero, pulling at the excess mass in his body and shaping the details of his costume. For the final steps, she brushes his hair and draws at his face with her fingers, rubbing her thumb over his lips to form a rarely seen smile.
The sculptor backs off as her piece rapidly gains colors, and Seiryu stares at Seiryu. One reaches for his opposite, who catches his wrist.
Is the clone born aware of his nature? Or do they both think they're facing a fake?
"Hey, Yuusei Two!"
Neither of them turn to Honoken's call. But the one on the left reacts, his hazel eyes narrowing slightly. That's enough to make her cackle.
"Yeah, you got this personality, alright."
"I'll be the judge of that," the one on the right mutters, gripping his clone's wrist tighter. "What's your most reliable ultimate move?"
"Garyou Tensei."
"What do you require to use it?"
"To close the distance on my opponent and create a momentary gap in their defense."
"What sort of fighting style is required for that?"
"One that combines explosive strength and optimal usage of my draconic limbs to keep the opponent pinned down."
"And what skills are required for that?"
"Mixed martial arts and maximum speed when activating and deactivating my quirk."
"Assuming you inherited all of that... could you defeat me?"
The clone smiles.
"Of course."
"Could you defeat her?"
His expression falls.
"…"
The original lets him go without pressing the question, and the two back away from each other.
While Honoken follows the clone to mess with him further, Belmont approaches the real one, adjusting her sleeve cuffs.
"See? If you give me time to work my magic, no clone will ever go rogue in this Colosseum."
"Laying it a bit too thick now," he says, and she only huffs in response.
"I assume you're ready to make your decision, then."
"Yes."
He closes the gap between them, looming over her and reaching out.
"I'll help you, Belmont."
"Help me? This is a transaction, Seiryu-kun. Don't make it sound so personal..."
Despite the lighthearted words and fleeting smile, she firmly clasps his hand, meeting his eyes with a matching intensity as they shake on it. He breaks away first, huffing annoyedly.
"Shrewd woman... I'll contact your secretary later with my conditions."
Her smile only widens at that, and with a snap of her fingers, the Seiryu clone disappears in the middle of showing his quirk to Honoken. If she were aware of the previous one going rogue, it would have been that easy, huh?
With everything seemingly settled, I follow Seiryu as he walks away from the office, just as Belmont's secretary comes in with trays of biscuits and tea. She almost drops the former in shock as Orochi's hungriest soldier pounces on a biscuit. I steady her with a hand on her shoulder, catching a falling treat for myself.
… It's too sweet. Also, what is Belmont doing to this poor woman? A drop of the steaming tea fell on her forearm, and she didn't even wince.
Orochi mumbles a sorry, bowing her head slightly before moving closer to her cousin. "... Yuusei, are you really going through with this? Do you even know how to wrestle?"
"It's not about the wrestling. I'll explain later."
Right, this is about helping Orochi's father. But he already mentioned that, so…
"What's left to explain?" Honoken mumbles, trailing behind us.
In the waiting room, Seiryu and Skycarver nod briefly at each other, and Suki glares at a new target. As an amateur in delinquent sociology, my best theory is that she thinks she won against a fleeing Orochi and now seeks to topple the older Atsushi. How she managed to sense the family ties is another story.
Seiryu notices a stare and pats her head as he walks past her. That's enough to break her stance, leaving her cheeks flushed in what I presume is frustration at not being taken seriously.
Unaware of the target he placed on himself, he turns to his sidekick. "It has to do with our next mission. Also, I apologize for the bad communication that led to this… hectic morning for you three."
Now that I have the full picture, I can say most of it was outside his control.
"If there's anything I can do to make it up to you, let me know."
"No need—"
"I wanna go to that kaiju research center again," Orochi asks unhesitantly. I can't help the chuckle that bursts free. She was the only one who complained about that trip, and look at her now. Such is the appeal of giant monsters.
"Take me out for lunch," Honoken follows up, patting his back. "I'm thinking steakhouse."
… Well, now I don't want to be left out…
"Advance my payment."
The other two laugh, and even Seiryu grins wryly at my decision. I almost asked for a team-up with Rosethorn's agency, but isn't that more work disguised as a favor? Either way, I'm using this to plan a date with Ashleigh, and that's what matters.
Soon, we're flying away from Astoria's Colosseum. Honoken grips Seiryu's horns with both hands, trying to tilt his head away from his phone.
"Hey, hey! Eyes on the road... sky!" she corrects herself. "You need to set an example for your interns!"
The device looks comically small between his claws as he revises his schedule.
"… steakhouse in a few minutes… Soujyuuro's check once we're back, and kaiju center… still this week… exact date will depend on how long this upcoming mission lasts…"
Orochi shifts at that last sentence. "Not liking the doubt in your tone… what's our next mission, anyway?"
"Hm?"
He realizes he's mumbling and looks back at her.
"We're going to take down Belmont's secretary. She's a villain in disguise."
This guy…
[Part 3: I Notice, I Notice, Many Many Look-a-likes]
Villain: Kamigami, real name unknown. Their quirk allows them to produce paper duplicates of people and objects, which they have used to accumulate hundreds of counts of fraud, embezzlement, money laundering, forgery, insider trading, and industrial espionage. Although their schemes have been discovered by police and heroes numerous times, their puppets destroy themselves before anything can be traced through them, leaving the mastermind free to start all over again.
Yesterday, it was discovered Astoria Belmont's secretary, Kyouka Kamidani, was one of those puppets.
Actually, that's not right. Yesterday, it was revealed to the heroes that Kamidani worked for Kamigami. Astoria Belmont had known for a while but knew that exposing and firing the puppet wouldn't lead to anything in the long run.
No, she wanted the heroes to finally take down Kamigami. But her first hurdle was notifying them in the first place. The puppet was intimately aware of her schedule and possibly wired into her communication, so she couldn't make calls or meet with the authorities as she pleased. Ultimately, she chose to rely on her most trusted method: a live performance in which she could subtly guide a hero to the same conclusion as her.
Therein came the second hurdle. Astoria couldn't rely on any hero for this case. Kamigami was a big enough target that whoever was responsible for their capture could have a spotlight shined upon them. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that if an unknown hero played their cards right, they could break into the top 30 by riding the wave of this singular case.
That spotlight would also shine on her for all the wrong reasons. The media would have a field day speculating just how much of her business' rapid growth was caused by a villain using it as a cover for their dirty money.
Thus, she needed a hero who could track down Kamigami and would not make their downfall too public—for her colosseum's sake. Seiryu was one such hero, but he was too averse to the spotlight, not even interested in hearing her proposals… until Lady Luck smiled upon her and Goliath Wyrm returned to the hero scene, clearing that final hurdle.
"Using my family as bait… for someone who prides herself on theatrics, she sure is blunt."
Seiryu smiled as he said that, and I understood why he went along with it then. Belmont was caught between wanting to help the heroes she admired and seeing her business flourish but found the thread to tie those desires together. He likes how greedy she is but can't help but get annoyed at how well it seems to work out for her.
"Stay alert."
His voice crackles in my earpiece, pulling me back to the present.
"Kamidani has left the Colosseum."
"… got it."
I fix the buttons on my dress shirt and put on my cap… which bothers my eye, but she's already seen me in costume, so I needed a disguise. I even had to get my hair cut…
The sound of heels clacking rapidly echoes to my left and behind me. I pull out my phone, pretending to look at something else as my mark leaves Astoria's Colosseum and walks past me. She's a nervous creature, clutching her purse like a lifeline and constantly looking over her shoulder.
She doesn't like her job. Astoria isn't a bad boss, but it's too stressful knowing it would only take one hero with the right quirk to blow her cover. Today, one of them asked why she looked so pale and frail, and she had to use that flimsy "paper mutant" excuse from her fake identity. What if Astoria looks into it?!
She doesn't know if she can do that if she's discovered—no, she definitely can't. How did the others… take their own lives? Aren't they also her?
Wait, they're also her? Although all of Kamigami's puppets have been noted to be young women, they exhibited such a wide range of builds and facial structures that the police didn't assume she was only cloning herself. Yet Kamidani is under the assumption all clones share a blueprint.
I weave through the streets, distributing the weight on my feet like Seiryu taught me. With just a few days to learn the basics of stealth, I still can't move as silently as him, but it's enough not to catch her attention while I'm between dozens of pedestrians.
"I need a ride," I mumble into my earpiece. With Kamidani's paper constitution, she can't afford to take public transportation—even walking on the street is risky for her.
"On my way~"
After Kamidani leaves in a cab, I take off my cap and wear the helmet Honoken offers me. Her own helmet hides her very recognizable face. Her disguise is just a differently colored hoodie over her costume's blue bodysuit.
The bike roars to life, and I hop in, riding off into the sunset… or so I'd say if we weren't in Kyoto during an afternoon rush hour. But this, too, is part of the plan. It'll give me time to probe further into our target's mind.
This traffic will make her late for the meeting. Should she text the broker? Which burner had his contact again? These weird messaging apps villains use are such a pain… why they can't work on the UI—oh. The other two sent her something.
Two other puppets have infiltrated Astoria's Colosseum. Together, the three are responsible for embezzling funds from shows and laundering money through ticket and merch sales.
After sending a message warning that she may be late, Kamidani tries to distract herself by scrolling through her other phone.
'(Why did I say I might be late? I'm for sure going to be late.)'
'(He's going to be mad.)'
'(I should have tried to leave the colosseum earlier…)'
But I can't have her distracted from what's happening, so I insert some doubts into her head.
'But then Astoria could get suspicious… why did I agree to meet at this time…'
'I hate this, I hate this, I hate this…!'
… that might have been too much. Now Kamidani's retreating into herself... and I feel like a bully.
The cab pulls up to the fancy hotel, and Kamidani practically leaps out. She waves off the driver, telling him to keep the change and that she's too late to be counting coins—
"She passed the reception at Brighton Hotel and is heading towards the terrace," I notify the others as I get off the motorcycle.
The place is big enough that she'll leave my range as she rises through the elevator… yet I cannot move. The lobby provides less cover than the streets. Kamidani also feels a burst of relief after beating traffic, which will lessen her tunnel vision when reaching the broker and restore her usual spatial awareness. If she spots and recognizes me, it's over.
"Remember. You don't move when you want to. You move when the target's guard is down."
"Roger," I mutter back, adding a necktie to my disguise and brushing down my hair to cover my third eye.
Still too visible. Maybe if…
I glance at Honoken with one eye closed. "Is this fine? Does it need a hair extension?"
"It's fine," she drawls out, sparing some of her boundless confidence. "You got this."
She drives away with a pat on my back, and I have no choice but to keep going. The elevator ride to the top floor is pleasantly fast. Nobody bats an eye as I walk past the rooms and lean on the balcony. Here, it's only a matter of finding Kamidani's thoughts on the terrace above.
'Fuck, why is everything here so expensive? I just wanted a drink…'
'Ugh, he is such a lout. Why is Dad trying to set us up…?'
'I'm going to kill him… does he think playing ambient music is beneath him or something? He better start matching our tempo, or I swear—'
There are far more people above than I expected… I already lost time by giving her a head start, so tracking her by skipping over every surface thought is a no-go.
I take the staircase through to the terrace—
"Excuse me, young man, but the terrace restaurant is for VIPs only."
A hand on my chest stops me.
"Do you have a reservation?"
From my current position, I can't see Kamidani in any of the tables.
"Young man?"
I fiddle with my tie, facing the host, who's barely holding back his distrustfulness.
"Right…"
I near his podium and place my license atop his guest list.
"I'm in the middle of a stealth mission," I whisper, still scanning for Kamidani. "Please let me through."
"This is a provisional license. Who's the hero leading this mission?"
"Seiryu."
"…?"
Right, underground hero…
"You can look him up—"
"Young man, you are holding up the line. You may come from a prestigious academy, but that doesn't mean you can go wherever you please."
"…"
... I'm being accused of flashing my license to sneak into parties. That's a first.
Still, he's right. I am holding up the line and attracting too many glances. Turning away from their raised eyebrows and shaking heads, I retreat to the bottom of the staircase.
"I lost sight of Kamidani, and I need a VIP pass to get it back."
"… Alright," Seiryu replies after a second. "It's far from ideal, but we'll have to ad-lib this next part. You're on the top floor, right?"
"Yes."
"We'll meet you at the balcony."
… We?
I jog to the balcony in time to see a claw clutching at its railing. The dragon vaults inside the hotel, dropping the princess at my feet.
"…"
"…"
I stare at Orochi, who glares at me in return.
"… how did you get her in a dress?" I ask the mastermind behind this operation.
"I lost in jan-ken-pon," she grumbles in his stead, and I can't tell if she's being serious or not. "Now stop staring."
She drags me back to the terrace with a somewhat awkward gait, caused not by the high heels she wears but by the hydras hiding under her dress' skirt. Compared to that, closing my eye for a few minutes isn't nearly as bad.
Orochi only has to mention the Atsushi name once and the host scrambles to appease her.
"Oi," she begins, leaning over his podium and blocking the guest list as he tries to look at it. "Do you think I'm lying?"
"N-No, Miss—"
"Then why are you wasting my time here?"
"This is merely a formality—"
"Ah, so you think I'm stupid. I know, I just couldn't give less of a—"
… she's surprisingly good at playing the spoiled heiress.
"Wasn't that a bit too much?" I wonder after he lets us pass.
"Maybe," she admits, scratching her arm. "But I couldn't give him time to think. In fact, we're busted if he decides to check the list at any time."
"Seiryu will intervene if it comes to that—"
I see Kamidani.
'(Seventh table from the bar, sitting with two men.)'
Orochi jolts at the mental message, then nods. I try to find a pair of seats at the optimal distance to use my quirk, moving while using the waiters and other staff as cover.
'A counterfeit job? I hate those… why can't we copy some bills instead of trying to be clever…'
'Why is he trying to sell me the original? I'm not interested in antiques…'
This confirms that Kamidani is a clone of the original villain. She's being offered a job to make several replicas of an antique and distribute them to black market collectors. The cloning process will take longer if she wants them to stand up to scrutiny during an auction, and she'll need to prepare a… glue bath— whatever that means—for each of them.
'Wonderful… the blades can fetch tens of billions of yen if we offer copies to the right people…'
Opposite to her mental state, the broker is already looking forward to this deal. Yanai, Masayoshi, Kentaro… names and faces of wealthy buyers he plans to scam flash through his head briskly.
As for the owner of the antique…
'This isn't working. She'll keep stringing me alone with puppets and brokers no matter how much trust I seemingly gain.'
Huh…?
'How do I take the last step to meet her in person?! Should I destroy the clone and see if I can track the original through her phone…? No, the police already tried that! Dammit, dammit, dammit! I need this case…!'
This guy…
"Seiryu. The man meeting with Kamigami is a hero in disguise."
"Who?"
"No idea. Are you still there on the balcony? I can send a mental image…"
"No. I'm with the hotel staff trying to find whoever Kamidani is talking to by their hotel reservations and car plates."
"He kind of looks like you, Yuusei," Orochi points out as she finds us a table, and…
"She's right."
Same blue hair, a similar build, and an unreadable expression behind a mask… though his mask makes him look like a sick salaryman instead of a hero.
"Doesn't ring a bell. Can you request a team-up with him while keeping tabs on Kamidani?"
"… I'll try."
It's good timing, at least. The broker and Kamidani are discussing the counterfeit's production rate, so they're paying less attention to the third party.
'(This is a telepathic message from hero student Mahoudeva, interning under the pro hero Seiryu.)'
To his credit as a pro hero, his expression doesn't give anything away as he receives the message. His mind, however, is in chaos.
'Seiryu... Atsushi…!'
'—Of course he had to be here at my lowest—'
'As if this couldn't get any worse—complicated—'
For once, someone recognizes the underground hero, and this is their response? Seiryu, what did you do to this guy…?
'(I'm stablishing communication and requesting a team up to take down the villain known as Kamigami.)'
'I don't need a team up with...'
He tries to hide it by calling up the faces of a dozen random heroes, but we both know who he means.
'I don't need it. Now quit snooping inside my head..'
'(… understood.)'
I saw it coming, but it was still worth a shot.
"He rejected the team-up. He doesn't..."
Should I say it? It feels like gossip, but it is related to the matter at hand…
"Mahoudeva?"
"Whoever he is, he doesn't seem very fond of you, Seiryu."
"… That must be Highroller, then," he says over Honoken's choppy laughter. "Keep monitoring the other two. Highroller should know what to do even if he doesn't want to coordinate our movements."
For both our sakes, Highroller needs to play the haggler. Making deals with Kamidani hasn't gained him any ground, so he needs to pressure her during this negotiation until he gets the meeting he wants… and that will give me ample time to probe further into her mind. Win-win.
… of course, he does not do that. Instead, he offers a single ultimatum.
Unlike their previous, smaller-scale scams, this antique is too valuable to be entrusted to a puppet in hopes it will be brought back when the job is done. That's why Highroller tried to sell the original beforehand. He wants to be there with Kamigami when the copies are made. In character, it's to reduce the risk of foul play. Out of character, it's to capture the villain.
Predictably, Kamidani panics at the ultimatum, and her rejection bubbles up instinctually, out-speeding any of her thoughts or my suggestions.
'Is he leaving for real? He wasn't bluffing! Does he have someone else to fake the sword?'
'Nononononono, this cannot be right—'
'Do something, you idiot! You're letting billions of yen walk away from you!'
'But what the hell am I supposed to say!? I can't let anyone meet the real me!'
And as I've learned, she tends to spiral in these situations. Highroller leaves while I wade through the mess in her head, and the broker follows him with hushed, desperate pleas to reconsider.
Why did he do it?
"Imai."
I get he didn't want to cooperate, but this is fatal for him, too!
"Imai."
Kamidani may be a nervous mess, but the original hasn't been caught for a reason. A bluff like that isn't nearly enough.
"Imai...!" Orochi elbows my side, looking between our target and her cohorts. "They're leaving. What the hell happened?"
"Highroller blew it."
Maybe he has a backup plan…? No, it's more likely he just wanted to delay me. He knew even if he negotiated a meeting with Kamigami in the future, our team could bust her operations as early as tonight if I were given the time to scour her mind.
But this isn't a competition. We both want the same thing here. Sure, he sunk more time into this undercover operation than we did on our stealth mission, but isn't stopping the villain what truly matters here?
What an incomprehensible creature…
"Highroller ended negotiations," I repeat to the others. "He's leaving the premise with the broker. Kamidani is… not taking it well."
'Billions… I let billions walk away… that was enough to end all of this…'
'But is this this even my fault? If I tell the others about this, they'll see there's nothing I could have done, right?'
'Ah, who am I kidding, I could have done better for sure! I didn't even try! I told him no and let him walk away while I gaped like a fish! If I saw another me doing what I did I'd scrap them immediately!'
'… am I gonna get scrapped?'
'No. I control the story of what happened.'
'… do I even care if I get scrapped?'
'(Yes. What the hell am I thinking?)'
'But what am I even doing here? I wanted to help myself, but I can't. I keep fucking up, and my clones keep fucking up, but I can't clone anyone else because I don't want to live like this forever.'
'I just wanted enough money to eat three squared meals every day of my life. When did I start wanting billions of yen? To leave the country? I don't even know another language!'
'Maybe I should leave. The real Shiori doesn't care about me. If I'm gonna get scrapped when her criminal career ends anyway, maybe I should live my best life while I can…'
The puppet laughs at that last thought, slumping on the table as its strings are cut.
'What best life? You're paper, stupid. You can't eat three squared meals. You can't drink the expensive wine those assholes asked for. All you can do is foot the bill…'
'(No… there's so much more to life than just eating and drinking… I can still experience so much…)'
'But I'll always be afraid of tearing myself apart as I do it.'
'I get why it was so easy for the others now… one jump off this terrace and no more Astoria on my back. No more sharing tables with villains. Another one of me would take my place like nothing happened…'
… I can't help this woman. She will only recoil if I reach out to her as a hero, and If I remind her of the things she can still do, the memories of what she could do when she was flesh and blood will haunt her.
And if this is the mental state of a copy after a few months—maybe even weeks—of villainy… then I worry about the flesh and blood and the feelings she's been holding for longer.
"Imai… what did you see in there?"
Right… we're still on a mission. Orochi grabs my shoulder, frowning at me. I wonder how I must look.
"… a given name. Shiori."
"A name and a quirk description," Seiryu muses, "This should be enough to narrow down Kamigami's identity. Good work, Mahoudeva, Yamata. You two should leave the terrace now and meet me at the parking lot."
We should. The servers are starting to look at us suspiciously, too.
Yet my feet won't move. I didn't feel a thing when Belmont destroyed that Seiryu clone. I even heard about what the paper puppets did when they got captured. So why am I worried about Kamidani destroying herself? Because she's lived for longer? Because I saw her thoughts, feelings, and aspirations? Those will all be for naught when Kamigami is caught. All her clones must be rooted out and destroyed to end her crimes, and I'll be a part of that.
Kamidani was destined to be a disposable tool from the moment she was born. Living a fake life as a fake version of herself.
So I walk away. I don't know if it's the right decision or if there even is one. But I don't want to break into Kamidani's mind and tell her how to live her life only to snuff that same life in the future.
As I trail after Orochi, a commotion makes me pause before I bump into her back. It's Highroller, leaning against a wall next to the elevator while the broker he brought yells in his face.
With his mask pulled down the similarities with Seiryu end. He looks older and more expressive, rolling his eyes and pouting as he ignores the words thrown at him.
"No one else in the market can do it with their speed and consistency! Do you understand how much money you're throwing away here?!"
The undercover hero turns at the sound of our steps, smiling even as he's pulled by his collar.
"Are you even listening to…"
The broker suddenly cuts off, his face frozen in confusion and terror.
"W-What the hell? What did you do to me? Why can't I feel my—!"
A pained gasp escapes him, and Highroller doesn't give him time to recover from the gut punch, hitting the back of his head and letting him slump to the floor.
"These black market merchants, I tell you…" he begins, shaking his head and hitting the button for the elevator again. "They get a little money on their hands and think they can walk all over you all of a sudden."
He points at me. "Imai, right? I owe you my thanks. You made me realize I was taking too long. That I needed a bolder approach. If Seiryu is going after the same targets as me, I must've been doing something wrong!"
Orochi crosses her arms, her glare sliding off his laughing form. "What the hell's your problem with Yuusei?"
"My problem…?" He stares at her for a moment before snapping his fingers. "Ah. The little cousin, right? He used to brag a lot about you. Good job with the tournament."
Orochi rolls her eyes at the flattery—
"And on surviving Feral."
Before cracking her knuckles and stepping forward, her frame shaking with barely restrained aggression.
"You wanna go?! I bet you can't survive me, much less her."
"Woah, woah! I'm being genuine here. It was pretty impressive for someone still in training. See, I have no problems with you—or Seiryu, for that matter," he lies, raising his hands in a what-can-you-do pose. "Our methods are incompatible, that's all."
At first, he confused me. Now, he's just bothering me.
"What methods? Giving up as soon as another hero comes into the scene? What will you do after ditching Kamidani and knocking out your broker?"
Does he actually have a plan? He doesn't have anything on—
—Shiori—
Kamigami—compared to us.
The elevator's doors open, and he turns his back on my question, walking inside.
"Hey!" Orochi kneels next to the criminal he left unconscious. "Are you not gonna take him in?!"
"Well… yeah. That's what you interns are for," his voice comes without a hint of shame as the doors begin to close.
"As for me, I'm going after Shiori-chan. Tell Seiryu I said hi."
What the…?
"How did he know?"
"Fucking asshole… huh?" Orochi turns to me with the unconscious criminal's arm slung over her shoulder.
"Shiori."
He didn't know; I saw it in his mind minutes ago. If he knew, he wouldn't have to stage this meeting.
"Maybe he knew all along. Maybe needed something else from the clone. I dunno." Orochi's words bounce around my head as we wait for another elevator.
What else could he get from Kamidani? Did he suspect one of the puppets went rogue, and she knew them?
"Imai."
Orochi breaks the silence the moment another elevator arrives.
"That guy's a loony," she continues as we step past a hotel resident, who stares at the unconscious criminal we're carrying before hurrying to his room. "I wouldn't bother trying to understand what goes through his head."
I hum a response, rubbing my temples in a poor attempt to soothe this pressure building around my head.
"… this isn't about Highroller, is it?" she calls me out. "Give it to me straight. What'd you see back there?"
"… she was contemplating ending her own life."
Orochi's expression blanks.
"… do you…"
She takes a deep breath.
"Do you think that says something? About Kamigami?"
"I hope it doesn't."
The rest of our elevator ride falls into a tense silence, occasionally broken by the opening and shutting of the doors. No one wants to get in the elevator with the two teens carrying an unconscious man, and once we reach the first floor, we have to explain ourselves to the hotel staff. Then, we move to the parking lot and find Seiryu and Honoken talking to a police officer.
"Yeah, this vehicle belongs to Araki Okuyama…" the balding man explains, flipping through his clipboard. "Guy's not even a villain—just a white-collar criminal with a short rap sheet. Hasn't been in the business for long."
"Well, we'll still try to catch him if we spot…" Honoken turns to us, her eyes widening. "Oh, that's him! Good job, you two."
"It was Highroller who took him down," I tell her, making her hands go from thumbs-up to shaking our shoulders.
"Good enough for me. 'Scuse me, young heroes."
"You two… don't let that guy shove his errands on you," Honoken admonishes us as the officer takes Okuyama to his car.
"That asshole ran to the elevator before we could do anything," Orochi grumbles before pointing at her cousin. "Also, what's his beef with you, Yuusei?"
He tilts his head in confusion. "He was an upperclassman at Shiketsu. There is no—"
"And he always butted heads with Yuusei in the student council," Honoken explains, cutting him off.
He sighs. "… as I was saying, there is no 'beef'. Only a difference in opinions. At any rate… it bears repeating that you two did an excellent job…"
Did I, really? I got what we wanted, but it could have been much cleaner. Orochi smiles at the praise from her cousin, but it's faint. She's thinking the same as me.
"… especially considering the short time you had to let those stealth lessons sink in. But it's not over yet. We're going to the nearest police station to help the officers identify whoever Shiori is, then move to arrest her. Depending on how long the first part takes, It could happen anytime between tonight or the weekend."
"If Highroller doesn't get there first, that is," Orochi points out, and he frowns.
"… what?"
"He knew her name, too. We didn't tell him, but he knew all along—"
"No," I interrupt. "He didn't know all along. I was in his head, he was panicking because he couldn't find a way to meet Kamigami in person. Somehow, he found out right after we did."
"…"
Seiryu is furious. He looks away, not wanting to aim his glare at us, but the rage isn't just in his eyes. It's in his clenched fist, the stiff posture, and it fails to leave him in the short breath he takes.
Honoken shares a look with him, frowning deeply. "Yuusei, you don't think he would…"
"No, I do."
"What's wrong?"
"What did he do?"
Orochi and I throw out our questions, and it's enough to replace his anger with cold rationality.
"… Highroller can shuffle the quirks of those around him. He might have gotten Kamigami's name… by taking Soujyuuro's quirk and reading your minds."
No…
That can't be right…
It's still here! I can still feel their minds around me.
"The swaps only last for a minute."
His words are like a punch to the gut, taking the wind from me before I can speak.
"W-What the hell? What did you do to me? Why can't I feel my—!"
… he got my quirk, and I got the broker's…
How did only one of us notice it? My quirk may not give me extra limbs like Orochi's, but… I'm supposed to be better than this. Am I still so hung up on my quirk that I don't even miss it when it's gone?
"… we're not gonna let this slide, right?" Orochi asks tentatively. "First, he tries to mess up our mission, and now he's snooping inside our heads without permission?"
"If the Hero Safety Commission hears about it, he could be put on probation… or even get his license suspended for a while," Honoken says, crossing her arms. "Normally, I'd feel bad about barging into another hero's case and stealing their thunder, but we didn't even know he was involved and he refused our help without having a single lead... so I say he can get screwed."
I'm the same. Who the hell does he think he is? I didn't spend my entire life making sure Mindbreaker was used responsibly so he could make a mockery of my resolve. "Orochi's right. He can't get away with this."
"And he won't," Seiryu assures us. He glances at the police officer, signaling him to move out. "But we need to find Kamigami first… let me explain," he adds as the two of them... no, as the three of us glare at him in unison.
"If Highroller finds her while we're busy indicting him, he'll turn this case into a spectacle, and the commission will give him a slap on the wrist for his behavior because he still caught an A-Rank threat. And beyond that… I told Belmont I would help her. I intend to keep my word."
He turns around, wings flaring behind him as he beckons us to follow him to the end of this mission.
"Come. We'll deal with Kamigami without giving him a single way out."
As always, he's set on having it both ways... but I can't say I dislike that about him right now.
For once, I'm the first one to climb on his back.
[Part 4: Look Your Back!]
In the end, it all comes back to paperwork. Since our only evidence was obtained through a mind-reading quirk, I had to give a statement to an officer with a lie-detector quirk to get permission to investigate Kamigami further. But since his only evidence was obtained through a lie-detecting quirk, I wonder who gave him permission to give me permission... how deep does it go?
Shiori Koizumi. Quirk: Poison Spit.
Above me, the fluorescent lights flicker again, and I turn off the adaptive brightness on my monitor.
Shiori Honma. Quirk: Daydream.
To my right, one of Orochi's hydras hacks and sputters after biting on a dusty pen holder, then headbutts it into the mountain of paperwork surrounding our desks.
Shiori Isagi. Quirk: Vortex.
This police records room has seen better days, but they didn't have any other space to let us work, so it'll have to do.
Shiori Netsuda. Quirk: Resourceful.
Within Kyoto's family registry, we narrowed our suspects to those born with an emitter-type quirk, given name Shiori, and aged between late teens and early twenties. However, their quirks don't come with descriptions, so we need to gather names that fit Kamigami before requesting their medical records.
At this moment, our biggest opponent isn't the villain or even Highroller but instead modern quirk naming culture.
Shiori Rokubuichi. Quirk: Climax Bullets.
You'd think this is firearm-related, but I made an essay on this woman. She's a convicted villain with a copy quirk, named as such because she can hold six quirks at once but has to rotate between them like bullets on a revolver.
I can't judge since my quirk is called Mindbreaker instead of Telepathy—but at least it has 'mind' in the name.
Shiori Shimura. Quirk: Double Trouble.
Shiori Shiratora. Quirk: Paper Tiger.
Both of these are equally likely to be Kamigami. Sure, the second one mentions paper, but the tiger part leads me to believe it's an Inigo and Gigan situation…
Regardless of my biases, It will take a while to sift through all these people. But I won't worry. There's no risk of losing the race to Highroller since there are four of us and only one of...
I swivel around my chair.
"Does Highroller have any sidekicks?"
It was stupid of me to assume he was working alone because of his rotten personality.
Honoken looks away from her screen. "Hm? Yeah, just one."
"He also has an intern," Seiryu adds without pausing in his work. Understandable. He took the largest share of prefectures.
"Oh, right! It was... Kotoba?" she trails off, watching in fascination as he pulls out his phone and multitasks, a left finger tapping at his keyboard, skipping through Shioris, and a right thumb flying across his phone screen, sending rapid-fire messages.
"You're texting her?"
He nods, eyes flicking between phone and monitor. "She's not at work, but I'm asking her to keep me posted if Highroller contacts her."
"And you think she'll sell out her boss for you?"
In response, he turns his phone toward her. I only get a glimpse of a few laughing and thumbs-up emojis.
Honoken stares, then shakes her head, returning to work with a lopsided grin. As I do the same, I hear a mumble that sounds like, "Guess I shouldn't be surprised by now."
Shiori Sugiwara. Quirk: Gemini. Copy. Paste. Takahashi. Quirk: Heartbreak. Tazawa. Quirk: Desperado. Quirk: Blade. Quirk: Moonbeams. Quirk: Fever.
Click. Click.
Shiori Yumeda. Quirk: Fever.
"I'm done," I announce, leaning back on my chair and stretching my arms.
"Same here!" Orochi chirps by my side, raising a hand toward me. I try to meet her high five with all my enthusiasm, which isn't much, but it still makes her smile.
Seiryu looks back at us, his hand pausing on his keyboard. "Well done. Since you two are still in such high spirits, I suppose you wouldn't mind taking on two more prefectures' worth of registries?"
My heart sinks. "You cannot be serious."
The dragon's eyes crinkle. He must be smiling behind the mask. "I'm not. Go get some fresh air and leave the rest to us."
Orochi rolls her eyes at him, having already left her chair. Unlike me, she hadn't fallen for it.
I follow her out of the station and meet an empty street, where the streetlights cast long shadows, painting the pavement in stripes of yellow. A deep breath replaces the stuffy air with the crisp autumn breeze. I let my body relax, and Orochi skips past me, targeting a bright convenience store on the other side of the road.
"I'm going for a snack run. You want anything?"
"No, thanks."
Alone, I lean against a lamppost, the cool metal tingling on my neck.
When Seiryu proposed his plan to end this mission, I was on board, filled with righteous anger at Highroller for taking my quirk. But now that I've cooled down… there's a sense of wrongness to it all. There are too many crises around us to compete over who gets to solve them.
I'm not condemning Seiryu. I know he cares more about helping Belmont than the achievement of capturing Kamigami. But he didn't even consider talking it out with Highroller. Does he assume it's a lost cause? Why? Can that guy not let go of the time he sunk into this? Does he care that much about fame?
"You seem conflicted."
The dragon hero leans against the other side of the lamppost. He sure works fast.
"Want to talk about it?"
"Why do you think Highroller is doing all of this?"
What do you know that I don't?
"You once told me heroism is about being a symbol."
We never did finish that interview. I still have to ask what being a hero means to him.
"For Highroller, heroism is a job. A way to leverage his talents to make a living and become a celebrity. However, he peaked at rank sixty during his debut year and hasn't climbed any higher since. Do you know why?"
"Approval ratings?"
"Correct. He's not marketable. It has nothing to do with his personality," he adds, somewhat necessarily. What can I say? It's a mystery how he endured school with Highroller and still had the composure to tell me there was no beef between them.
"It's his quirk. There will never be an action figure of Highroller performing his signature super move because he has none. If a villain isn't around, his only options are swapping quirks with another hero—leaving them quirkless—or nabbing a bystander's power. Both reflect poorly on him."
He needs to be picky with his cases, then. His power is lethal in a one-versus-one situation. But if the job is to stop a natural disaster, he's forced into a zero-sum game with his fellow heroes. And in that situation, you'd always trust the person who's had the power since they were four.
"He wants to be a celebrity but doesn't have a defined identity. His skillset chains him to his current rank, and his pride won't let him switch careers. The choices he made today were born out of desperation—he may regret them later, but trying to talk him out of it is a waste of time for now."
"What if we try to knock some sense into him?"
We turn to Orochi, who sits on a bus stop bench, a bright red package of pocky in her hand.
Seiryu walks over and sits next to her. "While cathartic, that will only make things worse. Still, we will have a…"
His eyes narrow as he measures his words.
"Discussion… on how a pro hero should behave around students."
One of Orochi's hydras jumps away at the word, likely an instinct from past scoldings. Another hydra has the opposite reaction on the fight-flight spectrum. Seiryu's posture gradually relaxes as he lets the creature wrap around his arm and playfight with him. Although he hides it better than her, he wants to punch Highroller as badly as Orochi.
She bites on another pocky stick, and he holds out his hand.
"Give me one."
"Only if you let me get one hit on Highroller."
"I'll need the whole box to even consider that."
"Two hits for three sticks, take it or leave it."
I look away from the exchange rate negotiations, spotting Honoken peeking through the entrance with a steaming mug in her hand.
"Are you sure you should be drinking coffee at this hour?"
"Yep." She takes a sip. "By the way, they finally sent us the medical records for all those Shioris, so we should get on that!"
I hurry after her alongside the Atsushis. In the records room, we huddle around a desk as Honoken opens a file, silently deciding to read it together.
In the end, three suspects remain.
Shiori Shimura. Quirk: Double Trouble.
She can only make illusions of herself. Two suspects, then.
Shiori Sugiwara, Quirk: Gemini
She can only make twins of herself… but we can't discard her. While Kamigami's agents can only be explained with a quirk, her object counterfeits could be reproduced with sufficient skills.
Shiori Shiratora. Quirk: Paper Tiger.
She can make copies of people and objects… but the description of their durability is way off. If Kamidani was a product of this quirk, she shouldn't have been able to lift her purse or walk around without being swept off by the autumn breeze.
Shiratora might have improved the number of copies she could make or the speed at which she could make them. However, she can't change the nature of paper, just like Sugiwara can't change the lines between person and object.
There's a buzzing sound, and Seiryu straightens up, picking up his phone.
"Highroller's making his play. He told Kotoba to prepare for a search operation on Shiori Sugiwara. Tomorrow."
So we have to get there before him…
"So we're going after Shiratora."
Honoken turns on her chair, raising an eyebrow at the dragon hero. "Are we betting on him being wrong? He probably knows something we don't if he's already decided to go after Sugiwara."
Wait…
"He's not going after Sugiwara."
All eyes turn to me.
"Kotoba wasn't backing him up when he was undercover," I remind them. "Neither was his sidekick."
Seiryu nods. "He went undercover alone so he wouldn't have to share the spotlight. But now, he can't narrow Kamigami's identity, so he's been forced to use his staff as contingencies."
Honoken's lips curl in disgust. "Ugh… his intern and sidekick will be there with the police at different scenes, and if they find the right Shiori, he can swoop in and take the credit when the cameras are rolling."
"Right…" Orochi mumbles, crossing her arms. "But we haven't narrowed it down, either. Don't we also have to split up?"
"I was getting to that."
Grabbing the mouse, Seiryu splits the screen between Sugiwara's family registry and quirk registration.
"If you look into Shiori Sugiwara's data, her registered domicile is in Kamigyo Ward, home to the Kyoto Imperial Palace. And her quirk was registered at a private clinic owned by our family. When Imai delivered the evidence he obtained from Kamidani's mind to the police, he mentioned that she only started doing this to have three squared meals."
However, Sugiwara was born in an old money neighborhood and had expensive treatments to monitor and examine her quirk.
Honoken hums, eyes flicking between him and the computer screen. "That's good, but not enough. Who's to say young Shiori's family didn't go bankrupt, and she had to resort to villainy when she became an adult?"
He frowns, a hand on his chin.
"I… hadn't considered that."
"So the rich only get richer in your mind? What am I gonna do with you, Yuusei?" she asks in mock despair, reaching for his cheek.
"Oh, shut up," he mutters, not blocking her hand in time.
Still, that was impressive. While I only looked at quirk names and descriptions, Seiryu took his analysis further. A difference in experience, I suppose…
How do I bridge the gap? He got this theory from my evidence, so maybe there's a detail I missed—
The glue baths.
"Hariko…!"
Again, all eyes turn to me. This cannot happen for a third time or they might think I'm the eccentric type.
"Kamidani thought of something during her negotiation with Highroller," I explain, snapping my fingers. "To make the antique's replicas stand up to scrutiny during their sales, she—or rather the original—would have to put each of them through a glue bath. Our biggest point against Shiratora was her clones' toughness. But what if she has a gadget to toughen them up in a process similar to Hariko?"
Silence is my answer.
"And our theory for Sugiwara is that she's using her quirk to clone herself and counterfeiting through her own skills, but would a master craftsman really use a term like glue bath?"
"Slow down," Seiryu tells me. "Don't drown in speculations like I did."
"Sorry."
He pats my shoulder. "Don't apologize, either. I like the gadget theory. In fact, I'm ready to stake this case on it."
Ah. That's a bit too much…
"Do you have to?"
We turn to Orochi.
"Not that I don't trust you and Imai!" she continues, waving her hands. "But what's wrong with splitting up to search both Shioris?"
"The paperwork," Honoken sighs.
Of course. It couldn't have been anything else.
"We'll need a warrant for each Shiori we go after, and more paperwork for the judge means more time before we're approved to move. However, the same goes for Highroller."
She raises her index.
"If we narrow it down to one suspect, there's a chance we can catch Kamigami while he's stuck on red tape."
"I also don't want to run a search operation on an innocent woman if I can help it," Seiryu adds.
"Me neither!" Orochi beams at her cousin, a complete one-eighty from a second ago. "It's settled, then. We're going after Shiratora."
Honoken shakes her head at him. "Softie."
"Not all of us can be hard-boiled detectives such as yourself."
"I could rock a deer seeker and a cape, don't test me..."
She pauses, her cheeks flushing at the incorrect imagery.
"Erm, I meant fedora and trenchcoat."
He sighs. "Do you agree or not, Kalianne?"
"Sure, I'm in."
He turns to me with the same question in his eyes.
"I..."
It's hard to breathe, let alone get the words out. My theory led to this decision, and if I'm wrong, we'll be going after an innocent woman, Highroller will get away with his desperation play, and Belmont will get caught in the fallout of our race. A single misstep and everything we did today—everything we trained for in the last few days—will be for naught.
But he wouldn't suggest this if he didn't trust me. They wouldn't have agreed if they didn't trust me.
"I'm in."
I will trust in myself, too.
"A unanimous decision," he says, pleased. "I'm going to talk to the officers about the specifics of the warrant. You three should get some rest for the big day tomorrow."
After saying our goodbyes, we leave the records room, waving at the tired officers on our way out of the station. Orochi yawns alongside her hydras, kicking a loose pebble across the pavement.
"I'm beat. Is it always this annoying to catch a villain when they're not in the act?"
"Nah. It's usually harder."
She groans at the sidekick's smirk.
"How many weeks or months do you think Highroller spent on this? Not to mention the police and countless other heroes who might be in contact with other Kamigami clones. Investigation work is hard."
She steps left, bumping my shoulder. "We basically speedran through it thanks to having a mind reader."
"… that's true," I realize.
"I think you and Yuusei could have solved it quickly," Orochi says, which is also true. "And I'm one hundred percent sure you'd be faster than that asshole."
Two for two. I nod, and Honoken laughs at us, patting our backs. "C'mon, you two, stop the downplay. You should brag a little."
Her smile is contagious, but I'm too tired to come up with any boasts.
"I'll save it for when Kamigami's caught."
The rest of the evening is a blur of smiling faces and moonlit places. I'm smiling at Honoken's jokes, then saying goodbye to her and Orochi as we go to our locker rooms, and finally flopping on my bed.
My head throbs as I stare at the ceiling. How am I supposed to sleep when the mission might happen tomorrow morning?
Now that I think about it, how were Highroller and Seiryu so sure that their warrants would be approved tomorrow? Shouldn't those things take more time?
Another gap in experience... there's so much to being a pro... but it's not overwhelming me.
I want to learn more.
I want to be a better hero.
I wonder… if everyone else from 1-D feels the same at their internships.
I reach for my phone on the nightstand—
No. This is a familiar trap. If I start texting Ashleigh, neither of us will get any sleep, and both will feel guilty about it even though it's only my fault.
So, instead, I reach for my music player.
"Where do you go when you're lost?"
"Is it up? Is it down? Is it here?"
"And what do you see in the dark?"
"Is it real? Is it me? Are you scared?"
"Do you believe in yourself?"
"Are you good? Are you bad? Are you there?"
"And can you confess to the morning light?"
"And be true, what to do—"
An insistent buzzing from my phone cuts through the soothing tunes before my flailing hand pauses both. I open my eyes, squinting against the pale light filtering through the windows, then wincing as a bright screen shows me the time alongside a message in the agency group chat.
It is 6:00 AM.
The operation starts at 7:00 AM.
I play the next song and slide out of bed, going through my morning rituals in record time. By the time I enter the agency's conference room, I'm still buttoning my costume's cuffs while trying to balance the toast hanging from my teeth.
The other three are already in their seats, looking so fresh it makes me ashamed to even show up like this. Still, I take off my earbuds and sit down. Mercifully, they don't laugh at me, and Seiryu even waits for me to swallow my breakfast before beginning the briefing.
We'll mostly be there to support the police as they search Shiratora's residence for evidence connecting her to Kamigami. The villain's quirk and methods are far from combat-oriented, so we don't expect much danger from her. However, once she realizes she's been discovered, nothing stops her from calling any villain associates for help and making capture and transport a messy affair.
"Yamata, you and I will take point. Honoken, you'll stay on high ground, watching for potential reinforcements. Mahoudeva, you'll be stationed behind her house with a few officers to cut off her escape routes."
Seiryu turns to us, capping his marker as he finishes sketching the battle plan.
"Any questions?"
There are none. The flight to Minami Ward goes equally silent. Seiryu lands on the street with a soft thud, kicking up a small cloud of dust. Then, we approach the quartet of officers grouped around a blue van, and words are finally spoken.
"I'm Mahoudeva," I introduce myself after them. "My quirk is telepathy, so don't be startled when I meddle with comms. Please take care of me."
As I return from my bow, they face me with eyes filled with mirth. Officer Jubei, who has the smooth skin of a salamander mutation, bumps his partner's shoulder.
"Look at that, Niko-kun. They're so precious when they're still students."
Officer Niko, a brunette who looks about as young as me, can only manage an exasperated sigh.
"Jubei-san…"
I follow the two. Jubei chatters on about his plans to renovate his kitchen, trying to distract his junior, who fidgets with his uniform and checks his holster every other step.
He turns to me, jaw unclenching as he tries to get some words out. "… are you not nervous, Mahoudeva-kun?"
"No."
Not nearly as much as I expected. Honoken's words must have gotten to me.
"The hardest part was getting to this point," I tell him, and it seems to help, judging how his shoulders lower. To his side, Officer Jubei gives me a knowing glance.
We turn a corner into another quiet, residential street, where all the houses have the same heights, the same shades of gray, and the same balconies on the second story. While Seiryu and Orochi's team goes ahead and Honoken takes to the rooftops, I move between one of the houses. Jubei tips his hat to a woman who notices us through her window.
Inside the block, we stop behind Shiori Shiratora's residence, which she inherited from her parents. Is it an attachment that keeps her here despite the millions at her disposal, or a desire to stay inconspicuous?
"High ground team, set."
No time to ponder. It's already 7:00 AM.
"Front door team, set."
"Back door team, set," Jubei says into the comms.
"All teams set, proceeding with entry," the officer leading the front door team replies. I don't need comms to hear his following words.
"Shiori Shiratora, this is Kyoto Prefectural Police! We have a warrant to search your residence on suspicion of villainous activity. Open up!"
No answer. I can hear his rapping on the door.
"If you do not open up, we have permission to forcefully enter!"
More silence. More knocking. More warnings. The officers beside me take short breaths, their postures shifting lower, feet ready to spring at a runaway villain.
"… front door team starting breach. All heroes, permission to use your quirks."
I reach out to the minds around me. There's two—
Three—
Four people inside. She's multiplying fast.
There's a crash, followed by the muted cracks of wood splintering from a broken lock.
"Clear," Seiryu announces, "No sign of Shiratora."
'(Look for a basement. She and her clones are below trying to destroy the evidence.)'
The officers beside me jolt at the voice in their heads, and I focus on draining the will of Kamigami and her clones.
'68—'
'(No, 69.)'
'73'
'(74.)'
'AGGHH! WHY ISN'T IT WORKING?! HOW THE HELL AM I FORGETTING MY OWN MEASUREMENTS—!'
'(It's over.)'
'No, no, NO, I'm almost done...!'
'—some of the burners are still upstairs, how the hell do I get them—'
'—there's still time to shred, they're still in the kitchen—'
'(But they'll just piece everything back together in forensics—)'
'—what the hell are we gonna do with the glue bath—?!'
'—No time to drain it—'
'(You already gave yourself away by hiding.)'
'—we can tell them it's a hobby—'
'—fell asleep on my workshop, it happens—'
The copies are stumbling over each other. Their leader can't concentrate on making more. It's only a matter of time before—
'I'll blow up the glue bath—'
'(No.)'
'Right! Burn up all the evidence—'
'—get rid of the copies too—'
'(The burner phones are still up there—)'
'Fake our innocence—'*
'Find a good lawyer and hope the prosecution can't get a memory reader—!'
'((STOP.))'
There is something seriously wrong with Shiori Shiratora. A normal person would give up. An experienced villain would work through the stress and form a plan. But she always finds a way to sink deeper into her problems.
'(Shiratora. This is the Wise Eye Hero: Mahoudeva. You've already been discovered as Kamigami. Give up before you hurt yourself.)'
'Ah... ha... ha... the kid at Kamidani's Colosseum... I should've known...'
'(Show me where the basement is.)'
She tried not to think about it, but it was over the moment the word rang inside her head.
I break formation. Startled, the other officers follow behind me as I forward the images from Shiori's subconscious to everyone else in the building. Inside the staircase to the second floor, there's a hidden door leading to another staircase to the basement.
'(Hurry there! Kamigami's trying to blow herself up with the evidence.)'
'All of this… I just wanted not to starve, you know… '
As I step through the broken doorway, the lives of Shiori Shiratora flash before me.
Coming from school. Seeing her dad bedridden from the stress of working at his age. Trying to ignore bills and medication receipts piled on the table. Classmates asking for her phone number and laughing when she doesn't have one. Copying her first yen note to pay for melon bread. Doing it again for groceries. Doing it again for that phone.
I run through the living room. She sinks deeper.
Making clones to work multiple jobs. All of them rip during labor. She needs safer jobs, which need IDs.
I meet Seiryu and Orochi on my way to the hidden entrance. She sinks deeper.
Sending out a clone to get some fake IDs. The forger asks for favors in return. Get a job there. Make a copy of this. The jobs only get more complex, and she has to commission a machine to reinforce her clones, owing a favor to another criminal to repay her favors to the first criminal.
I step aside and let Seiryu burst through the lock. She sinks deeper.
Learning on the internet that she's a B-Rank villain while paying the last of her family debts. Seeing a hero visit her school and almost having a panic attack. Learning from a clone that Night Parade wants a favor and finally having that panic attack. Making plans to leave the country after finishing her dad's retirement fund—
Always, always sinking deeper.
'… they're coming.'
Shiori hears us sprinting down the stairs.
'Why can't I print money when they hoard it?'
Shiori laments her fate.
'… do you think the people I scammed got hurt over a few million yen? They earn it back in a week...'
Shiori reasons with me.
'… nine meters… no, ten…'
Shiori… calculates how far the original is from the blast zone.
'((BACK AWAY—!))'
I reach the basement, stepping over piles of shredded paper.
Shiori drowns in flames.
The explosion from her broken gadget is already upon me. Yet the dragon hero moves faster, pulling Orochi and me close as he charges at the real villain. The blue cocoon of his wings shields me from the heat and light before my head meets something hard.
There's the pained voice of a woman, and as Seiryu rolls to a stop, I see her lying atop our pile of bodies.
Blonde hair, short and covered in soot. Tears streak down her reddened face. Her thin body shakes as she gets up, then fails her on the next step, making her fall on her butt.
I rise alongside my comrades. A sizzling sound behind me reveals Seiryu's tail wrapping around the source of the explosion and smothering its flames into nothing. A flare of his wings blows out the rest of the fires.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Shiori doesn't say a word when Seiryu and Orochi lift her up and carry her past the shocked officers. She doesn't say a word when her rights are spoken. She only looks up and speaks when an ambulance arrives to check on everyone, murmuring the answers the paramedics need.
Orochi and I watch her neighbors gossip and take pictures from the other side of the yellow tape. Honoken lands between us, offering handkerchiefs.
Orochi takes hers, looks at her soot-covered white hair, and sighs. "Are we safe on villain reinforcements?"
"Kamigami never thought of asking for help," I answer for the sidekick, wiping the sweat on my face and the ashes sticking to my mask.
Shiori was unable to reach out. Same as her clone.
"Thanks," I say as I return the blackened fabric.
"No prob."
I turn to Seiryu, who talks to the officers carrying off boxes of burnt and shredded evidence. Shiketsu taught me that modern forensics technology can work with anything outside of complete spatial erasure, so I'm not too worried on that front.
"… is it over?" I wonder, already knowing the answer.
Honoken purses her lips—
"As you recall, you know I love to show off... but you never thought that I would take it this far..."
A singing voice stands out amongst the crowd's murmurs. They part before the pro hero, who arrives at the scene and stops an inch away from the yellow tape. His costume is a blend of simple clothes in muted colors. Dark green shirt, grey pants, and a parka coat that's a shade lighter than his shirt.
"But what do you know~?" Highroller asks, running a hand through his hair. He looks too happy for someone who lost the race, and it's easy to see why.
Orochi goes at him, but he steps aside, disappearing between the civilians, letting the flood of newspeople behind him take his place. She freezes under the glaring cameras, her lips in a tight line as microphones are thrust in our direction.
Their voices overlap in a cacophony of urgency and opportunism, and what I can make out makes my stomach churn.
"Seiryu, Honoken! This is Hikari Abe with the Kyoto Shimbun—"
"—Can you confirm this explosion was the work of Kamigami—"
"—Did your team manage to capture the real one or was it only another clone—"
"—Do you predict any sort of retaliation from her villain associates—"
"—Why wasn’t this handled sooner—"
"—Do you think the police were negligent in their investigations?"
"He leaked it…" Honoken mumbles, her face frozen in shock. "… the rat bastard actually leaked it."
Seiryu moves past the officers, past Honoken and me. He puts a hand on Orochi's shoulder, cutting short her next attempt at leaping over the barricade.
They look at each other, exchanging no words yet reaching an understanding.
Not now.
"The suspect has been apprehended with no serious injuries on either side. Any further details will be released through official channels," he addresses the reporters, tone smooth despite the tension in his shoulders. "For now, please give space for emergency services to—"
A commotion cuts him off. Near the edge of the barricade, an elderly man in a tracksuit struggles against an officer's hold.
His face is weathered, but his eyes are sharp, locked onto the ambulance where the villain sits, wrists cuffed, head bowed.
I forgot. Shiori doesn't live alone.
"Let me through," he rasps. "That’s my daughter."
No, it's not that I forgot. I couldn't even recognize him. Somehow, he looks younger than he did in her past memories. He was always so pale and gloomy around the house, or bedridden and flushed when he was sick.
Shiori’s head jerks up at the sound of his voice. For a second, her face crumples—not in fear, not in guilt, but in something raw and childlike. Then she’s sobbing, shoulders shaking as she cries into her hands, avoiding his eyes.
The media erupts once more.
"Sir! Did you know about your daughter’s activities?"
"Were you aware of the money she was making? Did you benefit from it?"
"What do you have to say to the people she scammed out of millions?"
"Sir! Look this way! Will you stand by her in court?"
Shiori's father ignores them, stepping past the barricade as the officers reluctantly let him through. When he reaches the ambulance, he pulls Shiori into a hug, and she collapses into him, cuffed hands clutching at his clothes.
The cameras go wild, reporters shouting over each other, but they're unable to capture anything beyond the dragon's flared wings. He's protecting father and daughter from being turned into a spectacle. He's also stopping their story from being told. But the damage is already done. The truth of Kamigami's motives is being written, and there's nothing we can do about it.
After the paramedics clear Shiori, the police take her away, allowing her father to accompany her. We fly in the opposite direction, leaving the media and their questions.
It's quiet when we return to the agency.
The air is heavy with this sense of… frustration? It clings to me while we review today's operation, and stays even after I take a shower and change out of my costume.
I slump into an armchair in the break room. To my right Orochi sprawls on another chair, one arm thrown over her eyes. Her hydras are unusually still, coiled around her shoulders like scarves. She hasn’t said a word since we got back.
The door clicks open, and Seiryu steps in. He doesn’t acknowledge us, sinking into the couch with a quiet exhale. His mask is off, revealing the thin line of his lips.
The silence thickens.
I should say something.
"The pantry is out of tea packets."
Other than that, of course.
The door bursts open again, and Honoken strides in, her grin faltering as she takes in our circle of melancholy.
"Why do you three look so glum? Some clones are still out there, sure, but they'll be light work. We should be celebrating a job well done right now!"
The evidence we uncovered still has to be processed.
We have yet to confront Highroller.
And as she said, we have to deal with remnants of Kamigami.
… Ah.
I understand what I'm feeling now. The restlessness that's born from an unfinished job.
"She's right," Seiryu says, his voice devoid of cheer. "It's important to cherish each breakthrough instead of only looking at the end goal..."
He trails off with a sigh, earning a flat stare from Orochi.
"Cut the pep talk, Yuusei. You sound like you're taking it worse than us."
"She's got you there!" Honoken laughs, plopping on the couch next to him. Her head rests on his lap as she kicks up her feet.
"You don't have to be in role model mode all the time, y'know? Leave this one to me."
He looks down at her. "The case isn't bothering me. I'm annoyed because I have to leave soon."
"For what?"
The corner of his mouth twitches, like he's holding back a grimace.
"The Colosseum. I'll talk to Belmont about today's results, and take care of the clones lingering there before they can go rogue."
"Ah. So you're leaving your depressed interns for another brunch with Lady Astoria. Very classy."
"… We'll be discussing more details of my contract with her and the possibility that Highroller will try to harm her business."
"Notice how he doesn't deny the brunch part," Orochi points out, reaching over to elbow his side.
Honoken shakes her head grimly. "He's no liar, but he's one hell of an omitter."
"... you're still doing that?" I ask past their antics. Wasn't appearing on her show just a ruse to fool the secretary?
"Yes. And you all may come if you wish so, but I doubt you'll find it anything other than mind-numbing."
"That, and you don't want us seeing your wrestling outfit."
He goes quiet at Honoken's accusation, then leaves the couch, powerwalking to the nearest exit.
"I changed my mind, actually. Don't follow me."
As soon as he flies out of the window, Honoken looks at us, a small smile tugging at her lips.
I sigh. "Are we really doing this again?"
Orochi rises like a zombie. "... I must. I can't let him pull this off without a few embarrassing pics in the family group chat."
Once again, we chase after the dragon. Hopefully, there aren't any clones on the way this time.