In 1938 a young adult man stood on a large military submarine; he wore a standard Japanese military uniform and wore glasses, but right now he was also holding binoculars.
"It seems everyone's safe, well done—"
But just as he was about to finish his sentence, he saw a small group of people flying straight toward him at high speed.
"Captain!!"
A young boy with black hair screamed, rushing straight toward the man standing on the submarine.
"Kyousuke!?"
And without hesitation, Hyoubu dove straight into the captain's arms in a flying tackle full of love.
Imperial Japan's special Esper squad had just won a mock battle with the navy's new battleship prototype.
Soon after, they had clashed with a US submarine and successfully protected two experimental dolphins that had been locked away.
As a result, the army brass had finally begun to recognize the special esper squad.
***
One day eight-year-old Hyoubu was casually walking in front of Baron Tsubomi's villa; as he was walking around, he was looking for a certain someone.
"Hey—! Fujiko-san!"
Hyoubu looked around once more as he was wondering where she could have gone.
"That's weird. I wonder where she went?"
After looking around for a bit more, he entered the villa, scratching his head.
"What's wrong, Kyousuke?"
"Ah, Shiga-san. Have you seen Fujiko-san today?" He asked the man sitting on the sofa.
"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen her at all."
Shiga said scratching his chin, Where could she have gone?
"Do you know if she is out taking a walk or something, Hyoubu?"
"I have no idea, but I really need to find her because it's almost time to meet up! She really isn't suited for teamwork," Hyoubu said with a sigh.
Then a man with long white hair suddenly entered the room.
"Fufu, don't put it like that, Kyousuke. Even though she may not look it, she's a girl of a certain age. She needs to prepare for special occasions like today."
The man gently explained it with a bright smile on his face to the small Hyoubu.
"Utsumi-san... I don't think a girl of her age would kick policemen or punch naval officers." Hyoubu replied, averting his gaze.
"..."
Utsumi could only shake his head; Hyoubu made a good point, but he had to defend her dignity.
"Well, that's just a reflex for her, Kyousuke."
Then two more members suddenly walked in with confident strides.
"At times like this, you should leave it to us."
"Yeah. Finding people is our specialty."
The two confidently stated.
"Yadorigi-san, Inugami-san, thank you very much!" Hyoubu exclaimed, his face beaming with joy the moment he saw the two young men.
Then Inugami transformed into a wolf and put his nose to the ground and started sniffing to try and find Fujiko's trail.
"All right, I'll find her in no time!"
"Uh, I don't know... this house is full of Fujiko-san's scent..."
Hyoubu and the others could only chuckle upon seeing Inugami's failed attempt; of course the house was full of her scent—it is her residence.
"Really, you're no help at all, Inugami!" Yadorigi exclaimed.
"I'll try to look around with a bird's-eye view!"
But before he could do anything, three more people entered the room.
"You know there is no need for you to worry that much. She's probably just napping somewhere." A young man said with a smile on his face.
"I can imagine that." One of the other men that entered at the same time as the young man added.
"Natsumi-san, and Kikuchi-san too, if you say something like that, Fujiko-san will get back at you." Hyoubu said with a teasing grin.
"..."
"W-well... please spare us from that..."
While they were bantering, Yadorigi was continuously looking around to try and locate Fujiko, and after a couple moments, he had finally found her.
"Akuta, do you have a moment?"
Hyoubu looked at the two who were whispering, wondering what they were talking about, but a moment later Akuta took his hand, and they teleported out of the villa into the mountains.
"Is something wrong, Akuta-san? For you to suddenly bring me here alone." Hyoubu asked, looking around, wondering why he would take him all the way here.
"It's kind of...?"
But before he could finish his sentence, Akuta pointed at a certain river.
"???"
But Hyoubu still turned his head and looked at the river, and there she was, Fujiko-san, wearing full gear and holding a gun, practicing tirelessly, shooting at small containers hung all around her.
"Fujiko-san... she's practicing..."
And while Hyoubu was distracted looking at the hardworking Fujiko Akuta, she had disappeared once more.
"Eh!? Akuta-san?"
"Akuta-san!"
While Hyoubu was looking around and shouting, Fujiko snapped out of her focus and looked at the young boy who had suddenly appeared there.
"Kyousuke? What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Ah."
"I was looking for you, and Akuta-san just left me here all alone after taking me to you," he said, awkwardly scratching his cheek.
"Heh, take a seat."
"Okay," Hyoubu said meekly.
After both of them had taken a seat on rocks right next to the river, they were dipping their bare feet into the cool river water.
"To be caught practicing by myself in a place no one can see, I've embarrassed myself in front of my little brother..."
She said, with a wry smile on her face.
"In my own way, I want to be useful for the squad. You know, Kyousuke, you are amazing."
"Huh?"
Hyoubu's eyes widened after hearing Fujiko's statement.
"I don't want to lose to anyone. But I understand that the important thing isn't whether I win or lose. The important thing is to move forward with your own powers. Just like you, Kyousuke."
"Eh... um, Fujiko-san... did you catch a cold?" Hyoubu asked as he was staring with wide eyes at the woman sitting in front of him.
"..."
"I'm fine!" She loudly exclaimed, glaring at him.
"Fujiko-san, I'm glad that I joined the special esper unit." Hyoubu suddenly said.
"Kyousuke..."
"Since meeting everyone, I've always felt this strength welling up in my heart. If I'm with everyone, I feel like I can go anywhere and do anything!"
Hyoubu stated, looking at the sky with a massive smile on his face and his eyes shining.
"Or, well, something like that!"
Now looking at Fujiko with an awkward smile.
Fujiko also had a smile on her face, but before she could answer, they were interrupted by someone.
"It's just as you say, Kyousuke!"
"C-Captain! Captain Saotome! And everyone, too!"
"The future is something created with your own two hands. It's not just a "gift" that God has given." Saotome said with a smile on his face.
"Oh, that reminds me, Kyousuke."
"Yes, Captain!" Hyoubu enthusiastically replied, a massive smile on his face as he was looking at his idol.
"Today, in honor of our distinguished service to the empire, we, the special esper unit, will be taking a commemorative photograph."
"I personally consider this an honor. And especially today, since Fujiko-kun was practicing on her own, I can say that the future of our unit is stable."
But when Fujiko heard that, her cheeks flushed bright red, and she immediately stomped over to where Hyoubu was.
"I was not practicing on my own! Kyousuke, let's go! We need to take the photo!" She said, glaring at them all.
"Wai—please don't pull me like that, Fujiko-san!"
"Everyone, let's go."
"Yes!"
Back at the Tsubomi villa, they were all standing next to each other in front of the large house.
"We're ready to take the photo. Please look at the camera!"
"You know, Kyousuke, I'm thankful to you. Please continue to become my power." Saotome said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Yes, captain!"
Then, right before the photo was taken, Saotome put so much force in the hand that was on Hyoubu's shoulder that he winced in pain.
That was also the last photograph that was taken of the special esper unit.
***
In 1945, Saotome stood next to a large machine that was hooked to all kinds of cables with his hand on top of it; he was staring out the large double window in front of him.
"..."
"Captain! Did you hear about yesterday's bombing in Hiroshima!?" Hyoubu shouted while rushing into the room.
Now he wasn't the little boy he was a couple years ago anymore, but instead he was a confident young man.
"Yes. It seems like a new type of bomb." Saotome replied without looking back; he just kept staring at the window.
"Kyousuke, this war, it's over."
"What!? That's..."
But before Hyoubu could continue his argument, Saotome stopped him.
"This country no longer has the means to fight back. Even the rest of the special esper unit, aside from you, are unable to engage in combat." He explained, not even sparing Hyoubu a glance.
"I can fight even if I'm alone! At least, please let me stop the second bomb!" Hyoubu shouted, but he felt hopeless.
"It's over."
Those words were all it took for Hyoubu to shut up.
"Our fate has already been decided. Defeat, destruction, and the next destruction!"
The look in Saotome's eyes wasn't human anymore; he looked like a wild beast driven into a corner.
After hearing that, Hyoubu took a good look at the captain and then at the machine on which his left hand was resting.
"What is that?" he inquired.
"It's the life that you saved. The brain of the dolphin that has precognitive powers."
"Wha!?"
Hyoubu's eyes went wide after he heard that. That's insane? What did I even save them for?
"The results of our analysis revealed that they've been hiding a part of their 'precognition' from us."
Saotome said while taking his hand off the machine and walking toward the door of the room.
"Eh?"
"After the war, the number of those with esper abilities will continue to increase. And you, Kyousuke, you will become their leader and destroy the world."
The moment those words left the captain's mouth, Kyousuke was baffled.
"Wha!?" he exclaimed, his eyes going wide, and he stood there frozen in place.
"What are you talking about?"
Only after a moment to process what Saotome had just said did he realize that he was already pointing a gun straight at him.
"You know, Kyousuke. I am grateful to you, but the occupying army doesn't need to know that we've created a "monster" like you."
They were only a few meters apart, and Saotome was aiming a gun straight at Hyoubu's heart, but he was talking like they were catching up, like some old friends reuniting.
"Mon… Monster...? You're joking, right, captain...?"
But even though those words came out, as Hyoubu could hardly make sense of the situation, deep down he knew that that question was pointless.
Saotome had long made his decision.
"I will never hand it over to anyone else. I can't possibly hand you over to anyone else!"
He exclaimed with a fanatical look on his face.
"Wha!?"
But before Hyoubu could process what he had just said, Saotome pulled the trigger and shot straight at his heart.
Hyoubu was hit straight in the chest and fell backward against the broken glass behind him.
"... Guhh!"
Blood spilled out of his mouth; he couldn't believe it—he had actually been shot.
"Kyousuke I won't let you become humanity's enemy. You are a tool that belongs only to me!!!"
"Hu-Humanity's enemy... Monster??" were the only words Hyoubu could utter as blood kept dripping from his mouth and he could barely breathe.
In the end, are we...?
As all kinds of memories of his comrades going down flashed before his eyes one by one, first Yadorigi, then Inugami Utsumi, and all the rest as well.
Tears streamed down his face as he stared at the man in front of him holding his gun straight to his forehead.
Bang!
Hyoubu sat there lifeless as Saotome looked at his own doing with cold indifference.
Then he turned around and started walking away.
"Congratulations, Kyousuke. You've been granted a special promotion of two ranks. You've died with honor, along with your fellow comrades."
But just as he was about to leave the room, he saw Kyousuke jump up—the body moving like a marionette controlled by invisible strings.
"Wha—"
Saotome shouted, turning around and aiming his gun at him once more.
"I—Impossible!"
But before he could fire, Hyoubu used his psychic powers to throw the captain's body into the wall.
Hyoubu's hair slowly turned white as blood dripped down his face; his whole uniform was soaked in blood.
Are we... truly monsters?
***
In Tokyo, Japan's largest city, Hyoubu was walking through ruins of important government buildings he had just reduced to complete rubble. As he looked at the destruction with indifference, all kinds of thoughts ran rampant in his head.
I will not forgive them, the normals who betrayed us; I will not forgive them.