Yami Tsukishiro ignored Simon's sigh and continued, "As for why this thing showed up… that's tied to a very serious issue."
He stopped there for a moment, his golden eyes flicking toward the two girls across from him, faces he couldn't shake the feeling he'd seen before.
Simon caught the shift in his gaze and said with a solemn expression,
"Mr. Tsukishiro, rest assured they're cleared to know. In fact… they're important to you."
"Oh?"
Important to him? He filed that away for later.
"The world is starting to spiral out of control," Yami said. "Monsters like that one and other disasters aren't going to stop here."
"The world… going berserk?!" Simon's eyes widened. "You mean there will be more monsters like that?"
"If what I'm saying is true," Yami replied flatly, "things will get far more complicated than you think. And the facts will prove it soon enough."
He wasn't going to over-explain. The state of the world and the "Multiverse Dungeons"—would eventually prove him right without him lifting a finger.
"As for your last question, my abilities are like superpowers. That's all I'll say."
His golden eyes sharpened, cold enough to chill the air between them.
"And if you try anything against me… you'll understand the consequences firsthand."
A sound came from directly behind Simon. His breath caught.
"When?!"
Takina Inoue's eyes went wide. She hadn't seen him move at all one second he was across the table, the next he was standing behind Simon's chair.
She was Lycoris' top shooter, a one-woman army capable of dismantling a terrorist squad. Yet she hadn't even registered his movement.
And then the shadows beneath all three of them writhed like snakes, coiling up to bind their bodies.
From the darkness rose a blade, its tip hovering at their foreheads. Though it was made of shadow, it radiated the certainty that it could pierce their skulls at any moment.
"You can think of my power this way, nuclear bombs? Useless against me."
"Guh…"
Simon swallowed hard, fear cutting through his voice. "Mr. Tsukishiro, we have no hostility toward you!"
"I'll be the judge of that," Yami said coolly.
"You probably have more to say. Get it out now."
"Y-yes!" Simon straightened in his chair. "The higher-ups want to establish a cooperative relationship with you. The exact terms will depend on my report from this meeting.
These two, Chisato Nishikigi and Takina Inoue along with their workplace, LycoReco, will act as intermediaries, relaying information."
Yami glanced between them. No wonder their faces had been so familiar...they were characters from Lycoris Recoil.
"Send me the details by message. If I don't like them, I'll reject them outright."
Without another word, he tossed a scrap of paper onto the table and walked out. The door shut behind him.
The shadows melted away, releasing the three of them.
Takina stared down at her own shadow, touching it as if to confirm it was solid again. "That… was really our shadow?"
She was used to facing down armed killers without hesitation, but that strange power had left her utterly without a way to resist.
"Even without that… whatever it was, he could kill us in seconds," Chisato said quietly, recalling how precise his movements had been. Every step, every muscle shift perfectly controlled, far beyond any normal human.
Simon wiped the sweat from his forehead and picked up the paper Yami had left behind. He handed it to Takina.
"What is it?" Chisato leaned in, seeing a string of numbers scrawled there.
"Probably contact info," Simon muttered, tucking the rest of his documents away. As he walked toward the door, he added,
"From here on, you two will handle all communication with Mr. Tsukishiro. Meet his requirements, whatever they are."
On his way back to class, Yami was stopped in the corridor.
Hiratsuka Shizuka leaned against the wall, cigarette in hand.
"Sensei waiting for me?" Yami asked with a faint smirk.
"What do you think?" she shot back, rolling her eyes.
She exhaled a smoke ring. "In all my years teaching, this is a first... my own student turning out to have superpowers. More trouble than any of my so-called 'problem students'."
"What, planning to kick me out as one of those problem students?" Yami joked.
Her eyes hardened. "Don't underestimate me. I'm your teacher. Powers or not, I'll still be there if you're in trouble even if all I can offer is support and encouragement."
"…?"
He was honestly a little taken aback. Hiratsuka-sensei really was the type to stand behind her students.
"Sensei…" he began. She braced herself for something heartfelt...
"The cigarette smell on your breath is choking me."
Pinching his nose, he took a step back.
"…Hah?"
Her hands froze mid-gesture, the serious mood shattered. She recovered quickly, glaring.
"Sensei, same goes for you. If you're in trouble, come to me. As your student, I can protect you too."
And with that, he walked off, leaving only his back in view.
"This kid…" Hiratsuka laughed under her breath.
"Really is a problem student."
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