"Well, what do you know? I never expected my analogy to work that well," Kazuishi said, adjusting her glasses with a satisfied flick, the lenses catching the grove's twilight glow.
Taro chuckled, scratching the back of his head, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. "Hehe, well, I guess it did work surprisingly well. That's a… shocker here."
Kazuishi's eyes narrowed, her hand twitching as if ready to swing. "What does that mean?" She looked like she was about to punch him, her posture tensing.
"Ahhh, nothing!" Taro yelped, waving his hands defensively, his grin faltering under her glare.
Tamako's voice cut through the silence, calm and warm. "Congratulations on your spiritual win, Taro."
Taro turned to her with a genuine smile, glancing down at the ring on his finger, its symbols faintly pulsing. "Thanks. I feel like this is my first step to slowly master this goddamn thing."
Tamako paused, her expression thoughtful, then spoke up. "You know, Taro, if you were to join the squad here, we could very much help you to try and master that ring quicker than you would in any other squad—even Tokkun's."
Taro stopped fiddling with the ring, slowly turning his attention to Tamako, his brow furrowing. "I see… Now those are some standout perks, but I'd like to see a few other squads before deciding. I'll strongly remember this squad, though."
"That's more than an acceptable response," Tamako said, her smile gentle as she slightly bowed her head before straightening. "Farewell, Taro."
"Yeah, farewell—take care, Tamako," Taro replied, nodding as he and Kazuishi turned to walk out, the grove's silence wrapping around them once more.
[Outside]
"That sure was fun," Taro said, a grin lingering on his face as they stepped back into the nexus's hum. "I see why you said that would be interesting, Kazuishi."
"Indeed, it was quite amusing to see you fail twice and only succeed with the help of my assistance," Kazuishi replied, her tone dry but with a teasing edge.
"Hey, c'mon, don't say it like that… You're being mean," Taro protested, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I say things exactly as they are… I have no idea what you're talking about," Kazuishi shot back, her glasses glinting as she smirked.
"Tch… You sure do have a knack for this pissing-off stuff," Taro grumbled.
"Huh? Whatever do you mean?" she asked, feigning innocence.
"I say things exactly as they are," Taro mimicked, pitching his voice higher and waving his hands dramatically.
Kazuishi grunted, her eyes narrowing. "Don't mimic me."
"Haha, two can play that game—" Taro started, but suddenly Kazuishi pinched his ear, twisting just enough to make him yelp.
"Owww! Okay, okay, damn, I'm sorry!!" Taro cried, flailing his arms as she held on.
Kazuishi released his ear with a huff, crossing her arms.
Taro touched his throbbing ear, wincing. "Ah, God, I would've looked like Mickey Mouse if you dragged any longer."
Kazuishi's voice suddenly dropped, a deeper edge creeping in. "Hey, Taro, hope you aren't suffering from any diseases or something similar."
"No, not in particular," Taro replied, rubbing his ear, confused.
"Good, 'cause right now, I wouldn't want you having PTSD."
""PTSD? Why would you—" Taro started, but the words were stolen from his lips as the very air of the Nexus tore open. An extremely loud, far-too-familiar voice boomed: "Taroooooo!"
"That voice—it's—" Taro's words died ...as something—a fist, a shoulder, a blur of pure force hit him at the speed of light..., the impact exploding in a deafening crash. Debris and smoke billowed outward, the nexus ground shattering as Kazuishi barely dodged the radius, leaping aside with a curse.
As the dust and smoke began to clear, Taro was revealed, pushed back against a cracked wall, his hand braced against his Reibone in a desperate defensive stance, the blade trembling under the force. "It's you," he growled, his voice strained.
The smoke parted fully, revealing a familiar face—in white trunks and robe, the crimson scar splitting his face like a jagged lightning bolt.
"Fistman!" Taro exclaimed, his eyes widening in shock and fury.
Fistman smiled manically, his grin wide and feral, eyes gleaming with delight. "Good to see you again, Taro."