Takahashi slowly set down his tea cup, the silence stretching uncomfortably. He stared at Kazama for a few seconds.
"A hero?" Takahashi's voice cut through the quiet like a blade. "What kind of fight involves a hero, Raiden?"
"Master, this is..." Kazama began, but his words faltered under the weight of his guardian's penetrating stare.
Hana leaned forward as she read aloud. "It says here you were 'involved in an altercation with a licensed hero during early hours.'" She looked up, her expression a mixture of concern and barely contained frustration. "This is serious, Raiden."
This is bad, but not as bad as it could be, Kazama thought, his mind racing. The letter doesn't say anything about me being a vigilante. It's just about Tanaka attacking me. I was walking down the street and got jumped by a hero. That's my argument. That's what actually happened.
"It seems to be a misunderstanding," Kazama said, forcing his voice to remain steady. "They might have mistaken me for someone else. I will clear it up today itself."
Takahashi's eyes narrowed slightly, the expression of a man who had spent decades reading people like open books. "A misunderstanding. Hmm." He leaned back. "In my experience, licensed heroes don't file formal complaints over simple misunderstandings, Raiden. They're trained to de-escalate situations, not create paperwork over mistaken identities."
"Unless the hero wasn't following proper protocol," Hana interjected carefully. "I mean, we learned in school about the disciplinary board. Heroes like The Sushi Sensei and Rakugosaurus got reprimanded for excessive force just last year. It's rare, but it happens."
Takahashi's expression didn't change, but something in his posture shifted. "Rare. Yes."
"Well then, let's just wait for Raiden to deal with this on his own," Hana said. "We don't know all the details. If Raiden can prove it's a misunderstanding, then it's all fine, right?" She shot him a look that clearly said: You'd better be able to prove it.
She punctuated her words with a sharp elbow to Kazama's ribs, her eyes conveying a message that was crystal clear: Don't make this worse, or I'll make YOU worse.
"Right," Kazama managed, grateful for her intervention despite the slight bruise forming on his ribs.
Takahashi studied them both for a long moment before nodding slowly. "Take Hana with you then."
"Wait. Why me?" Hana's composure cracked immediately. "Can't he handle his own mess?"
"You're on the student council," Takahashi explained, his tone accepting no argument. "If we're going to trust him, then he would need all the help he can get."
Hana let out an exaggerated sigh, her shoulders sagging in defeat. "Ugh. Fine."
Despite the gravity of the situation, Kazama couldn't suppress a small smirk. Even in the midst of potential disaster, there was something comforting about the familiar dynamic between them.
************************************************************************************************************************
They left immediately, the evening sun already low on the horizon, casting long shadows across the street as they walked toward the school.
"Can't believe I'm going to school at 5:30 PM," Hana muttered. "And not because of club activities or student council meetings. No, no, no. Because my brother is stupid."
"It's not my fault," Kazama replied, though his tone lacked conviction.
"Well, it is." Hana's frustration boiled over, her pace quickening as her voice rose. "The letter was signed by Shirai Takeru himself. I didn't say anything back there so that Master doesn't get more involved and you could deal with this on your own, whether it was your fault or not. And now I'm on cleanup duty."
Shirai Takeru filed an official complaint about what should've been handled quietly, Kazama thought, his mind churning through the implications. He's making this public, creating a paper trail. But why? If he really suspected me of being the vigilante, wouldn't he want to keep this quiet? Unless he's trying to flush me out somehow, force me to make a mistake...
"Hey." Hana's voice cut through his internal deliberations. "At least say thanks for covering your ass. You're just lost in your thoughts."
"Oh. Thanks," he replied absently, still processing the ramifications of the hero's involvement.
"Hey. You're still lost." Hana stopped walking and grabbed his arm, forcing him to meet her eyes. "You know you can talk to me, right?"
Her concern was genuine, and for a moment, Kazama felt the overwhelming urge to tell her everything. About vigilante work, about Kurotsuki Mafia and about the impossible position he found himself in. But the words wouldn't come. How could he explain without putting her in danger?
"It's nothing," he said finally. "I just want to clear this up as quickly as possible. Don't want such distractions when the Japanese Qualifiers are so close."
Hana's expression softened slightly. "Oh. Well, the student council isn't participating, so you're safe from me. Otherwise, if I faced you in the next round, I'd kick your ass."
"I can think of far more concerning opponents," Kazama replied with a slight smile, grateful for the return to their usual banter.
"I'll kick your ass right now," Hana threatened, but there was no real heat behind it.
"And make the great Shirai Takeru wait even longer?" Kazama replied.
"Ugh. You're right." Hana resumed walking, her irritation returning. "Never liked that guy, to be honest. I mean, yeah, he's saved a lot of people in his career, but his popularity is unjustified. Kind of overrated."
Kazama let out a small sound of amusement, a genuine laugh escaping despite the circumstances.
"What?" Hana asked, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"We're not related by blood, but we think alike," Kazama explained.
"Right. Except for the fact that you're stupid," Hana replied, making an exaggerated funny face.
"You're not worthy of any compliment," Kazama said with an annoyed expression.
They approached the school gates. Empty and silent, the building felt completely different from its usual vibrant atmosphere. The evening light painted everything in shades of orange and purple. Both of them placed their hands across the scanner for identification.
KAZAMA RAIDEN
YEAR 1, CLASS D
ABILITY: ELECTRICITY MANIPULATION
STATUS: BRACELET ACTIVE
CLEARED FOR ENTRY
YAMAMOTO HANA
YEAR 3, CLASS A
ABILITY: GEM FORM MANIPULATION
STATUS: BRACELET ACTIVE
CLEARED FOR ENTRY
************************************************************************************************************************
The teachers' staff room was right ahead on the ground floor. It was like a large hall with multiple desks and chairs for the teachers. Shirai Takeru stood near the windows, not in his hero costume this time but wearing a casual dark blue shirt and brown trousers with a cowboy hat and amber fade glasses. Beside him, Fujimoto-sensei shuffled through some papers with nervous energy. The principal had apparently delegated this to her, trusting the head of Kazama's grade to handle the situation. Tanaka was notably absent, but there was another familiar figure present.
Hiro, the flame user from the alley stood casually against the wall. He was wearing a white shirt with black trousers, a way different attire from his previous encounter with Kazama.
Kazama's shock was carefully concealed, but internally, his mind reeled. So Takeru isn't even hiding his connection to the Kurotsuki Mafia. , Kazama thought, his jaw clenching involuntarily. Or perhaps he doesn't care. He knows no one can prove it or suspect it even. And he brought Hiro here for identification. Great.
"Oh, here they are," Fujimoto-sensei announced with obvious relief. "Oh, Yamamoto is also here."
"Sorry to bother you, Kazama Raiden and Miss..." Takeru's voice was smooth and professional.
"Yamamoto," Hana replied politely.
"Miss Yamamoto. But the matter was so serious that I had to look into it personally on urgent notice." Takeru continued.
Hana straightened, her student council training kicking in. "We'll cooperate in any way possible. Please let us know your concern."
Takeru nodded appreciatively. "You see, there was an incident last night. Made it to the news as well. It involved an individual, a masked individual who has some sort of electrical powers."
The reaction was immediate and damning. Both Fujimoto-sensei and Hana instinctively glanced at Kazama, their knowledge of his electrical abilities making the connection impossible to ignore. Takeru's sharp eyes caught the telltale exchange, and his professional smile grew a fraction wider.
"So, Kazama-kun," Takeru said, his tone remaining conversational but gaining an edge of focused interest. "It seems you also have some sort of electricity-based powers."
"Yes. I do." Kazama replied with a lower tone.
No point in hiding my abilities, Kazama thought grimly. But I need to play this smart.
"And also, this very morning, you got into an altercation with my colleague, a known hero, Kujou Tanaka." Takeru stated it as fact, not a question.
"Yes. He attacked me," Kazama corrected firmly as he began to explain. "I was walking through the area and he confronted me, then used his powers without provocation. I defended myself."
Hana's eyebrows rose slightly, but she remained silent, letting him speak. Fujimoto-sensei was also going to interject but decided to trust Kazama until he needed help.
Takeru's expression didn't change. "I see. And would you like to tell me where you were last night and what you were doing at that same alley the following morning?"
"I was at home," Kazama replied without hesitation. "Preparing for the next day at school and brushing up on topics for the upcoming qualifiers."
"Qualifiers. I see" Takeru said while scratching his chin. "And the morning in question?"
"I was going to train with my senpai before school. The area was on my route," Kazama replied with confidence. There was no sign of hesitation and lied as if that was really the case.
"Your senpai being...?" Takeru prompted with his arms crossed.
"Tachibana Kaito," Kazama said smoothly.
Kaito-kun? Hana thought to herself, confusion evident in her expression. When did Raiden get close enough to him for training sessions? Or is he lying ?
"Hmm. Your alibi is plausible," Takeru conceded, though his tone suggested this was far from over. "But still, there are concerns. You see, this individual we're looking for is very dangerous. Not just this one incident, but upon further investigation, we've noticed vigilante activity in the outer districts for the past six months with this exact profile. A vigilante with your stature and electricity-based powers."
"So what are you saying? That Kazama-kun is your prime suspect as per the description ?" Fujimoto-sensei asked, though her voice suggested she already feared the answer.
"I'm saying that even if Kazama-kun wasn't involved in this specific incident, we need to take him in for evaluation and power assessment. Standard protocol when someone matches a suspect profile this closely," Takeru stated as he took out a notepad from his pocket with the Japanese Hero Association sign on it.
"How long would that take?" Hana's voice was tight with concern.
"The full evaluation process could take three to four weeks, possibly extending through the qualifiers if complications arise," Takeru said while noting something down on his notepad.
"What!" Hana's composure cracked. "Three to four weeks for an evaluation? That's excessive!"
"With all due respect, Takeru-san," Fujimoto-sensei interjected, her voice stronger now as she mustered the courage to speak up, "You're talking about detaining a minor without concrete evidence. What about his rights? His family? This seems like a severe overreach of authority."
"I understand your concerns, ma'am," Takeru replied smoothly, putting the notepad back in his pocket. "But when public safety is at stake, especially involving powers, the Hero Association has certain legal permissions under the Enhanced Abilities Safety Act. We've used this protocol before in similar situations."
Hana's brows drew together, her lips pressing into a thin, unyielding line. "I've read about that act. It's meant for clear and present dangers, not fishing out people based on physical descriptions. There are probably dozens of students in Tokyo with electrical powers and similar builds. Did you look into them as well ?"
Shirai Takeru, Kazama thought, his mind racing through the implications as Hana presented points like a defence lawyer. You're trying to lock me up for weeks to see if the vigilante activity stops. And now that I know you're connected to the Mafia, who knows what could happen to me once I'm in your custody. You are coming up with arguments that might sound convincing at first coming from a hero but are baseless if we break them down.
"That's extremely harsh for someone based on such circumstantial evidence," Hana added, though her voice carried notes of helplessness.
Hiro remained against the wall, his eyes fixed on Kazama with an intensity that made his purpose clear. He was here to identify if this was the same person from the alley. He had been staring at Kazama the whole time trying to pick up signs of suspicious behaviour. Kazama had already noticed this but didn't put much thought to it and maintained his composure.
The weight of the situation seemed to settle over Fujimoto-sensei and Hana like a heavy blanket. Their heads bowed slightly as reality sank in.
But Kazama wasn't finished yet.
"I have a concern about the Tanaka situation," Kazama said, his voice cutting through the resignation in the room.
"What do you mean?" Takeru looked up with slight confusion but also with a confident smile. He knew that the game was mostly in his hand.
"I was unarmed and I'm underage," Kazama explained, his tone gaining strength with each word. "Yet despite me being an ordinary student, Tanaka-san attacked me using his powers. I could have used my powers to defend myself but Tanaka-san seemed unhinged and I didn't want to make matters worse. It was Tachibana Takemi who saved me from serious injury. You can confirm it from her. We can check the surveillance footage if there is any."
Understanding dawned on Hana's face like a sunrise. "So that means we can take legal action against the Hero Association! For having a hero on duty who is mentally unstable! Who attacks an unarmed student like that ?"
The shift in the room's dynamic was immediate. Hiro leaned toward Takeru, whispering urgently, "They can do that?"
Takeru's expression flickered. He was not surprised, but irritated. He'd checked the area that morning. There were no functioning cameras in that specific alley. But he couldn't know what other angles might have caught the incident, or what Takemi might testify to.
"I did say we're still looking into Tanaka's conduct internally," Takeru said carefully, recovering his composure. "And we will take appropriate action. But for now….."
"Who's 'we' here?" Kazama pressed, sensing the opening. "The Japanese Hero Association?"
Takeru understood the implication immediately. The distinction between his official role and his unofficial allegiances had been called into question.
Hiro, growing frustrated with the turn of events, stepped forward. "Look, kid. You're just a student and we're professionals. We know what we're doing."
"But you're assuming I am something I am not," Kazama replied, his voice calm but pointed. "You're treating me like I'm more capable than trained professionals. I'm supposedly going out at night and taking down multiple opponents with powers, doing it for six months without anyone catching me? If I'm just a student, how does that make your heroes look? How does all of this even make any sense ?"
Hiro opened his mouth to say something back.
"Stop. He has a point." Takeru's admission was grudging but necessary. "We don't know what the vigilante looks like and we're operating on speculation. Framing a student and an aspiring hero is the last thing we should do as heroes and as professionals". Takeru admitted his defeat for now as there were no valid points left for him to continue the argument any further. He clenched his fist so tight that the pencil in his hand cracked into many pieces.
"It's all sorted then?" Hana asked hopefully.
"One final thing," Takeru said, putting the cracked pencil in his pocket. His tone suggested this was what he had been building toward all along even though it was something he came up instinctively as the last line of defence. "Tachibana Takemi can vouch for you in the morning. Tachibana Kaito can vouch for your training arrangement. But who can vouch for you at night? Not just last night, but consistently? If you have someone who can confirm your whereabouts during the times this vigilante has been active, then we can close this matter entirely."
Clever, Kazama thought. He's betting I don't have an alibi for all those nights.
"My guardian who also runs the dojo where I train," Kazama replied, while putting his hands in his pocket.
"May I know his name?" Takeru asked with a raised eyebrow.
Kazama looked at Hana, seeking her silent permission. She nodded, understanding the gravity of what he was about to reveal.
"Takahashi Genzo."
The effect was immediate and dramatic. The color drained from Takeru's face. His professional composure cracked completely, revealing something that looked almost like fear. His hand twitched toward his side.
"Takahashi... Genzo?" His voice broke slightly on the name, as if speaking it caused him physical pain.
Hiro's eyes widened, and he straightened off the wall.
Kazama noticed the surprised expression but didn't make any quick judgement.
Takeru cleared his throat, struggling to regain his professional demeanor. His hand was trembling slightly. He clasped it behind his back to hide it. "Okay then. We have everything we need. We'll update you on the situation if we find anything. Thank you for your time."
"Anytime," Fujimoto-sensei replied, though she still looked shaken by the entire encounter.
Kazama couldn't resist one final jab. "And thank you," he said, his tone carrying just a hint of sarcasm, "for keeping the streets safe."
Takeru tipped his hat in acknowledgment and moved toward the door, Hiro following behind him.
The door closed behind them.
************************************************************************************************************************
They stopped at a small bridge over a river about two kilometers from the school grounds as they leaned over the railing. They didn't discuss anything along the way to avoid any form of eavesdropping. There was no one around the bridge except some kids playing with paper boats along the riverbed about 200 meters away from the bridge.
"So that's it?" Hiro's frustration boiled over, with his hands over his head. "We are gonna let that guy go free ? We should at least get a warrant or something and toss his house."
"We are not going to do that," Takeru replied firmly while rubbing his forehead. "The situation is different now. We might have to wait for a bit. For further instructions"
"How? He has the same figure as per Tanaka-san and he's got electricity powers. We have to do something atleast. We don't have any other clue as of now. So lets be sure with him. Lets just screen him thoroughly" Hiro said as he tapped his foot. He was getting desperate with his thinking.
Takeru turned to face his subordinate, his expression grave. "You don't understand. His dojo master. He is a problem, and I can only make a call after consulting with higher-ups or perhaps the boss himself."
"Who is this Takahashi Genzo anyway? Never heard of him" Hiro asked while checking on his phone to confirm.
"Then you are a fool," Takeru said harshly, looking at the small river below the bridge. "He is a former hero. And you wouldn't find him on the internet. The mafia made sure of that"
"So? He's retired then?" Hiro asked with a raised eyebrow. "Then there is no problem, right ? We are halting our investigation over some old guy who doesn't even exist on the internet ?
Takeru's laugh was bitter, devoid of any humor. "You absolutely are an idiot. He was wiped from all knowledge sources because he was the right-hand man of the previous boss. He was also known as The Spear of the Kurotsuki Mafia."
Hiro swallowed his next words. He understood now that looking into Kazama would raise complications as he widened his eyes and started looking at the river as well.
Meanwhile, in the quiet sanctuary of his dojo, Takahashi rearranged the wooden katanas on their display rack.