The meeting of the Three Calamities had come to an end, and Mishma and Sinvula had left the luxury lounge, Reial. Alala had returned to her table with her friends.
"Hiraya, what did your Ex want?"
"Was he trying to win you back?"
"Was he pressuring you? If so, do you need help?"
"We might be nothing compared to the Albrecht Clan, but if we can cause a scandal. I'm sure he would back off then."
Her friends' interrogation began the moment she returned. Hiraya showed a troubled smile and gestured for them to calm down.
"It's nothing like that. He just came to check on me since he was in the area. He and I are still on good enough terms."
"Are you telling the truth, or do you just don't want us to worry?"
The girls continued to press.
"She's telling the truth, girls."
Scarlett spoke up. Like Hiraya, she was in a floral theme sun dress and had her flaming red hair in a braid. Her pale white skin was flushed as if distressed, and her otherwise charming face was wrinkled with worry. Hiraya reflected in her blue eyes as she continued to speak.
"Amadi isn't a brute who would pressure her to do anything. They respect each other greatly."
"If you're so insistent, Scarlett, then it must be the truth."
Scarlett sighed when the girls started to back down.
"Then..."
They quickly turned their attention back to Hiraya.
"Why did the two of you break up?"
"Yeah, you two looked perfect for each other!"
Hiraya smiled and placed a finger on her lips.
"That's a secret."
A few more hours later, Hiraya had left the lounge and separated from her friends after saying her goodbyes. She was about to enter her car when Scarlett walked up to her.
"Aren't you going to have dinner with your parents?"
Hiraya asked.
"I can't do that after what just happened."
Scarlett wore a tired expression. Hiraya smiled at her and gestured at her car. Scarlett nodded and the two rode the car together.
"Hah~!"
The two released an exaggerated sigh the moment the car drove off.
"Why did it have to go like that?"
Scarlett mumbled.
"I know, right? I figured he would come to me eventually, but he chose the worst possible time and place."
Hiraya sighed again.
"I mean, your true identity is that of one of the most famous and powerful persons in the world. It wouldn't kill you to act discreet."
"I'm telling you, Raya, that man is a terrorist 24/7. He's no different than a barbarian."
"Don't let him hear you say that; he will take it as a compliment."
Hiraya chuckled a bit.
"By the way, Scarlett. Did you notice Mishma was there?"
"Yeah, but I don't think anyone else did."
Scarlett recalled the moment Mishma appeared at the table. It was like she was there from the beginning, but in reality, she knew Mishma appeared out of thin air.
"The girls acknowledged her while she was at the table, but the moment she left, it was like she never existed. I asked the girls, and no one remembered her except me. It was creepy."
Scarlett held her shoulders and looked at Hiraya.
"What is her power anyway?"
Hiraya shook her head.
"I don't have the slightest clue, and neither does Sinvula."
"Even though she's a calamity like you two?"
"Yeah, it's like anything goes for her."
"....Maybe she's hiding her powers because if it's known, you guys will know her weakness."
"That thing doesn't have a weakness."
"Calling me a thing is rude."
Scarlett screamed when she heard a voice from the back seat. She looked in the rear-view mirror and spotted Mishma sitting in the back. She turned around, but no one was there.
"Don't try to think too hard about it. She loves to pop in and disappears after making a comment."
Hiraya didn't react to Mishma's appearance and disappearance at all. She acted as if it were natural.
"Like I was saying, Mishma is an anomaly. I honestly can't think of a way of defeating her. As testament, the #1 Hero Sin Sentinel disappeared after Mishma popped up on the scene."
"Ah, the Japanese Catastrophe. When she destroyed hundreds of islands of the Japanese archipelago."
Scarlett nodded.
"By the way, Mishma claims that it was an accident."
"It was."
Mishma's voice resounded in the car.
"I told the GHF and Sin Sentinel, but they didn't believe me and declared me the first Calamity without my consent. They picked a fight with me for a whole year before giving up."
"A few years after Sin Sentinel disappeared....Is he dead?"
Scarlett asked with a timid tone.
"Nah, he's alive and well. I don't know why he isn't on the frontlines anymore."
"Scarlett, don't talk to her too much. You'll be driven crazy by her lies."
"How rude. I've never lied to you."
"Really? I don't know your age, where you're from, what gender you are, or what your powers are because all you do is lie."
"I answered everything truthfully."
"Nothing you say makes sense."
"The truth doesn't have to make sense for it to be true."
"Leave my car!"
Hiraya shouted. Mishma's voice disappeared and she and Scarlett drove in silence. She broke it after nearly a minute.
"Anyway, while inconvenient, the meeting gave me some stuff to think about."
She looked at Scarlett.
"Eris, after I make my decision, our vacation will be over, and it's back to work."
Scarlett nodded with a smile.
"Yes, Supreme Commander."
Elsewhere, Sinvula's car arrived at an airport. He pulled out a phone and made a call as he was being escorted by airport staff and bodyguards.
"Why aren't they picking up their phones?"
He put the phone away and looked at a staff member.
"Are Cole Baker and Jessica Novella at the hangar?"
"Yes, sir. Mr. Baker and Ms. Novella arrived an hour ago and have already boarded the flight."
"Alright."
Sinvula remained quiet for the remainder of his walk to the airfield.
"Are you sure you don't need a ride, Sir?"
"I'm fine."
Sinvula dismissed the staff and stepped on the airfield. With a flash, he vanished from where he was. He appeared a kilometre away at a plane hangar.
"Mr. Albrecht."
He was greeted by the aviation team.
"Cole and Jessica?"
"Inside, Sir."
Sinvula walked up the jet's steps and entered. He saw a casually dressed Bastion and Kiara tussling on the ground with Bastion desperately holding on to something.
"Get off of me, you She-Devil!"
"Not until you give me back my chocolate!"
"You had a dozen! What's wrong if I eat one?!"
"Because their mines!"
"There weren't even yours! The Queen of Catalonia sent them to Amadi as a present!"
"What is his is mines! We're siblings, that's how it works!"
"Bullsh--"
Bastion swallowed his words when he spotted Sinvula at the corner of his eye. Kiara turned to look at him as well.
"This explains why I haven't been able to get in touch with either of you."
He spotted a box of chocolate wrapped in gold on a tray that was placed on a table. He flicked his wrist, and the tray flew towards him.
"Sit down."
The two got up and sat in their seats. Sinvula turned to the aviation staff.
"Pilot, get ready to take off."
"Yes, sir."
After some time, Sinvula's plane was in the air.
"These aren't half-bad. I gotta send the queen my thanks."
He was sitting in his seat eating the chocolate while Bastion and Kiara glared at him.
"Amadi, can you stop being a dick and tell us what happened with Alala?"
Bastion spoke without hiding his annoyance.
"Sure thing, Cole."
Sinvula threw the rest of the chocolates in his mouth, causing Bastion and Kiara to stand from their seats.
"You prick!"
"How could you eat them?!"
"I don't want to hear anything from the two who were conspiring to eat them without me."
Sinvula put the tray down and crossed his leg over the other.
"Now, sit and listen to what happened."
After five minutes, Bastion and Kiara were eating some sweets Sinvula had secretly brought for them.
"So, Mishma wants you and Alala to turn trying to kill Impactor into a game?"
Kiara asked while eating chocolate-covered almonds.
"Pretty much."
"That will cause Iron Rain and the Bellum Company's reputations to plummet though....Then again, it's better than a war between the two organisations."
Bastion was eating roasted honey hazel nuts with a white coating.
"This really is a lose-lose situation."
"Is that how you see it, Cole?"
Sinvula looked at Kiara.
"What about you, Jessica?"
"I agree with Cole. We either go to war or our reputation suffers."
Sinvula nodded.
"I thought the same way as you two at first. I thought Mishma was being a dick for no reason."
"Why am I getting bashed so many times today?"
Mishma appeared between Bastion and Kiara, eating sweets with a frown.
"Jesus!"
Bastion nearly flew out of his seat while Kiara dropped her sweets.
"If you're getting bashed, it's because you earned it."
Sinvula didn't react to Mishma's appearance and talked like it was normal.
"I'm trying to keep the peace and I'm the bad guy."
"Bullshit. I've known you for too long to believe that. Alala and I had a disagreement; if you, our only peer, had sided with one of us the other would have no choice but to back down."
Sinvula pointed at Mishma.
"But you didn't do that, you bastard. You purposely made things complicated because you think it will be fun."
Mishma smiled.
"Well, won't it be fun though?"
"Fuck yeah, it'll be fun."
Kiara and Bastion's eyes widened after hearing Sinvula's response.
"Wait, Amadi, are you..."
Sinvula nodded at Bastion.
"I'm playing along."
"Why?"
"Because it will be fun. Do I need another reason?"
He looked at Bastion with a confused face.
"What about the GHF and the villains? They will start believing you aren't invincible and will try....."
Bastion's words trailed off as a look of realisation dawned on him. Mishma grinned before vanishing. Bastion looked at Sinvula.
"You want them to. You want Heroes and Villains to come after you with the belief they can win."
Sinvula nodded.
"That will only lead to chaos and mayhem. It's like you're ushering a new era of violence...So many will die."
"That's the aim, Bastion. Impactor's appearance made me realise how boring everything has been."
He started listing off his fingers.
"The villains have all bowed down and submitted to me. The Heroes fear and avoid me at all costs. I haven't fought anyone noteworthy in a while. I'm bored out of my mind."
He leaned forward.
"So, I've decided to spice things up by sprinkling a little false hope into the minds of the masses. Can the big bad Sinvula be beaten? Maybe I can get lucky and become the new king? If Impactor can do it, so can I?"
He grinned.
"They'll think stuff like that."
"But that will put us in danger as well. People will openly disrespect Iron Rain."
"Then we simply need to remind them why they pressed their foreheads on the ground before us in the first place."
Kiara spoke up.
"We can't hide behind Sinvula forever. Iron Rain needs to start pulling its own weight."
Bastion became quiet and looked at Sinvula's face. He was smiling from ear to ear.
"Looks like I can't change your mind."
Bastion sighed.
"Alright, I'm Iron Rain's Assault Leader and Defender. If that's what the boss wants, then I'll fulfil my role."
Sinvula's smile grew wider.
"That's my bro."
"I'll devise the most devious plans to make all the fools who doubted us suffer as much as possible!"
Kiara let out a sinister laugh.
"But will Alala agree to this?"
"Don't worry."
Sinvula leaned back in his seat.
"As much as she tries to deny it, Alala is just as fucked up as I am."