Sato looked at the ceiling, still processing his last moments with Puppeteer when…
"You reek of her."
Irina's voice broke the silence, making Sato jolt and tumble right off the couch.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch, not again. You need to stop doing this, you know?"
"Don't care. Now tell me what she told you, I already know you didn't listen to me."
"The thing is…"
Sato began to explain that he hadn't listened because he wanted to decide for himself whether Puppeteer was good or bad, but she cut him off.
"I said I don't care. Just tell me what she said to you."
He went on to recount everything, from the moment Puppeteer revealed her true self to the instant of her farewell.
So she gave him a few tips and even helped him a little? What a waste of time. What could she possibly teach him in a single night of training?
"Alright… if that's really everything. Fine."
Is it really fine? I thought she would nag me more.
With that, Sato rose from the couch, planning to head to the kitchen to make breakfast, while Irina slipped into his spot and switched on the TV.
As he stretched, Irina suddenly tugged him back onto the couch, her eyes fixed on something that had caught her attention on the screen.
"Whaa-...What happened?"
On the TV, there was news about his destroyed school and an interview with Future.
"Citizens of this world, my name is Future, an arbiter in The Grand Bell Competition."
"An… arbiter? What's that?"
Sato asked in vain; Irina seemed far more focused on what Future would say next.
"Because of our incompetence, many innocent lives were lost tonight. Unfortunately, my apologies cannot bring back those you loved." She fell silent, allowing the weight of her words to linger in the air.
"But I can promise you this, such a tragedy will never be allowed to happen again."
You speak as if you couldn't stop this… What are you after?
Irina narrowed her eyes, her gaze fixed on the TV.
"To be precise, the Grand Bell has chosen this world. Because of that, one hundred heroes have been summoned to compete for it. Under normal circumstances, such an event would remain hidden, but after tonight's tragedy, secrecy is no longer an option."
Now that she mentions it… I haven't seen a single report of heroes fighting on the news before.
"To everyone on this planet, know that heroes are not here to harm you. Still, in the days to come their battles will become harder and harder to conceal. Please remain vigilant, and stay safe."
Irina switched off the TV, her eyes still narrowed as the screen faded to black. For a long moment, she remained silent, lost in thought about what was to come.
Meanwhile, Sato sat frozen, unsure what to make of the interview he had just witnessed.
"Irina…" he finally said, his voice hesitant.
"This isn't good," she replied, her tone sharp. "Listen, Sato. Until now the battles have been kept as far from the public eye as possible. But after this broadcast, everything changes. This interview is basically a green light for the heroes to do whatever they want."
In this case I guess things are about to heat up in the next few days. It's getting more interesting by the day… I just hope it doesn't spiral out of control.
"So, what now?" Sato asked curiously.
"Nothing. For us, nothing changes. So go on and make that breakfast."
Sato tensed at her words. After everything they had just witnessed, she acted as if none of it mattered.
"What do you…"
He was about to snap at her but stopped himself, realizing what it would mean to keep things as they were. In the kitchen, he busied himself with preparing breakfast, the soft clatter of dishes filling the silence between them.
…Maybe that's better.
"If nothing changes for us, we won't have to fight as much. The less we fight, the less Irina risks burning out and losing in the end. This way, I'll have more time to train."
He lifted his hand, clenching it into a determined fist.
After breakfast was ready, they ate together in a quiet rhythm. Partway through, Sato's phone buzzed. It was a call from Asahi.
He wrapped it up quickly, slipping the phone back into his pocket.
"What was that about?"
Sato scratched the back of his neck. "So… would you like to go out?"
"No." she replied flatly, not a shred of hesitation in her voice.
"Well, I'm heading out with Asahi and Megumi. Their heroes will be there too, so I should be fine."
Closing her eyes, Irina thought for a while until she opened them once again.
"Fine"
After spending some time reading the book Irina gave him, Sato received another call that they had arrived in front of his apartment building.
He quickly got dressed and slipped out, leaving Irina behind. Once he greeted everyone, they all set off.
"So where are we going?"
I agreed to go out, but I never even asked where we were going…
"Karaoke!" Megumi suddenly stepped in front of Sato, her voice bubbling with excitement.
"Karaoke…?" Sato turned to Asahi.
"Don't look at me. I just got a call from an unknown number and…it turned out to be her. She said you'd already agreed to come, so… here I am."
"So you got tricked…"
Asahi said nothing, lowering his head and continuing to walk.
"What are you planning, Megumi? After what happened yesterday, a hangout like this doesn't seem like the best idea."
"No. What we need is exactly a breather like this. Yesterday we went through something no normal human should, and with today's news, this might be our last chance to have a normal day."
Now that I think about it, yesterday really was wild…but somehow I don't feel anything. I mean, I feel sorry for everyone who was killed by that monster, and just remembering him makes me furious… but beyond that, I feel strangely normal. Could this be the effect of the mana?
"You know something, maybe this is really a good idea!"
They kept walking down the street until silence settled over the group, no one speaking until Asahi finally broke it.
"This is way too awkward! Why is nobody saying anything? We have a samurai and a kunoichi right here!"
Asahi now pointed to Butterfly and Blueblade
"Sato, aren't you even a little curious about them?"
And then to himself and Sato
"Megumi, you barely know anything about us and yet you're staying silent!"
Asahi's sudden outburst left everyone stunned, but it was enough to spark their curiosity. One by one, they began talking and trading questions.
That's Asahi for you. He always knows how to break the ice… at least when it comes to conversations.
Still, Sato couldn't help imagining how quickly Asahi would lose his patience if he ever had to deal with Irina.
At one point in their conversation, Megumi stopped, and the others halted beside her.
"I couldn't help but notice that none of the heroes seem to know each other, yet everyone knows Irina. How come?"
Butterfly took a step forward.
"It's a good question, and you might be surprised by how simple the answer is…"
Everyone, even Blueblade, watched, curious to hear her explanation.
"Think of Nexus as a school. Some students know each other from their hometowns, right? In the same way, certain heroes are already familiar because they come from the same world."
I get what she is trying to say, but it still doesn't make complete sense…
"But not every hero comes from the same world as Irina. The reason everyone knows her is similar to how everyone at school knows Megumi, because of her reputation as the student council president. That's why Irina is recognized across Nexus; she's renowned as the Black Witch."
Both Asahi and Sato began to slowly clap, impressed.
"I see."
"That makes sense"
With everything cleared up, they resumed their walk toward karaoke. As they arrived, they were about to book a room for everyone when Asahi suddenly refused.
The cheerful buzz of the lobby dimmed, and the group exchanged puzzled looks.