Makima's presence there was something Reisou couldn't understand. No matter what explanation he came up with, none of it made sense.
Even so, he stayed on guard. From what he knew about her, there was no way her reason for being there was anything good.
"Mrs. Makima, shouldn't you be outside the Gate? It's very dangerous to be here." Reisou knew asking that question was a bit hypocritical, since he was inside it too.
"That's not the right question, Reisou-kun," Makima answered calmly, maintaining her usual feigned gentle smile.
Reisou turned his head at her answer, feeling too exhausted to even respond. In his mind, he wondered why this woman couldn't go bother someone else.
Ignoring his reaction, Makima walked toward him, and Reisou instinctively stepped back. Before she could get any closer, 2B, who had been quiet until now, positioned herself between them.
"..."
"..."
The two stared at each other for a few seconds. Makima could sense that 2B carried a similar energy to Reisou's, though much fainter.
Her expression turned cold. To Makima, this white-haired girl was trying to take something that was hers.
This girl had to go.
"Step aside," Makima said coldly.
"No," 2B refused to give in.
They unleashed an immense killing intent, making the cave tremble.
Reisou began to sweat under the pressure. It was stronger than his own intimidation, and he had no idea that her could do something like this.
"Let's not fight. The real enemies are outside," Reisou said quickly, stepping in before things escalated.
He looked at Makima and said with a strained smile. "Mrs. Makima, could you help us get out of here?"
For now, seeking Makima's cooperation was better than creating enmity. Having a National Hunter on their side would be invaluable.
"I can't," she said, her calm smile returning as she looked at Reisou. "No one can face a Red Moon alone. There are too many monsters outside."
Her words made him pause for a moment.
"But don't worry, I won't let anything hurt you," she added, placing her arms behind her back and giving a reassuring smile.
Reisou raised an eyebrow, suspicious of her strange behavior. If he did not already know how dangerous she really was, he might have actually believed those reassuring words.
After a half-hearted thanks, he moved to 2B's side. Makima's gaze followed him with an unsettling intensity that made his skin crawl.
An uneasy silence hung in the air until a loud noise echoed from the cave entrance.
The three turned toward the noise and saw that the boulders blocking the passage had been shattered by the strange creatures.
"How did those things find us?" Reisou yelled, already getting ready to fight.
Hundreds of those same faceless monsters from before were already rushing toward them. But before 2B or Reisou could react, Makima lifted her hand, forming a pistol shape with her fingers and aiming it forward.
"Bang." Her calm voice echoed calmly.
In the blink of an eye, an invisible force swept through the creatures, making them explode on the spot. Every single one vanished, leaving the cave in eerie silence once again.
Reisou swallowed hard. He knew she was powerful, but wiping out that many enemies with a single gesture was beyond anything he'd imagined.
Clearly, avoiding a fight with her was the better option. Challenging Makima now would mean certain death.
"Close the entrance again, then let's move further into the cave," she said, with a commanding tone.
He followed her instructions, and the three ventured deeper into the dark cave. Thankfully, some glowing mushrooms lit the way, making the path barely visible.
Minutes later, they arrived at a small underground lake, its edges lined with clusters of glowing plants. The group decided to rest there for a while before trying to make their way to the Gate's entrance.
As Reisou glanced at the system timer, his mind raced for a way to stall Makima. If the timer didn't hit zero, he wouldn't be able to escape, and approaching the Gate entrance while it was still running would be too dangerous.
Lost in his thoughts, Reisou didn't notice Makima's subtle wrist movement. Since finding him, she had been trying to wrap her invisible chains around him to control his will.
But no matter how hard she tried, they had no effect. Very few could resist her control, only people like her adoptive grandfather, the National Heroes, and the Pieces.
For the first time in years, Makima felt a flicker of frustration, but she refused to show it. That annoying white-haired girl had managed to possess a fragment of the perfect energy she craved.
Even that small portion made it hard for her to keep her composure, because she knew that if she could fully obtain it, no one would be able to stand in her way.
The Nano was unrefined and chaotic, tied to the Gates themselves, but Reisou's energy was different. It was stable, beautiful, and independent.
His reserves were growing rapidly, making Makima more tempted to drain him completely. However, she couldn't act rashly.
Something incredibly powerful might be protecting him, which could explain why her chains hadn't worked. She also noticed that 2B wasn't affected by her chains either, which made her frustration grow even more.
'What more can I do?' she thought, watching Reisou sit quietly beside 2B.
Facing this problem, Makima decided to find a way to get closer to him. Perhaps direct contact would reveal the answer.
<>
Outside the D-rank Gate, a large commotion erupted following the official announcement of the Red Moon.
Reporters pushed forward with cameras and microphones raised, while officials from the Public Hunters Association moved in to tighten security and block access to the restricted zone.
At the same time, members of the Akuma Guild were being questioned to find out what had happened, while officials accompanied the students.
Moments later, several black sedans pulled up, instantly drawing the crowd's attention. A group of people stepped out, and all eyes turned toward them.
"To think a Red Moon would appear today. What bad luck~"
A tall man with snowy white hair and a blindfold spoke first, and his voice alone was enough to snap the reporters out of their shock.
The quiet atmosphere shifted, turning into whispers and frantic camera clicks as everyone tried to get a better look.
With so many big names showing up, especially the National Hunter Gojo Satoru, the commotion grew even louder than before.
"Sigh… why did this have to happen today? Now I'm stuck working overtime again... and why did Yaga let this guy tag along?"
Standing next to Satoru was a tall, well built blond man with unusual round glasses, looking clearly annoyed.
"Do not say that, Nanamin. I know you like me, you are just a tsundere," Satoru said, throwing an arm around Nanami's shoulders with a smug grin.
"Sora, get your brother before I deal with him myself," Kento Nanami grumbled. He was already in a terrible mood, and Satoru's antics were only making it worse.
"I am so scared~"
Satoru finally let go and walked ahead, striking poses for the cameras.
"This guy never changes. His brain is as flat as always," The lazy female voice said from behind Nanami.
An attractive, tall woman approached, her long brown hair flowing behind her and her half lidded brown eyes looking slightly tired. She was Shoko Ieiri, the medical chief of Sozukusen Academy.
"Let him be. That idiot brother of mine is just fooling around," Sora said, clasping her hands behind her head as she strolled along casually.
They headed straight for the Public Hunters Association officials to pick up the students and inform them that Sozukusen staff would be assisting with the investigation.
However, before they could reach them, a beautiful woman with dark green hair stepped in and blocked their path. Her presence alone made the group stop in their tracks.
Gojo Sora narrowed her eyes, trying to remember where she had seen this person before.
"Woah, I know who you are! I saw you with your sister once, but I never thought the sister of that arrogant brat would end up working for the Public Hunters Association. What a surprise, Fubuki!"