"Mhm."
Asuna nodded and slowly walked over to Sato before sitting down beside him. Hugging her knees, she gazed at the scenery before her.
The endless emerald grasslands rolled like waves beneath the clear, profound sky. The sea of clouds drifted low across the horizon, blending with the grasslands. From time to time, enormous creatures made of light particles could be seen gliding through the clouds.
"I only discovered this myself a few days ago."
Asuna spoke softly. Sato could hear the unease and confusion in her voice.
Some people would be delighted to gain special abilities.
Others, however, would feel frightened and uneasy because they had become different from everyone else.
Clearly, Asuna belonged to the latter.
"What ability did you awaken?"
Standing beside her, Sato looked down at the girl with curiosity.
"My ability..."
Asuna hesitated for a moment before pursing her lips.
"I think it has something to do with speed... but I'm not really sure."
It was precisely because of this unknown change within herself that she felt uneasy. Something had undeniably happened to her, yet she couldn't understand it. Something that existed but remained beyond human control was what people feared the most.
"An ability related to speed..."
Sato murmured the words to himself, and soon thought of Asuna's title.
Asuna the Flash .
Perhaps everything had already been destined from the beginning.
The only question was what category it belonged to. There were many abilities related to speed, such as light, wind, kotodama, and countless others.
"That's a very powerful ability."
Sato finally gave his evaluation before smiling at the Asuna, who had looked up at him.
"You don't need to worry. There are many people in this world just like you."
"For example, me, and Megumi."
"Look at Megumi. Didn't she accept all of this pretty easily?"
Sato looked toward Katou Megumi, who was standing behind them, and subtly signaled to her with his eyes.
Katou Megumi looked back at him as if she wanted to say something but held herself back.
When Sato turned back toward Asuna, he found her wearing a somewhat helpless expression.
"Megumi already told me. Her ability has always been in a semi-manifested state, so after all these years, she's already gotten used to it."
"She already told you?"
Sato's expression immediately became one of surprise and embarrassment.
So Katou Megumi had already explained her situation to Asuna. That caught him completely off guard.
"In that case, Megumi, your ability has fully awakened too, hasn't it?"
Trying to ease the awkwardness by changing the subject, Sato shifted his attention to Katou Megumi.
"Mhm."
Katou Megumi calmly nodded.
Her expression remained as tranquil as ever.
"Now that it's fully awakened, does that mean you can completely control your ability?"
"Mhm."
Katou Megumi was as sparing with words as always. Every answer was remarkably concise.
Sato couldn't help laughing.
"In that case, I guess the legend of the ghost girl at our school is only going to become even more famous. Once school starts, your classmates will suddenly realize there's another student in their class, someone they studied with for an entire year without ever noticing."
"What do you think? Will they be surprised, or scared out of their wits?"
Katou Megumi let out a soft sigh.
Her expression remained as calm as ever, but somehow Sato could sense a faint trace of resentment within it.
Her bright eyes, which seemed capable of seeing through people's hearts, looked straight at him.
"Nohara-kun, whether they're surprised or frightened, the ghost in that legend is me."
"I don't think anyone would enjoy being treated like a ghost."
"Sorry."
After seeing Sato apologize, Katou Megumi gave a small nod.
"But... I'll probably stay the same as before."
"Why?"
This time it was Asuna who asked.
She stood up and walked over to Katou Megumi. Her red and white knight's attire accentuated her graceful figure, making her look every bit the righteous and valiant knight from a legend.
Looking at Katou Megumi, she asked,
"Megumi, weren't you always troubled by your weak presence before?"
Katou Megumi lowered her head and thought quietly for a while before speaking.
"Although it used to bother me, after all these years I've gotten used to it."
"If I really think about it, it isn't actually that bad. Sometimes I even like the feeling of not being disturbed by anyone."
"What a shame."
Sato shook his head.
"Hm?"
Katou Megumi looked up at him in confusion, her clear eyes silently asking why.
Smiling, Sato said,
"Megumi, you're obviously so pretty. If you suddenly started standing out, everyone would definitely be shocked."
"I see."
A faint glimmer flickered in Katou Megumi's eyes as she looked at him.
She lowered her head slightly, not revealing what she was thinking.
"As for you, Asuna, now that your ability has awakened, the Hero Association will probably come looking for you very soon. When that happens, you don't have to worry about anything."
"There are many ability users in this world. There are even fantasy races like angels, demons, and dragons."
"Huh?!"
Asuna froze.
Shock immediately spread across her face, and even Katou Megumi looked up at Sato.
Sato continued,
"Those beings may be powerful, but they're all under the Hero Association's control, so there's nothing for you to worry about."
"Humans are actually very strong."
For example, himself. He was human too.
And yet, whether they were angels, demons, or dragons, everyone in the apartment behaved themselves.
Even a certain fallen angel was still obediently sweeping the floor.
Did she dare resist?
Asuna pursed her lips before suddenly looking at Sato.
"Miyabi, abilities can become stronger, right?"
"Yeah, they can. But without someone to guide you, you'll have to figure everything out on your own."
"Then... would you accept me as your student?"
"Huh?!"
Sato was caught completely off guard.
He stared blankly at Asuna for a moment before quickly regaining his composure.
"You're serious?"
"Mhm."
Asuna nodded earnestly.
"Well... I suppose that's not impossible."
After thinking it over, Sato gave his answer.
He possessed many different abilities. Perhaps one of them would be suitable for teaching Asuna.
A bright smile immediately bloomed across Asuna's face.
"In that case, I'll move into your place tomorrow, Master!"
"Huh?!"
Both Sato and Katou Megumi froze in astonishment.