Victor took the ice cream cone from the vendor, settling onto the bench outside the shop. The first taste brought a smile to his face, still just as good as he remembered.
"Mr. Victor?"
A familiar voice made him turn his head. The first thing that caught his eye was a pair of slender legs wrapped in black stockings.
Following the line upward, his gaze traveled over elegant curves and graceful contours. Long black hair cascaded down to her waist in silky waves, and her quiet beauty held an undeniable charm. Those distinctive dark red eyes widened with surprise and excitement.
"You're... Miss Utaha?" Victor's expression brightened with recognition.
It was Kasumigaoka Utaha, the girl he'd met and saved a few months ago.
"You remember me?" Utaha's lips curved into a pleased smile. "I thought you might have forgotten."
Victor returned her smile. "I always remember beautiful women."
If she'd been some random passerby, he might've genuinely forgotten. But Utaha was the legendary black-stockinged senior he'd fantasized about in his previous life. How could he possibly forget her?
"Though I'm surprised you still remember me," he added.
"Well, you did save my life." Utaha walked toward him, stopping at his side. "May I sit?"
"Of course." Victor shifted over, making room.
"Thank you."
As Utaha settled beside him, a subtle fragrance filled the air, clean and distinctly feminine.
Victor took a deep breath, appreciating the scent before turning to look at her properly. She'd clearly put effort into her appearance today: a white tank top, ultra-short denim shorts, and stylish leather boots. The casual outfit only enhanced her natural beauty.
She clutched a shopping bag in both hands, though he couldn't see what was inside. Out of respect for her privacy, he resisted the urge to use his spiritual sense to peek.
Curiosity got the better of him anyway. "Shopping?"
"No, actually." Utaha shook her head, then seemed to remember something. "Hey, Victor, can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead."
Victor tossed his empty popsicle stick into the nearby trash can.
"Are you part of Squad Zero?"
"Squad Zero?" Victor raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"
He genuinely had no idea what she was talking about.
"Eh? You're not?" Now it was Utaha's turn to look surprised. "But you have such powerful supernatural abilities. I assumed you had to be with Squad Zero."
"What is Squad Zero?" Victor's curiosity deepened. "And why would having supernatural powers automatically make me a member?"
"You haven't heard of it?" Utaha looked genuinely puzzled. "Squad Zero is a recently formed government team made up entirely of people with supernatural abilities. Its formation caused a sensation worldwide. How have you not heard about this?"
These days, the existence of the supernatural was common knowledge. The government had declassified certain information, revealing that extraordinary individuals existed among the population. What shocked people even more was learning that these abilities weren't innate, they could be learned and developed through training.
Such groundbreaking news had dominated headlines for weeks. How could Victor not know about it?
Utaha continued, "Recently, the government's been recruiting new members for Squad Zero. Anyone who joins can learn to become supernatural themselves. I just assumed you were already part of it."
"I see." Victor nodded thoughtfully.
He really hadn't been paying attention to current events lately. Between cultivation, chatting in the group, and occasionally training his adorable disciple Stelle, he'd been completely disconnected from the outside world. Today was actually the first time he'd left his residence in over a month.
His eyes drifted to the bag in Utaha's hands. "That registration you mentioned, were you signing up for Squad Zero?"
Utaha nodded, her expression turning regretful. "Yes, but... I didn't meet the requirements. They rejected me."
Though she was young, witnessing Victor's extraordinary power that day had awakened something in her, a deep yearning for that kind of strength.
So when she learned about Squad Zero's recruitment, she'd signed up immediately.
Beyond her desire for power, she'd harbored another hope: perhaps she'd see her savior again.
Unfortunately, she'd been rejected.
Still, fate had other plans. Running into Victor here felt like a gift, even if she couldn't join Squad Zero.
"Why weren't you accepted?" Victor frowned.
From what he knew of Utaha's character, she should've been fine. As for qualifications, his modified cultivation methods could be practiced by most ordinary people. Even Holy Magic Energy wasn't that restrictive.
Was she too young? But if they'd let her register in the first place, age couldn't be the issue.
Utaha's gaze dropped, and silence stretched between them.
"If it's too personal, you don't have to tell me," Victor said gently.
"It's not that." Utaha gave him a bitter smile. "I failed the background check."
Victor blinked in surprise. Of all the reasons he'd considered, he'd never expected that one.
Background checks, political reviews to ensure someone's history was "clean", made sense for a government organization like Squad Zero. But Utaha seemed like an ordinary high school student.
"Your background isn't clean?" he asked carefully.
"Not mine. My father's." Utaha's voice grew quieter. "He left Japan when I was eleven and went to work overseas. When I was fourteen, he secretly acquired citizenship in another country. Apparently, he's done things that harmed Japan's interests over the years."
She paused, her eyes reflecting old pain. "I'm still a Japanese citizen, but because of what my father did, I can't pass Squad Zero's background check."
A sigh escaped her lips, helpless, sad, weighted with the burden of having such an irresponsible parent.
Victor felt a flash of irritation on her behalf. What a wonderful father, directly sabotaging his daughter's future opportunities. It was like those cases from his previous life where parents' misdeeds prevented their children from taking civil service exams.
Some mistakes cast long shadows.