Luke physically stiffened as he heard Kazuho mention America.
It was like experiencing the worst kind of déjà vu.
Next to him, even Nyx's feathers stood on end.
"No… No…" Kazuho hurriedly waved her hand. "Umm… It's something personal. Not like the one Mentor… I mean, not similar to Iron Mentor's case at all."
Luke narrowed his eyes. "… May I know what the purpose of this private visit is?" he asked. "Perhaps… I would be able to see it from a different angle."
Kazuho was right that it wasn't similar to Iwao's case, as the latter had been influenced by one of the Laws of Beyonder Characteristics. The man shared the same Pathway as Amon, who supposedly had made the USA His base of operations.
If it hadn't been for Luke calling him in time and learning that Iwao was planning to go to America with his daughter, it would have been too little, too late to prevent him from encountering the nasty demigod.
Kazuho was of the Door Pathway, a Sequence 7 Astrologer.
But with Amon in the picture, Luke dared not take things at face value.
Who knew what kind of twist of fate was attracting Kazuho to the USA, and what if this twist had been caused by Amon Himself?
Meanwhile, Kazuho went as quiet as a statue, Melissa looking away with a blush on her face.
What's going on?! Luke tried to decipher.
He wanted to read right into Trick*Step's emotions.
But that would be a gross abuse of his status and power as the Leader of the Apostles of Mr. Fool, since Kazuho had clearly stated that this was a personal matter.
Yet… with Amon's involvement…
Luke was about to use his abilities anyway when Kazuho finally sighed.
"I… He… We…" she stuttered. "I was one of the three members of the Naruhata Vigilantes, if you remember. Iron Mentor was one of us, the third being… Ko… Skycrawler. When he visited Japan recently, we exchanged numbers. But he suddenly stopped replying a few weeks ago. I'd thought that he was busy with some Hero Work. But… I feel something's not right. Not even one text… I am worried."
"Oi!" Nyx suddenly cawed, almost jumping on her little feet with excitement. "Did you two… #$#$#"
Luke grabbed her beak and glared at her, forcing her to shut her mouth.
Both Kazuho and Melissa gaped at the strange scene, stunned.
"Cough!" Luke cleared his throat, daring Nyx with his eyes to open her cursed mouth. "I see, Trick*Step. You are worried about a friend. That's natural."
Kazuho nodded several times, Melissa's lips twitching by her side.
Meanwhile, Luke fell into another round of contemplation.
It had been over a week since they had returned from ORIGIN, right?
Luke doubted that Star, Alexander, and Skycrawler—the three his stepbrother had saved that day—hadn't woken up yet.
In fact, Melissa's routine search for Mushroom-nimi had revealed strong Hero activity in the USA, rumored to be led by Star herself, as a byproduct.
Even if that was just a rumor, just being a part of such a rumor suggested that Star had woken up.
Then why hadn't Skycrawler contacted Ms. Kazuho?
Luke's mind bubbled with several possibilities, each more hideous than the last.
Miss Justice… he asked mentally. … Is it possible that I failed to purify Skycrawler of all the Corruption, and he ended up mutating anyway?
[Hmm…] Miss Justice ruminated. [Not likely. All the signs of Corruption had already vanished in both Star and Skycrawler. Also, remember that it was a Radiant who saved the three of them. Why would Singularity have allowed your brother to save Skycrawler if he still carried Corruption?]
That was right!
Luke remembered talking to Singularity that day.
Even if She had broken off the conversation because of Conformity's arrival, it didn't mean She had just left.
More likely, She had been planning to use his brother to save the Corruption-free people since the very beginning.
Luke did not know exactly how Rikuya's Quirk allowed him to teleport over such a vast distance. But he was sure that there must be some glaring restrictions. Otherwise, he doubted Rikuya would have run away with only Alex, Star, and Skycrawler, leaving the lunatic scientist behind.
So, one thing was certain.
Skycrawler wasn't corrupted and faced no threat of becoming a Rampager.
Then…
Luke had to admit that he was getting curious as well.
[You need to come clean to Trick*Step,] Miss Justice warned. [Especially now.]
I would have revealed the matter related to Skycrawler much earlier, Luke answered. But first, I thought the guy would wake up and tell Iron Mentor and Trick*Step himself. Second, I didn't know… he and Ms. Kazuho were in a relationship.
[You are dumb…]
"…"
Luke looked toward Kazuho, tapping the edge of the table.
"Please sit, Trick*Step," Luke said. "I… have something to tell you."
Puzzled, Kazuho walked up to the table and assumed her usual seat, her heart beating so hard that it felt as though it would shoot out of her chest.
Melissa was about to ask to leave the Conference Hall when Luke gestured for her to take a seat as well.
"I will let Iron Mentor know of this matter later," he said, looking at Kazuho. "For now…"
"Is he… alright?" Trick*Step stuttered, cutting him off.
Luke didn't want to lie. "I am not sure," he said, making the girl's face pale instantly as Melissa threw a hand over her mouth. "Remember when I mentioned that Star had taken another Hero with her to ORIGIN…"
[She's about to lose control!]
Luke instantly used Thought Misdirection to steer Kazuho's thoughts toward the good part of that conversation.
"… both Star and Skycrawler are free of Corruption," he said strongly. "However, I am as puzzled as you about the silence from his side. How about this? It is not safe for you to go. We don't even know where they are keeping him. So… how about I confirm his situation from my side first? Is that okay? You can even save a lot of your Credits like that… Haha…"
"Hehe…" Melissa and Nyx laughed along with Luke.
Kazuho, half on the verge of mutating, half relaxed by Leader himself taking the matter into his hands, looked between the three clowns…
… and thanked her lucky stars that she hadn't chosen the Seer Pathway.
***************
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