There was silence between Takeru and Hiro. The only voices around the area now belonged to some kids who were playing with paper boats along the river. The tension in Takeru's shoulders was evident as he pulled out his phone. Hiro noticed this.
"What are we gonna do, bro?" Hiro asked, his voice carrying a nervous edge, a slight tremble.
Takeru's expression hardened as he scrolled through his contacts. "I'll make a call. This person is on the Japanese Hero Association senior council."
Hiro's eyes widened with a mixture of awe and disbelief. "Woah. Really ? The Mafia has people on the senior council as well?"
"Resources are never an issue for the organization. He is not the only one holding a high position on the council," Takeru replied with cold pragmatism. "But this guy was my father's best friend. So I hope he can guide us here. Now keep quiet".
The phone rang twice before a gruff voice answered. Toji, a well respected man in his sixties was on the other side of the phone. He was the Chairman of the Hero Oversight and Ethics Committee.
"I trust you've resolved this minor complication," Toji's voice came through the speaker, authority evident in every syllable.
"There's a problem, Uncle," Takeru said, his tone carefully measured despite the gravity of his admission.
"Explain." The single word carried weight.
Takeru took a steadying breath. "The suspect we had in mind is connected to Takahashi Genzo. So I wanted to consult with you before taking any steps".
There was a moment of silence that stretched uncomfortably long. "And you're certain this suspect is the one who attacked our men? And made them look like complete amateurs ?" Toji asked in his grumpy voice and a dissatisfied tone.
"Not yet. He's a student at Tokyo Super High and he has a solid alibi. Seems clean mostly. But…." Takeru admitted reluctantly.
Toji's voice turned cold as he interrupted with a displeased grunt. "Let me understand this correctly. Your primary suspect is a student. A single teenager has been playing vigilante over the past 6 months while maintaining a student identity? Is this what you are saying, Takeru ? A student had your men beat ?"
"He fits the physical description and has the right abilities. The timing of the incidents correlates with his possible movements. We need additional resources to confirm his involvement or to catch this vigilante," Takeru pressed, trying to shift the conversation away from insulting his subordinates.
"First you ask me to clear that incompetent subordinate of yours, Tanaka Kujou, whose reckless actions nearly exposed our entire network. Do you have any idea how many strings I had to pull to save that piece of shit ? Now this? What exactly are you accomplishing?" Toji's frustration grew further. He had already wasted half his day cleaning up Tanaka's mess and now he was being dragged into another problem he didn't have patience for.
Takeru's jaw tightened as he pushed for the problem at hand. "We need to catch him soon. It reflects poorly on the organization if our operations continue to be compromised. I understand that you probably had a rough day. But we need a solution for this. What if Takahashi Genzo has trained this Kazama to get back at the Mafia ?"
There was another moment of silence in which Toji was thinking of an outcome and Takeru decided not to break the silence and avoid angering an already frustrated Toji.
"That is not possible. Takahashi has no reason to come after us. We haven't done anything that would have him so twisted that he would train a student to beat up our men. I will not authorize resources to pursue a student based on circumstantial evidence alone which creates unnecessary exposure. However, I will provide additional security for our next operation. If this vigilante appears again, we'll be prepared to apprehend him properly" Toji said after some thinking.
Takeru's shoulders relaxed slightly. "Understood, Toji-san".
"And are you sure that your men were beaten up during an operation and not doing something stupid ?" Toji asked with suspicion in his voice.
"Yes. I had confirmed this with Hiro and the others. They were on duty" Takeru said while glancing at Hiro. Hiro heard this and started whistling while looking the other way. Takeru knew that Hiro and the others were harassing a woman but reporting that would get them fired and his own morals would ironically be questioned.
"Hmmm. Okay." Toji said after which Takeru took a sigh of relief. "And don't forget about the shipment. It's worth ten million yen. I expect your men to have recovered and be ready to execute flawlessly. The pickup date is 13th August midnight".
Takeru cast a meaningful look at Hiro, who was listening intently despite pretending otherwise. "Yes, they'll be ready. And if the vigilante appears?"
"That's exactly why I'm providing additional security. Most of our operations this year have proceeded without incident. Your division is the exception. From tomorrow, your team will be properly armed. But understand that there will be no further failures." Toji replied as he took out another phone and started typing.
"Understood, Uncle," Takeru replied with finality.
The call ended with an audible click as Takeru put his phone in his other pocket where he had the crushed pencil.
"What is this ? Who put this here ?" Takeru began jumping and emptying his pocket.
"So what did he say?" Hiro asked eagerly, bouncing slightly on his feet as he watched Takeru take out pencil pieces out from his pocket one by one.
"We're dropping the investigation on Kazama Raiden. And in exchange, the team gets armed for the next operation," Takeru explained as he emptied all the crushed pencil pieces.
Hiro's face lit up like a child's. "Armed? You mean guns? That's perfect. I've been waiting for this. With this, I can accept us not pursuing that kid".
Takeru's expression soured immediately. "Not you. You have powers plus your aim sucks. I saw your demo during the trials. That was the worst piece of gun shooting I had ever seen."
"Oh man," Hiro deflated visibly, his excitement evaporating as quickly as it had appeared.
One of the boys playing around the river leaned too far over the water, trying to catch his drifting paper boat. The riverbank was shallow at the edge, barely reaching his ankles and safe enough for kids to splash around. But as he took a few more steps, the ground dipped sharply.
His foot slipped. The soft mud vanished beneath him.With a startled yelp, the boy plunged forward, disappearing into a sudden drop where the riverbed turned unexpectedly deep. His friends began to panic.
"Hey bro! Look! I think one of the kids just went right into the river." Hiro said with an alarmed face with his eyebrows raised as he noticed the kids screaming and asking for help from afar.
"Bro ?" Hiro looked to his side and Takeru was not on the bridge. He was already running along the riverbed. Takeru leaps into the river and a few bubbles appear on the surface followed by silence.
Takeru gets out of the river with the kid and lays him on the river and places his hand on his back as the boy coughs out water.
"Easy… easy," Takeru said, his voice calm but firm. "Let it come out. Don't fight it."
The boy gasped, coughing again. Takeru kept a hand on his shoulder, supporting him.
"There you go. Keep your head down… good. Now look at me," Takeru said, lowering himself to eye level. "You're okay. I want you to breathe with me, alright?"
Takeru tapped lightly on the boy's back to guide the rhythm.
"In… slow.
Out… slow.
Again in… and out. That's it."
He checked the boy's forehead and pulse. "Alright. You are good now". Takeru said while slowly standing up.
The other kids surrounded him and instantly recognized the popular hero. Some of them jumped around him out of excitement while others were just in awe.
"Shirai Takeru. You are Shirai Takeru. You are the best."
"You saved him, Shirai-san!"
"You are so strong and brave! You jumped right in!"
The boy recovered slowly and grabbed Takeru's shirt. "Thank you Shirai-san. You saved my life".
"Oh it's nothing. But remember, always be careful when you are near the riverbed", Shirai started off with a smile and his hands on his waist but his tone got stricter as he continued. "Better yet, don't even come near the riverbed. Today I was here but who knows what would have happened if I wasn't. If you want to play with paper boats then fill up a tub with water and play. Be careful! Okay ?"
"Okay Shirai-san!" The kids said in the unison.
Damn. Shirai-san, I mean Bro is amazing. He is always there. Both as a hero and as our bro. Damn. I wish I could be like him.Seeing him like this just now, I don't want to let him down. I will catch that vigilante for sure. Not just to settle the score, but for Shirai-san. I mean Bro, Hiro thought as he admired Takeru from afar after Takeru saved the boy from drowning.
******************************************************************************************************
Back at school, Hana and Fujimoto-sensei were finally beginning to relax now that Kazama had evaded any formal inquiry. The tension that had been building throughout the day was slowly dissipating from their shoulders.
"Whatever that was, it seems to be over for now," Hana said with a weary sigh.
Without warning, Fujimoto smacked a rolled newspaper against Kazama's head.
"Why don't you come straight to school? You see?" Fujimoto-sensei demanded sternly, her teacher instincts kicking into overdrive.
"Yes. Raiden, this wouldn't have happened if you were obedient and an upstanding student," Hana added, crossing her arms.
Kazama shot Hana a look of annoyance, frowning his eyebrows before reluctantly bowing his head. "I apologize. I'll be on time at school from tomorrow and I'll try not to get in trouble or cause trouble for others."
"Accepted," Fujimoto-sensei nodded with grudging approval.
"Apology accepted. Now let's go home. Another round of scolding awaits," Hana said with false sweetness.
Kazama directed another annoyed look at Hana before both siblings bowed respectfully to Fujimoto-sensei and departed for their home.
As they walked, the streets shifted into that early–evening calm. The hour when the sky turns a soft amber and long shadows stretch across the pavement. Office workers drifted toward the station, jackets slung over their arms, while a few parents called their children in from the last minutes of play near the apartment courtyards. Amid this gentle winding down of the city, Hana's expression grew noticeably more serious.
"You know this is your last chance to come clean. I can only defend you if I know fully what's going on," Hana said, her voice carrying the weight of genuine concern.
"What do you mean?" Kazama asked, though his defensive tone suggested he knew exactly what she meant.
"We both know you had something to do with it. Why would they suspect you otherwise? And besides, you're not that 'shiny, bright' student either with a spotless reputation. You're late to school and sometimes you're late for home as well. Sometimes we can't even tell where you are." Hana ranted. She knew Kazama wasn't fully innocent and wanted to understand his side of things.
I wish I could tell you. I promise I will when things are simpler, Kazama thought. But I've seen what happens when no one acts. That shopkeeper two streets from our house, who got beaten up for no reason. The old woman whose pharmacy got robbed three times until she had to close, no one helped her. Last night as well, a woman was getting harassed by these Mafia men. And who knows how many more lives such people have ruined. And maybe this is what my parents wanted to stop.
"It's nothing," he said aloud, his voice carefully neutral as he pressed all those emotions inside. He had a small skip in his heart beat but he knew he made the right choice.
Hana stopped walking and turned to face him directly, her expression softening with a mixture of pain and determination. She was quiet for a moment, then spoke more gently. "Look. I know it's been hard. After what happened..." She paused, swallowing. "After that night, when we lost our respective parents, everything changed. I see you struggling with it in your own way."
Kazama's chest tightened. He didn't want to talk about that night out in the open. Never did.
"But I'm trying my best to live up to their wishes," Hana continued. "To be someone they would be proud of. And I want you to do the same. I'm rooting for you. Master Takahashi-san is too. So from tonight, you need to get your priorities straight and be the best version of yourself starting tomorrow."
She's right about one thing, Kazama thought, feeling the weight of his double life pressing down on him. The double life is my choice. If I want to continue on this path, then I'm the one who should be making the extra effort. I need to continue this in a way that doesn't cause any trouble for the people I care about. I can't quit now. Not on either front.
He nodded as a sign of understanding, unable to trust his voice with words. The guilt of lying to her sat heavy in his stomach, but the alternative was telling her and putting her at risk which was worse.
They reached their house after walking in contemplative silence. To their surprise, Kurogane and Haruto were waiting outside, both looking distinctly uncomfortable.
"Hey Yamamoto-senpai!" Kurogane called out with forced cheerfulness. "Watched the game last night ?"
"I know my team lost. It's so hard to play against a low block", Hana said with visible frustration as she raised both her hands and clenched her fists.
"Hahaha. Can't believe the mighty Manchester City always struggles against a low block. Like where are your set pieces? Hahahaha" Kurogane continued to tease Hana while Haruto just smiled and gestured his hands at Kazama which meant this was going over his head.
"Enough. My team would still stomp your team any day. By the way, what are you guys doing here ?" Hana recovered from her frustration and got to the point.
"Oh, we are here to meet Kazama. We had something important to discuss". Kurogane said while rubbing the back of his head.
Hana's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I'm smelling some trouble here."
"It's nothing like that. Just some qualifiers stuff," Haruto said quickly as he knew Kurogane already had made a reputation of a troublemaker, though his obvious nervousness undermined his reassuring words.
"Your faces say a different thing. But fine, don't be late," Hana said with resigned suspicion before heading inside.
Once Hana had disappeared into the house, the three boys moved about ten meters away from their house to ensure privacy.
"We messed up, Kazama," Kurogane said with joined hands and a shameless smile.
"You mean you messed up and got us involved," Kazama corrected dryly.
"So you already know what it's about?" Kurogane asked, hope creeping into his voice.
"Let me guess. Those guys we fought went to the authorities and lodged a complaint about us using our powers outside school grounds. I told you that it was a bad idea. They were amateurs. We could have easily handled them without our powers," Kazama said with weary certainty as he sighed.
Kurogane's eyes lit up with genuine admiration. "Wow. You're not only the second coming of Nikola Tesla but also Sherlock Holmes!"
"I wish I could beat you up instead of those guys," Kazama muttered with exasperation while cracking his knuckles.
"You might get a chance in future rounds of the qualifiers," Kurogane replied with his characteristic inappropriate timing for humor.
Kazama shot him a look. "How did you guys find out though? They sent a notice or something?"
"Yes. That's why we came over," Haruto confirmed nervously.
"Shit," Kazama said while looking the other way. A second notice arrived at his house. He knew his day couldn't get any worse.
Inside the house, Hana entered the main hall where Takahashi sat reading what appeared to be an official document.
"I'm back," Hana announced as she removed her shoes.
"Welcome back. So what happened?" Takahashi asked, looking up from his reading.
"Raiden was right. It was all a misunderstanding. They thought he was someone else. It was no big deal," Hana replied, settling into a chair across from him.
"Are you sure about that?" Takahashi's tone carried a heavy weight.
"Well why would I defend him otherwise?" Hana asked with a faint smile.
"I don't know. But you might have to handle his problems tomorrow as well," Takahashi said ominously, holding up the document he'd been reading.
"What do you mean?" Hana asked, though she was beginning to suspect she didn't want to know the answer.
"Well, there was another notice. And it seems like tomorrow there's going to be a special assembly where they'll brief everyone about the Japanese Qualifiers", Takahashi said while holding his head in disappointment.
"Well that's great. It's gonna be Kazama's first time participating. Still, I don't understand why I have to take care of him?" Hana said, confusion evident in her voice since the news was good but it didn't match Takahashi's reaction.
Takahashi's expression grew even more serious. "Because after that, Kazama, Haruto, and Kurogane will have to explain why they used their powers outside school against a group of people and broke several rules while doing it".
"What!" Hana exclaimed, her voice rising. She put both her arms on her head.
"Says right here in the notice," Takahashi confirmed, tapping the document.
"I'm really going to kill him now. Ugghhh", Hana growled.
Outside, the group of friends continued their crisis management session, their voices carrying the weight of impending doom.
"We emphasize that they attacked first and we were defending someone. We mention that one of them pulled a weapon, which is true but we don't mention that Kurogane charged in before they actually used it," Haruto suggested as he gestured in the air with his hands.
"Yeah. We can start with that. Good defense," Kurogane agreed, nodding vigorously.
"This is still risky. We used our powers first," Kazama said with his arms crossed and brutal honesty. "And by 'we,' I mean Kurogane, this idiot."
"That's why we emphasize the threat. It's not lying, it's... strategic truth-telling," Haruto rationalized, his moral compass clearly spinning.
"We also have Kiyomi-san. She can vouch for us," Kurogane added hopefully while joining his hands as if he was praying.
"Her statement can help, but to what degree is the question for tomorrow," Kazama replied pragmatically.
At that moment, Hana emerged from the house wearing an artificially sweet smile.
"Raiden! It's time for dinner! Come inside!" she called out in a sing-song voice that sent chills down all three boys' spines.
"I'll be right there. Plus it's about an hour early," Kazama replied cautiously while checking his watch, recognizing the danger signs.
"I will not repeat myself," Hana's voice dropped to a deeper tone. It was as if she was turning into some beast.
"Do you guys sense that tone? Seems like Kazama's about to get his ass beat," Kurogane observed as he nodded his head while holding his chin.
"I think we should run so that there are no witnesses," Haruto suggested wisely as he was about to take a running stance.
But their escape was cut short as Hana appeared behind them with the speed and stealth of a tiger. There was malice in her eyes. Haruto took off his glasses and silently placed them in his pocket, Kurogane started praying and Kazama just closed his eyes since he knew there was no last minute save this time.
"We're doomed," Kurogane whispered with the resignation of a man facing his executioner.
Twenty minutes later, all three boys sat in front of Takahashi with bumps on their head, expressions suitably chastened. The lecture they had received from Hana still rang in their ears and the physical reminder she had administered ensured they wouldn't forget the lesson anytime soon.
Takahashi spent the next hour counseling and scolding them with the patience of a saint and the thoroughness of a prosecutor. When he finally finished, Haruto and Kurogane departed for their homes with expressions that mixed sheepishness and genuine concern about tomorrow's consequences.
As Kazama watched them leave from his room, he almost felt sorry for them. Almost.
Kazama retreated to his room, the weight of the day's events settling over him like a heavy blanket. He pulled out the coils and wrapped them around his arms again, this time with the battery pack, carefully rearranging their orientation.
This was a tiring day. I shouldn't go out tonight to investigate more about the Mafia. I need to be ready for tomorrow's mess.
But even though he had made up his mind not to go out tonight, a deep thought still lingered in his mind. Somewhere out there, people are getting bullied, scammed, harassed. And tonight it'll be the same. The heroes with licenses can't or won't help everyone, especially when some of them are working for the criminals. That shopkeeper, Mr. Tanabe. He was beaten up by thugs for something he didn't want to get involved in. And the heroes ? They asked for protection money or else they wouldn't help him. They didn't do shit. I was the one who took out those thugs. I gave them a beating so that they would never come near Mr Tanabe.
That's what boils my blood. Not that people get hurt, that's always been true. But that they get hurt and the wrongdoers face no consequences. And this happened again today. This Hiro. An awakened, who came to our school. The same awakened, was protecting those gangsters who were harassing that woman. If I think too much, I might lose my mind tonight.
To distract himself from his brooding thoughts, Kazama focused on his training. He concentrated on attracting his metal bracelet from across the room, pleased when it flew toward him with satisfying precision. Encouraged by this success, he experimented further, successfully attracting and catching a much heavier metal box. Then, reversing the current flow and adjusting the polarity of his ability, he discovered he could repel objects as well.
That's great. I guess this could work. I need more practice though, he thought to himself with genuine satisfaction.
Without warning, another metal piece was attracted to him from seemingly nowhere. As he examined it, recognition dawned. It was the Kurotsuki Mafia badge.
I forgot about this. This doesn't seem to have any GPS from what I checked before. But if I pass current through it...
The electrical current mapped the badge's intricate engravings, revealing details that had been invisible to the naked eye. Microscopic text etched into the metal's surface, hidden unless you knew exactly how to look.
So this is the district this badge belongs to. This can help me track down who this badge was issued to. Kawasaki Hiro. Hmm. Now things are getting interesting, Kazama said to himself, a small smile spreading across his face.
The pieces of the puzzle were beginning to fall into place and tomorrow would bring new challenges none of them could yet imagine.