16. The underground Masquerade.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Soumei Junior High School was an elite institution of learning, spanning sixty acres of land with fully equipped sports and academic facilities. It had built a reputation as one of the first schools to host students with quirks nearly a hundred years ago.
The children of renowned businesspeople, famous pro heroes, and entertainment stars attended Soumei, making it a place Rio could only describe as bougie. He didn't like the bratty, prissy kids that graced these halls—clearly, they had grown up believing the world owed them gratitude just for existing. But as far as Rio was concerned, the only thing they were owed was a well-deserved beating.
He usually kept to himself in class, save for a few individuals he found tolerable. The rest? Fair game.
That was why, right now, he dropped the advanced physics textbook he had been reading since the start of class and turned to his homeroom teacher, eyeing the smug brats surrounding him in bewilderment.
"Excuse me, but what the what!?"
"It seems your classmates have decided that you and Tenya are the most suitable candidates to represent the class in the school-wide debate next month," his homeroom teacher said teasingly, a smug smirk tugging at his lips.
Now, Rio understood that his teacher didn't have much love for him. He wasn't one to meddle, but when a teacher at a school with tuition so expensive it could sustain a normal family of five for three months started spewing information that wasn't factually correct, Rio felt it was his mission to at least correct the man's errors.
Something he would later come to regret.
To think an old man could be so petty as to hold a grudge against an eight-year-old. Then again, stranger things had happened in the world. It wasn't even surprising.
When the teacher had asked for volunteers, no one had stepped forward—except for Tenya Iida. The kid was as straight-laced as a boot and an overachiever to top it off, so that came as a surprise to literally no one. But since no one else had volunteered, the teacher had taken it upon himself to ask the class's opinion.
And that was how Rio found himself in this ridiculous position.
"Is consent not a thing anymore? Or am I on a hidden camera show? Because this isn't funny, sir."
Rio was having none of it. The man had been finding ways to harass him ever since that day, and this had to be one of the more annoying ones. Rio decided he'd had enough. He was going to burn the man's desk before the day was over.
The bell rang, signaling the end of school, and students packed up their belongings to leave. As Rio stood up, a stocky child with blue hair and glasses that gleamed against the light approached him, hands outstretched.
"Tenya Iida, it is nice to meet you, Rio Hayami. It seems the rest of the class has great regard for your intellectual talents, as do I. Glad to be working with you!"
Rio didn't really mesh well with his type—the overly serious demeanor and formal tone only served to tire him out. So much so that he even dismissed the notion of burning Mr. Takada's desk.
"I don't think that was why I was nominated, but thanks for the vote of confidence. And you can call me Rio."
"Ah, I see. So the intention was to come off as mockery, but I do not see how praising one's intellect and logic as superior may be considered an insult. Truly, there is much to be learned here."
'This kid is seriously considering this,' Rio thought. "You know, for someone so serious, you're surprisingly adorable."
To that, Tenya scratched his head in confusion. "The topic has not been offered yet, but so far, it seems this debate will be a pleasant one. I have other responsibilities to attend to, so I must see myself off. Later, my friend."
Tenya saluted as he made his way off.
A really strange kid, if Rio had anything to say. People didn't talk like that, but it seemed he had made another like-minded peer.
Rio made his way straight home. A proud member of the go-home club, he took pride in the fact that he did not take part in any meaningless activity. He may have had all the time in the world, but that didn't mean he would waste it on pointless stuff like club activities.
He had something really fun he had been working on—a project that demanded all his attention. But he was saddled with stupid responsibilities like elementary school. A truly sad occurrence.
RRRRIIING!
The loud ringing of his smartphone snapped Rio out of his musings. Looking at the screen, he saw it was an unknown number. Now, his mom usually advised against talking to strangers, but that was advice he tended to ignore.
"Moshi moshi, who is calling, please?" Rio asked in a sing-songy way.
"Rio, kid, if you can't get a hold of me, I'll need you to send out a call for reinforcements at this location."
On the call was O'Clock, a person Rio hadn't heard from in almost two months.
"What's going on, boss? What's this all about?"
"I've got a really bad feeling about this job I'm on, so I'm adding another layer of insurance just in case."
"What's this all about? You sa—"
"There's no time. Just look at the message I sent you." And with that, O'Clock cut the call.
Rio cursed the old man for his recklessness. How was he supposed to know when O'Clock couldn't be reached if he didn't even leave a means of communication in the first place?
Groaning in frustration, Rio looked at the message and cross-checked the coordinates on the map. PP parking lot. It was the parking structure attached to the shopping district. You would think these criminals would use somewhere less accessible to the public to pull off their shady deals.
Now, O'Clock had asked that Rio call for reinforcements. A signal transmitter had been placed on his person, with the receiver in a marked location Rio could easily reach. So, two options: monitor the device and see if the signal gets interrupted—he'd stay out of trouble and perfectly execute the task he was given.
Or, he could sneak in and see what all this was about.
It was a no-brainer. Rio was definitely crashing the place. With a zwoosh, he was off, speeding toward the city.
ROAR!
The loud sounds of cheering filled the arena as people screamed in ecstasy. Rio made his way around the premises, blending in with the other participants of the underground masquerade.
To think a location like this existed in the city center, Rio thought to himself as he watched an ongoing fight in the ring. He wasn't entirely out of place in this setting—after all, some quirks led to people having stunted growth and peculiar features. A four-foot-tall adult was nothing strange here.
He had picked up a luchador mask with a tiger motif at the entrance. It was the unique dress code of the event, and Rio could see why. This was clearly very illegal, but the organizers were going out of their way to protect their clientele's identity. Still, the security checks were surprisingly loose for a supposed secret meeting place—any undercover cop could easily raid the joint.
"WELCOME, EVERYONE, TO THE UNDERGROUND MASQUERADE! The dress code? Masks for everyone, because we're nobody at all, and nobody is really here!" The voice of the announcer rang out from the speakers as the crowd went wild.
"TONIGHT! We have two contestants with deadly reputations on stage. On the right, we have Master Beast, the deadly mutant with a heart as vicious as he looks! And on the left, we have Drunk Lee, the master martial artist who boasts of his all-conquering Dragon's Breath!"
Rio noticed the cameras lining every arch. Some would think they were just for security, but Rio was sure they were livestreaming. It all made sense now—the security was lax, and the entrance fee was low because the bulk of their revenue likely came from hosting this on the dark web. Even if they got busted, they could probably open a new location in a week.
"ARE OUR CONTESTANTS READY TO BATTLE?" the announcer screamed as the two combatants made their way into the ring.
Rio didn't mean to be racist or anything, but Master Beast was a literal werewolf. His very distinct features weren't exactly hidden by the blue mask he wore, and his leather pauldrons over a bare chest with black pants didn't do much to disguise him either. Drunk Lee, on the other hand, wore a ***, a sailor hat, and a green mask. He was a tall Asian man with a long, waving ponytail. If Rio were to fight him, he'd definitely pull his hair.
Rio scanned the area, trying—and failing—to spot O'Clock. The man wasn't easily recognizable, but Rio was certain he could find him if he was in the crowd. A loud cheer erupted as Drunk Lee was nearly ripped in half by Master Beast.
The man's attacks with the gourd barely did anything against a mutant quirk user with such thick fur—it probably felt like a tickle at best. Rio was about to dismiss the fight as already over when, with a miraculous counterattack, Drunk Lee took a swig from his gourd, creating distance between him and his assailant before spewing a torrent of fire at his opponent. Master Beast crashed into a heap, desperately trying to put out the flames, ultimately losing the match.
Adrenaline pumped through Rio's veins as he got sucked into the electrifying atmosphere. He was as pumped as the rest of the audience. All thoughts of O'Clock had completely left his mind. He wished he was on that stage too—there were so many things he wanted to try out with an opponent he didn't have to hold back against.
"IT'S OVER! DRUNK LEE IS OUR WINNER! BUT EVEN OUR WINNER IS FEELING THE PAIN—THAT WAS A CLOSE MATCH FOR SURE! BOTH FIGHTERS WILL NOW RECEIVE MEDICAL ATTENTION. CAN I GET A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THESE TWO, WHO RISKED LIFE AND LIMB?"
The audience erupted into hearty cheers, the sound of applause and deafening screams filling the space. A team of medics quickly appeared, loading the two fighters onto stretchers and leading them to an adjacent room. Rio activated The World without moving from his position, scanning the inside and immediately taking note of the high-tech equipment.
If all they wanted was to provide first aid, there was no need for such sophisticated machinery—especially in a parking lot of all places. Equipment worth millions of yen could easily be confiscated if this place got raided.
He immediately deactivated The World, letting the environment return to its normal rhythm. No need to take his pills. They were expensive to make, and the strain from The World wasn't more than he could handle.
"OKAY, FOLKS! PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER FOR OUR NEXT MIGHTY WARRIOR! WITH FIVE WINS AND NO LOSSES, GIVE IT UP FOR… THE RIPPER!"
A tall man stepped onto the stage, wearing a mask paired with sunglasses and draped in military gear.
Rio would recognize that ugly mug anywhere.
It was his irresponsible master.
The hero, O'Clock!