Chapter 3

[ HARU'S POINT OF VIEW ]

I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar white ceiling. Getting up was a challenge—my legs ached as if I'd run a thousand-mile marathon. Judging by the curtains and blinds, I deduced I'd been brought to a hospital after the fight with that giant monster. Outside, the sky was already dark, and only a faint murmur of noise could be heard. I winced while massaging my legs, trying to ease the pain even a little.

"Probably because I was carrying Ueda while running," I mumbled to myself.

A familiar "Hmm" nearly made me jump, and then Ueda Nozomi's voice broke the silence. "Cheeky brat. Are you implying that I'm heavy?" I was dumbfounded—I hadn't even realized someone was sitting on the bed beside mine. I turned toward her, and there she was: bandages covering her arms and the top of her head, though she looked much better than she had a few hours ago. It seemed they'd even changed our clothes into clean ones.

"No," I replied. "The fact that I was able to carry you shows you're light." She didn't seem convinced or amused, but oh well.

"Still as cheeky as ever, huh, Takahashi Haruto," she said. I was a bit shocked to hear her use my name—I guess someone told her. It still felt surreal that someone as popular as she would know about me. I paused a few seconds before answering, "My head does hurt a little. It's a side effect whenever my barrier gets broken."

"I see."

After a brief silence, I asked, "And you? You were way beat up earlier, yet you look like nothing happened."

"Rapid healing," she replied quickly. "I recover almost twenty times faster than others. If it weren't for that, we'd be dead."

What a convenient ability. On top of monstrous strength, her body automatically healed damage. Of course, she wasn't completely invincible if the damage exceeded her healing rate or was just too severe.

"You're right," I said, facing her squarely. "Thank you for saving me."

She stared at me, the tension in her eyebrows easing until her glare turned into a blank gaze. Her notorious demeanor had softened—a strange irony for someone who was supposed to be a hero, yet acted like a full-fledged delinquent.

"Don't thank me," she replied, her eyes dropping to her thighs.

"What?" I asked.

"Shinohara Kazuki," she murmured. I swallowed hard at the sound of his name. It was surprising she'd learned about him so quickly. "He was your friend, right?"

Her expression became unreadable as she gripped the bedsheets tightly, staring into nothingness. "Yes," I answered, and silence settled between us once more.

"He's... dead because of me," she suddenly blurted out, still avoiding eye contact. "Masashi and Ryosuke too." Her voice wavered with instability. "So don't thank me. I didn't save anyone."

People always gave off a certain energy around them whenever they were feeling like shit, and Ueda had almost drowned me with it.. As I kept my mouth shut, the silence grew even colder. I found myself at a loss for words in this moment.

Then, as rare as crows turning white, my one desperate prayer was answered.

Our heads turned as the door was gently pushed open after a few light knocks, and a girl slowly peeped into the room.

"Excuse me," Narumi Shiho whispered as she stepped inside, carrying a basket filled with what looked like apples and some utensils.

"Shiho-chan?" Ueda uttered as her eyes met Narumi's. "You're safe."

Narumi's gaze dropped to the floor as her shoulders slumped. "Yeah," she replied quietly before walking over and placing her things on the table between my bed and Ueda's. After taking a deep breath, she spoke, "H-How's your recovery going, Ueda-senpai?" Her tone was devoid of any liveliness—full of gloom.

Narumi Shiho—one of the five members of Saito Masashi's club, and one of the three still remaining—possessed an ability called "Healing." It was a truly spectacular power, capable of nullifying even the most fatal injuries. From what I'd heard, her ability worked by reversing time within the target's body, effectively reverting them to their state at a certain moment—up to two hours in the past, as long as they were still alive. However, she couldn't heal injuries that occurred more than two hours ago.

"It's going well," Ueda said, attempting a smile that barely reached her eyes. "Thank you for these," she added, referring to the food Narumi had brought.

"Yamada-kun is resting in another room," Narumi informed.

Ueda nodded. "I know."

I secretly wished someone would step in to rescue me from this awkward conversation—but the atmosphere only grew heavier as I watched. As much as I wanted to walk away, I knew I needed to rest.

Of course, Narumi had to turn to me. "You must be Takahashi-san," she said, finally including me in the conversation.

"Yes," I replied simply, meeting her gaze. "How'd you know me?"

"Your club mates probably told her," Ueda answered on her behalf. "They were here when I woke up—they were worried about you."

"I see," I responded shortly, hoping I hadn't frightened them.

I was taken aback when Narumi suddenly bowed before me, her hair cascading down and obscuring her expression. "Thank you for saving Ueda-senpai," she said softly as she lowered herself.

I raised my hands in protest. "Please, stand up, Narumi-san. Anyone would have done the same."

"No," she quickly countered. "No one but you could've done that." She straightened up, though her gaze remained fixed on the floor. "I just ran off without thinking—I was so scared."

"Shiho-chan," Ueda interjected gently. "I completely understand. What you did back there was the best choice."

Narumi turned to Ueda. "But..."

"If anything, I'm glad you chose to run. If you'd been hurt too, I—" Ueda trailed off.

How sweet. Meanwhile, now that my legs had finally recovered, I figured I could slip out quietly. While the two most famous girls in our school chatted about friendship and all that, I carefully got off the bed and made my way toward the door. Yet I couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't over—the mysterious ability that saved us from the monster was something I'd never seen before. Someone so powerful wouldn't casually reveal their talent in a crisis. Lost in thought, I approached the door until Ueda's voice halted me.

"Where are you going?" she asked simply.

I was about to reach for the door when I heard her. I turned to look at both of them.

"Out?" I answered. "Don't you two want some privacy?"

Her piercing gaze made me feel as though my soul were being exposed. I wasn't sure if it was just her, or if girls were naturally intimidating.

"You should rest more," she replied.

What now? Why was she even minding my business? Now that the battle was over, she shouldn't have anything to do with me, right?

"I agree, Takahashi-san," Narumi seconded.

"Besides," Ueda's tone turned colder, "I have questions for you."

There it was. I knew she was smarter than she appeared, but I hadn't expected her to scrutinize me just because we fought together. I had no choice but to comply. I walked back to the bed and sat down.

"What do you want to ask?" I began. There was no point in prolonging the conversation. For a few seconds, her eyes locked with mine, and before it became a staring contest, I called out, "Ueda-san?"

She sighed. "You're weird."

After processing her remark, I blurted out a random noise. "Eh?"

"Back then, when we were fighting that monster—the one that killed the strongest man in Kyoto—you..." She paused, searching for the right words. "I sensed absolutely no fear in you." Her statement made Narumi turn to me. I silently cursed myself for not having a clever response besides silence. "You were calmer than even Masashi-kun. And even now, it seems as if... you're looking down on us."

"Aren't you imagining things, Ueda-san?" I replied, trying to steer the conversation away from further probing. "Honestly, I just charged in without a proper plan. I was lucky to survive."

Silence settled over the room once again. Ueda studied me intently, Narumi retraced the conversation with a puzzled look, while I sat there, silently hoping they'd drop the subject soon.

But she continued. "Nobody has ever heard about you until now. And then suddenly, you show up and fight the strongest monster I've ever seen—toe to toe. And with that shitty ability of yours, too, to say the least." Ueda's tone brooked no argument. Even I was starting to worry. "Answer me, cheeky brat. Just who the hell are you?" she finally demanded.

To avoid any more suspicions, I had to think fast. "Like I said, I was just really lucky that time," I replied, adding a bit more weight to my tone. "If you hadn't intervened at the right moment, I would have died. And why are you talking like I defeated the monster? If I remember correctly, someone else saved us too, right?"

Before Ueda could respond, Narumi joined in. "Yes, it's as you said." Ueda and I turned our attention to her, and I silently thanked my luck. "We thought you were unconscious during the fight, but a Sentinel arrived to defeat the monster."

So it was a Sentinel after all. People blessed with strong abilities who chose a profession handling monster attacks. They operated separately from the government military and police, though they sometimes worked together. They were called Sentinels—the modern-day Monster Hunters.

"I've heard that too," Ueda said, crossing her arms. "But even so, I find it abnormal for a nobody like you to pull off what you did."

"That's rather harsh," I remarked.

"I know, but that's how I see it." And she had a point. If I were in her shoes, I'd also find it hard to believe that someone like me could accomplish such a feat—especially when even Saito Masashi, the strongest student in our school, was defeated by the same monster.

"Sorry, but I don't really know what you're talking about." That was all I could muster, hoping she'd drop the subject.

Narumi put a hand on Ueda's shoulder to get her attention. "Senpai... I think that's enough," she said softly. "Both of you are still recovering."

Ueda looked at her, then turned to me. I will never forget this, Narumi.

After a bit of silence, she sighed and finally spoke, "Fine. But I'm still suspicious of you." I stood up, bowed, and then left the room without a word.

The private hospital was small but well-equipped. I passed by other patients and nurses, and nobody seemed to mind as I exited the building at that hour. Outside, a cool breeze gently caressed my hair as darkness began to fall. I wasn't sure if I was allowed to go home yet, but I decided to leave anyway.

Kazuki had died. I wasn't new to witnessing loss, but somehow it still felt regretful. Thoughts like "If I had done something differently, maybe he'd still be alive" echoed in my mind as I walked through the dark, silent parking lot. I knew I couldn't turn back time—and not that I'd want to.

I came to a halt when I heard footsteps approaching from behind—footsteps that were too deliberate, too ominous to belong to someone merely minding their own business. Realizing someone was coming, I turned to face whoever it was.

"Greetings, Takahashi-san," came the first words—a small voice that barely reverberated through the quiet. I looked up and saw a woman in a dark office suit standing before me.

"Uhm, have we met before?" I asked, scanning her from her shiny black shoes to her long, wavy hair.

"No. This is the first time I've seen you face to face," she replied with a blank expression. "But that being said, I know quite a lot about you."

I'd never considered myself good at reading people, but I was pretty sure this woman was bad news.

"Who randomly walks up to people in the middle of the night and says stuff like that?" I muttered. I pulled my hand from my pocket. "Are you sure you have the right person?"

"I just called you by your name, didn't I?" she replied quickly. "Or would you rather be referred to as 715?"

The next moments became a blur. Before I knew it, I had stepped closer to her—so close that I was about to grab her neck—until she stopped me with her words. "Bad move, Takahashi... bad move..."

"Who are you?" I demanded.

"Please... I know you've pretty much guessed," she said, gently pushing me in the chest to create some distance. Even I would be troubled if a commotion broke out here, so I backed away. "But anyway, I'll tell you." All the noise around us faded away as her voice became the only thing I heard. I watched every movement of her lips, not wanting to miss a single word. "My name... well, the one I chose at least—is Watanabe Ichika. You may call me that." She adjusted the glasses on her eyes before continuing, "Also, I was the one who saved your lives."

My eyes widened. "You mean..."

"Yes. The ability that killed the monster at your school was mine."

I clenched my fist as a familiar feeling surged in my chest. "And what do you want from me?"

"Well, it's simple," she replied, her eyes never leaving mine. "Work with us."

As she spoke, questions swirled in my mind—who she was, how she knew my true identity, what her goal was. But one thing was clear: she was not a friend.

"And if I don't?" I asked.

There was a brief silence before she responded, "Takahashi, you know you don't have a choice, right?"

"Why is that?"

"I just told you. That powerful ability was mine." Her tone remained cold yet confident, the same as before. "What do you think I'll do if you choose to defy me? How easy would it be for me to force you to do exactly what we want when our powers are worlds apart?"

The stress that had been coiled inside me suddenly dissipated—my trembling hands finally stopped. It was a small, unsettling relief.

"Huh?" I managed.

"Are you deaf, or just stupid?" she snapped, irritated. "It means I'll kill you if you do—"

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you," I cut her off. "I was just confused for a second, that's all. What makes you think you can defeat me?"

I saw her eyebrows narrow as she gritted her teeth in anger. "Aren't you cocky?" she spat. Even in the dim light, I could see billions of tiny dark particles in the sky merging together to form a shadowy figure—a gigantic hand materializing above us. "Perhaps I should show you just how powerless you really are against me."

"Watanabe," I said just before she could raise her hand. It seemed she was controlling it by moving her own right hand.

"What? Did you change your mind?" she asked.

"You know nothing about me, after all," I replied.

Her expression softened slightly, as if urging me to explain further. "What do you mean?"

I stared into her eyes. "Something like that... would never be enough to defeat me." I knew I still lacked experience, but I had initially thought she had some kind of trump card to force me into submission. It turned out she was merely relying on her own power to corner me—and that, luckily, wouldn't work. She might have known a few properties about my ability, but she underestimated me, big time. Watanabe gave a troubled look after hearing my words, perhaps contemplating whether to believe me or not. If she decided to risk it all, it would end horribly—for her and for this entire city. "Whoever sent you must've wanted you killed." Seconds later, the giant hand in the sky vanished. So she chose to believe me. She valued her life, after all.

It was a good thing we didn't have to get violent; I would rather resolve this peacefully than have to start over somewhere new. "Now, you'll have to answer my questions—"

"Cheeky brat!" Ueda's voice echoed through the parking lot as we turned to see her approaching. She and Narumi Shiho walked up to us, scanning the adult standing next to me. "That must be your mother," she said as she got close, and then both she and Narumi bowed.

"You've got it wrong, Ueda-san, Narumi-san," I said quickly.

"Eh?" Ueda looked at me. "S-Sorry for assuming things."

"Sorry," Narumi added to Watanabe.

Before I could say anything more, Watanabe spoke up. "No, it's fine. I was just asking for directions. Well then, I'll get going." She stormed off before I could come up with an excuse to make her stay. I had been outsmarted, it seemed.

All I could do was sigh. As expected, I needed answers from her. If she ever revealed my true identity, I could always just...

"Takahashi!" Ueda called out, using my actual name this time. "The doctors said we can go home—though I take it you'd have left anyway."

"Well, I miss my own bed. The one here is pretty uncomfortable," I replied, turning to walk away. "Well then, I'll get going too—"

"Wait!" Ueda shouted, halting me. "I want to tell you something."

I turned to face them, noticing Narumi's faint smile and Ueda's embarrassed expression. "What is it?" I asked.

Ueda took a deep breath before speaking. "I said some rude things to you earlier, and I want to apologize for that." Gradually, her face relaxed. "You risked your life for me," she added as she bowed politely. "Thank you for saving my life."

Kazuki is the one who deserves your gratitude, Ueda.

I would have left you to die if it weren't for him. And just now, I even considered killing everyone and starting over.

"Well, you did save us first," I replied. "That makes us even, I guess."

[END OF CHAPTER]