(What should I do now?)
There were no enemies in sight, but I felt a lingering sense of unease about leaving Sora here alone.
The enemy had retreated using an ability that bypassed my perception. Having seen that, I couldn't rule out the possibility that they would send more robots the moment I disappeared.
On the other hand, staying here would only cause Sora unnecessary anxiety.
While I was weighing my options, I heard several sets of footsteps approaching from a distance. Looking toward the sound, I caught sight of figures in hero costumes. They were likely reinforcements sent to rescue her.
"Looks like she'll be fine now."
If other heroes were on their way, there was no problem.
"Factor Release: Gale Kaijin Tatsumaki."
Channeling my wind-manipulation ability, I put power into my legs and made a massive leap into the air. Once airborne, I took control of the currents to distance myself from the scene as quickly as possible.
"Wait!! You’re—"
Sora called out something to me, but unfortunately, I didn't have time to linger. I had no desire to get bogged down by a swarm of heroes and waste more time.
"See ya, Hero."
Leaving Sora in the hands of her colleagues, I vanished from the area at high speed.
I flew until I found a suitably deserted spot to land, then moved along the ground while sticking to the shadows. After putting a significant distance between myself and Sora’s location, I slipped into a back alley where I couldn't sense a single soul and finally deactivated the transformation.
"Phew..."
My monstrous black form melted back into a human appearance. I let out a long breath, venting the heat that had accumulated inside my body.
"Ah... I really can't get used to this."
I looked at my open palm; it was trembling slightly from the residual surge of power.
End Kaijin End—the strongest Kaijin. Between the overwhelming ability and a physical frame that transcended human limits, the form filled me with a sense of omnipotence, as if I could manifest anything I imagined into reality.
That sensation of my soul being physically pulled by my own flesh was sickening beyond endurance.
"I need to be more careful next time."
I had grown somewhat accustomed to the Kaijin form during this battle. The mental influence would likely be weaker next time, but it was better to stay cautious. Of course, it would be even better if no incidents occurred that forced me to transform in the first place.
I prayed for that from the bottom of my heart.
"All right! Time to head home."
Standing around moping wouldn't accomplish anything. We had a scheduled time to meet, so I needed to get back.
"Ah."
I froze mid-step as a realization hit me. I had left the groceries I'd bought for the takoyaki party back at the scene before the battle started.
"...Wait, that’s incredibly far from here."
My haste to get away from Sora had backfired. I was now a massive distance away from where I’d stashed my bags.
I quickly pulled out my phone to check the traffic updates, only to find that it would be quite a while before public transportation was restored. That meant I had to walk the entire way.
"Maybe I should transform one more time? No, that’s too risky..."
I briefly considered using an ability to close the distance, but the city was crawling with heroes conducting rescue operations and patrols. Any flashy movement would be spotted immediately.
"...I guess I’m walking."
In the end, I had no other choice.
I carved the lesson deep into my heart: next time I fled, I needed to think about where I was going.
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
By the time I had finished the long trek, recovered my shopping bags, and made it back home, the sun had long since set, and the sky was turning dark.
Even though I’d spent the afternoon in a violent battle, the walk home felt far more exhausting than the combat itself.
"Ah, Tokoyo-san! I’m so glad you’re safe!"
When I reached the floor of my apartment, I found someone waiting in front of Sora’s room next to mine. It was Kokoro, a young woman with a boyish charm, wearing a jacket and half-pants.
"You were so late, I was worried you'd been caught up in the trouble," she said.
"Sorry, sorry. My evacuation site was just a bit far away."
"As long as you're safe, that's what matters. Oh, but let's exchange contact info. This is just too inconvenient."
"Good point. Here."
I pulled out my phone, and we traded details.
"How’s Kohinata?" I asked.
"Apparently, she can't make it back quite yet."
That made sense. Too much had happened today, and Sora had been right at the center of the storm. It wouldn't have been surprising if she didn't come home at all tonight.
"Oh, but wait! She said she’ll be back in just a bit. Look."
Kokoro showed me her chat history with Sora. In response to Kokoro asking if she could make it home, Sora had replied: "I'll be back soon!! Definitely!!!!"
"Since it’ll take a little longer, why don't we wait in Senpai's room?"
"Are we just going in? She's not even here."
"It's fine. I have her permission, and she even gave me a spare key."
Kokoro produced the key from her pocket, unlocked the door, and walked in without the slightest hesitation.
"Come on in, Tokoyo-san."
"O-Oh, okay."
I followed her inside. Since I had helped her clean just the other day, the room was still in good shape.
"No way... Senpai's room is actually tidy!"
"Just how little do you trust her, Kohinata...?"
Kokoro seemed genuinely moved by the state of the room. Seeing her junior have so little faith in her domestic skills made me feel a bit sorry for Sora.
"Ah! Right, I can't just stand here. I have work to do."
Kokoro shook off her shock and regained her composure. "Please, make yourself at home, Tokoyo-san."
"What about you, Sakurano?"
"I'm going to get the prep work done before Senpai gets back."
"I'll help."
I put the chocolate and frozen berries I'd bought into the fridge, pulling out green onions and octopus legs in their place. The "prep" was simple—boiling the octopus, cutting it into bite-sized pieces, and mixing the batter.
Kokoro and I chatted while we worked.
"By the way, was everything okay on your end, Sakurano? It was a pretty major incident."
"I was assigned to the hospital's defense, but no enemies ever showed up there. It ended without any trouble."
Fortunately, no enemies had approached the hospital, so the still-recovering Kokoro didn't have to force herself into a fight.
"I actually wanted to head into the city to help, but they stopped me."
"You were just discharged; you're not fully healed yet. It’s only natural they’d stop you."
"Senpai said the exact same thing," Kokoro laughed.
I'm sure Sora had been worried sick. Her convictions were admirable, but she tended to overextend herself far too often.
"Anyway, I'm glad the damage wasn't as bad as it could have been."
"It seems like calling in so many reinforcements after the previous incident really paid off. I heard there hasn't been any major damage to anything other than the buildings."
Between the general rise in Ability Incidents and the recent hotel attack, the heroes had been on high alert. As a countermeasure, they had temporarily increased their numbers in this district and strengthened patrols.
Furthermore, because the enemies had prioritized quantity over quality and lacked the intelligence for complex maneuvers, they were easily led away. A combination of these factors allowed the heroes to suppress the invasion early. Miraculously, the casualties were kept to a minimum.
"All right, that should do it."
With the prep work finished, I set the takoyaki maker on the table. Just as we reached the point where we were ready to start cooking, the door clicked open, and the homeowner finally returned.
"I'm home! Sorry I'm so late!"
Sora burst into the room with an energetic clatter. She was wearing different clothes now; she must have changed somewhere before coming back.
"Welcome back, Kohinata."
As far as I could tell, she had no major injuries. Even though I’d already confirmed her safety from afar, seeing her standing here in person brought a fresh wave of relief.
(I'm glad she's okay.)
With Sora home safe, the day’s incident finally felt like it had reached a conclusion for me.
"Welcome back, Senpai. We’ve already finished the preparations."
"I'm so sorry, you two! This was supposed to be a takoyaki party for you, and I made you do all the work..."
"Don't worry about it. We heard you had a rough day, Senpai. You must be exhausted, so let us handle this much."
"Thank you, Kokoro-chan! I'm so moved to have such a wonderful junior!"
"Yes, yes, I get it. Now go wash your hands."
Kokoro fended off the lunging Sora and pointed her toward the sink. Sora gave up on the hug and shuffled off to wash up.
"Okay, it's almost time to grill, Kohinata."
"I'm sorry to you too, Owari-kun. First the cleaning, and now the prep work."
"Forget about it. Just sit down so we can start."
I ushered the returning Sora to the table, and the three of us sat around the takoyaki maker. With everyone in place, we poured the batter onto the hot iron plate and started with the classic octopus fillings.
"By the way," Kokoro asked, "have either of you ever made takoyaki before?"
"Not me," Sora admitted.
"Me neither," I said.
"I don't have any experience with it either," Kokoro finished.
"..."
"..."
"...Maybe we should try it one by one?"
"Yeah, let’s do that. It's a party, after all."
We weren't looking for restaurant-quality flavor. The goal was to have fun with friends. No matter how misshapen the results were, the enjoyment of the moment was the best spice we could ask for.
After the octopus, we experimented with wieners, cheese, and the strange ingredients Sora and Kokoro had picked out. We even made "mystery rounds" where we didn't know what was inside.
Two heroes and one Kaijin. I prayed from the bottom of my heart that this relationship—one that might crumble the moment my secret was revealed—would last forever.
Tomorrow, the day after, and for all the days to come, I hoped I could remain their friend.