Ever since I cleaned Sora’s room for Kokoro’s Discharge Celebration, I had ended up helping her out about once a week.
Eating a meal together after the chores were done had become our usual routine. Today was no different; after I finished cleaning her room, we sat down to have dinner.
"Hey, do you know anything about the Himatsuri-gumi?"
We had a system where we swapped cooking duties, and tonight was my turn. As I ate the fried rice I’d tossed together using leftovers from the fridge, I suddenly remembered something I wanted to ask.
At my casual question, Sora, who had been eating the fried rice with gusto, paused.
"I know of them, but why the sudden interest?"
She chewed thoroughly, swallowed, and answered once her mouth was empty. Having spent years fighting Syndicate Dark Matter, Sora was well-acquainted with the Himatsuri-gumi. They had both been active during the same era.
"They came by my part-time job the other day, and it got me curious."
"Ah, I think Alice-san mentioned something about that."
Alice had indeed reported that a Kaijin appeared at the construction site, and that the Himatsuri-gumi had been spotted at the same location.
"I heard the gist of what kind of organization they are, but I figured I’d ask around for a second opinion."
Accuracy increases when you gather information from multiple sources. Though, in this case, it wasn’t so much a formal investigation as it was just a casual topic of conversation over dinner.
"I don't know much about the current Himatsuri-gumi," Sora admitted. "But I can tell you about how they used to be, if you'd like."
"Actually, I'm more interested in that."
"Okay."
Sora brought to mind the image of a female powerhouse she had once fought alongside as an equal.
"You only hear bad rumors about them now, but the Himatsuri-gumi wasn't that kind of organization in the past."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. They were a genuine vigilante group that protected the community."
It had all started with the previous leader, Kagura Himatsuri. She had gathered and led a group of rough men, organizing them to protect the town from Dark Matter.
"Have you heard of the Himatsuri-gumi’s Scarlet Lanterns?"
"No, I haven't. What's that?"
"Back in the heyday of Dark Matter, the Syndicate was particularly active in this area. Many Kaijin appeared, and a lot of people went missing."
There was a time when the night did not belong to humanity.
However, thanks to the inventions of geniuses, people gained electricity, illuminating the world and rooting out the darkness. But with the emergence of Syndicate Dark Matter, the world was once again shrouded in shadow.
In an era where evil thrived, the night was a symbol of terror. All light was stripped away, and countless people who ventured out after dark never returned.
"Everyone would rush home as soon as it got dark and wait, trembling, until it was light again. In the midst of that, one day, lights started appearing outside."
The residents had huddled inside their homes, terrified of the dark. But at some point, lights began to flicker here and there, illuminating the night.
Wondering what was happening, they cautiously peered outside to find the Himatsuri-gumi patrolling the streets, carrying glowing red lanterns.
The red light eased the residents' anxiety, but it was also a way of exposing their own location. Naturally, the members were attacked many times. Yet, the Himatsuri-gumi never missed a single night of patrol.
The red light offered the residents peace of mind, but it also functioned as a lure for evil. It was a famous story in these parts—how they used themselves as bait to draw out and fight Dark Matter.
"Heh, so that really happened."
"In the old days, everyone was grateful to them. Until Kagura-san passed away, they were a truly decent organization."
The days of the Himatsuri-gumi being thanked by the public were a thing of the past. Nowadays, they had one foot firmly planted in the underworld.
Most of those men had followed Kagura because of who she was. They were a group gathered for Kagura's sake, not an organization people joined for the sake of the gang itself. The reason those rough elements stayed together was the existence of an absolute, charismatic leader like her.
"I see..."
As I ate while listening to the story, my plate was empty before I knew it. Just as I finished the meal, my smartphone alarm went off.
"Crap, it's almost time."
"A part-time job? At this hour?" Sora looked at the clock on the wall; it was 9:00 PM. The sun had long since set, a late hour to start working.
"Yeah. Thanks to that construction gig the other day, I got referred to another place. It’s a night shift, but the work should last about two weeks."
"It's dark out, so be careful."
"Yeah."
I washed my dishes and left the room.
Even though it was spring, it was a bit chilly at this time of night. I warmed myself up by heading out at a light jog. Before long, I arrived at the job site. There were no incidents like—Another Kaijin appears!!—it was just perfectly normal work. The people there were kind, and the shift passed without any issues.
"Good work today!"
"Yeah! Get home safe."
It was 4:00 AM. Work finished during the pitch-black hours before sunrise, and I started my commute home.
"Yawn... Time to go home and crash..."
Fatigue from the manual labor had set in, and combined with the hour, my sleepiness was at its peak. A yawn escaped my mouth before I could stop it. I lengthened my stride, wanting to get home and crawl into bed as soon as possible.
As I walked through the deep darkness, our dinner conversation drifted back into my mind.
Back in the heyday of Dark Matter, someone walking around at this hour would have been a perfect target for the malice lurking in the shadows. I was just wondering if something might be lurking even now, when—
"Hey there, brother."
In the middle of the dark road, a man with his hood pulled low spoke to me. He looked incredibly suspicious.
"I've got some real good stuff right now. I'll let you have it cheap."
"No thank you. I'll call the police. Or would you prefer a Hero?"
I’d been accosted by a total creep. And this was right when I wanted to get home and sleep.
"Come on, come on, just give it one try, okay?"
Despite my threat to report him, he continued to press forward aggressively.
"Tch, you're persistent."
"You'll see once you try it."
My Irritation Gauge filled up as he kept pushing despite being turned down repeatedly. I had intended to avoid violence, but since he was being this pushy, I didn't have much choice. I’d give him one good blow to the gut and then call it in.
"That's enough—"
"Hey!! What are you doing there!!!!"
As I tensed my arm, a woman's voice rang out from a distance. Judging by the sound of the footsteps, she was sprinting toward us.
"Tch!!"
The moment my attention shifted to the voice, the man slammed something onto the ground.
A flash of light erupted from the pavement, searing my retinas. In my human form, I couldn't track the bastard down through the glare. By the time my vision recovered, the man was gone without a trace. He was incredibly fast—definitely not the speed of a normal human.
"Huff, huff, huff!! Hey, you okay?! What happened?!"
"No, I’m fine. He didn't get a chance to do anything."
I turned toward the newcomer. The first thing I spotted was a glowing Scarlet Lantern.
"A Scarlet Lantern of the Himatsuri-gumi...?"
"Huh? How do you know about—wait, you're..."
The next thing I saw was a red kimono and a Japanese sword. Flaming red hair and a pretty, well-featured face. There was no mistake; I knew this girl.
"You're the guy who was talking to the Association Hero the other day."
"And you're Mika Himatsuri, I believe."
Standing before me was the current Leader of the Himatsuri-gumi, Mika Himatsuri.
However, something was a bit off. She didn't have any of the subordinates she usually dragged around with her; she was standing there all alone with a lantern in one hand.
"Keeping that attitude when you know my name? You’ve either got real confidence in your skills or you’re a complete moron. Whatever. Talk."
Dear Alice-sama. It seems I won't be able to keep my promise to stay away.
Apparently, I've ended up getting caught up in the Himatsuri-gumi’s business.