"Right now, there's someone scattering product around this area."
"The guy from back then?"
"Yeah. He's exactly who I'm after—that dealer."
The suspicious individual who had approached me on the first day I encountered Mika. I'd had a faint suspicion, but so he really was a dealer.
"What exactly is this 'product' they're selling? Since you're the one chasing them, I assume it's not just some ordinary drug."
"...Kaijin Genome."
"What...!"
The answer was several degrees more dangerous than I had anticipated.
Kaijin Genome. It was likely a product manufactured by Syndicate Shadow. If it were ever to spread, ability crimes in this area would increase exponentially.
"I see. We can't just let that slide. I understand why you're after them now. But why are you doing this by yourself?"
Considering the Himatsuri-gumi's purpose, it made sense to pursue a dealer trying to distribute Kaijin Genomes. However, the only one doing the pursuing right now was Mika herself.
Furthermore, she was pushing herself recklessly every single night, all alone. This situation was clearly abnormal for an organization.
"That's..."
"...Wait, don't tell me."
Mika hesitated to speak, clutching her sleeve tightly and looking down. Seeing her reaction, a hypothesis formed in my mind. One that Mika would likely find very unpleasant.
"Is the one selling it a member of the Himatsuri-gumi?"
There weren't many reasons why Mika, the current Leader of the group, wouldn't be able to ask for help. The most plausible theory at the moment was that someone inside the organization was involved.
If that were the case, it would explain why she wasn't using her members for the search and was instead slipping out alone at midnight to run around the city.
"...I don't have proof. It's still just a rumor, but even so..."
To think that this was the source of those dark rumors.
Even for "dark," this was pushing it. If the Himatsuri-gumi really was selling Kaijin Genomes, it meant they had a connection to Syndicate Shadow. Currently, no one other than Syndicate Shadow was capable of producing the stuff.
"Besides, it’s strictly a rumor. There’s no confirmation. If I catch the dealer and they have nothing to do with us, the rumors about the Himatsuri-gumi will disappear... hopefully."
At the moment, even if the Himatsuri-gumi was under suspicion, they hadn't been confirmed as the culprits. If it were confirmed, the Heroes would have made their move long ago. The fact that they hadn't moved meant they hadn't found solid evidence yet.
However, they had likely begun a full-scale investigation. They weren't stupid enough to overlook the distribution of Kaijin Genomes.
"But, that's..."
Mika was right; if she caught the culprit and they weren't part of the Himatsuri-gumi, the rumors would fade. However, the group was currently the most suspicious and likely candidate.
"I know. But I have to believe. I... have to believe!"
"Hey, why go that far?"
The pressure of leading an organization, the lack of recognition from her subordinates, the fatigue of daily unfamiliar duties, and the lack of sleep from spending her nights searching. Even while dragging a battered body that could collapse at any moment, Mika still desperately wanted to believe in her people.
To me, an outsider, it didn't seem like the kind of organization she should go this far for.
"Because... the Himatsuri-gumi is the group my mother cherished so much..."
A droplet fell onto Mika's clothes.
"It's the group my mother believed in, so I have to believe in it too. I want to believe. Because... that place is filled with so many memories of her...!"
Mika Himatsuri's father had died in an accident before she was born. Her beloved mother, who had raised her, had died several years ago in a battle against Dark Matter.
The things left to Mika were startlingly few. And even the organization that held the most memories of her mother was in a state where it could fall apart at any moment.
"I have nowhere else to go anymore!"
I had no memories. Unlike Mika, I didn't have precious relatives or a single shred of memory regarding a family, but...
You're late, Owari! Let's go eat!
I could at least understand the pain of loss.
"I guess I have no choice."
"Eh...?"
"I'll help you out. I've got no choice."
It wasn't out of pity. It was simply because I wanted to. Who cared if the other person was the Leader of the Himatsuri-gumi? No matter who they were, how could I just leave someone shedding tears alone?
More than anything, a villain had once picked up a Kaijin. It shouldn't be a problem if a Kaijin picked up a Leader.
"But..."
"Even if I told you to stop here, you have no intention of quitting, right?"
"...Yeah."
"Then it's a hundred times better if I'm watching your back."
I knew too much now. If I ignored her and she collapsed somewhere out of my reach, I would definitely regret it.
"I really can't. It's dangerous, Owari. I'd be putting you at risk."
"It's fine. I might not look like it, but I'm incredibly fast at running away. I won't lose to anyone at that."
I laughed off Mika's concerns.
"So, don't overdo it by yourself."
"...Okay."
Sometimes, precisely because I was a mere outsider with no connection to the Himatsuri-gumi and not a Hero, I was the only one who could be trusted. I didn't know what the outcome would be. It might not turn out the way Mika hoped, but I should at least be able to help her reach the conclusion safely.
"..."
"Mika?"
A weight pressed against me with a soft thud. When I turned my head, I saw that Mika's head was resting on my shoulder.
"............"
As a result of feeling relieved while burdened by drowsiness, stress, and fatigue, the consciousness she had been forcing herself to hold onto had finally snapped. I could hear quiet, peaceful breathing from my shoulder.
"I guess it can't be helped..."
I wasn't such a demon that I would wake her up now. Mika would probably have to go back by dawn anyway, so I decided to let her sleep until the very last moment. I looked up at the sky and whispered softly.
The night sky was frustratingly beautiful.
From the day after I declared I would help Mika, a new routine was added to my day. Once my night shift was over, I would meet up with Mika at the usual spot and we would walk through the town together. When the investigation was over, we would head to the park to let her rest.
The activities themselves hadn't changed much, but by acting together, I could suppress her recklessness while also reducing her burden by starting the investigation later or taking breaks. Instead of drastically changing what we did, I decided to just stay by Mika's side and let her do what she wanted to do for now.
Just having someone beside you—just acting together with someone—is enough to make a person feel more at ease.
On the final day of my part-time job, the two weeks that felt both long and short ended. I headed to our meeting spot as usual.
"What should I do starting tomorrow?"
My job was over, so my nights were completely free. This meant I could secure more time to help Mika, but my job had also served as a pretext to limit her hours and ensure she got some sleep. I was thinking about how to keep from increasing her burden any further when I reached the destination.
"...Did I get here too early?"
I had arrived at our spot, but Mika was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps because it was the last day, my shift had ended earlier than expected, and I had simply arrived too soon. I considered stopping by a convenience store, but I didn't want to miss her, so I decided to wait.
After waiting for about ten minutes, I heard a sound from the distance.
"What was that...?"
It wasn't footsteps or voices. It was a more ominous, violent sound.
"!!"
I had a bad feeling. Faster than I could think, my body began running toward the noise. Faster, faster, swifter. I pushed toward the source with all my strength.
The sounds grew closer and more intense. Finally, I caught sight of them.
Unsheathed blades gleamed in the moonlight. An Ogre danced in the night against three Kaijin. Wrecks of Machine Soldiers were scattered along the edge of the road.
"Mika!!!!"
The smell of blood, thick enough to make me choke, filled the air. Even from a distance, I could see several dark red stains on Mika's clothes.
"Ah... you ended up coming, huh..."
Mika turned toward me. The smile she forced was stained with blood flowing from her head.
"It's okay... I'll take them down... right now."
It was reckless. She was outnumbered, and her condition was near its absolute limit. If she kept fighting like this, she would definitely die. Mika must have known how this would end. And yet, she chose to fight.
"So... you... run away first."
If it were just Mika, she should have been able to escape. The reason she chose to fight was for my sake. To avoid involving me, to keep them away from the place where I would be waiting, she had chosen to stand her ground.
"!! Look out!!!!"
An attack from one of the Kaijin, the fire-manipulating Hellflare, was launched at Mika. A massive fireball. If it hit, she would be turned to ash, bones and all.
But Mika couldn't move. Her body was spent; she could barely stand, and if she moved, the attack would strike behind her. Since she was holding back the other Kaijin, she couldn't get the Onikagura's defense in place in time.
"Ah..."
The flames erupted. The crimson fire that could easily incinerate a person engulfed Mika.
Acting as a shield to protect me—I refused to permit such a conclusion.
"You idiot. Value yourself more."
The flames vanished. Emerging from within the scorching hell was the unconscious Mika and a pitch-black monster clad in wind and water.
"But well, I'll at least say thanks."
Mika had tried to protect me until the very end. So, from here on, it was my turn to protect her. Since Mika had lost consciousness, the Onikagura vanished into the void.
"Honestly, is ganging up on one girl what Kaijin do these days?"
I gently laid Mika on the ground and turned to face them. Three Kaijin and a swarm of Machine Soldiers. Facing them was End Kaijin End.
"Factor... Release...!!"
No holding back. No hesitation. To protect her and crush the enemies before me in the shortest time possible, I fully activated the factors sleeping within my body.
"Rock Kaijin Gunrock!!"
Spikes of rock erupted from the earth. The executioner's swords that cull the masses impaled the Machine Soldiers swarming the Kaijin.
"Factor Release!!"
I couldn't afford to take my time and let them call for reinforcements. To protect the fallen Mika, what was required here was a victory in the shortest time possible.
"Muscle Kaijin Muscular x Steel Kaijin Iron x Bomb Kaijin Dynamine!!!!"
Triple Factor Release. To avoid involving Mika, anything wide-range or too powerful was out of the question. I chose close-quarters combat where I could adjust the power and keep Mika safe.
"Number one!!"
A gouging body blow struck one of the Kaijin—the two-meter giant Muscle Strength Kaijin Muscular—and exploded simultaneously. I delivered the double damage of the strike and the explosion at point-blank range, blowing him away with immense force.
That was one.
"Factor Release!!"
Next, the second.
"x Gale Kaijin Tatsumaki!!"
I combined an additional factor for a Fourfold Ability Release.
Accelerating further with the gale ability, I hammered my fist down onto the face of one of the remaining two Kaijin, Steel Kaijin Iron. Iron's boasted steel body was defeated by my accelerated fist and the explosion. Under the impact of the punch, he fell prostrate onto the earth.
"Factor Release!!!!!!"
I released yet another factor.
"Electric Kaijin Denking x Music Kaijin Mike Jackhorn!!!!"
I further imbued my fist with the abilities of electricity and vibration. Fivefold Ability Release.
"Get blown away!!"
I further enhanced a blow that even a body of steel couldn't withstand. Naturally, Hellflay's body had no hope of enduring it. The fully enhanced fist easily reaped Hellflay's consciousness.
The forms of the Kaijin dissolved, returning to their human shapes. The Machine Soldiers were all impaled together, leaving only a single black monster behind.
"Mika!"
I canceled my transformation and rushed to her side. Thank goodness; though she had injuries, she seemed to be safe.
After confirming Mika's safety, I checked on the three who had been transformed into Kaijin just in case, but something was wrong. Even though their injuries were shallower than Mika's, they showed absolutely no response to my voice. It was as if they had fallen into a deep coma.
It was likely a side effect of the Kaijin Genome, but the effect felt far too severe.
"Well, no point thinking about it now."
There was no use standing around and thinking here. Unlike the incident at the hotel, there were no ambulances or doctors. I had to get her treated quickly.
I would just report the incident and provide the location, then leave the cleanup to the Heroes. After taking photos of the three men's faces just in case, I picked Mika up in a princess carry and started running toward the nearest hospital.