Caspian walked into his living room where Boros stood, slightly slouched, his spiky hair brushing against the apartment's ceiling. "Cheer up. You really were strong."
"You lie. She had strength to spare. I never stood a chance."
I didn't expect him to be so down.
"Little M is an anomaly. Think of this as a valuable learning experience. You met an opponent you couldn't defeat, even after removing your restraining armor, and you didn't resort to using 'Meteoric Burst,' shortening your lifespan wastefully. It's not a setback, it's a new beginning."
I won't tell him now, but there may be a way to let him use 'Meteoric Burst' endlessly without negative side effects. Still, I can't say for sure yet.
Boros frowned, looking down at him. "A new beginning…?"
"Maybe that wasn't the best way to put it. This planet will present you with the most interesting fights you've ever encountered. Hasn't that already proven true today? Besides, you should be proud. Your strength and destructive capabilities far surpass Little M's. We're all part of the same team now, so there's no problem with us having friendly sparring matches."
Boros' shoulders twitched at the word 'sparring.' "You are right. I look forward to it." He turned away from Caspian. "I am going to step out onto this 'balcony,' as you called it, and amass my thoughts."
Caspian watched Boros duck his head low to fit through the balcony's entrance, disappearing from his direct line of sight.
I think that went well. At the very least his spirits seemed to have raised a bit. Caspian pulled out his phone, checking the time and for any new messages. I wonder why Genos isn't back yet?
"Caspian. A human male is observing me from a distant rooftop."
"What does he look like?"
"Disorderly blue hair that reaches his shoulders. On his upper body, he wears a white piece of clothing over a plain piece of grayish clothing."
Caspian chuckled at Boros' description. "Don't worry about him. He's neither our enemy nor friend at this point in time. There's no need to take any action."
Is your curiosity finally getting the best of you, Sweet Mask?
¤ ¤ ¤
I'm going to recycle this disciple of yours!
Tatsumaki hovered above Z-City's Ghost Town, her frustration simmering as she reviewed the message from the Hero Association containing Caspian's records. She had resorted to this because Genos' relentless, infuriating questions had pushed her to the brink, and when she refused to answer, he had stopped guiding her altogether. What in the world has Caspian been teaching him?
"Like I needed your help, anyway." Tatsumaki's phone vanished into her black dress.
"Take the main entrance."
She glanced back at Genos. "What?"
"It's disrespectful to fly through Master's balcony instead of using the stairs and knocking."
"You can't be serious."
Genos' stern expression didn't waver.
Tatsumaki rolled her eyes, choosing to descend toward Caspian's apartment rather than continue the conversation. The abandoned neighborhood expanded rapidly in her vision as she neared the apartment building. She had planned to listen begrudgingly to Genos' advice, until a glint of gold, reflecting the sunlight on the balcony, caught her eye. She veered toward it.
¤ ¤ ¤
Sweet Mask's heightened survival instincts eased as the cyclops-like alien glanced away, its attention shifting after saying something inaudible to someone unseen.
Where had such a harrowing being come from? Given the alien-like appearance, was it the owner of that colossal spaceship? And if so, why had it come here?
I need to get closer. Sweet Mask steeled his nerves, pushing past the instinct to flee. The urge filled him with a deep repulsion, though still not as repulsive as ugliness itself.
Moving swiftly, he left the rooftop and navigated the streets with precision. Following the curve of the elevated highway that ran past Caspian's apartment, he slipped into the shadows behind a thick concrete pillar supporting a portion of the highway far above.
With a clear view of the balcony where the alien stood, Sweet Mask expected it to be staring directly at him. Instead, its gaze was fixed upward, toward the sky.
Following its line of sight, Sweet Mask's eyes narrowed. Tatsumaki? How did I arrive before her?
Tatsumaki descended until she hovered level with the apartment's fourth floor. Genos and the pink alien remained trapped in her psychic grip. From her tense posture, Sweet Mask wondered if she could sense the overwhelming danger radiating from the alien.
"Lord Boros!" the pink alien shouted.
So, my suspicions were correct. What are you hiding Caspian?
Lord Boros shattered the tension with his deep, resonant voice. "You are… Dark Matter Gunner. You survived." His large blue eye shifted, locking onto Tatsumaki. "I remember you. It would seem Geryuganshoop was no match for you. You must be formidable. Care to spar—"
"There will be plenty of time for that later," Caspian interjected, stepping onto the balcony from the apartment's interior to stand beside Lord Boros, clad in his signature one-piece yellow jumpsuit.
Although it was hard to gauge precisely, Sweet Mask noted the stark difference in size between Caspian and Lord Boros. Based on the comparison, he estimated the alien's height to be close to Superalloy Darkshine's, if not slightly taller.
Tatsumaki's posture relaxed slightly when Caspian appeared.
"Tats, you made it."
Lord Boros muttered to himself, though his words carried clearly to everyone present. "This human female is called 'Tats?' What an atypical name."
"Master!" Genos called out. "Don't worry, I asked her the appropriate questions..."
What could he have asked her and… why is she shaking?
"…though not spoken aloud, she answered my questions silently and I've ascertained that she will be an excellent wife for you."
Sweet Mask scrunched his brows in confusion.
BAM!
Genos' body slammed into the concrete, vanishing into a crater shaped like his silhouette.
"Genos!" Caspian lurched over the balcony.
"Not another word!" Tatsumaki spun in the air, her voice sharp. "Your name is Dark Matter Gunner, huh? You can join the sentient scrap down b—"
Sweet Mask's pupils dilated. How?!
Caspian had vanished from the balcony and reappeared in midair, gripping Tatsumaki's extended hand — the one she had been aiming at Dark Matter Gunner. It seemed he was holding his body aloft by her arm, but that detail paled in comparison to the actual issue: his speed. Sweet Mask hadn't even been able to perceive the movement!
"Let's go somewhere else and talk, huh? What's with that expression?" Caspian asked, his tone casual but his eyes sharp.
"Your luck continues... Fine, I'll let you off for today," Tatsumaki said, lowering Dark Matter Gunner back to the ground. Her head turned slowly, her focus locking onto Caspian.
Sweet Mask noticed it too, the look on her face. It was a mix of confusion and surprise as she stared at the pink alien, though he couldn't quite pinpoint the reason behind it.
"I have a lot to say to you," Tatsumaki said, her voice colder than before as she enveloped Caspian in her emerald-green aura.
"Boros, could you please give Genos a hand? As for you, Dark Matter Gunner, uh, there's another apartment building beside this one. Just find a room you like and relax. I'm certain no one will cause you any problems."
As Caspian finished speaking, his eyes shifted directly toward Sweet Mask's hiding spot.
My concealment's been seen through twice in one day. Sweet Mask felt as though he had received the rudest wake-up call of his life.
"Okay," said Boros simply before leaping down from the roof.
Dark Matter Gunner sat on the ground, huffing, and nodded vacantly.
In a flash, Tatsumaki and Caspian vanished into the horizon, where the first hints of evening were beginning to paint the sky.
Sweet Mask knew he would need time to process everything he had witnessed today, but he believed it would ultimately prove invaluable.
You, Caspian, have the potential to become the symbol I envision. However, your Hero Rank is still too low. Once you climb the A-Rank ladder, this plan can move forward. The day a grand justice like the Sun that can illuminate the world appears, is drawing ever closer.