Tatsumaki stood in front of her bedroom's spacious walk-in closet, clad in a black lace bra and panties, her petite frame reflected in the large freestanding mirror. She had begun wearing sexier undergarments after Caspian commented on her plain white ones during their confrontation in Z-City Ghost Town, and now she couldn't wait to see his reaction when he noticed these, though the thought made her cheeks flush.
A dress floated off one rack and hovered in front of her, pressed against her body as though she wore it. She tilted her head, studying how it draped over her figure. The surrounding closet was immaculate, several rows of dresses, shoes, hats, and boots neatly organized, each item in its place.
Her bare feet pressed against the cold, polished hardwood floor, which gleamed under the soft ceiling lights. The floor's smooth surface was broken only by the plush rug beneath her large, sleek bed, its crisp, high-quality linens adding a touch of elegance to the otherwise minimalist room.
The date with Caspian tomorrow left her feeling nervous, an unfamiliar emotion she wasn't used to.
What should I wear?
She struggled to decide. Normally, she would have choose one of her seven custom-made black dresses, one for each day of the week. But for this date, she wanted something different, one of the many cute outfits she rarely had the chance to wear.
To an outsider, her collection might seem excessive, but she had gathered it over years. What else should she buy? The Hero Association's payments covered her apartment expenses and more, leaving plenty to spare. Yet, she rarely purchased anything substantial. Her time was usually spent flying herself or traveling by airship from city to city, hunting monsters whenever the Hero Association contacted her.
If anything, compared to her younger sister Fubuki — who adored shopping and owned multiple walk-in closets, each larger than hers, Tatsumaki could be considered frugal.
Not this one.
No.
When did I purchase this?
This isn't mine! Oh, Fubuki we're going to need to have a little chat.
One by one, dresses floated to her, then returned to their racks. The next dress emerged from the far corner of the closet, hidden behind the others.
One of my favorites...
As several more pieces of clothing and accessories floated toward her, Tatsumaki felt pleased with her outfit choice.
It was unfortunate, then, that she did the one thing she had been avoiding — she made eye contact with herself in the mirror. That's when she saw the doleful expression on her face.
Why…?
Being held in Caspian's arms, expressing her love, kissing him — all of it brought Tatsumaki more joy than she had ever imagined possible. But with that joy came guilt, a gnawing sense of weakness, and the fear that she would fail in her responsibility to protect Fubuki. She knew these feelings weren't logical, but so what? Feelings didn't have to follow logic. No matter how hard she tried to push them down, they kept bubbling back to the surface.
And what of Blast? Wasn't he the one who set her free? Her expectations of him had never lowered. How would Blast respect her if he saw how weak she was acting? She had always believed he would teach her a better way to lead her life. But that time never came… How would Casp—
"Enough!" Tatsumaki's shout reverberated through the apartment, her fists clenched.
She refused to repeat this repeated state of worry about her future with Caspian or let the past jeopardize her future with him. It seemed like her mind needed until now to catch up to the unwavering decision that resonated deep from within her heart.
Tatsumaki had tried to avoid him, but when that failed, she promised herself she would never run from him again, never let the past haunt her like a generational curse. Yet here she was, struggling, becoming the feebleness she hated.
What was wrong with her getting the happiness she rightfully deserved? She could still follow Blast's advice, still protect her sister, still rely on only herself, with Caspian as the only outlier to the rule.
Thinking back, if she hadn't noticed the reflection off his shiny, cute head… would things still have turned out this way?
Tatsumaki shook her head, refusing to dwell on negativity any longer. Her dewy emerald eyes met her reflection again, the doleful expression gone, replaced by a look of unwavering surety.
"Caspian, you're my sole exception."
¤ ¤ ¤
Today was the greatest day Caspian had experienced in either of his lives. He had lost his virginity to a woman he loved, and though a fleeting worry about whether he might have gotten her pregnant crossed his mind, a wave of happiness quickly replaced it.
Caspian arrived at a simple conclusion: if it happened, it happened. He had made the choice to finish inside her, fully aware of the potential consequences.
Regardless, any concerns about their hypothetical child's future were less daunting now. Earlier that day, he had come into immense wealth without raising a hand.
Well, he was raising his hand at the moment, holding up a sleek black card Dr. Genus had given him upon returning with Armored Gorilla. He tilted it toward the light in his apartment's living room, a wide smile spreading across his face. I'm rich!
After Caspian gave an awkward excuse about the surgical table breaking, Dr. Genus explained how he had secured their wealth.
There was no need to use the many ideas he had ready, because he had already created the perfect money-making solution when he developed the method to synthesize unlimited amounts of any blood type. All he had to do was spread the word through the contacts he had built over decades. In no time, private companies and individuals were buying up the blood as if it would disappear the next day.
As for the black credit-like cards, they didn't have to worry about government interference or taxes. The cards were securely encrypted and completely anonymous. A black market organization Dr. Genus knew well, and had a strong relationship with, ran a massive global underground 'bank.' Its immaculate reputation stemmed from one key feature: the bank had no control over anyone's account. Each account was absolutely private, with no backdoor access.
'The Group,' as they were called, had been operating for decades, built by a shadowy network of financiers and tech experts who valued absolute privacy above all else. They used ground-breaking encryption and decentralized systems to ensure that no one, not even the 'bank's' operators, could access or interfere with individual accounts.
They made money through a combination of transaction fees, premium services, and strategic investments. While the accounts themselves were completely private and untouchable, the 'bank' charged a small percentage fee for every transaction processed through its encrypted network. These fees were minimal enough to avoid deterring clients, but added up significantly given the sheer volume of global transactions.
When the cards were used, they disguised themselves as part of one of the global banks operating worldwide. However, the sheer complexity of this system occasionally caused minor delays in transaction processing, though these were rare and quickly resolved. How this was achieved remains unconfirmed, but it revealed that these global banks might not be as "clean" as they publicly claim to be.
In addition, the bank offered premium services, such as currency conversion, asset storage, and even discreet financial consulting, for an extra cost. They also invested a portion of the funds flowing through their system into legitimate businesses and high-yield ventures, generating passive income. This allowed them to maintain their operations, fund technological advancements, and ensure their network remained secure and efficient.
This was the information Dr. Genus had gone over with him, pulling up files on 'The Group' on his holographic computer screen. The files displayed covered their entire history, from their shadowy origins to their current operations. Caspian hadn't a clue how Dr. Genus acquired such detailed information, but he wasn't surprised. Dr. Genus' tech skills were as uncanny as every other skill set he possessed.
As crazy as it all sounded, Caspian trusted Dr. Genus. Even if it sounded too good to be true. Why would Dr. Genus lie about this? There were no prizes gained of any value by betraying Caspian. With Dr. Genus' freakish intelligence, he should understand this truth perfectly well.
The echo of the apartment's door closing pulled Caspian from his reverie.
"Master, you're back. Where did all these bags come from?" Genos stood in the hallway.
Caspian looked around. The living room was a sea of shopping bags, leaving no space to step. He had gone on a little shopping spree after leaving the House of Takoyaki. Though, before returning home, he had dropped off a mountain of clothes for Mosquito Girl. Unsure of her preferences, he had bought dozens of outfits — everything from casual wear to elegant dresses.
Mosquito Girl accepted the clothing with delight, treating them as precious gifts. Her gratitude was genuine, and Caspian couldn't help but feel a flicker of satisfaction. The transformation appeared to change her personality subtly. She seemed more…wild.
Caspian didn't find it strange that Kabuto's blood would bring about such a change, but Dr. Genus had never stated whether she would or wouldn't inherit some of Kabuto's personality traits. Only time would tell. And at the very least, she would never inherit Kabuto's appearance.
"Master?"
Caspian, in a heightened state of joy and feeling generous, said, "Your next set of upgrades is on me."