Chapter 13: The Reveal
Dawn was fast approaching.
Kazuma flew through the night sky, which was just beginning to lighten.
He had witnessed sunsets countless times, but the transition from night to morning was a rare sight.
That was precisely why it felt all the more beautiful.
The scene of the morning sky, gradually taking on a faint bluish hue, was truly fantastical.
Carrying Anthony, who was inside the pot, Kazuma returned to the hospital where Stephen was.
The guards stationed outside the hospital cried out in surprise at the Crimson Knight descending from the sky and immediately rushed to call Stephen.
Instantly, Stephen hurried out from inside the hospital.
“Yo, Stephen. It’s done.”
“Ha, hahaha. As expected of you.”
“For me, it’s a piece of cake.”
“I see. By the way, what’s with that pot floating beside you?”
“This? Anthony’s inside. Right now, well, he’s being tortured.”
“I-I see…”
Hearing the word “torture,” Stephen could only manage a dry smile.
The Crimson Knight, who seemed so versatile, almost omnipotent, was conducting torture.
Just what kind of torture could it possibly be?
It was likely something beyond the comprehension of an ordinary person.
“Well then, can I hand this guy over to you?”
“I don’t mind, but… he’s alive, right?”
“He’s alive. Want me to show you?”
“Eh…?”
“Hmph!”
Ignoring the bewildered Stephen, Kazuma smashed the pot with his own hands.
What emerged from the shattered pot was Anthony, with all his limbs intact.
However, his expression was consumed by agitation, and his eyes lacked focus.
He clearly looked as if he had suffered some kind of mental trauma.
Seeing this, Stephen wondered what had transpired inside the pot, but finding the thought itself terrifying, he shook his head and tried not to dwell on it further.
“…He doesn’t seem to be dead, does he?”
“Didn’t I tell you? He’s alive.”
“Hahaha… Not that I doubted you, but…”
“I haven’t managed to get all the detailed information out of him yet, so I’ll leave the rest to you.”
“Understood. As soon as I find out, I’ll send it to you via email.”
“That’d be a help.”
Saying that, Kazuma turned his back to Stephen.
He floated lightly into the air, and as Kazuma was about to return to Japan, Stephen hurriedly called out to stop him.
“W-Wait! Aren’t you going to see Alicia?”
“Ah. She should be fine now. More importantly, I’m worried about Japan.”
“I see… Mr. Satsuki.”
“What is it? Is there something else?”
“If you’re ever in trouble, don’t hesitate to tell me. I’ll be your strength.”
“Hahahaha! I see. In that case, I’ll count on you without hesitation then, Stephen!”
“Yeah. Leave it to me. I may not look it, but I’m a man close enough to the President to be in America’s top 10.”
“That’s reassuring.”
If those words were true, Stephen would indeed be a very reassuring ally.
Kazuma possessed zero political ability.
To put it bluntly, he was an idiot; while he excelled at charging straight ahead and crushing things head-on, he was utterly weak against indirect tactics.
He’d easily fall for a Honey Trap, and if someone plotted behind the scenes, he’d usually end up on the defensive, and to top it all off, he often ended up putting his comrades, family, and friends in danger.
Therefore, having someone with political acumen like Stephen on his side was incredibly welcome.
Honestly, it might even be better for him and his entire family to move to America rather than stay in Japan, but he couldn’t force his family to abandon their homeland.
However, since the current Japanese government couldn’t be trusted, there was certainly room for consideration.
“Well then, Stephen. I’m heading back to Japan. Let me know when you find out the details.”
“Yeah, got it. Let’s meet again!”
“Yeah! See ya!”
After parting like friends, Kazuma disappeared into the distant sky.
Stephen, having watched Kazuma vanish beyond the clouds, collected Anthony, who was lying on the ground, and took him to a government facility to investigate the secret of his three Gifts and the circumstances of his prison escape.
Morning arrived in America.
The morning sun illuminated the world, and the night of despair finally ended.
Stephen squinted at the morning glow and headed towards the hospital room where Alicia was sleeping.
Reaching the room labeled “Special Treatment Room,” Stephen, assuming Alicia was still asleep, entered without knocking. There, he found her standing, fully recovered.
“Stephen.”
“Alicia… You’re awake.”
“Yes. More importantly… where’s Kazuma?”
“Could it be, you remember everything?”
“Of course. At first, I thought it was a dream, but all my wounds are healed, and besides…”
“Besides? What is it?”
“It’s a secret! Ufufu! This one is just between me and Kazuma!”
Stephen was captivated by Alicia, who said this with a cute laugh, but he smiled happily, glad to see her smile once more.
“Hahaha, I see. A secret with Mr. Satsuki, huh? Then I can’t ask.”
“More importantly than that, where’s Kazuma!”
“He went back to Japan. Said he was worried about things over there.”
“I see~~~…”
Alicia’s expression turned lonely for a moment, but she quickly put on a mischievous smile.
“Then, maybe I’ll go see him~! I want to greet my mother-in-law (Okaasama) too~”
“Hey, hey…”
“Nfufufu~~~”
Stephen was extremely curious about what Kazuma had done to make Alicia so cheerful, but seeing her so happy, he decided not to say anything more and watched over her with warm eyes.
◇◇◇◇
Kazuma, who had been flying, remembered he could return with Teleportation Magic and went back to Ivy.
Things seemed to have calmed down considerably, and most of the people who had evacuated to Ivy had returned to their homes.
Of course, those who remained were sensible people.
The few heartless individuals Kazuma had driven out were already gone.
“I’m home~”
“Welcome back, Kazuma.”
Having returned to Honoka, Kazuma asked if there had been any problems since he left.
“Mom. Were there any problems here?”
“No problems here. I thought government people would come rushing over, but it seems they have bigger things to worry about.”
“I see. Well, it’s good if nothing happened.”
“More importantly, weren’t you heading to the First Area?”
“Ah, that’s right.”
Kazuma remembered that he had flown from the First Area after Stephen’s call.
If he was going back, it should have been to the First Area, not Ivy.
So, Kazuma decided to return to the First Area. He briefly reconsidered, thinking he might run into someone if he returned with Teleportation Magic, but then he steeled himself, figuring he’d deal with it if it happened.
“Well then, I’m heading out for a bit.”
“Alright, alright.”
After a brief exchange, Kazuma returned to the First Area using Teleportation Magic.
Since it was, in theory, the place where he had taken off towards America, there shouldn’t have been anyone around.
“…”
“…”
At the place he teleported to, for some reason, stood Momoko.
She was supposed to be in the Seventh Area, yet somehow she was in the First Area.
Moreover, she had encountered the teleporting Kazuma.
He had been seen in a very awkward situation, but since Kazuma was thinking of negotiating with the Japanese government, it was actually good timing.
Believing he could draw in his greatest potential collaborator, Kazuma used Teleportation to appear in front of Momoko, who was fleeing like a startled rabbit.
“Hiee!?”
Her legs giving out, Momoko fell onto her bottom.
Timidly looking up, she saw Kazuma with a broad smile.
Instantly, Momoko read Kazuma’s mind to see what he was plotting.
“(Her panties are in full view!)”
“Even at a time like this, you’re thinking about perverted stuff!”
Momoko, reaffirming that Kazuma was indeed a pervert, found that the fear she had felt until a moment ago had vanished somewhere.
“Now, calm down, Momoko-chan.”
“Wh-Who are you calling Momoko-chan!”
“Then, what should I call you? Government intelligence agent? Or observer? The Mind Reading Gifted?”
“Eh… ah?”
“You’re reading my mind right now, aren’t you? Just so you know, I’ve fought enemies who can read minds before, so I have countermeasures, you see.”
“Eh?”
“Well, I guess it can’t be helped since you’ve probably never met anyone whose abilities don’t work on you. Anyway, Momoko-chan. I’m the Crimson Knight you guys have been searching for~”
As it was “the reveal,” Kazuma teased her to the maximum.
At this shocking truth, Momoko’s past memories flashed back; her face turned bright red, then deathly pale, then changed colors like a gaming PC, and finally, as if drained of all life, it turned completely white, and her vision went black.
When she woke up again, the Crimson Knight was in front of her, and she inadvertently read his mind.
“(You’re awake, Momoko-chan! It’s me, me, me! It’s Kazuma!)”
What she heard was the voice of the hateful Kazuma.
Momoko became convinced that the Crimson Knight was truly Kazuma, and not wanting to believe it so desperately, she lost consciousness again out of self-preservation.
And then, her second awakening.
The first thing that jumped into her vision when she opened her eyes was the Silver Knight.
“(By the way, the Silver Knight is also me~ Hey, hey! How are you feeling right now~?)”
Apparently, the nightmare was still not over, as she succumbed to fainting for the third time.
She had closed her eyes, just like a corpse.
Would she ever open those eyes again?
Most likely, it would be before long.