Lily hummed happily to herself as she left the comic shop. It was a small store compared to some of the other ones she frequented, but it was more likely to carry less popular or newer titles by up and coming authors. It was nice to get a fresh narrative after so many years of the same few big names, and there were some cool art styles waiting to be discovered. In her bag were several interesting shoujos for her and her mother, as well as a new isekai she thought her dad might like.
It was a little weird looking, but that seemed right up his alley. Hopefully, he would enjoy the story of a weak man being reborn into a demon king's body and struggling to hide his cowardice from the world.
A siren shattered the afternoon peace, the horrible oscillating sound sending everyone running in different directions. Instinctively, Lily began running against the crowd, heading for what she assumed was the center of the emergency. She had no real way to be sure, though. She hadn't received any notification from the Association, so it was likely B Class Heroes weren't being called on. That could mean one of two things.
One, the emergency was below her level, or, two, it was way above it.
She pulled her phone out of her pocket, refreshing the Association App for any updates. To her horror, the map of her immediate area was highlighted by the purple outline indicating a Demon level threat.
There was no way she would be able to deal with that on her own!
Her steps faltered and she had to brace herself against the chalky side of a concrete building. Her hands and feet felt oddly weak, her limbs unwilling or unable to respond as she tried to turn around and join the crowd running for their lives. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she gripped at the front of her chest reflexively.
She didn't even have a weapon. How could she possibly be of any use?
No. She couldn't think like that. She was a Hero, wasn't she? She knew the kinds of danger she would be facing when she signed up for a life of service. This wasn't the time to back down!
At the very least, she could help with evacuations.
Newly resolved, she set down the bag of manga. Odds were it would be stolen or destroyed by the time she thought to come back for it, but she had no problem buying everything again. Supporting small businesses was important, after all.
The closer she got the epicenter of the disaster, the fewer people she saw. The city was surprisingly intact, for a Demon level incident. None of the buildings had collapsed, anyway. Usually, a threat of that magnitude meant a flattening of the entire area. That was one of the main reasons only Heroes of the right Class were allowed to even enter the danger zone—a rule she was blatantly ignoring, right now.
Technically, she hadn't entered it. She was already in it when it appeared. That wasn't her fault. No one could get mad at her for that…right?
It was too late to worry about that, now.
She began checking for survivors, ducking into storefronts and calling out, announcing herself as a member of the Blizzard Group. Her name wasn't nearly well known enough for people to trust her with their lives, but Miss Fubuki had garnered quite the reputation as the number one B Class Hero. It was one of the best things about being a high ranking Hero, in Lily's mind. Being famous could mean having a lot money or fans, but what mattered to her was the power to calm the panic monsters brought with them. Just the sound of Miss Fubuki's name was enough to bring otherwise unruly civilians in line. Knowing that someone so strong was out there, fighting for you…
Lily wanted that.
A tremor wracked the earth and she stumbled, just barely catching herself. There must be a fight happening nearby.
Her heart clamored in her chest as she rushed toward the unmistakable sound of battle. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she shouldn't. It was a Demon. Still, her body pressed on, eager to see just what had set off the city-wide alarm system.
She rounded a corner and had to immediately backpedal, ducking behind a building and peaking around the wall.
There was a strange, cicada looking creature standing in the middle of the street. Its wings were crippled and it was missing a few of its many limbs. A weirdly human face scowled angrily at its opponent.
"You baldy," it spat. "Who do you think you are? Do you know how long I have slumbered? I won't let you stand between me and revenge!"
The bald man in the yellow cape picked at his ear in a display of nonchalance. "Too noisy."
Lily watched as the creature rushed the lone Hero, roaring loudly. Instinctively, she stepped away from her cover. She didn't know who this Hero was, but there was no way he was any higher ranked than she was. He couldn't possibly stand a chance against—.
All her assumptions were blown away in an instant. So was the cicada, bits of guts and exoskeleton flying in all directions from the force of the punch that met its face. She stood there, stock still, as the bald Hero brushed off his costume, cursing loudly at the…cost of laundry detergent?
The man started walking away, his hands folded behind his head as though taking out a Demon level enemy was just par for the course. Lily stumbled forward, her hand reaching out shakily. Who…?
"This way! I can hear the Engine!"
Surprised, Lily spun in place. A flock of reporters rushed down the street, cameras and microphones raised. She jumped out of their path as they barreled past, heading toward…
Nobody?
The street was empty except for the remains of the cicada creature. Piles of rubble and crushed vehicles lined the road, but there were no people there. The bald Hero who'd saved the day was nowhere to be seen.
The reporters swarmed over the battlefield, stepping in and around the dripping goo that covered the area. They looked in windows, opened doors, and risked walking down alleys. They were probably looking for the Hero who killed the monster.
Lily stepped forward to tell them about the bald Hero, but then something she heard caused her to pause in place.
"You're seeing it for yourselves, people. King has once again saved us all from destruction. The elusive Hero is nowhere to be found, but its obvious to anyone watching, here or at home, that it was one hell of a fight! If it wasn't for the monster's wings causing static interference, we would have had live footage of the battle for you! We're on the look out for any witnesses who might be able to give us further insight, but for now please rest assured. The area has been cleared of danger and is safe to return to!"
Lily stared open mouthed at the reporter, shock ringing through her mind.
What?
Her father was a powerful Hero, sure, but that didn't mean he was the only one. He wasn't even the only S Class Hero. Why did these reporters jump to the conclusion that he was the one who took on the monster? He wasn't even anywhere nearby.
Surely the media wasn't that stupid?
The snippets of other reports being made told her that yes, they were. They were smiling into their cameras as they told unfounded stories, not even batting an eyes as blatant lies left their lips. She bit her lip, ashamed. If she hadn't been there and seen the fight for herself, she would have believed them.
King was notorious for his aversion to the media. Anyone who managed to get a glimpse of him after a fight was considered lucky. His humility was one of his most popular traits. Most of his fans—her included—felt it set him apart from the rest of Hero society. He could easily take advantage of his rank and unique appearance to make a brand for himself, like Sweet Mask. Instead, he avoided the limelight like a plague.
Disappearing after a fight was perfectly on brand for her father. No one would think to question the lies the reporters were spewing.
A pit opened up in her gut as she realized just why they were so confident that her father had fought the cicada. The word 'engine' seemed to fly at her from all directions. Oh, no. Had she—had her—was it her fault?
If her Engine had gone off, then she was the only person to blame. Of course, they assumed her father was around. He was supposed to be the only one with that ability. She felt incredibly small and useless as she listened to the reporters. She couldn't just walk up to them and correct them, now. What could she tell them? That she, a nameless nobody, was the source of the Engine?
Guilt ate at her. She didn't even know the bald Hero's name, so she couldn't tell them who really saved the city. She wasn't even supposed to be in the area, so if she stepped out now, she'd likely be reprimanded for both violating the evacuation notice and for trying to discredit King.
With leaden feet, she turned away from the media circus and walked down the road. Her bag of manga was right where she left it, but she wasn't as excited about it, now.
That malaise clung to her for the next several days. Every time she saw the story about the cicada on television, she immediately turned away, an uneasy pit forming in her gut. So much time had passed, and her father hadn't made a single statement about what actually happened. Not even in his online forums, where she knew he was active.
Why? What could he possibly have to gain from keeping something like that a secret? There had to be an explanation.
Maybe…the bald Hero wasn't supposed to get credit? That didn't make much sense to her, but it was the only way she could reconcile her father's decision. Plus, it was strange that such a powerful Hero wasn't more famous. He had a distinct look, could handle Demons without help, and was apparently not rushing to the newsrooms to denounce her father as a liar, so…could it be on purpose?
It wasn't like she was much better. She'd googled 'bald Hero', but she hadn't found anyone who fit the Hero she saw that day. Every time she thought of posting—even anonymously—about what she saw, anxiety ate at her. The internet was scary and she didn't want to incite any super fans.
She shook her head, dismissing the tangle of confusing thoughts. She was on patrol, anyway. She couldn't afford to be so distracted. The civilians were counting on her, after all.
Well, the Blizzard Group. She was just one of many. One day, though. One day, she would be a recognized name. Like Miss Fubuki and her father.
That nameless Hero entered her thoughts again. Did he not want to be famous? Was he like her father, unwilling to accept praise for his actions? Humility was an admirable trait, but a certain amount of desire was necessary to progress in the Hero industry. Association fees, uniform repairs, weapon designs, copyright—it all added up to a hefty sum most couldn't afford. It was why so many lower ranking Heroes joined coalitions like the Tank Topper Army or the Blizzard Group. The price of being a Hero was lower if you were part of a named group. It was sometimes the only way some Heroes could continue their work. Being a Hero was only lucrative at the higher ranks.
Screams brought her from her musings and she instinctively settled into a defensive crouch, her staff at the ready. People were rushing toward her, some of them gripping at bleeding wounds. If people were being injured, then she didn't have time to ask about the situation. She rushed headlong toward the danger, passing by other members of the Blizzard Group as she went.
That was reassuring. If they were also going toward it, then it was something Heroes of their level could handle. If she needed back up, it would be there.
The enemy turned out to be a group of large, wolf-like animals. They snarled fiercely, blood dripping from their jaws as they feasted on their human prey. A quick glance around told Lily she was the only uniformed Hero in the immediate vicinity and she readied herself for combat. Raising her staff above her head, she brought it down on a beast's skull, a sickening crack splitting the air. Its companions turned their ravenous attention on her, ignoring bleeding civilians as they scrambled away.
Right. Now what?
She probably should have waited for her teammates before engaging the enemy, but then the civilians she saved would likely be dead. Now, though, it was looking like she would be dead.
Her heart pounded in her chest, filling her head with the sound of her own fear. Why was she so reckless? Money wasn't the only reason weaker Heroes grouped up under a stronger leader.
It was also for their own protection.
She raised her staff as one of the larger animals lunged at her, teeth as large as her arms coming right for her face. The reinforced metal of her weapon looked like a toothpick in comparison, but she held it between them all the same.
"Seriously? You guys are messing with the sale!"
Lily braced herself as a gust of wind blew her backward, stabbing her staff into the ground to keep from flying away. Like the wolves.
She rubbed dust and animal saliva from her eyes and opened them just in time to see a bald man in a white T-shirt walking away, a taller man by his side.
"We came all the way here for the sale," he was whining, his body swaying back and forth with visible disappointment. "Those stupid dogs ruined it!"
"Don't worry, master," his friend said respectfully. "I have some coupons for the market down the road."
"Genos! You're the best disciple a master could have!"
…G…Genos!?
It couldn't be—wait, no that didn't matter right now! That was the bald Hero from before!
Lily started to run after him, carefully picking her way past the piles of steaming flesh that the Hero's punch had made of the wolves.
"Please," she called out, reaching for him despite the distance between them. "Wait! Who—!"
"Lily!"
She turned to look at Miss Fubuki as she rushed toward her, taking her face in cold hands and tilting it this way and that.
"What were you thinking?" Miss Fubuki demanded, her concern hidden behind a layer of righteous anger. "You know better than to go charging into a fight like that! You have teammates for a reason!"
"To be fair, Miss Fubuki," Eyelashes said with a laugh. "It doesn't look like she needed much help."
Fubuki looked over Lily's shoulder at the remains of the wolves and raised one eyebrow into a delicate arch. An excited light entered her eyes and she let Lily's face go.
"Well done, Lily," she said happily. "Looks like your training is finally paying off."
Oh, no. They didn't think…they did. They thought Lily took down all the wolves on her own.
"I didn't—!"
A heavy hand hit her back and she was swept up in loud congratulations as her teammates crowded around her. Her friends all knew she was training with energy techniques with Miss Fubuki and no doubt thought the destruction was the result. She opened her mouth to deny their assumptions, but the words got stuck in her throat.
They were so happy for her. She…she didn't want to crush that…
With a yawning hole in her stomach, she smiled back at them and took the first opportunity to escape, citing her mother as an excuse as she ran from the guilt that threatened to eat her alive. Her heart was pounding in her chest again and she had to force herself to stop and calm down, lest the media jump on her Engine as proof that her father was in the area.
Twice.
Twice her Engine had robbed a genuinely skilled Hero of the credit he was due. She didn't even know who he was so she could apologize.
An irrational anger burned inside her. If she was strong, like her father, then she wouldn't be afraid of telling the truth. If she was strong, she would be able to correct the media without fear of social backlash. If she was strong, she wouldn't hesitate to give credit to other Heroes, because she wouldn't need help dealing with her enemies.
With a sigh, she kicked out absently, unknowingly brushing her foot past a black cube lying between the sidewalk and road.
Sometimes, she wished she could be an S Class Hero like her father. His fearsome reputation made it so he rarely had to fight. Just hearing his name was enough to send his enemies running for the hills. The Engine sent the weak to their knees before he even showed his face. To have that kind of power…
She shook her head. It wasn't gonna happen. She knew that. She was working hard, but progress was slow and frustrating. It was becoming abundantly apparent that, his daughter she may be, she would never be on King's level.
Maybe that was for the best.
The world could only handle so many monsters of like him, after all.
The world can only handle so many monsters…
Well, that was an interesting line of thought. The invisible spectator looked down at the young human as she walked past the cube she so carelessly touched and brushed past. She appeared forlorn, honestly saddened by the lack of true monsters in the world. How novel. Humans were more likely to long for Heroes than for monsters, to envision themselves at the top of their pathetic society, beating the forces of revolution into submission in exchange for the mindless adoration of a fickle public.
It leaned down and picked up the glowing manifestation of power, the energy contained within thrumming against its intangible fingers. Did the human not understand what it was? She wished for power but walked right by the very thing which could grant it.
It was hardly surprising. Humans were always whining about their powerlessness. They always wanted something more than they had, reaching and taking and defiling as they saw fit. Putrid creatures. It was only a matter of time before the entire planet fell to rubble under their careless ministrations. The only way to save it was to rid it of the human plague which riddled its once beautiful surface.
This child could be the start.
Very well, then. It wasn't often such worthless vermin received a blessing from God. This little girl would mark the beginning of a new era of monsters, a modern Joan d'Arc bringing heavenly wrath down upon the vulgar fools who dared to corrupt its ultimate creation.
The cube in its hand began to glow as it used the brief moment of contact between tool and child to establish a proper link through which to bestow the power she so desired. A monster of the highest caliber, she said.
Too easy.
God reached through the newly formed connection into the girl's mind. Her idea of a truly powerful monster was…great physical strength, command of spiritual energies, the sheer magnitude of presence needed to bring the weak to their knees! Yes! These were exactly the kinds of skills a monster needed to crush humanity like the insects they were! This child was truly the one who would lead the revolution!
Eagerly, God let its power flow through the cube and into the girl's body, making the necessary changes to grant her wish. It never ceased to be amazed by how weak humans really were. And yet, despite their structural deficiencies, they somehow managed to become the dominant species on the planet, pushing aside much better designs and even driving them to extinction. It never should have set their evolution in motion. Now, all it could do was take the necessary measures to curb their rampant growth.
The girl was among the more impressive specimens, it had to admit. She had a natural strength that it only had to enhance to give her what she wanted. She was completely devoid of spiritual power, however, and it had to take some serious liberties there. She didn't have anything concrete in mind, which worked just as well. A shallow dip into her memories was all it took to know that she favored staff like weapons. Easy. Some basic manipulation powered up to the nth degree would function just fine.
Probably.
If she exploded…well, it was hardly God's fault that humans were weak, now was it?
There was an inherent ability inside her, too. One which could easily grant her wish of devastating charisma. It was…vaguely familiar. Was this a common ability among humans? It couldn't quite remember all the designs it implemented before scrapping them—well, trying to scrap them. Humans had proven disgustingly tenacious.
Not for much longer.
It had already decided to grant this child all her wishes, but why not go a little further? The more it gave her, the more indebted to it she would feel. And, as ever was the case with humans, the threat of losing all that power would keep her in line. If it had a face, it would have smiled as it allowed the girl's mind to take hold of raw power and mold it however it saw fit, granting her innermost desires for strength and skill in ways that God couldn't while maintaining manual control.
Pleased with itself, God reached into the child's mind. While it rarely handed out blessings like these, it made a point to reveal itself when it did. How else could it possibly guarantee that its chosen warriors would follow the path it had set for them? Humans always longed for power, but the motivations behind that desire differed across individuals. It made raising an army tedious, to say the least, but it also meant that those who rose to the occasion were that much more loyal to the cause.
All it had to do was uncover the root cause of the girl's disillusionment with humanity and then—.
Wait.
Wait, no! This wasn't right!
The child's mind was full of whole hearted love for her fellow man, specific faces coming to the forefront of her mind. Faces God recognized.
Heroes! Those were all Heroes!
How was this possible? She distinctly wished to become a monster! A monster the likes of which the world had never seen! Why would she harbor such a wish when she so clearly cared for humanity! Enough to endanger her own life and become a Hero of all things!
God frantically searched through her memories, trying to find some sign that it had chosen correctly, that she would be the figurehead of the generation. There! The thought that had traveled across the cube, catching God's attention!
She…she wished to be a monster…like her father, one of the strongest Heroes in her nation…a monster of a man capable of felling Dragon level opponents without assistance.
…
Curse humans and their metaphors! This was not the way language was meant to be used!
Fury churned within its ephemeral body, pushing against the outline it had to fight to maintain and threatening to spill forth onto the world in a torrent to rival the Great Flood.
How dare this puny human child deceive the one and only God! Did she not fear the repercussions of inciting its wrath? Did she think her precious father could protect her from the consequences of her actions?
Dread quickly doused the flame of anger inside it and it began to desperately call back the power it had so impulsively granted. The power was fully hers, now, though, and, in its premature delight, God had granted it the power to defy it.
The girl did not wish to join the monsters. She wished to destroy them. That was the formative desire which shaped the limitless power God had given her. She wanted to stand against the strongest of beings and know no fear, to bring even the greatest of opponents to their knees without having to fight and risk endangering innocent civilians.
Who was the greatest of opponents if not God?
It pulled itself out of the girl's mind, frantically putting mental distance between them.
What had it done?
In its joy at having found someone to use in the war against humanity, it had accidentally handed the enemy the only weapon which could hinder it! If this child ever managed to harness the power inside her, she might be the one to singlehandedly destroy the revolution!
Why was it always so impulsive? It did the same thing when creating humans all those millennia ago, setting in motion the destruction of an entire world with its lack of foresight.
Now, it could only watch and seethe as the child continued along her path. With any luck, she would never unlock the power it had mistakenly bestowed upon her. From its brief visit inside her mind, it knew she was of middling skill despite her supposed mighty parentage. She had likely reached her peak.
Besides, even if she did manage to uncover the newly dug wells of potential inside her, she was more likely to blow herself up than channel them successfully. That was always a risk when bestowing power upon mortals. Their bodies just weren't designed to contain such greatness, let alone utilize it.
Still, the threat remained.
God followed in the girl's shadow as its mistake solidified inside her, taking a tangible shape that mocked its creator from within its new home. When it finished assimilating to its wielder, the power spread out and filled the girl's body, pushing against the confines of her skin. For a single, blessed moment, it looked like she would prove unable to even hold the gift she never should have been given, her face scrunching up with discomfort.
She sneezed.
God watched with bitter disappointment as she walked away, rubbing at her nose. It would not reveal itself to her. It would tell her nothing of the ticking bomb resting inside her. There was still a chance she would unmake herself the moment she used more power than she could handle. It was a vain, tremulous hope, but there was nothing that could be done about it now. All God could do was pray for a miracle. How ironic.
Lily rubbed at her nose, a sudden itch making her eyes water with the overpowering need to sneeze. The sensation didn't let up even when she stepped inside the Blizzard Group headquarters. She turned and hid her face in the crook of her elbow, sneezing violently several times in succession.
"Woah, Lily, are you ok?"
A tissue was pressed into her hand and she accepted it with nasally thanks. Blowing her nose helped a bit, but her eyes were still watering. It almost felt like something was tickling her from the inside out.
It was probably just allergies.
"Here, have a tablet."
Eyelashes presented her with an allergy pill and a paper cup of water. He and others watched to make sure she swallowed it.
"Make sure you take a shower when you get home to wash off whatever's causing this," he advised her kindly. "Miss Fubuki wants to talk to you before you go, though."
She nodded and headed over to Miss Fubuki's office. She was called in after knocking and she stepped inside, closing the door behind her.
Miss Fubuki was sitting in her highbacked office chair, various files spread across her desk. She looked up when Lily came in and gestured for her to sit.
"It's been a while since our last one on one conversation," she said with a gentle smile. "How has your training gone? Any helpful tips from King?"
Lily barely managed to hold in a wince.
"No," she said sheepishly. "Sorry. He said it was already unlikely that I inherited the Engine and that I most likely don't have any energy based abilities. If I do have some, then I'll have to figure it out on my own, since he and I have such different fighting styles and personalities."
Fubuki said nothing for a moment and Lily was afraid she was upset. Then she sighed and leaned back in her chair, one elegant hand pushing her hair away from her face.
"Well," the older woman said. "He's not wrong. It's rare for metaphysical techniques to carry across individuals even when they're closely related. My sister and I are a prime example of this." There was a bitter twist to her mouth as she said this and Lily made a note to never ask about the Terrible Tornado or her abilities. "When such abilities are awakened in people with no family history of them, they tend to take on strange properties that are almost impossible to emulate. Even if someone has a similar power, there's guarantee that training methods or fighting styles would carry over. Atomic Samurai's students may emulate their teacher, but their abilities are fundamentally different from his. Still," she laughed, but it wasn't a happy sound. "It is a bit frustrating."
Lily shifted her weight in her seat, uneasy with the turn the conversation was taking.
"I'm grateful for your help," she began, but Fubuki raised a hand to cut her off.
"I'm not giving up on you," her leader said, the confidence in her voice and gaze setting Lily's face ablaze with a blush. "I know how rare energy techniques are and it was a little too optimistic to think you might have inherited one just because you also happened to have the Engine. I'm sorry if you put yourself under extra stress because of my expectations."
Lily rushed to deny it, but was silenced again.
"I still think there might be more potential inside you that we haven't tapped, yet," Fubuki continued. "It might not take the same form as your father's, but that's only to be expected. If you end up being a purely physical Hero, then that's fine. We'll proceed with physical training as we have been. However, some metaphysical abilities can be dangerous if they go untrained for too long. That's why I want to try every test we can until we run out of options."
Lily nodded quietly, unsure if she would be allowed to respond. Miss Fubuki seemed to be talking to herself as much as to Lily, her words somewhat hesitant.
"There is a technique," she continued slowly. "Used by espers to unlock hidden mental potential. Its not typically implemented without strong circumstantial evidence of psychic abilities, but I think there it's reasonable to think that you and your father have potential. King is often seen at battles which start too suddenly for the Association to call for help, and is sometimes the only Hero on site when Dragon or higher leveled disasters occur. You also have a tendency to be in the middle of trouble, even when you're not on duty.
"Now," Fubuki said with a sigh. "This might be due to your Engines seeking out powerful opponent without your awareness, but I'm not entirely convinced the Engine isn't a psychic ability, itself, and I've just been rambling on and on, haven't I? Sorry, Lily."
Lily shook her head. "No, it's fine. I understand what you're saying. You want to see if I have any latent psychic abilities, right?"
Fubuki smiled softly. "Yes, although, if I'm right about the Engine, they might not be as latent as you think. Here." She pushed a folder across the desk and Lily picked it up, flipping through the contents. "It's a waiver. This technique is a little intense, to say the least, and it will involve another esper entering your mind and possibly seeing memories you would rather keep private."
"You'll be the esper, right?"
Fubuki tilted her head back, raising her chin in a display of arrogance that suited her much better than the serious expression she wore during her impromptu lecture.
"Of course," she said haughtily. "You're under my care, and that won't change regardless of whether this technique succeeds or not. But, if it does," she met Lily's gaze and held it as she spoke, her words resonating within Lily's very soul. "You will be my student. I won't entrust you to anyone else, you understand?"
Tears welled up in Lily's eyes and fell down her cheeks as she nodded vigorously. "Thank you! You don't know what this means to me!"
Fubuki scoffed, but the smile on her face gave away her feelings. "I'm sure I do. Besides, we can't have anyone uncovering your relationship with the Strongest Man, now can we?"
Lily hadn't even thought of that.
"Now," Fubuki gestured at the folder in Lily's hands. "Read that, sign it, and we can get started."
Lily wasted no time on the fine print. There was no way Miss Fubuki would try and trick her, so she just skimmed through the main points of waiver before signing. It was fairly standard, as far as official documents went. She'd signed a similar one when she joined the Association and again when she became a part of the Blizzard Group. There were a few more sections specific to psychic damage and resulting memory loss in this one, but she trusted Miss Fubuki with her life, let alone her memories. She knew her leader would never try to hurt her.
"I've also signed this Nondisclosure Agreement," Miss Fubuki said when Lily placed the signed waiver onto her desk. "If I do see something inside your mind, you can be sure I will never mention it to anyone, on pain of death."
Lily smiled at her maybe teacher, a warm sensation filling her chest. "I know. I trust you, Miss Fubuki."
The number one B Class Hero looked sharply away, coughing into her hand and fanning a reddening face. Was she also having trouble with allergies? Maybe Lily should tell Eyelashes, so he could give her a tablet.
"Right, ahem, let's begin, then."
Miss Fubuki stood from her chair and came to stand in front of the desk. Lily made to stand, too, but a gesture from her leader kept her in her seat. Fubuki's cool fingertips came to rest on Lily's temples, the touch gentle and barely there.
"You've been practicing your meditation, right?"
Lily nodded slightly, afraid to speak and disrupt Fubuki's concentration.
"Good. I need you to clear your mind for me, alright? It might feel a little uncomfortable, but please bear with it."
Lily took a deep breath and did her best to enter the meditative state her father had encouraged her to develop. Slowly but surely, her mind cleared of distractions, even the soft touch of Fubuki's fingers fading away.
Until a sharp pain lanced between them. She winced, body recoiling instinctively away from the source of the pain. Fubuki's hands held her still with surprising firmness and she had no choice but to submit. The feeling of another human mind inside hers was hard to describe. It was like her brain was a box full of junk and Miss Fubuki was rummaging through it, pushing things around as she searched for something specific. Lily hoped she found it soon. Her brainbox was made of flimsy cardboard and threatened to fall apart if things went on much longer.
Suddenly, the pain and discomfort inside her head disappeared and Lily found herself staring into Miss Fubuki's wide green eyes.
"What happened?" Her words were slurred and almost incoherent, even to her, but Miss Fubuki looked delighted.
"Lily," she said breathlessly. "You are a treasure!"
Lily wasn't sure she understood, but she knew the smile on her leader's face was good thing…right?
"Miss Fubuki," she tried again, words clearer this time. "What happened? Is everything ok?"
Fubuki threw back her head and laughed, startling Lily. She wasn't a woman given to grand displays of emotion—at least, not genuine ones—and Lily was starting to fear she had somehow hurt her instead of being the one hurt. What would happen if Miss Fubuki's mind stopped working properly? The entire Blizzard Group would fall apart and they would all blame Lily!
"Hey, stop that."
Lily looked up at Miss Fubuki, glad to see the powerful psychic was glaring at her. The familiar expression eased the worried knot in her chest and she wiped at the tears that had welled up in her eyes.
"You're fine," Fubuki continued, hopping up to sit on her desk and crossing her arms over her chest. "You're more than fine, Lily."
"Am-am I an esper?"
That manic light entered Fubuki's eyes again and Lily almost regretted asking.
"Are you an—Lily, you are probably the most powerful psychic I have ever had the pleasure of meeting."
The words echoed in Lily's mind without purchase, their meaning escaping her.
"Huh?"
Fubuki shook her head with a bitter smile. "You have so much untapped potential, Lily, it's a little scary. I can only be grateful we decided to do this now, or you might have ended up exploding sometime soon. Keeping that much psychic energy pent up inside can only lead to a bad end."
A chill gripped Lily as the gravity of those words sank in. Then, it was immediately replaced by a glowing joy that threatened to blind her from the inside.
"Then, this means you're my teacher, right?"
Miss Fubuki smiled and reached out to ruffle Lily's hair fondly, mussing the flower she wore.
"It sure does. Now that I know exactly what we're dealing with, I can plan a proper training regimen for you. You'll be flying in the sky with me in no time, Lily."
The smile that crossed her face threatened to split it in half, but she couldn't bring herself to contain her happiness. In a bout of sudden courage, she threw herself forward and wrapped her arms around her new teacher in a full bodied hug.
"Thank you, Miss Fubuki! Thank you so much!"
She could feel Miss Fubuki's laughter through their contact.
"I do have to ask one question before we start, though."
Lily pulled back. "Anything!"
"Does King really play Magi-Pri?"
A mortified flush crossed Lily's face and she fell back into her seat, hiding her face in her hands.
"Don't worry," Fubuki said around her laughter. "I signed an NDA, remember? No one will ever know."
Thank God.