Chapter 5 – Playing With Fire

Today, the group embarked on a culinary adventure.

The kitchen, though spacious, lacked modern conveniences. Every utensil showed signs of extensive use. Scratched pans, dented ladles, and chipped plates bore witness to countless shared meals. Despite this, Kamijou refrained from voicing complaints. Living without luxury was familiar to him.

"It's a decently sized kitchen," Kamijou remarked, eyeing the wilted vegetables optimistically. "I can whip up something with these, and with the right seasoning, we might not even notice their less-than-prime condition."

"You owe me something sweet, Kami," Naru voiced her complaint without glancing in his direction. Her hands were occupied ferrying ingredients from the warehouse, leaving her immersed in the task of organizing the supplies. "All that work I've had climbing flights of stairs all day was for nothing?"

Kamijou offered a nervous smile. Crafting something sweet from the available ingredients seemed like a Herculean task. Yet, disappointing Naru was not an option, so he started rummaging through the boxes to try and find any hidden fruits.

"By the way, where are the others?" asked the boy. He put on an apron that was lying on a bench and started sharpening a knife.

"Seike went to do reconnaissance with Leader," Yakumaru answered.

She was sitting at one of the benches, hastily scribbling in a notebook. Every now and then she would put a thin smile on her face or sigh, which made Kamijou wonder what she was doing anyway.

"But it's still daylight, right? Isn't it too dangerous?"

"Yes, but not that much. They're only a few blocks away." The girl with a cap kept her eyes on the notebook. "We use some cables to connect to nearby buildings. That way we can look around the base during the day relatively safely."

Kamijou rolled up his sleeves and began his attempt to make something edible out of the leftovers. The murmuring sound of running water echoed in the kitchen as he washed a miscellany of faded vegetables, shriveled carrots, wilted onions and peppers. In a hurry, he grabbed a bottle of vinegar from the pantry. He measured out a generous amount, its strong aroma cutting through the earthy fragrance of the vegetables. The vinegar bath served two purposes: not only did it clean the vegetables, but it also added a subtle flavor to the final dish. He was still unsure of what exactly he was going to do, but the basics of poor man's cooking were still the same.

"Hoho, this is where you are!"

The young voice echoing through the door made him turn hastily. It was the girl he had saved, Kongou Mitsuko. She looked much better now, rested and well-fed, embodying classic elegance and allure. Her ebony hair flowed gracefully over her shoulders, framing a captivating charm. In her expressive, large, and dark eyes, there was a simultaneous expression of seduction and innocence; a contrast that Kamijou often observed in sheltered, affluent girls like her.

"Good timing, Kongou-san," said Kamijou, putting a pot of water on the stove and turning to her. "How well do rich girls cook?"

"I cannot presume to speak on behalf of everyone, but allow me, Kongou Mitsuko, to humbly assert that I am, indeed, a 'gifted girl.' The Kongou family's reputation would undoubtedly suffer if its heiress were not proficient in even the simplest of pursuits."

She started waving a fan around, which he had no idea where she'd gotten it from, probably trying to hide her facial expressions. This girl had a tendency to speak rather loudly about herself, though Kamijou didn't find it particularly bothersome; he was accustomed to dealing with individuals of that nature.

"Good, show me then." He threw her a dirty apron.

Unfortunately, the girl failed to react in time, resulting in the apron getting entangled with her face. She quickly corrected her mistake, pretending everything was fine while waving her fan, also ignoring Naru's giggle.

"So, 'gifted girl', what kind of food do you usually prepare?"

"Did ya really fall for that, Kamijou?" asked Yakumaru, closing her notebook to look at them. "She doesn't even know how to make instant noodles."

"That was rather blunt," countered Kongou, brandishing her fan like a knife in Yakumaru's direction. "Just be aware that my family has passed down a delectable homemade curry recipe through generations, one that I've perfected."

"Do you see anything you can 'curry' here, spoiled little girl?"

"Okay, that's enough." Kamijou stood between the two. Perhaps the fact that they were from different factions brought animosity. "Kongou, I'd appreciate your help with cutting the vegetables, okay?"

"Don't worry, Kamijou-san, that happens to be one of my many talents."

Babysitting super-powered girls wasn't exactly his idea of a good time, so he opted to distract himself by scanning the surroundings for anything sweet that might be used for a future dessert, assuming there would be one. Regrettably, no fresh fruit was in sight, which was disappointing. However, Kamijou's attention was drawn to a tin can with a piece of paper affixed to it, bearing the word 'peach' scrawled across it.

"I doubt canned food aligns with our cultural preferences," he said, sifting through cupboards in search of a can opener.

"There's a surplus of canned goods these days," commented Yakumaru, engrossed in her notebook. "At least the adults got that right."

"Come on, Ya-kun," Naru objected, taking a seat next to her friend on the bench. "No excuses for that! I mean, those factories? Total exploitation zone for so many of us, right?"

"Yes, I'm well aware of that. It's a bitter pill to swallow, but it was a strategic decision."

It seemed that those peaches had already been canned for many months. Kamijou had encountered liquid food in a similar container the previous night, leading him to surmise that this was another hastily executed manual job, driven more by necessity than profit. It wasn't the time for him to contemplate the intricacies of the process, so he emptied the contents into a bowl and took a small taste. Surprisingly, it wasn't unpleasant.

"Well, that really is a peach."

"Like, seriously, Kami, did you really expect some wild twist?" Naru plopped down on the countertop he'd claimed.

"You never know in this world."

In the end, he decided to make a kind of stew by adding the vegetables and some canned meat he found. At least the food they had here at the base had more flavor than that goo from the outpost. For a moment he really thought that was all people ate these days, luckily he was wrong.

"It emanates a pleasant aroma," said Kongou, approaching Kamijou as he stirred the pot. "Do gentlemen typically possess culinary prowess of this caliber?"

"Indeed, they do," he replied, inclining his head with exaggerated formality and then continued in an excessively formal tone. "Failure in the culinary arts would regrettably strip one of the privileges to lay claim to the esteemed title of a true gentleman; it upholds itself as an unwavering rule within the realm of etiquette."

His words emerged with such 'pomp' that Kongou nodded, a subtle smile of approval playing on her lips, her eyebrows arched slightly, and her eyes faintly sparkling as though she had unearthed something extraordinary.

Kamijou kept himself from laughing and giving away that he was actually making fun of her. Meanwhile, Yakumaru looked at him and gave a faint smile as she shook her head, her expression saying silently: "You're the worst".

After he had left Kongou stirring the stew with a wooden spoon, he approached Naru, who was sitting on the countertop, swinging her legs nonchalantly.

"Hey, can you help me with something?"

"I'm the worst cook ever, Kami. I've said it a million times. But hey, I'm a total pro at kicking all kinds of ass, so if you ever need that, just give me a shout." She gave him an enthusiastic thumbs-up. "I'm so stoked for the next mission. I'm, like, dying to know what's up next."

The casual way she said that made him think. That girl was a fight fanatic, and that could be a good thing at the moment. He needed to do something, anything to help find his friend, and this girl could be useful, but he didn't want to involve her in his problems like this.

"I need to head outside again, but I'm not keen on going alone."

"This doesn't sound right to me," interrupted Yakumaru, rising from her seat and crossing her arms in front of her. "You're trying to lure my innocent Naru-chan to a secluded place so you can do whatever you want with her, aren't ya?"

"Huh?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Ya-kun, but that sounds like fun." Naru raised her umbrella into the air and swung her legs excitedly. "Come on, Kami, what do you need from me—ouch!"

Her excitement halted as her friend lightly pinched her cheek.

He wouldn't get accustomed to the way this girl acted anytime soon, but it wasn't as if he didn't appreciate all the energy emanating from her.

"You can come too then, Yakumaru," suggested Kamijou.

"Or you can go alone." The girl in the cap turned her attention back to the sheets of paper, her eyes attentive. "I bet you'll do well, trust in your potential."

Maybe she was right. Not about him being okay, which was impossible to predict in this world, but about him going off on his own. Typical. Involving people in his problems was a rarity, not that he was entirely averse to accepting any kind of help. He had collaborated with so many different individuals in the past that he'd lost count.

In the end, he chose to concentrate on the present, entrusting the pans to the 'gifted' girl and casting a curious glance at Yakumaru's notebook.

"What's that?" asked Kamijou, trying to figure out what Yakumaru was scribbling so much about.

"A notebook," she replied seriously, tilting her head to the side and bringing the object closer to her face.

"I think I could figure that out for myself, smartass. I'm asking what's in there."

"Words. Written lazily by this peculiar object known as a pencil."

Sometimes he didn't know if this girl had already accepted him as a member of the team or not. Perhaps more serious matters related to their work were all she was willing to talk about, something that seemed so private was out of the question for now. Not everyone could be as friendly as that other girl sitting there swinging her legs like a child.

"Show him, Ya-kun," urged Naru, sliding down the benches and accidentally bumping into Yakumaru. She quickly steadied her, tilting her cheek to meet hers. "It's always good to have second opinions. That's what you always say."

"I'm not interested in any opinions at the moment."

Naru's pout seemed to have a powerful effect on Yakumaru, she almost seemed to give in, the notebook clutched like a teddy bear but her eyes full of doubt.

Luckily for her, a strong smell suddenly made everyone turn around.

"Ah, damn it!" Kamijou ran towards the stove and put out the fire as quickly as possible. "What the hell. Why was the fire so high?"

All eyes turned to the 'gifted girl,' who was supposedly an accomplished cook. She smiled nervously, covering her face with her fan. For some reason, she still exuded a sense of pride, even amidst the lingering smell of burning in the kitchen.

"It's a secret technique of the Kongou family," she said, unconvincingly. "We're experts in the art of flambéing."

"That's your best excuse?!" Kamijou looked indignant for some reason. "That's not how flambéing something works." He used his hand to push the smoke away from the stove. "I think we can still salvage something."

All he could do was sigh and try to get back to business as usual. Why did practically every girl he met seem to be a disaster in the kitchen?

x-2-x

After a few necessary adjustments, the four of them sat down at a table in the faction's cafeteria. It was a large place, with round wooden tables surrounded by plastic chairs. There was no one else there. The unconventional timing of their visit explained the emptiness; Naru had roused Kamijou from his slumber to whip up something for her, and Yakumaru was just along for the ride.

"Here, Naru," Kamijou served the girl's plastic plate with a ladle of the stew/soup he had prepared, its aroma tantalizing his taste buds. "It's only fair that you should be the first to taste it."

"That doesn't seem sweet."

Naru toyed with her food using a spoon, probing the vegetables with circular motions, as if discerning the texture of the broth. She didn't appear satisfied. An observation worth noting in this locale was the presence of spoons, forks, and knives, but notably absent were chopsticks, though they wouldn't be particularly useful in this context anyway.

"That's not dessert," said Touma, gesturing for the girl to try it straight away.

"And it smells of burning."

"You could stop complaining and try it soon, the others are waiting."

"I'm the one who's not excited about eating this stuff," said Yakumaru, grimacing as she looked at the food on her friend's plate.

"You eat that weird canned stuff without complaining but turn your nose up at improvised hot food, what strange priorities you have."

"A matter of preference."

Naru turned the food over a few more times, took a modest spoonful of the soup(?) and covered her nose to try to ignore the smell of burning.

Initially, she looked disgusted as she tasted the food. She chewed and chewed, her face remaining neutral. A spoonful later, she tilted her head. And another spoonful later, she smiled.

"Wow!" she said between spoonfuls. "This actually tastes amazing!"

Now, she had completely disregarded the faint smell of burning and was savoring her food rapidly, without even bothering to chew it carefully. At this rate, she would burn her tongue.

"Are you serious?" Yakumaru was skeptical. "It's more than obvious to me that you just want to get his attention. "

"Noo-ia-am-tel-ling-thuh-truth-"

"Don't talk with your mouth full, it's inelegant," said Kongou. She put her fan aside and gently pushed a plate towards Kamijou. "Let's see if she speaks the truth."

Kamijou not only served Kongou but also took Yakumaru's plate, putting just a small portion of food on it before pushing it towards her.

"No, thank you." And she pushed it back and opened her notebook disinterestedly. "I'm a demanding girl, ya know. I'm sorry."

Meanwhile, Kongou was already savoring the famous "Kamijou Touma Special" (unofficial name), giving a few positive nods.

"All in all, it's not bad," she said, elegantly spooning the food onto her plate. "I believe my feminine touch imparted a delightful boost to the recipe."

"Yeah, I'm sure that burning smell is making everything more attractive," said Yakumaru, laughing lightly.

"Are you going to give it a try or not?" asked Kamijou, a hint of annoyance in his tone. "Stews are best enjoyed hot."

"Wasn't this supposed to be a soup?"

"Both, actually."

It certainly wasn't the most enticing way to promote the dish, but convincing the girl seemed like a lost cause anyway. Displaying minimal interest, she lifted the spoon, blew gently on the contents to dispel the scent of burning, and cautiously sampled a small portion.

Yakumaru suddenly went still, the spoon lingering in her mouth. A perplexed and almost inscrutable expression crossed her face. Lost in a reverie, she seemed oblivious to the world around her, delving into her meal in silence, everyone staring at her without really understanding the scene.

After she had eventually polished off the last bite, she dabbed her mouth with a napkin and broke the silence.

"That was acceptable," she said, sliding the plate towards the boy with a serious expression. "May I have another taste?"

"Hmm... I'm not sure," Kamijou replied, stirring the food with the ladle. As he lifted it, a stream of broth poured back into the pot, its aroma wafting through the kitchen. "We're running low, so it's wise to save the rest for those who truly appreciate it. Don't you think?"

Seemingly to tease her, he shook the ladle with the mixture in front of her, and the girl audibly swallowed, her mouthwatering at the sight.

"Hmph... it's not like I really want more," Yakumaru said, crossing her arms and turning her face away.

"Are you sure? Kamijou-san is feeling generous now." He scooped a spoonful of soup and brought it close to her face.

"Yes, I'm sure," she insisted, attempting to pull her face away, but it felt as if there were opposing magnets at play.

"Come on, open your mouth, Yakumaru-chan."

"D-don't call me that all of a sudden, it's scary..." The girl felt the pressure, almost breaking a sweat. Then, she abruptly surrendered. "Fine, I don't care anymore."

She practically lunged at the spoon, resembling a hungry animal. Her face transformed into one of satisfaction, even closing her eyes in delight.

"Oh, my God," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "This is so good!" Almost immediately, as if realizing her unintended enthusiasm, she corrected herself after a brief cough. "I mean, it's not bad."

"Those are some pretty ambiguous signals, Yakumaru-chan. Can't even tell if you're a Tsundere or not."

"Quiet." Yakumaru took the ladle from him and served herself. "Honestly, you're a lot better than I thought."

"Really?" He seemed oddly uncertain as he sampled his own creation, though it looked no different than usual. "Did you find it good too? It seems pretty average to me."

"Frankly," added Kongou, "it's not the best thing I've ever tasted, but we have quality food at the School Garden, so it's an unfair comparison."

"Could ya do me a favor and drop dead?" retorted Yakumaru, already going for her third serving. At this rate, she'd finish the entire pot if no one intervened. "This is probably the best hot meal I've had in months. You have a talent for it. Is it related to your strange power?"

Kamijou simply smiled and shrugged. The truth was, he wasn't a particularly skilled cook, at least not at a restaurant level. However, he excelled at turning budget ingredients, especially leftovers, into something palatable.

"I've been cooking for myself for most of my life," he said. "Give me something expensive like caviar, and I'll have no idea what to do with it, but you could say I'm a master of low-income cooking. Stale bread? I turn it into French toast. Expired milk? You can make something akin to curds, which is essentially a delicacy in some countries. You can even salvage mold growing on the window with ketchup to create something edible."

"Ya know," Yakumaru interjected, "in a normal world, I'd call you crazy, but now I'd like to try that mold you mentioned."

"Huh? That last one was a joke."

Not entirely. Details will not be provided.

But wait. Just a moment. This was a world where people had to make do with nothing more than leftovers or bland food. A world where obtaining expensive, quality ingredients was virtually impossible.

This realization rendered Kamijou's expression blank. His fingers, holding the ladle, trembled as he sampled more of his own creation. As he contemplated the world around him, he understood. He had transcended. He now bore the countenance of someone who had discovered an exploit in one of his favorite games.

"My God," he said, scrutinizing his hands as if they belonged to someone else. "So, there's no more good food left... does that mean." He audibly swallowed. "Does that mean I... am finally well above average by process of elimination?"

He was a heavyweight now. A victory by "walkover" is still a victory, one enough to make him laugh evilly as he threw his hands up.

"Take that, world!" the boy shouted at the top of his lungs, startling the three girls present. "Did you really think that making food scarce would weaken me? Silly universe! It only made me stronger! Hahahahaha. And now, huh? How does it feel to have your illusion shattered, my misfortune, hahahaha."

The three girls exchanged horrified glances. Naru approached Yakumaru and whispered, "Could you explain to me what's going on, Ya-kun? I'm getting scared."

"Welcome to the club." She shrugged. "We'd better leave him alone. Geniuses tend to be eccentric."

Everyone returned to savoring the quality food (by process of elimination) that the "master chef" Kamijou Touma had prepared, but the pot on the table suddenly trembled. Some soup spilled from Naru's plate, dripping onto the table. It was as if the entire building had experienced a sudden jolt.

Eyes darted around, but an uneasy silence hung in the air.

Then, there was a crash.

The ground beneath them gave way.

x-3-x

A faint cough sounded next to him. When the world stopped spinning, he noticed that he had landed on something soft. It was almost like a waterbed, or perhaps a pool of starch.

"What the hell is this?" he asked, standing over the substance.

"I did it with my powers."

Kamijou turned to find Yakumaru standing beside him, holding a transparent bottle. Naru was also present, although she hadn't landed in that soft spot; presumably, she used her powers to cushion her fall. She cradled Kongou in her arms.

"Thank you," said the black-haired girl as she put her down. "What happened here anyway?"

Rubble lay scattered across the area, accompanied by holes in the floor and numerous cracks in the walls. The golden rays of the sun illuminated the traces of dust, creating an atmospheric display of destruction.

"Part of the building collapsed, apparently," said Yakumaru. She had her hand on her chin and a thoughtful look on her face. "An accident... perhaps an external attack?"

"Noooo!"

Kamijou's focus shifted from Yakumaru to Naru, who knelt on the floor, her demeanor resembling that of someone who had just lost a dear friend. He joined her, kneeling down and placing his left hand on her shoulder. His preoccupation with consoling her was such that it took him a while to recognize the root cause of the distress.

"Naru, what's wrong? Are you hurt? Do you need me-"

"Pudding," she said with a sniffle. Her eyes were watery and red. "Was that pudding?"

Her slender, trembling finger pointed in the direction of what was supposed to be their dessert, now a shapeless mass sprawled on the cold, dirty ground. The sugary yellow remnants of the peach syrup dripped across the floor.

It was a disaster. An unimaginable loss.

"Damn it," said Kamijou, angrily punching the floor. Now he understood her pain. "Damn it, damn it, damn it. Why, world? This is all my fault, Naru. I wanted to defy fate, and now this has happened." He extended his hand, and a portion of the peach syrup adhered to his fingers. "He was so young. And now he's gone... forever."

Nearby, two girls observed in confusion as the two shook their heads with moist eyes, as though mourning a child. Naru even tilted her head and nestled into Kamijou's chest for comfort, he whispering 'it's okay, it's okay'.

"Are they always this intense?" asked Kongou, not knowing how to react.

"I can't say for sure. I think that weird guy is being a bad influence on my Naru. " She shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Okay, enough drama, you two. It's just a damn pudding, don't act like—"

Something caught Yakumaru's eye: her feet lightly touched a thick liquid spread on the floor. It was different from pudding, and the smell was salty rather than sweet. Her expression shifted from serious to one of deep sadness.

"You too?!" She threw herself down desperately, dirtying her hands with that substance. "My soup... whyyyyyyyyyy?"

Yet another person began to lament the spilled food, leaving Kongou alone to ponder with a blank expression on her face.

She said something definitive to herself.

"Are there only crazy people in this faction?"

Fortunately for her, the three of them ceased their "funeral rites" when footsteps echoed down the destroyed corridor. Someone had rushed up to where they were.

"What's going on here?" asked Maidono. "Why are your eyes red? No one seems to be seriously injured."

The three of them looked at each other and then stared into the void as if they were too embarrassed to comment on what had happened.

"Mai-sama, what happened here?" The first to pull herself together was Yakumaru. "Are we being invaded?"

"Invaded?" Kamijou straightened his posture, his face rigid. "A rival faction?"

If the answer was yes, that was a big problem. That boy had witnessed the aftermath of the faction wars in that furnace, a scene he hoped to avoid witnessing again if possible. However, it was even more distressing to consider that the people from this place, who had taken him in, could be the next to be consumed by the flames.

"A rival faction is responsible for this," said Maidono. "But we're not being invaded. That was an attack from a distance."

"That doesn't sound very good." Kamijou rubbed his temple, a thin pain lodging there. "I assume we haven't found the person responsible then. We could be attacked again soon. And here I thought I could focus on my problems."

"We haven't found the person responsible, but I know very well who it is." Maidono almost growled, clearly trying to keep calm. "That's her doing."

"Wait," said Yakumaru. "You mean... Mugino Shizuri? We're being attacked by New ITEM?"

Maidono nodded and walked over to one of the windows. Her hand gently pulled the canvas aside, allowing her to peer outside at the buildings. She focused on a specific direction.

"The first attack seems to have been directly on the primary supply depot," said Maidono, turning her back to them. "The reconnaissance team confirmed that those were white light beams. She must also have targeted specific structures to cause some secondary destruction on the upper floors."

"Do we have any casualties?" asked Yakumaru.

Kamijou's heart seemed to grow louder when that question came out so automatically, as if it were expected.

"None," replied Maidono, making him breathe a sigh of relief. "No serious injuries either. It seems that wasn't the aim. That bitch seems to be toying with me."

There was so much anger in those words, so much so that she didn't need to turn around and show her face for everyone to understand that there was a volcano about to erupt. And as if realizing that they were in range, Yakumaru and Naru took a few steps back.

"Well," continued Maidono. "Maybe I should do the same." She made a gun with her hands and pointed it in one direction. "I have a clear view of their base from here after all."

Kamijou sprang into action the moment he witnessed the girl's subtle gesture, acutely aware of its inherent danger. Yet, he refrained from advancing towards her, as a commanding voice intervened before he could reach her.

"Stop, Mai-san."

The young, soft voice made the girl turn and walk away from the window to her source. Surprisingly, her face was more bored than angry.

"Just in time. You're always such a spoiler, aren't you, Tina-san?" said Maidono, crossing her arms and looking at the woman with wavy orange hair walking down the corridor towards her.

"I'm punctual when it comes to preventing you from doing stupid things, Mai-san."

One strange thing that Kamijou noticed was that the woman spoke differently when referring to Maidono. This contrast became evident after their previous conversation. However, it was difficult to know whether he was actually wrong and it was he who was being treated differently. The tone she used in their conversation was more formal, but here, it was more like a concerned older sister.

"And what exactly do you expect me to do?" growled Maidono, her fingers impatiently touching her crossed arms. "Look at this. It's unacceptable."

"Yes, I know. But don't you think you're doing exactly what she wants? Don't play her game."

"We've already had this conversation, Tina-san. You convinced me before because things seemed calm, but... everything has changed." Maidono gestured broadly with her arm, maintaining her upright posture, her expression rigid, carved in stone. "It's war they want, so it's war they'll get."

She wasted no time and approached the window once more, but was stopped when Therestina spoke again. This time, her words weren't directed at Maidono.

"What do you think of that, Kamijou?" Her tone was soft, different from the one she had used before.

"Me?"

It was evident how he felt about it. His response came soon afterward.

"Maidono, wait," Kamijou joined her near the window, his hand gently touching her shoulder. "That's not right."

"Maybe not, but what matters?" She hid her face as she said it.

"It matters to me."

Using both hands, one on each shoulder, he gently made her turn towards him and look him in the eye, if only for a moment.

"Remember what I told you? That day in the hospital? Life can be unfair sometimes, disappointing, and it's the way we deal with that unfairness that defines us."

"That's the only way to deal with it," she said, but her face soon turned mournful, her gaze turning away from his as her head tilted. "It always has been, ever since all this started. Unfortunately, it's not as simple as starting a diet, Kamijou. People like me always find a way to go back to the same old place."

"I understand that very well," he said, using one hand to touch her chin and lifting her head to look him in the eye. "And people like me should make sure that doesn't happen. Or at least get you out of there if necessary."

Maidono lapsed into a contemplative silence, a comfort in its introspection. Her brown eyes roamed, uncertain of where to fixate, and her hands remained clenched into fists. A tempest raged within her, invisible but palpable. He couldn't claim to fully comprehend the tumult within her mind. Frustration, fury, perhaps powerlessness.

"Okay," she finally said. She undid one of her fists and silently smoothed her hair nervously. She couldn't look him in the eye. "What do you suggest then?"

That was the problem. Just pointing out a mistake wasn't enough, if he didn't have a solution, it would just be empty words spoken in haste. But he didn't have one. At least, not one that appeared both feasible and capable of guiding her towards a resolution free from resorting to outright violence. Alternatively, he sought a remedy that could offer a temporary calming effect.

Or, perhaps, a strategy to buy some time.

"Can I ask you a few questions first?" asked Kamijou. He took a few steps back to give the girl space, but her shoulders stiffened rather than relaxed. "What do you think this faction wants with us? Just attacking us out of the blue seems idiotic."

"Probably revenge," said Maidono, a thoughtful hand holding her chin, her gaze distant. "No... last time she..." The hesitation was obvious, her head swung from side to side in denial as her gaze moved to lock onto a certain girl standing there. "I think I understand why she did it."

The silence that now prevailed was much more uncomfortable than the previous one, and everyone present seemed to grasp the gravity of their leader's implication.

Kamijou wasted no time.

"It's my fault then." He sighed, looking away when Kongou glared at him. "Those guys were from their faction, right?"

Now that he had stopped to think about it, even though what those boys were doing was horrible, attacking them out of the blue sent an unintended message to their faction. Furthermore, Kamijou hadn't even bothered to move the unconscious boys to safety, a must in such a dangerous world.

"You did the right thing," Maidono affirmed. It was now her turn to approach him and alleviate his distress with a subtle nod. "I'd do the same if I were you."

"But that doesn't change anything." Something weighed heavily on his heart, urging him to unravel it. "This girl, Mugino Shizuri, don't we have any way of communicating with her?"

Kamijou took a step back at the expression on Maidono's face in response. The atmosphere in the room plummeted like a stone in a deep, icy well, and everyone present seemed to share the same sentiment as that girl.

"Even if we did, what difference would it make?"

"Well, we could try to negotiate with her—"

"Negotiate?" Maidono didn't know whether to laugh or get angry. For a moment it even looked like her canines had grown. "What are we going to negotiate, Kamijou? That bitch blew up our base." She spread her arms in an exaggerated gesture, making him look at the destruction around him. "The only 'negotiation' I'd be satisfied with is if her faction handed me her head on a silver platter. Then maybe, just maybe, I'll forget everything that's happened."

"Maidono." That's all he said in a soft tone, and then fell silent as the girl gradually calmed down. "There's always another way."

Kamijou trusted that he didn't need to say anything more. And he didn't want to. Watching her so frustrated was making him feel sick, so he stayed silent and watched as she clenched her lips in a rigid, straight line, her gaze fixed on him as though she sought to pass judgment.

Then she finally turned her attention away from him.

"Sakuragi, Yakumaru, you're coming with us," said Maidono quickly.

The two girls became slightly restless, especially the second one at the sudden firm voice of their leader.

"Where are you going?" asked Yakumaru, distress tingeing her voice.

"To the New ITEM base, of course, where else?" She paused, detecting the scrutinizing look from Kamijou. "Let's 'negotiate,' whatever that means."

A slight sense of relief coursed through his body, despite the apparent chilliness in her words. At least, he had managed to alter her perspective.

"Just one thing," continued Maidono, closing the distance to Kamijou and emphasizing her point with an intimidating finger. "You're coming with me as an escort, but that's all. I'm the one who has to do the 'negotiating', understand? You'll dance to the music I play. I'm still the leader of this damn faction, after all. I demand some respect."

"It's fine with me, but... I thought you were going to ask me not to go with you."

"And why would I do that?"

The sudden smile that graced her face bordered on the sinister.

x-4-x

The group didn't want to waste any time, leaving the base as soon as Yakumaru and Naru said they were ready. It was almost night, the last rays of the sun painting the concrete towers with shades of fire and shadow, the group moving through the dark alleys to avoid that golden cascade that the lurking creatures loved so much.

"We're actually doing this," Yakumaru murmured, casually kicking a plastic bag aside.

"You look nervous," commented Kamijou, standing next to her on the march that Maidono was leading.

"Very observant." Sarcasm was something Kamijou was already getting used to receiving from this girl. "I'd be more relaxed if Mai-sama wasn't bringing Naru with us."

"Are you afraid she'll get carried away or something?"

"Something like that." Her tone was dissuasive."Let's hope that laser-wielding bitch doesn't blow us all up the moment she sets eyes on us."

Kamijou's last impression of #4 was somewhat 'neutral'. He'd seen her say some problematic things, but everyone was in a fight for their lives, and it's not as if he hadn't worked with worse people. Probably.

"The #4," he said, adjusting his pace to match Yakumaru's as they crossed a narrow street and returned to the shadows of the grimy alleys. "You mentioned she's not a reasonable person."

"A good use of euphemisms. Another of your many talents?" It was best that he ignored that eye roll on her part. "Just so ya know, I liked that you calmed Mai-sama down, but you don't negotiate with that monster."

"Is that another thing you liked about me? I should start making a list."

"It's going to be a short list, and completely outweighed by the things I didn't like," she retorted, as if considering poking him for his jest but abandoning the idea midway, perhaps recalling something. "Anyway, this mission of ours seems doomed from the start. I suggest you keep your guard up."

"Solid advice, Yakumaru," chimed in a young voice from above. "Concerned about the new guy? How adorable."

Everyone slowed down and looked up in the direction of the voice. At the same moment, a person with black hair and a sailor's uniform landed in the alley, carrying a little girl with short hair in his arms.

"I'm not concerned about him, Seike," said Yakumaru. "We both know he can handle himself."

The Scavenger group had gathered once again. Seike and Leader had promptly received Maidono's message instructing them to join the team once the reconnaissance was completed. Now that their encrypted communications had been restored, it was much easier to receive emergency missions among other crucial things, something that was being greatly appreciated by their faction.

"So," said Seike, standing between Kamijou and Yakumaru, walking nonchalantly with his arms behind his head. "Are we going to attack New ITEM head-on? Mai-sama gained a lot of trust after Kamijou-san joined our faction."

"It's not an attack, it's a negotiation," protested Kamijou. He used an overly serious tone, which made the others slightly wary. The impact he had on them remained something he couldn't quite get used to.

"Yes, I heard it from our fearless leader. But we know how that ends."

"It will all end well. I'm the last person who should say that, but we don't need to solve everything with violence."

"Is that what you intend to say to #4?" Seike wore a mocking smile, but his expression returned to neutral under Kamijou's icy stare. "Okay, okay, I get it scary guy. At least tell me you can withstand a Meltdowner beam, that'll put everyone's mind at ease."

"I won't have to. We'll sort it out peacefully."

"Uh-huh." He shrugged. "I guess we weren't very clear when we told you about her. That girl is a monster. Rumor has it she even killed one of her own teammates. Do you really think you can convince someone like that without using brute force?"

"We'll find out soon enough," said Maidono. She signaled with a clenched fist for them to stop walking. "By the way, you'd better keep one of these."

Maidono's outstretched hand held an old-fashioned-looking plastic device. The screen lit up with a greenish glow as Kamijou accepted without thinking.

"You can send short messages to anyone who has one of these. Our radio tower will take care of the encryption." She waved a similar device as a demonstration. "This was custom-made, so try not to lose it, getting another one wouldn't be easy."

Without giving Kamijou time to ask any unnecessary questions, she signaled with a flick of her index finger for the group to continue walking.

Their pace quickened, maintaining this brisk stride for about an hour. When everyone fell silent like that, Kamijou began to notice how strange the night was now in that city. A profound stillness enveloped the surroundings; there was an absence of life, an ominous calm. Skyscrapers, storefronts, and apartment buildings stood eerily still, casting long shadows that almost strangled the feeble glow of the moonlight filtering through the towering structures. The desolate asphalt, covered in urban dust and rubble, absorbed nearly every sound of their footsteps.

It was in these moments of false calm that his mind would return to the person he had sworn to protect. Kamijou clenched his fists, the device he was holding trembling in his grip. He was torn. Lost. He felt the weight of his commitment to Index and was determined to honor it. The distant and challenging quest needed to continue. Of course, he knew he couldn't provide a cozy life for her in this remaining world, but there was still hope for a happy outcome if he could find her. Holding onto this fragment of a dream, his only lead, was like holding a tremulous candle in the darkness. Any piece of information could be useful, even if such a small and distant clue didn't ultimately lead him anywhere. However, hoping for the best was a predictable act from that boy.

They stumbled upon a quiet intersection bordered by slender, skeletal lampposts, then moved cautiously towards the nearest alley.

"Their base is over there."

Kamijou was slightly confused, his eyes narrowing as he looked across the street. He knew the place.

"A shopping mall?" His eyes went from side to side, remembering when he was here. "Are you going to give me some explanation of how effective it is to have a base here?"

"We would," said Maidono, looking through a pair of binoculars, "but we have no idea why that bitch chose this place. I wouldn't be surprised if it was purely on a whim. 'Mugino-san' is just that kind of person."

"They had another base in District 15 that was also a shopping mall, didn't they?" asked Yakumaru. "Clearly they have a preference."

The conversation was interrupted when Leader murmured something to herself, immediately catching Maidono's attention.

"Something wrong?" she asked, looking at the little girl who had a hand over her eye.

"Not exactly," Leader replied, looking up at the sky. "There's a horde of 'Shattereds' nearby."

Kamijou felt a chill down his spine upon hearing that. His last encounter with a Shattered had been an uncomfortable situation for him, so learning that a horde of them was nearby put all his senses on high alert. He contemplated his right hand for a few seconds. What should he do if he had to fight one?

"About 200 meters," Leader stated.

"Direction?" Maidono asked, scanning the surroundings.

"Southeast, beyond the alley."

Everyone moved hastily, with Kamijou being the last of the group, his heart racing but hesitant. He snapped back into focus when Maidono lightly nudged him and handed him the binoculars she had, which he accepted without thinking.

"Look," she said, nodding toward the entrance of the alley and partially hiding herself.

There they were, boys and girls, moving erratically through the wide streets, their expressions were vacant, void of the vitality that once defined them, eyes glowing subtly in the darkness. Their collective movements resembled a haunting dance, an unsettling choreography that defied any conventional understanding of purpose or direction, their silhouettes twisting and turning, occasionally colliding with each other in a disjointed rhythm.

"I thought there weren't many of them," said Kamijou, continuing to observe those victims in the distance. It didn't feel right to call them anything else. They were still people.

"Not exactly," Leader commented, still with her hand on her eye beside him. "As I said before, we're not sure. But what we do know is that Shattereds tend to attract others Shattereds, which is why we always try to eliminate one that roams alone before its friends show up."

"Which is not the case here," Maidono said. She put her hand on Kamijou's shoulder and then took the binoculars back. "Let's continue on our way."

Maidono gave a silent signal with her finger, reminiscent of a military gesture, which Kamijou had no idea what it meant, but considering that the others began to move, the answer was obvious.

Kamijou's gaze analyzed the mall in front of him. It was strange. There was no traditional "entrance," at least not in the way one would expect. The place was trashed, but it was as if it was all on purpose. Imagine that the whole place was like a cake, one that someone had cut a slice out of, leaving a giant gap with rubble on both sides but a clean, perfect path, which his group began to cautiously walk through.

The place was huge, transformed with industrial equipment but still resembling a shopping mall. Throughout the corridors, sales and promotional posters hung precariously, advertising offers that no longer had any value. A fountain had now become a stagnant pool of dirty water. The stores, once shelters for material desires, were now empty and bare, their broken doors swinging lazily in the night wind. But the strange thing was that many of them were of a different quality to the rest. There was even lighting, but it was precarious, intermittent, oscillating between faded yellow and gloomy blue, casting a flickering, weak veil of light, like the last breaths of a dying candle.

Breaking some of the tension, or making it worse, Maidono once again gestured with her hand. Everyone stopped, and Kamijou felt his heart change rhythm, his skin tingle, that strange feeling that something wasn't right.

"That's a super surprise," a young female voice sounded from above them. "Not so much, actually."

All eyes turned upward, directed at a girl with short brown hair perched on a metal railing above them. Intense tension thickened the air, and everyone tightened their stance, maintaining a heightened state of alertness. Maidono appeared as if she wanted to speak, but the little girl above casually interrupted her.

"Was this supposed to be a super stealth mission? You guys suck at that."

She snapped her fingers, and not a second later, other people appeared beside her. They were young boys and girls, leaning towards the railing with serious looks on their faces. But it wasn't just in that direction. Kamijou's peripheral vision caught shadows emerging to his right, left, and, if he had to guess, behind him as well.

They were surrounded.

"A trap?" asked Maidono. Her face became rigid, her hands moving and making a gun gesture. "So be it."

"Maidono, wait!" Kamijou wasted no time and grabbed their leader's hand before she pointed that power of hers anywhere. He ignored her momentarily surprised expression and continued speaking. "We didn't come here to fight!"

No reaction came from any of the people around them, watching them from the shadows. He chose to continue talking, but only whispered to the astonished leader next to him.

"You're our leader, so resolve this peacefully. Do it for me, okay?"

Maidono looked at the hand the boy was holding and looked away, fixing her hair with the other hand.

"What a low blow," she whispered, low enough for only the two of them to hear. Then she continued speaking loudly. "You heard him, we came in peace. We want to talk to 'Mugino-san', maybe we can sort this out without anyone having to die today."

There was a brief commotion among the people upstairs, but the brown-haired girl gestured with her hand for them to remain silent. Her expression exuded suspicion.

"I'm not super buying this," she said. Her hand gripped the railing so hard that it bent as if it were made of bamboo. "You showed up just as we sent several groups out of the base. It can't be a super coincidence."

She threw herself from above without fear, landing on the concrete floor and leaving cracks there. That monster remained unharmed, only a few meters away from the group.

"And how would we know that?" asked Maidono, undeterred. "We're only here because your crazy leader shot up our base without warning."

"Or you're just using this as an excuse to come here, trick us and take us by surprise when we let our guard down. Like I super said, I'm not buying it."

Kamijou wanted to intervene, but he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Seike. The long-haired boy directed his gaze upward, where the crowd seemed most concentrated. His unspoken message was clear: if Kamijou decided to make a move, he needed to be cautious, there was an imminent threat from a blind spot. What unsettled Kamijou the most was that Seike's warning didn't convey a sense of "be careful not to escalate things," but rather, "prepare for a fight, and I'll have your back."

But the spiky-haired boy wasn't interested in that, he had thought of something that could solve the problem.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here," said Kamijou, raising his hands in surrender. "I remember you from that day at the Dianoid. You're Hamazura's friend, right?"

The girl seemed to hesitate for a moment, her eyes scanning Kamijou's face as if searching for a trace of honesty. Slowly, she relaxed her posture, her shoulders losing some of their tension. It was a small victory for Kamijou. His strategy was working, but he had to stay focused.

"Are you a friend of super Hamazura, or are you just trying to trick me here?"

"I'm a friend. He can vouch for me. Just tell him Kamijou Touma is here."

"Kamijou Touma?" She tilted her head, her face rigid. "That super Kamijou Touma?"

"Yeah... I guess?"

The air crackled with an unspoken tension.

A knot tightened in Kamijou's stomach.

Was it working? It was a shot in the dark, of course, but it was something he had to do.

The silence stretched, an invisible thread weaving through the charged atmosphere. Kamijou could almost hear the gears turning in her mind. The onlookers, too, held their breath, waiting for a verdict that seemed suspended in the air.

Then, unexpectedly, the girl took a step back, breaking the connection.

"Too risky," she said and then pointed at his group. "This guy is super dangerous. Fire at will."

Everything had gone wrong. Now his group was surrounded in enemy territory and about to be blown up without knowing exactly why.

Welcome to the end-of-chapter notes. We start with a light scene and end with conflict arising. I'm continuing the tense atmosphere of this story, but sprinkling in a few moments of calm to cleanse the palate. I hope you like this structure.

I'll check out your reviews:

5had0wHand: And she's going to be quite a recurring character. I'm glad you like the tone of the story, the intention is to create a mysterious and hopeless atmosphere. It will happen eventually. Thanks for your support.

Dimz: Very nice to read that. What happened to Accel will be revealed, but it may take a while. Thank you very much for reading, I wish you all the best too, dear reader :)

Guest: Umm... that's definitely a question that's been asked. I don't know the answer.

5queso: One detail is that I thought of several different names, and I almost chose 'Garden Keepers'. When I was revising I changed my mind and chose 'Garden Guardians' just because it rolls off the tongue so well. The message from Shizuri-chan has been sent, let's see where it leads in the next chapter. Thank you as always.

Emzt20x: Glad you liked it. Yes, a specific character from the magic side will appear in a few chapters.

KHVSFF: It suits her, right? XD We had more of that in this chapter. I appreciate that you're enjoying it so far. Thank you very much.

Uzunami1: Thank you. Here's the fifth chapter, what do you think?

Nagaro2lv01: Thank you very much for your compliments.

See you next time!

By the way, what do you think Yakumaru writes so much about in that notebook? And if you're wondering how Kamijou managed to make a pudding from leftovers, he's just that good. That's all we have for today. Leaving.