Kei's leg bounced, nails biting into her upper arms as she bit her lip, worry coursing through her.
She swallowed, eyes flickering towards the unassuming watchers, unaware of what they were about to witness.
Her eyes moved again to the main four characters, who'd she'd been watching carefully for most of the last episode.
I'm too tense. They're going to think something bad happened.
Something bad did happen. She drummed her fingers nervously on the arm of the couch, looking back at them.
Ritsu got up to go retrieve a teapot and more cups, seeing how tense Teru was getting on the floor. Reigen eyed his back before asking the question, deciding on bluntness to get the answer he wanted.
"So, how did you two end up fighting?"
Two pairs of eyes locked onto him. He met them calmly, arms crossed.
Teru shifted. "Well, I couldn't believe that he had psychic powers, or that he was so powerful. I pushed him until..." His hands tightened, brows knitting together, blue eyes flashing with something that was gone too quickly to register.
(Fear? Anger? Embarrassment?)
Reigen moved his gaze to his student, who, instead of being nervous or guilty, displayed something so much worse- a blankness. His eyes were dull, unreadable.
There was nothing in those eyes.
Oh, god. What happened?
But he didn't get to ask the last question, as Ritsu had returned with more tea.
Kei rolled her shoulders, cracked her knuckles, and forced herself to relax before hitting play.
Clouds were dark in the sky.
Black Vinegar Private Middle School
The BIC lay defeated on the ground.
Teru's hands tightened around his cup as people around him cringed.
"Man, what a surprise. I guess there are espers other than you, Shigeo," Dimple said, smirking. "But it looks like he's pretty surprised himself."
Teru was backing up, eyes wide. "Impossible..." He choked out.
"Hey, man, at the beginning of this I don't think any of us believed in psychic power as a whole. So... possible."
"Are you a natural? There's another like me?"
"What's a natural?"
Ritsu answered. "Someone who has natural powers. It's possible to give someone powers, but naturals are more powerful."
The room exploded.
"You can give someone psychic powers?"
"Can I get psychic powers?"
"How?"
"How did you even learn about that-?"
Reigen placed his hands over his ears, wincing at the uproar. Surprisingly, Mob was the one who spoke next, and even more surprisingly, people stopped talking and listened.
"There is an organization of psychics called Claw. They give people psychic powers, and made an army of them to take over the world."
Kei called, "Calm down, we get to them later. We should just focus on now."
Ritsu nodded. "Put it out of your heads for now, please."
People obeyed, and the room again went quiet.
"What is that ball of creepy-looking energy next to you?"
"What?" Dimple shouted.
"Are you its master?"
"No, it's haunting me."
Teru's eyes narrowed. "Well, whatever." Yellow light began to brighten his face, hair starting to float.
("Well, whatever. If the policy of your religion is to kill all outsiders, come at me with all you got.")
Maybe it was his imagination, but Reigen thought he could hear the similarities in their voices.
The ground around him broke, creating rings. "There are a bunch of questions I want to ask you, but before that, we need to establish something..."
He glared up at Mob, yellow light surrounding him.
"The hierarchy here."
"There's only two of you, why the hell do you need a hierarchy?"
Mob blinked at him. "Say what?"
"Right? RIGHT?"
Progress Toward Mob's Explosion: 45%
45 ticked up to 47.
"Oh, that's not good. The last time that showed up before the halfway point..."
"Episode Three, we remember."
005
Ochimusa
~Psychic Powers and Me~
"Anyone else read that to the tune of 'shiny teeth and me?'"
"Shh! They're probably going to fight."
"That's gonna be freaking epic."
Mob winced. Teru cringed. Ritsu gave them both a look while Reigen's eyes flashed concernedly.
The people around them noticed.
Mob and Teru glanced at each other, shared nerves flashing between the two of them.
Teru stood in the center of a circle of cracked ground, glowing yellow.
"Be careful just in case, Shigeo," Dimple warned him. "Even you could get tripped up if you're not care-"
Teru lunged.
Someone cursed loudly, watching Mob fly back through the air. Ritsu clenched his teeth.
Teru felt nauseous. This was what he had been? This was the person he was?
(has he really managed to change?)
Dimple turned in shock, staring at-
Mob was completely fine, still standing, Teru's hand pressed to his chest.
"Sorry, I wasn't listening."
The room burst into laughter, some of the tension fading. Ritsu relaxed and even chuckled slightly.
Teru let out a soft sigh of relief. This was just as stressful as it had been that day, surprisingly.
Reigen breathed out, feeling the pressure on his chest get a little bit lighter, playing off his concern.
"What!?"
"Why are you attacking me?" Mob said, unfazed. "I haven't done anything."
He held out a hand. "Let's be-"
Teru shot back, incredibly fast. Mob stared at him, Dimple floating to his side.
"He's on guard."
"For good reason, I'll admit," someone muttered.
Not that I don't understand how he feels.
Reigen noticed Mob's eyes onscreen shift to his outstretched hand.
Something's wrong here, I just don't know what.
His eyes narrowed.
Damn.
Teru moved around incredibly quickly.
"Nyoom," someone mumbled, then burst out laughing.
I bet he's lived his life as a very big fish in a very small pond.
He's rather intelligent, for a spirit, Reigen thought.
And for the first time ever, he's meeting someone that could be his natural enemy. If he doesn't establish his superiority right now, he won't be satisfied, I'm sure.
"But, that aside, what's with those weird movements? They're kind of like wire action."
"Telekinesis," Mob answered. "It lets you move objects around, and stuff."
"You're not gonna do it?"
"I get nauseous, so no."
Someone grimaced, wrapping their arms around their abdomen.
Teru continued to move around. I use telekinesis to teleport close to my opponent and blow him away with my Psycho Fist.
Reigen pulled his notepad out of his coat and scribbled something next to the words "psycho shoda."
A flashback of him blowing away the Body Improvement Club appeared. This dancing strategy that I've perfected to use against average people-
"You shouldn't do that on average people," Mob and Reigen said in unison, then glanced at each other.
-apparently looks nothing more than weird movements against him. He bared his teeth, skidding to a halt. "Damn it!"
"Shigeo, you need to teach him a lesson here."
"I, for the first time, agree with the snot bubble."
"Show him who's boss."
"Yes! Show him who's the man of the house!"
"Beat him up!"
Mob tensed, eyes staring ahead at nothing.
"Shut up," Ritsu growled at them. Unsurprisingly, they listened, cowering back in fear.
"Come on," Dimple continued. "Look how he's standing. He's gonna attack again."
"Your 'attack pose' makes you look like you're about to shit your pants," Reigen muttered, then glanced at Mob and said, "Don't repeat that."
"I'm not a toddler, Shishou."
Debateable.
"You need to hit him with something big."
And hit me with something big he did...
"No," Mob said firmly. "You're not supposed to use psychic powers against other people."
Reigen patted himself on the back. Internally, of course.
"You idiot! Look who you're talking about! He's putting his psychic powers to good use and is living a fulfilling life!"
"Not the persuasion tactic I would have gone with, but okay."
Reigen watched his student out of the corner of his eye.
It's true, I often tell him that psychic powers are not a weapon. But...
Why is he so adamant about it, even in this situation?
"And then look at you."
Small rocks shot at Mob, glowing yellow.
"You live a dull lifestyle, one day after another."
The rocks bounced off a blue forcefield.
"Boring isn't always bad."
"Do you think there's anything appealing about you without psychic powers?"
The rocks exploded against the shield, breaking into pieces.
"That..."
"That's really rude."
"Yeah. He has plenty of good qualities."
"Don't listen to him," Teru said quietly. "You're a much better person than me."
Ritsu bit his lip. "And me," he said softly.
Mob felt a surge of pure emotion. No, I'm not, he cried out internally. I contribute nothing to society. I am worth nothing. I am nothing.
I am no one.
His hands balled up into fists.
30. 31. 32.
"Listen up!"
The screen faded to black, displaying a figure wreathed in shadow.
"We were born with special powers that other people don't have, but we mustn't let it go to our heads and think we're special."
"That sounds like Reigen, but what he's saying is somewhat intelligent, so I doubt it."
"Okay, first of all-"
The screen changed to an image of Mob, younger.
"People who are fast, people who sing well, people who are book smart, people who are good at talking, and people who can use psychic powers..."
He has brown eyes, Reigen noticed. His eyes look more black now, and when he was angry, they turned red.
He turned the thoughts over in his head. Perhaps eye color is linked somehow to emotion.
"You can't put one over the other. Being confident in your powers is fine, but don't get conceited. Depending on how we use our powers, they can also be deadly weapons."
The screen showed a glowing hand holding a knife.
Mob flinched. Mogami.
"They're just like knives. And what are you not supposed to do with knives?"
"Point them at people?"
"I'm actually going to scream. LOOK AT HOW PRECIOUS HE IS."
"So you do get it. Make sure you never forget that."
The shadows faded into just Reigen.
"Called it."
"That's the moral code that people like us need to live by."
"That all gets ruined once you know Reigen said it."
There was laughter, some of the odd tension lessening. Reigen clicked his tongue.
"Right?"
"Look at his expression. Gold."
"Anyway, I won't use them in a fight. Also, I don't want to live a life having to rely on psychic powers."
He stood surprisingly tall.
"I'm going to find some other potential within me. Not to mention, I started working out."
But why are you so against psychic powers? Reigen thought.
Ritsu's mind flashed to Mob, drying his hair off, apologizing for the 'accident' they had with his psychic powers.
His stomach twisted.
"I'm going to change."
But why? Reigen thought, surprising himself by the desperation in the thought. Why do you need to change?
"You say that, but..."
An incredible force slammed into him, blowing him backwards. He flopped like a rag doll, slamming into the ground.
"How was that? That was a telekinetic tackle with all of my weight behind it."
Ritsu stared at his brother's limp body, wide-eyed.
Reigen swallowed uncomfortably.
Teru hugged his knees, tighter, tighter, tighter, shoulders tense.
Mob continued to tumble.
"This-" someone slammed a hand over their mouth. "Is it bad that that's kinda funny?"
"A life without psychic powers? Ha! How stupid!" He raised a hand. Mob flew into the air, as if suspended by strings. "There's no reason to live your life stooping to the level of average people!"
He curled his hand into a fist. Mob's body twisted.
"Oh my god!" The teachers were in a panic.
Reigen took a deep breath. It's fine. He's fine. He's strong, and very hard to physically hurt.
Ritsu gritted his teeth. "You..."
Teru looked panicked. "I-"
He pushed his hand to the side. Mob flew off to the side and crashed into a swimming pool, the water surging around him.
"Other potentials are absolutely useless!" Teru shouted, spreading his arms. His voice sounded desperate.
Mob sank into the water.
"Working out? Studying?"
He pulled Mob out of the water, flying back into the air. "Leave that crap to the average people!"
Nobody commented. They just watched in shocked horror.
Reigen was pale. Oh my...
Teru's eyes stung. He buried his head in his arms, trembling.
He swung to the side. Mob bounced on the ground, skidding to a halt. He didn't get up.
"Brain, brawn, and even the law are all powerless before my gift."
"Shut up! Just shut up!"
Some people were crying. The teachers watched through the cracks between their fingers. Reigen's hands gripped his upper arms tightly.
Ritsu exuded darkness and hatred.
Mob just... watched. He felt blank. Regret, maybe, in the back of his mind, but really, it was just nothing. Just emptiness.
"I'm special, and the world revolves around me!"
"Polar opposites," Reigen mumbled, still pale. "It's obvious they'd clash..."
He stared up at the sky, a vacant grin on his face.
"Jeez, I guess there's no choice."
His smile died and he turned to look at the floating green spirit.
"Hey, little boy. How about we just call it a draw?"
"Not happening."
"Dammit."
"Ending up in a draw with a guy like that would be the biggest disgrace of my life."
"I... think that'd actually be an achievement, but you do you, I guess."
"I can't have you breaking Shigeo, either."
Mob still laid on the ground.
"He has no intention of fighting back, so he's obviously going to lose."
Reigen felt a surge of panic. "Are you alright?"
"Yes. I just thought that he'd stop attacking if I didn't move."
Reigen rubbed his chin. "Looks like you were right."
He cast his eyes down to Teru, who was curled up in on himself.
"Are you okay, Teru?"
He got no response.
"That wouldn't be good." Arms and legs popped out of the wisp of green.
"What."
He spun, turning into a green tornado. Mob looked up. "Dimple?"
"Most of my spiritual power has been erased," came the booming voice, "So I'm pretty much just some scraps left over, but..."
Teru stared at him, completely unimpressed.
"Oh my god, look at his face!"
"At least Dimple tried to help..."
"There might be a chance, still, though!"
"Even then, I shouldn't have any problems disciplining a cocky little brat."
The tornado solidified into the hulking green beast from the earlier episode.
A small cheer rang through the room.
"Shigeo's a man who can become god. He's not a second-rate loser like-"
Teru swiped a hand and tore him to shreds. Like a balloon popped, bits of green floated through the air.
"Oh."
A resounding silence now hung awkwardly in the room.
"N-never mind."
Mob stared at him. "Huh?"
His eyes widened.
"Dimple!"
Teru's heart constricted. But he's fine, right? He was fine. I didn't kill him entirely.
"I erased that thing with my Psycho Wave. From the core, so there won't be a single shred left."
Mob stood, eyes still wide. "Dimple's been exorcised..."
Progress Toward Mob's Explosion: 48, 49, 50%
"I-"
"What the heck, dude? I was starting to like that guy!"
"That's really-"
"He's fine," Mob said softly.
"What?"
The room, again, came to a halt.
"He was fine. He came back."
"What? Ho-"
"Can we go back to the episode, please?!" Ritsu said loudly.
The scene changed to a series of flashbacks.
Dimple, watching Mob lift weights. "Forget about your club. Work on your psychic powers instead!"
"Tsubomi-chan, eh? She's got a nice ass."
"Um, wHAT?"
Tsubomi's face flushed.
Them, after leaving Reigen's office. "Who are you calling a ladybug?! I'm going to send your master to the hospital."
Not if Ritsu beats you to it.
"I'll make you popular!"
Watching a group of girls walk down the street.
"Hey! Want me to show you how to use X-Ray vision? I don't know either, you perv!"
"I just said I didn't know how it worked," Mob said, sighing.
"Just for a sec, would you let me take over your body?"
The scenes faded back to the present. "Dimple..."
"What? Are you so shocked that your pet was erased?"
Mob remained silent for a moment, then looked up. "Not really."
Progress Toward Mob's Explosion: 50%
"Huh. Coulda fooled me."
Teru's smile slipped away. "Tch."
The clouds rumbled, a sign of the coming storm.
"Yeah, I guess you wouldn't be... After all, it was sort of a pointless existence to begin with. Though, that goes for you, too."
Teru's fingers laced through his shorter hair.
"Compared to me, you're third-rate. Nothing but small fry."
"You can become big! I guarantee it!"
"Some idiots get the wrong idea if things aren't spelled out for them. They think they can be someone if they actually try."
"I'm, uh... getting bad vibes from everything about this scene."
"Be more confident, Shigeo! After all, you're the main character!"
Teru's smile disappeared again. Mob stared at him, despondent.
"Oh... oh fu-"
"What? What's with that look?"
Mob remained silent for a beat, then-
"Hey, why do you have to belittle others by calling them average or small fry?"
Reigen inhaled. Shit just got real.
"Wha?"
"Well, I just realized that he might actually have been an okay guy, that's all..."
The silence was thick and cloudy, seeming almost visible.
"...he might have actually been an okay guy, that's all..."
"Compared to you."
"OH SNAP!"
"I thought you didn't hurt people!"
Mob just stared forward, that same look on his face. Empty. Despondent.
(̵̢̱̞͚̯̭̰̘͒͌̊̀̑̊̾͜b̵̡͍̺͈͍͐̀̂̌̔̾͋̿̔̐̾̅͛͠r̶͚̜̅͑o̶̧̧̘͇̹̠̭͗̿̅͊͋ķ̷̡̨̧̛̹͈̪͈̼̘̞͕̬̈́̿͗͋̄͆̌́̃̕͘͘ĕ̷̛͕͎̹̙͜n̴̦̯̩͕̈?̵̨̛͍̲͙͓̫͓̼̻̋̉́̽̈́͛̎͘)̸̡̰̖̙̮̲̺͇̳͕̦͈͈̓̄͠ͅ
"What?" Teru spat.
The clouds rumbled, flashing with lightning.
"Don't..." His legs crossed, staring to glow yellow.
"...Think that you can keep that smug look on that face forever!"
The ground explodes underneath him, more lightning brightening the clouds.
"I'll make you submit to me with your psychic powers! I'm gonna come at you with full powers and no brakes!"
"Imagine Mob doing that."
"I don't want to, honestly."
"That's dangerous. If it wasn't me, you could hurt somebody. Stop that."
"I wish I had listened," Teru groaned.
"Are you trying to say you won't get hurt?"
"Dude, you just threw him across the ground, into a pool, and then across the ground again. And he's still fine. I think he's good."
"Quit underestimating my powers!"
"Ironic, coming from you, but carry on."
Teru raises a hand and the ground bursts open, rocks flying into the air and in a wave. The wave hits Mob, who raised his arms to protect himself.
Reigen sighed. Finally.
Teru leapt across the chunks of earth, coming down on Mob and slamming a hand on his face.
They hit the ground hard and keep going, Teru slamming Mob's head into a wall hard enough to break it.
"Oh, f-"
"Overkill!"
Ritsu glowered at Teru.
"Sorry, " he managed, hands still tangled in his hair.
Mob continued to fly through the school, punching through another wall into a garden.
"Wow, you weren't joking when you said that you threw him through a school."
"Yeah," Teru croaked.
"What's wrong? You're just gonna keep defending yourself?"
"I told you to stop that," Mob said, standing.
Reigen wanted to scream. At least try to defend yourself-!
The statue next to him tilted, sending him flying yet again.
"Are you okay, Kageyama-kun...?" Teru whispered.
Mob blinked, looking at him. "Yes, I'm fine."
"I'm sorry," he managed.
"So am I," Mob breathed, knuckles white, hands clenched into fists.
"Show me your powers!"
All of the windows in the classroom cracked as Mob, for like the fiftieth time this episode, slammed into a wall. He fell for a moment, then slammed back against it.
"If you're not going to show me your powers, I guess we'll have to try something else."
"This... this is too far. We passed
"I'll see just how much you can take by administering an endurance test."
Heavy wind blew again, pressing him against a wall. Teru looked downright insane, screaming as he pressed Mob harder and harder against the wall.
Mob crashed into another room.
"Ow."
Reigen didn't even try to hide his relief this time, pressing a hand to his chest.
"You're going to give me a heart attack, Mob."
Teru emerged through the doorway. "The home ec room."
He looked to the side, a drawer opening. Knives floated out.
"SHIT."
"WHAT HAVE I SAID? OVERKILL."
"I feel like he's going to end up murdering him."
"Knives are dangerous. You shouldn't point-"
"Don't order me around. You'll reduce your lifespan that way."
Of course, I have no intention of killing him, but I'm sure he'll feel like fighting back now.
"Really? Are you sure? Cause it really seems like you're gonna end up killing him."
The knives flew at him. "Will you stop? This is going to cause an accident." Mob held out a hand frantically, deflecting the knives. one of them flew to Teru, towards the top of his head.
Teru cringed more, knowing what would happen next.
Huh?
The knife embedded itself into the wall behind him, a few strands of blonde hair drifting down.
The room was dead quiet.
Mob stared, wide eyed, sweating.
Teru stood still, bangs gone.
Anticipation laced the air, every breath seeming so loud.
He looked to the side, at his reflection in a glass door.
"You did this on purpose, didn't you?"
Mob made a small, fearful noise.
A huge accident has occured.
Teru's teeth were bared, and he spat, "I'm going to kill you!"
The top of his head was completely bare.
Hands were placed over mouths. Reigen swallowed nervously, starting to sweat.
Lighting illuminated the room.
Top of Teru's Head: 0%
y'all i was listening to the first intro with english subtitles and the song is actually deep as hell. seriously. go listen to it with captions. Also happy late birthday to my guy Reigen Arataka, one of my favorite anime characters out there! Also happy halloween