Ayaka frowns and glares at the table. At the same time, she tries to detect any eavesdropping.
She secretly secretes droplets that glow in the air, the atmospheric sound diminishes until a transparent sound barrier is erect.
"I was sent to Canada to fight against a criminal occult who calls themselves The True Order."
Ayaka emits small killing intent. "Six heroes from my agency were sent and our job was...to bait the enemy."
?!
"You, an SSS-Tier hero, was a bait?!" I exclaim.
"We weren't told about that, in fact, the mission given to us was a fake, the real purpose was to lure those criminals out."
Using a top hero as bait is a sign of taboo disrespect. In addition, another logic does not line up. I don't understand why laying bait is pragmatic when probing powers exist.
"Why...were they using you as bait?" I ask.
"Those criminal bastards assembled a special disturbance barrier. Or at least that was Canada's hero agencies' statement."
A disturbance barrier is similar to a curtain and a jammer combined. Its purpose is mainly to prevent vision or any form of light from entering and cutting signals from devices. Thus, powers can still be used.
...
"Anyways." Ayaka continues. "We March into the barrier, oblivious of their intentions. At the start, our job was going smoothly as we apprehend various villains...until we met an ambush ourselves. It's as if they knew we were coming in that direction."
Ayaka clenches her fist. "Three of my colleagues died instantly."
...
"I fought with everything on the line but was still injured due to the lack of humidity and water bodies. The 7 SSS-Tier heroes from Canada only came in to save us after Blue Shield was critically injured."
I widen my eyes. "Blue...shield?" I mumble.
That guy is still alive... I remember my virus invaded him when they were chasing me before my death.
Leaving Blue Shield aside, a country usually only has 1, 2 or 3 SSS-Tier heroes. But Canada has 7. One of the reasons for that is the abnormality of power crystals naturally forming on Canada's land; their enlightened resources outrun one-third of the world.
A hypothesis is formed: they were mocking Ayaka deliberately.
...
"Also, although the news stated that The True Order was wiped out... They are not. All we simply did was destroy one branch of psychopaths." Says Ayaka.
"I see...that's okay. All that matters is that you are alive." I say with a relieved smile.
Ayaka nods.
...
The True Order...Those bastards were both my business partner and my stalker. They were obsessed with my plagues, deeming my plagues to be living organisms created from nothing; they view my power as impactful research material, thus, buying samples of my plague at a very high price.
Speaking of which, The True Order kidnapped a young girl with white long hair 10 years ago. The young girl never seem to age no matter how much time passed.
...
The appearance of fake powers...might be related to The True Order.
------------------------
3 days later, I received my hero license in the mail.
At night, I flip it open during dinner and a slip of paper unfolds, a blue card is pasted at the back.
It reads:
===========
[Hero License]
Ayato Kizuma
F-Tier hero
Index: F10290
===========
What?
Rank F?
I take a look at the document.
The document stated the location of my assigned Hero Academy enrollment and the necessary details that a hero should know such as the laws and rights I can have. In addition, at the bottom portion, there is additional writing in a yellow box. It claimed that my invigilator, Adrain, had rigged the entire test, manipulating the results thus resulting in a "void" grade after much consideration. They ask that I take the test again for a better tier appointment.
"What?! There was an accident during the test?!" Ayaka exclaims. "Why didn't you tell me?"
We are eating dinner, and Ayaka had whipped up some steak from a processed ready-to-eat meal.
"You didn't ask me."
...
Ayaka takes a sip of water. "Go retake the examination." She says while cutting the steak on her plate.
...
How do I convince Ayaka? Being an F-Tier is in reality advantageous. If I kill any heroes, I can be the least suspect.
"I don't like the hierarchy in the Academy," I say. "I want to crush it."
Ayaka widens her eyes. "What?"
"An F-Tier hero is still a human, I don't like how the Academy is treating 'us' as if we are fodder," I say.
Ayaka frowns. I don't think my excuse will work.
The original Ayato was a somewhat righteous and naive boy. I-
"Okay," Ayato says, chomping down the slice of meat.
!?
...
She swallows and says "I...have been too overprotective."
Ayaka stares down, avoiding eye contact. "Maybe if I did this earlier, the incident with the plague harbinger wouldn't happen." She mumbles softly.
"However, if you continue to stay in the F-Tier, I won't help you."
She is asking me to be independent.
"Fine by me," I reply.
The dinner afterwards ended up in an awkward stillness. Until now, I cannot reason with Ayaka: It is clear that she knows the dark side of society...yet her firm motive to protect has never diminished. If I can find out what her reason is...
My mind goes back to the request that "Ayato" asked me. If I can corrupt Ayaka...killing humanity might not be far off.
------------------------------
A man in formal tuxedo groans at the amount of paperwork he has.
*knock knock*
"Come in."
A beautiful and elegant secretary walks in. Her black shoulder-length hair basks in the dazzling light.
"Sir, the golem remnants that Ayato destroyed have arrived." She says.
!
The man lights up. "Bring me to see it."
The secretary brings the man into an underground room. Right in front of the door is a table and fragments of rocks scattered on it.
The man smiles as he stares at it. "The plague harbinger..." He mumbles