As though caught in a gust of wind, Matt was suddenly lifted up and then brought back down to the ground. A jolt of electricity surged through his body, and even after the wind had dissipated, he still felt a tingling sensation.
A notification appeared on a digital screen in front of him:
Followed by a message:
{Welcome to the Chuunibyou Society's Headquarters, Voidbringer}.
Energized, Matt looked around and realized he was in a completely different location from where he had been just moments ago. The area resembled a massive waiting room, reminiscent of an airport terminal. Rows of chairs were occupied by a multitude of people, and instead of departure gates, there were numerous portal-like structures, presumably Bridges.
"So, this is the concourse of the Chuunibyou Society! There are so many people here... and they're all Chuunibyous!" Matt marveled at the sheer number of individuals who were part of the Society, each sporting their unique quirks and idiosyncrasies.
Suddenly, a wave of anxiety washed over him. How was he supposed to navigate through this bustling environment? Had his team already given up on him for being tardy?
"Hey! Matt... oh, sorry, I mean Voidbringer!" A high-pitched voice interrupted his thoughts, causing him to turn towards its source. To his surprise, it wasn't a person addressing him, but a three-meter-tall, pink, fluffy teddy bear.
Standing a good distance away, Matt could see a figure waving excitedly at him. He laughed nervously as he walked closer, realizing that it was Tee, the teddy bear Violet had mentioned earlier.
"U-uh… hi. You're Tee, right?" he said, once he was close enough to speak.
"That's right!" Tee responded energetically, finally dropping its flabby hands. "I see Violet has told you about me."
"You mean… Pansy, right? We're both part of the Chuunibyou Society," Matt clarified.
"Oh yeah, hahaha. Thanks for reminding me," Tee chuckled. Despite being a teddy bear, it felt like he was talking to an actual person.
Matt was still unsure of how to react to the situation. He couldn't believe that he was conversing with a stuffed animal as if it were a real person.
"I have so many questions about this thing, but now is not the time for that," thought Matt to himself. "Where are the others? They didn't leave me, did they?" he asked Tee, knowing that Violet wouldn't leave without her Contracted Entity.
"Well, it depends on what you mean by that," Tee responded, stroking its chin. Matt's heart sank at the thought that his friends may have left him.
"Eh?" Matt said, feeling confused and anxious.
"They were all waiting for you here, but when you didn't show up, they left for the training room. They abandoned me here...to wait for you," Tee explained, sounding dejected.
"So, that means—"
"They haven't gone on any mission, right?" Tee cut in, sounding hopeful.
"Miss Rose is so mean to me," Tee added, sulking.
"Hey, Tee, FOCUS!" Matt raised his voice, unable to tolerate the teddy bear's sulking any longer.
Fortunately, Tee snapped out of its glum state. "W-what were we talking about?" it asked, its glassy eyes looking innocent.
"You were about to tell me where Violet and the others are," Matt reminded Tee.
"Pansy, remember? We're in the—"
"Yeah, I get it! Jeez," Matt interrupted, feeling a bit frustrated.
For a moment, Matt and Tee stared at each other in silence, making the atmosphere even more awkward as they caught their breath.
"So, where is Pansy?" Matt asked, breaking the silence.
"Oh, they're in the training room. I'll take you there," Tee responded, suddenly starting to move.
"Thanks," Matt said gratefully.
"Don't mention it. It's my duty," Tee replied.
"Yeah, I know, but still, you—"
"No, I mean it's literally my duty. Rose forced me to stand here and wait for you until you arrived. I've been here for hours..." Tee trailed off, sounding tired and forlorn.
Matt suddenly felt guilty. He wasn't sure if Tee was intentionally laying on a guilt trip or not, but it was definitely working.
"I'm so tired..." Tee murmured, adding unintelligible things.
In response, Matt decided to keep quiet and patiently follow the teddy. A mix of pity and guilt pooled within him, and he didn't know how to better help the bear.
As a result, he had no choice but to zip it.
*
*
*
As soon as Matt stepped into the training hall, Rose's voice rang out. "You're late."
The dull-colored room was sparsely furnished, with black and white tiles as the only discernible aesthetic. Yet, its size was incredible. Though not as spacious as the site used for his exams, Matt was still awed by the vastness of the hall. A hundred people could fit in here and still have room to spare.
"I'm sorry. I really am. I have no excuse—"
"Yeah, yeah. Just join everyone." Rose gestured towards the three figures standing in front of her.
Matt's gaze followed her pointed finger, and he saw his three teammates: Pansy, Shadow, and Bee. It felt strange to refer to Pansy by her code name, but Matt reminded himself to stick to protocol.
"Thank you." Void, as he was now known, lowered his head and made his way towards the others, taking his place in an orderly row.
He spotted Tee lying on the ground, its chubby and fluffy body stretched out on the black and white tiles. "It must be exhausted," Matt thought with a tinge of sympathy.
"Mr. Tee!" Rose's voice interrupted his thoughts, causing the poor teddy bear to jump in shock. Even Matt couldn't help but feel sorry for it, given all that it had been through. He could only imagine the horrors that awaited Tee.
"Well done! You've done well for your training," Rose praised.
At first, there was silence, but then Matt couldn't contain his surprise. "Eh?" he blurted out.
Rose's praise towards Tee surprised Matt. He couldn't believe that a teddy bear could be trained, and he wondered what kind of training that could be. He looked at Tee, who was now sitting upright and had a proud expression on its face. Matt couldn't help but feel amused by the sight of a teddy bear looking proud of its achievements.
"Training? What kind of training did you put Tee through?" Matt asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
Rose gave him a small smile before responding, "Let's just say that we taught Tee how to be an expert in espionage and gathering information. You'd be surprised at how useful a teddy bear can be in the field of intelligence gathering."
Matt couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at the idea of a teddy bear being a spy. It seemed surreal to him, but at the same time, he couldn't deny the usefulness of having a covert entity that nobody would suspect.
"Well, I guess we'll have to be careful not to spill any secrets around Tee," Matt joked, earning a small laugh from Pansy and Shadow.
Bee, on the other hand, remained silent, her expression unreadable. Matt wondered if she found the idea of a teddy bear being a spy as amusing as he did or if she was simply uninterested.
"Now that you're all here, let's begin our training," Rose announced, cutting off their conversation. "Today, we'll be focusing on teamwork and cooperation."
Matt felt a bit disappointed that they weren't going on a mission, but he knew that training was important to become a strong team. He nodded along with the others, determined to do his best.
"Okay, Miss Rose. What kind of exercise is it?" Pansy asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice.
"A battle exercise," Rose replied with a smirk. "We'll be simulating a battle with another team, and you'll have to work together to come out victorious."
"A battle exercise…? That sounds intense," Bee commented, looking a bit nervous.
"It will be intense," Rose confirmed. "But that's the whole point of it. You'll learn to work together under pressure and in combat situations. You'll also learn to use your abilities effectively in a team setting."
"I'm ready," Shadow said, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Good. You'll need that enthusiasm," Rose replied. "Now, get yourselves ready. We'll begin in ten minutes."
The four teammates nodded and dispersed to get themselves prepared. Matt felt a mix of nervousness and excitement as he made his way to the locker room to change into his combat gear. This was his chance to show his new team what he was capable of, and he was determined to make a good impression.