Cuiabá | 2 Hours After the Chronus'Gaze | 2500
He walked through the streets absentmindedly, his head full of thoughts about what had happened earlier during the Chronus'Gaze. Letting out a sigh, he started scratching his hair.
Hirofumi Naobito felt very, very weak. That was the reality. What had happened? And why had his strength diminished so drastically?
If it were six months ago, he could have ended that fight with fewer than two simple moves. Now? He needed help—not just help, but the assistance of a boy who had never fought as a hero in his life and his lazy ex-classmate!
He sighed again and, before realizing it, found himself already home.
In other words, not only had he grown weaker, but also more inattentive. Why? Simple! What if someone attempted something against him? What if an enemy lurked in the darkness, following him home or attacking at an opportune moment?
"Your life is on the line at every moment, every breath, every movement…" – he whispered in a low voice, almost like a murmur.
He opened the door, already on high alert, and was immediately greeted by a concentrated blast of ice heading straight for his face.
He rolled to the side and clicked his tongue in annoyance before shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Cut it out, Matsu!" – Naobito
The young Asian hurried into the house, nearly hit in the face by a triangular bone plate.
"Seriously, enough!" – His anger began to flare.
And as if it were the last straw, an energy drink can filled with "Bentos" mint candies was hurled at his face. It hit him squarely, exploding like a grenade.
His face was completely soaked but not at all hurt. Yet, his expression became more animalistic.
"YOU SON OF A HEARTLESS WOMAN WHO SELLS PIRATED INDIE GAMES! I'LL KILL YOU, YOU LIVE-ACTION CHAPULIN MIXED WITH A SNOW QUEEN AND A DEFECTIVE IGUANA WITH PERSONALITY ISSUES! ONE MORE OF THESE, AND I'LL SHOVE YOUR BONE PLATES DOWN YOUR THROAT JUST TO MAKE THEM SPIN WHEN THEY'RE DEEP ENOUGH!"
With such a fearsome and genuine threat, the aforementioned Matsu had no choice but to surrender and timidly appear before Hirofumi, eyes filled with regret and metaphorical tail between his legs—though, quite literally, his tail was between his legs.
To our surprise, dear readers, Matsu was a child. A seemingly 9-year-old child with messy, light brown hair, blue eyes, and mixed Western and Eastern features, with pale skin and narrow eyes.
"Tssssss... Was that necessary? It was just an energy drink grenade."
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."
"Then shove the pretending where the sun doesn't shine and see an ENT doctor because you pretended so much you became deaf from all the dirt in your ears!"
"You don't just look like a child; you act like one too! Pygmy lizard!" – Hirofumi snapped, using an animal he had recently learned about to emphasize Matsu's stature.
"Does a child do this?!" – Matsu grabbed a beer can and began drinking.
"If some fool hands them a beer can? YES!" – Naobito retorted with a strong argument, one that seemed unbeatable.
"Your wall is my canvas, and my dick is the spray can!" – A critical hit using the supreme comeback!
Suddenly, both of them were struck on the tops of their heads, shouting in unison, "Ouch!"
"Well, well… aren't you two naughty boys," – a male voice with a touch of flamboyance teased mockingly.
It was a man with long black hair, a muscular build, amber eyes, and golden glasses with octahedral purple lenses.
He wore pop star leopard print attire, though the pattern was white with purple spots and a golden sheen. A white feather boa adorned his neck, alongside a faded red scarf that smelled faintly of blood.
His footwear? High heels adapted for men, shaped like horseshoes with purple feathers around them, predominantly white.
And his fingers and toes? Artificial nails—the hand ones shaped like "W," the feet ones like crescents. Yes, you could see his toenails, even with his shoes.
In summary? One of the tackiest, most poorly dressed people you could encounter in life. But at least he was extravagant! And if you're wondering: yes, no living being could mistake him for a civilian. His atrocious fashion sense was far too obvious.
"For the love of Christ, Redeemer of Rio, you're already 23 and still acting like a child? Just because you have a child's body doesn't give you an excuse, darling," – the man remarked to the "pygmy lizard."
Matsu blushed in embarrassment, turning his head away in annoyance but not without a faint "Tch."
"And you, Hirofumi. Well, it's high time you started managing those little temper tantrums. It's unbecoming and extravagant in the worst way. Imagine an enemy exploiting this inherent darkness in you, slicing you in half with a laser show, and breakdancing on your grave," – the flamboyant man declared, striking a stereotypical gay pose.
Hirofumi's only response was to give a judgmental once-over of the man's attire.
"Don't give me that look, dear. Deep down, I know you envy me," – the man said, crossing his arms.
"I only envy the money you wasted on this junk. Cough, cough," – Hirofumi muttered under his breath, pretending to cough.
The man simply rolled his eyes, a mischievous grin on his face.
"Anyway, Hiro... come with me." – His tone shifted to something more serious, causing both Matsu and Hirofumi to realize the gravity of the situation.
"Wait, why can't I come too?" – Matsu complained.
"You're not even the vice-captain. Excuse me." – Hirofumi arrogantly retorted, leaving with the flamboyant man.
As they walked, a casual conversation began.
"Working on any new technique, kid?" the older man asked.
"Several, but I'm personally developing one that allows me to use my Special Ability without Transmuting."
"Hmm! That's a good idea."
---
Explanation #2 About Heroes!
Projections are divided into three abilities, but that's not important right now. What matters is that the third ability, known as the "Special Ability" or "Unique Ability," can only be used when the user is Transmuted.
This is because the Transmuted state is designed to endure far more than the species using it could normally withstand, including utilizing more of their Projection's capabilities.
Don't worry, more information about Projections will come soon.
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[N/CA: Doesn't this feel too mechanical?]
[N/A: Who cares? I don't give a damn.]
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Cuiabá | Hirofumi's House | Shortly After
Hirofumi's house was a massive modern mansion, imposing and filled with cutting-edge technology. At that moment, Hirofumi was guiding the extravagant man to a secret meeting room hidden beneath a piano. After closing the door, he locked it to ensure the short man wouldn't snoop around.
The room was impressive. The walls, made of reinforced titanium alloy and chrome steel, gleamed under soft lighting. Every corner was protected with anti-bomb spray, making the space a fortress.
In the center, a long rectangular table with softly rounded edges dominated the room. Floating chairs were scattered around, waiting for occupants.
Hirofumi quickly took the main chair, beating the extravagant man in a silent race. Mattheuz looked at him with a deep, almost evaluative gaze.
"By now, you must have an idea of what I'm going to ask, or am I overestimating you?" Hirofumi teased, amused by the situation.
The older man, his expression rigid, wasted no time. "It's about the incident at Chronus'Gaze, isn't it?"
Hirofumi smirked and replied with an ironic tone, "Oh, you must know exactly what happened. But yes, it's about that."
"Congratulations, you earned a gold paper star," Mattheuz replied sarcastically.
"Wasn't this supposed to be serious?" Hirofumi asked, already impatient.
"Alright, alright, calm down. Give me a summary of what happened," Mattheuz said, settling in, expecting a detailed explanation.
Hirofumi, surprised, sighed before answering, "Didn't know you were clueless, but look, it's simple: the recordings vanished, the security cameras in the entire block went offline as soon as the attack began, and the victims… remember nothing. It's got to be a Projection. It was practically a crime without witnesses, except for me, Vavá, and Merkana."
Mattheuz widened his eyes, clearly more alert now. "This is… much bigger than I imagined. What else?"
Hirofumi sighed, recalling the details. "When I arrived, I found Minions—I think they were Voltajins—and an irrelevant Kaijin. Merkana was battling the Kaijin, while the kid was dealing with the Minions. He got his ass kicked..." Hirofumi chuckled, reminiscing about the fight and proving he's a jerk, having watched Sirius' battle without lifting a finger to help.
Mattheuz leaned back in his chair, clearly impatient. "And what were they after?"
"Apparently, they were after an artifact beneath the mall," Hirofumi replied.
Mattheuz suddenly stood up, shocked. "What?!" He clearly knew what artifact it was.
"Yeah, an artifact that, I don't know, seemed to stop time or something. It was insane. And there was a guy there, at the artifact's source. He seemed to be protecting something or stalling the adversaries. His name was… Augusto Zariani!" Hirofumi said.
Mattheuz didn't react to the name, but his gaze deepened, as if making internal connections.
"He mentioned being from the 21st century and had a strange, muddled accent," Hirofumi added.
"Possibly a Paulista," Mattheuz commented, almost as if recalling something.
Hirofumi, trying to lighten the tension, asked curiously, "Seriously, did Paulistas used to talk like that back then?"
"Whatever, it's not my concern," Mattheuz gestured impatiently. "Focus on what matters. What happened next?"
Hirofumi grinned, almost challengingly. "Who said it was easy?"
Mattheuz narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Hirofumi. "How did you struggle against an ordinary person?"
Hirofumi averted his gaze. "He had a Projection. And the strangest part: he was using the Unique Ability without a Transmuter."
Mattheuz looked at him distrustfully. "You failed to mention that detail? That's the kind of thing you don't forget! Why the hell would you forget something like that, fly?!"
Hirofumi leaned back in his chair, trying to appear calm. "I thought it was obvious…"
"Obvious? Come on! That's a one-in-a-million chance! Unique Ability without a Transmuter? That's a rarity! How didn't you notice?" Mattheuz now seemed genuinely irritated.
"Wait... is that even possible?" Hirofumi asked, now more confused.
Mattheuz stared at him with an unrelenting gaze. "That's basic, Hirofumi! It's all in the first pages of the Academy manual! How didn't you know that?"
---
[N/CA: Doesn't this contradict the earlier note?]
[N/A: So what? It's just trivia; other things can be said here.]
---
Hirofumi, speechless, tried changing the subject. "Fine, forget it… The important stuff ends there. If you want to know more, ask Vavá. He's the only other witness, aside from me, Noodles, and Merkana."
"Noodles?" Mattheuz asked, clearly annoyed. "Come on, man, you can do better than that. What's the name of the kid you recommended? And why did you recommend him?"
Hirofumi sighed. "I recommended him because he has potential. His name… Oh, I remember! Renovas!"
Upon hearing the name "Renovas," Mattheuz froze completely. His eyes widened, and a look of shock overtook his face.
He didn't move, lost in thought. Hirofumi, confused, tried snapping him out of it. "Hellooo… Earth to Mattheuz… Captain Mattheuz, your crew needs you."
Mattheuz, still in shock, didn't respond.
Seeing that the old man wouldn't snap out of it anytime soon, Hirofumi delivered the final blow. "Your fashion sense is so horrible you could be arrested for it!"
Mattheuz immediately snapped back and delivered a precise slap to Hirofumi, sending him flying into a titanium wall.
Hirofumi went through the wall as if it were paper, leaving a deep scratch on his face. Mattheuz looked at him, disappointed.
"Work on your reflexes," he said before quickly leaving the room without looking back.
Hirofumi lay there, stunned. His mind fixated on one thought: Weakness.
That thought loomed large as he felt the dull pain in his ribs and the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. He tried to gather himself, but his mind was a whirlwind. He felt exposed, vulnerable—a feeling he had never experienced before. What had happened to him? Where was his strength, his control? The feeling of weakness was unbearable, and one thought hammered incessantly in his skull:
How did I… become so weak? He looked at his hands. Someone did this to me…
Doubt consumed him. His gaze, lost, searched for answers in the room's reflections, but nothing made sense. He wondered, almost desperately, if he had been deceived, if something darker was behind what had happened that day. Something or someone had made him feel small, powerless... something he couldn't understand but that loomed in his mind like a shadow.
The doubt tightened around his throat, and he didn't know if the answer lay within him or was something external. But one thing was certain: he would need more than anger to uncover the truth.
"No… I won't be brought down. Not again!" He punched the ground, creating a crack.
Hirofumi Naobito would accept nothing less than the top.
Even if he had to share it.
The top was his.
And so it would be.
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To Be Continued…