Did I regret it? Yes and no.
It's already 7:58 in the morning, and I'm on my way to school.
After leaving the Summoning Dimension, I did several tests and discovered that my bond with Horus was very low.
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Summoner: Reiji Hoshino – Lv.5
Incorporated Summon (1%): Fire Horus [★★★★]
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I couldn't even feel his skills like I could with the Water Fairy's.
Maybe it's because I'm incompatible with him? Or maybe it's because he's a 4-star, and it takes time to increase the bond between us?
But not everything was a bed of roses, and not everything was lost. Although I couldn't use Horus's skills, I felt stronger than before. Clearly, Horus's attributes were strengthening me like an invisible armor.
So, it shouldn't be that bad, right? I could just switch leadership again, right?
The answer is: no!
For a week, I won't be able to change my incorporated summon. Now that I think about it, I probably shouldn't have switched to Horus and should have kept using the Water Fairy, at least until I understood how these things worked better.
However, there's no use crying over spilled milk; what's done is done.
Now, I just have to wait seven days or somehow try to increase my bond with Horus.
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"Hey, Reiji."
When I arrived at the classroom, Takeo waved at me, signaling me to come over.
"Good morning," I said, receiving a few greetings in return.
"You're finally here, Reiji!" Takeo threw his big arm around my neck and spoke loudly in my ear.
"Takeo, let him go," Makoto said.
"Sorry, sorry," Takeo apologized.
Regaining my freedom, I looked at Makoto with gratitude, even though it was easy for me to pull Takeo's arm off.
"So, what's up?" I asked.
"The restaurant we were at yesterday caught fire a few minutes after you left," Makoto said so calmly it sounded like he was talking about something unrelated to him.
"Suna, I meant." Takeo looked at him, then turned to me. "Reiji, you were lucky not to be there."
"I guess so." I asked, "So, did anyone get hurt?"
One of the rare times Makoto laughed was when it was related to Takeo. Hearing my question, he could barely hold back his laughter as he answered: "Not exactly. Takeo… Pfft… He saved everyone who was trapped and ended up with his clothes burned, only wearing his underwear with a hole in his butt."
"Seriously? Haha." Unlike Makoto, I couldn't hold back my laughter. Slapping Takeo's shoulder, I said, "Dude, you're amazing. I'm glad you're okay."
If I didn't know better, I might think Takeo was somehow linked to the supernatural. Maybe he was born with super strength or something?
"By the way, in this world, is there such a thing as the supernatural, or am I the only one with some kind of power?" I instinctively thought about Ai-chan. Her eyes didn't seem normal to me.
"Mm, leave it to me!" Takeo exclaimed, pounding his fist on his chest in a manly way. "I couldn't let Yamato's friends and my friends be in danger, after all."
"Yeah, you're an amazing friend and boyfriend." I was being sincere.
"I agree with Reiji, but Takeo…" Makoto got serious. "Don't do something that dangerous again. Even being you, there are times you can't take such risks. After all, you also have people who care about you and worry in case you get hurt… or worse."
"Yes, Yamato told me the same thing." He awkwardly scratched his face. "But, Suna, I'd still do the same thing!"
Makoto sighed when he heard this.
"You really don't learn, do you?" I said. "Takeo, what Makoto means is... Next time, try not to overdo it. Prioritize your safety before doing something so risky, okay?"
"Yeah," Makoto nodded.
"Oh, I can promise that!" Takeo replied.
We kept talking for a few more minutes until I heard someone say, "Hey, did you guys hear about the hero who wore the Sailor Moon mask?"
"Ding-Dong~!"
Before the student could continue, the bell rang, and the sensei entered the room, interrupting him.
I must admit, I felt a mix of fear and relief when the bell rang and the sensei arrived.
Even though I was wearing a mask that covered my entire face, I was still in the Kuoh Academy uniform, and my eyes, height, and body structure were visible. While the chances were slim, I couldn't ignore the possibility of being recognized, considering how many people were around.
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[P.O.V – Third Person]
While some might take the rumors about the "Sailor Moon" hero lightly, not believing them and treating them like any other exaggerated gossip to make the news more interesting, others didn't share the same thought. At least, they believed that this story could be true.
In a candlelit room, a few people enjoyed some tea as silence hung in the air.
Among them were two young women with a distinct aura surrounding them, sitting across from each other, each accompanied by a group of people behind them. Neither of them seemed ordinary.
Adjusting her glasses, Sona broke the silence: "What do you think, Rias?"
Sona was a young woman with glasses, a slender figure, short black hair, and violet eyes.
Rias took a sip of tea and, sighing a puff of warm air, answered with a small, seductive smile: "Ara, you ask me that, but I bet that right now, you're trying to figure out who's behind these rumors in the city. Am I wrong, Sona?"
Rias was a beautiful young woman with a voluptuous body, fair skin, blue-green eyes, and an impressive figure.
Avoiding eye contact, Sona kept her neutral expression and changed the subject, still related: "I'm more curious about the disappearance of the man who was saved."
Rias's expression turned serious. "Sona, are you implying that this could be related to one of the other factions? Or that it was done by some Devil?"
"If it is, we need to find out," Sona said, adjusting her glasses with her index finger at the center of the frame. "After all, this city is under our jurisdiction. We can't let any random Devil act however they want here."
"On that, I must agree," Rias replied. "But you still haven't answered me: have you found anything about the student at our school who seems to have used some healing power?"
"It's getting late," Sona said as she stood up. "Rias, it was nice talking to you, but I can't leave the student council room for too long."
Rias narrowed her eyes, but soon sighed. She seemed to understand that no matter how hard she tried now, even if Sona had discovered something, she didn't seem willing to share it. Knowing Sona well, Rias knew it would be difficult to extract any information from her.
'You'll see, Sona,' Rias thought as she lightly bit the tip of her thumb. 'It doesn't matter if you found something or not... I'll still figure out who it is!'
What was most important wasn't exactly who the person was, but rather their potential and whether they belonged to any faction. If it was a human who awakened a Sacred Gear with healing powers, it would be interesting to try to recruit them. However, even if they belonged to a different faction, as the one responsible for this city, she needed to know who they were.
Either way, Rias's eyes and ears were already alert throughout the school. If this person truly was a student, sooner or later they would be discovered for acting suspiciously.
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[P.O.V - Reiji]
Since earlier, I've felt like I'm being watched.
'Did I develop some kind of paranoia?' I thought with an ironic smile.
I know I've gotten a bit paranoid after hearing several students at my school talking about "Sailor Moon." Even when someone just says "moon," but without any relation to what I did, my heart races a little.
I feel like I've done something wrong, but that's not exactly the case. So why is it bothering me so much?
'Urgh... I need to put this aside,' I thought. 'Worrying too much won't help and will just make me seem even more suspicious...'
As I was thinking this, the feeling of being watched disappeared when I arrived at home.
Scratching the back of my head, I opened the door with my key.
"I'm back."
Hanging up my bag, I slipped on my slippers as I entered.
I went to the kitchen and made myself some coffee with milk.
As I took a sip, I thought, 'Did Mom go out with Ai-chan?'
The lack of response made me think about it. But I could be wrong, and they might be in Mom's room doing something, like watching a movie.
After washing the cup I used, I went to the bathroom downstairs.
'That mask... I need to get rid of it.'
Flushing the toilet, I washed my hands and dried them with the towel beside it while I mentally murmured: 'Status.'
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Summoner: Reiji Hoshino – Lv.5
Incorporated Summon (1.3%): Fire Horus [★★★★]
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An almost insignificant increase depending on the perspective, but still, it could be considered a relevant gain.
'I don't remember doing anything significant that could have triggered this increase,' I thought. 'Maybe it increases over time, or was it something I did without realizing?'
Since I still had the feeling of being under surveillance while at school, I didn't dare to carelessly open my status. After all, even though I had tested leaving the status page open in front of Mom and she didn't seem to see it, I can't be arbitrary and assume that, just because she couldn't see it, others wouldn't either.