Chapter 220 - 219: What? Me?

Location: Kashiya Ward - Arisaka Consulting Building

Time: Early December | Morning

CLICK.

Kaito tapped the screen of his digital calendar. He scrolled through the scheduled blocks. It was already December.

Taking on contracts with different pro made the entire year completely blur together.

"Thank you for the advice, Arisaka-san," a rookie hero said, standing up from the guest chair.

"Just stick to the commercial districts during rush hour," Kaito said, setting his tablet down.

The rookie bowed and walked out to the reception area.

Eve stood behind the front desk.

She looked like a completely normal human receptionist wearing a sharp business suit.

Kaito updated her framework weeks ago, giving her a flawless physical projection and a natural emotional spectrum.

The rookie pulled a paper business card from his pocket and held it out to her.

"Here is my agency card," the rookie smiled.

His hand passed straight through Eve's wrist. The blue light rippled around his fingers.

FLUTTER.

The paper card hit the floor.

"Huh? I'm sorry. I think I'm hallucinating..."

Eve looked down at the card. She let out a very human sigh.

[I am a digital projection,] Eve said, her voice sounding incredibly serious. [Please leave physical objects on the tray.]

"What? You're so lifelike!" The rookie exclaimed.

Kaito watched from his desk and laughed quietly. His engineering was flawless.

...

Time: Noon

A veteran rescue hero zipped up her jacket and walked toward the reception desk.

"Thanks for fitting me into the schedule today," she said, reaching out to shake Eve's hand.

Her hand phased right through Eve's fingers.

The hero blinked, staring at her own hand.

Eve crossed her holographic arms and gave a polite, sarcastic smile.

[Have a safe patrol,] Eve said. [Mind the solid objects.]

The rescue hero shook her head in disbelief and walked out the door.

...

Time: Afternoon

BEEP.

The glass doors slid open.

Tatsuyuki Tokoname walked inside. He wore a slick, aerodynamic blue and white costume with a large yellow visor over his eyes.

The media called him Slidin' Go.

He walked past the reception desk and accidentally bumped his hip against Eve's shoulder.

His hip phased right through her.

"..."

Tatsuyuki stopped.

He looked at Eve, looked at his hip, and shook his head. He walked into Kaito's office and sat down in the leather guest chair.

"Mr Manager-san," Tatsuyuki said, pulling out a small notepad. "My arrest numbers are dropping in the outer wards. Can you help me fix my mobility."

Kaito looked at Tatsuyuki's file on his monitor.

"A quirk that removes friction," Kaito said. "And you're patrolling the outer dirt roads and gravel paths. That kills your momentum and burns out your leg muscles."

Tatsuyuki wrote that down.

"Stay off flat dirt," Kaito instructed. "Strictly patrol the paved roads and the sloped commercial districts. Let gravity and smooth asphalt do the work for you."

Tatsuyuki nodded rapidly. "That makes perfect sense. I was forcing it too much."

"How to effectively....." Slidin Go.

"Do this..." Kaito.

...

BEEP. BEEP.

The thirty-minute timer on Kaito's desk went off.

Tatsuyuki put his notepad away. He looked at the closed glass doors, checking the empty lobby.

He dropped his energetic hero posture. He sat up completely straight and placed his right fist over his chest.

"Auditor," Tatsuyuki said, his voice lowering into a respectful tone.

"Hmm?"

Kaito realized this random pro hero was a member of the Meta Liberation Army.

"Speak freely," Kaito replied.

"I just wanted to thank you personally," Tatsuyuki said eagerly. "Before you fixed the corporate logistics years ago, the regional commanders kept all the funds. The salary we got was very meager. And now, with the changes you have brought since the moment you joined MLA, you have made a huge difference."

Sip.

Kaito took a sip of his coffee.

"Now we have premium health insurance," Tatsuyuki continued. "We got thirteenth-month pay bonuses last week. The members can actually afford to feed their families. Nobody wants a violent war anymore. We just want to keep our jobs."

"The payroll adjustments worked," Kaito nodded.

Tatsuyuki leaned forward, lowering his voice even more.

"Morale is at an all-time high," Tatsuyuki smiled. "Especially with the religious branch the Grand Commander founded. The Illuminati."

"..."

Kaito stopped moving.

"The what?" Kaito asked quietly.

"The Illuminati," Tatsuyuki repeated, his voice full of awe. "The new religious wing of the MLA. We all attend the digital sermons every Sunday night. We bear the mark of X. We finally have a true figure to worship."

"..."

Kaito stared at him.

"Who exactly are you worshipping?" Kaito asked.

"Hero X," Tatsuyuki answered instantly while showing his X tattoo. "The God of the Singularity. The man who holds the power of the new world."

"..."

Kaito felt a massive headache forming right behind his eyes.

Rikiya built a literal cult around his vigilante alter-ego.

He turned Hero X into a religion, and Kaito had absolutely no idea it was happening.

"The Grand Commander says Hero X will guide us," Tatsuyuki said, completely oblivious to Kaito's reaction.

"Just make sure you keep these religious gatherings off the public servers," Kaito told him calmly.

"Of course, Auditor," Tatsuyuki bowed his head.

He stood up and walked out of the office, looking incredibly satisfied with his visit.

"The hell.." Kaito sat alone at his desk. He rubbed his temples.

...

Location: Minato Ward - Detnerat Corporate Headquarters

Time: Flashback - Half a Year Ago

THWACK.

Koku tossed a printed report onto the glass coffee table.

"The retention numbers are holding steady at ninety-eight percent," Koku said, loosening his silk tie. "Member satisfaction is peaking across all the regional branches."

Rikiya Yotsubashi stood near his heavy desk. He held a glass of water.

"Hmm. Kaito ideas worked," Rikiya replied, taking a slow drink.

"They worked too well," Koku pointed out. He leaned back on the leather sofa. "The regional commanders are distributing the funds properly now. The lower ranks have premium healthcare and thirteenth-month pay bonuses. They can afford rent. They can afford food."

Rikiya set his glass down.

"That's good. I don't want to throw away their lives meaninglessly," Rikiya said. "But we need to give them a different kind of purpose."

Rikiya walked to the far wall of the office. He pressed his palm against a hidden panel.

CLICK.

The wood slid back. A large corkboard hung on the wall inside a small, quiet room.

Blurry photographs and printed screenshots covered the board. Every single image featured Hero X.

Koku stood up and walked over. "You track him every single day."

"I track the everything," Rikiya corrected him. He pointed to a printed internet forum thread pinned to the board. "Look at this timeline. Years ago, a rumor started online that Hero X could shoot lasers. During the global raid, he fired lasers when saving America."

Rikiya pointed to another article.

"He stopped a global earthquake with a single stomp. He teleports. He flies. Everything he do, has a basis. We never know what his actual quirk was. The snap and the dimensional attacks that turn something or someone into a drawing into a painting was one thing. Then the interview with Endeavor and those villains who emerged from the 2D dimensions. All of it came from one man."

Koku crossed his arms, looking at the board. "You think he's modifying his own biology?"

"I think his meta-ability scales directly with the collective will of the era," Rikiya said. He looked at Koku with absolute conviction. "He adapts to what people believe he can do. He is the Singularity."

Koku thought about the political angle. "So you want a focused group of believers..."

"We become his church," Rikiya smiled. "We create the Illuminati. If belief equals power, we will give him one hundred thousand devout followers. We empower him, and we secure our place in the new world."

Rikiya looked at the center photo of Hero X floating in the sky.

"We will bear his mark, and he will lead us into the dawn. Just like how my ancestor Destro changed what we are today. Even if I am wrong by my guess. It doesn't matter. We will know it by then."

...

Location: Secret Subterranean MLA Facility

Time: Last Month

"...and he will lead us into the dawn!"

Rikiya's voice echoed loudly through the heavy studio speakers.

He stood behind a wooden podium. Bright lights pointed directly at him.

He looked straight into a digital camera lens, broadcasting live to over a hundred thousand encrypted devices across Japan.

Tomoyasu sat at the control console in the dark corner of the room. He typed quickly, keeping the signal untraceable.

"The old hero society sells you fake security," Rikiya preached to the camera. His voice carried genuine passion. "They rely on laws and limits. Hero X represents absolute freedom. He is the God of the Singularity."

Koku stood near Tomoyasu, checking a digital tablet.

Rikiya raised his left hand. He pulled back the cuff of his sharp black suit.

A stark black "X" was tattooed directly onto his inner wrist.

"Bear his mark in your daily lives," Rikiya instructed the viewers. "Build your careers. Protect your families. Prepare for the new era."

Rikiya lowered his arm.

"End broadcast," Rikiya said quietly.

Tomoyasu hit the spacebar on his keyboard.

CLACK.

The red recording light on the camera blinked off.

Rikiya let out a long breath. He grabbed a small towel from the podium and wiped the sweat from his neck.

Koku walked over to him and held up the tablet.

"The engagement numbers spiked again," Koku said. "They are totally invested in the Illuminati doctrine. The religious angle gives them a spiritual anchor to match their financial security."

"Good... It unifies them," Rikiya agreed, tossing the towel onto a chair.

Koku swiped the screen on his tablet. He looked up at Rikiya.

"Should we tell Arisaka about this?" Koku asked. "He is our Auditor. He likes to know about organizational shifts."

Rikiya laughed loudly. He walked over to a small table and poured himself a cup of water.

"Kaito is way too busy handling pro-hero contracts," Rikiya said, drinking the water. "He doesn't have time to worry about our internal morale programs. We will just surprise him with the massive retention numbers at the end of the year. He will appreciate the results."

Koku nodded. "Fair enough."

...

Location: Naruhata - Arisaka Apartment Building

Time: Three Days Ago (Flashback)

CLINK.

Kaito set his coffee mug on the wooden table. He sat on the edge of his couch. He just finished his consultation with Tatsuyuki.

He picked up his phone and dialed a secure number.

"Rikiya," Kaito said.

[Kaito,] Rikiya Yotsubashi answered. He sounded incredibly cheerful. [Did you check the retention numbers? I was going to surprise you at the end of the year.]

"I just finished a session with one of the members of MLA," Kaito said. "He told me about the Illuminati."

Rikiya laughed loudly through the phone speaker.

[The religious branch is a massive success,] Rikiya said. [The members have premium healthcare and good salaries now. They needed a spiritual anchor to match their physical security. It unifies them completely.]

"..."

[We are worshipping the God of the Singularity,] Rikiya added. [Hero X is the peak of human evolution. He represents absolute freedom. The members are totally invested. You told me to keep morale high. I kept it high.]

"..."

Kaito rubbed his forehead.

Rikiya was completely serious. He actually created a cult dedicated to Hero X, totally unaware that the man he was worshipping was sitting on the other end of the phone.

[As the Auditor, you should participate,] Rikiya suggested. [It shows unity across the executive board. We all bear the mark of X. I can send a specialist to your apartment right now to tattoo in your body.]

Kaito stopped rubbing his head. He thought about his position in the organization.

"Don't send anyone," Kaito answered smoothly. "Just email me the exact design file. I will take care of the mark myself today."

[Excellent,] Rikiya said happily. [I will send it right now. Talk to you later, Kaito.]

CLICK.

The call disconnected.

Kaito dropped his phone onto the table. He leaned back against the couch cushions.

He just agreed to get a cult tattoo for a religion that worshipped himself.

"What's the world turning into?" Kaito muttered to the empty room.

...

Location: Kashiya Ward - Arisaka Consulting Building

Time: Present Day

"Make sure you stretch your calves after using those spring boots," Kaito instructed.

"Got it. Thank you, Arisaka-san," the sidekick said.

The young man bowed, picked up his bag, and walked out the glass doors.

Kaito stretched his arms over his head. That was his last quick-consultation for the morning.

BEEP.

Eve's hologram flickered to life on the corner of Kaito's desk.

[Boss,] Eve said, looking toward the lobby. [You have a walk-in visitor. From UA.]

Kaito looked at the glass doors.

SLID.

They slid open.

Principal Nezu walked into the reception area. The small white animal wore a tailored black suit and a bright red tie.

He stopped right in front of the front desk and looked up at Eve's projection.

Nezu didn't try to hand her a physical item. He didn't try to shake her hand.

Nezu adjusted his posture, observing her closely.

"Fascinating," Nezu said cheerfully. "There is absolutely no thermal output. The light refraction mimics human skin perfectly, but the dust particles in the air are passing straight through your suit jacket. A hard-light projection of the highest caliber."

Eve blinked. She actually looked impressed.

[You are the first person to notice without trying to poke my face,] Eve replied.

Nezu chuckled. He walked past the reception desk and entered Kaito's office.

Kaito sat up straight. "Principal. You have my direct phone number. You didn't need to walk all the way up here."

Nezu climbed up onto one of the leather guest chairs. He sat down and crossed his short legs.

"Phone calls lack a personal touch," Nezu said. "Besides, I had to come in person to secure my invitation."

Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Invitation?"

"To your birthday party," Nezu stated. "December twenty-fifth. If Toshinori hadn't told me last year, I wouldn't know at all."

Kaito laughed. He relaxed in his chair.

"Consider yourself invited," Kaito told him. "It's just a small gathering."

Nezu dropped the cheerful smile. His black eyes turned serious.

"Now," Nezu said. He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. "I had a request or contract for you."

"Is it the Provisional License Exam syllabus?" Kaito looked at him.

Nezu explained. "Out of 40 second years students, only 16 passed. The results exposed a glaring weakness in our curriculum. Shiketsu High and Ketsubutsu Academy completely outmaneuvered my students in tactical coordination and quirk usage."

Nezu tapped his paws on the armrest.

Nezu continued. "Your changes on both school affected everyone. The results make me happy as an educator. I don't want just a contract, the same thing you had with Ketsubutsu and Shiketsu. Can you become a teacher in UA?"

Kaito picked up his coffee mug. He looked at the principal.

"I can't do that, principal," Kaito answered honestly.

"So no?"

"Because of my work," Kaito explained, setting the mug down. "I can't just change it, just to become a teacher."

Kaito pointed at the digital tablet on his desk.

"I'm a haken specialist" Kaito stated firmly. "Before I entered hero industry and was known as the Golden Manager, I worked every company and solved their porblem swiftly. And now I joined hero industry and created my own brand, I can't just leave it... To teach students."

Nezu listened quietly. He nodded his head slowly, understanding the logic completely.

"A very fair point," Nezu agreed. "You are a businessman first. I respect that. We can compromise."

Nezu held up one paw.

"I do not want you become a teacher full-time," Nezu proposed. "But I also don't want a simple contract the same as Shiketsu and Ketsubutsu nor you helped students developed their quirks."

Nezu held up a second paw.

"I want to hire you as a Guest Lecturer," Nezu said. "You can come to the U.A. campus once a week. You teach a specialized class focused entirely on Hero Agency Management, PR Crises, and Tactical Battlefield Survival. As for the quirk development, leave that to our teachers."

Kaito thought about it.

He didn't have to train their quirks. He just had to teach them how to stay alive and how to run a business.

It bypassed his conflict of interest entirely.

"Twice a month," Kaito confirmed.

"Good... Every 15th and 30th day," Nezu smiled. "You have complete authority over the subject. You can fail them if they don't meet your standards. We will start the contract in April, right at the beginning of the new academic year."

Kaito picked up his digital pen. He spun it between his fingers.

"Send the employment contract to my inbox," Kaito said. "I'm very expensive principal..."

"You will be paid very well, Kaito. And it would be worth it for the students to learn after the Golden Manager." Nezu said happily. He hopped down from the leather chair. "I look forward to seeing you in the UA next year. And I look forward to the birthday cake."

Nezu turned around and walked out of the office.

The glass doors slid shut behind him.

Kaito sat alone in his office. He looked at Eve's hologram on his desk.

"Add U.A. High School to the long-term schedule for April," Kaito instructed.

[Adding it now, Boss,] Eve replied, tapping her digital clipboard. She looked up at him. [Are you really going to teach high school students?]

"I think... It would be fun." Kaito said, turning his chair to look out the window at the Tokyo skyline.

...

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