The Hiss of Gas
The ability user who had finally revealed themselves completely beyond the gap in space wore tattered rags like a robe, radiating an aura that warned anyone against approaching. Just as Nero had said, the horn protruding grotesquely from one side of the head after tearing through the cloth was pitch-black and razor-sharp, stabbing toward the sky in a menacing silhouette that resembled no animal's horn. The height and build seemed only slightly larger than Founder's, with limbs so thin they made one briefly wonder if this was a girl, yet the gas mask covering the face and the disheveled dark-purple hair spilling out from beneath the rags made the body stiffen at first glance.
Wait—a gas mask? The moment I realized the ability user's gaze had shifted toward us, something rolled across the floor. "..!!" A heavy cylindrical object the size of a fist, complete with a handle and pin, looking ready to explode at any second, had been thrown and was now tumbling straight toward us across the recovery room floor. Without a second thought, I threw myself forward, pulling Nero and Mini Undine into my arms and shielding them as we crashed to the ground.
"Kyaa… uwaa…?" I squeezed my eyes shut, but even after several seconds passed, no explosion came. "…?"
"Um… Master? In a situation like this… this is a little…" Ignoring Nero's oddly pleased voice, I turned my head slightly. The object still lay there untouched, pin and handle intact. What the…? Had they thrown it just to mess with me? I looked back at the ability user and saw them tilting their head in the same confused manner, clearly wondering why it hadn't gone off.
"…?" Only then did I notice something strange: I couldn't hear the ability user's inner voice at all. Thinking back, it had been the same ever since I first opened my eyes and saw the Field Team Leader. How had I only realized it now, after so much time had passed? Was this a lingering effect from the accident? The inability to read the opponent's mind in a moment like this only made the tension worse.
With a soft shrrrk, another small gap in space opened above the ability user's palm. The grenade that had fallen to the floor was sucked back into their hand. It was an incredibly convenient ability, even if the timing was terrible. Click. Fsssh…!
"Huh…?" While I was still processing, the figure hooked a finger through the pin, pulled it free, watched the safety lever fly off, and tossed the now-live grenade back through the spatial gap. Of course, it reappeared exactly where it had been—fully armed.
Adrenaline surged. I scooped Nero and Mini Undine into my arms and sprinted for the recovery room door. There should still be time before it detonated. "…You can't." A faint voice drifted from behind me. At the same instant, space in front of my eyes tore open like a gaping maw. I tried to dodge, but my momentum was too great. I was sucked straight into the rift. The darkness flashed bright again, and I tumbled out right beside my original bed, crashing to the floor.
The only exit—the door—had been sealed off by another spatial window. There was nowhere left to run. "Ugh…!" The grenade, pin and lever already gone, was about to explode. Desperate, I pulled Nero and Mini Undine close again and turned my back to the device, bracing for the blast. Instead of a deafening roar, however, came a long, hissing shhhhhhhhhhh…!! Not an explosion—gas leaking out.
Right. The gas mask. That was my last coherent thought before the acrid smoke filled my lungs. My vision blurred, and the last thing I saw was Nero's soft, ample cleavage drawing closer before everything went dark.
Thud. Only four days after waking, and already I was losing consciousness again, cradled against that gentle warmth.
*
Bang…! "Crazy bitch… crazy bitch…" In the Field Team Leader's private room, the usual bloodthirsty growls had been replaced by a voice trembling with embarrassment. Fresh fist marks decorated the wall. "I really lost it… I must be insane…"
Clearly, the "crazy bitch" she kept muttering about was herself. She replayed the words she had spoken to the counselor moments earlier and punched the wall again. Bang…!
'Thank you. I was glad you came to save me…'
Bang!! "Aaaagh! What do you mean, 'glad you came to save me'? Huh? Am I actually crazy?" Apparently once wasn't enough. Only after two consecutive punches did she manage to calm the burning flush on her face. A long, soul-drained sigh escaped her. "Haaaaaaah…"
She already owed that annoying cat another favor and would probably be treated like a walking charger from now on. And it was all because of him. The way he had suddenly smiled at her—so genuinely kind—had turned her mind completely blank. How was she supposed to respond to that?
"Huuuuh…" She had fled the scene quickly, but she still needed to repay him somehow. She hated being in debt. "But… how do I even repay him?" A nine-tailed fox's repayment… Before morning, should she drop a dead deer or wild boar at his doorstep? No, in this day and age that would just get reported as a death threat. As a modern person, the simplest option was probably to send him some of the money she had accumulated from her Field Team Leader work. The account had only been forced on her by the President anyway, and she could think of it as compensation for risking his life.
"Mmm…" Still, wouldn't that feel too impersonal? He didn't seem like the type to enjoy luxury or indulgence the way the Response Team Leader did. "Wait, why does a nine-tailed fox even need to repay anyone? We're supposed to be terrifying youkai, right?" Yet the thought always circled back. She hated owing anyone. Just as she was obsessed with winning, she refused to live with either grudges or favors hanging over her.
"Haaah…" The only things she was good at were fighting and, in recent years, riding her bike. Teaching him combat would probably just end with her beating him senseless out of sheer enthusiasm—not much of a repayment. Taking him out for a ride to feel the wind… maybe? But everyone had different tastes. Would he even enjoy the rush of speed and cool air?
"No, why am I sitting here agonizing over whether he'd like it or not?" Having almost no experience with repaying kindness, her mind finally overloaded. She clenched her fists and marched toward the door, determined to just ask him directly. "Yeah, I'll just ask. There's nothing weird about that…"
"…There's no way that's not weird!" CRASH!! Another thunderous punch left a new dent in the reinforced wall. Dust drifted down. "…"
Just the two of them on a bike ride? That was basically asking him out on a date! Her? Asking him on a date? Impossible. "Haa… haa…" Though she hadn't been exercising, her breathing came fast and ragged. She slid down the wall, back pressed against it, and stared blankly into space.
Something was wrong. This was definitely strange. Even the President's words kept nagging at her. She wanted to move her body and blow all these pointless thoughts away. Just as the thought crossed her mind—
WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE…! As if answering her wish, the alarm blared. Sirens echoed through the room and hallway while red warning lights spun wildly. "…!" An emergency had occurred. Her body, already itching for action, sprang up instantly—yet the alarm continued longer than usual. She knew exactly what that extended tone meant. In all the time since she had been more or less forced to join this facility, she had never once heard it.
"This is an intruder alert… Wait." It could be coincidence, but the timing of the intrusion and the counselor's awakening lined up too perfectly. The target they were chasing was a spatial ability user—someone who could open "windows" near familiar locations or people. The moment the thought formed, she kicked the door open and sprinted toward the recovery room. The facility had supposedly implemented countermeasures against spatial abilities because of that absurdly cheerful monster girl, but her instincts were screaming that the counselor was in danger.
Whoosh—! Leaving only the sound of tearing wind behind, she vanished down the corridor in an instant.