Chapter 206
Chapter 206
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 206
Chapter Title: Yuria and the Two Psychics (3)
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A capacity of about 70,000 people.
Over 40 different events held throughout the year.
And an annual visitor count of over three million!
Named after the former mayor, this stadium was called Tempest Stadium.
It wasn't just for sports; it could also be used for large concerts and national events.
It was no exaggeration to say it was the most popular stadium in Nighthaven.
On top of that, today's match was a showdown between a living legend and a prodigious rookie who had burst onto the scene like a supernova.
The sheer level of anticipation was palpable; you could feel the buzz just by browsing the internet for a few moments.
‘If even a layman like me can tell this is a big deal... the fans must be going wild.’
Right, let's reassess my current situation.
Here I was, an hour late for a hugely popular and talked-about match, unable to even get in line.
Now I'd have to stand at the very back of the entrance queue, twiddling my thumbs while I waited for my turn.
Just imagining it was enough to make me feel dizzy. The situation seemed hopeless.
No, to be precise... that's how it *should* have been.
“Wow, we got lucky. We almost had to wait forever in the sun. To get us VIP tickets like these, Mr. Raven… is he some kind of big shot?”
“...Yeah.”
He's a big shot, alright.
I gave an awkward smile to Sabrina, who was stroking her chin in serious contemplation.
I never would have guessed the tickets Sabrina brought were VIP tickets, reserved for staff and honored guests.
Thanks to them, we were able to enter the stadium right away without the tedious wait.
It made sense. Raven had a lot of connections, including active idols and top-tier Fixers.
It seemed the tickets for a match Sabrina liked had found their way to her through David.
Considering the density of the queue at the entrance earlier, we would have been standing there for almost an hour.
And my legs are quite fragile. I was truly relieved to have avoided such an ordeal.
‘I've never been to a stadium like this, not even in my past life... So VIPs get their own entrance and elevator.’
But perhaps because we used VIP tickets instead of general admission,
we were guided not to the tiered stands, but to a box seat on the highest floor.
To be able to watch at a leisurely pace, away from the boisterous noise and prying eyes of the outside world.
I couldn't help but marvel at the feeling, as if I had entered another world.
But is it normally okay for children to come to a place like this without a guardian?
Of course, I consider myself an adult, but on the outside, I look like nothing more than a child...
So, with a hint of concern, I glanced around.
The other VIPs and staff I saw didn't seem to be paying us much mind.
‘...Is it because it's hard to tell a metahuman's age by their appearance alone?’
Well, if they're not making an issue of it, I guess it's fine.
Calming my slight anxiety, I trotted after Sabrina, who had gone on ahead.
She was pressed against the glass window, exclaiming in awe as if she couldn't contain her excitement.
When I stood beside her, I immediately understood why she was reacting that way.
“...!”
The interior of the stadium that greeted me was so vast it took my breath away.
It was so large that the people on the opposite side looked like blurry dots.
The upper parts of the tiered seating were dizzyingly high.
And on the central stage, where the match had yet to begin, a hologram show was in full swing to entertain the waiting crowd.
But I suppose the technology of this world is on a completely different scale.
It was just a hologram show, but the sight of an orca nearly the size of a building floating in the air was simply astonishing.
‘Even the wind moves with the orca... This is a hologram, right?’
Could there be drones hidden inside the holographic orca, made invisible with optical camouflage?
I could feel a breeze rustling my hair, as if something were actually moving through the air.
If it's already like this, how incredible will it be when the match starts?
Perhaps noticing that I was a bit mesmerized by the spectacle that surpassed my imagination,
Sabrina, who was next to me, tapped my shoulder and gave me a confident smile.
“Amazing, right! This is my first time in a VIP box, but the stadium is always this incredible!”
“Yeah.”
It really is amazing.
I nodded at Sabrina, showing my sincere agreement.
But perhaps because there was something weighing on my mind, my emotional response was muted.
Normally, I would have been buzzing with excitement, just like Sabrina, so why was I like this?
The reason was simple. It was because of a certain girl I happened to spot when we first arrived.
Ren, an executive of the Invaders.
To see her face now of all times, when I'm already tangled up with the Metahuman Liberation Army...
The gravity of the situation was so immense that my chest felt tight, almost painfully so.
‘There are tens of thousands of spectators inside. If something were to happen here, it would be a complete catastrophe.’
My meddling has already sent the original story's plot way off course, but...
unless something changed in the distant past, the fact that she's an executive-level psychic should still hold true.
That means it's as if I've been told a bomb has been planted in this stadium, set to go off at any moment.
I couldn't feel at ease, no matter how I tried. To be honest, my stomach was in knots.
Besides, what purpose could she possibly have for coming here, when she should be busy gathering her forces?
I couldn't figure out her intentions at all, and my head felt like it was about to explode.
‘Still, if I have to find a silver lining... maybe it's a good thing I saw her first.’
If I think about what would have happened if I'd been caught completely off guard...
Yeah, it's better to be anxious like this now. It would be horrible if the worst had already happened.
Having forced myself to find something fortunate in the situation, I took a breath and steadied my wavering resolve.
In fact, on second thought, I should be grateful that I found out beforehand.
‘And right now... the situation isn't bad. The last time I met Ren, I was so busy hiding my identity that I had to let it slide even though I knew who she was... But not now. With the Fixer Association backing me, the best course of action is to subdue her and take her in, if I can.’
In that case, rather than trying to do it all by myself... it would be best to borrow Raven's strength.
Continuing my act so Sabrina wouldn't notice, I secretly raised Echo.
I asked it to send any kind of message to Raven.
Then, I tapped the shoulder of Sabrina, who was busy watching the hologram show.
When she looked at me as if to ask what was wrong, I took out my lunchbox and pretended to rub my stomach.
It was a bit early, but I was signaling that we should eat the lunches we brought. Something like that.
“Oh... you want to eat lunch? Okay!”
“...”
Thankfully, she was quite perceptive and seemed to understand my meaning right away.
She immediately rummaged through her bag and pulled out a rather large-looking lunchbox.
It was a wide lunchbox, just the kind of practical thing I'd expect from Sabrina, who prefers utility over aesthetics.
...Huh? What am I doing, having a leisurely meal when an Invader has infiltrated the stadium?
That's a shortsighted way of thinking. It would take time for Raven to arrive anyway.
And right now, I might be on the verge of a big fight.
Filling my stomach and preparing to use my full strength was the best thing I could do at the moment.
Just as you can't fight on an empty stomach, my own concentration tends to drop quite a bit when I'm hungry.
‘Ren... if you really snuck in here planning to cause trouble, I'll make you regret it.’
I have no intention of holding back because of the original story like I used to.
You can blame your own carelessness for getting caught in my sight.
As I opened my lunchbox, my inner passion burning fiercely,
Sabrina, who had placed her own lunch on the table, gasped and raised her voice.
“Yuria, this is amazing! Did you make all of this yourself?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Fried food, meat... it looks delicious! You're a great cook!”
R-Really? I guess I did work pretty hard on it.
I let out a little laugh at Sabrina's pure praise and touched my neck self-consciously.
I'd hoped she would like it, but I didn't expect her eyes to sparkle like this.
The blatant praise was so embarrassing it made me want to squirm.
For now, let's push everything related to the Invader to the back of my mind.
Having made that decision, I had a pleasant time sharing lunch with Sabrina.
Her homemade hamburger steak was just as delicious as the side dishes I made.
I couldn't help but think that all my hard work early this morning had paid off.
* * *
After our somewhat early meal was over,
I packed away my lunchbox and naturally excused myself, saying I was going to the restroom for a moment.
I figured it would be better to start looking for him rather than just waiting around.
Perhaps because I'd made a show of gulping down some water, she didn't seem to doubt my excuse.
However, actually going to the restroom would be a waste of time.
After spitting out the water I'd held in my mouth with psychokinesis,
I broke the particles down into a fine mist and scattered them appropriately out the window.
No saliva or other impurities got in it, so it shouldn't be dirty. Really.
I offered a silent apology to anyone who might be below and hurried down the stairs.
Then, I tightly gripped the Tesseract hidden inside my clothes and the Echo I'd brought in one hand and asked,
‘Tesseract, Echo. Can either of you sense the presence of any other psychics in this building besides me?’
[ Ugh... I'm not sure.... ]
[ I'm sorry. I don't have that function.... ]
Hmm, so I guess I can't rely on their help for this.
I told the two, who seemed dejected at being unable to help, that it was okay.
Then, I asked Echo to search for a girl with a black ponytail and a build similar to mine.
The chances were low, but if Ren had a terminal on her, it could be a significant clue.
It was much better than doing nothing.
With that, I naturally blended in, moving from the VIP floor to the general admission seating.
People were still filing in, and the crowd moving through the entrance was so large it was sickening.
Somehow, I squeezed my way through the gaps in the crowd and into the stands.
Once inside, my eyes were met with the sight of countless people in their seats.
‘...In a place this vast and crowded, how am I supposed to find Ren?’
This wasn't just looking for a needle in a haystack.
The feeling was so overwhelming it was suffocating.