“What do you mean?”
Jiang Jian Yue narrowed her eyes.
“Puhuhu, nothing, don’t worry, I’ll help you. I’ll save their lives.”
Meiguan’s voice was a little ambiguous and unclear.
Them?
Who did ‘they’ refer to…?
The phone on the table suddenly lit up. It was a message from Morita Ao.
“Missy, something happened to Koji Hattori’s family. It seems to be related to the Mind Bug System. I thought you might be concerned, so I’m reporting it. Sorry to disturb you.”
“I’m going now.”
Although she really wanted to have Christmas dinner with Yuki Asahi.
The sound of Koji Hattori’s heartbeat at the end, and Meiguan’s words, lingered in her mind like a spell, making it hard to remain calm.
She could still distinguish priorities.
Having made up her mind, Jiang Jian Yue changed into more practical clothes.
Just as she pushed open the master bedroom door, ready to leave quickly—
The door to the next room was also pushed open from the inside at that moment.
Yuki Asahi walked out, a relaxed expression on his face as if he wanted to share something.
He seemed about to speak.
Maybe he wanted to talk about dinner tonight.
Or perhaps he wanted to tell her that Mr. Takashi Taguchi from Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu had just called.
Inviting this “consultant” in name to visit Headquarters at this special time on Christmas Eve.
An invitation from adults, especially from an institution like Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu, was not something Yuki Asahi could easily refuse without sufficient and proper reason—a reason that was, until now, the departing girl before him.
He didn’t get the chance to speak before Jiang Jian Yue’s hurried posture cut him off.
“Something came up… Don’t wait for me for dinner.”
Before the words finished, she had already brushed past him.
“Wait!”
Yuki Asahi instinctively grabbed the girl’s wrist, a faint confusion in his golden eyes.
Jiang Jian Yue was always like this, rarely mentioning her own affairs, not letting him know, not letting him worry.
He wanted to ask if there was anything he could help with, but when he looked up, he met the girl’s gaze as she turned back.
That gaze was as always, gentle yet carrying a subconscious distance, as if saying: some things don’t need your concern.
“Be good.”
Jiang Jian Yue shook her head slightly.
“……Okay.”
Jiang Jian Yue’s departure seemed to draw all the warmth out of the house.
Yuki Asahi, feeling a bit frustrated, walked into the living room.
As he picked up his phone, a LINE message from Kaori Onishi flashed on the screen:
“Asahi-kun! Do you have time tonight for Christmas Eve?”
He glanced at it, tapped briefly and directly on the screen in reply:
“No.”
It wasn’t perfunctory.
He was about to head out to Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu, and a faint stubbornness lingered—
I’m not a child anymore. I have things I need to do too!
“I see… Then do you have time tomorrow?”
Kaori Onishi’s messages kept coming, undeterred.
“Not sure. Let’s talk later.”
“……Uuu…”
***
The Headquarters Building of Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu was brightly lit, showing no hint of relaxation even on this holiday night.
Yuki Asahi showed his ID card and, under the guidance of staff, made his way smoothly to the meeting room of the Operations Adjustment Office.
Director Kawada Hou was already waiting there.
This stout middle-aged man was someone Yuki Asahi had dealt with many times.
“Asahi-kun, how is your Christmas going?”
Kawada Hou stood up, his face displaying a courteous smile, gesturing for Yuki Asahi to sit.
Two cups of hot tea were already set on the table.
“Sorry to call you over at this hour.”
“Director Kawada, hello.”
Yuki Asahi bowed slightly, maintaining politeness and distance.
“It’s alright, just… a bit unexpected to receive a call at this time.”
He chose his words carefully.
“We just finished up and finally had a little free time.”
Kawada Hou picked up his teacup and blew on it.
“Time is precious, so I’ll get straight to the point. There are two main reasons for calling you here—both about the Global Superpower Arena Challenge.”
“The first is regarding Ability User training.”
He set down the cup, his gaze settling on Yuki Asahi.
“We’re preparing to establish a more systematic Ability User Training Base.”
“It will cover combat, physical training, tactical cooperation, ability usage and confrontation, and other areas. The instructors will be experienced professionals, including former Self-Defense Force members and some… well, Mind Bug System experts.”
He paused, observing Yuki Asahi’s reaction.
“We sincerely invite you to participate in this training program.”
“Of course, it’s not mandatory, but the benefits are quite real.”
Kawada Hou raised a finger.
“There’s a stipend, calculated daily during the training period, enough to cover your living expenses and even help with rent.”
Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu was well aware of Yuki Asahi’s situation renting outside.
This offer precisely targeted Yuki Asahi’s current pain points.
He had always hoped to contribute more to the rent through his own efforts, even if that contribution only existed because of Jiang Jian Yue’s stubborn refusal to come home.
The stipend from Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu was undoubtedly timely.
“This is an excellent opportunity to improve. No matter what identity you use to participate in the competition, or who you team up with, strong individual ability is fundamental.”
Yuki Asahi was moved.
The stipend solved his practical issues, and professional training was something he desperately needed.
His awkward attempts at martial arts via video lately only made him realize how inexperienced he truly was—just relying on the physical enhancements his ability granted.
With professional guidance, at least he wouldn’t be a burden in the Global Superpower Arena Challenge—
Yuki Asahi always unconsciously underestimated himself.
After a moment’s thought, he nodded in agreement.
“I understand. Thank you to Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu for the opportunity. I’ll participate in this training.”
“Good!”
Kawada Hou showed a satisfied smile, clearly unsurprised by the result.
“Specific reporting times and locations will be communicated by a coordinator later. Now, let’s discuss the second matter.”
His expression became a bit more serious.
“It’s about the team competition.”
“You should know that the most important event in this tournament is the Team Free-for-All.”
Yuki Asahi certainly knew this.
DRG’s promotional resources were almost all poured into this event, and social media buzz focused here as well.
Five-person teams, no nationality restrictions, generous prize pools… but none of that was the real reason for its popularity.
What truly ignited discussion was the fantasy venue shown in the promo: sometimes brawling through post-apocalyptic ruins, sometimes clashing on grand plains of fantasy, then suddenly traversing back into the muddy trenches of World War I.
Most people previously assumed DRG achieved this with CGI.
Until the official DRG Japan account released project details, the mystery was solved:
The Team Free-for-All arena would use a Random Map Pool and introduce the BAN/PICK Mode common in esports.
This meant everything shown in the promo was real.
This unprecedented competitive mode, combined with focused official promotion, made its popularity soar.
Ability users from various countries announced their teams on social media, swearing to bring glory to their nations.
Ironically, GSAC didn’t have a national medal tally—just an insignificant point ranking.
The “National Ranking” was something the Japanese Government forced DRG to add—their ulterior motives were clear.
Initially, they believed Japan, having experienced the superpower awakening incident, would naturally have more ability users than other countries; as the host nation, they needed to look good.
But as global registrations and verifications surged, the Japanese Government began to regret it—perhaps the number of awakened ability users worldwide was far greater than they anticipated?
But at this point, there was no turning back.
The existence of the “National Ranking” alone sparked fierce competition.
Nearby, Tokyo University—which had remained silent after the Ikebukuro Monster Incident—was rumored to have also sent several teams to compete.
Naturally, as Japan’s superpower institution, Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu couldn’t lag behind.
“As Japan’s core department for handling supernatural events, we at Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu have a duty to form teams representing the nation’s level.”
He leaned forward slightly, eyes sharp as he looked at Yuki Asahi.
“Asahi-kun, your ability—Emotion Manipulation—has immense strategic value in team battles, and your potential for growth is clear to all.”
“After evaluation, we hope you can serve as captain of Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu’s First Team.”
“Captain?”
Yuki Asahi was slightly stunned. The weight of this title was far beyond his expectations.
“Director Kawada, I… I’m just a high school student…”
“You are the best candidate.”
Kawada Hou saw the boy’s instinct to retreat and cut him off, his tone brooking no argument.
“In terms of experience, you were the first Superpower User to work with Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu—your ID card number is 001.”
“In terms of ability and experience, you’ve survived countless life-or-death battles. Anyone else would have died in Roppongi countless times by now.”
Yuki Asahi lowered his head, fingers tracing the rim of the paper cup.
He knew, he truly was the most suitable choice.
Just like during the GPRI Hunter Incident, as Tokushu Jishou Taiou Honbu’s sole superpowered combatant, he had a duty he could not shirk.
But… somehow it still felt different.
This time there was no deadly struggle, no being cornered and fighting for his life; it was about representing the official will, fighting for honor like an Olympic athlete.
It wasn’t that era anymore—there were now plenty of ability users in Japan willing to cooperate.
The responsibility of being captain was enormous.
Yuki Asahi instinctively wanted to discuss it with Jiang Jian Yue, but her gaze as she left that afternoon flashed in his mind.
Those cold blood-red eyes were filled with gentle refusal, as if… as if looking at a child being unreasonable?
A wave of stifled frustration and unwillingness surged violently in his chest.
He wasn’t angry at Jiang Jian Yue.
He was angry at himself.
Why?
Why did he always instinctively try to escape at such critical moments?
Yuki Asahi took a deep breath, and the frustration and unwillingness suddenly transformed into a burning ambition.
He wanted to win.
He wanted to claim the championship in the Team Free-for-All and the individual competition of the Global Superpower Arena Challenge Jiang Jian Yue had helped organize.
He wanted to become someone recognized by the world—to show Jiang Jian Yue that he was not a child needing her protection and pity.
He wanted to be a man worthy of standing by her side.
***
The paper cup in his hand was unconsciously crushed, warm tea spilling over his hand.
Yuki Asahi didn’t seem to notice, his voice calm.
“I take back what I said before.”
“I’ll be captain of the First Team.”
“Good.”
Kawada Hou couldn’t read the boy’s inner turmoil, but it was clear he had made his decision—not reluctantly, but resolutely.
“We’ll select the most suitable teammates for you from all across Japan.”
If the goal was to win, then the previous idea of happily joining the competition with friends from the supernatural department…
At this moment, it all seemed too naive.
Not to mention whether Jiang Jian Yue would participate, just Kaori Onishi’s ability alone…
Wasn’t really suited for combat.
This (Kaori) was no longer necessary.
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Kaori faction in shambles