In a street crammed with people . Since it was a holiday – students, families, working salarymen and many more other people were filling the street . Shibata and Yanagi watched that active street while thinking of something else .

  “Listen, we’re going to move just as planned . ”


  “I know, I know . ”


  Shibata replied to Yanagi’s serious warning in a carefree attitude . He wasn’t acting like someone who is about to execute an important plan, but Yanagi didn’t mind his reply and remained to gaze at the street . The street was full of people on this holiday, which was a good thing for their plan . Yanagi analyzed the situation with a calm mind before he clenched his fist and lifted his sight to the sky .

  We finally…… finally made it until here……

  His gaze was harboring a sense of hatred as his expression gradually became serious . The direction of that gaze leads to a skyscraper standing in the middle of the city . The person they were looking for was inside that building . The President of the Organisation where they were imprisoned .

  “It has already been 15 years……”


  Yanagi muttered in a low voice .

  15 years…… I waited 15 years for this revenge……

  He then restrained his hatred that was boiling inside him and calmed down by inhaling a deep breath and lifting his glasses with his finger . From the day he got into that accident and lost his family, he discovered his ability . He can teleport to anywhere he wants as long as he knows the place . At first, he couldn’t control it since he had no clue how to use it, but slowly throughout the time, he grew accustomed to it . Once he left the hospital, he was sent to an orphanage as he didn’t have any close family and spent every day there searching for his parents . Despite being told that they died, he didn’t give up and continued to search for them . One day, a strange man appeared in front of him .

  “From the day onward, I will be your father . I know that you have many things to say about that, but I hope we can live happily together . ”


  That was the first step he made into hell . Surely, Yanagi didn’t accept that person as his father . He refused him immediately and he spent the rest of his day as usual . The next day however, he woke up in an unknown room . He had no idea on how he got in it, but he guessed that something was happening .

  The entire room was dyed in white, except for a single part . It was a window showing some strange people wearing white coats on the other side . Yanagi wanted to leave as soon as possible, but at that point, his will was no longer meaningful . He started going through cruel experiments without even getting an explanation .

  The memories of what happened to him from that day on were something that Yanagi wished to erase from his mind .

  “Stop! Let me go!!”


  “I’m tired . I can’t……”


  “It hurts!! It hurts!! It hurts!! It hurts!!!”


  He went through a period of pain and agony that felt as if it were eternal . He cried and screamed until he dried his eyes out and didn’t receive the chance to give up . He had to forcibly undergo several inhumane experiments and was injected by powerful medicines to improve his abilities . Every single day, he straddled the line between life and death and his days ended with his mental demolished .

  “Help me…… Save me…… . Please……”


  His cry for help didn’t reach anyone as he went through the same pain day after the other . No matter how much time passed; how many years passed, nobody came to save him .

  “Why do I have to suffer like this……”


  “Who made me suffer like this……”


  Eventually, his mind began searching for answers instead of crying for help . He reached the answer for his first question almost instantly, as that person appeared again in front of his eyes while he was undergoing the torture called training . When he was crawling on the floor with his consciousness almost gone, he noticed a man wearing a suit standing among the white coats . He immediately recalled the few days he spent before suddenly finding himself in this room .

  “I see…… It’s because of this guy……”


  It was at that moment when he finally found a target into which he can direct his hatred .

  Too bad that you weren’t in the building when we escaped . But that’s fine . Everything will end today ……

  Yanagi raised his composed face up after he immersed into his past memories for a brief moment .

  “I’m excited . I did play with many things recently, but none of the toys were excited me like this . I just can’t wait!”


  Shibata trembled from the excitement while standing next to Yanagi . He wasn’t this wicked up from the day he was born . Both of them were roommates in the building they were held captive . They slept under the same roof and went through the same experiments . Shibata’s mental condition couldn’t bear with the torture he had to undergo every day and thus, his psycho character was born . Yanagi feels more sympathetic towards Shibata instead of feeling disgusted when he sees him acting like that .

  “Let’s move . We’ve got so much to do . ”


  “Sure!”


  Shibata nonchalantly replied to Yanagi and they both dived into the cramped street .

  “By the way, Keisuke . ”


  “What?”


  “What are we going to do about that guy? He left without clearing his intention . ”


  Shibata asked a question that suddenly popped into his mind . He was meaning Yato by ‘that guy . ’ Yanagi stayed quiet for a short while before he answered . Both of them sensed the intimidating ambiance he was emanating through the man they were using to contact him .

  He is a dangerous one . We shouldn’t get involved with him .

  Both of them have never felt such an intimidating aura in their lives . Yanagi was assuming that Yato only has a teleportation skill, but it turned out that it may not be exactly the case . He is not someone with whom they could deal on their own .

  “I’m not sure if he is going to get in our way, but it’s better to not get involved with him . ”


  “What if he tried to stop us?”


  “I have a plan for that case . ”


  He knew well that he can’t win against Yato, but that doesn’t mean he should give up on his revenge . He was prepared to kill the President even if he were to get killed by Yato after that . With that certain resolve in his mind, Yanagi moved to the first step of his plan .

  ―――――――――――――――――――――


  “So this the company of that President . ”


  I spoke to Meru while standing before a certain building .

  “Yes . He is on the upper floor, working on this holiday, Desu . ”


  He must be a hardworking fellow to work on a holiday . After listening to Meru’s response, I activated my【Space – Time Magic (Extra Large)】and searched inside the building . I didn’t perceive anything of unusual there . Those two should be aiming at this place for sure . I came to check if anything happened yet, but it turned out that they are still not here . Apparently, if our assumption were wrong from the start, then we will just do something about it at that time . While thinking about what to do, I shifted my eyes down and looked at my surroundings .

  “But still, there are too many people…… No?”


  The street I was looking at was full of students, families and even salarymen . I noticed it since the time I got on the train . Something is definitely off with this large crowd . I had a hard making my way inside to arrive here .

  “This place is near the train station, so it’s normal for it to be cramped, Desu . And besides, we are almost in the center of the city, so it would be conversely strange if it weren’t cramped, Desu . ”


  Meru explained in response to my complaint . Well, the station is indeed close to the building . It’s large enough that I can clearly see it from here .

  “I’m just not good with these type of cramped places……”


  I feel like I’m about to get engulfed by the crowd of people at any time . Maybe I will go back home……

  “Hey, Meru . ”


  “Yes?”


  “Can you surveil the President of the Organisation?”


  “I can do that only if there is a camera near him . ”


  That’s obvious .

  “Then I guess you can observe him while he is inside the building . ”


  “Yes, I can, Desu . ”


  “Okay . let’s go back . ”


  After finding out that the President was safe, I immediately headed to the station . I have no clue on when that Shibata and Yanagi will arrive and Meru has the entire building under her observation . Moreover, I can’t spend my precious holiday inside this crowd .

  “Meru, don’t lose sight on him . Keep observing the building and immediately report to me if anything happens . ”


  “Understood, Desu . ”


  Meru replied to my order in a cheerful voice and I walked to the station with swift steps . I want to go sleep in my room as soon as possible . That was the only thought I had in mind before I noticed a suspicious person standing in the sidewall of the station .

  Who’s that?

  It was a woman who was walking unsteadily while leaning against the wall . I couldn’t see her face since she was looking downwards, though I instantly knew who she was .

  “Huh, Saya?”


  I hurriedly walked to her and called her name .

  “Hey, Saya . are you okay?”


  “U-Um, Yato-kun?”


  After hearing my calling voice, Saya lifted her head and replied in a trembling tone .

  What happened to her?

  Her face was completely pale and her legs were trembling like a newborn cat . The moment she saw me, she leaned in my direction as if she ran out of energy .

  “Eh? W-Wait! Saya?! What happened?”


  “T-Too many people……”


  I got a little impatient and asked her while raising my voice . She then started explaining with a trembling tone .

  “The train was too cramped…… There were too many men and…… I got absorbed in inside…… and almost crushed…… I felt like as if I were about to die……”


  Her words were broken but I managed to get a general idea of what happened to her . The train was too cramped and she had to jump into the crowd to get inside it . In other words, she went over her capacity by entering a train crammed with men .

  Well, at least she didn’t faint there……

  “You did well, Saya . For now, don’t move until you recover . I will stay by your side until you feel alright . ”


  “T-Thanks……”


  I gently placed her near the wall and stood next to her until she recovered . I have no other option but to postpone my plan of sleeping in my room . Especially when I heard her muttering ‘station is scary…… station is scary……’ repeatedly . I couldn’t leave her alone in that condition .

  ―――――――――――――――――――――


  “Are you fine now?”


  “S-Somewhat…… Yes……”


  After a short while, waiting for Saya to calm down, I noticed that her face looked slightly better . She wasn’t in her best condition, but she should be alright now .

  “So, why did you do something as reckless? I’m sure that you knew what will happen to you if you got on that train . ”


  “Don’t be harsh on me……”


  She got a little sullen from hearing my unreserved way of speech, but all that I said was true . Her acts could only be described as reckless . As she realized that I wasn’t intending to comfort her, she spoke the reason for her reckless actions while gazing at me with awkward eyes .

  “I was asked by mom to go on an errand here . She told me to get used to this kind of places even though I told her that I can’t……”


  “So you had no choice but to come here . ”


  Saya nodded silently to my amazed conclusion . How can I say this…… I don’t know how to praise her courage for challenging herself this much……

  “I’m impressed you made it until here……”


  “I’m impressed by myself too……”


  It’s nearly a miracle for her to arrive here on her own . An awkward mood floated between us after that conversation .

  “What about you, Yato-kun? What are you doing here?”


  Saya changed the topic by asking me that question . I couldn’t answer her instantly since I didn’t prepare an excuse .

  “I just have some business here……”


  Before realizing it, I had already said a random excuse and made Saya reveal a displeased face . She probably noticed that I was trying to dodge her question .

  “You’re being like that all the time recently, Yato-kun . ”


  Those words that concealed her discontent towards me made me realize what I did . I ended up reflexively avoiding her question . I totally forgot my promise with Lina yesterday .

  “Well, um…… I will tell you . ”


  I guess I need to talk to her about it . I don’t want her to worry about me for nothing again .

  “—— And that’s what happened . ”


  “So skill holders do exist after all……”


  She looked surprised to hear that skill holders do actually exist .

  “You don’t get any peaceful time, do you?”


  But the thing that surprised her the most was the fact that I got involved in the situation .

  “Don’t say it, please . I don’t want to admit it, honestly . ”


  That’s the one and only thing I don’t want to hear from her as someone who adores tranquilness . Saya laughed when she saw me making a face of someone wanting to escape reality . She had finally become cheerful again .

  “But I’m relieved . ”


  “Hm?”


  “You should be fine even if you get involved in this minor situation . ”


  Saya declared with a broad smile on her face .

  “Why do you think so?”


  “You’re strong, after all . I saw you fighting against stronger beings . That’s why you should be fine this time . ”


  She knows me quite well, huh……

  I guess she doesn’t like being left out without knowing anything about my situation . I froze in my place for a short moment while gazing at the smile she was directing at me .

  “Yato-kun?”


  Saya tilted her head when she noticed my freezing and called me . I instantly replied with ‘nothing . ’ and averted my eyes . That was close . I can’t believe that my heart skipped a beat by that .

  Really, airheads are scary .

  “What about your errand?”


  “Ah, right! I need to go . ”


  Right when she recalled what she came for all the way here, Saya parted with me while waving her hand . I waved my hand as well and watched her off walking away, before she suddenly halted her steps .

  “What is it?”


  Calling her again when she stiffened in her place, Saya rigidly turned around as her lips twitched .

  “I don’t think I can make it inside this crowd……”


  Apparently, she wants to cross the street that was brimming with people . I should have expected that much from her . I bet she would have looked cool if she continued walking off without asking for my help this time .

  I just can’t leave her alone, I guess……

  A bitter smile reached my face as I watched her frozen in her place . However, the next moment……

  “Hello everyone! Good day!!”


  I heard a familiar voice resounding in the street . Everyone walking in the area stopped in their place and looked in the direction of the voice .

  “It’s him……”


  I turned to the same direction and looked at Shibata in the monitor of the station .

  “I’d like your attention please . ”


  Asking everyone to look at him, Shibata widened his eyes . I instantly grasped what he was about to do from now on .

  Saya is in danger .

  “Saya! Don’t look at him!”


  I promptly covered her eyes with both of my hands and ignored her confused questions . The next moment, everyone in the area stopped moving like robots that stopped functioning . The noisy and bustling street became quiet in the blink of an eye .

  “AHAHA!! It worked!!”


  Shibata laughed in a loud voice and turned off the monitor . Everything happened in a mere few seconds .

  “This turned into a bigger problem than I’ve thought……”


  I muttered to myself while looking around me . This situation was completely out of my scope of prediction . I heard Meru’s calling me in a panicking voice .

  “All the monitors in this area had the same video and everyone who watched it got hypnotized, Desu!”


  “Seriously?”


  I used my【Space – Time Magic (Extra Large)】to check the area and confirmed that everyone there was standing still in their place . It felt like I got into a movie scene .

  What are they planning to do by controlling everyone?

  I tried to guess their plan while looking out for any unpredictable occurrence . The situation is getting more troublesome than what I was expecting .

  I let out a heavy sigh and started to contemplate a plan .

  ―――――――――――――――――――――


  Bonus

  Forgetting .

  “Ah, I feel like I’m not showing up recently…… At this rate, everyone else will forget about me too~” ← Rouga ……

  “Ah, Chief!”


  “.…… . Ah, uum, oh, Rouga . ”


  “Did you just forget about me Chief!?”