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For the past two days, Tatsumaki had been checking in on her now and then.
Her tone was still lofty and commanding as ever, but Fubuki wasn't stupid—she knew exactly what her sister was thinking.
The two of them had grown up without parents, so to Tatsumaki, her little sister was the only family she had left, someone to be fiercely protected.
But because of her obsessive, controlling nature, that concern always came wrapped in arrogance.
And that was exactly the kind of attitude Fubuki hated most.
Over time, the friction between them only grew worse.
It wasn't until Fubuki joined the chat group, and after she'd watched the anime Gabriel shared, that she finally understood how much her sister really cared for her.
[Bad Woman]:"Shadow isn't quite the right word. 'Glory' fits better. After all, your sister's achievements are way too high."
[I Don't Want to Eat Monsters]:"Eh? But shouldn't that be a good thing? If it were Faline, I'd be thrilled."
[Hell's Fubuki]:"Of course I'm proud of my sister being the #2 S-Class hero. But what I can't stand is how, ever since I was little, everyone compares me to her. No matter what I achieve, she always overshadows me. People look at me and say, 'Hey, that's the little sister of the #2 S-Class hero.'"
[Saeko]:"So in that environment, you developed the idea of wanting to stand on your own, right, Fubuki?"
[Hell's Fubuki]:"I just want to prove that even without my sister, I can still rise to the top!"
[Old Mage]:"That's some deep conviction. Well, good luck."
[Hell's Fubuki]:"Sorry, I got a little emotional just now."
[Shepherd]:"No worries. Friends in this group should feel safe being honest. We can't all just bottle things up and keep second-guessing each other, right?"
[Hell's Fubuki]:"True. Anyway, back to business… I'm still torn about the lottery thing."
[Hell's Fubuki]:"I'll probably wait until my sister cools down before I decide."
[Shut-in Angel]:"That's some twisted love~~~"
[I Don't Want to Eat Monsters]:"Hope it goes smoothly. If the #2 S-Class hero loses her temper, that's gotta be terrifying."
[Hell's Fubuki]:"Not sure. S-Class is a mixed bag—some are insanely strong, others… not so much."
[Shut-in Angel]:"Case in point: Tanktop Master, am I right.jpg."
[Shepherd]:"Either way, don't worry. If you need help, Fubuki, I can come over and back you up."
[Hell's Fubuki]:"That would be a huge help, but if it ever comes to that, my whole crossing-worlds thing will probably be exposed. I'd rather it not come to that."
[Shepherd]:"So for now, just keep growing in secret until you blow everyone's minds, right?"
[Hell's Fubuki]:"Exactly. Which is why I'm back to square one: should I keep spending points to strengthen my esper powers, or should I start learning magic instead?"
[Shepherd]:"Honestly? Do both. But for now, just make sure Tatsumaki doesn't catch on."
[Hell's Fubuki]:"Then I'll shelve it for the moment. By the way, how's Rosen's side of things going?"
[Shut-in Angel]:"My divine senses say… not great. That mountain troll was just some minion sealed by the mountain god. Who knows what other monsters Rosen's place is hiding?"
[Shepherd]:"I'm not sure either. For now, though, I can handle everything on my plate. If I can't, even if you all came over, it probably wouldn't change much."
[Old Mage]:"Gabriel's Trumpet of Destruction."
[Shut-in Angel]:"Hey, that's not something I can just whip out! It's a special graduation prize from Heaven itself. Sure, it could destroy the world, but the conditions to use it are crazy strict. And c'mon, if we hit a roadblock and the answer is just 'destroy the world,' doesn't that kinda miss the point (ahdj)?"
[Shut-in Angel]:"I'd only use the Trumpet if the world was completely beyond saving. As long as even one good person's still alive, I'd never blow it first!"
Rosen almost burst out laughing, but he held it in.
Who'd believe a fallen angel who gets tilted over video games could also claim to save the world?
After chatting a while longer, Rosen logged off.
Then, just past midnight, he popped back online to check in.
Another five points.
Another lucky day.
The next morning.
The pale dawn light sliced across the city blocks, dividing the streets into sharp geometric shadows.
Dust swirled in the golden beams stirred up by cars and wandering pedestrians.
The sunlight slipped low through the branches of roadside trees, scattering dappled flecks across the asphalt like a trail of coins.
When Rosen arrived at school, something was different.
Standing at the gate waiting for him were Miko Yotsuya and Hana Yurikawa.
Hana, with a steamed bun still clamped in her mouth, lit up the moment she saw him. She waved excitedly.
"Lord Ro—Rosen!"
Miko quickly elbowed her, but the slip-up was already out. Even though she tried to correct herself, the drawn-out "-sama" at the end still caught nearby students' attention.
Curious stares flickered between the three of them.
What's this new kind of relationship dynamic?
Plenty of other students noticed Rosen too.
After all, word had spread fast about him showing up with ex-idol Mai Sakurajima to put the school delinquents in their place.
Even students from other grades were curious about him now.
"Hehe, Rosen-sama, let's go to class together!" Hana beamed.
She didn't seem the least bit embarrassed by the gawking crowd.
So Rosen walked with them—Miko and Hana one on each side.
Normally, when girls walk with a guy, they don't box him in the middle. But with these two beauties flanking Rosen, some of the gloomier delinquents started burning with envy.
Unfortunately for them, their spite quickly bounced back as "karma."
One slipped on a banana peel. Another faceplanted into a toilet.
The short walk to class was over before long.
Hana reluctantly waved goodbye to Rosen.
Inside the classroom, Rosen glanced at Kato Megumi already sitting quietly in the back. He gave her a small nod.
She tilted her head, her calm expression not changing, and murmured:
"Rosen's getting harder and harder to figure out."
"..."
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