[Time: 02:00 PM][Location: "The Gilded Leaf" Tearoom – 3 Blocks from U.A.]
The afternoon sun filtered through the lace curtains of the high-end cafe. Classical piano music played softly in the background. It was a place for refined palates, far removed from the grime of villainy.
At a corner table, a man in a nondescript trench coat and a fedora sat sipping from a porcelain cup. Beside him sat a small woman, barely looking over the table, scribbling in a notebook.
"Exquisite," the man whispered, setting the cup down. "The 'Gold Tips Imperial.' A flavor that truly speaks to the soul, wouldn't you agree, La Brava?"
"If you like it, I love it, Gentle!" La Brava beamed, adjusting her oversized sunglasses.
"We must savor this moment," Gentle said, looking out the window at the distant towers of U.A. High. "For tomorrow, we make history. Tomorrow, we infiltrate the fortress and—"
Scrape.
A chair was pulled out opposite them.
Someone sat down.
Gentle froze. He hadn't heard footsteps. He hadn't felt a presence. The person had simply appeared.
"Gold Tips Imperial," a voice said—smooth, deep, and dangerous. "An expensive choice for a man with zero ad revenue."
Gentle looked up.
Sitting across from him was a teenager with sharp eyes and a black U.A. uniform. He wasn't smiling. He was staring at Gentle with the intensity of a sniper looking through a scope.
Reiji Kurobane.
La Brava gasped, dropping her pen. "G-Gentle! It's him! The Brutal Hero!"
"Shh," Gentle raised a gloved hand. He composed himself instantly, adjusting his collar. "I believe you have the wrong table, young man. I am just a tea enthusiast."
Reiji leaned forward, resting his elbows on the tablecloth.
"Drop the act, Danjuro Tobita," Reiji said, his voice low enough that the other patrons couldn't hear. "I saw your video. I traced your IP address from the cafe's Wi-Fi. You want to crash the School Festival."
Gentle's eyes narrowed behind his disguise. The air around the table grew heavy.
"And if I did?" Gentle asked, his tone shifting from polite to serious. "Are you going to arrest me here? Cause a scene? The police would arrive. The press would arrive. And your precious festival would be canceled due to a 'Villain Incident' near the campus."
Reiji's eyes flashed. Gentle was smarter than he looked. He was using the festival as a hostage.
"I don't need the police," Reiji whispered.
Under the table, Reiji's hand moved.
[Skill: Shadow Grasp.]
He lunged for Gentle's wrist, intending to pin him to the table and drag him out the back door silently.
BOING.
Reiji's hand didn't grab flesh. It hit something invisible and rubbery. His hand bounced back with equal force, slamming into his own knee.
'What?' Reiji frowned.
Gentle smiled, taking another sip of tea.
"You are strong, Kurobane-kun," Gentle said softly. "You broke Overhaul. You survived the League. But you rely on force."
Gentle tapped the air near his teacup.
"My quirk, Elasticity, allows me to bestow the property of rubber onto anything. Even the air itself."
Reiji tried again, activating a small burst of Teleportation to bypass the space. He aimed to grab Gentle's collar.
BOING.
The air around Gentle's neck had been elasticized. Reiji's fingers rebounded again.
"It is rude to touch a gentleman without permission," Gentle chided.
Reiji stopped. He realized the problem. Gentle had turned the air around his entire body into an invisible, bouncy forcefield. Punches wouldn't work. Grabs wouldn't work.
"You're slippery," Reiji admitted, retracting his hand. "But you can't keep that up forever. As soon as you step outside..."
"You misunderstand my motives," Gentle interrupted, his eyes losing their playfulness. "I do not wish to harm your students. I do not wish to destroy the school. I simply wish to be... heard."
"By breaking into a school full of traumatized kids?" Reiji scoffed. "That's not a statement. That's a desperate cry for attention."
Gentle flinched. The words hit a nerve.
"Perhaps," Gentle stood up slowly. "But history is written by those who act. Not those who sit on the sidelines."
Reiji stood up instantly. "Sit down."
[Skill: Intimidation (Level Max).]
A wave of killing intent washed over the table. La Brava began to tremble violently. The other patrons looked over, sensing the sudden drop in temperature.
Gentle sweated, but he didn't buckle. He looked at La Brava.
"La Brava, the check."
"Y-Yes!"
Gentle looked at Reiji. "You cannot stop me here, Kurobane. Not without ruining the peace you are trying to protect."
Reiji prepared to lunge. He would tackle Gentle through the window if he had to.
Gentle saw the muscle twitch in Reiji's leg.
"Gently... Rebound!"
Gentle stomped his foot.
He didn't stomp the floor. He stomped a layer of elastic air above the floor.
BOING!
The shockwave didn't break the floor; it made the floor ripple like a trampoline.
The table bounced into the air. The chairs bounced. Reiji, caught off guard by the unstable footing, lost his balance for a split second.
And most critically—a waiter passing by with a tray of hot coffees was launched upward.
"Whoa!" the waiter screamed, the scalding drinks flying toward a family at the next table.
Reiji's eyes widened. 'Damn it!'
He couldn't chase Gentle. He had to save the civilians.
[Skill: Phantom Step.]
Reiji teleported mid-air. He appeared in front of the family.
[Style: Sub-Zero.]
He breathed a cloud of cold mist, freezing the coffee in mid-air before it could burn the child. He caught the tray with one hand and steadied the waiter with the other.
"Careful," Reiji said to the stunned waiter.
When he looked back at the corner table... it was empty.
A stack of bills lay on the tablecloth, along with a note written on a napkin.
Reiji picked it up.
"The tea was lovely. We shall meet again on the stage. – G.C."
Reiji crushed the napkin, freezing it until it crumbled into dust.
"He played me," Reiji hissed. "He used my own morals against me."
He looked out the window. Gentle was gone.
Reiji walked out of the cafe, his mood darker than before.
"Elasticity," Reiji analyzed as he walked back toward U.A. "It reflects physical force. It creates barriers. And he can bounce around faster than I can sprint."
He couldn't brute force this. If he punched Gentle, the punch would bounce back. If he shot fire, Gentle might bounce the air to deflect it.
Reiji needed a piercing attack. Or something that couldn't be bounced.
"I need to train," Reiji muttered. "If he wants to turn the festival into a stage... I'm going to make sure his curtain call comes early."
_________________________________________________________________________
🔥 Hey legends! Quick updates! 🔥
💥 Can't wait for the next chapter? Good news—ALL advance chapters are available on Patreon for just $5! No more waiting, just pure binge-reading goodness! 🚀
👉 patreon.com/cyci07
✨ Power Stone Challenge! ✨
If we hit 100 power stones, I'll drop 2 bonus chapters! Let's see if you guys can make me suffer! 😂
💬 Enjoying the story? Leave a review and let me know your favorite moment so far! It helps the novel grow and reach more readers!
Thanks for all your support—you guys are awesome! ❤️