As the car drove toward Star City, Yū stared out the window.
"Why isn't Lady Kurenai coming?" he asked.
"Oh! You're talking to me now?" Ayato remarked, glancing in the rearview mirror with a smirk.
"Ah… well, you don't have to answer," Yū said, still looking outside.
"Hmmm… well, my lady is a bit busy, I guess… looking for her long-lost puppy," Ayato said casually.
"And I guess she doesn't want to come anyway," he added in a low tone.
Yū frowned. "?"
---
Scene shift to Aria
"Did you find anything… or him?" Aria asked, clutching a pendant with a picture of her mother.
"No, my lady. He's still hard to find. Only a few cases are listed as Death Triggers."
"I know. That's why I'm sure he's an illegal superhuman. He'll commit a crime sooner or later, so stay alert," Aria replied, her voice tight with worry.
---
Back in the car, curiosity got the better of Yū.
"Why do you keep calling her 'my lady'?" he asked.
"Let's just say… I'm infected," Ayato shrugged, smirking.
"Ah… I see," Yū murmured, recalling how everyone in her house addressed her the same way.
"Then can I ask a question, normal student?" Ayato teased.
"Why do you keep calling me that? I have a name," Yū said, frowning.
"Well… you said you were normal, but after yesterday… I'm not so sure," Ayato replied with a fox-like grin.
"That's—" Yū started.
"I don't even know why I'm like this," he thought to himself.
---
"So, when did you discover you were… a monster?" Ayato asked.
"I'm not a monster. I don't even know how this works," Yū said, staring at his hand.
"You're not answering my question," Ayato said, narrowing his fox-like eyes.
"Three days ago… in an alley," Yū admitted.
"Heh… just recently, I see," Ayato smirked. "So, what happened? Did you harass my lady, get yourself killed, and then come back to life as a monster?"
"No! I wouldn't do that," Yū replied quickly.
Ayato laughed lightly.
"I'm… just a normal guy. A nerd, quiet, weak. I only have one friend… I don't even talk to my clubmates. Yeah… that's me," Yū said softly.
"How boring," Ayato teased. "That's why I said before… you should've died. But you're too loudmouthed for a quiet person."
"So… what really happened? Tell me straight, or I'll send you to the afterlife," Ayato warned, pointing at him.
Yū took a deep breath.
"Lady Kurenai was held by a superhuman. His hand turned into a blade aimed at her. I tried to save her, but I didn't understand the situation. The guy struck me in the heart. I thought I died… then the Death Trigger activated. I punched him, and… I woke up in my room."
"Heh… I see. My lady must have been in quite a pinch," Ayato said with a grin.
Yū hesitated. "I also want to ask her… why she's running and being chased, even with so many bodyguards. But I'm too scared."
"Well… that's a girl's secret," Ayato said casually.
"We've arrived, sirs," the driver announced.
---
Star City
"Ah… I guess we should continue this another time," Ayato said.
Yū gazed out the window. Star City was stunning. Towering buildings reached for the clouds. Sleek vehicles zipped through the streets like something out of a sci-fi movie. Humans and superhumans coexisted here. The city's security was managed by Ash Valeheart, one of the five legendary heroes—and one of the five survivors of Deathman's Parade.
---
At the Superhuman Association counter
"Yes, how may I help you?"
"I want to register my friend as a superhuman," Ayato said confidently.
"Of course… please fill out this form. May I ask what kind of essence your friend has?"
"Death Trigger."
The receptionist's face went pale.
"Death Trigger? Are you serious?" she whispered, trembling.
"If that's the case, he will be the 13th Death Trigger superhuman," she whispered to Ayato.
"But… how does he even know he's a Death Trigger?" the receptionist asked.
Ayato handed her a card. She scanned it, and her body shook uncontrollably. Her face turned even paler.
"Calm down," Ayato said with a fox-like smile, reaching out his hand.
"Please… don't kill me… please!" she stammered, tears forming.
The guards noticed and immediately raised their weapons.
"Hey… what are you doing?" Yū asked in a low voice.
"Don't worry, I can handle this. Call the CEO," Ayato commanded.
The receptionist obeyed, trembling. When the signal was given, the guards lowered their weapons.
"See? Handled," Ayato said casually.
"Y-you can proceed to the CEO's office now," she whispered, still trembling, avoiding his gaze.
"Let's go," Ayato said.
"Hey… what did you do to make her so scared?" Yū whispered.
"I just have a history of… killing my family and others," Ayato replied as if it were nothing.
Yū's eyes widened. What the hell… I should avoid making him angry, he thought.
---
A knock at the door.
"Sir, your guest is here."
"Let them in," Valeheart said.
Yū's jaw dropped. A dignified man sat there, reviewing documents—truly deserving the title "hero."
Ash Valeheart.
"Yo, long time no see, old man," Ayato said, putting his feet on the table as if he owned the place.
Yū sat nervously beside him, sweating.
"It's not nice seeing you, boy. Why come here and cause a ruckus? I thought you didn't want to go out anymore," Valeheart said sternly.
"Lots happened. Then I met this so-called 'normal student,'" Ayato said, grabbing Yū's shoulder and pointing at him.
"Hmmm," Valeheart murmured. "So… why are you here?"
"Just helping a friend register as a superhuman. Right, normal student?"
Yū nodded.
"So, his affinity… trigger… enhanced?"
"He's a Death Trigger," Ayato said.
"Death Trigger…?" Valeheart's face darkened.
"See? That's the reaction I wanted," Ayato laughed.
"Death Trigger… that brings back painful memories," Valeheart muttered.
Yū thought, Right… since Deathman is also a Death Trigger. Worse, he can take anyone's powers after coming back to life.
"How do you know he has a Death Trigger?" Valeheart asked.
"Obviously… because of me," Ayato said, cutting him off.
"Don't lie. You were in the deepest part of the chamber," Valeheart warned.
"Well… he says he was attacked by a superhuman in an alley, came back to life, was caught by Lady Aria, sent to the chamber next to me, and then… boom. We fought. And now we're friends, right?" Ayato said.
"Hahahaha," Yū laughed awkwardly.
Well… a lot of what he says is false, but oh well, Yū thought.
Valeheart commanded his assistants to take care of Yū, while Ayato stayed behind in the CEO's office.
Yū follows, then heard Ayato's voice faintly from inside the room. "So… what do you want to talk about—"
Before he could hear more, the door clicked shut, leaving Yū outside, completely cut off from their conversation.
---
"This is your Superhuman License, Yū Kisaragi," said the receptionist, handing the Licence over.
"Mhm… I'm sorry about earlier," Yū said softly.
"No, no, it's nothing," she laughed nervously, though the terror on her face was still evident.
"Oh! You're done already? I guess we can go home now," Ayato arrived.
"Hiiick!" The receptionist shrank back, hiding.
"??" Ayato glanced at her.
Yū let out a low laugh.
As the car drove away from the Superhuman Association, Valeheart stared after them from the highest floor, his expression heavy.
"How's my daughter?" he asked quietly.
"Shouldn't you ask that to her?" Ayato replied nonchalantly, scratching his head.
"That's—" Valeheart's voice faltered, and you could see the longing in his eyes.
"She's still trying to find the culprit she thinks killed her mom," Ayato said.
"I see," Valeheart said, saddened.
"Why don't you just tell her the truth? That it was a car accident?"
"I did, but she never listens. She thinks the robber killed her mom… no, the robber tricked her, and she ended up killing her own mom, she says she killed her mother, she still believe that she did it herself" Valeheart said
"Is that so... well, I don't really get it, since mine's different"Ayato replied, then left the room.
---
Yū arrived at his home.
"Thank you for the ride…" he said, looking at the driver.
The driver handed him a phone and left without a word.
"Wait—" Yū started, but the car was already gone.
He entered the house, but it was unusually busy.
"Yū! Quick, help me! There are so many customers!" his uncle shouted, running to serve people.
"What's this?" Yū said, surprised. This had never happened before.
He couldn't help but feel that everything had changed ever since the alley incident.
---
Far from his home, in a quiet alley, Ren panted heavily, drenched in blood—his hands, his face, his clothes.