Count Down (3)

"Boss, are you sure this plan will work? I think he's finally gone crazy!"

Jin was all stitched up. His wound was bandaged and hiding his huge forehead. Perhaps the wound had decreased his intelligence.

"Mah~ Mah~ Bubaigawara-san, if Masato-kun said something, he probably has a reason."

Himiko was calming him down.

"As you wish, My Lady. Yeah, Himiko-cwhaaan~ Heh, pedophiles!"

In contrast to his enthusiastic behavior, Himiko just slapped him to the ground when he got too close.

"Sorry~"

Though her smile wasn't the least bit apologetic.

"It's fine. We already unlocked the 'M'. Someone, shut this guy up!"

"Hey, are you two going to listen to me?"

Maybe it was a mistake to introduce these two. I shook my head at the past actions but moved on.

"I want you to start a company, Underling."

"Huh? Don't wanna. But I want to."

The answers were diverse as always.

"It will be a construction company."

Not that the answers mattered.

"Eh~ Like I said, I don't know anything about construction. I can build legos! Let's just steal, boss."

"I know you're dumb but your job isn't to be an architect. With your quirk, you can do the menial labor, without any extra cost."

Yeah, Jin would basically be a builder.

"Boss, we can't create anymore clones! You know what happened the last time. I'm a bit lonely but clones are scary."

"....."

Suddenly, the atmosphere got cold as no one said anything. Himiko had a smirk on her face as if knowing what would come next.

- Boom!

When the speed of clenching one's fist speed surpassed the speed of air escaping it, it caused a loud shockwave. It was only the sound of air being burst out of the fist but it was terrifying for anyone.

"Boss, let us do it. No, I will do it! There's no need to get physical!"

Jin trembled while begging to do the job.

"Just destroy the clone quickly. Before it even has the opportunity to rebel against you."

That was the easiest solution to his problem.

"Huh? Working someone to their bone and killing them as soon as the job is done? That's cruel. My idol!"

"On a second thought, I will erase all your clones for you."

One just had to slap the clones hard enough to cause a concussion. And I might be able to hit the original while at the job. A win-win.

"No thank you! I would accept it on my butt! Hey, why is he still here!?"

Leaving Jin to his own device, Himiko tugged at my sleeves slightly.

"I understand that is the best way to use Bubaigawara's quirk. But where will we get the money?"

There was a certain place.

A place that screamed pro-quirks at every turn. They would die to invest in this idea if they heard of it. Using quirks to build things, they would use that to raise objections against the law of quirk restrictions. But it didn't matter as long as Jin got a job.

World peace < Bubaigawara Jin not being jobless anymore. That's how it works.

"Detnerat. We can get almost 70% of the necessary capital from them. As for the rest, we can use crowdfunding. Or government subsidies.

Detnerat might even provide additional support if we agree to be their subsidiary."

'Wait, would the government subsidies increase if Underling was a handicap?'

Jin has shivers running down his spine for some reason.

"Nah~"

"You just thought something bad, didn't you?"

Himiko was really quite understanding of others. Perhaps because she had become me quite a few times.

"How are your friends?"

"Hehe~ Interested? Well, I met this girl, Ashido Mina. She's really cool and accepting. Though her blood is a bit too sweet. Perfect to go with Hamada's sour blood."

Recently, her quirk had evolved once more. She could sense the emotions of a person by drinking their blood and numb their pain to some extent.

'I guess her desire to get closer to the people she likes without having to harm them, is affecting her quirk.'

[Transform] had already changed twice. At first, she could only change her body, then it became capable of sensing the damage and now, it can even sense emotions and numb pain to some extent.

"Did you transform into this Ashido Mina?"

Though unaware of her, I felt like I had heard that name somewhere. A corner of my mind was unsettled.

"Yeah, we did a double idol heist."

"A what?"

That was too strange of a term for an old fossil.

"It's basically an online event where normal people can update their videos. They act like idols and sing or dance, which is evaluated by online judges, who decide the victor."

"She sounds like a fun friend."

"Umu!"

Her smile was worth protecting. It was something that system did. Though not a hero to everybody, system was still a hero to some.

"I see."

"Would you like to meet her?"

"No!"

Socializing? Never. That was something I had no time for.

'Hachimon Tonkou' was sealed unless it was an extremely dangerous situation but that didn't mean I couldn't use it.

Alone, hidden from common sight, I could use that technique.

'I can probably defeat Stendhal now.'

And it would only take 2 gates.

"Hey, did you hear anything from that blade guy?"

"Stendhal? Nope."

Himiko was hesitating over something. But she parted her lips as soon as she finished pondering.

"There was a recent video on the internet. About a hero in Hosu city, colluding with a villain to raise his ranks. And, um.... A vigilante showed up. Beating both of them, almost killing them. They are fine but they probably wouldn't be able to move unless healing quirks are used."

It was easy to guess who that vigilante was.

"Can I see the video?"

"It was taken off the internet."

Of course, the government wouldn't let an evidence of corruption lie around. They would erase it as soon as they could.

"I see. Stendhal's not around so it's probably him."

Did he leave without even a word? Yeah, that was like him.

"At least, he's become more kind."

"What part about beating heroes to half-death is kind?"

If that was Stendhal being kind, Himiko didn't want to meet him anymore.

"He would usually kill them but he's only leaving them with life-threatening injuries. If that's not soft, then what is. And what part about drinking blood is kind?"

"Hmph!"

Himiko pouted and looked away, expressing her dissatifaction.

"Um, boss~"

Hearing that voice, I knew Jin messed up.

One could see the warehouse filled with Jin look-alikes.

"We forgot who the real one is."

"I'm sure that I'm the original."

"Please spank my butt!"

That last one would be headshot with a nearby rock. There was no way I was touching anything that unholy with my hands.

"Ha~"

There was never an idle moment with these guys around.

"Let's have a talk, gentlemen."

"Why are you pulling up your sleeves?"

"Hey, there's no way he's coming to talk!"

"Run! Run, boy, run!!"

After a few seconds, only one Jin with a red cheek was lying unconscious on the ground.

"You hit him too hard, Masato-kun."

Himiko poked the 'dead' man. He twitched at those pokes but she didn't stop.

"It's a good stress-buster."

Everything was a stress-buster if one had the right mindset. 

"Drag him with us, Vampire."

She wasn't as weak as she looked so Himiko easily dragged Jin. Sure, he was hit against rocks and poles all along the way but he was dragged along.

Jin started staying in the orphanage while his warehouse was more of a secret base for our gatherings. Stendhal would have been disappointed about making a secret base but he wasn't around.

That guy never liked going in groups. A true loner.

Still worthy of admiration.

- Ding!

That familiar sound rang out, only for me to hear. Others kept moving unaware of it.

"Vampire, go ahead. I have something to do."

"Need help?"

She didn't question anything but seemed discontent with something.

"What about him?"

Glancing at Jin, she sighed and ultimately gave up.

"Make sure to use your quirk if it gets dangerous, okay!"

Did she notice that I wasn't using 'Hachimon Tonkou' on purpose?

"Yeah~ Yeah~"

Following the arrow that showed up, I read the title of this quest.

The thing related to Bubaigawara hadn't ended and there was already another quest.

[A Gentle Defeat]

'Gentle Defeat... Gentle... Gentle Criminal?'

That same gray-haired villain who stole from convenience stores? The one with enough strength and will to contend against most pros? Along with a loli, the buffer side-kick?

"This just got fun."

Facing off against someone like the Phantom Thi-Thug (barely avoided the CopyRight), was the lifelong dream of most boys. Perhaps even more than searching for Atlantis, the lost arch filled with countless treasures.

With a strange sense of exhilaration, I picked up pace while taking out a small, black key from my pocket.

- Click! Thud!

Soon, my speed became monstrous, leaving only wind in my wake. People might even wonder if a quirk was being used.

As for the bracelets that dented the street. Unless a muscle-type hero showed up, it was impossible to remove them.

"Welcome, viewers! We're here today with another show! Another event! In front of this magnificent McDonaldo!"

A guy was literally making a vlog of looting McDonaldo and others were only looking at it with interest. They probably didn't take the man seriously.

He wore a well-defined suit, which only seemed a bit comedic in such a place. Along with the 'elementary schooler' that was filming him, they looked like comedian duo.

"Oi, oi, oi, didn't anybody tell you. Camera's aren't allowed in here."

I took a step inside McDonaldo.

"Um, camera's are actually allowed."

An employee cleared that fact out. Pointing towards a sign that clearly allowed it.

'... Now, I don't want to save this guy.'

Not that I ever intended to.

"Haha, young man. Could you kindly move aside? It's time for my-"

- Boom!