Chapter 5: Tatsumaki

"Mmm! This is delicious!" The green-haired girl moaned with delight, taking her first bite of steak in years.

Leo, on the other hand, couldn't help but smile as he watched the ten-year-old devour the food he'd cooked. After rescuing her, he'd brought her to an abandoned house as a temporary haven. He had no clue what had happened to Tatsumaki after Blast saved her in the manga.

'Speaking of Blast, where is he? Why didn't he come to her rescue?' Leo questioned in his mind.

[As the mission suggests, the Parasyte is here. They might be the reason why Hero Blast never came for Tatsumaki's rescue.]

Now that he'd saved the future hero, it was time to deal with the Isekai Protagonist.

According to the system, Leo had to locate the Isekai Protagonist himself. His system would become unresponsive within a one-kilometer radius of the protagonist's location. Thankfully, it was still daytime. Observation or assassination missions, as Leo knew, were best suited for the cover of night.

"Miss Tatsumaki," Leo began after she finished her meal. "May I ask you a question?"

Tatsumaki hummed in response, her face hardening slightly.

"You can use psychic powers, right?" Leo inquired. Tatsumaki froze. Sensing the immense power within her, Leo offered a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'm a Hero. I can tell you have a great deal of power, but I wouldn't dream of harming a child."

Tatsumaki lowered her head. "They're not working for some reason."

Leo furrowed his brow. This wasn't part of the plan. Maybe the events were unfolding differently.

[Not good, Leo. Tatsumaki is essential for the world and she should learn to use her powers. Please bring her back to her original self.]

'Already on it,' Leo thought back to the system before turning back to Tatsumaki with another smile. "I'll be staying here for a while. I can help you train."

Tatsumaki's eyes lit up before a frown creased her brow. "But I might hurt you. My powers are very strong."

The sight of the future, arrogant hero so concerned for a stranger like him made Leo chuckle. "Don't worry," he said, flexing his arm muscles playfully. "I'm pretty strong myself."

Tatsumaki offered a hesitant smile and a nod.

Evening.

Leo crept towards Tatsumaki, his voice barely a whisper near her slumbering form. "I'll be leaving for a while," he murmured, gently ruffling her hair before slipping out of the room.

With a practiced leap, he launched himself from rooftop to rooftop, scouring the cityscape for his quarry: the Parasyte, the Isekai interloper with a system or ability of their own.

According to his own system, Leo could sense a Parasyte within a ten-kilometer radius. Identification, however, was a different story. He needed to look for a telltale sign - a glowing blue string rising from the ground and reaching towards the sky.

A thin strand of blue light flickered in the distance, catching Leo's eye.

"There he is…" he muttered. The string resembled a pulsating cord, anchoring itself in the earth and stretching impossibly high.

[Host, please exercise caution. This Parasyte detection ability is fairly reliable. You'll pick up on generic systems, but rare abilities might slip through the cracks.]

Leo scoffed internally. Could his system ever do anything right besides flinging him across realities? Grumbling about its limitations, he acknowledged its truth - his system was far from perfect.

"So, this Parasyte," he began, formulating a plan, "has a generic system, you say? Eliminate them now, or wait and observe?"

Ignoring the dizzying height, Leo launched himself off the thirtieth floor with the ease of jumping from a curb. He had no idea what kind of system this otherworlder possessed. A seasoned assassin like himself knew the value of observing a target for a few days before striking.

[The decision is yours. A generic system likely indicates a weak opponent, but eliminating the Parasyte remains a priority.]

"Understood," Leo acknowledged, his movements blurring as he navigated the rooftops with ghost-like agility.

[Additionally, I will self-conceal upon entering a one-kilometer radius of the target. Even if not a Parasyte, their system will undoubtedly be able to detect me.]

"You're certainly cautious," Leo smirked. "Don't worry, I just plan on observing them today. A fellow reincarnator piques my curiosity. A few more days of observation won't hurt."

Following the trail of the blue string, Leo's parkour across rooftops finally brought him to another dilapidated, abandoned city. He perched on a building directly opposite his target, adrenaline still coursing through him. Binoculars pressed to his eyes, he focused on the figure within.

A long, dark form lay curled on a bed, seemingly lost in slumber. What truly jolted Leo, however, was the creature's skin - it resembled pixels, a digital mosaic straight out of a bygone era.

"So, our Isekai protagonist has the dubious honor of being reborn as a… pixelated snake monster?" Leo deadpanned. The image conjured memories of the classic snake game on those old Nokia phones. He couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the unfortunate soul. Who knew what cosmic transgression landed them in such a comic form?

Morning.

Tension crackled in the air as Leo and Tatsumaki faced each other in a nearby park. Today's mission: unlocking Tatsumaki's dormant powers.

Frustration boiled over as Tatsumaki threw a tantrum. "Dammit! Why aren't they working?!" She cursed, slamming her tiny fists against the ground.

For hours, Leo had employed various tactics. He'd pitted her against minor monsters, pushed her physically with exercises like push-ups and sprints, hoping to jumpstart her abilities. But so far, nothing.

A sigh of disappointment escaped Leo's lips, not for his own failure, but for the unorthodox method he was about to resort to. He crouched down to meet Tatsumaki's eye level, his usual kindness momentarily replaced by a steely gaze. Even the ever-fierce Tatsumaki seemed taken aback.

"Listen, Tatsumaki," Leo began, his voice firm. "Powers are bestowed for a reason, be it good or evil. But if you cower and hide them, they'll remain nothing but potential. And if you can't overcome your weaknesses, be prepared to lose those precious to you. One day, help won't be readily available, and you'll be forced to watch them suffer."

He paused, a calculated grin spreading across his face. "Speaking of precious people, don't you also have a little sister? Fubuki, was it? Do you truly believe you can protect her from those who inflicted pain upon you if she remains powerless?"

Tatsumaki froze. A flicker of recognition ignited in her eyes, a mental image of her younger sister, Fubuki, the only true family she had. The ground around her began to tremble, the tremors escalating until the entire town shook.

"No one!" she screamed, levitating into the air, her body radiating with a soft green aura. "No one will touch my sister!"

With a deafening roar, Tatsumaki unleashed a torrent of psychic energy that sent everything flying. Buildings crumbled like paper dolls, cars soared through the air like discarded toys. This destructive power emanated from a small, ten-year-old frame.

Leo remained grounded, a silent observer amidst the chaos. A satisfied smirk played on his lips. Finally, she'd unlocked her powers.

Even faced with the havoc she'd wrought, Leo calmly approached Tatsumaki, gently patting her head. "Excellent work, Tatsumaki. Now that's the face of a hero."

A faint blush colored Tatsumaki's cheeks. She snorted, a hint of pride in her voice. "Hmph."

This method, Leo knew, guaranteed one outcome: Tatsumaki developing the same arrogant and stubborn personality as in the manga. But as long as the overall story remained intact, he didn't care.

It was at that moment, an idea sparked in his mind.

"So, Tatsumaki," he said, a playful glint in his eyes, "how about testing your newfound power on some monsters? Consider it practice."

A genuine smile broke across Tatsumaki's face.

"You bet," she declared, eager to unleash her newfound power. Unbeknown to her, Leo just wanted to play with his other worldly friend.