Chapter 2 - Unmasking the truth

Azuki An was the name of the girl, at least, that was what was written on the ticket, and while he admitted that there was some resemblance, he couldn't help but think that either the photo wasn't good, or that she was lying.

"Hey, you don't really look like the girl in the picture..."

"Ahh? What do you mean, of course, I am her! I mean, me! See, see, look at the blonde hair, the dark eyes, you can't possibly say that it isn't me, right?"

Masato laughed at her insistence, helplessly he shrugged and nodded. "If you say so."

Azuki An frowned and pouted in anger, but didn't pursue the matter anymore, instead she eyed him curiously. "Hey, why are you going to Central Capital? I'm going there for work, but you don't see to be the type who has a job there."

Sighing, he nodded in agreement with her. "You're right, I'm not someone with a job. I'm leaving my hometown in order to pursue my dream."

"Woah!? Are you serious? That sounds so amazing! So adventurous! Um, just like a protagonist in a story!" Azuki An had a shining glow on her eyes as she leaned closer and stared at him.

"Haha! Do you think so? Honestly, I think that if I was the protagonist, I would be luckier."

Azuki An snorted and shook her head. "Who says so? Aren't protagonists bound to face challenges one worse than the others? How are they supposed to grow into super awesome people without facing difficulties in life? It's the problems of life that motivate them into a higher goal, and the pursuit of power!"

"Huh? You seem to be a bit sensitive about this topic. Shouldn't you be a singer? Why do you know so much about writing? I have written some stories myself, which is why I'm aware, but do you even have time for that?"

Azuki gasped and coughed to mask her embarrassment, but she quickly fixed herself and went back to her archetype. "Tsk, tsk, are you underestimating me? I'm a woman of the arts, of course! Writing stories and lyrics are like... like my second nature!"

Masato smiled and turned to look at the window, his eyes gazing past the distant trees being left behind in the passing of the train. "In that case, what genre of books do you like the most?"

"Hm... That's easy, it's sci-fi, of course! What's better than technologically advanced settings where amazing adventures take place? Hehe, nothing can surpass sci-fi!" Azuki smiled, but after a moment, she went back to the topic of Masato's goals and identity. "Even though I've said that you're quite young, aren't you? You should be even younger than me..."

Masato nodded slightly after measuring her height. "I'm ten years old. Some people think I'm older but it's a misunderstanding due to me being slightly taller than most."

"Oh! So you're still a kid then! Tee-hee, you're just four years older than my sister!"

"You have a sister?" Masato asked surprised.

'Oh, crap!' Noticing that she committed a mistake, Azuki coughed and replied. "I said sister, but it's more like a close friend, hehe..."

Seeing how she avoided looking at him in the eyes and her eyebrows twitched slightly, Masato smiled. "I smell something fishy in the air..."

"You do? I mean, the cooks might be doing some fried fish." Azuki smiled with a straight face, professionally shoving the previous matter away. "Anyway, you haven't told me your dream yet, why are you going to Central city?"

"Hmm... I guess it doesn't hurt to tell you. My dream is to become a powerful martial artist, I want to have the power that rivals that of an army, and use my abilities to attain fortune and fame."

"That's quite the goal you have... but I don't think you will succeed."

Masato frowned in anger, what the hell? The two didn't even know each other yet, and she was trying to put cold water into his dreams!

"Like, what can a martial artist do against bullets and explosives? Aren't you just dream walking? He, I have even seen weapons that could flatten an entire city, I think even the most powerful martial artist would die when facing that.

"Tsk, you don't know that!"

Having both managed to offend each other in a short period of time, they remained quiet for most of the duration of the travel. It was only ten hours later when they arrived at Central City.

"Everyone, please, be careful with the gap between the train and the platform when disembarking!" With the remainder of the train driver coming from the speaker, everyone left the train in a hush, eager to arrive at whatever they had to go.

Masato and Azuki An left the train together. Walking down a flight of stairs, the two arrived at the entrance of the station, before their eyes lay a crowded street and an avenue where many cars would come and go. Seeing all those oddly shaped buildings laying around like UFOS who were spiked to the ground, Masato smiled happily. Finally, a scene that he could recognize, he had seen a similar scenery many times in games and the anime, but seeing it firsthand was a whole new level.

"Teehee, you're really a countryside kid! Look at how amazed you are at such a common scene."

Masato's lips twitched and its corners lowered, what an annoying girl! "Not everyone has the privilege to go around or know how everything in the world looks like."

With this angry remark, he choose a direction and left, he would rather find a guide than spend another minute with this annoying girl.

While his head was fuming with anger, the girl simply bit her lips in frustration. She was used to it but forgot that the two were mere strangers, she overdid it unknowingly. Shaking her head, she went after him in a hurry.

"Hey, hey, it's was only a joke, you don't have to get all worked up for this! Let me help at least a little, you don't even know the city anyway, with my help, it will be far easier for you."

Hearing this, he turned around to look at her, seeing her sincere look, he nodded and then said. "In that case, help me find someone who has a good understanding of the places around the world, I want to find out where are the martial schools, and find someone who can take me there."

With but a nod, the girl called out a nearby taxi and the two left towards the Cartography Institute.

The place was giant, and it seemed to be part of a college of sorts, many young adults were coming and going through the gate a little further ahead, but he and Azuki An entered through a side gate.

Weirdly enough, when they got into the lobby, the doorman instantly smiled and bowed down to his waist when seeing Azuki An. Masato was instantly suspicious, wasn't she an idol? Why would a middle-aged man treat her like that? It couldn't be that she was actually famous in that other kind of adult content, right? Right!?

Despite his suspicion, he kept quiet and just listened by the side.

"Hey, old man Jimbe, I'm looking for Professor Yumichi. I have some important questions for him, is he here?"

"Yes, yes, Professor Yumichi, is currently in the library revising a few old maps."

"Thanks." With a nod, Azuki An turned to Masato and gestured for him to follow her. The two walked through the corridors of the college until they eventually arrived at a grand library, the place had an open circular area at the center where each of the floor's platforms could look down and see the grandioseness of this place's collection.

When they found the old and bald professor, the man looked at Azuki and smiled. "Hoho! Tighs, it's been a while since I last saw you, how is Dr. Briefs doing? I hope he has been well."

The moment he opened his mouth, Azuki had hushed to silence him but it was too late! Turning to look at Masato, sweat ran down her spine, and after a while, her worst fear seemed to be coming true. She could only look as the dumbstruck Masato spoke in surprise.

"Y-you... You know Dr. Briefs!?"

Azuki An almost fell down and she quickly smiled as to not make him suspicious. "Yeah, the man helped me a few times!" While that was what she said, in her mind, she was breathing a sigh of relief.

Masato, however, grew much more suspicious, his mind was working like his life depended on it, he didn't know why, but he felt that this girl might not be who she claims to be, that face was far too recognizable after all! Wasn't she basically a younger version of Panchy!? Besides, since she knew Dr. Briefs so personally as to make the other professor ask about his status through her, there could be only one answer, either she was a relative, or she was someone of his family! But what could the answer be? He had watched Dragon Ball, Z, and the first few seasons of Super, and he couldn't remind seeing this woman even once, so was she part of the fillers or maybe the movies? Who was she!?

Although he lacked an answer, one thing was certain, Azuki An was hiding something about her identity.