Ototsukai wa Shi to Odoru

I got permission to enter the room then made a general self-introduction.

The blond girl sat down on her bed, constantly flapping her legs.

It appeared like we were truly facing each other.

“Hmmm, so you’re Shion.
How should I put it? That guy’s naming sense is the same as always.”

“…….Err, what’s your name?”

“Roll”

Roll?

But it also felt like it was her real name, since she was clearly a half 1.

“Nice meeting you. Roll is a code name, right?”

“Ha? Isn’t it obvious!?
Still, I don’t have any other names but this one.”

She doesn’t have any other names?
Does that mean she doesn’t have a real name?

Anyway, this wasn’t the type of talk that you could get to the core of on the first meeting.
Therefore, I changed the subject.

“Do you live here, Roll?”

“Yes.”

“I see……..”

Since she’s living here, does that mean she doesn’t have a…….family?

“For the time being, we’ll go to the training room.

If you go on a rampage here, at the very least I will most certainly die.
That’s why this is also a request from my part.”

Roll stood up and said.
I first thought that this was too sudden, but it appeared that she was willing to act like a real partner.

As Roll said, we didn’t know when I could lose control over my ability. I have to concentrate more.
I wonder why the Boss picked up someone as dangerous as me………

I looked at my phone to verify the time; the clock hand pointed a little past 12.

If we do this now, I won’t be able to be at school in time. I wonder when can I go back home?

I knew it wasn’t the time to think about such things, but, in all honesty, I was really tired after going through all these events. And getting some rest was my real motive.

“Hey, what are you doing? Let’s go already!”

“………Are we really doing it now?”

In the end, I revealed my complaint.
I thought she would get angry at me, but her words were in fact calm and steady.

“If you don’t get accustomed to your ability right after your manifestation, it will take you a lot more time to learn to control it.

Or, how should I put it, you must become aware of the strength of your ability asap.”

“Yea, yeah……”

I gave a vague answer as I stood up as well.
It was an unexpected realization that she might actually be an honest person.

__________

‘How is it? Can you hear me?’

“Yes, I can. I think that even without you using the microphone I can still pick up your voice.”

I was inside a completely white room that was locked from the outside. This was the training room; and it was enhanced with st.u.r.dy walls.
I took off the control ring for this training. I also left my phone back in Roll’s room.

I could see Roll, holding the microphone, on the other side of the ultra-strong gla.s.s window.

She put the microphone away then moved her lips.

“This good-for-nothing fool.
So? This place is completely soundproofed. There’s no way you can hear me, right?”

“……..I can hear you.”

What’s with that ‘good-for-nothing fool’? She has a nasty tongue, this girl.

‘Then repeat what I just said.’

“Good-for-nothing fool. That’s not really nice, you know?”

‘Oh wow, that’s amazing. But it feels out-of-place so I’ll keep using the mic.’

She said calmly.
I answered with “Roger”.

‘Do you feel anything now?’

Roll was operating the machines inside the observation room.

“At certain frequencies I get ear buzzings. Also, I can hear all sorts of sounds.”

The noise and buzzing are really annoying.
I hope that once I learn to control my ability I’ll get rid of them.

‘Hmmm. Well then, try doing something.’

In case she would’ve asked this earlier, I would’ve most certainly thought that she was asking the impossible.

However, as I feel now, I somehow understand. I can instinctively feel how my powers work; I can feel it flow into me.

I manipulate…….sounds.

It’s unrealistic, but I can picture it just fine.

In an instant, the locked room shook with the sound of an explosion.

Fine cracks appeared in the ultra-strong gla.s.s window.
When I heard the gla.s.s crack, I panicked and restrained my ability.

‘Power level A+……..you’re a monster, aren’t you?
Since this training room can’t be used anymore, we’ll go next door.’

“Are you serious…….?”

Did I really manifest such an unthinkable ability……..?

We exited that training room and entered the other one right next to it.

I entered once again the white room.

This white room was two times larger than the other one.

Why has it to be locked, I wonder?
I had a bad feeling about it and looked towards Roll, who was sitting on the other side of the gla.s.s screen.

‘Normally, if you have a trigger-type ability, you must at least learn to switch it on and off, otherwise you won’t be able to live properly.
When it comes to sound, you are always in contact with it, so I personally think that you’ll get used to it rather fast…….

 And after seeing you earlier, it seems that it’s actually better for me not to instruct you.

Things like what you can do and to what extent, you know? And also, when you have to inform others about your ability, if the situation allows you, you lie. You’ll be underestimated.

Nothing good comes out of people knowing about your ability.
In your case however, because of the possibility of you harming us, it is necessary for us to know your ability.

 …….And so you have it. For the time being, try spending an entire day here. While trying all sorts of uses for your ability, all right?
If you press that b.u.t.ton in the back of the room, food and the like will be delivered to you.

 Well then, good night.’

She’s the worst partner ever.
She only said what she wanted to say and was about to leave the observation room when I hurried to stop her.

“Hey, an entire day? What about school!?”

‘Skip it?’

I don’t know whether there are cla.s.ses tomorrow or not, but on the surface Kamiya Kazato is missing.
Also, they are still chasing the guy with the above the norm manifestation: me.

If I end up exposed, it’ll be awful……

‘Ah, I know what you want to say.
You fear being exposed and lose the right to live on the surface, am I right?’

“Yeah, that’s right…….”

‘If that really happens, you’ll just have to cast away everything.
School, friends, family included.’

“What are you…..”

‘If your secret ident.i.ty leaks out and the SDF comes after your life, I will risk my own life to come rescue you. Everyone here will do the same.

Anyway, that guy or Shido-san 2 will do something about your circ.u.mstances on the surface, like school and everything.’

What’s wrong with this girl!?

My first impression of her is not really that good, and she’s short.
But she’s still living here, with such a strong resolution.

‘Lastly, even though it might be a little too early for you, who lived in such a half-hearted world.

 For example, let’s suppose I have a close friend for about 10 years.

What about you in this case? Can you still choose me, you partner, a.s.suming you’re in the same position? Impossible, right?

Hurry up and come to where I’m standing, buddy!’

Roll declared, with an excessively oppressive att.i.tude, and disappeared behind the automatic door.

Someway or other, Roll seemed to actually think about me.
Or maybe it was only my desire to see it like that.

Still, I somehow felt motivated after our exchange.

____________

This happened about 12 hours since then.

It was the Boss.

He picked up the mic and sat on a chair inside the observation room.

‘How are you feeling, Shion?’

The Boss’ low but steady voice resounded inside the white room.

“I got considerably used to it. I don’t think I will lose control again if I’m wearing the ring.”

‘Oh! In such a short time? That’s amazing.’

“However, I still can’t control my ability.
I mean, I can’t seem to be able to go easy on my target……..It just won’t do the way I want it to.”

‘That’s inevitable. If you give yourself a little more time, you’ll manage to handle it.
I’d rather say that it’s already amazing you managed to get this far in such a short period of time.’

Is that really true?

As I am now, if I must fight alongside other members, I will only end up involving them too.

‘Now, it seems that Roll abandoned you. However, we finished with your school and home arrangements.’

“Th…thank you.”

I wonder what they did and how………
As my expression started to stiffen, Boss’ voice resounded once again.

‘Well then, let’s get down to business. I’d like to measure up your current fighting strength, so are you up to it, Shion?’

“Yeah, I don’t mind. But how do you intend to measure it?”

If he says something like fighting against him, then I’ll have to refuse.
I can’t possibly win against him, considering that he killed a colonel cla.s.s fighter in an instant.

However, I was already aware that my ability was fairly strong too.
It’s certain that I now have a little more self-confidence.

‘You will fight this guy.’

I heard something in the back of the room and turned around.
Having done so, I saw a hole gradually opening in the back wall of the white room, and I could hear some sort of sound coming from inside.

*roar……*

Was that a roar?

And then, the owner of that roaring voice showed up from inside the hole.

‘I shall make the introductions. This is my pet, Wolff.’

What was unfolding in front of me now was a beast with silver fur that shined so brightly, illuminated by the lights coming from the observation room……..it was a wolf, five times bigger than me.

“A magical beast……..!”

‘It’s a Silver Wolf with a danger level of 5.

Wolff is a little stronger than that though.
But you can rest a.s.sured since he obeys my words.’

I looked at Wolff, who seemed to want to attack me at any time, and I swallowed my saliva.

‘If it gets dangerous, I’ll stop him. So what do you say? Wanna give it a try?’

……….Honestly, I’m scared.

This will probably be a one hit match. If those fangs reach me, it’ll be over, so I must attack first. If I manage to do that, I might have a chance.

“…….I want to try.”

The Boss grinned broadly.

‘It’s been a long time since a newcomer accepted to do this.

I’m looking forward to your growth, Shion.’

The Boss continued.

‘ Wolff.’

What am I, his treat…..!?

“Roooooar!!”

In an instant, Wolff made an a.s.sault, his fangs incredibly sharp.
And then, I snapped my finger.

That pleasant sound transformed into an explosion.

Wolff was shocked by that sound and ran back to the hole, yelping like a puppy.

In short, the match finished in an instant.

I could hear the applause coming from beyond the gla.s.s screen.

‘This is more than I expected, Shion.
Why did you limit the power of that explosion sound?’

“I thought that I shouldn’t kill the Boss’ pet.”

‘What the heck!?’

The Boss’ laughter resounded in the white room.
And then, he told me to get some rest, and released me from the training room.