Chapter 104: Sakihara Ryokan
Although the 22nd century was less than half a year away, the speed of the Shinkansen (bullet train) hadn't actually gotten any faster, despite all the societal changes over the past decades.
While it could be faster, in a country like Japan, which you could circle in less than a day, the current speed of the Shinkansen was enough to meet the public's general needs. Researching ways to make it faster wouldn't match the practical demand and would be a waste of resources.
Other countries were the same, believing that faster methods of travel were unnecessary. The current trend was to find new research goals from within humanity's diverse Quirks. However, it was rumored that the United States was privately having scientists on a certain "island" research the essence of teleportation Quirks, but samples were too rare, so the research hadn't made much progress.
Over five hours later, Kira arrived in Tottori Prefecture.
Tottori's economy was heavily based on agriculture. Aside from the relatively bustling Tottori City, the rest of the prefecture was what the Japanese would call "the countryside." Its per capita income was consistently ranked near the bottom of the nation; it was very poor. After Kira got off the train, he was recognized by a few women at the station, but everyone else pretty much ignored him, treating him as just another ordinary tourist.
Because Kira's destination was Oma City, he still had to transfer to a long-distance bus, which took another two hours.
As mentioned, this place was poor. Even the criminals here were mostly just fugitives from the big cities, lying low. As such, the crime rate was extremely low. Outside of the banks, almost no businesses had ever been robbed, and there were very few Pro Hero agencies, which were a common sight in Tokyo.
The Twilight Agency, where Kira was headed, wasn't in the city center but on a nearby mountain. According to the locals Kira had asked, he would need to take another two-hour bus ride to get up the mountain. But Kira had already spent seven or eight hours on the road from Tokyo. The sky was getting dark. He decided to stay at an inn in Oma City for the night and head up the mountain tomorrow.
It was called an inn, but it was really more of a bed-and-breakfast. Because Tottori Prefecture was home to Japan's only coastal desert, the "Tottori Sand Dunes," it had a steady stream of tourists, which added a lot of life to the city. Many residents had converted their homes into guesthouses, earning a decent income each year.
Perhaps because they rarely had visitors, the owner of this inn was extremely enthusiastic when she saw Kira walk in. After learning he wanted a room for the night, she bustled about, preparing a Japanese-style room for him. It wasn't much different from his own room back home.
The inn Kira was staying at was called "Sakihara," which was the owner's family name. In his conversation with the owner, he learned that her husband had passed away, and she and her young daughter were now managing the inn by themselves.
Kira took the opportunity to ask them about the Pro Hero, "Mad Rabbit." But to his surprise, Mrs. Sakihara shook her head, saying she didn't know a hero by that name.
She said that next to the post office, about two kilometers away, there was a hero agency. But it was run by a middle-aged Pro Hero who had been seriously injured in Tokyo. After recovering, he had returned to his hometown to open an agency, but most of his work consisted of things like rescuing cats from trees for the elderly.
"Big brother, are you talking about a rabbit?" The innkeeper's daughter, who had been doing her homework at the counter, suddenly spoke up.
"A rabbit? Ah, yes." Kira was a little surprised. Principal Nezu hadn't given him a photo of Mad Rabbit, but judging from the name, he was probably related to a rabbit in some way.
Just like the Rabbit Hero Mirko, who was always in the top ranks. Her Quirk gave her rabbit-like abilities. Maybe Mad Rabbit was the same?
"At the zoo on the mountain, there's a Rabbit Director!"
A rabbit? A director? Kira asked, "Little sister, can you tell me what this Rabbit Director looks like?"
"He looks like... a rabbit!"
Although Mrs. Sakihara was confused, Kira was starting to understand. This Rabbit Director was likely an animal that had developed a Quirk, like Principal Nezu or Gang Orca. When Kira heard the name of the zoo from Mrs. Sakihara, he was even more certain. The Rabbit Director had to be "Mad Rabbit."
Mrs. Sakihara glanced at the clock on the wall and jumped. "My goodness, it's getting late!" she said, standing up and asking Kira, "Guest-san, will you be eating dinner here at the inn, or would you prefer to go out to a restaurant?"
Kira thought for a moment. In the spirit of being a tourist, he said, "Please don't trouble yourself. I'll eat out. By the way, could you recommend a well-known local restaurant?"
"Ah, of course," Mrs. Sakihara nodded. She turned to the little girl. "Yu, take this big brother to Mr. Fujiwara's restaurant."
Kira smiled. "Is your name Yu? That's a very cute name."
Kira had only meant it as a polite compliment, but Mrs. Sakihara's expression suddenly changed. "What do you mean by that!? Do you have ideas about my Yu? Are you making a move on her!?"
"Outsider! You're not welcome here! Get out! Get out right now!" Mrs. Sakihara suddenly grabbed a feather duster from the side, pulled her daughter Yu behind her, and began to shout at Kira. "No wonder you were asking about Pro Heroes! You were just looking for a chance to commit a crime, weren't you!? Don't think you can bully us just because we're two women alone!"
She lowered her head and said to her daughter, "Yu, quickly! Use my phone and call your Uncle Fujiwara! Tell him to drive over and get 'Steel-Gate Rikishi'! We have a pervert here!"
Kira was speechless at this sudden turn of events. "Mrs. Sakihara," he said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, "I was just paying a compliment. I really didn't mean anything else by it."
"Pah! Who would believe a beast in sheep's clothing like you!? You may be smiling, but who knows what kind of filth you're thinking!" Mrs. Sakihara still didn't believe him. "Yu, don't hesitate! Call him! Even though Mommy has been wrong about a lot of people before, this time I'm definitely not wrong!"
"Sigh," Yu sighed, her voice filled with weariness. "Big brother, although I don't think you were thinking anything like that... since my mom said so, I have to call for help. So please, come with us to the police station to prove your innocence. If we've misunderstood you, I'll make my mom apologize."
This kid is so mature. But why won't her mother listen to reason...?
"Maybe I shouldn't have chosen this inn," Kira said, raising his hands and sitting down in a chair. "I won't move. Please, relax. If it's all the same, could you please hurry? I'm getting very hungry."
What a mess. While Kira could just grab his things and leave, he didn't want to be branded as a pervert. It was better to be cautious in a new city.
Time ticked by as the three of them remained in this bizarre standoff. Three minutes later, the roar of a car engine approached the inn. A worn-out Toyota came to a stop in front of the shop with a stylish drift.
"It's alright now! Why? BECAUSE I, STEEL-GATE RIKISHI, AM HERE!"