"So let me get this straight, you skipped your Void Hunter award ceremony to come here and register your Bangboo for citizenship?" Zhu Yuan said flatly, staring across her desk at Tsutsumi, who was calmly holding Azu like a cat in his lap.
"Pretty much," he replied without hesitation.
Zhu Yuan blinked. "Do you have any idea how important and prestigious that title is?"
"What's the big deal?" Tsutsumi shrugged, still petting Azu. "It's just an award. It's not like it's edible or anything."
Zhu Yuan's eyelid twitched. Across from her, her senior officer, Qingyi, actually froze mid-sip of her tea, the words short-circuiting her brain for a solid second.
After hearing the news about Tsutsumi becoming a Void Hunter, they were both shocked, as it was obvious to both of them that not long ago, he had been just a stray picked up by Miyabi, and it hadn't even taken more than a month for him to become a Void Hunter.
They'd both intended to attend the ceremony just to see him in person. But that plan crumbled when Miyabi herself called Zhu Yuan to say that Tsutsumi had decided to head to the Public Security Bureau instead… to get Azu's Bangboo citizenship registered.
They were both caught off guard by this. The process wasn't even complicated, just a quick scan, a data stamp, and a Bangboo would get their citizen ID instantly. Nowhere near the paperwork nightmare for a regular person to get their citizen ID.
In New Eridu, Bangboo had rights equal to, or sometimes even beyond, those of regular citizens. Although there wasn't really a difference.
Zhu Yuan pinched the bridge of her nose. "You really don't see anything wrong with your priorities?"
"Nope."
Qingyi chuckled, leaning her chin on her hand. "Did you pick that up from Miyabi? Because, you know… back when she was awarded the Void Hunter title, she also skipped her ceremony."
Zhu Yuan groaned softly, remembering that day.
Back then, she'd been both envious and proud when Miyabi achieved that record-breaking feat; they were already friends back in their academy days. Although they studied and trained during the same time, their paths couldn't have been any more different.
She'd even gone to the ceremony herself, to celebrate her friend's big achievement.
Only to find out that Miyabi had sent a polite message telling them to mail the medal to her address.
Zhu Yuan was both envious and happy for her friend's accomplishment.
Although she did wish that Miyabi had come that day instead of sending that message.
"Wait, she did?" Tsutsumi blinked, genuinely surprised.
Zhu Yuan looked at him like he'd just confessed to not knowing the sky was blue. "How could you not know that?"
"Yeah," Qingyi added, raising an eyebrow. "It was everywhere, front page, headline news for weeks."
Tsutsumi scratched his cheek, thinking. "I wasn't really paying attention. Back then, I was probably too busy doing my own thing to care."
Tsutsumi's tone stayed casual. While Azu quietly copied Qingyi's robotic design and internal code, similar to when he let her copy Billy's.
Qingyi tilted her head, amused. "Are you sure you're adopted and not actually her biological kid?"
Thanks to Zhu Yuan being friends with Miyabi, Qingyi has also gotten to know that the previous Youngest Void Hunter, once she gets serious, would completely drown out the world around her, focus everything she has on that single task.
Tsutsumi's fox ears twitched at that. He smirked faintly. "Who knows? Maybe in another universe, she really is my biological mother."
That earned a laugh from both women.
After exchanging a few more jokes, Tsutsumi stood and waved. "Thanks, both of you. Come on, Azu."
As they left, Qingyi leaned toward Zhu Yuan with a grin. "You know, if Miyabi ever decides to retire early, I think we've found her replacement."
Zhu Yuan sighed. "Senior. Don't jinx it."
While walking through the streets of New Eridu, Tsutsumi noticed that the street was quite empty.
"Excuse me," Tsutsumi asked, stopping by a small fish shop run by a Bangboo wearing a blue apron. "Is this street usually this empty?"
"Ehn-neh? En-nuh, en-ehn-neh, neh-enn. Nah-uhn." (You don't know? It's the emergence of the second Void Hunter; it's said that he took down an Ethereal Swarm all by himself, and his identity is unknown. Of course, everyone is curious.)
Tsutsumi blinked. "I see. Well, I sure hope to meet whoever this new Void Hunter is too."
His gaze shifted toward a red salmon swinging lazily in its tank. "How much for this one?"
"Ehn-neh!" (Two thousand Dennies, sir!) the Bangboo replied cheerfully.
Tsutsumi reached into his pocket and realized that he didn't have any Denny on him.
"On second thought, never mind." He waved, smiling sheepishly, before heading off toward Port Elpis.
At the port, the air was salt-heavy and warm. Gentle waves slapped against the metal pylons as fishing lines swayed over the water.
He spotted Wise, rod in hand, sitting at the edge of the dock. Beside him, a girl with a shark tail leaned against him, half-dozing, half-listening to the sea.
"Tsutsumi?" Wise straightened, blinking in surprise as the familiar purple-haired boy approached.
Although Tsutsumi is from Section 6, from what he could gather, Tsutsumi wasn't that different in age from him. Plus, he is still grateful that Section 6 kept their word. If not for them keeping quiet, he and Belle, his sister, would've been in deep trouble.
After all, the crackdown on Proxies was no joke.
Thanks to Fairy, the special AI in their possession, the sibling was able to discover that Tsutsumi Ryoko was the adopted son of Hoshimi Miyabi, now the youngest Void Hunter in New Eridu.
If that wasn't reason enough to get on good terms, nothing was.
"Yo," Tsutsumi greeted casually. "How are you doing?"
"I'm fine," Wise replied. "Do you need something?"
"Not really." Tsutsumi smiled, stepping closer to the edge. "Just thought I'd catch a few fish for a party."
He raised a card between his fingers. "Henshin."
Form Ride: OOO! Saramiuo Combo!
In an instant, colored light and armored plates flared into existence. Crimson exoskeletal leggings locked into place, blue and white gauntlets clashed with a hiss, and a jacket lined in sea blue, navy, and crimson materialized across his chest. His helmet gleamed, shaped unmistakably like a shark.
The transformation kicked up a gust that ruffled Wise's coat and made Ellen jolt awake, tail flicking in surprise.
Before either of them could say anything, Tsutsumi stepped off the dock, and plunged straight into the water.
"…Wise?" Ellen murmured, still blinking sleep from her eyes. "Who was that?"
"Tsutsumi Ryoko," Wise said, watching bubbles rise to the surface. "The new Void Hunter."
Ellen froze, jaw dropping. "You're kidding."
He shook his head. "No. And listen, when he comes back up, if he needs anything… offer our help, okay?"
Ellen gave him a skeptical look. "You're already planning connections?"
"Think of it as... future-proofing." He smiled faintly. "If we ever cross paths on opposite sides with him, it's better to be on friendly terms."
She groaned but nodded. "Fine, fine."
Minutes later, the water exploded in a spray of foam and salt as Tsutsumi surfaced, landing lightly on the dock. In one hand, he held the Deepest Harpoon, four massive salmon skewered cleanly on its tip. In the other, two more hung by their tails.
"Uhh…" Ellen stared. "Hi. My name's Ellen."
"Tsutsumi," he replied simply. His armor shimmered and dissolved, leaving him in casual clothes again, fish still in hand.
"Those look heavy. Want me to help you carry them?" she offered.
"Nah, they're pretty light." He smiled faintly. "Anyway, this was fun. See you."
And just like that, he turned and walked off, leaving Wise and Ellen standing on the dock.
On his way back to Section 6, Tsutsumi paused, using his Half-Cold Half-Hot to summon a cart made entirely of frost and ice. He carefully laid the fish inside, preserving their freshness.
"I know you're both curious," Tsutsumi said without turning. "But you might want to work on your stealth before spying on someone."
Wise and Ellen stepped sheepishly from behind a building.
"Sorry," Wise admitted quickly, hands raised. "We really didn't mean any harm; we were just curious."
"It's fine." Tsutsumi smiled again. He sensed no hostility, so there was no reason to make a big deal of it. "If you're not busy, I'm heading back to Section 6 to cook dinner. Wanna come?"
The two exchanged a look. Then Ellen nodded. "Yeah, sure. We're in."
Wise smile. "I would love to."
As they followed, Ellen couldn't take her eyes off the ice cart gliding silently beside Tsutsumi.
She clenched her fists slightly. Even focusing all her energy, she could never make her Ether take shape that perfectly.
...
"Tsutsumi! You're back!"
Soukaku was the first to spot him, dashing over with her usual energy to help carry the salmon he'd caught. Together, they hauled the fish up to the headquarters' rooftop, now half-covered in tables, chairs, and mobile grills and stoves.
Originally, there hadn't been any plan for a celebration. But when everyone learned that Section 6 had officially been granted a day off due to the Void Hunter award ceremony, Soukaku and Harumasa joined forces to "convince" their Chief and Deputy Chief to hold a small party.
Naturally, the condition was simple: Tsutsumi would be the cook.
The moment Miyabi heard that the celebration was for her son, she agreed instantly, leaving poor Yanagi no room to object. Within hours, the rooftop came alive.
Harumasa is setting up tables, Soukaku is hauling up grills and folding chairs, Miyabi picks up the mobile stoves, and Yanagi is running last-minute errands.
As for Tsutsumi... He can just show up with whatever more he bring and cook.
By the time he and the others arrived at the rooftop, the sky was painted gold by the setting sun. Wise and Ellen followed behind, pausing as the warm chatter of Section 6 washed over them.
"Ah, Wise, didn't expect to see you again so soon," Harumasa said cheerfully, already pulling out extra chairs.
He and Wise hit it off almost immediately, since his identity was already known by Section 6, Wise even offering his assistance as a Proxy for them to show goodwill.
It was a tempting offer. Everyone knew Wise's skill level surpassed the best Bangboos in the department. After a quick exchange, they agreed to keep the offer under consideration.
Meanwhile, Soukaku and Ellen hovered near Tsutsumi's grill. The air was thick with the smell of sizzling meat and herbs, and with every hiss of oil, Soukaku's restraint melted a little more.
Ellen tried to play it cool, but her eyes followed every turn of Tsutsumi's tongs.
When the food was finally served, the whole table brightened.
Harumasa grinned. "Delicious as always."
Yanagi nodded in silent approval.
Even Wise and Ellen, guests or not, couldn't help themselves.
Wise chewed slowly, savoring every bite, while Ellen ate like she'd been starving for days, matching Soukaku's enthusiasm bite for bite.
No one minded the two joining in. If anything, the adults seemed pleased. Apart from Soukaku, there weren't many around Tsutsumi's age. This was good for him, a reminder that, even in their line of work, he could still have friends.
As conversation bubbled around the table, Yanagi turned to Ellen. "So, what do you do, Ellen?"
"Oh, me?" Ellen swallowed quickly. "I'm a student. I work part-time for Victoria Housekeeping Co."
"Housekeeping, huh?" Harumasa smiled. "That's a good gig. Steady pay, and the clients treat you well if you're polite."
Across the table, Miyabi was quietly observing her son. Then she leaned in slightly. "Ryoko, do you want to go to school?"
Her tone was gentle, but everyone could tell what she meant, not for academics, but for normalcy. She wants him to make friends and have a life outside of work.
"I don't wanna go to school," Tsutsumi replied instantly.
He came to this world to skip school, not transfer into another one.
There was a pause.
Miyabi sighed softly but didn't push the issue. "...We'll talk later," she said, returning to her meal.
A few minutes later, Ellen's phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen, seeing it was Rina, Ellen's guardian.
[Rina]: Ellen, when are you coming home? I made dinner today.
Ellen froze. Memories of Rina's terrible cooking flashed through her mind like a horror montage. Without hesitation, she snapped a quick picture, herself sitting beside Wise, Tsutsumi visible in the background, and sent it.
[Ellen]: Sorry, Rina, I'm already eating out with friends.
A moment later:
[Rina]: I see. Then make sure to come home early. And don't stay out too late.
Ellen waited a few more seconds. When the only other reply came...
[Corin]: Why'd you abandon me?!
Ellen exhaled in relief and grinned before digging back into her food.
Tsutsumi arched an eyebrow, feeling a warmth in his pocket. Reaching into it, he found Ellen's card had appeared. Not sure how this happened, he decided to put it away and continue making food for everyone.
Meanwhile, in a small video store on Sixth Street, a blue-haired girl slurped instant noodles while staring at the clock.
"When's Wise gonna be back? It's already dark…"
Belle sighed, poking at her noodles with her chopsticks.
The faint light from the TV flickered across her face, unaware that, somewhere across New Eridu, her brother had accidentally forgotten about her.