Two days had passed since the final showdown with Sherlock.
There was no particular progress with regard to the Yi-Woo. None of their members came to attack or anything like that. Although, people in black suits did come to tell me to keep my mouth shut.
The internal investigation of the Vostok also apparently only turned up the works of art that Sherlock had been collecting.
"So, that Zi-O is the problem, right?"
"Yeah, I guess so..."
Tatenashi, who was lying in a hospital bed, held her tablet up to me.
I was at the hospital now. A few of my acquaintances were hospitalized because of the incident.
This person was one of them.
Anyway, back to the topic at hand—yes, Zi-O was also a problem. Or rather, Zi-O was becoming the biggest problem.
A video was playing on the tablet.
It was a video of me fighting at the Inter-Middle.
"Honestly, modern people... I wish they'd give it a rest."
I had fought Another OOO at the Inter-Middle venue, and there were a number of people who had filmed the battle. Not just one or two, either.
"Since it was the finals, TV stations from various countries were there, and you've become a worldwide celebrity, haven't you?"
"At least my face wasn't in it, that's a relief."
Reactions to Zi-O were varied.
Some said he was a hero who appeared to save the audience from a crisis, while others took the part where he received the Watch's power from Another OOO and called it a grand publicity stunt. The worst of the bunch even claimed that the Ultraman monster uproar was my (and Decade's) doing.
People are so selfish. They just get all excited on their own.
"It seems like the name 'Kamen Rider' is going to stick, too."
"I know, right..."
In the rescheduled final match, Eremia was the one who emerged victorious.
Eremia, who had called me "Kamen Rider," was asked about the incident during his victory press conference and used the term "Kamen Rider."
It stuck completely.
Thanks to me, the urban legend of "Kamen Rider" is starting to form on this island. I wonder if a Kamen Rider club will be formed soon?
By the way, the members who were at the ground battle that day have found out that I'm Zi-O... but Hayate-san decided not to let the information leak outside of the squad.
"I'm really grateful for that. You agreed to it too, Tatenashi-san, right?"
"Because if your identity is revealed, it'll cause all sorts of problems."
Both for the public and for the same管理局.
"Exactly. So Sho-kun, don't transform carelessly in places where there are people, okay?"
"I'll keep that in mind..."
As a result, I've ended up acting like a Kamen Rider who hides his identity.
Well, I think I'll be fine as long as there aren't any Another Riders in front of me... probably, maybe.
"Well, I can't really say anything about it. I was a burden this time, after all."
"No, not at all. I'm just so glad you're okay."
Tatenashi wore a cheerful smile that showed no sign of her injuries.
"Are you okay now?"
"Yeah. I'm the head of the Shinonono family, after all."
This wasn't because she was superhuman.
"The head of the Shinonono family doesn't die so easily. Although I have a role as a 'shield,' I can be healed as many times as I need to be, as long as I'm not broken."
In other words, she can receive advanced treatment in order to continue fighting in the future.
"Exactly. Thanks to that... look. Not a single scratch, right?"
She pulled up the blanket and even the hospital gown she was wearing.
Her pure white stomach was exposed without hesitation.
I don't know if she was aware of it, but it was an extremely dangerous way to pull up her clothes. If she pulled it up just a little more, the southern hemisphere of her bust, what's commonly known as the underboob, would be visible.
I intentionally averted my eyes from the boundary between her clothes and her skin.
It was a beautiful, toned body. Just as Tatenashi-san said, her smooth skin was without a single scratch.
Tatenashi-san then poked and prodded the area where the wounds would have been with her finger. It seemed she was trying to show off her recovery.
"Well, what do you think? What do you think?"
"I'm really glad for you. It's great that there aren't any scars left on your precious body."
"What? That's a boring reaction. You're saying you're used to seeing a girl's belly button?"
"No, no, that's not it at all."
I chuckled.
"Well, I should get going."
"Eh? You're leaving already?"
"I have to go see the other person, too."
I stood up and left the room.
"Well, take care of yourself. I'll see you at the Sixth Division next month."
"Okay. Thanks for coming today, Sho-kun."
With those words at my back, I left the hospital room.
---------
"—Yes, that's right."
After Sho left, Tatenashi made a phone call to a certain place.
"Yes. Considering the results of this battle... yes. Whether he is a good person or a bad person is not the issue."
She was on the phone with the head of the Ministry of Defense, which is responsible for Japan's national defense. Although she had said she would keep silent about Sho being Zi-O, she hadn't said she wouldn't report anything about him at all.
"The problem is that he is the one who, in effect, annihilated Yi-Woo. This information will quickly spread to the underworld. Until now, the information about him was contained on this island, but now it will be spread all over the world. Along with his unique abilities."
Sho had broken the balance of the underworld that Yi-Woo and Sherlock had maintained. The shock of suddenly breaking the main pillar would now spread throughout the world.
There was no doubt that Sho, the cause of all this, would become the focus of attention all over the world.
"Even if he isn't an enemy, it's unavoidable to have some surveillance on him. We must do everything we can to prevent him from falling into the hands of a hostile organization due to some accident. I'd like you to make arrangements for this as soon as possible."
After saying just that, Tatenashi hung up the phone.
"I'm sorry, Sho-kun. You saved my life, but... this is my job."
She murmured to herself.
---------
"You're completely back to normal."
"I was just here for a check-up. I wasn't injured anywhere."
Next, I visited Yao's hospital room. It was a lower grade than Tatenashi-san's room, but it was still a private room.
Well, considering that she became a monster this time, it might also be for the purpose of isolation.
In the case of Another OOO this time, Yao wouldn't be charged with any crime. She was caught on the security camera at the zoo where she worked. It showed a mysterious man implanting a Watch into her from behind. There were also many witnesses.
"So, about that man..."
"Sorry. I have no idea. I didn't sense his presence when he got close to me from behind. I didn't see his face either."
"I see..."
The mysterious man who implanted the Watch. The person who gave the Double Watch to Sherlock was probably the same person.
... He's probably from the same world as me.
"A third one, huh..."
"Is he an enemy?"
"Judging by what he's doing... yeah."
Abusing the power of a Rider to do something like that is by no means a righteous act.
Considering that he forcibly turned Yao into an Another Rider, it's highly likely that he has a good understanding of us as well. He's even more troublesome than a zombie.
"I'm sorry, Yao. I got you involved in something strange."
"It's okay. I don't mind. But, I do have a complaint."
"A complaint?"
Yao folded her arms exaggeratedly.
"Don't you think I was the heroine this time?"
"Well..."
"A helpless girl who turned into a monster—" "Helpless?" "Yes, a 'helpless' girl. That was me, right?"
"Well..."
There were so many girls in the story that I felt it was pointless to think about who the heroine was. If we're talking about a girl who was kidnapped by an enemy, Aria would also fit the bill.
Whether she's helpless or not... is up for debate.
"And yet, after you saved me, you kissed a grade schooler and went off somewhere. You didn't even visit me, and you went to save Aria instead. Do you have any excuses?"
"None at all."
It was all true...
"What kind of compensation would you like?"
"Of course, a passionate kiss like you would give a lover."
"Haha, you're joking again."
"It's fine with me, you know? I wouldn't mind. It's okay with me as an apology from you and as a thank you from me."
As we were talking, the door to the hospital room opened.
"Yao-chan. Are you doing well? Oh, Sho-kun, you're here too."
It was Mea who came in.
"Yeah. I'm doing well."
"Mea, you've been coming to visit her a lot, haven't you?"
"Yeah. Because Yao-chan is my friend... But, was I interrupting?"
Why would she think that?
"Because you two were alone. I thought you were about to start something."
"We weren't starting anything!"
"That's right."
Yao and I nodded in unison.
"Because—"
Yao's arm wrapped around my neck.
"Hmm?"
Our faces drew closer, and our lips touched.
"—I'll forgive you with just this much this time."
"Ah, o-oi...!"
"Wow!"
Mea cheered at Yao's surprise attack.
I had forgotten. That Yao was a troublemaker.
---------
On the way home from the hospital visit, Mea and I were walking side by side down the hospital corridor.
"Oh, right, Sho-kun. I fought the person who turned Yao-chan into a monster for a little bit."
"Yeah. I heard."
I had heard that Yao and Mea had become friends. Or rather, Mea had happened to be there when another person... Nana Asta Deviluke and Yao had become friends.
Mea and Nana are both characters from "To LOVE-Ru (Darkness)," and they're a close pair in the original work as well.
Furthermore, Nana and Yao both have the same skill of being able to "talk to animals."
I guess that's a reasonable combination. Though, the relatively normal Nana must be having a tough time.
So, I had heard from Yao that Mea was there.
No, "So" isn't the right word. To think that I'd even get connected to Nana, even with Lala there. When I look at it this way, I can't help but suspect that I've already made some contact with Nana's twin sister, Momo, somewhere.
Of course, it's natural that I wouldn't hit such a low probability, but in my case, I feel like I'm going to hit an inevitability that transcends such probabilities.
Anyway, back to the topic.
"Fought, you say? That's an exaggeration, isn't it? I heard you couldn't land a single hit."
"Ah... That's true, I guess."
Mea laughed.
"To be exact, it's not that I couldn't land a hit, but that my movements 'stopped'."
"Stopped?"
"Yeah. When I tried to hit him, my hand just wouldn't move forward any further. It wasn't like my body was being held down or anything."
Stopped, huh.
"Is it some kind of hypnosis? Like a subconscious suggestion that you can't attack?"
"Maybe, but if so, that person is a world-class hypnotist."
"Or..."
Or a special ability that doesn't exist in this world.
"...Or what?"
"...No, I was just wondering why you're telling me all this in such detail."
"Huh? Is something wrong? My friend had a terrible time. It's only natural to cooperate, right?"
"Yeah, it is."
I wish she would continue to have that natural sense.
"Hmm?"
"No..."
But, she's not there yet.
If her master told her to 'slice,' she would probably do so without hesitation, whether it's Yao or Nana.
But that will change from now on. If she's made a friend, that friend will probably help Mea's heart grow.
"Well, keep being good friends with Yao. And if you find out anything about the mysterious man, let me know, too."
"I'll definitely be good friends with Yao-chan... but about that guy's information, there might be a small condition."
"A condition...?"
"I was just thinking I'd ask for something."
I became wary at her words.
"It's not that difficult. It's not like I want you to do anything to Yami-onee-chan or something like that."
"Then what is it?"
Mea smiled brightly.
"I want you to have sex with me."
"Hah...!?"
What are you saying in a place like this? It's a good thing no one was around!
"Huh? Did I say something weird?"
"You did!"
At the very least, you said something that was inappropriate for this place!
"What are you two talking about in a hospital?"
My heart nearly jumped out of my chest when I heard a voice from behind me.
"M-Mikado-sensei!?"
When I turned around, Mikado-sensei was standing there with a smirk on her face.
"Hmph, another new girl? You're amazing, aren't you?"
"No, no."
"After visiting a different girl, now in the hospital?"
"No, no! That's not it! She's just saying whatever she wants!"
"How mean! I was serious!"
"Sho-kun?"
"Stop saying random things!"
"Ehe."
Mea stuck her tongue out and made a playful face.
Mikado-sensei shrugged and turned around.
"Well, don't overdo it. If you play around too much, you'll end up getting stabbed one of these days."
Saying that, Mikado-sensei left.
"So, what are you going to do?"
"How can you even continue the conversation after that? The answer is NO. NO!"
"Aw!"
Mea pouted.
"It's fine as long as no one finds out, right? There's nothing but benefits for you, Sho-kun."
"No, what do you mean by 'nothing but benefits'..."
"You don't have to be vague. I know everything. From when we were connected before."
"Connected?"
That's a very ominous word, but this "connected" must mean she connected with me using her powers. I don't remember it, though.
"You know a lot, don't you? Yeah, when I connected with you in my Psycho Dive. I know a lot about you, Sho-kun. I know you've done perverted things with a lot of different girls. I know that you can get new abilities by ejaculating—and I know you came from another world."
"...I see."
It's not like it would be a problem if she exposed me... The reputational damage would be awful, but yeah, just telling the truth would be a huge blow, but it's not a matter of life and death.
In the first place, how many people would believe her? And even if people pointed fingers at me, what I have to do wouldn't change.
"I'm not trying to threaten you, by the way. I don't really understand threats. No, I want to talk about how there's nothing but benefits for you."
"No, that's not it..."
I felt like we weren't on the same page at all.
"Huh? Is something wrong? Sexual desire is a very natural desire for a living creature, right? I want to experience it, too."
I can't believe I'm hearing her say that here.
"No, what I mean is... why me?"
A beautiful girl like Mea could just call out to some random student on the street and she'd have no problem finding a partner.
"Well, you know, the important thing is a 'person you've decided on in your heart,' right? I've decided on you, Sho-kun. And you're experienced. I want my first time to feel good!"
"So many things are wrong with this...!!"
So many things! Almost everything is wrong here!
Since I wasn't agreeing, Mea tilted her head in confusion.
"Hmm, what's wrong? My body? I can adjust it by transforming. Do you want bigger boobs? Oh, but they shrink when I get off, so I'll try my best until then!"
"That's why..."
I'm starting to think I should just educate this girl!
"I see... I'm sorry. I understand."
"You do?"
"I'll give up on you, Sho-kun. I'll just go to town and have sex with some random person."
That's not what I meant!
"...sigh, come here for a second."
"Eh, where?"
"Just come on!"
I took Mea's hand and headed toward my house.
--------------------------------------------
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