On my way home, I ran into the two girls who’d called the police. They were visibly relieved to see me unharmed, though I still had to explain to the officers it was just a street brawl.
Time flew. A month passed, and attacks from Organization K gradually ceased. By then, I’d nearly pinpointed their secret base.
Organization K’s covert Japanese base was hidden in a desolate spot—an abandoned factory. Years ago, the owner had tried to flee after withholding workers’ wages for months. Enraged laborers caught him and burned his entire family alive inside. Locals claimed the ruins echoed with mournful wails at night. Nearby residents slowly moved away, leaving the factory a sinister, forsaken place. And beneath it lay Organization K’s underground lair.
“Black Dragon Stream Lord… are you really leaving?” The chuunibyou girl seemed less self-absorbed lately—maybe she was finally growing out of it. Still, that painfully cringey nickname stuck. Hell, I’d almost gotten used to it myself.
“Yeah. I have something to handle back in my homeland,” I said, ruffling her hair. The Chinese branch of Organization K wouldn’t escape my wrath.
“Will we meet again?” asked Akari, the redheaded girl beside Hodou Yu, her eyes hopeful.
“We will. After I settle things there, I’ll return to see my friends.”
“Goodbye!” In just over a month, I’d grown attached to these two. But this wasn’t some tragic farewell—no need for tears. “Goodbye!” I didn’t look back, just raised my left hand in a wave.
The abandoned factory stood in Shinpu District, an industrial zone one borough over. The gruesome family murder had faded from public memory, though locals still avoided mentioning it.
June in Japan was scorching. Walking the streets offered quite the eyeful—sometimes catching men frozen mid-stare at snow-white thighs, only to be yanked away by their girlfriends by the ear.
I traveled light today: a pale teal sleeveless tee, blue jeans, and a modest wallet stuffed mostly with game coins.
As soon as I entered Shinpu’s industrial area, crowds thinned and the air turned several degrees cooler. The factory’s notoriety meant any passerby could point the way—but they’d dodge the question. I finally stopped a young boy, handing him a few game coins for directions.
The path to the factory was overgrown with weeds, clearly unused for years. Up close, the entrance’s iron gate hung crookedly, rust eating through its frame. Inside, the main workshop stood empty except for shattered glass and rubble. I nudged the gate lightly—it toppled over with a groan. This place had been dead for decades.
Daylight flooded the ruins. Despite the decay, nothing felt eerie. Except for one structure on the far east side: even through the weeds, charred black scorch marks stained its walls. Intel confirmed Organization K’s base lay beneath it.
No traces of guards yet—but they’d surely spotted me. I made no effort to hide.
Finding a hidden underground entrance proved tricky. After circling the area fruitlessly, I stepped into the very workshop where the factory owner’s family had burned. It looked no different from the others: hollow, ruined.
“Major Levin, the target’s directly above us,” reported a bespectacled blonde woman beside a golden-haired man. Her tone was calm despite the bad news. “Our deployed Ability Users are all combat-incapacitated, though alive.”
The blond man smirked. “The base entrance isn’t easy to find. But if he *does* get in…” He fixed his sickly gaze on the monitor, licking his lips. “I’ll give him a proper welcome.”
Fine. If I couldn’t find the door, I’d make one. I pulled out a game coin, accelerated its time, and shot it into the ground. A hollow echo confirmed empty space below. Perfect.
Time to test my new ability—just like Tia, I’d detonate time to physically destroy matter. I jammed a wooden stick through the coin’s hole. Soil gave way after two meters, then met firm resistance: the base’s metal shielding.
Since I couldn’t remotely target like Tia yet, I pressed my palm to the earth. Channeling my power, I ignited the timeline of surrounding matter, erasing it from existence.
A gaping pit yawned open. I tossed a coin down—no gunfire answered. Still, I slowed time around me as a precaution before jumping in.
The sight stunned me. Interlocking metal corridors stretched like a labyrinth beneath the earth. Only overhead lights broke the monotony; no signs marked the way. This maze was clearly the first line of defense. But if K wanted a maze, I’d leave a trail. I carved a notch into each wall I passed.
By the third turn, they caught on. Lights died instantly, plunging me into darkness. Good thing I’d brought a flashlight. Its beam barely cut through the gloom, but it lit my path.
Strangely, no guards appeared. Had this branch truly run out of fighters?
I dismissed the thought. This was a trap—the commander’s doing. They’d been waiting since I revealed myself.
No matter. It was time to settle the score.
