Chapter 40: Part 38
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- Greetings, students of Yuei Academy, gaf. My name is Kenji Tsuragamae gaf, I'm the police chief and I'm the one who asked your handlers, gaf, to meet with you.
I took a quick look around.
In the room was Iida next to whom stood the hero Manual, well, or Handbook. Miruko was also here, standing next to me and looking extremely unhappy as this summoning had interrupted my beating disguised as a training session. Shoto and Prospector, Katsuki and Top Jeans, and Tsuyu and Mandali were also here.
- First of all, gaf, I would like to thank you for your help. Some of you stopped a lot of villains, some of you took part in debris removal as much as you could. No matter what you were involved in, you helped a large number of people and I'm glad, gaf, that such a promising generation is growing in Yuei, gaf.
I bowed my head slightly towards Miruko and whispered with just my lips.
- It's going to be NO.
- Exactly, young man, gaff. And I would ask that you take my words seriously, gaf. Because my being here is a gesture of goodwill and I can change my mind, gaff.
I was met with a stern look on my canine face, and Miruko snorted showing her attitude towards the police chief's words.
- The thing is, gaff, you still don't have a hero licence, gaff. That entails the responsibility of using your quirk in public, gaf, as well as fighting villains.
- Mm-hmm...
I nodded my head without the slightest bit of embarrassment.
- ...bureaucracy.
- That's right, young man, gaff. And this bureaucracy is against you, Gaf. Therefore, I would ask you to keep your involvement in these events under wraps, gaff. The press has been warned and...
I snorted loudly and took out my phone and quickly dialled one not-so-popular news site.
- 'Young Generation Saves People!' There's a couple more pages of text and pictures of us in costume. And here's another...
Going to another site.
- ...' 'Young kids breaking the law!' and there's a couple of links to similar information resources. So you're doing a shitty job...
Miruko snorted.
- Are you suggesting we punish you, gaff?
I got a disgruntled look. I just shrugged my shoulders.
- I didn't say that, I was just pointing out that your public relations people suck at their jobs.
- Right, gaff. But anyway, gaf, not a word about you will appear in the official resources, gaf, and I want you to keep the same line of behaviour, gaf. You can of course refuse, gaff.....
At those words, the chief of police looked at me.
- ...But in that case we will be forced to make a case for the inappropriate use of a fad and heroing without a licence, gaf.
I nodded my head. The threat, in spite of my behaviour, was not serious, and such a thing threatened at least exclusion, and at most a real term. No lawyer would help, and neither would the public outcry from the rescued people.
Tsuragamae looked at me carefully, but I remained silent.
- I'd like to point out, gaf, that no one I know likes this circumstance, gaf. But we can't let it go, woof, we can't let it go, woof. It's too likely to cause public outcry and unrest, gaff. Naturally, our agreement, gaff, will not be honoured anywhere, gaff. And if you decide to break it, gaff.
Dog Head shrugged.
- But I want to say thank you on behalf of myself and my subordinates, gaf.....
He gave us a thumbs-up.
- ...we are glad that we have a worthy generation of heroes, gaf.
With that, the Chief of Police left us.
- Miruko, keep your student in check, he talks too much....
The Prospector's voice was a bit rough.
- None of your business, Matchstick. I am completely satisfied with my student and believe me, if he has time to prepare he will beat you and take your second place.
Miruko grinned.
- Izu, let's go, I didn't have time to knock... train you properly because of this gathering, we need to go back and continue... training.
- Yeah, yeah...
I nodded my head and me and Battle Bunny left the room where the conversation with the representative of the authorities was taking place.
A couple of minutes later we were on the roof where I'd left the glider, and after another five minutes of flying at breakneck speed we were near Rumi's house. Rumi jumped off before we landed and impatiently stomped her right foot.
Boom!
As soon as I got off the glider, like a rabid rabbit, she kicked me with her foot. And I'd like to point out that every day she hits with more and more force. But I'm getting less and less uncomfortable with this kind of sparring every day. So I took this punch on a crossed-arm block, and then I slid across the ground, leaving furrows on it.
- You excited about something?
- I am!
The rabbit rushed towards me, throwing random blows with her arms and legs, but I had learnt her fighting style a little bit, so I dodged most of the blows with some difficulty, and took the rest on blocks. But today Rumi was too excited, so I didn't have time for a counterattack at all.
- And what made you so mad?
- Them! They dared to threaten you!
A few more terrifying blows...
- And what?
I shrugged and finally found a gap and ducked under Rumi's leg to face her small but very strong fist.
- Kha!
I rolled on the ground, spitting up the blood that had collected in my mouth.
- You were helping people!
Bunny didn't even realise she was overdoing it a bit, but I endured and prevailed. She needs to lose steam and she'd better do it on me, my regeneration will allow levelling the damage in a couple of tens of minutes, well, if it's something serious then in a couple of hours. But if she's on patrol like this...
She could be in trouble for overexerting herself.
- Got the Blur!
I took a particularly powerful leg kick from top to bottom on a crossed-arms block, and even though I'm strong enough to withstand such a blow, my feet went into the ground up to my ankles.
- Clearing rubble!
I take another kick with my other leg from the turn on the block again and I am literally torn out of the ground throwing me away from Rabbit towards the tree, which I break with my body.
- And they're threatening!
A few more blows from the last of which I barely dodge and see a chance to counterattack again and this time it was successful. Rumi didn't have time to respond and block my blow, so my fist slammed into her stomach, throwing her backwards and causing her to exhale convulsively.
But I wasn't going to stop and rushed to attack....
- Kha!
That's what combat experience means... Even with the air knocked out of her body, she instantly launched a counterattack literally beating the crap out of me....
These were the thoughts that were swirling around in my head as I used my body to smash a few trees that met my flight path....
- А?
I opened my eyes and blinked my eyes dazedly.
- I'm sorry...
Miruko sighed guiltily.
- I lost my temper...
- It's nothing...
It's really nothing. My head resting on her lap, her hands in my hair... it's a high... a real high.
- No, it's not.
She sighed again.
- Rumi.
- Don't talk. I know what I'm talking about. I've been in a relationship before... it started back in high school, I was already strong and trained hard, but I didn't pay attention to my explosive temper. It turned out to be for nothing.
There was a lingering pain in Rumi's eyes.
- ...My boyfriend dated me for a while and after sleeping with me, he abruptly stopped even talking to me. When I tried to get an answer, he said he'd seduced me on a dare, and he wouldn't even go near a psychotic, training-crazed battle maniac like me.
Rumi stopped talking.
- You sent him to the hospital?
- Yes...
She looked away guiltily.
- That's the right thing to do.
- А?
Now her gaze returned to me and was full of incomprehension and confusion.
- If some guy seduces a girl for a bet, he should be beaten, preferably with his feet... So you did the right thing.
- Maybe... but that doesn't mean he was wrong... I'm a battle maniac... I find it extremely difficult to restrain myself... and that can cause a lot of problems for you.
I nodded my head.
- It probably will...
Rumi smiled sadly.
- ...But who says I'm going to pay attention?
- You don't understand...
- I do understand. But I don't think your temper and your tendency to fight is the kind of thing that would affect our relationship if it were to work out. So let's just see how it goes, and we'll go out to a restaurant first.
- I'll... okay, but promise me...
I raised an eyebrow questioningly when she stopped talking.
- Promise me that if my temper gets on your nerves you'll tell me and not play with my feelings....
- I promise... but I can tell you right off the bat that I doubt that will happen. You see, I like your character. And I don't think it would change anything if you stopped restraining yourself in our interactions, after all, a Battle Rabbit is a Battle Rabbit...
Rumi grinned.
- Okay, when and where shall we go?
- Tomorrow, I think tonight, before the patrol or maybe instead....
- Okay.
I looked carefully into Rumi's eyes and stood up with a sigh, then stepped away from her and took a fighting stance.
- I can see what you want.
- N-no...
- Rumi.
- N-no, I don't want to...
Inhaling, I lunged for her and landed a blow to her head. And then what I expected happened, my instincts kicked in and she deftly evaded the blow and counterattacked me in the stomach with her foot.
- Kha!
I barely managed to block, but it didn't help me much and I flew into the nearest tree, but this time I managed to regroup and change my body position in space. Using the force of Rumi's punch, I caught the tree with my fingers, but not firmly enough to freeze in place, instead I was twisted around it, stripping the bark off the trunk, and as I turned around I stopped securing myself and flew towards Rumi.
Punch!
Rumi took it on the block of her crossed arms and immediately counterattacked with dozens of fast and powerful blows, which I still dodged.
- Stop dodging! Fight like a man!
I grinned and glued myself to her arm as she was about to strike, then threw her over me in an attempt to knock her to the ground. Only Rumi arched her legs into the ground, almost in a bridge. And then she spun round in a sharp twist, and I was twisted in the air before I could get away from her.
- Take that!
- Kha!
I struggled to get up off the ground, looking at Rumi, who had frozen in place and was clearly making an effort to lower her arms.
- Why?
Her voice was slightly strained.
- Because Rumi is Rumi and she shouldn't be ashamed of who she is.
She blinked, and I saw a single tear roll down her cheek.
- Come on...
- Nothing...
She wiped her cheek and turned and walked back into the house.
- We are done for today, meeting tomorrow before the date...free till then.....
The door to Rumi's house slammed open a few seconds later, but she didn't peek out.
- You'll get the time on your phone...
The door slammed again and I could only shake my head...am I pushing too hard? Or did she not tell me everything about THEIR relationship and I had hit on some unpleasant memories?
Questions...questions...questions...questions.....