Chapter 15: Liquid Villain – Flux①

I go to the university with the highest entrance scores in this area. Actually, you could say it ranks among the very best in all of Japan. Practically the top of the top.

After that run-in with RatLord, I was having dinner in the cafeteria when an acquaintance came over and spoke to me. Since it was a good chance, we decided to eat together, and I said this to Yukiya:

"You go to the same university as me? Didn’t expect you to be that smart."

"When it comes from you, Inori-san, who’s younger than me but already in grad school, it’s kind of hard to take at face value."

Normally, Yukiya accepts compliments without hesitation, but today he was oddly modest. Well, of course I’m impressive. This is my second life.

Even so, since Yukiya’s in a different faculty, I hadn’t realized we were at the same university. I’d heard back in his introduction that he was in the economics faculty, but there are tons of universities around here, so I never thought to ask which economics faculty.

Apparently, he’d come to the medical campus for a general education lecture, and then stopped by the cafeteria afterward. Sure, you can take gen-ed courses at the economics campus too, but there was a specific professor here he really wanted to learn from. Hard-working guy.

"From now on, because of this lecture, I’ll be here on Tuesday nights. If it’s okay with you, Inori-san, would you like to eat together again around this time?"

"Fine by me."

"Yes…! This is the campus life I dreamed of…!"

He was savoring the moment. I’m younger than most of my peers and still a minor, so I don’t have a ton of friends on campus either, but I’m not that lonely. He once said he had no one to hang out with and spent all his time studying, but wait, that’s still going on?

I borrow lecture notes for classes I miss, upperclassmen show me old exam papers, and I’ve even answered roll call for others a few times. I don’t go drinking since I’m underage, but I do have a few people I grab meals with in the cafeteria. Honestly, I’m living a pretty average college student’s life. Let’s leave things like grade-skipping out of the equation.

Seems Yukiya hasn’t managed to live a normal college life. I don’t know what the economics faculty is like, but I doubt it’s just a matter of faculty differences. I don’t really get what it’s like being socially awkward, but I guess it’s tough.

"So, how do you make friends?"

"Don’t try to look cool. Just be yourself."

"That’s so badass…!"

Yukiya’s eyes sparkled as he listened to me. First Raiden, now he’s going to idolize me? Inside, I’m just an old man, tossing out random advice that sounds kind of wise. Old guys say random stuff all the time. Best to only take about 30% of it seriously.

While I was talking with Yukiya, someone tapped me on the shoulder from behind.

"Inori-chan, is that your boyfriend?"

"Idiot. If he were my boyfriend, I’d make damn sure you never saw us together."

"Haha! That’s mean!"

It was an acquaintance from school. She enrolled the same year I did, but since I blasted my way into grad school in no time, we don’t end up in the same lectures anymore. Still, if we meet in the cafeteria, we’ll chat casually like this.

Yukiya’s smile from earlier vanished, replaced by a completely neutral expression, and he gave her a polite nod. The way he carried himself was so refined, it gave off more the vibe of an elite businessman than a college student.

— S-So cool…!

Even knowing his true nature, he still had that aura. My female friend who’d been teasing me turned red looking at Yukiya. So asking if he was my boyfriend was basically her checking whether he was available?

He really did look like the type meant for solitude…! No wonder he didn’t have friends. Everyone would just watch him from afar. That aura made him unapproachable.

Nobody watching Yukiya right now would think he’s socially awkward. They’d assume he stays alone because he chooses to. Then, when they see him chatting with me, they’d think, "Oh, Yukiya does talk to people. Maybe I can get close too," and approach him.

And this happened within ten minutes of sitting together. What a hassle. University cafeterias are busier in the morning and at noon than at night, since people eat between lectures. At night, most people have time to cook or eat out slowly. Honestly, I’d rather not bump into Yukiya at the cafeteria at noon. He probably won’t come anyway, since he’ll be in economics lectures.

Watching my acquaintance steal glances at Yukiya as she left, I said to him:

"Why can’t you talk to others the way you talk to me?"

"What do I look like when I talk to you, Inori-san?"

"Ugh…"

His grasp of communication was woefully inadequate. In a sense, he was always being "natural." My advice about not trying too hard was totally off the mark. He wasn’t keeping quiet to look cool—he was just shutting down, not knowing what to say.

The only reason he can talk normally with me is probably because he panicked and babbled a ton at first, and then just got used to it. But you can’t really tell someone else, "Let him freeze you solid and you’ll be fine afterward," because unlike me, they’d die.

"…Well, you don’t need to force yourself to make friends. Just call someone who’s always hanging around before you realize it a friend. That’s enough."

"So badass…!"

He’s good at buttering people up. Honestly, I think as long as he talks a little, he’ll be liked. Maybe I should help him out. But that feels a bit too much like meddling, doesn’t it?

While I was mulling over mom-like worries, I suddenly clutched my throat. A bubbling sound came from deep inside my body.

"Eh, did something get stuck in your throat?"

I shook my head, raised a finger to my lips, and signaled him to keep quiet. I collapsed onto the table, losing consciousness for a few seconds. When I came to, my throat was burning, and a crushing fatigue gripped my whole body.

"Ugh, that was close."

"Inori-san?"

"Sorry, I was dead."

"Inoriiiii-san!?"

This was drowning to death. And not only that—someone had manipulated my bodily・fluids, whether stomach acid or saliva. A silent, efficient assassination attempt. Way too good. Honestly, it’s wasted on me—you could kill me with anything.

If RatLord’s intel is correct, the villain is probably Flux. A mid-veteran who can merge with and manipulate liquids. In a modern city full of water pipes, he’s an absolute pain to catch.

Clearly, Yukiko would be the perfect counter to him. He’s liquid, so she can freeze him. Inferna would work too—liquid boils away. If being liquid is the problem, just turn him into gas or solid.

"You got your suit?"

"Of course. Like how grade-schoolers wear swimsuits under their clothes when first period is swimming."

Yukiya pulled open his collar, showing me the hero suit beneath his shirt. Always ready to fight. Respect. Still, we need more heroes. With so many villains, the numbers just don’t balance.

On the flip side, Flux is the kind of villain who counters Raiden. In wet environments, Raiden can’t use electricity—too much risk of shocking civilians. That’s the way it is with elemental powers, strengths and weaknesses. Flux has lasted this long only because the only hero around was Raiden. But against this new wave of heroes, he should go down in no time.