Chapter 9: Metal Villain - Ironclad①

The team-up of the Ice-Snow Hero, Seco the Snow Fox, and the Flame Hero, Inferna, seems to be going well.

They’re both pretty clumsy in their own ways, but they manage to cover for each other’s slip-ups and somehow make it work. At least, I haven’t heard of anyone dying because of them. That’s what really matters.

"So thanks to you, the damage has been minimized, the villain capture rate has gone up, and we can’t thank you enough, Inori-san, but…"

Yukiya Himuro, better known as the Ice-Snow Hero, Sekko the Snow Fox, said this with a solemn expression, but trailed off. I urged him to continue.

"But?"

"Is it really okay!? Not going to a doctor!?"

Akazawa Hina, better known as the Flame Hero, Inferna, jumped in to take over, shouting as the flames on her head burned brightly.

My skin is purple right now. Not because of some flashy makeup, but from the aftereffects of being hit by a poison villain’s attack.

"I’m fine, I’m fine."

I thought about joking, like: what are you two worrying about, when you’re the ones who froze me solid and burned me half to death? But if I said that, they’d probably both take it seriously and get depressed, so I held back. Some jokes just shouldn’t be told.

Truth is, I’m not all that sure I am fine. I’ve never been poisoned before. The worst I’ve had is expired food. But saying something that would only make them more worried isn’t a good idea. It’s not like talking about it would change anything.

"Is there some reason you can’t go to a doctor!? Like no insurance card, or no money!? I’ll pay for it! Or maybe you don’t have a nationality, should I threaten a doctor into seeing you!?"

"Oh, right. I never told you, Hina. I’m an ability-user with regeneration, so I’ll be fine as is. Look, the handprint you left is already fading."

"Really!?"

"Seriously!?"

"Why are you surprised too, Yukiya?"

"Well, you never told me either!?"

Guess I hadn’t told Yukiya either. Right, we only just met. It’s kind of rude to blurt out superpowers the first time you meet someone, you know? People with superpowers aren’t exactly common, so there aren’t really any set manners about it, but still.

"Normally, if someone’s frozen solid, they’d be dead, right?"

"True…"

"‘True’ my ass."

"I thought maybe your ability was to survive being frozen."

"That’s dangerous! You didn’t try it on anyone else, did you!?"

"Of course not, I had no reason to. I was just kind of hoping cold sleep might be possible."

"Well, dreams are important. Superpowers aren’t fully understood. If you believe hard enough, maybe it’ll work someday. Don’t give up."

"I don’t have any need for cold sleep, so I’m not motivated."

"What the hell is wrong with you."

Hina was listening to me and Yukiya’s banter with her head blazing like a bonfire. I don’t know much about how people with flaming heads show emotions, but this was probably laughter. If she’s well enough to laugh, then that’s a relief.

"Yukiya-kun is really dependable, you know. When I get overheated, he cools me down."

"No no, that’s my line. If you weren’t there, there’d be times the whole city would’ve turned into a freezer."

Guess they’re a good combo. Hina clasped her hands and let her flames flare up brightly.

"As for me, I’d love to have a rematch with Ironclad! That was the first time I ever let a villain get away!"

"Really? That’s impressive, Inferna. Raiden’s let way more get away."

"That’s only because Raiden-san is kind, and there are just too many villains!"

Yukiya puffed up, rushing to defend Raiden. Right, I forgot. Yukiya’s a Raiden fan. To me, Raiden’s just an acquaintance, but to Yukiya, he’s a hero to admire. Better watch my mouth.

Back to Ironclad. One of the earliest villains, and I’ve never heard of him being captured. A tough one.

"I want Ironclad dealt with too. He was the first villain to punch me in the face."

"Huh? Seriously? Want me to kill him?"

"That’s a bit much."

Oh right, Hina’s a big fan of mine. Like, really big. I’m just an ordinary guy, but to Hina… what am I? A role model? A friend? A best friend? A counselor? I don’t know. What I do know is that she’s got some very heavy feelings aimed at me.

I guess she never really had anyone who’d listen to her seriously. I thought having a partner like Sekko would give her someone to rely on, and maybe stabilize her, but it won’t be that easy. Heart problems take time. I should be careful what I say.

Yukiya, on the other hand, didn’t really notice how unstable Hina was becoming—or maybe already was. He probably just thinks, "so this is what female friends are like," since he admitted he doesn’t have any.

He adjusted his glasses with that upward push at the temple. Raiden used to do that too. Little habits like that can give away who you are, so he should be careful.

"Ironclad’s a metal villain, right? If Hina-san and I take turns, heating and cooling, wouldn’t that cause metal fatigue and bring him down?"

"See, Inori-san? Yukiya-kun’s smart. All I can do is punch and kick, so he’s great as a strategist too."

"Thank you! I didn’t have any friends to play with, so studying was all I ever did!"

"…Sorry about that?"

Yukiya beamed as he gave his thanks, while Hina shrank back and apologized. They haven’t known each other long, so awkward moments like this are bound to happen.

"It’s tough fitting into society with special abilities. Both of you were born with yours, right? Must’ve been rough."

"Archangel Inoriel…!"

"Don’t give me weird nicknames."

So Hina thinks I’m an angel. An angel with a foul mouth—if such a thing exists. Then again, in a world with heroes and villains, maybe angels and demons exist too.

Though with my skin purple from poison right now, I probably look more like a demon. Unless real angels are actually blueberry-colored.

I wonder if God exists. If reincarnation is a thing, maybe Buddha does too.