Chapter 25: The Imperial Hot Spring and Past Events

“My Queen, with all due respect, I have a very subtle, almost psychic premonition about this particular venture,” Shadow Walker hissed, his voice filled with the distinct, nagging nervousness of a paranoid IT professional who senses an impending, catastrophic system-wide crash just before a long weekend. “I feel that perhaps, just perhaps, it would be tactically wiser, from a risk-assessment standpoint, for us not to go to the hot spring today. My danger senses are tingling. Vigorously.”

Darkmoon Queen, who was in the middle of admiring her perfectly manicured nails, shot him a withering, disdainful glare. “What, precisely, are you so pathetically afraid of, you sniveling little coward? Honestly. With me, your magnificent and all-powerful Queen, personally present, what does it possibly matter if both that pink-haired pest Strawberry Sweetheart and that brutish upstart Magical Girl Black are here? In S-City, we, the glorious and aesthetically superior Darkmoon Coven, are the undisputed, reigning kings of the darkness! Must a king be so timid, so cautious, so utterly devoid of swagger, when taking a simple, well-deserved hot spring bath in her own damned territory? Don’t be ridiculous.”

The other assembled fiends, all experts in the art of sycophantic flattery, immediately erupted in a chorus of enthusiastic, boot-licking praise. “As expected of our magnificent Queen! Such boldness! Such confidence!” “Yeah, Shadow Walker is such a total wimp! What a loser!” “He’s just a stinking, basement-dwelling otaku who only knows how to fiddle with his pathetic little computer all day!”

Shadow Walker, as was his custom, ignored the other generic insults with a weary sigh. But the last one, the otaku comment, clearly, unequivocally struck a raw nerve. He immediately, with surprising speed, pointed a slender, accusatory finger directly at the fiend who had spoken, a hulking, boulder-like creature with more muscles than brain cells. “You! Yes, you, Boulder-for-Brains! Your personal computer, on the D drive, there’s a cleverly hidden folder charmingly named ‘Important Company Resources.’ It requires a password to open, of course. The password is a complex, twelve-digit combination of numbers, symbols, and mixed-case letters. It sounds complicated, I’ll grant you that. But in reality, the password is just… ‘I_Love_Strawberry_Sweetheart_4ever’…”

“DON’T YOU DARE SAY ANOTHER WORD! I WAS WRONG! I’M SO, SO SORRY! PLEASE FORGIVE MY INSOLENCE, SHADOW WALKER-SAMA!” the fiend shrieked in abject terror, his rocky face turning a rather fetching shade of pale grey.

Watching her underlings begin to bicker amongst themselves like unruly children, Darkmoon Queen turned her regal gaze to a silent, masked girl standing obediently beside her, a girl who seemed to be woven from the very shadows themselves. “Dark Butterfly,” the Queen purred, “your unique ability can ensure that others cannot see through our clever little disguises, correct? No unforeseen embarrassments?”

“My Queen, that is a matter of course,” the girl replied, her voice a monotone, almost robotic whisper. “They will see only what we wish them to see.”

“Excellent. I know that Darkstar Count’s recent and rather humiliating defeat has put you all under a great deal of pressure,” the Queen continued, her voice now a touch more magnanimous. “So, today, relax when you should relax. Enjoy yourselves. I wonder if this fine hotel offers any… improper, off-menu services, hmmm? If they do, you are all welcome to order them. Indulge a little. After all,” she added, with a sly, predatory grin at Shadow Walker, “our dear Shadow Walker can just… ah… creatively reallocate the necessary funds from someone else’s bloated bank account to cover the expenses. Think of it as a wealth redistribution tax. For a good cause. Our cause.”

“ALL HAIL OUR GENEROUS AND FINANCIALLY ASTUTE QUEEN! BANZAI! BANZAI!” the fiends cheered, their earlier fear and squabbling completely forgotten.

And then…

A group of fiends, all clad in laughably conspicuous, "in cognito" disguises (mostly just trench coats and sunglasses, indoors), standing in the middle of the luxurious, opulently decorated hot spring hotel lobby, all suddenly, as one, snapped to attention, freezing in place like a group of particularly ugly, terrified statues.

Because Magical Girl Black, an irritated, almost murderous expression on her face, had just strode right past them, her presence an almost physical, palpable wave of intimidating, "don't-even-breathe-in-my-direction" pressure.

It was only after her dark, imposing figure had completely vanished around a distant corner that Shadow Walker managed to swallow the lump of pure terror that had formed in his suddenly very dry throat. “My… my Queen… should we… should we not perhaps make a strategic move now? While she’s alone?” he whispered, his voice trembling slightly.

“If I were here by myself,” Darkmoon Queen said, her own voice a low, almost impressed murmur, her earlier bravado slightly diminished, “I would most certainly, without hesitation, test my strength against hers, just for the thrill of it. Even if I couldn’t guarantee a decisive victory, I am confident I would at least be able to escape with my life and most of my dignity intact. If that had been that pink-haired annoyance Strawberry Sweetheart who just walked by, I would have, without a second thought, probably just demolished this entire hotel for fun… But this… this is Black. Against her, I would certainly be fine, but you all… you all would most certainly not be fine. That person, when she attacks, she doesn’t just fight; she attacks with the clear, unambiguous intent to completely, utterly obliterate her opponents into a fine, red mist. I have no absolute confidence that I could restrict her actions sufficiently to protect you all from becoming collateral damage. And that would be a terrible waste of valuable assets. Today, my loyal minions, we are here for team-building. So, for the time being, we will not be seeking her trouble! Understood? Now, who wants to hit the sauna?”

Black recalled the strange, intense group of people she had just passed in the lobby. So those must be the lucky prize winners, she thought, a little surprised by their almost fanatical intensity. They certainly looked like her fans; the way they had stared at her was with an almost religious, almost fearful adoration and a fiery, desperate intensity. Especially the strikingly beautiful woman leading them—though, she reasoned, she was, after all, the fearsome, unapproachable Magical Girl Black. Most ordinary people were likely just filled with a healthy and highly advisable dose of awe and terror when they saw her in person. Otherwise, they would have surely, like a pack of rabid wolves, rushed over to demand her autograph. The fact that they hadn’t dared to ask her for a signature, that they had all just frozen in place like terrified deer in the headlights, was actually a huge help. A blessing, even. Because, frankly, signing autographs was such a ridiculously troublesome, hand-cramping chore. She was, much to her eternal chagrin, developing a bit of an unwanted idol’s burden.

Speaking of which, though, a stray, Kenji-like thought intruded, that woman in the lead of that weird group… she had a really, really great figure. Almost like a professional model. Could it be that she was also someone the event organizers had hired to be in the ad? Maybe she’s a real, actual celebrity! Oh crap, I don’t watch TV or read gossip magazines, I wouldn’t recognize her even if she was world-famous! How embarrassing!

She quickly, forcefully shook her head, trying to clear the irrelevant and frankly slightly unprofessional thoughts. Although it felt a bit like pulling rank, like abusing her newfound celebrity status, she still, desperately, wanted a private, completely isolated hot spring area, rather than having to risk bathing with a group of strangers. The potential for awkwardness was just too high.

After she had, with her usual gruffness, made her rather demanding request to the hotel staff, a nervous-looking manager had immediately, and with much bowing and scraping, replied, “But of course, Miss Black! Right this way! We do happen to have a special, reserved Imperial Hot Spring area! Normally, it costs an absolutely astronomical amount of money to reserve it privately, but for a distinguished guest such as yourself, Miss Black, it is, of course, our supreme honor to offer it to you, free of charge!”

At the exact same time, Ren Akiyama, being the hyper-competent, overly analytical, and slightly paranoid Supporter that he was, had thought of the exact same potential problem as Black. He had already, with a frightening degree of accuracy, guessed at Black’s inevitable, almost certain dilemma regarding the public bathing situation. So, with a stroke of brilliant foresight, he had taken the initiative and found a high-level staff member, had politely but firmly inquired about private bathing options, and had quickly learned about the existence of the legendary "Imperial Hot Spring" area. And then, he had immediately headed there alone first, under the guise of a routine security check, intending to meticulously and obsessively sweep the entire area for any hidden cameras, listening devices, or other such nefarious, privacy-invading contraptions. One can never be too careful when one’s charge is a middle-aged man in a magical girl’s body.

The Imperial Hot Spring area, he discovered, was a vast, breathtakingly beautiful space. It was a so-called "open-air bath," an outdoor rotenburo, but he had heard from the staff that it wasn’t truly open-air, not in the conventional sense. Instead, the entire ceiling was constructed of a single, massive sheet of a transparent, almost invisible special material that perfectly mimicked the sky, complete with a holographic star-field for nighttime bathing. And, to complete the illusion, a series of cleverly hidden devices throughout the area simulated a gentle, natural breeze, making you feel as if you were truly, genuinely bathing in a secluded, pristine, outdoor mountain environment. It was… impressive. And probably cost more than his entire family’s house.

And then, just as he was finishing his final, paranoid checks, Magical Girl Black came in.

Without a moment’s hesitation, assuming she was completely alone in her private, VVIP suite, she began to take off her clothes, not even bothering with the formality of a swimsuit.

“Hah! If you’d just told me from the start that there was a fancy, private hot spring like this, I would have come ages ago! What was there even to worry about? Honestly. No time to waste, then. I’ll just change back and…”

Magical Girl Black’s gaze, as she turned, met Ren’s. Ren, who was currently wearing only a single, strategically placed, and suddenly feeling very, very small bath towel wrapped around his waist, while in the middle of conducting his final, highly sensitive security checks in some of the more hidden, shadowy corners of the vast bathing area.

A full, agonizing, universe-endingly awkward second of stunned, horrified silence passed between them.

Then, Ren, his mind a screaming vortex of pure, unadulterated terror, spun around with the speed of a spooked gazelle, his back now facing her, already mentally preparing himself, with a strange sense of calm resignation, to be summarily, and probably very painfully, obliterated by a massive, all-consuming blast of pitch-black, rage-fueled energy. This is it. This is how I die. What a stupid way to go.

But then, to his utter, profound surprise, he heard only the soft, gentle sound of someone entering the water with a quiet splash.

“So,” a surprisingly calm voice came from behind him, “you came here to check for hidden cameras and things like that, did you, kid?”

It was Black’s voice. And she… she didn’t sound angry at all. In fact, she sounded almost… amused?

By the way, a small, traitorous, and highly unprofessional part of Ren’s brain noted with a detached, academic curiosity, my initial thoughts on seeing Magical Girl Black’s… ah… unclothed form are as follows: so a magical girl’s transformation really does physically, biologically turn them into a complete, anatomically correct girl, huh! I had always assumed, based on various fictional precedents, that it might be one of those settings where they might not possess… ah… certain reproductive systems. Or perhaps they’d be more like… a doll? This is valuable data. Very valuable. I should make a note of this. For… science.

“Y-yes! That’s correct, Miss Black! I was planning to thoroughly investigate this place first, to ensure its absolute security, and then come and inform both you and Hana that the facilities here are likely the safest, and undoubtedly the best option available!” Ren replied immediately, his voice surprisingly steady despite the fact that his heart was still trying to beat its way out of his chest. “I’ve… basically finished my preliminary security checks now. There appear to be no immediate problems or threats. You… you can bathe here in peace. I’ll… be leaving now, Miss Black. Immediately.”

He began to attempt a very awkward, very difficult maneuver, trying to walk in a wide, semi-circular path with his back still facing Black, aiming blindly for the exit on the other side of the room. Don’t look back, don’t look back, don’t look back…

“Don’t be in such a ridiculous hurry, kid. Relax.” A soft chuckle echoed across the water. “It’s not like I’m one of those delicate, blushing little maidens who shrieks hysterically if someone accidentally sees a bit of bare skin. You can just come on down and take a dip too, you know. Bathing in a massive, luxurious hot spring all by myself is actually… kind of boring. And a little lonely.” Black had, in fact, with a practiced ease that was becoming slightly alarming, already used her powers to form a sleek, minimalist, and surprisingly tasteful black one-piece swimsuit out of pure, condensed dark energy.

Ren’s entire body tensed, his back muscles knotting with fresh anxiety. He roughly, and with a growing sense of dread, understood what Black—what Tanaka-ojisan—was probably thinking, what kind of awkward, fatherly bonding experience he was trying to initiate. But he still, as a matter of principle (and self-preservation), had to protest. “Th-this… but I have a girlfriend, Miss Black! This probably… this probably isn’t a very good idea, right? It’s highly inappropriate!”

“Oh? And what, exactly, do you mean by that, kid?” Black’s voice was suddenly dangerously soft, almost a purr. “Are you perhaps planning to do something… untoward… with me in this secluded, romantic setting? Do you, perhaps, harbor some… wicked thoughts… about my body? Because if that’s the case,” her gaze turned sharp, and filled with a chilling, almost paternal menace, “I might just have to have a little… chat… with that dear, sweet girlfriend of yours. For her own protection, of course.”

Oh crap, Tanaka-ojisan, you’re… you’re actually enjoying this, aren’t you? You sadistic old man!

“You… you do have clothes on now, right, Miss Black?! A swimsuit?!” Ren asked desperately, his last line of defense.

“Yes, yes, I’ve already manifested a swimsuit, you little prude. Now get in here before the water gets cold.”

Hearing this, Ren finally, finally let out a breath he didn’t even realize he’d been holding. He slowly, cautiously turned around. Seeing Black relaxing leisurely, and most importantly, decently covered, in the steaming hot spring, he let out another, even bigger sigh of profound, almost life-affirming relief. And then, with a sense of weary resignation, he also rather awkwardly entered the hot spring. My life is a constant series of bizarre, surreal trials.

“Aaaah! Now this is the life! This feels absolutely amazing! It’s been so, so long since I was last in a proper hot spring,” Black sighed, a sound of pure, unadulterated contentment. She sounded exactly like any other tired, middle-aged man finally getting a chance to relax. “At times like this, you know, it feels like having some nice, cold sake or maybe a refreshing fruit juice or something would make it even more pleasant, more… refined.”

“Drinking alcohol while bathing in a hot spring can, in some individuals, lead to sudden fainting spells due to rapid changes in blood pressure. I believe it is strictly forbidden by the hotel’s safety regulations,” Ren said primly, his Supporter-mode automatically kicking in, as he carefully maintained a very respectful, very safe distance from Magical Girl Black on the other side of the large bath.

Black acknowledged this with a grunt of grudging agreement. “Yeah, yeah, you’re probably right. Buzzkill. Speaking of which,” she said, changing the subject, “I ran into that group of supposed ‘prize winners’ earlier in the lobby. The woman in the lead, the one with the black dress? She had a seriously great figure. Almost like a professional model or a celebrity. Maybe she’s someone famous? You and Hana might know her. I certainly don’t recognize her from any of the boring financial news channels I watch.”

“Is that so? I will investigate her and her associates later, Miss Black. It’s not impossible that someone might be trying to leverage their proximity to you to gain some kind of personal advantage or profit. I will monitor the situation closely, and if necessary, I will have the organization’s legal team send them a strongly worded cease and desist letter.” Ren replied, his professionalism unwavering even while half-naked in a hot spring.

Black leaned her head back against the smooth, warm rock, a genuine, cheerful smile gracing her lips. “Heh. You really are so reassuringly, almost terrifyingly competent, you know that, kid? But, speaking of which, I’m curious. What is it, really, that motivates you to work so damn hard to become a Supporter? Is it all just for Hana?”

Is this… is this actually happening? Am I about to have a deep, heart-to-heart conversation with my future father-in-law? While we’re both bathing, half-naked, in a hot spring? This is… surreal. Ren thought. But, I suppose… I suppose this isn’t a bad activity for some bonding, either.

A soft, almost reminiscent look appeared on his face. “You could say it’s mostly for Hana, yes. But… it’s also, in a way, for myself.”

“Oh? Sounds like there’s a story there, doesn’t it?” Black probed gently.

“It’s not much of a story, really—Hana and I, as you know, are childhood friends. Our families have lived next door to each other since we were kids; we grew up playing together, practically inseparable.” This, of course, was information they both knew perfectly well, but Ren, ever the careful strategist, reiterated it, just to avoid arousing any of Black’s potential suspicions about how much he really knew. “Hana, as you also know, is a powerful Esper. And I… I am just an ordinary person. Wanting to be able to stand by her side, to catch up to her, to not be left behind in her amazing, super-powered world… that’s certainly one of the main reasons I’ve strived so hard. But—Miss Black, you might not be able to understand this, but being protected by the person you love, especially when you’re a man… it’s a profoundly, deeply humiliating feeling.”

“Hmm?” Black grunted, intrigued.

“I think… I think it was when I was about six years old.” Ren recalled, his gaze becoming distant, lost in a memory from long ago. “Six or seven-year-old kids, you know, they don’t really have a firm grasp on the concepts of good and evil, of right and wrong. They just like to play pranks, to cause mischief. They laugh when they see other people get upset; they mock them mercilessly, without a shred of empathy. At that time, Hana… she was being bullied by some of the older, bigger kids in the neighborhood. And I, in my infinite, childish wisdom, I thought I was some kind of great hero, a champion of justice. I thought I had to stand up for Hana, to protect her… but in the end,” he let out a short, bitter laugh, “I was the one who was easily, pathetically pinned to the ground, getting beaten and kicked relentlessly by all of them. And finally, Hana… Hana, who had been trying so hard to be a good girl, to not use her powers… she finally used her Esper ability. She created small, sharp stones out of the dirt and drove those kids away, just to protect me.”

As he said this, Magical Girl Black—Kenji Tanaka—suddenly, vividly, seemed to remember something from a long, long time ago. A forgotten memory, buried under years of work and grief.

“Our neighbor, Hana’s father,” Ren continued, his voice soft now as he mentioned Kenji Tanaka, his expression perfectly, innocently natural. “To be perfectly honest with you, Miss Black, for a little while there, I initially, actually thought that you might have been my uncle, her father. In disguise, somehow. But I later realized, of course, that I was mistaken. It was just a wild, silly theory. After all,” he added, a hint of a smile on his face, “you’re just so incredibly, surprisingly good to Hana. So protective of her. And I… well, I tend to be a bit suspicious by nature. So, I do apologize for my earlier, unfounded conjectures.”

His frank, seemingly sincere apology made Blackfeel incredibly, profoundly guilty. She just nodded slightly, unable to form a coherent response.

“So… so that incident from your childhood…” Black prompted, her voice a little rougher than usual.

“Well, as you may know, Hana’s mother passed away when she was very young,” Ren said, his own voice now tinged with sadness. “So it was Tanaka-ojisan, Mr. Tanaka, who raised Hana all by himself. He desperately wanted Hana to grow up to be a good, kind child. So he never, ever allowed her to use her Esper ability to bully or harm other people—that’s why Hana didn’t fight back when those kids were bullying her… She only used her magic… for my sake. To protect me.” Ren’s fists clenched tightly at his sides, his knuckles white. “The parents of those kids, naturally, they brought their children, who had been bruised and scraped by Hana’s little stones, and stormed over to find Mr. Tanaka. He ended up paying them a lot of compensation money, and then… then he scolded Hana. Very, very harshly… Hana… she was sad for a very long time after that. I understood Mr. Tanaka’s thinking, of course. He didn’t want his child to become one of those arrogant, power-abusing bullies who torment others just because they can; he was terrified that his precious daughter might one day become a fiend herself. But I… back then, I knew, with a certainty that has never left me, that it was my fault. My arrogant, foolish, self-righteous mistake, my misjudgment, my weakness… that was what led to that terrible result!

“It may have just been something insignificant that happened when I was only six years old, Miss Black. But even now, all these years later, I still can’t forget it. I can’t forgive myself for it. I want to become someone who can always, without fail, make the correct judgments in any situation. I want to become someone who can truly, completely protect her, so that she will never have to make another sacrifice for my sake ever again. I want—I want to ensure that she can always, always have a reason to show off that brilliant, beautiful smile of hers. I will protect her, Miss Black! That is my vow!”

That incident from back then… Black remembered it now. With a clarity that was like a knife to the heart.

That child… our Hana… so it was all for Ren’s sake… And she… she never told me. Why didn’t she ever say? No, she corrected himself with a fresh wave of crushing self-loathing, it’s not that she didn’t say anything. It’s that I, at that time, only felt disappointment, only felt that my precious child was heading down a dangerous, wrong path. I was so worried about her future, so wrapped up in my own fears, that I never once, not for a single moment, truly, genuinely listened to her voice. To her side of the story.

And such a thing… has it really only happened that one time? Or have there been countless other times?

So that’s why… that’s why Hana is so unwilling to communicate with me now, so unwilling to truly talk to me. Is it because—during the long, painful process of her growing up, she has, justifiably, come to no longer believe that I, her own pathetic father, will ever properly, truly listen to what she has to say?

Black looked down at the shimmering surface of the hot spring water. Her own reflection appeared there, a strange, beautiful, and utterly alien face. And yet, for a moment, she seemed to see, superimposed over it, the haggard, foolish, overbearing face of a middle-aged man, pointing an angry, accusatory finger at his own weeping daughter. A ghost from her past.

“Look at what you’ve done! Just look at it! Have you completely forgotten everything I’ve ever taught you?!”

“Dad! I didn’t! It wasn’t like that!”

“You’re still making excuses! Lying to my face! Then did those bruises on those poor children’s heads just appear there by themselves?! Is this how I taught you to be so dishonest? So deceitful?!”

And in the end, her little girl, her precious Hana, had just whispered, her voice choked with tears, “Dad… I know… I was wrong… I’m sorry…”

Ah—what a foolish, foolish father I have been. What a complete and utter, unforgivable fool.

“Well, well, well! I just knew a ridiculously high-end place like this would have this kind of luxurious, exclusive private suite! And to think, just a few measly, incompetent staff members actually, foolishly thought they could stop me, the magnificent, all-powerful Darkmoon Queen, from entering! Forbidding me to come here only makes me want to come in even more, you know!”

A tall, statuesque, and ridiculously curvaceous woman with long, flowing black hair strode imperiously into the private bathing area, her hips swaying with a dangerous grace. She was wearing a stunning, and incredibly, almost illegally revealing bikini that looked to be the exact same model as the black one Black had created for herself with her own dark powers just moments before. But the raw, overwhelming, almost nuclear-level impact of it on her body was entirely, devastatingly different.

She froze, her eyes widening in surprise.

Black and Ren also froze, their minds going completely, utterly blank.

“……Huh?”