episode_0208

Aria’s 『Foresight』 is omnipotent.

It’s so amazing that you’d think it’s omnipotent.

She knew about Number 13, who had brainwashed everyone, years in advance, and even foresaw events further in the future, so much so that she is now affected by it.

But as befitting an omnipotent power, there is a price.

Each instance of foresight puts a great burden on her body, and if she reveals that foresight to others or acts against it, the burden seems to increase exponentially.

Aria helped Number 13 a lot with the Apple incident, but had to recuperate for almost a month afterward.

I heard that her physical condition is still not perfect, and even that was mitigated by dividing the burden from long ago when she foresaw this incident.

That’s why I couldn’t ask her about the person who shook Violet this time, or about the chief of staff’s disappearance.

-I’m sorry, Number 13 Oppa. If Oppa wants, I want to tell you right away.

-But I can’t. …If I tell you now, I’ll collapse.

-That’s not a problem, but there’s something I really need to tell you… I won’t be able to tell you that.

Aria’s words were ambiguous and I couldn’t understand them all, but seeing her face turn white in real time as if even talking about it was burdening her, I couldn’t possibly press her.

* * *

There’s no way I could have misidentified her.

First of all, I always thoroughly investigate enemy heroes, and above all, her next target is her.

The woman who suddenly came to Number 13’s room, wearing only a towel without any weapons or even clothes, is definitely Ashe, the leader of the 4th unit.

The moment he was certain of that fact, Number 13 skillfully pulled out the pocket knife he had in his pocket.

“Don’t move——”

“That’s dangerous~.”

The knife he took out was aimed, or so he thought, but at the same time, the knife disappeared from his hand.

Instead, Ashe’s voice came from right behind him, and at the same time, something cold touched his neck.

He immediately realized that it was the knife he had taken out a moment ago…

‘…Time manipulation….’

Remembering what the 4th unit leader’s ability was, Number 13 groaned inwardly.

It would be okay to die once. But because he had almost exhausted his magic power in the previous fight with Violet, dying more than that is dangerous.

Even if he had the opportunity to revive several times, there is no way to attack her ability.

“Don’t be so nervous. I didn’t come here to kill you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous….”

“I’m serious? Oh, I cleaned your room while you were away. Isn’t that admirable? Isn’t that commendable?”

“Don’t joke around.”

“What’s wrong with that. …Let’s not be too nervous. Huh?”

He felt the knife touching his neck moving away.

Number 13 cautiously, slowly, turned to look at Ashe.

But before he knew it, Ashe had disappeared from behind him, and instead was sitting on the edge of Number 13’s bed.

Sitting with her arms crossed, she is looking at Number 13. She is still holding the knife she took from Number 13 in her hand.

“How did you… find our hideout.”

“Because you told me.”

“Who.”

“Well, you did, Number 13.”

That can’t be.

That can’t be right.

“I told you not to joke around.”

“I’m not kidding. It’s true.”

Ashe leaned back arrogantly and continued to speak. …Below the towel, her plump thighs and genitals are slightly visible.

“You told me everything~ the location of this hideout, the location of your room, and the door lock password for your room.”

And, Ashe continued.

“And, you should change these passwords often~ How can you use the same password for years~ Your smartphone password is the same too~ You’re a man with no security awareness at all~.”

He couldn’t understand.

He couldn’t understand what she was saying at all.

At least, this is the first time Number 13 has met her. He sees her for the first time.

But her tone, her words… don’t sound like someone meeting Number 13 for the first time. Rather, it was a tone and content like she was treating someone she had been with for a long time.

“Number 13. No, Mr. Number 13. Let’s have a proper conversation. You might find it hard to believe what I’m about to say, but we have to have a conversation that you have to believe.”

She unfolded her arms and uncrossed her legs.

And she stood up from her seat.

“I am Ashe from the future, seven years from now. Nice to meet you, Number 13 of this timeline.”

* * *

Ashe, the leader of the 4th unit in this timeline, was in charge of part of the aftermath of the 7th unit’s ‘Lesserat Raid Operation’ that took place a while ago.

Aftermath, should I say.

While reviewing the information of the eliminated villain organization Lesserat, she found a connection with a criminal that the 4th unit was currently pursuing.

The target of the pursuit is none other than the dark scientist also known as『The All-rounder of the Back Alleys』.

The scientist has been carrying out terrible human experiments on both ordinary people and Awakened Ones, and has also been cooperating by providing the technology to various organizations.

In the case of 『Lesserat』 this time, it was found that the scientist’s hand had touched many of the organization’s members.

One of the villains who had been touched in this way had even achieved a level of enhancement that might have rivaled Rahe if he had had a little more time.

Even so, the future Ashe eventually identified the scientist and reached the point just before arresting him.

However, the arrest failed spectacularly. In the end, not only did she completely miss him, but the 4th unit, except for Ashe, was almost annihilated.

Not only that.

The damage caused by the scientist was not limited to the 4th unit, but spread throughout the Hero Association… no, even throughout the country.

It was truly terrible and nightmarish.

* * *

Drip, drip, drip-

“……..”

Number 13 still couldn’t understand this situation.

The fact that the leader of the 4th unit is in his room. Furthermore, he couldn’t understand this spectacle of the leader turning her back on him defenselessly and doing something clattering in the kitchen.

Number 13 didn’t know what to do, but watched without being able to offer useless resistance, as Ashe came and sat in front of him with a steaming mug.

A mug of coffee was placed on the table in front of Number 13.

“Here, drink it. I don’t know about the me in this timeline, but I’ve become pretty good at brewing it here?”

Ashe had her dried hair twisted to one side like a braid and wore a black apron over her naked body, making her defenseless in many ways.

Is the leader of the 4th unit actually promiscuous? She doesn’t mind showing her naked body in front of a man….

He wondered if she had put something in the coffee, but there was no need for her to do such a troublesome thing since he was helpless in the face of her abilities anyway.

Number 13 cautiously picked up the mug and drank the contents.

“…It’s delicious.”

“Hehe, right?”

Ashe smiled as if satisfied.

Glancing at her, Number 13 took another sip of coffee and put the cup down.

Right now, he wanted to talk to her more than coffee.

There was so much to hear.

“So, um… the you here is Ashe who came from seven years in the future?”

“That’s right.”

“In that future, the whole country had a lot of big things happen.”

“That’s right. The Hero Association became unable to function properly, and I retired.”

“…And the reason for all of that is that ‘someone’ who messed up our organization.”

“That’s right. The opponent is just one person, but because we failed to catch that one person properly, the snowball rolled in tremendously, right? It was terrible.”

Number 13 pressed around his eyes and sighed.

For now… he understood. Whether or not the content is credible is another matter.

Ashe continued in a leisurely tone to the agonizing Number 13.

“The reason I came here was thanks to Aria’s advice. She prophesied everything that would happen and told me what to do at what timing.”

“…That too, is a story from the future?”

“No. This is a story from this timeline. The future Aria has become unable to make prophecies anymore. Ah, don’t ask for details. There are several things that will get twisted if I tell you. You have to be careful.”

Drawing the line like that, Ashe continued.

“The one who told me the prophecy was Aria from this timeline. Already the ‘me’ in this timeline would have heard the story from Aria. Of course, I didn’t believe Aria’s story when I heard it, so I ignored it. …And I failed.”

A shadow fell over her leisurely and light expression for a moment.

…At least it doesn’t seem like a lie, he thought.

Of course, that doesn’t mean he can blindly believe her. There’s no way he can.

But… he also had the thought that he couldn’t just ignore it. He still needs to look at the situation a little more.

And above all, the most important question remains.

“Then, another question.”

“Yeah. What is it? Ask me anything. I’ll answer if I can.”

“…Why, did you come to me?”

Is that also Aria’s instruction?

Aria is Number 13’s ally, and if Number 13 is harmed in this situation… Aria may have brought in Ashe to prevent that from happening.

He can understand if she said that she told her about the location of the hideout and the password to Number 13’s room.

Of course, he doesn’t remember telling Aria that, but with her foresight, she could easily find out.

“Um. First of all, Aria told me to. Yeah, I have to go find Number 13.”

It seems that he’s not wrong after all.

But it seems that’s not the whole answer either.

To the puzzled Number 13, Ashe smiled brightly, looked at Number 13 with a warm face, and continued to speak. ─And a bomb was dropped.

“But more than that─Number 13 and I are married. It’s not strange that I would come to see my beloved husband first, is it? Right?”