Chapter 4

I was allowed into the room and had finished the basic introductions.

I looked around the room, which, though messy, retained a sense of femininity.

In it, a blonde girl was sitting on the bed, kicking her legs.

I was seated in a chair in front of her.

We were essentially facing each other.

"Hmm, Shizune, huh?

Well, that old man's naming sense hasn't changed, it seems."

"…Um, what's your name?"

"Rohl."

Rohl, huh.

Since giving real names is forbidden, this must be a codename.

But it could also be her real name, given her half-Japanese appearance.

"Nice to meet you. Rohl is your codename, right?"

"Ha? Of course it is.

But as far as I'm concerned, there's no other name for me."

No other name?

Does that mean she doesn't have a real name?

Anyway, it didn't seem like a topic to delve into during our first meeting.

Thinking this, I changed the subject.

"Do you live here, Rohl?"

"Yeah."

"Huh…."

If she lives here, does that mean she doesn't have a family…?

"Anyway, we're heading to the training room now.

You're currently with a bomb. I want you to consider my position, carrying such a thing.

If you go berserk here, I'll definitely die.

I'm really counting on you."

Rohl stood up and said this.

I thought, "What's with the sudden seriousness?" but it seemed she was going to be my partner.

As Rohl said, I don't know when I might go berserk, even with the suppression ring.

If I go berserk and kill my comrades, it would be a disaster. I need to stay focused.

I wonder why the boss picked up someone as dangerous as me…

I checked the time on my phone; the clock read just past 12.

Training now…? I wonder if I have school tomorrow.

If I do, I probably won't make it. When will I get home?

But thinking about such things in this situation wasn't right.

Honestly, I was just too tired from everything that had happened.

"Hey, what are you doing? Let's go."

"…Now?"

I ended up complaining.

I thought I might get scolded, but her response was calm.

"You need to get used to it right after your power manifests, or it will take longer to control.

Since I'm going out of my way to help you, just follow me.

Besides, you need to be aware of the power you possess."

"Ah, yeah…"

I gave a vague response and stood up.

Maybe she's not as bad as I thought.

---

"How's it going? Can you hear me?"

"I can hear you. I think I can pick up your voice even without the microphone."

I was in a completely white, soundproof room. This was the training room, a room reinforced with sturdy walls.

For the training, the suppression ring was removed, and I had left my phone in the room.

On the other side of the ultra-reinforced glass, I could see Rohl with a microphone.

She looked a bit annoyed.

Rohl put down the microphone and moved her lips.

"You with the long face.

How's it going? It's completely soundproof, so you can't hear me, right?"

"…I can hear you."

Long face, huh? She has a sharp tongue.

"Tell me what I said."

"Long face. Sorry, long face."

"Hmm, impressive. But it feels weird, so I'll use the microphone."

Rohl said this without any remorse.

I responded with "Understood."

"Feeling okay now?"

Rohl fiddled with the equipment in the observation room and asked.

"I'm getting ringing in my ears pretty often. And I can hear all sorts of sounds."

The ringing and noise were really annoying.

I wonder if I can get rid of them once I learn to control it.

"Hmm. Well, try something out."

Until now, that would have been an unreasonable request.

I might have responded with, "Don't be ridiculous."

But now, I kind of get it. The usage of my power flows into me instinctively.

Manipulating… sound.

Yes, using sound.

I can visualize the unrealistic.

Instantly, a deafening sound echoed in the soundproof room.

Crack! A crack appeared in the ultra-reinforced glass.

Hearing that, I hurriedly suppressed my power.

"Power level A+… You're a monster.

This training room is no longer usable, so we'll move to the next one."

"Seriously…?"

Did I really manifest such an incredible power…?

We left the training room and entered the next one.

This one seemed even sturdier, unlikely to be destroyed easily.

I entered another white, soundproof room.

This room was a bit larger than the previous one.

Once I entered, the door closed with a click, and the lock engaged.

Why did they need to lock it?

Despite the bad feeling, I turned my gaze to Rohl on the other side of the glass.

"For a constant activation ability, you need to learn to turn it on and off to some extent, or it will interfere with your daily life.

Since you're always in contact with sound, I think you'll get used to it pretty quickly…

But from what I saw just now, I think you'll be fine even without my teaching.

It's better if your ability isn't known to others.

What you can and cannot do, for example. When you tell someone about your ability, it's best to lie and understate it.

Then the other person will think, 'This person's ability is X, so they can't do Y.'

There's nothing good about your ability being known.

In your case, you needed to tell us because there's a possibility of us being harmed.

…Anyway, spend the day here. Experiment and try things out.

Food and other supplies can be obtained by pressing the button at the end of the room.

Well, good night."

She was the worst partner.

After saying what she needed to say, Rohl was about to leave the observation room, and I hurriedly called her back.

"Hey, what about school for a day!?"

"Skip it?"

I don't know if there will be school tomorrow, but Kaze Fumito is missing, and I, as an irregular manifestation, am being pursued.

If it's exposed, it will be a huge problem…

"I understand what you're worried about.

You're afraid that if your true identity is exposed, you won't be able to live a normal life, right?"

"Yeah, but…"

"If your true identity is exposed and you're about to be killed by the Self-Defense Forces, I'll risk my life to save you. Everyone else will too.

In Anonymous, we sometimes risk our lives for new members.

I think the old man and Shido will take care of your school and other surface matters."

What is this person?

Is her thinking off? She seems to be serious.

My first impression wasn't good, and she's so small.

Does she have this kind of resolve?

"I think it's too early for you, who has lived in a comfortable world, but one last thing.

For example, let's say I have a best friend of ten years.

If I had to choose between you and my best friend, I would definitely choose you.

Can you choose me in that situation? I don't think you can.

Come to the same place as me soon, buddy."

With a high-handed attitude, Rohl finished speaking and disappeared through the automatic door.

Despite everything, it seems Rohl is thinking about me.

Or maybe that's just my wishful thinking.

But I feel motivated.

---

This is about 12 hours later.

While I was training, a man entered the observation room.

It was the boss.

The boss picked up the microphone and sat in the chair in the observation room.

"How are you doing, Shizune?"

The boss's deep, steady voice echoed in the soundproof room.

"I'm getting used to it. I don't think I'll go berserk with the ring on."

"Hmm, in such a short time. That's impressive."

"But I still can't control my power.

I can't hold back… It doesn't work the way I want it to."

"That's understandable. With time, you'll be able to handle it.

In fact, it's impressive that you can handle it this much in such a short time."

Is that so?

But isn't the boss overestimating me a bit?

If I fight with someone, I'll definitely drag them into it.

"Anyway, it seems Rohl left you alone, but I've taken care of your school and home."

"Ah, thank you."

I wonder what he did…

As I tensed up, the boss's voice echoed again.

"Now, let's get to the main point. I want to measure your current combat strength. Is that okay?"

"Um, sure, but how are you going to measure it?"

If it's a fight with the boss, I'll have to refuse.

I don't think I can beat the boss, who can instantly kill a colonel.

But I'm aware that my power is quite strong.

I do have some confidence now.

"You'll fight this."

Thud.

I turned around at the sound.

There was a large hole in the wall, and from it, I could hear a growl.

Grrr…

A growl?

Then, the owner of the growl appeared from the hole.

"Let me introduce you. This is my pet, Volf."

There was a wolf, five times my size, with silver fur gleaming under the lights through the reinforced glass.

"A monster…!"

"Silver Wolf. Danger level 5.

A C-rank ability user can barely defeat it.

Volf is a bit stronger.

But he listens to me, so don't worry."

Looking at Volf, who seemed ready to attack, I swallowed hard.

"I'll stop it if it gets dangerous. How about it, will you do it?"

…Honestly, I'm scared.

But the opponent is an animal with ears.

It will probably be a one-hit battle. If I get bitten by those fangs, it's over, but if I attack first, I might be able to do it.

"…I'll do it."

The boss smiled.

"It's been a while since a new member accepted this.

No matter how strong your ability is, many can't face the sheer size in front of them.

I look forward to your growth, Shizune."

The boss continued.

"Good. Volf."

Am I his prey…!

"Roar!!"

Instantly, Volf lunged at me, baring its fangs.

I snapped my fingers.

The pleasant sound turned into a deafening noise.

Surprised, Volf let out a puppy-like "Yip!" and retreated back into the hole.

In short, the battle was over in an instant.

I could hear applause from the other side of the glass.

"Better than expected, Shizune.

Why did you hold back the power?"

"Because it's the boss's pet, I didn't want to kill it."

"What's that?"

The boss's laughter echoed in the soundproof room.

Then, he said, "Rest," and I was released from the training room.