Umbrella Girl.

It took every last ounce of willpower I had not to scream that out loud the second I saw her face. I mean I am still freaking the hell out here, but it's all internal.

Seriously though, what the hell is she even doing here? Does she recognize who I am? I know I only spoke a couple of sentences to her tops, but...

...calm down, Enki.

Yeah. There's no way she has any idea who I am. This mask might only cover the upper half of my face, but my hair's also completely different while I'm transformed, not to mention my clothes... hell, even my voice is different.

So yeah. Calm.

Clear mirror. Still water.

"This certainly is unexpected," I say out loud, breaking the awkward silence.

Thank God my internal panic only lasted a couple of seconds in terms of the outside world.

"Would you mind telling me what a nice girl like you is doing in a neighborhood like this in the middle of the night?" I ask.

"Would YOU mind telling me why you're attacking people in the middle of the night!?" Umbrella Girl snaps back.

She's feistier than I thought, I'll give her that much.

"And what's with the fire!?" she shouts, pointing at the onibi that are still floating in the air around me.

I have to admit, I'm pretty impressed at her ability to put up a brave front in a situation like this.

Too bad her wobbling knees are betraying how she's actually feeling.

"To answer your first question," I say, taking a step towards her, "I have some personal business with the man you're shielding."

Huh, she's still not moving.

Guess I'll press harder.

"And to answer your second question," I gesture to the flames floating around me, "these are onibi."

Another step.

"Since I'm an Oni."

Yet another step.

"Now if you'd step aside..."

"No!" Umbrella Girl shouts. "Come any closer and I'll call the police!"

"PFFT-"

I stagger back, struggling to keep from laughing in the poor girl's face.

"Alright, fine," I say with a grin. "Go ahead and call them, I'll even wait for you to finish."

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"I- I'm really going to do it!" she stammers.

"Like I said..." I shrug.

While reaching into the same bag she had this afternoon, Umbrella Girl shoots me a dirty look... at least I think it's supposed to be one. With a face like hers, I don't think she's even capable of making an expression that isn't adorable.

Ahem.

It isn't until she finally locates her cellphone in her bag that she finally breaks eye contact with me, lifting it up so that I'm still in her line of sight while she dials in the numbers.

"......wha?"

Her eyes grow wide.

"But I know I had one just before I turned into this alleyway..." she mumbles to herself.

"What, no signal?" I taunt.

"How did you..."

"Do you finally understand the situation that you decided to barge into?" I ask. "You're completely cut off from the outside world."

Ah, there it is. That look in her eyes, she's just like a scared little bunny.

"So how about you step aside and let me finish what you interrupted?" I ask, still smiling. "Then we can all go home."

"No," she glares at me. "I won't just stand aside and let someone get killed."

"No, no, no, no, no..."

While shaking my head, I raise my arms in the shape of the letter "W."

"Nobody's getting killed here," I sigh.

"Wha?

She actually seems shocked to hear that.

"I'm not after lives or money or anything of value to the grown man who's currently cowering behind you."

"W- what are you after, then!?"

...should I tell her? I mean it's not like anyone would actually believe her if I did...

Eh, might as well.

"It requires a bit of explanation," I say.

"Then explain," she replies with a stern gaze.

"As you wish," I shrug. "You see... some people excel in life through talent. And others do so through hard work."

"...yeah?"

"But an even luckier few are blessed with an inner light," I say. "The crystallization of potential."

And now she's looking at me like I'm crazy.

"It still comes down to individual capabilities at the end of the day," I continue, "but having this 'light' means that you'll usually improve at whatever you set your mind to a lot faster than someone who doesn't."

"...you mean like an experience modifier?" she asks.

I do my best not to prejudge her as a nerd and then she goes and hits me with game terminology.

"Not exactly..." I shrug. "But to get back to the main point here, there are some people who just let that gift go to waste."

I point a finger directly ahead.

"Tachikawa Hidetsugu, age 46," I say.

A muffled squeal rings out from behind Umbrella Girl, which only gets louder as I recite its owner's home address.

"A halfassed salaryman who works at a halfassed company," I continue on. "No family, no friends, no hobbies aside from drinking, ogling at the JKs on the way home from work and ordering fake JK delihel."

"Deli...?"

Ah, to be innocent again.

"So since he clearly isn't using it... or even deserves it..." I crack my knuckles, "...I'll be taking it. Now step asi-"

"KYAAA!!"

Umbrella Girl practically flies at me, and my body reflexively staggers back so as to safely catch her without causing any damage. She definitely didn't seem to do that on purpose, so-

"HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII"

...

......

.........that motherfucker.

Setting aside the heat that's building up in my chest, I help Umbrella Girl regain her footing.

"You okay?" I ask.

"Y- yeah..." she mumbles, unsure of how to even react. "But my glasses..."

Without another word, I walk over to where they flew to and pick them up.

"Thanks..." she mumbles as I press them into her hand.

With that out of the way, I turn in the direction of the fleeing piece of shit who used the Good Samaritan who was just defending him as a fucking decoy to get away. Though I do try to take a couple of deep breaths to calm down, it only serves to feed the flames instead.

I clench my fist, and it ignites.

"H- hey!" the girl calls out. "What're you about to-"

Ignoring her, I dash down the alleyway, flames trailing behind me as I go.

After closing enough distance, I leap into the air and use a quick explosion under my feet to further increase my height. And when I reach the apex of this double jump...

"Inferno..."

My entire arm bursts into flame.

"...REBELLION!!"

And I come down like a meteor.