SWNOVELXO Chapter 32
Chapter 32. Moving Out
“Ao, have you finished getting ready?”
“Yep, perfect. I can leave anytime!”
“Good to hear.”
With a mischievous grin, Ao gave a thumbs-up.
We were in the middle of packing for our move. The plan was to gather our belongings and organize them for easy transport. It seemed like someone on the other side would handle carrying everything out for us.
For the record, my parents already knew about the move and my enlistment in the Special Ability Unit. Their response? “Oh? Sounds like something interesting’s going on. I’ll head over once things settle down here.” Casual as always, but at least they seemed well.
Ding-dong!
The doorbell rang just as we finished preparations.
“Well, shall we?”
“Yeah.”
Grabbing only some light luggage, we opened the door.
The first thing we saw was a dashing man in a black suit standing next to an unbelievably luxurious car. Was that… a limo? I’d only ever seen them in anime. I never thought I’d actually ride in one.
“We’re here to pick you up, Yanagi Hayato-sama and Ao-sama. Please step in.”
“Yes, sir!”
Both of our voices cracked as we responded, clearly unaccustomed to this kind of treatment.
The man in black escorted us into the car.
“So spacious!”
Wasn’t this much space kind of unnecessary? As a commoner, I couldn’t fathom who’d need this.
“This is amazing, onii-chan! Feels like we’re VIPs!”
“Well, we are VIPs now. I’m officially part of the Special Ability Unit, after all. But for Ao, maybe nothing’s really changed.”
“We’ll be on our way now.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Wow, the car moved so silently. This was what luxury felt like.
“Hey, onii-chan, do I look like a celeb?”
I glanced at Ao, lounging comfortably in the seat. Holding a glass of orange juice, she dramatically swept her hair back and even threw in a sidelong glance for flair.
“Why don’t you show that off in front of Hattori-san?”
“Heh, I can already imagine Suzuna gazing at me with envy.”
Right. When that happens, I’ll pretend I don’t know her. No way I’m enduring that embarrassment.
After about three hours of driving, we finally arrived at our destination.
A grand building stood slightly removed from the city. This was the headquarters of Japan’s most elite force—the Special Ability Unit.
“At last, I’ve made it to—”
“Onii-chan, hurry up! Woohoo!”
“…Seriously?”
“‘Woohoo!’ isn’t exactly the vibe I was going for!”
I thought, annoyed. The man in black even let out a small chuckle.
With my face slightly flushed, I followed Ao inside.
…
“Whoa…”
The interior was filled with state-of-the-art technology. Floating spherical devices and humanoid machines populated the space. It was a completely different world from what we’d known. Even Ao’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
Though there were many fascinating things I wanted to check out, one thing immediately caught my attention.
A girl was staring at me.
She looked about elementary school age, with braided hair and large, adorable eyes. After a moment of observation, she seemed to decide I wasn’t a bad person and ran over.
“Are you guests?”
“Not guests, exactly. Let’s just say we’re about to become part of the team.”
“Wow, she’s so cute!”
Ao was already in high spirits. Stop it! You’re scaring her!
“Don’t treat me like a kid! I’m Moeka, and I’m a member of the Special Ability Unit!”
Wait, seriously? She didn’t look the part at all. Could someone so young really fight?
“My apologies for my sister’s behavior. My name is Hayato Yanagi, and as of today, I’m officially joining the Special Ability Unit.”
I pulled Ao away from patting the girl’s head and bowed respectfully.
I’ve always been the type to maintain proper decorum, no matter who the other party is—even if they’re an innocent-looking child.
“Oh! Moeka’s been waiting for someone like you! Everyone keeps treating me like a kid, and it drives me crazy!”
“By the way, how old are you?”
“I’m ten years old!”
Yep, that’s definitely still a kid. I’d half-hoped she might be one of those legendary “loli baba”, but no such luck.
“Clearly, everyone’s just jealous of how stunning our dear senpai is.”
“Senpai! Well, in that case, I guess it can’t be helped if they’re envious.”
“Wow, Onii-chan, calling a kid ‘stunning’ is seriously creepy.”
“Shut it.”
Now wasn’t the time. Moeka’s mood was visibly improving, her braids swaying happily.
“Fufufu, Moeka is a healer. If you ever get injured, as long as you’re not dead, I’ll fix you right up!”
So she wasn’t a fighter. A rare healing ability, though. This was my first time seeing one.
“You must be the new recruit.”
A man’s voice called out from behind.
Turning, I saw a rugged man with stubble. His muscular physique clearly spoke of his prowess.
“Yes, I’m Yanagi Hayato!”
“Good energy. I’m Kongo Takeshi. Nice to meet you.”
“Good work out there! Have you already completed a mission?”
“Yeah, it was a B-rank. Took care of it pretty quickly.”
He took down a B-rank monster alone? This guy was the real deal. I couldn’t help but wonder about his ability.
“Curious about my power, huh?”
Caught off guard, I quickly responded, “Well, yes. If we’re going to work together, I think understanding each other’s abilities is important.”
“Fair point. How about a little sparring session?”
“Sparring?”
I knew it wouldn’t just be “play,” but did they have a space where we could even use our abilities?
“Yeah, there’s a massive training ground in the basement. Let’s have a quick match there.”
“Oh, that sounds interesting. Please, go easy on me.”
“That’s the spirit! Hey, you two lovebirds in the back, want to join?”
“Lovebirds?” Turning around, I saw Ao clinging to Moeka, who was squirming in discomfort.
I hurriedly stepped in to separate them. Moeka’s grateful hug was heartwarming, but hey, I’m not into kids, okay?
◇
“Shall we begin?”
“Yes, please.”
The underground training ground was enormous, possibly as big as Tokyo Dome.
Ao and Moeka watched from a distance. Moeka looked ready to heal afterward, while Ao seemed excited just for the spectacle.
“Alright, here I go—[Mars]!”
The true strength of the Special Ability Unit. I was about to find out firsthand.