Crossover PS 183 (Patreon)

Inside the Infinity Castle.

Minoru had a playful smile on his lips.

Mahiru turned to look at him and asked in confusion, "Minoru-kun, what happened?"

"Nothing." Minoru waved his hand. "There was a little fellow who didn't know her place, trying to spy on us from outside. I've invited her in to sit for a while."

"Eh?"

Mahiru didn't quite understand what he meant.

In the center of the courtyard, a light flared up and a woman wearing black-rimmed glasses, with messy long hair and a tight-fitting combat suit, appeared before everyone.

Psykos maintained her pose from before the teleportation. Hands on her hips, chin tilted up, and mouth slightly agape.

She raised her head and looked around at the girls who were equally stunned, the brilliant starry sky above, the exquisite courtyard and finally, her gaze landed on Minoru.

Her expression shifted from blankness to shock, then to disbelief.

"Where... where is this?"

Minoru crossed his arms and looked down at her. "Didn't you want to see me face-to-face? Now you have. Anything you want to say?"

Psykos's mouth opened and closed repeatedly.

"You... you're cheating!"

She pointed at Minoru, stomping her feet in anger. "Who told you to just grab me like that?! This doesn't count!"

The surrounding girls looked at each other.

"This person is so strange."

"Is she acting spoiled?"

"Doesn't seem like it, feels more like she's throwing a tantrum."

"But she looks older than us, right? Why is she acting like a child?"

Psykos wanted to resist. But the moment the thought occurred, she realized her psychic powers were completely unusable.

"What... what did you do to me?!"

Psykos looked at Minoru, her voice filled with panic, but even more so with defiance.

Minoru shrugged. "Nothing much. I just temporarily tucked your power away. After all, I can't have you starting a fight in someone else's home, can I?"

"Besides, didn't you say you wanted to fight me face-to-face? Now that we've met, why aren't you making a move?"

Psykos: "..."

Could she say she couldn't move right now?

Could she say that with her power sealed, she was just an ordinary person?

Wouldn't that be the same as admitting defeat?

Never!

"Hmph!"

Psykos raised her chin, struggling to maintain her last shred of dignity.

"I... I just... I didn't want to break anything here. After all, this place looks pretty expensive. You'd probably cry if it got ruined."

Minoru raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So you're being considerate of me?"

"Of course." Psykos said. "I am a very polite guest."

"A guest?" Minoru chuckled. "Then who was the one peeping at my place from outside just now?"

"That... that was an inspection!" Psykos's face reddened further, but she didn't back down.

"As the leader of the Monster Association, I must keep an eye on potential new factions. It's standard strategic deployment."

"So your strategic deployment involves getting captured by me?" Minoru asked.

"..."

Psykos was speechless.

She bit her lip and glared fiercely at Minoru.

Looking at her like this, Minoru suddenly found it a bit amusing.

'How is this the leader of the Monster Association? In the face of absolute power, she's just a tsundere brat, and a particularly stubborn one at that.'

Minoru decided to tease her a bit more. "Fine, if you say you're a guest, then let me ask you. When I was playing with you using Psychokinesis earlier, how did it feel?"

Psykos was taken aback.

"I... I was..."

"Hmm?"

"That was... I wasn't prepared!"

"Oh, not prepared." Minoru nodded. "Are you prepared now? Want to try again?"

Psykos: "..."

She looked down at herself. Her power was sealed, now she was an ordinary person.

Then she looked up, meeting Minoru's half-smiling gaze.

"...You're a bully."

Minoru almost burst out laughing.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing!"

Psykos turned her face away, not daring to look at him.

The surrounding girls had already burst into laughter.

"She's so cute."

"She's clearly angry, but it's so moe."

"Shibata-kun is bullying someone again."

"I want to pat her head."

Hearing those comments, Psykos wished she could find a hole to crawl into.

She was the leader of the Monster Association!

A Dragon Level psychic!

An existence capable of destroying the Hero Association!

And now, she was being stared at by a group of high school girls saying she was "cute," "moe," and that they "wanted to pat her head"?!

"I... I'm not playing anymore!"

She squatted down, burying her face in her knees, her muffled voice drifting out.

"Do whatever you want..."

Seeing her like this, Minoru couldn't help but laugh out loud.

He walked over and squatted in front of her. "Hey."

Psykos ignored him.

"Look up."

Psykos still ignored him.

Minoru reached out and gave her forehead a flick.

"Ouch!"

Psykos clutched her forehead and looked up, glaring at him with teary eyes.

"What exactly do you want from me?!"

"I haven't decided yet." He stood up and brushed off his hands. "But since you're here, just stay for a while. There's food over there, and all sorts of people. I'll talk to you once I've made up my mind."

With that, Minoru turned and walked away.

Psykos squatted there, looking dazed.

What... what kind of development is this?!

Shouldn't there be torture and interrogation?

Shouldn't he be forcing information out of her?

To just... leave her hanging like this?!

"Hey! Wait up!"

She stood up and chased after him.

"What do you mean by this?!"

Minoru didn't look back, only waving his hand. "It means you're free now. Wander around, eat whatever you want, and chat with them as you please. Just don't cause trouble."

Psykos stood frozen in place.

Free? Letting her wander as she pleased?

To just... trust her?

No, this wasn't trust at all, this was him not taking her seriously at all!

Psykos bit her lip, a wave of unprecedentedly complex emotions welling up in her heart.

Was it resentment? Shame? Or...

She couldn't tell.

She just watched his receding back, and her cheeks turned a few shades redder.

Kitagawa Marin leaned in, looking at her curiously. "Hey, what's your name?"

Psykos glanced at her and opened her mouth, wanting to say something harsh but in the end...

"...Psykos."

Marin's eyes lit up. "Psykos? What a lovely name. I'm Kitagawa Marin."

"That group over there is Muse, they're an idol group."

"Those five over there are from the Nakano family, and that blonde one over there is Kiss-shot, she's super powerful."

Psykos was completely dazed as she listened to the introduction.

Where is this place?

Who are all these people?

That man... what on earth is he doing?!

But for some reason, looking at the warm smiles of these strange girls, a corner of her heart suddenly stirred.

Psykos watched Minoru's back. For some reason, she felt that as long as this man was here, the destruction of the world predicted by the Third Eye wouldn't happen.

...

Minoru looked back at the figure surrounded by the crowd, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly.

'For now, I'll let her experience what "ordinary life" is like first. However, the Monster Association is still a nuisance after all. Should I just wipe them all out in one go?'