The Omnipotent Super Chuunibyou - Chapter 44
While Hasegawa Izumi was completely absorbed, observing the world through the Electronic Sea, someone had quietly begun watching him with cold eyes.
He’s looking at his phone while we’re out on our date?! Clearly he doesn’t take me seriously! How infuriating! Eriri thought irritably.
“What are you reading, Izumi? Tell me,” she asked sharply.
“Oh, nothing much—just checking for any new oddities or extraordinary people appearing around the world. If there’s a chance I might encounter them later, it helps to stay ahead of the curve. Information is crucial in combat.”
He looked up and responded coolly.
“So what did you see just now?” Eriri narrowed her eyes, maintaining a polite yet awkward smile.
“Hmm? There was a tiger-fighting expert, warriors pursuing the path of utmost sincerity…stuff like that.” He elaborated briefly.
“You actually believe that? It’s obviously fake.” Eriri shrugged dismissively.
“It’s not entirely impossible, but what if it’s true?”
“Only fools dwell on ‘what ifs’.”
They continued shopping until past five o’clock, eventually parting ways at the intersection near Detective Slope.
“Kobato, look what I brought for you!” Setting aside the cushion, Hasegawa Izumi stealthily approached the sofa and suddenly announced.
“Huh? When did my other half—?”
Kobato was initially startled by his sudden appearance but quickly became captivated by the pillow almost as big as her that he held out.
“A-An-chan, is this for me?” Her voice instantly turned soft and adorable, eyes sparkling with excitement.
“It’s from your big sister Eriri, so be sure to thank her.” Hasegawa Izumi handed over the pillow and then pulled out his phone from his pocket.
“Ah, I see… Thank you, Big Sister Eriri.”
Overjoyed, Kobato expressed her gratitude.
Izumi recorded her words and sent them to Eriri.
Her response came promptly:
So cute! This is the Kobato I prefer. Just remind her not to pick up any bad habits from you.
“Heh.” He chuckled softly.
Is it strange for my little sister to resemble me?
Eriri, you truly don’t understand, do you? It must be jealousy towards our sibling bond that makes you say such things!
———————-
Rubbing her sleepy eyes, Kobato approached the table and noticed a note left there with unmistakably her brother’s handwriting.
Ah, sorry, Kobato! Your onii-chan needs to craft a Noble Phantasm for upcoming battles, but I can only trust the materials if I select them myself. So early this morning, I headed straight to the source of these rare components—it’s quite far away, but your onii-chan will do his best to be back before dinner… Oh right, lunchboxes are in the fridge; just microwave them when you’re ready to eat. Bye-bye!
As she read the note, Kobato could almost see her brother’s expressions while writing it. With a pout, she muttered discontentedly:
“My Other Half, neglecting me again?”
Meanwhile, Hasegawa Izumi had mounted his steed—a bicycle—and was swiftly racing toward his destination.
He chose oak as his material and insisted on personally selecting it himself. Unfortunately, no suitable sources were nearby Tokyo, necessitating a distant journey.
On a leafy forest path…
“Let’s pick up the pace a bit; Madoka shouldn’t have to wait too long.”
A beautifully dressed young girl was excitedly heading out to watch a movie with her friend. As she briskly walked, full of anticipation,
suddenly, a fierce gust of wind hit her head-on.
“Ah!”
A sudden gust of wind lifted her skirt and disheveled her hairstyle, eliciting an involuntary shriek.
“Why is there such a strong wind all of a sudden? Is there a typhoon today? Damn it, my date with Madoka… Huh?”
Just as she started complaining internally, the wind quickly subsided.
“Phew…” Hearing sounds fading away behind her, the girl turned to look. She saw a figure on a bicycle gradually becoming indistinct until it vanished completely.
“Just now, was someone riding a bike? Even motorcycles wouldn’t be that fast! It must have been my imagination… Oh no, I’m going to be late. Need to hurry up.”
A luxurious Honda car was cruising along the road.
Behind the wheel sat a middle-aged balding man, while beside him in the passenger seat was a woman he kept as his mistress, deeply favored by him.
The woman cautioned, “Uncle, you should slow down; it’s quite dangerous.”
Up ahead lay a notoriously winding mountain road known for numerous accidents. Even professional drivers would proceed with caution and reduce their speed.
“Don’t worry, my dear niece. Uncle here has exceptional driving skills, you know? Many years ago, I even considered becoming a professional race car driver,” the middle-aged man boasted, reminiscing about his past achievements.
“Oh, well, that’s reassuring then.”
Having heard about this before, the woman sighed with relief and refrained from further persuasion.
“Natsuki, buckle up tight. Now, your uncle is going to pick up some speed!” The middle-aged man felt inclined to show off. Amidst the woman’s startled gasps, he pressed hard on the accelerator, surging forward at a much higher velocity than other vehicles nearby.
Of course, he wasn’t foolish; aware of his declining reflexes, he didn’t push the speed to its maximum, keeping within his control limits.
“Wow, Uncle, you’re amazing!”
Halfway through, seeing the car navigate smoothly, the woman sighed with relief and playfully exclaimed.
The middle-aged man’s vanity was instantly gratified.
“Woah, what just flew past?!”
“Is that guy on a motorcycle?”
“No, it’s a bicycle!”
“Hmph, must be some modified robot; no human could be that fast!”
Suddenly, exclamations erupted from below.
“What the heck, why is it so noisy all of a sudden?”
As the middle-aged man prepared to check through the rearview mirror, he witnessed a scene that left him speechless.
Out of nowhere, a masked figure on a bicycle appeared, disappearing in a flash like lightning.
“That…was..?” The woman’s mouth dropped open wide.
From then on, along this winding mountain road, a legend known as ‘God of the Wind’ began circulating.
Several hours later.
“Ding-dong…”
Ringing the bell on his battered bicycle, Hasegawa Izumi parked it by the roadside and took a few steps forward.
“This should be the place.”
Standing at an elevated vantage point, he looked down at the dense, lush forest nearby and nodded contentedly.
He believed he would find the materials needed within those woods.