Tatsumaki drifted in the dim light of her bedroom. Her fog-veiled world view cleared. An unseen weight lifted from her being.
In a show. From a different world. Influenced by an unseen hand.
Those three points curled through her head like smoke, inescapable, clinging.
Caspian had come from a place where she, where all of this, was nothing more than ink and pixels.
She rolled in the air, glaring at the bare wall.
He'd known her, known everything, before ever meeting her. Who'd watched her struggles like some spectator in the dark.
Tatsumaki's stomach twisted.
Yet…
How different was that from thinking him a 'Clairvoyant?'
And to her, his world was just a mental construct — no more real than a dream. From that angle, the difference felt thin.
But accepting it… was easier said than done.
Tatsumaki mulled over the arrogantly titled One Punch Man.' His strength. His struggles. And her own blindness — to the strength of others. Her sister. Psykos. The 'Tsukuyomi.' Blast. And so much more all tangled in her thoughts, too big to hold in one hand.
Knowing she couldn't unravel it all at once. Her focus shifted to the one thing that burned the hottest.
She was twenty-eight-years old, dammit! Seeing her physique insistently mocked sent her into a loud rage every time.
Now onto what burned the second hottest.
She'd agreed — agreed — to share him with six other women?! Madness. The others went along with it too, so at least it wasn't her alone. And Mosquito Girl? She clung to his side and didn't leave with the rest of them. Practically staking her claim in broad daylight. And not to mention what Caspian and Mosquito Girl did in her bed without her.
Her fingers curled into fists. Damn him. Damn her.
Tatsumaki wanted to scream. To tear cities from their foundations. To crack the earth in two. Not because of Caspian. Not because of herself. Not even because she'd agreed to share him with six others. Then at what…?
And yet, a small part of her was happy it happened.
One reason being the relationship with her sister. She saw now how she'd treated her sister from an outside perspective. She understood why, but she would never treat her sister like that again. Never.
Then there was Caspian. Apologizing like a fool, as though he was the one who'd manipulated their hearts and minds.
Ridiculous.
All of it pointed toward that so-called 'God.' That bastard, pulling strings, hiding like a coward. The same entity that tried to reach her through Blast's image. And now the coward had attempted to use her — them — as weapons against Caspian.
But how? Hostages? What was the actual plan? Why go so far to improve their lives first? Where was the cruelty, the malice? Based on what she'd seen in the 'Mind Room,' her assumption revealed faults. This wasn't how 'God' operated.
I can't stand this. Tatsumaki ground her teeth and rose into the air, her aura blazing like emerald-green fire. What am I overlooking?
Come what may, Caspian destroyed the chains. By revealing his knowledge, by bringing the truth into the light, he'd snapped whatever hold 'God' may've had on her and the others. She could feel it. No more pressure on her heart, no more subtle tug at her will. And it wasn't until these sensations vanished did she realize they'd been there in the first place.
Free.
And now that she was...
Tatsumaki's petite figure floated back down, landing her on her bed. Before a strange stillness settled over her chest. Not calm. Nor peace. Something deeper. Something heavier.
Even without the influence. Even stripped of the manipulation. What she felt for him stayed. Pulsed genuine, stubborn, and unyielding; right there in her chest.
None of it made sense. Making her question her own sanity. But she refused to run in circles anymore.
So… a paramount question dawned: 'What was it that she wanted?'
¤ ¤ ¤
"'Void Shaking Tiger Fist!'
'Void Revolving Tortoise Fist!'
'Void Sky Dragon Fist!'
'Void Sky Dragon Kick!'
'Void Fang Piercing Cyclone!'"
Training twice as hard — her immediate answer to the truths laid bare inside the 'Mind Room.' A method to clear her head.
Suiko dropped onto her butt, gasping for air, dowsed in sweat. Her limbs trembled from exertion. At least the dojo's glossy floor pressed a cold relief through her palms and bare heels.
She'd always seen herself as carefree, easygoing — a woman who sailed through life smiling with confidence. To learn that 'God' had stretched those traits past logic struck her as absurd, even funny. Not the most natural response, perhaps. But why dwell on that? It was hers.
Admittedly, the discovery of getting manipulated ought to have done more than annoy her. But the outrage she braced for never came. Others might burn with betrayal. She didn't.
What she did burn with was surprise. Not even in the wildest corners of her imagination would she've guessed Caspian's origin. That revelation, strange as it was, didn't break her world apart. Her world, this universe, was as real as his. And for all she knew, someone here might've written a story about where he came from.
Clearly, that 'God' knew her traits well. She truly took this all too well. So what? What's done is done. No point in dwelling on things beyond reach.
With a slight movement, pain laced her every muscle, but she welcomed it. Strength — she needed more of it. Even if she couldn't defeat 'God,' Caspian could. And she sure as hell wouldn't allow herself to lose to the 'Machine God,' Mirror like her fictional self had.
Thinking of Caspian… his face drifted to the front of her mind. The bond they shared. Was it ever real? Her emotions came fast, unnaturally fast, but they didn't feel fake. Not now, not with the unseen pressure lifted. She felt the same. That remained clear. Maybe even clearer now; stripped of the artificial aspect.
She fell onto her back and stretched across the dojo's wooden floor, arms pillowing behind her head.
How long are you going to make a girl wait…?
¤ ¤ ¤
The truth unveiled within the 'Mind Room' struck Yuta like a slash to the chest: clean, sharp, lethal.
Or more precisely, one truth in particular.
She trained in the main courtyard of the Council of Swordmasters Headquarters. Dust churned beneath her feet as she danced through the air, spinning and slicing with twin swords, unleashing strike after strike in relentless succession.
On her next step, her heel slipped. She toppled forward, but before she hit the dirt, a pair of arms caught her.
"Are you alright, Yuta? This isn't like you. I'm worried."
"Father!" Tears welled in her eyes as she sheathed her swords and hugged him.
Caspian had alluded to the particular truth while they watched One Punch Man, nearly begged her to skip the scene. But she — stubborn the woman she was — demanded they watch it unfold. The moment her father sacrificed himself. The aftermath, where she stood over his grave, vowing vengeance on the Monster Association.
She did not know if she could or should forgive Psykos. For once they left the 'Mind Room,' it took all her willpower to resist the urge to cut down her down. While her schemes hadn't taken root in this world; they would have! If not for Caspian, who assured her Fuhrer Ugly was no more.
His actions comforted her, though part of her still yearned to end Fuhrer Ugly with her own hands. She understood, though. At her current level, she couldn't hope to stand against such a monster.
This taught her how much she required more strength. Greater than her father's. Greater than the combined might of the Council of Swordmasters. Enough to challenge 'God's' forces. Enough to protect everyone she loved… and those yet to come.
As for that so-called god toying with her will, she had not the capacity to dwell on the topic. Her father's sacrifice eclipsed any influence from a petty, false deity. An influence that would no longer affect her.
"Yuta... this is the third time. Please, tell me what happened." He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently pulled back. "I can't bear to see my precious daughter like this. Is Caspian responsible? Do I n—"
"No." She sniffled.
Amahare canted his head. "Then what…?" His eyes widened. "Could it be… you're pregnant!?"
"Father!" Yuta darted back a couple of paces. "What manner of thought brought you to such a conclusion?"
"You will understand one day. The wish to meet your grandchildren."
"You've only met him once!"
"I'm a superb judge of character. Just know you have my full support. I only want for you to be happy."
Yuta exhaled and smiled. "I know, Father. Thank you. I will speak to you later. I'm going for a walk." She turned toward the distant mountain steps.
"Take care, my filial daughter."
She moved toward the steps and descended. Her thoughts drifted, winding through present and future. Grandchildren... That father of hers. Saying whatever he pleased.
Still, the thought led her back to Caspian. Whether her feelings began in manipulation no longer mattered. In the present, she lived unshackled. And she knew exactly what she felt and what she yearned for.
A memory flickered — a vow she made to herself as a child after her mother's passing. Inspired by the words her mother spoke to her while she lied in a hospital bed.
Her hand pressed over her heart. Even free, I still burn for him.