Meanwhile, in the self-driving Tsurugi car, Tatsu, a heavy silence lingered among its passengers. Sebastian sat quietly beside Kagami, smiling faintly as he watched footage of Mercury stopping criminals and Melodie playing her flute the night before.
The sight of superheroes stirred something deep inside him—an echo of a feeling he stubbornly tried to suppress.
"You're still watching those two 'superheroes' from last night, Sebastian?" Tomoe asked, still stern and unreadable.
Sebastian chuckled lightly. "It's just nostalgic, Ms. Tsurugi. Superheroes are pretty common in New York, so seeing some here in Paris is… surprising."
"Being a superhero is nothing but a waste of time," Tomoe said flatly. "Anyone can do what they do with enough training. If I wished, my company could easily create technology to grant abilities equal to theirs." She turned to her daughter. "Don't you agree, Kagami?"
"Yes, Mother," Kagami replied, reluctant yet composed. "After all, our company has revolutionized the world with inventions like Tatsu."
Sebastian glanced at her with quiet concern. Kagami could never defy her mother—he knew that better than anyone. His hand tightened around the gadget in his pocket before he forced himself to relax.
He needed to bury that part of himself. He was just a bartender. He shouldn't care. And yet… it gnawed at him.
"What do you think of the boy, Kagami?" Tomoe asked. "This Izuku Midoriya. Was he anything special?"
Kagami recalled him for a moment. "There is nothing special about him, Mother. He does not appear to come from a wealthy or influential family. He is simply an ordinary boy."
"That's good. You wouldn't want to fall in love with anyone else," Tomoe said without hesitation. "Your goal is to be with Adrien Agreste."
Sebastian's eyebrow twitched. He already knew Kagami had feelings for Adrien, but hearing Tomoe articulate it like a directive unsettled him. Worse yet was how Kagami saw Adrien as a perfect, idealized figure—just like every other girl—more the result of Gabriel Agreste's carefully crafted image than Adrien himself.
Something about parents forcing their children into predetermined shapes infuriated Sebastian, though he hid it well.
"Is something wrong, Sebastian?" Tomoe asked, sensing the flicker of disturbance in him.
He snapped back. "Nothing's wrong, Ms. Tsurugi. Just… a little tired, perhaps." He forced a small, polite smile. "Maybe I should visit a museum or something to… energize myself."
"…Then you deserve it," Tomoe said. "Time and time again, your work has impressed me. Your mixology is the definition of perfection—something my daughter must strive for her own lesson as well."
Kagami's eyes dimmed with a brief, aching sadness. Sebastian felt a spark of anger flare inside him before he forced it down again. She was his age. She should have been allowed to be a normal teenager—not a flawless machine sculpted to meet someone else's standards.
"You and Kagami will go to the Louvre Museum," Tomoe said. This surprised both of them. "She needs her mind refreshed with history. And since you're knowledgeable, I expect you to teach her. Correct, Sebastian?"
"Yes, ma'am," Sebastian replied, caught off guard. "But… don't you have a meeting tonight? Don't you want me to prepare your favorite drink?"
Tomoe sighed. "I suppose I'll tolerate it just for today. Your skills are perfection itself, and your memory is exceptional. You deserve a small rest—but only today. And I won't have my daughter sitting at home with nothing to do."
Sebastian nearly clenched his fist but maintained composure flawlessly. "I appreciate your kindness, ma'am."
—
After arriving at the Louvre Museum, Tatsu departed immediately—Tomoe Tsurugi would be late for her important meeting if he lingered. Now, only Sebastian and Kagami remained standing near the glass pyramid.
"Thank you, Sebastian," Kagami said softly.
Sebastian tilted his head, genuinely confused. "For what? I didn't do anything, young miss."
"Please. Call me Kagami." The formal address made her uncomfortable, and she subtly corrected him. "I'm thanking you for worrying about me. I can see you holding your emotions back. It makes you a perfect boy… like Adrien."
Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Look, Kagami."
He stepped closer, reached into her pocket with practiced subtlety, and pulled out a small device—something her mother had planted without her noticing. He crushed it effortlessly in his hand.
"Sometimes, you need to defy your mother. Not all the time, but sometimes. You're trying too hard to meet her expectations."
"She's my mother. I have to. It's the only thing that makes her happy," Kagami insisted, her tone unwavering.
"Oh, goodness gracious. I certainly hope not all Asian households are like this," Sebastian muttered under his breath before shaking his head. "Anyway, let's head inside the museum. There's nothing else to do for now. Your mother will pick us up in two hours."
"Very well, then," Kagami replied.
She didn't realize it, but Sebastian had already sensed someone shadowing them. He might have been rusty, yet the harsh training his aunt had inflicted on him and his cousin remained etched into his instincts. Vigilance had become second nature—bordering on paranoia.
This time, however, the threat was real.
"Looks like they're heading to the museum, brother," the first man said in a gravelly tone. "Shall we follow them?"
"Obviously. This is our chance to kidnap the princess and force her mother to transfer the money." The second brother activated a pair of high-tech gauntlets. "After all, we could buy more of these beauties from that guy."
The first brother snorted and activated his own gauntlets. "We, the Domino Brothers, won't fail this time."
Inside the museum, Sebastian and Kagami wandered through the exhibits. Sebastian quizzed Kagami, and she answered confidently and accurately. He maintained a calm conversation with her, but his mind worked feverishly, analyzing every corridor and display case for a way to lose their pursuers.
"Do you know about Jeanne d'Arc, Kagami?" Sebastian asked, glancing over his shoulder with subtle caution.
Kagami nodded. "Of course. Who wouldn't? Her fate was tragic, after everything she did for her country."
"Just goes to show that perfection doesn't guarantee survival, Kagami," Sebastian said, earning a puzzled look. "Joan of Arc was practically the perfect warrior. She had visions from the Lord and led armies to victory, yet she was betrayed and burned. She lived for a country that never cared for her."
"What are you implying?" Kagami asked quietly.
"Don't sacrifice yourself for someone else's approval. Think of yourself first. I know what it's like to chase someone's approval." Sebastian's expression darkened as memories of his father—too enamored with his machines to love his own son—passed through his mind.
Kagami looked up at the statue of Jeanne d'Arc. "I don't think I can do that, Sebastian. My mother is all I have."
"That's only because you haven't tried making friends. If you do, you might see it differently someday," Sebastian said—just before his expression sharpened.
In one swift motion, he hurled several boomerangs, intercepting incoming energy blasts aimed at Kagami.
"What?" Kagami recoiled, instinctively slipping into a defensive stance with her wooden bokken.
"You've been following us for quite a while now, haven't you, Domino Brothers?" Sebastian called out, voice firm and cold. "I suggest you surrender. Perhaps your sentence can be reduced."
"Why? We're just getting started," the first Domino brother said with a sadistic smile before firing another blast of energy.
Sebastian lunged toward Kagami and pushed her down to protect her. "Get down, Kagami!"
"You're pretty fast, brat," the second Domino brother remarked, eyeing the bartender with amusement. "But you've got nowhere to go!"
Sebastian kicked Kagami away to safety, then narrowly dodged the second brother's devastating punch. When he noticed the first brother charging another blast, he hurled several boomerangs at the precise moment the attack fired.
The explosion knocked the first brother backward across the floor.
"Brother!" the second Domino brother barked before shooting Sebastian a murderous glare. "You shouldn't have done that."
"I know," Sebastian replied grimly.
He had no equipment and never expected to face opponents wielding such advanced weaponry.
The second brother launched a flurry of punches. Sebastian danced between them, dodging and weaving, fully aware he couldn't match the brute's strength.
Desperately, he tried to maneuver the fight away from anything that could damage the priceless artifacts surrounding them.
The moment the first brother recovered, he aimed another blast—this time straight at Sebastian. Kagami spotted it immediately.
"Sebastian! Behind you!"
Sebastian dodged another punch and attempted a roundhouse kick—completely ineffective—then glanced back thanks to Kagami's warning. "Oh dear."
The second Domino brother seized the opportunity and clamped his hand around Sebastian's neck, lifting him effortlessly. The first brother's gauntlet charged again, ready to fire.
Kagami stood frozen, torn between saving Sebastian or fleeing the blast—either choice felt impossible.
Then, without warning, Mightyfly crashed through the ceiling like a meteor. He landed between Kagami and the incoming blast and struck the beam with his cane, instantly vaporizing it.
The Domino Brothers recoiled in shock—both at the feat and at the sudden appearance of the superhero responsible for granting people powers.
Mightyfly glanced back at Kagami. "Are you okay?"
"Uh…" Kagami felt a strange flutter in her chest, something unfamiliar and unsettling. "Y-yeah. I'm fine."
"I'm not!" Sebastian wheezed. "Help me!"
In the blink of an eye, Mightyfly launched himself at the second Domino brother. One powerful strike from his cane sent the brute flying into his sibling, inadvertently freeing Sebastian.
Mightyfly hadn't expected his transformed strength to be that overwhelming.
"Are you okay?" Mightyfly asked urgently.
Sebastian coughed as Kagami helped him to his feet. "I'm fine. Be careful. Those bastards are tough."
Mightyfly turned to see the Domino Brothers rising, angrier than ever. "Yeah, no kidding." He then looked back at Sebastian. "So… do you wanna be kamikotized?"
Sebastian blinked. "What?"