CH 119

Are people with combat abilities not allowed to come in or out?

Translated by Dawn

Are people with combat abilities not allowed to come in or out?

The next day.

After our trip to Okinawa, we enjoyed a panda tour in Wakayama Prefecture before returning to Tokyo at night.

Everyone did not go home right away.

As usual, we relaxed in our living room, spreading out our souvenirs.

Maya seemed to be fond of her Shisa stuffed animal.

She held it in her lap for a long time.

Maria was holding Maya on her lap for a long time.

It was such a cute scene, but I couldn’t help but make a difficult face.

“What’s wrong, Honey-kun?”

Miina looked into my face while I was eating Okinawan souvenir sata andagi (Okinawan dumplings).

As expected, Miina was very perceptive.

“I was just thinking about what happened to Takami and the others yesterday.”

“Oh, those guys were really something, weren’t they?”

Miina scratched her cheek in annoyance.

It was contagious to everyone.

“Hmmm, that guy is a bit of a problem himself, but he doesn’t seem to be on the same wavelength as Shisae.”

“I can only assume that he is a man of strong convictions.”

Following Maria, Matsumi also let out a bitter sound.

“I mean, seriously, if you’re in the same class as those guys, they’ll make fun of you every day.”

“They ruined the first impression for me, and I don’t like that.”

Everyone was divulging their thoughts and impressions.

But that wasn’t my point.

“That’s true, but hey, how many places like Shurijo Castle are restricted to people with abilities?”

“Let’s check.”

As Maria ran her fingertips across the void, a giant MR screen unfolded across the entire living room wall.

A map of Japan was displayed on the left half and a map of Tokyo on the right half, with countless red arrows, glowing.

I was taken aback by the sheer number of arrows, which was more than I had expected.

Maria, on the other hand, did not move a millimeter of her facial muscles and moved only her mouth emotionlessly.

“I have just done a quick Thoughtography and found that there are more than 1,000 places. More than 90% of the places with important cultural assets are off-limits. Some other event venues also clearly state in their terms and conditions that people with combat-related abilities may be refused entry.”

As expected from Maria.

The way she explained things so matter-of-factly was like a first-class secretary.

“I’m not familiar with this kind of stuff because I was a normal person until last year, but has this been going on for a while?”

“No. As far as I’m aware, there have been rare cases of people being denied admission on the basis of psychic ability before, at least to my knowledge. Apparently, there has been an increase in the last three months.”

“It must be since the founding of the Inou Gakuen.”

“Can’t deny that possibility.”

With a somewhat tense, serious face, Miina nodded.

“I’ve been reading the news rather a lot because I have a lot of time to spare when I’m making metal resources, but it’s been a hot topic for the last month. Just as tattooed customers are banned from entering public bathhouses and swimming pools, people with combat abilities are also banned because they scare other customers.”

“It’s outrageous, Kiriha-chan is such a cutie!”

Shisae hugged Kiriha’s head and Maiko gave a small groan.

“Ummm, but that’s such a new thing, isn’t it? Why all of a sudden?”

“…..we stood out too much.”

Kiriha, who had remained silent until now, opened her heavy mouth.

Everyone took note of Kiriha’s cold words, the only one with combat-related abilities in this place.

“…..Until now, we psychics have been a kind of surprised people. In fact, even during the occult boom of the Showa and Heisei eras, psychics and people with supernatural abilities were never considered dangerous. But not now.”

After exhaling, Kiriha began to speak in a somewhat resigned tone.

“Japan was in a doomsday mood after its economy collapsed, and yet it solved its food, resource, and energy problems with psychic abilities. This led to the establishment of the PAU in Southeast Asia. And then the world’s largest nation, the OU, intervened and confronted Japan. The world realized. Psychic abilities are a cheat that even changes the balance of power in the world. Because of this, the abolitionists are gaining momentum.”

Abolitionist of the person with abilities.

There had always been a certain number of people who thought psychics were dangerous.

However, they had the impression that they were not taken seriously by the public, and made a lot of noise in the circles of some conspiracy theory nerds and occult enthusiasts.

They were so-called “noisy minorities” who were active on the Internet and posted many videos, but few of them called themselves abolitionists in the real world.

But our success had changed the public’s view.

The realization that psychic abilities were a cheat and that psychics were supernatural beings who could be either manga heroes or villains, probably led more people to view them as cruelly dangerous.

A vague sense of uneasiness settled on my chest.

“Not good…”

This current was dangerous.

As the word “current” suggests, times were currents.

Public opinion and the masses were swept away by the currents of the times.

In history, many countries had plunged into wars in the heat of the times or had mass hysteria due to economic instability, and people were motivated by spontaneous and unseen forces without any basis for their actions.

There were countless heady incidents in human history, though, that would sound like a made-up story if heard in normal times.

“At this rate, I won’t be able to make Kiriha happy.”

『Huh?』

All eight of their gazes were on me at once.

Even Kiriha, whose expression had been indifferent until a moment ago, was looking at me with a slight tinge in her cheeks.

—Oh no, I said it out loud.

“No, that was, uh…”

I thought of a deceptive excuse, but then I remembered Kiriha’s self-deprecating and heartless mood earlier, and I made up my mind.

“That’s right! If the world becomes a place where people with combat abilities are discriminated against, I can’t make Kiriha happy! I’m going to marry Kiriha and have children in the future! If my child is also a combat-oriented person, then my child and Kiriha’s child will be bullied. That’s no good!”

I said half-heartedly as if I was satisfied with that.

Kiriha’s eyes relaxed slightly and she let out a wry smile.

“Honey, you’re too honest. Yeah, but that’s why I like you a lot.”

Kiriha gently leaned in toward me with a gentle expression on her face.

That alone gave me a small sense of accomplishment.