Editing Ultimate Antihero:Volume 2 Chapter 1 (section)

===Part 4===

Homura caught the volleyball that hit his face and got rebounded to the air.

It seemed like it was a ball that flew wildly from the dodge-ball game the orphanage children were playing at the beach.

“Uwaa―, it hit right on the face there…”

“Moreover this girl Hime, to hit that <Evil God User> of all people.”

“I don’t know anything yeah… Hime you go apologize…-“

Commotion and agitation spread among the orphanage children.

After <Walpurgis Night>, most of the war damaged orphanages that increased in number explosively were built by the assistance of the <Holy Path Church>, because of that the influence of the church on them was strong.

Most likely these children had also been given an explanation about how terrifying this existence called the <Evil God User> by the people of the church habitually.

Before long, a twin-tail girl appeared from among the children as if she was ejected out from inside the commotion.

The girl was the perpetrator that threw the ball at Homura.

The girl timidly walked near Homura and looked up at him with scared eyes,

“Aa…-, err, sor…-, ry, y… Fo, forgi, ve…”

With a small voice like a fly’s buzzing, the girl said out words that were more like begging for her life rather than apologizing.

―Looking at that, honestly made Homura troubled too.

Of course Homura was not angry only because of a thing like this.

But, in those eyes that were shaking fiercely from terror, Homura was reflected as nothing but an object of terror.

If she kept like this, then no matter what he said it would only make her cry.

What should he do?

While Homura was thinking that,

“Sorry Master―!”

Suddenly an energetic voice slipped in between Homura and the girl, crushing the atmosphere that was so strained it felt like the air would crack just by a stirred movement.

While raising a loud voice, a girl wearing a sky blue bikini ran closer to Homura in quick steps, she was Ichinotani Chikori who was in the same 101st platoon with Homura, the one who until just now was playing dodge-ball together with the children.

When Chikori had ran until in front of Homura, the front of her breasts that were too big for her petite body jiggled before she joined her hands and apologized.

“Sorry-! The ball that I dodged flew away. Master, are you hurt? It looked like it hit pretty hard but…”

In order to compensate for the difference in their height, Chikori stood on her tiptoe and brought her big and round eyes closer to stare at the face where the ball hit worriedly.

But the place that was hit was really not something that needed to be worried about that exaggeratedly.

“Just getting hit by a ball thrown by a brat is no big deal.”

Certainly he was surprised and it felt a little hurt, but it was just a ball thrown by a child.

Naturally there would be no wound or anything.

After answering like that, Homura once again looked at the girl who had thrown the ball at him.

There, the extreme terror that was in the girl’s expression until just now had already gone.

Perhaps by looking at Chikori who was playing with them until now talking normally with Homura, her feeling of fear towards something unknown had lessened a little.

That was why Homura saw that as a chance,

“Here.”

With a toss, he returned the ball at the girl’s hands.

“Ah-“

“That’s quite a good throw. You reflexes are rather good huh.”

And then he stroked the girls head with his right hand.

It was a gentle and affectionate hand.

It was did in a form that was near like a surprise attack, but the kindness that was gradually transmitted from Homura’s hand passed over the authenticity of the malicious rumor regarding Homura that had been habitually imprinted into the girl, it was enough to make her understand that a person like him didn’t hold any ill will to her.

“Th, thank, you…-“

The girl’s scared expression changed. She showed him a wide smiling face that looked bright and brought back the ball in her hands to her orphanage friends.

Homura heaved a sigh of relief inside his heart from that situation.

―It’s great she didn’t cry.

Even the <Evil God User> couldn’t win against a crying child.

In the first place he couldn’t make them listen to him so there was nothing he could do.

And then, looking at Homura who was like that,

“Puh~”

Chikori endured her smile and stared at him with a gentle face.

“…What?”

“I just thought that Master is really kind to children isn’t it♪”

“Yeah. That’s why I’m also kind to you.”

“??? Master, I’m the same age as Master you know?”

“…Like always it’s useless to speak in sarcasm to you Chikori.”

“What d’you mean?”

“Just forget it.”

“Ok. If that’s what Master says, then I’ll forget it!”

Showing her white teeth, Chikori nodded with a face without worry.

She was really an obedient girl.

This personality of the girl that was like a puppy was really lovely even from Homura’s point of view.

Chikori didn’t fear Homura who was the <Evil God User> possessing a power beyond the pale and even able to accept him, such thing largely came from her bright personality.

―But, it was a precious charm that couldn’t possibly be discovered in everybody.

When he looked again… all children except the twin-tail girl from before were sending Homura scared gazes.

They wanted him to be gone to a place out of their sight.

It was gazes of exclusion that conveyed such will.

The harmonious mood that existed before the ball hit Homura couldn’t be found anywhere.

Everyone were getting scared.

“―Then, I’m going to patrol around too, so I’ll leave you to look after the brats.”

His presence obviously made the atmosphere of the place worse.

Homura who sensed that tried to leave quickly. ―But,

“Wait wait-“

He was blocked by Chikori.

The girl grasped Homura’s hand tightly.

And then the girl said something unthinkable.

“If Master is not going to sleep anymore then let’s play together with everyone. Let’s do dodge ball-“

It was really like the not cowardly Chikori, a proposal that didn’t read the atmosphere.

“No way I’m gonna play with some brat. Besides Chikori. We came here because of our duty to protect the brats, we ain’t coming here for holiday.”

Naturally Homura showed his disapproval of it, he tried to refuse using a really sensible reason, but―

“Ahaha, I don’t want to be told that by someone who had slept until now―”

“I really can’t say anything to that.”

He was defeated in the argument in the blink of an eye.

“Besides, I think perhaps Master is being considerate so as not to make everyone scared, but about that I have an idea so it’s going to be fine! Leave it to me!”

*pyon*, Saying that full of confidence while hitting her large breast, Chikori went away from Homura and called out to the children of the orphanage that numbered thirty children.

The children answered her without even one person making a reluctant face.

It seemed that Chikori had become the children’s leader before anyone realized.

Chikori’s cheerful personality that had no ulterior motive behind it was also received well among the children.

And then Chikori explained the gist of the idea of Homura joining them to play, asking for their yes or no.

“Everyone―. That big brother there is saying that he wanted to play together, but I wonder if it is okay to add him to our group―?”

What came back from that question was, just as expected, voices of complaint.

“Eeeee……”

“But that person… he is a bad person, right?”

“Yeah, the sister said that guy is one thousand times the bad guy compared to the criminal in CoXXn you know.” <ref>Perhaps referring to Detective Conan.</ref>

“Wasn’t he trying to kill us, together with the demons… he is scary…”

It was exactly as imagined. Their reaction was subdued like trying to light a fire using wet firewood.

But this reaction had been naturally predicted. Even Chikori should have understood this.

But Chikori who just before this said to him “Leave it to me” was full of confidence.

―Did she have some kind of plan?

Homura who was a little interested observed Chikori’s action. ―Then,

“By― the way! It seems that for those that can win against this big brother in dodge ball, big brother will present to them a DX-Specter Watch Zero-edition-!”

“YOSSHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”

“JUST COME AT MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!”

“KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL”

He witnessed an outrageous bribery.

“Oi wait right there! I’m not saying anything like that! Rather I don’t have anything like that!”

“It’s― fine, if Master wins then it doesn’t matter.”

“Are you a dirty adult that makes a deal you don’t plan to pay up!?”

“Because, look, everyone is completely happy compared to before right?”

“……nu, u”

Certainly the explosive that Chikori just set made the children really fired up.

The uneasy atmosphere from before had gone somewhere, and the children started passing the ball around with a look filled with killing intent.

It was not just his mind playing tricks that the exchanged balls between the children were all rotating like a gyro, right?

Just what was it that made them stirred up until this much? Homura who was halfway adult didn’t get it, but this overflowing energy from the children was far more preferable, he couldn’t bring himself to douse cold water to their excitement.

“…Haa. Can’t be helped. Just one round okay?”

That was why Homura got on Chikori’s proposal reluctantly.

What, no matter how much they got serious they were just children anyway. No way he would lose.

“Then let’s quickly divide the team.”

“Yes. But Master is absolutely strong right? I thought that I’m someone who is really good in moving my body, but I’ve never won against Master even once in our spar.”

“That’s obvious. After all I’m a battle pro that joined a special unit since I was still a brat.”

“That’s why I wonder if it’s fine even if Master get a handicap?”

“Yeah. Just do whatever you like. It won’t be any problem at all anyway.”

“Thank you―! Then the team will be Master VS us all-“

“Is dodge ball a sport that looks like bullying like that!?”

“Everyone do your best―!”

“ “ “OOO―――――――!!!!” ” ”

“Listen to me-!”

But no one listened to that yell of Homura in the end.