Ayase Apartnt, 601.
Every ti he returned and saw this familiar doorplate, Aozawa felt a faint sense of peace. He knew the living room light would be on. A tall woman would be in the kitchen, and steaming hot food would be on the bar counter, waiting for him to enjoy.
Aozawa turned the doorknob and shouted, "Chitose, I’m ho."
"Co wash your hands and eat." A soft, alluring voice responded to him at once.
Her shiny black hair was tied into a single ponytail. Morimoto Chiyoda wasn’t wearing her police inspector’s uniform. Instead, she wore a white apron over a light green T-shirt and dark green bell-bottoms. The outfit was narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, outlining the curves of her hips.
Morimoto Chiyoda turned, placed a plate of stir-fried beef with bell peppers on the kitchen counter, a hint of a smile in her eyes. "You seem really happy. Did sothing good happen?"
"I took the day off today to get a physical at the hospital, and the results showed nothing abnormal. I’m very healthy," Morimoto Chiyoda answered, undoing her white apron. "This morning was indeed just an illusion," she said.
As she perceived it, Aozawa’s Transformation into a panda had been instantaneous. It happened so quickly that she didn’t even have ti to blink before he changed back. Now, when she recalled that scene, she felt a bit uncertain. Did I see an illusion, or did I inadvertently imagine that image? After pondering, Morimoto Chiyoda concluded the latter was more likely. Why would such an illusion occur? she wondered. She could only attribute it to reasons beyond verbal description. For example, sotis, despite reading a light novel about an alternate world for the first ti, a certain scene would evoke an extrely familiar feeling. It gave her the impression: I’ve read this book a long ti ago. Upon reflection, she couldn’t recall where she might have encountered it before. But where could it have been? Morimoto Chiyoda decided not to dwell on the specific reasons. It’s enough that my body is normal, she reassured herself.
"No wonder tonight’s dinner is especially sumptuous!" Aozawa replied with a grin. I should joke less in the future, he thought.
"Hehe, lucky you, kid. Let’s eat." Morimoto Chiyoda washed her hands, then pulled out a paper towel to dry the water droplets from her fingertips.
It had to be said, when a person is beautiful, even a simple act like drying their hands could evoke delightful associations. Aozawa averted his gaze, obediently waiting for her to serve him his rice.
After dinner, as usual, Aozawa went for his hour-long night run. He arrived at the small park in Adachi District on schedule. He bought a bottle of mineral water from the vending machine, drank it all in one go, and tossed the empty bottle into the trash bin.
Aozawa used his X-ray Ability to scan the surroundings. There was no one else in the park. If there were people around, the streetlights wouldn’t have been left flickering for so long without repair.
Aozawa turned and entered the woods. After concealing his phone, he transford into a peregrine falcon and shot skyward. This ti, he didn’t head for Tokyo’s bustling areas but instead flew out beyond the city. Tonight, he had no intention of "cleaning up" those harmful to society.
Ultimately, Aozawa didn’t use his Superpower because he wanted to act as a ssenger of Justice or change the world. He simply wanted to use his Superpower. Cleaning up societal scum was rely sothing he did incidentally while using his Superpower. His primary goal was never to change the old world and create a brand new one. Aozawa was very clear about his own motivations: to use his Superpower to make his life more colorful. He could choose to "clean up" societal scum or transform into a cat to enjoy the pampering of girls. Or use his X-ray Ability to peer into others’ privacy. Whichever he chose, the decision was his alone.
Aozawa had recently experienced the thrill of soaring through the sky, but he didn’t know what it felt like to be a fish in the sea. Tonight, he wanted to transform into a fish and see the underwater world. He flew to the seashore but didn’t imdiately dive. Instead, he continued flying for so ti, ensuring any coastal cities were out of sight. Aozawa dived. The mont he neared the sea surface, he transford into a swordfish.
PLOP! He plunged into the sea, diving at 130 kiloters per hour. This was slower than a peregrine falcon, but it was underwater. The swordfish’s speed already surpassed that of any cruise ship.
Aozawa dived rapidly. Sound faded from his ears, and the sea beca quiet and dim. Occasionally, schools of small fish swam past. In his rapid advance, they were pierced by his sword-shaped snout. The swordfish had always been known as the "Underwater Swordsman." He casually flicked aside the small fish and continued his descent.
And in the dim depths, lights attracted his gaze. Uniquely shaped corals gathered, forming vibrant reefs that glowed like a city’s neon signs at night. They looked incredibly bright, drawing Aozawa closer for a better look. By the light of the corals, he saw shells peeking from the silt, with small, motionless crabs nearby that were hard to spot. Glistening jellyfish drifted past, their bodies emitting a faint blue glow. The seemingly tranquil seabed was far from deserted; it teed with a variety of creatures and plants.
Aozawa swam slowly. The beauty of the seabed was like a cup of fine vintage wine, intoxicating to the senses.
After watching for a while, a mischievous idea struck him. He suddenly transford from a swordfish into a three-ter great white shark. His expanded body sent tremors through the water, scattering the small fish in terror. The jellyfish also began to drift away.
Aozawa patrolled the depths like a titan. He even contemplated transforming into a whale, but on second thought, this was the deep sea. If my Transformation into a whale fails and I revert to human form, I could be in danger, he considered. Aozawa abandoned the idea of transforming into a whale, sticking to changing between less dangerous fish species.
The journey through the seabed was quite fascinating. Perhaps because it was Aozawa’s first visit, everything seed exceedingly novel. Even the simple act of chasing schools of fish brought him imnse enjoynt. For the fish, however, it might not have been such a pleasant experience.
Aozawa checked the ti in his mind and decided it was about ti to head back. Once again, he transford into a swordfish. He swam rapidly toward the surface.
Just as he was about to break the surface, he beca a flying fish, bursting out from the water. Then, he seamlessly transitioned into a peregrine falcon, shooting high into the sky. Aweso! Aozawa ntally applauded this series of Transformations as the familiar roar of the wind returned to his ears.
He set his course and flew straight toward Adachi District. Colorful neon signs dotted the landscape between high-rise buildings. So streets, though lit by streetlights, were devoid of pedestrians, while the comrcial district’s roads teed with people. In Tokyo, prosperity and desolation were often just a street apart.
Aozawa returned to the park, dived, and the mont he landed in the woods, he reverted to his original form. He took out his phone to check the ti: 8:50 p.m. Then, he hurriedly ran back to Ayase Apartnt.
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