While Rosaline stood frozen by what she saw, the idol girl kicked the mirror out of her hand.
Rosaline watched the magical girl boots move, stopping right in front of her stall door. Then came a sharp click!—the unmistakable sound of a firearm being chambered.
"Come out quietly, or I'm shooting!" Maru-chan threatened in the deep, low voice of a young man.
Rosaline was startled by the sudden transformation. Though she couldn't quite connect the dots yet, she managed to say, "Don't shoot. I'm coming out."
The Hunter turned the lock and stepped out compliantly. Maru-chan stood there, gun aimed steady, though her—or rather, his—eyes betrayed a flicker of confusion.
"Who are you?" Maru-chan asked sternly.
"Just a woman using the restroom. But pointing a De-von-slaying firearm at a civilian isn't exactly good practice, is it, Maru-chan?" Rosaline spoke calmly, her eyes lingering on the muzzle.
"…Don't act like you know everything," Maru-chan countered. "A-Are you a Hunter?"
"Yes," Rosaline admitted.
"What rank?"
"High."
"Which rank exactly?"
"S," she answered shortly.
"Codename?"
"The Hermit," Rosaline replied. She was currently wearing her mask to hide her identity; she wasn't here as Rosaline Greatwind today.
Maru-chan's suspicion didn't fade. Even though he knew that codename belonged to a top-tier Support Hunter, he remembered seeing this woman in the audience of his concert. His golden eyes flickered toward the other closed stall door. "…High-ranking Hunters don't usually attend small concerts like this. Besides, this city is full of cosplayers. I don't believe you. If you're telling the truth, take off the mask."
Rosaline didn't comply. Instead, she pointed at the weapon. "…The gun you're holding is a model used by low-level Rank F and E Hunters. Mid-rank Hunters and above don't use them anymore. By that stage, everyone has combat or support skills that deal with De-vons far better without wasting time on reloading."
"You certainly know a lot."
"That gun only fires when it detects a De-von. The detection system disengages the safety automatically, and only the owner can pull the trigger. Only Hunters know that specific detail... If you're still unsure, check my Hunter ID: S-SD2014."
Rosaline summoned her high-rank Hunter crest into her palm as proof.
Even though everything she said was accurate and backed by the crest, Maru-chan didn't lower the weapon. Seeing this, Rosaline smiled faintly and shifted the subject. "By the way... are you really Maru-chan? And why did you attack that man? I don't think an idol like you would hurt someone without a reason."
Maru-chan bit his lip before finally relenting. "He's a stalker who's been following me. He was trying to drag me into the stall just now. I thought you were one of his accomplices."
I see. If that's the truth, that stalker is in for a world of hurt, Rosaline thought with a dark amusement. "I'm not with him. You can relax."
Suddenly, the man in the stall burst out, looking like he was running for his life.
"You think you can run!?" Maru-chan shouted.
The criminal brushed past Rosaline's shoulder. The Hunter reflexively grabbed the man's collar, yanked him back, and drove her knee hard into his solar plexus. He collapsed to the floor, gasping for air.
"I didn't expect to have to exert myself on my day off," Rosaline said, rolling her shoulders casually.
"And the other person in the bathroom... your friend?" Maru-chan asked, his voice sounding much more relaxed now.
At that moment, the stall door opened, and Liese stepped out.
"Maru-chan..." Liese blinked, staring at the scene in disbelief. "Why are you..."
"You! ...Liese." Maru-chan was stunned. His face went pale as he lowered the gun and spoke in a much more polite tone. "I..."
"Are you... not a girl?" Liese was still reeling from the revelation.
Maru-chan looked pained before nodding sheepishly. "Yes. Actually, I'm a guy. I'm sorry, Liese, for hiding this from you all this time."
Rosaline was bewildered by the string of unexpected events. "Wait... so you two know each other? Is that how it is?"
"I was planning to tell you over dinner, but I guess I don't have to now," Liese laughed awkwardly, though her eyes still held a trace of conflict regarding the truth she had just learned.
"But before that, I have something I need to do," Maru-chan said. He reached into the criminal's pocket, pulled out his wallet, and checked his ID. Then, he flicked his right wrist. Instantly, a silver-white bracelet covered in glowing circuitry—a Conductor—materialized on his wrist.
Rosaline raised an eyebrow at the sight.
The Idol Hunter spoke into the device. "This is a contact from 'The Fade.' Requesting permission to use a memory-erasure skill on... Marvin Ryan. He is a stalker who accidentally discovered my secret. Permission requested to maintain cover status. Please authorize, operator."
After a few seconds of silence, a voice replied from the bracelet.
[Please relay the full incident to 'Us.']
Maru-chan explained the situation, carefully avoiding any mention of Rosaline and Liese. He only stated that his male voice had been exposed while he was in his idol persona. The Operator went silent for nearly five minutes.
[Permission to use memory-erasure granted. After the procedure is complete, please submit a written report to all three of us.]
"Also, check Hunter ID S-SD2014. Who does it belong to?" Maru-chan asked, seeking final confirmation. Even if he trusted Liese, he couldn't yet bring himself to trust the masked Rosaline.
[Checking...] A brief pause followed.
[Identity confirmed. This ID belongs to The Hermit. Is there a problem?]
Maru-chan froze, staring at the woman in the worn grey hoodie and faded jeans. He looked like he couldn't believe his eyes.
Well, at least I finally got to show off my high-rank crest for once, Rosaline thought jokingly, crossing her arms with a sigh.
…
…
Maru-chan's real name was Kiwahara Marui, a first-year university student whose powers awakened a year ago. What was most surprising, however, was that his skill had nothing to do with hunting De-vons. On the contrary, it seemed designed specifically for use on humans... a skill called 'Forgotten.' In other words, memory erasure.
What Rosaline pitied most was that aside from this skill, Marui couldn't learn anything else. No matter how many mana crystals he consumed, he couldn't grow. Consequently, the Association ranked him only as Rank E.
When his path as a Hunter seemed to be a dead end, the Association suggested he find a new career. Who would have guessed it would end with him becoming a top-tier cute girl idol? More importantly, this career had started making him enough money to support his entire family of eleven!
Though Rosaline didn't want to believe the Association planned it this way, she couldn't help but suspect someone had orchestrated this outcome. The thought gave her chills, and she quickly shook it off.
"Even so, they still keep me affiliated with the Hunter Association," Marui—no longer Maru-chan—said with weary eyes. "And to prevent me from abusing this skill, they make me wear this Conductor. Three Operators monitor me at all times."
He had already removed the twin-tail wig and idol outfit, revealing a young man with short brown hair and golden eyes, dressed in a t-shirt and jeans like any other student. They were now sitting at the fried chicken shop as planned, with one extra member after handing the stalker over to the police.
"That bracelet... it's called a Conductor," Rosaline noted.
"You know about it, Hermit?" Liese asked curiously.
"Yeah. I've heard about them within the Association. But they're rarely used. This is my first time seeing one in person, and I don't know much else," Rosaline replied. "There are very few people with powers so dangerous they require this level of control. The Association keeps it top secret. So, listen carefully—keep this between us. Don't spread it around."
Liese and Marui nodded vigorously.
"So, he has to be controlled like this forever? Isn't there a better way?" Liese asked softly, her brow furrowed.
"Currently, we don't have the ability or the tools to remove a skill from a human or a De-von's body," Rosaline said. She then turned to Liese. "And how did you two meet... uh..."
"You can call me Marui, Ms. Hermit," Marui said politely. His tone was much more respectful now, and his eyes sparkled knowing he was sitting with one of the Association's three greatest Supports.
"I just really loved his first song when I heard him on stage here. I've followed his work ever since and eventually, we started talking privately," Liese explained.
Rosaline pondered. "Speaking of which, I haven't seen your manager since the incident. Don't idols usually have managers looking after them? Where are they?"
At this, Marui let out a heavy, troubled sigh.
"It's hard to find a manager who is trustworthy, knows the Association's secrets, and is willing to look after me all at once. It would be even better if they were a Hunter too. But since people with those exact qualifications aren't easy to find, I ended up having to handle everything myself... that's how it is," Marui said with a weary smile.
"That does sound difficult," Rosaline said. She caught Marui looking at her with sparkling, hopeful eyes. "Stop that thought immediately, Marui."
Marui's face fell instantly. "In that case... could I at least ask Ms. Hermit and Ms. Liese to keep my secret?" The boy slammed his head onto the table so hard the entire restaurant turned to look. "I'm begging you!"
Liese was flustered by the sudden outburst. The surrounding noise died down as everyone waited to see how the scene would end.
"Get your head up. I'm only going to count to three... Marui," Rosaline said sternly, her eyes narrowing as if she were about to devour him.
"...S-sorry," Marui snapped upright, looking like a mess of nerves.
Seeing no real trouble, the other patrons returned to their own business. After a moment of silence, Rosaline was the one to break it. "I think... in the future, you'll meet the person you need. Maybe sooner than you think."
"Really!?" Marui cried out with hope.
"Yeah... I know a certain Hunter who is an excellent Support," Rosaline said. "He—no, she—is very dependable, great with paperwork, and most importantly... she's an incredibly kind person. The kind of person that would make heaven weep. Even when pressured by terrible people, she still chooses to help others first..."
"Who is she? Where is she!?" Marui asked urgently.
"Well... you'll get to know her yourself one day," Rosaline said, averting her eyes to look out the window as Liese stared at her in shock. "For now... just keep going as you are. Trust me, you'll meet her. It's just not time to work together yet."
Marui, though still confused, nodded. "I see... If that's the case, I'll wait. I hope I meet her soon."
Liese looked at Marui's face, then bit her lip and said nothing more.