Hatoko, you're on cleaning duty today?
Yeah, I am.
I'll meet you in the club room later.
Sure, got it.
That day was honestly just an ordinary day like any other.
So, at the time,
I never even dreamed that it
would soon become a special day for us.
Literature Club
Stay back, Kanzaki Tomoyo!
You have to get away, while I'm still able to remain myself!
You really kill the mood, Tomoyo...
Unlike the other club members.
Hold on. I won't let that one slide.
I'm not the only one fed up with your chuunibyou, Andou.
No, all the others generally go with it.
Then let's try it and see.
Interesting.
Yoo-hoo!
Whew, I ran late since I had to clean up.
Huh? Ju-kun? Wh-What's wrong?
Are you all right? Hold on, I'll call an ambulance!
Hatoko, don't do that! This won't be funny anymore!
Hello? We need an ambulance. We're at...
I'm sorry, it's already better.
See? Told you.
Damn it! Next time for sure!
Hey, wait a minute!
If I can devise a better way to express the danger I'm in...
Um, isn't that a totally different goal?
Ah! Chifuyu-chan?
I wasn't expecting you to come again today!
I'm kidding, I'm kidding! It's a j-joke, okay?
I'm sorry! I'm really sorry!
I didn't know you made a hobby of terrorizing little girls until they cried, Andou-kun.
Ow... Sayumi-san, that's not it! It's a misunderstanding!
Chifuyu-chan, we're sorry.
It's okay. Andou acting weird is normal.
Ju-kun, it's okay to play make-believe,
but you shouldn't trouble other people.
Call it a "simulation," not "make-believe"!
How do you plan to fight your inner self
when the day comes and your right arm begins to ache?
I won't be fighting, and it won't be aching.
Honestly, I don't know how you can run
in full chuunibyou mode every day without getting sick of it.
Hold on, Tomoyo.
Can you really be so certain?
Can you be absolutely sure there's zero chance that one day,
you'll suddenly gain superpowers?
Well, if you use common sense...
Common sense?
What is "common sense," anyway?
Do you really think common sense
invariably expresses the truth of our world?
Can your common sense explain
the secrets behind how this universe
originated 13,700,000,000 years ago?
The mystery of why life exists on our planet?
And there he goes...
To believe you can comprehend everything in existence
This isn't good.
epitomizes arrogance!
There's no greater nuisance than a defiant chuuni.
With what evidence do you presume
to deny the existence of supernatural powers?
Andou chuuni...
Kanzaki Tomoyo, can you swear with certainty to God
that superpowers don't exist in our world?
That an evil power will never, for all time, dwell in my right arm?
Huh?
Whoa! Ju-kun, amazing!
Pretty.
Huh? What's this? Andou, how are you doing that?
Huh? I don't... Eh? Me?
That's enough, Andou. You're scaring me.
I'm not doing—
Andou?
Andou-kun?
Ju-kun?
Episode 1 Change (Alpha Episode)
Tomoyo-chan?
Yeah? What is it, Hatoko?
I'm on cleaning duty today, so I'll meet you in the club room later.
Sure, got it.
Literature Club
Stay back, Kanzaki Tomo—
Be quiet.
We're getting complaints from the other clubs around us,
so, seriously, you need to stop that.
Huh? We're getting complaints?
Of course we are, with you shouting like that every time.
Besides...
We're actually a part of that world now.
You really kill the mood...
I told you, all the others are fed up
with your chuunibyou, as well...
Yoo-hoo!
Ju-kun, are you all right? I'll call an ambulance!
I told you, an ambulance is a bad idea!
Huh? Then what should I do?
It's hot! My body's burning up!
I see! You're hot, right? Got it!
Huh? No, hold on, Hato—
A-Andou?
Tomoyo, thank you! I was so scared!
Hey, don't cling to me when you're soaking wet!
I still can't get used to you showing up like that.
I'm already used to it.
You all seem louder than usual today.
Andou-kun, please keep the commotions in this room to a minimum.
M-Me?
Th-Thanks.
The student council warned us that
they were receiving complaints from several clubs
about screams coming from the literature club.
Andou, you shouldn't cause trouble for other people.
I'm sorry.
Well, now that we're all here,
shall we get started?
On our monthly superpower checkup.
Here I go, Hatoko.
I actually wanted to burn them all up.
But they seemed hard to burn, so I changed my strategy.
But after you burned them all up last time,
I made these into spears that wouldn't burn...
Chifuyu-chan's power,
World Create, is the very power of creation.
World Create
Her power goes beyond imagination,
allowing her to create any material,
even space itself!
Huh?
In contrast is Hatoko's power,
Over Element
Over Element.
Earth
The power to manipulate all five elements: earth, water, fire, wind, and light.
Water
Fire Water
Earth Wind
Light
To be blunt, they're both invincible. They're cheating, cheating!
Here I go, Chifuyu-chan.
Come on.
Now, I suppose it's about time to reveal what I've been saving.
Mix fire and earth to get
magma!
It looks like their battle's entered a new stage.
I see!
Normally, Hatoko's power
would've caused lava to erupt from the ground.
But Chifuyu-chan created new bedrock to hold it down!
Not bad, Chifuyu-chan.
I'm not done yet.
What? I'm not done yet, either.
Not yet, not yet, not yet!
Incredible hostility... I can feel it from here.
They're both getting a little too into this.
Tomoyo-san...
Yes.
Hatoko,
Chifuyu-chan,
that's enough playing around.
Hmm? H-Huh?
You were both trying too hard.
It's just a checkup, so there's no need to get that serious about it, is there?
Tomoyo-chan...
Sorry, I got a bit carried away.
I got a bit carried away, too.
Tomoyo's power,
Closed Clock, is the power to manipulate time.
Closed Clock
While she can't turn back time,
she can speed it up, stop it, and slow it down at will.
Who have you been explaining this to?
Good job, Hatoko, Chifuyu-chan.
And you, too, Tomoyo.
Huh? Why me?
Because you worked hard to carry them both
while time was stopped, right?
Ah, I see! You also worked hard, Tomoyo-chan.
Thanks for your hard work!
Tomoyo, good work.
O-Oh, no... Not really. I wasn't trying that hard at all!
But still, you didn't have to go to all that trouble.
If you had just come over to us, we would have stopped right away.
Stupid Hatoko! You shouldn't point that out.
That was Tomoyo's idea of a performance.
Performance?
A performance to fully showcase her ability to stop time.
Huh? Why do that?
Because it looks cool!
Let's stop bringing attention to it, and let her feel self-satisfied.
You've already said everything!
I get it! Tomoyo's a chuuni!
I'm never using my superpower again.
You're up next, Tomoyo, but...
Well, I guess you're fine, since we've already seen yours.
So next is Sayumi-san.
My superpower hasn't changed much.
As you can see,
there are no problems with it.
Sayumi-san's power, Route of Origin,
Route of Origin
is the power to restore anything she touches to its original state.
However, the standards for the restoration are still vague.
I don't know if this is the best way to conduct her checkup,
but it'll do for now.
Now, that's it for everyone's checkup, right?
So this concludes our sixth superpower checkup.
We'll see you again at the seventh!
Wait, hey! We still have the main event to go!
But your power's just... Right?
Yeah.
There's no need to see your power.
Damn it! You're all making fun of me!
Fine! I'll just do it by myself!
I am the Conqueror of Chaos—
Excuse me!
K-Kudou-san?
What brings the student council president to the literature club room?
Is something wrong?
I'm here to inspect the literature club today.
Inspect?
Club President Takanashi-san, we have warned you several times already.
We're getting overwhelmed with complaints of screams
coming from the literature club room.
Also, what is this burning smell?
What have you all been doing in here?
Why don't you call it "surveillance" instead of "inspection," Student Council President?
I've already figured out your true identity!
Hmm?
Andou?
Ju-kun?
How long will you continue to act as this false you?
Is secretly making contact with us your way of doing things?
But I am no fan of dragging things out this way.
Why don't you show us your true self, and entertain me—
Shut up, Chuuni!
Ju-kun, get a clue!
I'm sorry, Kudou-san. His mental age is on par with a five-year-old's...
How?
Hmm?
How did you figure out what I am?
Huh?
Don't play dumb! You're right about everything.
I've been keeping you under constant surveillance.
The problems with the literature club were just an excuse.
I covered up who I was and tried to secretly spy on all of you.
You, who awakened to superpowers, just as I have!
Huh? You have superpowers, too?
Stop acting surprised.
You said you already figured out who I really was.
In other words, haven't you already figured out that I have superpowers?
Y-Yeah... Th-That's right!
Did Andou-kun's chuuni power just help us in exactly the wrong way?
So, Kudou-san... No, Kudou Mirei.
What is your objective?
If you can beat me, I'll tell you.
Beat you?
You want to fight us?
Relax. I'm not requesting a fight to the death.
Though I do hope you brace yourselves for a broken bone or two.
Wh-What should we do, Andou?
Should I beat her with Closed Clock?
What should we do, Andou-kun?
I'll go!
Y-You idiot! What are you saying, Andou?
That's right, Ju-kun! Your power can only...
Don't worry about me.
If it comes down to it, my dark personality will lend me strength.
I'm more than a match for you on my own.
Allow me to show you my power known as Knock on Hell's Door!
Knock on Hell's Door
Do you know why I wear this blazer to school every day?
Because those are the regulations?
Regulations
Not for regulations...
Restraint
It's a restraint!
This blazer is embedded with various magic seals.
Its weight is over a hundred kilograms!
Whoa...
It isn't that heavy...
Way to go, Hatoko. You can manipulate gravity, too!
R-Really?
He's making it all up.
Ju-kun is so focused.
But no matter how much he focuses, Andou's superpower is...
Let's believe in him.
Andou-kun has engaged with his superpower more earnestly than any of us.
Let's place our bets on him.
Tomoyo, it's all right.
Chifuyu-chan...
Andou is the kind of man who comes through at times like this.
Yeah.
I am the Conqueror of Ch-Ch-Chaos!
He stuttered.
He stuttered!
He stuttered...
F-Forget the invocation!
Dark and Dark
Dark and Dark!
He left it out!
Now, let the beginning of the end begin!
You showed me! You showed me your power!
Your power is mine now!
Huh?
D-Dark and Dark...
Kudou Mirei, you mean your power is...
That's right. My power is to steal the powers of others!
N-No way!
Not the Dark and Dark that's been with me for
the past six months, through good times and bad!
Every day, I woke up and said, "Good morning, Dark and Dark."
And every night when I went to bed, I said, "Goodnight, Dark and Dark,"
whispering my love to it!
You really did something that creepy?
Give it back! Give it back to me!
It's my... It's my only superpower!
Hmm, so this is Andou Jurai's superpower?
It's just a dark fire, huh?
It isn't even hot...
Actually, it's lukewarm.
This couldn't be used in combat...
Exactly.
This superpower doesn't have any use at all.
None.
Maybe it has some hidden power?
It doesn't.
So, it really is a meaningless superpower?
Exactly.
Oh, well.
I've taken care of the small fry.
Now, the rest of you, come at me together!
Oh? You're next, Kanzaki Tomoyo?
Then show me what your power can do!
There's no need.
Huh? Er... What?
Well, if I show you, you'll steal it, right?
Then there's no way I'd activate my power around you.
When you stole Andou's power just now, you said,
"You showed me! You showed me your power!"
So I deduce that the condition
to activating your power is to witness the moment someone invokes theirs.
Am I wrong?
Th-That's...
Looks like I'm right.
Then we won't use any of our superpowers.
And that means this fight is physical now.
Kudou-san, can you beat all five of us on your own?
H-However, I still have Andou Jurai's power—
Naïve!
You're being naïve, Kudou-san.
Andou's power is honestly, truly, utterly useless!
I won't even ask you to fight five-on-one.
As club president, I'll fight you on behalf of us all.
Takanashi-san? B-But you're...
I have a black belt in both judo and karate. What of it?
You gave me quite the awful scare, so I might forget to hold back a bit.
No! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!
I'll apologize for everything I did, so please forgive me!
I really didn't know anything! I just got carried away!
I'm sorry!
Literature Club
What was all that with Kudou-san about?
Who knows?
We heard that Kudou-san awakened to her superpowers about a month ago.
On its own, her power was useless.
But she lived her life in fear, confused by the supernatural phenomenon.
Then, about a week ago,
someone apparently sent her an anonymous message.
Sender: Anonymous Subject: Be Careful In the literature club are those, like yourself, with superpowers.
That day, Kudou-san began her surveillance of us.
To her, we were only the objects of her fear.
I was s-scared!
I mean, I suddenly awoke to these powers,
and I was all alone, while there were five of you!
I thought I'd be finished if you put me down, so I started the fight myself!
Well, she gave Andou his Dark and Dark back immediately,
so it seems like she isn't a bad person.
But Kudou-san aside, our biggest problem is whoever sent that message.
Right.
Do you think our superpowers were actually awoken by someone else?
Ju-kun, what's going to happen to us?
Were we just lucky that nothing's happened these past six months?
Is something about to happen to us now?
So they defeated Kudou Mirei easily, did they?
I decided to pay a visit since I was a bit worried, but yes.
It wouldn't be interesting if that weren't the case.
When one speaks of youth, one speaks of mistakes.
Literature Club
And when we speak of mistakes, we speak of misunderstandings.
It's rather hard to point out painful misunderstandings, isn't it?
Are you really one to talk?
Next time, on When Supernatural Battles Become Commonplace:
Misconception
Misconception.