Hyacinth's Belated Realization

Hyacinth was sure she hadn't woken up properly.

Or perhaps she had been drawn into an illusion created by Heartmoon Fox without realizing it.

What? Neither was possible? Then how else could she explain seeing Heartmoon Fox in Mountain City?

"Iris, give me a whack."

Hyacinth turned to Iris, who stood beside her holding her wand without taking a fighting stance.

Iris fell silent for a few seconds. She turned to her companion, who looked as though she was questioning reality itself, and couldn't quite understand why Hyacinth wanted to be hit. But Hyacinth probably had her reasons. Iris asked no more questions. She raised her Magic Cannon and began gathering magic power, sending Hyacinth scrambling out of the way.

"What are you doing?! I said give me a whack, not blast me! Couldn't you just tap me with your wand?!"

"...I thought you had something else in mind."

"You did that on purpose, didn't you... Ow!"

Iris swung the Magic Cannon into Hyacinth's backside, nearly knocking her forward off her feet.

That was definitely on purpose. Iris was getting back at me for stealing her pistachios on the train, Hyacinth thought.

But the pain in her backside told her this wasn't a dream. She really had run into Heartmoon Fox in Mountain City, and the fox had even rescued nearby civilians and injured superheroes from the monsters that attacked Chaotianmen Square.

...And Swallow's Nest, Mountain City's resident S-Rank hero, was chatting with her. Cheshire Rabbit and Hellcat were cleaning up the battlefield nearby. No matter how Hyacinth looked at it, this didn't seem like trouble Heartmoon Fox had deliberately started.

After all the times Fox Fox had picked a fight, Hyacinth had learned her lesson: don't rush in with the usual lines. Get a clear picture first, then act.