Big Eye and Champion

As Mash approached for a closer look, she noticed the hefty dictionary spread open before Zero. This gifted girl had mastered most of Earth's languages in just over a month, with only a few difficult points left unconquered.

Mash gracefully lifted her skirt as she sat down, confidently brushing a hand over her chest. "Did you run into a problem? Maybe I can help answer it."

At first, Mash had harbored doubts about this girl of unknown origin, but after spending more than a month together day and night, Zero's frank and adorable nature had long since put everyone at ease.

"Really? That would be... a huge help." Zero's willow-leaf brows furrowed slightly, her face showing distress.

She seemed deeply troubled by something. "The complexity of language is truly vexing."

"Even when I believe I understand a word's meaning, it changes with the context and fluctuations of emotion."

"What I was once certain I understood, I now doubt I ever truly grasped in essence..." Mash was utterly lost by that obscure explanation.

The purple-haired girl subconsciously scratched her short hair, secretly marveling at Zero's astonishing learning ability—after all, this genius had mastered all of The Ancient One's spells in merely a month.

"So... what exactly did Senior say to you?" Mash suddenly became alert. She trusted Senior's character, but what if he took advantage of Zero's lack of worldly experience...

With that thought, she silently tightened her grip on her shield, ready to deliver a righteous shield bash to Senior at any moment.

Zero lightly tapped the open dictionary page with a slender fingertip. Two words were clearly printed there: [date].

"Dust said he was going on a date with Tohka tomorrow."

"Huh?" Mash's eyes widened instantly. She hadn't expected Tohka to make such rapid progress. She was quite the proactive type.

"So what does dating really mean?" Zero pressed. "The dictionary says it means a man and woman arranging to meet, or it can specifically refer to a certain date."

"Judging from the context, it should be the former. But Tohka sees Dust every day already. Is there some special significance in specifically arranging a time to meet? There must be some deeper meaning... As expected, the hidden implications of language are the hardest to decipher."

Mash was momentarily speechless. If Zero became a language teacher, she would surely become a renowned one with interpretations this precise.

But those conventional extended meanings in language, such as giving new meanings to letter abbreviations, really required life experience to understand. This was destined to be a long learning process.

"Mash?" Zero tilted her head toward her dazed companion.

"...Sorry, sorry. I just never expected Tohka to make a move so quickly."

Mash scratched her cheek, looking embarrassed.

Tohka's speed of progress had truly taken her by surprise. She had thought it would take much longer.

"By the way... what exactly is a date?"

"Uh... well... how should I explain it? Your understanding isn't exactly wrong. Simply put, Senior wants to go out alone with Tohka."

"Oh, but Dust, Tohka, and I often go out together, like when he takes us around to learn the way."

"That's true, but... more accurately, it's a change in the relationship between two people. Tohka probably wants to develop a relationship with Senior that goes beyond friendship... the romantic kind."

As a complete novice at romance, Mash felt immense pressure.

She had zero experience herself, yet she had to deal with Zero's relentless questions.

After hearing the explanation, Zero looked thoughtful.

"Well? Do you understand now?"

"Could it be... Tohka wants to reproduce with Dust?"

"Ptff—"

Mash's defenses completely crumbled at that blunt phrasing.

That was indeed where things would eventually lead, but wasn't that skipping way too many steps?!

"Was I wrong?" Zero tilted her head in confusion.

"No, not exactly... Fundamentally, you're right, but... dating is the stage before that. It's Tohka's way of expressing affection..." Mash racked her brains to explain.

She had brought this on herself, but being Zero's love consultant was truly exhausting.

It seemed she needed to quickly study up on some romance books, or she would never be able to handle Zero's sharp questions...

Mash frowned as she carefully considered her wording, trying her hardest to interpret Senior's intentions.

At that moment, a subtle gleam appeared in the starry eyes of the girl beside her, and a faint blush colored her cheeks.

"Zero?"

"Language really is wonderful... I clearly understand the words, but when they're used in relation to Dust, they create a special feeling."

"Wait, Zero, something's not right with you?!"

Zero gently pressed a hand to her chest. There was a subtle discomfort there. It was only natural for Dust to like Tohka, yet for some reason, she felt irritated.

In her eyes, the Spirits born from the eleven Spirit Crystals, including Tohka, were all like daughters to her. She should have been happy that one of her children had found someone she liked, yet it felt as though an invisible hand were clutching her heart.

"That's jealousy." Mash couldn't help laughing.

"Jealousy? Vinegar is too sour. I don't like it." Zero tilted her head, utterly puzzled.

Zero's reaction made Mash's cheeks flush. The girl before her was so innocent that Mash wanted to protect her—if Tohka didn't also like Senior, she would have wanted to immediately set the two of them up and marry them off.

But wouldn't that make Senior a scumbag? Should she help Tohka or Zero? After struggling with it for a long while, Mash clenched her fist. "I'll help both!"

"Zero wants to become closer to Senior too, right?"

"Mhm..." Zero covered her face, her voice barely louder than a mosquito's hum.

"Then take action!" Mash pushed up a pair of nonexistent glasses and entered love-consultant mode. "Senior and Zero both have no dating experience. You absolutely can't lose the first date! Guys remember first impressions most deeply."

She enthusiastically planned out tactics, determined to let Zero seize the initiative. As for who would win in the end? That would depend on their own abilities!

"First, ask him out yourself!"

"Okay."

"You also need new clothes!"

"Clothes?" Destructive spiritual power flowed around Zero's fingertips. "Aren't my current clothes enough? I can just copy them."

Only then did Mash remember that even the outfit Zero was wearing had been copied from her.

"Those are completely different things! The key is your presence! Who goes into battle wearing rented armor?! Honestly, I've wanted to say this for ages—Zero, you should try more cute outfits!" Mash made a large X with her arms, retorting passionately.

This girl always wore the exact same outfit, year after year. That simply wouldn't do!

She had been born with such an exquisite face that even without makeup, she could outshine the hottest stars.

If she dressed up properly, she would definitely become the cutest beautiful girl in the entire world!

"R-Really? But what exactly do you mean by a cute style?" "Um..."

Zero's question immediately left Mash speechless.

Although she strongly advocated changing Zero's style of dress, truthfully, she only knew the bare basics about fashion herself.

If she had truly been an expert in that field, Zero, who copied her fashion style, would naturally have already seen a massive boost in her looks.

After racking her brains for a while, Mash dejectedly lowered her shoulders.

"There's no helping it. It's a little embarrassing, but let's find outside help. Wait here." With that, she walked to a corner of the library, took out her phone, and began dialing.

After a brief wait tone, the call connected.

"Hello, this is Mash. I'm in the library right now and there's something I'd like to ask... Yes, actually, I wanted to ask about clothing coordination..." Before she could finish, the call suddenly ended.

About seven or eight minutes later, hurried footsteps rang through the quiet library.

A pink-haired twin-tailed girl in a cherry-pink dress strode in, carrying the Imperial Arms Romantic Cannon: Pumpkin on her back. It was Mine.

Her greatest hobby was shopping through the streets of New York.

The trillions in funding allocated by the government had nowhere to go.

Buying a few dresses or adding several private jets was nothing more than a drop in the bucket.

"I already know the details!"

Mine skipped over excitedly and grabbed both of Mash's hands.

"So you've finally decided to dress up! You have such great natural conditions, yet you dress like a nun every day. I've been worried for you! Tell me, what style do you want? Are you free now? Let's go on a shopping spree right away—"

"Calm down, I'm not the one buying clothes."

"? You're not the one wearing them?"

Mine's eyes widened at once, and she pouted in disappointment.

"What? I thought our Mash had finally fallen in love. Being pure and detached is nice, but if you're too indifferent, you'll end up alone for life, you know?"

"Anyway, I'm not buying clothes. She's the one who needs an outfit for a date." Mash gestured toward Zero.

Mine followed the direction of her hand, her eyes instantly widening in disbelief.

"Th-This beautiful girl is?! Isn't she the one who always follows the president around?!"

Mine stared blankly at Zero's exquisite face for several seconds before suddenly jolting back to herself. She hadn't looked closely before, but now that she was observing from up close—this was clearly a living incarnation of a goddess!

"That's the situation. I hope you can help pick out clothes suitable for a date. I heard you have a good eye for this sort of thing."

"I'm no professional; it's just a personal hobby... But putting that aside, who exactly is the lucky guy who gets to date such a **beauty?"

"Senior."

"Huh, huh, huh?! It's actually the president?! I had heard rumors, but I never expected them to be true!"

As if she had uncovered earth-shattering gossip, Mine excitedly threw an arm around Mash's shoulders and started hopping in place.

"Got it! The goal is to dress Zero up so the president falls for her at first sight, right? Hehe~ Let me think this through~"

"You caught on quickly. Senior isn't a shallow person, but you still need to pay attention on the right occasions. Managing a girl's image is very important."

Seeing how motivated the two were, Zero nodded gently despite being somewhat bewildered, leaving the decision to them. Compared to herself, who had no experience with fashion whatsoever, perhaps... probably... maybe... they were more reliable?

"Hiss—It hurts..."

Garou struggled up from the cold ground. Every bone in his body felt as though it had been shattered, and even the slightest movement brought piercing pain. He clutched his throbbing temples, his memories like muddy water that had been stirred up. He couldn't remember at all why he had been injured so badly.

As he desperately tried to recall, only the image of meeting some hero after crawling out of the sewers surfaced in his mind...

Everything afterward was a complete blank, as though it had been forcibly cut away.

He looked around. This was a sealed underground space.

"It feels... like I encountered something terrifying, something my instincts refuse to remember..."

"Have you awakened, Mr. Garou?"

"To possess Near-Dragon-Level strength before even becoming a monster—what promising fresh blood."

Two oppressive voices suddenly rang out. Garou looked up to see two monstrous figures before him, both radiating terrifying auras.

One had a massive single eye and waxy yellow skin. He looked frail, yet possessed terrifying psychic power.

The other was twenty meters tall, with four savage eyes, deformed muscles all over his body, and a martial arts uniform.

These two were the strategist and champion of the Monster Association—Big Eye and Champion!

Both possessed Mid-Dragon-Level disaster strength, far surpassing Garou's current Near-Dragon-Level power.

"Monsters?!"

The life-or-death crisis awakened Garou's potential. He suddenly came to his senses and performed several backflips in succession to create distance.

He assumed the stance of the Water Stream Rock Smashing Fist, staring intently at the two powerful monsters before him.

"Please relax, Mr. Garou." Big Eye showed goodwill. "We found you badly injured in the wilderness and brought you back to recuperate."

Garou remained silent, still on guard.

Though he was known as the 'Hero Hunter,' he had principles he refused to abandon.

"It seems you have doubts." Big Eye spread his hands. "Would you be willing to tell us what troubles you?"

"I..."

Garou pressed a hand to his aching forehead, his body trembling constantly with fear.

Even though his memories were vague, that irresistible terror remained etched into his bones.

"This is... hard to explain..."

"Please, go ahead." "You... mustn't be afraid."

Big Eye and Champion exchanged glances, deciding to gradually break down Garou's defenses.

They were determined to win over such a persistent and powerful human warrior.

Big Eye firmly believed that with careful training, Garou would certainly surpass Orochi, the Monster King!

"We are monsters. We won't be afraid." "I seem to have been... by a..."

Amid the intense pain, the image of a bald head suddenly appeared in Garou's mind.

Though he had clearly never met him, Garou's heart was filled with fear toward him.

"I was knocked down by a bald man." "What kind of bald man?"

"I... I can't remember."

"How about I construct an image with psychic power, and you identify him?"