[Shinobu]: An assignment?

[Touta]: Yeah.
Yukihime called us into her office out of the blue…

-----------------------
Flashback
-----------------------

[Yukihime]: I have your first assignment.

[Touta]: You mean as a Numbers?!

[Yukihime]: That’s right.
I can’t have you lazing about doing nothing but cleaning floors.

[Kuromaru]: But we don’t have any experience…

[Karin]: I agree. It’s far too soon.

[Yukihime]: But there’ll be nothing to worry about with you watching over them, Karin.

[Karin]: Wha-?! Why me?!

[Yukihime]: You don’t want to? Then I suppose I can…

[Karin]: I can do it! I’ll keep an eye on them!
You had best steel yourself, Tota Konoe.
I will not go easy on you.

[Touta]: S-sure.

[Yukihime]: I don’t think you’ll have anything to worry about, though.
This mission was going to be assigned to Karin anyway.
The two of you will just support her.
You could say it’s the perfect job for beginners.
You’ll only die maybe two or three times.

--------------------

[Touta]: That’s what she said!
This’ll be easy-peasy.

[Shinobu]: That last part sounds somewhat ominous…

[Touta]: I’ll get to speed around in a fancy car like Vasago and the others.
We’ll be back before you know it!
I’ll even bring you back a gift!

[Shinobu]: Okay!

--------------------

[Touta]: Jeez!
We’re going on foot?!

[Karin]: Of course we are.
It’s still much too early to let you have your own car!

[Kuromaru]: But what did you mean by there were children in danger?

[Touta]: We’ve got invaders moving in on our turf!
Not that I really understand…

[Karin]: The slums.
They spread out from the capital.
There is a shadow that lies behind the glittering visage of the capital.
In the 21st century, “poverty” was equally distributed around the world.
This was neither good nor bad, merely inevitable.
Even a formerly affluent country such as this could not avoid it.

[Touta]: O-okay?

[Karin]: Yet there are those who are unhappy with the existence of the slums.
They believe it to be dangerous and unlawful; that the people have what they deserve.
That it’s too late for them as they have fallen from society.
They want the poor to disappear.
THey think it would be best if they vanished without a trace.
But we are the UQ Holders.
An organization that sits outside of human understanding.
We stand by those outside of society.
Those who are downtrodden and are forgotten by the world.

[Touta]: Hey…

[Karin]: What?

[Touta]: Karin-chan…
you’re really a kind-hearted per-
What did I do?!

[Karin]: Don’t act like we’re close!
You should refer to me as “senpai!”
We’ll be at a cliff after we pass through the woods. Our objective is below.

[Touta]: Roger, senpai!
Hold it right there!
What kind of assholes try to steal a home from a bunch of kids?
UQ Holder No.7, Tota Konoe, here to save the day!

[Mikan]: Um…
Those are UQ Holder members who are here to help…

[Touta]: Huh?

[UQ Grunt]: That was a little much, wasn’t it?
**Boss…

[Touta]: Huh? Wh-what?!

[Karin]: Imbecile.

[Kuromaru]: Tota-kun…

---------------------
Opening
----------------------

[Crowd Member 1]: You can do it, Kuromaru!

[Crowd Member 2]: You’re gonna lose, Tota!

[Karin]: Honestly, you are so pathetic…

[Kuromaru]: Sorry, Tota-kun, but it looks like you’re in charge of cooking.
Thank you…

-------------------

[Touta]: Damn it!
I came here to be their savior, not their chef!

-------------

[Slum girl]: So good!

[Ruki]: This is pretty good, Tota!

[UQ Holder Grunt 1]: I can’t stop eating!

[Zenki]]: Boss Tota, we’ll consider this amends for before!

[Mikan]: Delicious!
I can’t believe you made something this good out of what we had.

[Kuromaru]: She’s right, Tota-kun, I could eat this forever.
E-every day, even.

[Karin]: Agreed.
It seems your cooking skills are the only thing that I can praise you about.
Perhaps you should consider doing this for the rest of your life.

[Touta]: Don’t tell other people what to do with their lives!
Besides, this is nothing.
I just copied how my friends from the country cook.

[Kuromaru]: We should use arm-wrestling to decide who cooks breakfast and lunch *too.

[Karin]: Indeed.
It is probably the best choice for everyone here.

[Everyone in Unison]: Agreed!

[Touta]: Hey, hey, hey!
Damn it! Why can’t I win?!

[Karin]: You should do some flash step training if you wish to win at arm-wrestling.
You’re not used to it at all right now.

[Touta]: Huh? Flash step training?

----------------

[Kuromaru]: I must say I’m surprised, Karin-senpai.
I’m from up above, so I’d only ever heard about it…
But I can’t believe this huge slum is out here.

[Karin]: Exactly, now that the population has surpassed two million, problems are starting to appear.
But everyone here is trying their hardest to survive.

[Mikan]: And now there are people coming in the night to force us out of our home.
THat’s why we came up with the plan to ask the UQ Holders for help.

[Kuromaru]: Even though children live here…
I understand now, just leave it to us!

[Mikan]: Oh my, you’re just a good little novice.
Speaking of, where’s the other one?

[Kuromaru]: I think Tota-kun’s doing his flash step training.

---------------

[Touta]: Kick the ground.
Catch the ground!
I should be able to whip across a few meters in an instant…

[Kaito]: What’s going on?

[Touta]: Oh, I did it! I didn’t need to train that much.
Wait, what does flash step training and arm-wrestling have to do with each other?

[Kaito]: Wrong!
That’s wrong! You don’t get it at all!
Listen here! The keys to moving instantly are…
the soles of your feet! The soles!

[Touta]: What’s with you butting in like this, old man?

[Kaito]: I’m not an old man.
I’m a wandering martial artist!
I saw you were practicing flash stepping and it peaked my interest.

[Touta]: Don’t pet me like that!

[Kaito]: Do you want to learn melee combat, kid?

[Touta]: That’s not really what I’m aiming for.

[Kaito]: Huh? Then why the flash stepping?

[Touta]: I was told to practice it so I can win an arm-wrestling contest.
I can’t win against those guys.

[Kaito]: Huh.
But even still, what you’re doing is no good.
Look.
You’ve made too much of a dust cloud.

[Touta]: I can’t help it!
It’s hard to copy just from looking and I only started today!

[Kaito]: Wh-what?!
H-how are you this good already?!
It took me years to get where you’re at now!
You some kind of genius?!

[Touta]: Huh? R-really?

[Kaito]: I see now.
Watch me.

[Touta]: S-so cool!
There wasn’t any sound or dust, and you want a huge distance!
You really are amazing!

[Kaito]: That’s it, praise me more.
Tell me how amazing I am.

[Touta]: I underestimated this flash step technique… It’s got some depth to it.

[Kaito]: Yeah, and it’s pretty good training for an arm-wrestling contest.

[Touta]: What? Really?

[Kaito]: Listen here!
If you want to get to my level, you need to understand that winning isn’t based on power alone!

<Text: Power from speed
Focus on the vectors Torque
Power return to the Earth!!
Source of Power>

[Kaito]: By planting your foot,
you can add the natural power of the Earth
to your own body’s power!
Those that can do flash stepping well
are guaranteed to be strong at arm-wrestling!

[Touta]: That sounds really vague and a little fishy.

[Kaito]: You idiot!
It’s not vague or fishy!
Who cares about clear explanations anyway?!

[Touta]: Then don’t explain it in the first pla-!

[Kaito]: Just look!
With arches like these, you can rule the world.

[Touta]: Th-the world?

[Kaito]: The world!

[Touta]: With your feet?

[Kaito]: With your feet!
Catch the ground!
Catch the globe!
Catch the world!
All with your feet!

[Touta]: You alright in the head, mister?

[Kaito]: Watch this!
Like this!
Flash step in Empty Space!

<Text: Flash Step in Empty Space>

[Touta]: Woah…

[Kaito]: I am the martial artist Kaito.
You’ve got talent, kid.
I like you.
There are two tricks to flash stepping.
I’m going to teach you the first.
If you can grasp that, then you’re the real deal.
I might even make you my student.

------------------------------------

[*Slum Boy]: Tota, what in the world are you doing?

[Touta]: I’m training! Training!

[Ruki]: Wow!
It’s still good even when you’ve made it with your feet!

[UQ Grunt 1]: Your feet fried rice is the best in the world!

[Karin]: I have issues with your naming and questionable hygiene, but…
I cannot deny it tastes good.

[Kuromaru]: It seems like Tota-kun’s trying to grasp something with this training.

--------------------------------------

[Touta]: Old man, looks like the dust cloud’s mostly gone!

[Kaito]: I guess, but you still haven’t quite gotten it.

[Touta]: Woah!

[Kaito]: You need to catch it the moment you land.
You have to keep stepping softly, and focus on the vectors every instant.
That’s why you need to be able to use your feet like they were your hands.

-----------------------------------

[Ruki]: I wanna do it too, Tota!

[Touta]: Not bad, kid! What’s your name?

[Ruki]: Ruki!

[Touta]: Alright! I’m not gonna lose!

--------------------------------

[Kaito]: Not yet.
I lived for six months using nothing but my feet!

[Touta]: Woah, awesome!

[Kaito]: It was nothing.
The only hardship I faced was others judging me.

-------------------------------

[Kuromaru]: Oh, so you’re receiving training from this martial artist?

[Touta]: Yeah!
He has this aura of being super talented, it’s a lot of fun!

[Kuromaru]: B-but you know I could always teach you flash step too.

[Touta]: Yeah but if I always learn from you, I’ll never be able to beat you!

[Kuromaru]: I-I suppose…
Oh, excuse me.

-------------------------------

[Shion]: You’re late, Kaito.

[Kaito]: Sorry ‘bout that, Nagumo.

[Shion]: You seem to be in a good mood.

[Kaito]: I found this strong little kid in the slums.
He piqued my interest, so I’ve been teaching him some things.

[Shion]: Don’t become too attached to those who will be cleansed.

[Kaito]: Don’t worry about it! I’m just keeping my skills up.

[Shion]: No, this *one of our rules.

[Kaito]: Jeez, I just wanted to mess around a bit more!

[Xingzi]: You’re as soft as always!

[Kaito]: *Hand’s off, pervert.

[Xingzi]: How exciting. We’re going to kill them all!

[Kaito]: As creepy as always.

[Shion]: Well then, shall we?

[Kaito]: Our work as immortal hunters *awaits.

---------------------------

[Sabu]: Ugh, I’m starving.

[Zenki]: Just hold out until the shift change.

[Sabu]: Fine.

[Touta]: We got a snack for you guys!
Zenki-san, Sabu-san, thanks for keeping look out.

[Sabu]: Thanks for this, Boss Tota!

[Zenki]: You didn’t have to do this for us lowly guards.

[Touta]: Being guards has nothing to do with it!
Besides, this is just more training!

[Ruki]: Yeah, training!

[Touta]: See ya!

[Sabu]: Look at that, you can barely tell him apart from the slum kids.
He’s got the Numbers reputation to uphold.

[Zenki]: Let it go.
He may be immortal, but he’s still a kid.
Woah, delicious!

[Sabu]: It’s even better than-

[Zenki]: Sabu!

----------------------------

[Karin]: Are you sure it’s okay for me to use the showers, Kasuga?

[Mikan]: It’s fine.
All the women in this area pitched in for this shower room.
We want you to use it, it’s the least we can do for your help.

[Karin]: Don’t worry about it.
Besides, I owe a lot to your grandmother.
Kasuga?

[Karin (thinking)]: Who on Earth…?
I wasn’t able to sense him or his killing intent until the last second.

[Xingzi]: I gotta say, that surprised me.
To think UQ Holders are this skilled.
What will I do?

[Karin (thinking)]: He’s clearly skilled.
No, more than that.

[Xingzi]: I catch you by surprise with a pistol and you fight back bare-handed.
Is this normal for you?
You could have just dodged.

[Karin (thinking)]: Damn, if he made it here, that means…

[Xingzi]: A great samurai of the past once said, “If you become immortal, your strength will continue to diminish.”
You’re not very endearing, are you?

[Karin]: What have you done with those outside?
Depending on your answer…
No, I do not have time to deal with you.
Move aside.

[Xingzi]: I blew apart your magical barrier. I was hoping to get a taste of your immortality.

[Karin]: Think again!

[Karin (thinking)]: He’s strong.

[Xingzi]: How enticing!
I know I’ve hit you, but there are no marks!
And also-!

[Karin]: Don’t push your luck!
You’re just a regular human, aren’t you?
Leave now…
If you value your life!

[Xingzi]: You didn’t…
think it would be that easy, Karin-chan?
As I thought, I was hitting you, but there were no wounds.
But you still feel the pain, don’t you?
Well, well, so that’s how you work!
You’re amazing.
I’m so glad I took this job, it meant I got to meet someone like you.
I’m Xingzi Chao, a member of a private security firm, Powerful Hand.

[Karin (thinking)]: This bastard…

[Karin]: You pervert!

[Karin (thinking)]: No, he’s a professional mercenary.

[Xingzi]: My task is to delay you.
As such, how about you let me enjoy your immortality a bit more.

-----------------------------

[Ruki]: Hey, found one!

[Touta]: This is your job, huh? Seems like a pain.

[Ruki]: It’s not that bad.
Once you’re used to it, you can make quite a bit.

[Touta]: I see.
Ruki, what are you going to do after this?

[Ruki]: I’m gonna study, save up, and go to university.
Then I’ll become a businessman and make this place great!

[Touta]: Sounds like a hell of a plan! I’ll be rooting for you!

[Ruki]: What’s going on over there?

[Touta]: Smoke?
It’s a fire!
It’s not just one fire either.
That doesn’t look like an accident!
It’s no use, I can’t reach the guards!
We gotta go!

[Ruki]: O-okay!

[Touta]: Ruki!
Kuromaru!

[Kuromaru]: Tota-kun!
This is the work of the enemy.
They’re burning down the area to drive out the residents!

[Touta]: How could they?

[Kuromaru]: We need to contact headquarters to have them send people who can extinguish a fire this big!

[Touta]: What the hell are these?

[Kuromaru]: They’re shadow puppets.
They can be controlled like marionettes, and they’re probably the enemy’s!
We need to regroup with Karin-senpai quickly!
A-a wolf?!

[Touta]: Ruki, I need you to run.

[Ruki]: B-but…!

[Touta]: We’ll protect your town.
Don’t worry!

[Ruki]: G-got it.

[Kaito]: I thought you were just another brat, but it looks like you’ve got powerful friends.

[Touta]: Huh?

[Kaito]: Those fangs…
So you’re a vampire.
It’s a shame, but oh well.

[Touta]: What are you on about?!

[Kuromaru]: Tota-kun, run!

[Kaito]: Immortals are nothing to fear.
There’s always a way to deal with them.
Crucifix Coffin Seal!

<Text: Crucifix Coffin Seal>

[Kuromaru]: Tota-kun!

[Kaito]: He’s of no more use.
It’s your turn next.
What’s your style of immortality?

[Shion]: We’ll take this one together.

[Kaito]: What?

[Shion]: Don’t take immortals so lightly.
And besides…
this one is trained in the Shinmei-ryu style.

[Kuromaru (thinking)]: A blind swordsman and probably the leader of this group.
As well as a werewolf martial artist with skills to fight immortals.
Defeating them alone will be difficult.
But I’ve got no other options!

---------------------

[Xingzi]: I may be unable to wound you, but I can still cause you pain.

[Karin]: Don’t underestimate me!

[Xingzi]: Looks like immobilizing techniques are the most effective against you.

[Karin]: A shadow user.

[Xingzi]: Well spotted.
I’m a genuine legend, a mage who manipulates the spirits of shadow.
I finally realize who you are.
UQ Holder No.4…
No…
The Steel Saint, Isht Karin Orte!
I’ve longed to meet you!

----------------------------------

[Kuromaru]: Shinmei-ryu:
Ascending Silver Dragon, Thousand Glittering Chrysanthemums!

[Kaito]: What’s this? Some party trick?
Whatever, let’s get this started!
Hmm?

[Kuromaru (thinking)]: Hurry up, *?regeneration!

[Shion]: He’s very…

[Kaito]: ...skilled, isn’t he?
I’ve cracked your secret to immortality.
You regenerate yourself as fast as we werewolves grow fur.
As such the countermeasure is straightforward.
I’ll just have to pound on you faster and harder than you can regenerate.
Now I’ll show you what flash step truly means.
Grasp the Earth.
Grasp the world!

[Kuromaru (thinking)]: I couldn’t see-
I’m sorry…
Tota-kun…

-----------------------------

“Magia Erebea”

​