CHAPTER 292(In Horizon’s Palm)

CHAPTER 292(In Horizon’s Palm)

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CHAPTER START---

"Is there anything else you can tell me about him?" Chitose asks. "Anything I should know about?"

She was sitting in the back of an SUV, phone in one hand and notepad in the other as she anxiously clicked her pen.

Blue skin accented by her well-fitting red dress and matching purse, legs crossed as she leans back and tries to relax, failing terribly at that endeavor.

"No he's been busy these past three weeks leading up to today," Rikiya says on the other side of the call. "Hatsume did mention he got a new sword, but aside from that I couldn't get any more information out of her."

"And here I thought you offering a contract with his equipment girl would get us useful intel," Chitose mutters.

"It's Horizon, his hands are more than enough for our forces, all I needed from her was some insight into his plans, which we got."

Chitose rolls her eyes, "him sequestering himself to train for a few months isn't new information, that's literally what the court ordered him to do."

"Well you're the professional interviewer, I'm sure whatever you gather today will be far more substantial," Rikiya says.

Chitose doesn't respond, just looking ahead as the driver takes her through Musutafu.

"You don't have any reason to be so scared my dear," Rikiya says in a soothing tone. "Horizon doesn't know anything that would make him aware of what we are. As far as he knows I'm just a business partner using his name to grow my company, and you're my secret girlfriend using our connection to land some interviews."

"That doesn't make this any less nerve-wracking."

Rikiya sighs, "I wouldn't put you so close to that thing if I had any other choice, you know that, but we have to see where Horizon stands. He could be a key player in helping us liberate people from this restrictive society."

"And what do we do if he sees us as the enemy?" Chitose asks. "We could leave Japan, just the two of us."

"We could, but that would betray the people as much as the current governing system already does."

Chitose chuckles, expecting that response, "Well, hopefully, whatever All For One has in motion will get him out of our way, if he refuses to join us."

"Our mystery benefactor says the Demon Lord's plan is going perfectly thus far, but regardless, we're too weak to stand against either of those monsters. Horizon is too strong and All For One is too connected, best to let them kill each other instead."

"Tch, it's too bad we aren't allowed to wipe out the League Of Villains, those fools are making our jobs harder."

"One thing at a time my dear," Rikiya says.

"Ma'am, we're here," the driver says, and she looks up to see that they're directly in front of UA.

"Don't park too far away, I doubt I'll be staying for the entire event," Chitose says as she opens the door and steps out of the car.

At the entrance, she looked up to see gargantuan stadiums built, similar to last year, but this time the stadium in the middle was at least 5 times larger, expecting a much greater demand for seats in the 2nd Year's arena.

She could see the cloudy sky moving to become overcast, and looking at the massive crowd all around the main entrance area of the school nobody seemed concerned with rain dulling this event.

'Ok Chitose, you're a villain walking into the most heavily defended facility in this half of the world, you can manage this,' she thinks before crossing the threshold.

At the entrance, she sees people lined up to enter, but due to her VIP Pass, she's allowed quick access, skipping the lines entirely.

"It looks similar to the previous years, but, something is different," she says while looking around, slowly moving through the crowd.

There was a sea of people and stalls set up, food, games, drinks, snacks, and hero merchandise as far as her eyes could see.

Among the crowd, she sees Endeavor, who couldn't hide even if he tried as he towers over most of the people here, and is glowing slightly.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry!" Chitose immediately apologizes, taking a step back to look at the girl. "I'll buy you another balloon."

The girl looked up at her, seemingly confused, "Horizon will bring it back," was all she said.

Chitose gives her a strange look, and before she can question what the girl means, the balloon seemingly descends on its own, with the attached ribbon coming down to the girl's hand.

The girl reaches out to it, but it instead ties itself around her wrist, to prevent this incident from repeating itself.

The girl looks up at the sky, a broad smile on her face, "thank you mister Horizon," she says before running off into the crowd.

Chitose just stands there, stunned by what she just saw.

She looks around, seeing the massive crowds of people, all smiling and enjoying the festival.

And suddenly the distinct lack of Pro Heroes makes sense.

'Horizon, he's everywhere,' her eyes dart around, seeing all the people and things blissfully aware or unaware that this force was here, all-encompassing and seemingly benevolent.

She looks down to get her pen and notepad, but as she turns to where they fell, she sees them hovering, waiting for her to claim them.

Her breath hitches, mind reeling in understanding at how absolute his power was.

Looking around she sees all the innocent lives, she sees Endeavor.

She knows even a great hero like him would be nothing if Horizon willed it.

All the speeches and rallies she's written and heard, all the years of secretly campaigning for this oppressive government to be brought down.

All these years of building their forces to intact a great change.

After a lifetime of work, of generation of planning.

And now she's surrounded by the smiling faces of people, who don't realize the situation they're truly in.

Happy to be here, under his absolute control.

Chitose realizes how infinitely insignificant all the power and connections they've gathered are, as she stands her, like a single grain of sand.

In the hand of a god.

A god, that can, and will close his hand, and there is nothing the entire world could do about it...

"Are you alright?" a voice snaps her out of her panic attack, and only now she realizes the cold sweat on her forehead and how difficult breathing had gotten.

She turns to the woman, seeing a blonde woman roughly the same age as her, with a young boy beside her and a little girl with a single horn on her head.

"Oh, sorry I just...I'm not good with crowds," Chitose says as she tries to compose herself.

"Oh, well inside should be a lot more quiet, until people start entering the stadium," Ryuko says. "And you should get out of the sun."

"Right, thank you," Chitose says as she turns back to her notepad and pen.

She grabs the notepad, but the pen moves to avoid her grasp, spinning slightly and pointing, then moving slowly.

"I think he wants you to follow it," Ryuko says.

Chitose swallows nervously, "Right, well enjoy the festival..."

END CHAPTER---