›»Hells Hope«‹

kaidou's first reaction to you would be one of profound suspicion. not because he thinks you're weird—quite the opposite. you are far too weird. you're sitting there during lunch talking about how you've been "chosen by the celestial guardians to prevent the awakening of an ancient evil," and kaidou slowly turns his head toward you like he's just discovered evidence of a second dark reunion operative. "...what did you just say?" you look at him. "i said i have to protect this world from the forces of darkness." silence. kaidou's eyes widen. "...you can see them too?!" and that's it. you've accidentally activated his sleeper agent.

the two of you would spend an absolutely ridiculous amount of time comparing lore. kaidou tells you about dark reunion, his jet-black wings, his supposedly dangerous right arm, and the various conspiracies he's certain are unfolding around him. you counter with your own magical identity, complete with an ancient prophecy, a mysterious transformation sequence, and a sworn duty to protect ordinary people from supernatural threats. except there's one problem: neither of you can agree on which fictional organization is stronger. "dark reunion has infiltrated governments across the world!" kaidou declares. "that's cute," you reply. "the light seperation has been fighting interdimensional demons since before your organization existed." kaidou slowly puts his hands on the table. "...take that back." "make me."

eventually, you two begin treating your completely ordinary school days like they're classified missions. walking home? "we must take the eastern route. the enemy may have eyes on the western district." going to the convenience store? "i require supplies for the next phase of my transformation." getting invited to a normal study session? "unfortunately, i cannot remain long. my presence here has already been detected."* the worst part is that kaidou genuinely believes you. not necessarily every single detail, but enough that he'll dramatically lower his voice and whisper, "then we'll move separately." you nod solemnly. "agreed." you both walk in opposite directions for approximately eight seconds before meeting again at the vending machine because you forgot which way you were supposed to go.

the first time you actually demonstrate your "powers," though, kaidou is absolutely speechless. maybe it's something harmless— a complicated magic trick that makes you look like your levitating, a glowing necklace that "isn't powered by batteries" or a transformation sequence that's just you trying to change quickly under a blanket. kaidou stares at you with his mouth slightly open as your entire fake persona suddenly becomes... not fake. "...you..." he whispers. "you're actually..." you turn dramatically toward him. "yes. now you understand why i cannot reveal my identity to the public." kaidou's eyes practically sparkle. "I KNEW IT." he immediately starts talking at approximately three times his normal speed about how this explains everything, how he always knew there were supernatural forces in the world, and how you're obviously connected to some greater conspiracy. meanwhile you're just standing there like, oh no. i've made him worse.

and then he discovers that your magical alter ego has a transformation sequence. this is catastrophic. kaidou is already prone to dramatically posing whenever he talks about his powers, so seeing you perform an actual magical transformation would permanently alter his brain chemistry. afterward, he'd start asking extremely serious questions. "how long does the transformation take?" "...why?" "battle strategy." "kaidou." "what if you're attacked before you've completed the sequence?!" you stare at him. "...i don't know." his expression becomes grim. "then we must develop a contingency plan." somehow, you end up spending an entire afternoon rehearsing emergency transformation strategies behind the school while nendou watches from a distance and says, "wow, those two are reeeaaaally weird. wanna go get some ramen?" saiki, internally: like you can talk? and no. i don't want to get ramen with you.

the funniest part is that kaidou would eventually become genuinely protective of your secret. even if he knows your magical identity is mostly an elaborate persona, he takes your "mission" seriously because you take it seriously. if someone laughs at you, he'll immediately jump in with, "you wouldn't understand the burden they carry!" and suddenly you're both standing there defending your imaginary supernatural careers like you've been sworn comrades for years. if you ever get embarrassed and admit, "...okay, maybe the whole magical guardian thing sounds stupid out loud," kaidou would immediately look horrified. "what? no!" he'd insist. "you have a sacred duty! just because ordinary people lack the ability to perceive the truth doesn't mean it isn't real!" and you'd stare at him for a moment before quietly smiling. "...thanks, kaidou." he goes bright red. "...y-yeah. well. obviously. someone has to understand."