Episode 2: The Spectre of Doubt

After that... Tomo and Matsuri went all the way to a restaurant in central Landsol to have lunch.

Tomo
Okay, Matsuri, here's the menu. Order whatever you'd like.

Matsuri
All right, I'm gonna have myself a hamburger! If I eat lots of meat, I'll grow strong!

Tomo
A hamburger combo, got it. What do you want to drink? How about something like vegetable juice to balance out the meal?

Matsuri
Yuck, I don't like veggies! Um, am I allowed to get, like, a cream soda...?

Tomo
Ha ha. Nothing's disallowed here. I guess you've got a kid's taste buds, Matsuri... Me, I'll have the roasted fish combo with a green tea.

Matsuri
So refined! Tomo, you've got even more of an old person's tastes than I'd thought!

Tomo
Well, it's because I grew up in a really old-fashioned house, with a generations-old dojo and all... But enough about me.

Tomo
Let's get back on topic. The goal of all this was for me to ask you, Matsuri... Why haven't you been coming to training lately?

Matsuri
......

Tomo
Ah, it's not like I'm here to lecture you or anything. I'm just worried, Matsuri... And I want you to feel like you can open up and talk to me about anything.

Tomo
Out of everyone in Nightmare, you're the one who's closest to my age, so I think of you like a little sister. I want to treat you as well as I can, so if there's something troubling you, then I'd like to talk it out.

Tomo
Or, maybe I should say it like this. You're really precious to me. So, please, trust me.

Matsuri
Tomo... That makes me happy. Because I also think of you like my real big sister, too.

Matsuri
... Um, okay then, I'll just say it. I know it might sound weird, but don't you think there's been something strange about Miss Jun lately?

Tomo
Ahh, you think so, too?

Tomo
I'd thought I was the only person who felt something off about Jun's attitude, but it looks like you've felt the same way... To put it bluntly, Miss Jun's been acting suspiciously, hasn't she?

Tomo
She's meant to be the gatekeeper, the sentinel in front of the gates to the Royal Palace...

Tomo
But I've spotted her in random places throughout the city, including some practically deserted blocks.

Tomo
Even when I call out to her out of concern, she just blatantly ignores me.

Tomo
One time, I was a little ticked off about it, so as a joke, I crept up behind her, shouted "Miss Jun!" and threw my arms around her.

Tomo
And then, what do you think happened? Can you imagine that, without a word, she just flung me away with all her might?

Tomo
Look, the scrape I got on my knee from that time still hasn't completely healed yet. And beyond that, my heart ached, too... I'd really thought that Miss Jun was relatively fond of me, you know?

Tomo
She's always serious and silent, so I've always thought she was fun to tease, but... No matter how much I messed around, in the end, she'd always smile kindly and forgive me for my antics.

Tomo
For that, I really loved her from the bottom of my heart. As the captain of Nightmare, she's been trustworthy and respectable.

Tomo
But no matter how I look at it, Miss Jun's been weird lately... It's like someone else is there inside of her armor.

Matsuri
So Miss Jun's been treating you with that attitude, too... It's been the same for me -- but even more cruel.

Matsuri
Miss Jun... Lately, she's been showing up at the beastperson quarter where I live. And she's been going on a rampage there.

Tomo
Huh? Would Miss Jun really do something like that...? Could it be that she's just subjugating criminals who happen to be in the beastperson quarter?

Matsuri
That's impossible! We've just been living peacefully!

Matsuri
I mean, a lot of beastpeople are hot-blooded, so fights are sort of an everyday thing, but...

Matsuri
There aren't any criminals there! And even if there were, what Miss Jun's been doing is way over the line! She's been smashing buildings at random, and punching and kicking people passing by!

Matsuri
It's cruel, no matter what! We're lucky that nobody's been seriously hurt or killed, but what about next time?

Tomo
Huh... And that's what's been causing the public opinion towards Nightmare to worsen. I noticed today that, while I was walking on the street, I was drawing glares left and right.

Tomo
I was wondering whether that was just because of how most beastpeople already hate Nightmare normally.

Matsuri
I-It's true that there are lots of people who hate Nightmare, but I can see that things have gotten even worse recently. People have started talking about stuff like storming the Royal Palace.

Matsuri
Because of all that, I thought it would be dangerous to come and go between home and Nightmare, but... My mom was even more worried, so she told me I wasn't allowed to leave the house at all.

Tomo
Ah, so that's why you haven't been coming to training... I understand now, more or less.

Tomo
But I just don't know why. Why would Miss Jun do such foolish things?

Tomo
It's not like her... It seems like we need to ask her about this directly.

Tomo
We must be prepared for anything -- even potentially standing against Miss Jun herself. We can't overlook anyone who is causing innocent people harm.

Tomo
After all, we of Nightmare are the allies of justice.