The spirit-dressed Origami descended from the sky, landing about three meters away from Souta.
A puzzled expression appeared on her usually cold face as she examined Souta from head to toe.
The first to react to her arrival was the 11-year-old Origami.
The little girl glared at the spirit Origami with a wary look.
This person... judging by her outfit, she must be the one who attacked her parents from the sky earlier.
That icy expression—there's no way she's a good person!
The spirit Origami noticed the young girl's glare, and for the first time, her usually emotionless face wavered.
At this moment, she fully understood the truth behind her parents' deaths.
She had killed them with her own hands!
She had traveled back in time to save them, yet she ended up being the one who caused their deaths... What an ironic twist of fate!
Even though her parents were saved this time, the fact remained unchanged in her memories—she had killed them once!
Origami's brows knitted together, her face twisted with pain, and she became visibly shaken.
Souta grew tense at the sight.
Although he had prevented her from witnessing the tragic scene firsthand—thus avoiding an immediate inverse transformation—there was no telling how her emotions would spiral now that the truth was out.
Fortunately, at that moment, Shiori suddenly rushed toward Origami and embraced her tightly.
"I'm so glad, Origami! I kept calling you, but you didn't respond. You scared me to death!"
Tears welled in the blue-haired girl's eyes, as if she was overwhelmed with relief.
"As long as you're okay... as long as you're okay..."
Instead of her usual response—where she'd revel in the embrace with a lovestruck expression—Origami seemed dazed.
Rather than feeling delighted that Shiori was hugging her, she found herself unsure of how to face her.
Souta approached the two and gently placed a Twelfth Bullets item card on Shiori.
Origami watched his actions closely, only relaxing when she confirmed he meant no harm to Shiori.
"Let's save our questions for later. You two should take a moment to collect yourselves."
Souta gave them space, then walked toward young Origami and her parents.
At this point, Origami's parents wore bewildered expressions, completely lost about what was happening.
Meanwhile, little Origami eyed Souta with curiosity, seemingly wanting to know who he was.
"Are your injuries okay?" Souta asked Origami's parents.
"We're fine, we're fine. Thank you so much for saving us," her father stepped forward and said. "If it's alright, may we ask who you are?"
All three of them were curious about how Souta managed to block that devastating attack and freeze the collapsing wall.
"Me? Well, as you can see, I'm just a wandering meta-human who happened to pass by."
Souta thought for a moment and decided to borrow an identity from a manga.
"If you've read Nia Honjo's manga, you should be familiar with me. Her latest serialized manga is based on my real-life experiences. I often travel the world , helping those in distress along the way."
"You're... Souta!?" Little Origami's eyes widened in disbelief.
A manga character... had come to life!?
Seeing her doubt, Souta chuckled and clarified,
"I'm not a character from the manga. Rather, the manga is based on my story."
"Origami, do you know this man?" Origami's father asked his daughter.
Little Origami nodded and gave a brief introduction of Souta's background.
A few minutes later, Origami's parents looked as if their entire worldview had been shattered.
"Superpowers... really exist...?"
Both were visibly shaken.
Meanwhile, little Origami scooted closer to Souta, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and admiration.
"Um... Souta, did you really save over a hundred million people?"
She had taken an instant liking to him, perhaps due to her familiarity with his manga counterpart. She even called him by name, skipping any honorifics—what a bold little girl.
"More or less." Souta nodded, then crouched down and said, "But I didn't do it alone. The Time Emperor helped me travel through time. So, Origami, when you grow up, don't hate spirits, okay? Be a kind person."
Although she didn't fully understand his words, Origami nodded obediently.
Souta smiled—teasing kids was kinda fun.
Standing up, he glanced over at spirit Origami.
Seeing that she and Shiori had separated, he decided it was time for a conversation.
Turning to Origami's parents, he said,
"By the way, could you keep today's events a secret? Let's pretend we never met."
"No way!" Little Origami objected. "You saved my parents! We have to repay you!"
Souta gently patted her head and ruffled her hair. "Save that thought for when you grow up."
Then, he looked over at spirit Origami.
She was already looking at him.
"How about we find somewhere to talk?" Souta suggested.
"I agree!" Itsuka Shiori chimed in enthusiastically.
She looked at Souta with curiosity. "I have a lot of questions for you."
"What a coincidence—I have plenty for you as well."
Souta gestured toward an area beyond the fire zone.
"Let's find a café to sit and talk."
The fire had only affected the South Nanko District, so the commotion hadn't spread to other areas.
Led by Itsuka Shiori, the group arrived at a shopping district in the neighboring area and settled into a café.
Souta, Shiori, and spirit Origami sat together to discuss their matters.
"You're not from this era, are you?" Origami stared at Souta, her tone firm. "You're not in my memory."
Souta nodded. "Just like you two, I traveled from the future."
He casually pointed toward little Origami, then continued,
"I spoke with the past version of you earlier. You seem to have read Nia Honjo's manga—this makes things easier to explain.
"Nia Honjo was the second spirit ever born. Her 'Angel' has the ability to record and search through information. The manga you read? She created it after reading about my experiences."
Upon hearing this, even Origami—who usually maintained a cold and calm demeanor—looked completely shocked.