3.12 – A Harmless Diversion

Aurora stretched and yawned as she sat up, blinking against the dim glow of the holographic bedside clock. After having a nice long soak she’d shuffled over to her bed to rest her weary body. She fully expected to be roused once the testing of the others resumed. 

The room was still shrouded in the remnants of the evening, but a faint warmth radiated from the adjacent bathroom, where the sounds of soft murmuring and running water echoed. Asami and Akari were already up. The scent of something rich and savory was wafting from the air vents.

Asami and Akari left the bathroom and Asami yawned, “I think that I am ready to enjoy a divinely luxurious meal.”

“Yeah.” Akari nodded in agreement. “I wonder what we…”

The holographic hostess materialized near the foot of their beds, her cheerful demeanor unwavering. “Good evening, my three lovely humans. I overheard your conversation before resting and have prepared sukiyaki for you three to enjoy. Where would you like to enjoy your hot meal?”

Akari, who was sitting cross-legged on her bed, immediately perked up. “Ohhh, perfect! I was craving something warm and rich! Could we eat it here?” She eyed the room’s table.

“Of course!” The hostess smiled and gestured with her cute dance. Just like that their food appeared.

Aurora ran a hand through her hair, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “So that’s sukiyaki, huh?” She glanced toward Asami, who merely arched a brow as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. There were three unbroken chicken eggs on the table. Why? She didn’t see a grill.

“Are you having second thoughts about trying sukiyaki? Did we talk about that last night when we returned to the Kitchen?” Asami reminded her, frowning.

Aurora smiled. “Alright, fine. Bring it on! It’s probably absolutely delicious the way you all talk about it.”

With a small bow, the hostess vanished, leaving them with a moment to collect themselves. They shuffled toward the table that she had set, steaming with bowls of broth, trays of thinly sliced cognac-marinated beef, tofu, mushrooms, leeks, and a generous portion of udon noodles waiting for them. Those eggs on the table were worrying her.

Asami and Akari sat and started eating, lifting their eggs first and breaking them carefully onto small dishes.

“What’s… that for?” she asked warily, pointing at the glossy, unbroken yolk.

Akari paused mid-reach for her chopsticks. “What do you mean? It’s for dipping, of course. They taste rich and just the right kind of fatty.”

Aurora’s nose wrinkled. “Wait, you eat raw eggs?”

Asami scoffed, breaking her egg yolk with her chopsticks and mixing it into the whites with an effortless flick of her wrist. “Of course. It’s standard practice. The hot beef practically melts into the egg, coating it in a rich, silky texture.”

Aurora stared as Akari did the same, dipping a strip of glistening beef into the raw mixture and popping it into her mouth with a blissful hum.

“That’s… that’s so weird,” Aurora muttered, eyeing her untouched egg.

Akari giggled, clearly entertained by Aurora’s reaction. “Nipponese eat raw eggs all the time! Tamago kake gohan—raw egg over rice—is very popular. We even have raw egg sushi, raw egg sauces—oh! Have you heard of sukiyaki nabe udon? It’s like this, but you crack the egg straight into the broth!”

Aurora groaned, covering her ears. “Stop. I do not need to hear more ways you people eat raw eggs.”

Akari and Asami exchanged amused glances, then both smirked at Aurora.

“Oh? What’s wrong?” Asami teased. “Afraid of a little egg, when you faced Gravitas himself?”

Aurora grumbled under her breath, snatching up her chopsticks. “Fine, but if I die, I’m haunting you both.”

She hesitated, then tentatively broke her egg with little grace or practice and mixed it the same way they did with the broth. Then she dipped a piece of beef into the raw egg before taking a bite, struggling a little with the chopsticks. Her brows shot up in surprise at the velvety, umami-rich coating that melded perfectly with the savory meat.

Damn it.

It was actually good.

She chewed slowly, processing her defeat as Akari watched expectantly, practically bouncing in her seat.

“Well?”

Aurora clicked her tongue. “It’s… still weird.”

Asami laughed openly, setting her chopsticks down to sip her tea. “You loved it.”

“I tolerated it.”

Akari giggled. “Uh-huh, sure. You should have seen your face.”

Aurora muttered something unintelligible, stuffing another bite into her mouth just to avoid answering.

Asami smirked, reclining in her seat. “At least you have learned something new about Japanese cuisine. A necessary cultural experience.”

Aurora rolled her eyes. “You’re both terrible.”

Later on, with their bellies full, Aurora causally ordered a decadent German chocolate cake for them to share, pairing it with a delicate German black tea. Asami’s eyes gleamed with approval as the plate of rich, chocolate-layered cake appeared before them, adorned with coconut-pecan frosting.

“Do you feel like you might want to share how that fight with Gravitas went?” Asami asked, her eyes sparkling.

Frowning, Aurora leaned back, exhaling. “Ugh. I guess so.”

Akari perked up. “Oh, right! What did he make you do? What’s a Gravitas?”

Aurora poked at the last remnants of her cake with her fork. “He threw me into a fight with Gravitas.”

The table went silent.

Akari’s mouth hung open slightly. But then she looked completely clueless. “Again, who is that?”

“... A S rank supervillain that destroyed part of my home city way before I got my powers. He’s so strong that, out of the whole Society, only Vanguard could beat him single-handedly.” She knew that to be true from painful, personal experience.

Asami’s brows furrowed, her fork pausing midair. Akari gaped in earnesty now, blinking in shock.

“Well now. It’s over with.” Asami said softly as she savored another bite of her decadent cake.

Aurora nodded. “Yeah.”

Akari shuddered. “He sounds insane! Why would he pit you against someone like that?!”

Aurora sighed, swirling her tea. “The opponent was more or less random, they just needed to be overwhelmingly strong. He wanted to see how I’d handle myself in an impossible fight. I guess… I held my own. Barely.”

Asami leaned forward, resting her chin on her palm. “Why? Do you have any idea why?”

“... He’s worried that a supervillainess locked up in my head will get out and go on a rampage. I guess he wanted to test my resistance to her temptations,” Aurora muttered. 

“How unexpected. Who? It’s not every day that a hero has a villainess locked away in her brain,” Asami thoughtfully said.

“... Have you ever heard of Black Angel?” Aurora asked quietly.

Asami suddenly laughed. “Are you saying that you have the legendary black sorceress of Canada residing in your mind?”

Aurora stiffened slightly at the mention of her shadow. “She was watching the whole time.” She exhaled sharply. “She’s always watching.”

Akari hesitated. “Does she… talk to you?”

Aurora let out a dry laugh. “Oh yeah. She has plenty to say sometimes, never anything good though.”

Asami’s eyes sparkled with intrigue. “Can I speak with her?”

Aurora’s stomach twisted. “Absolutely not.”

Asami pouted slightly, twirling a lock of hair. “Oh, come on. I am simply fascinated by her work history. I do not have aspirations to become a villain myself, but one has to appreciate art.”

Aurora groaned, rubbing her temples. “She’s not an art exhibit.”

Inside her mind, Black Angel chuckled. You see? I’m an inspiration to the young. I like her. She gets me.

Aurora scowled internally. Yeah, well, I don’t, and don’t want to.

That’s a shame. Now I’d rather switch bodies with her over you if given a choice, you know? It would be far more interesting to be locked up in her head.

Aurora’s breath hitched. “She’d be controlling you in minutes if that was even remotely possible.”

Asami’s smile didn’t falter. “Possibly.”

Akari shuddered. “Okay, this is getting way too creepy for me.”

Aurora sighed, pushing away her empty plate. “Well, in any case, I have no intention of ever letting her out.”

Black Angel merely laughed softly in the recesses of Aurora’s mind.

Deciding that dwelling on Gravitas and Black Angel was going to get them nowhere, they instead tried to relax. 

The intercom suddenly blared. “Akari, please report to the plaza.” It was Dragonmage.

Akari winced. “I hope he’s not so hard on me. I do not think I would do so well against the likes of your Gravitas. Not at all.” Resigned, she rose and limped to the door, looking like she’d been sentenced to death. In moments, she slipped outside. Her cake had only been half eaten.

Their hostess suddenly appeared in a shimmering flicker.

“I sense some restlessness,” the AI noted. “Would you like me to suggest an activity?”

Aurora and Asami exchanged glances before shrugging.

“What do you have in mind?” Aurora asked.

The AI’s smile brightened. “I can generate holograms anywhere within The Kitchen’s designated areas. If you would like, you can engage in a competitive duel or partake in a cooperative adventure.”

Aurora raised a brow. “Like a fantasy world?”

The AI nodded. “Precisely.”

Asami’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “Now that sounds interesting.”

Aurora hesitated for a moment. Her body still ached slightly from the simulation battle with Gravitas. A duel against Asami sounded like a bad idea, considering she was still sore.

“Whatever it is, it should be quick, I want to go to sleep early tonight. I’d rather work together than fight each other, so it's the cooperative game for me,” she admitted.

The AI tilted her head thoughtfully, then smiled. “Understood. I shall prepare an immersive single-encounter fantasy world simulation for the two of you.”

Aurora raised a brow, intrigued. “You can do that?”

The AI nodded gracefully. “If you are ready, I can escort you to the designated simulation chamber now.”

Aurora and Asami stood.

“Well, then,” Asami smirked. “Let’s go on our adventure.”

Aurora followed Asami and their AI hostess as they moved through the halls of The Kitchen. The east wing had a different atmosphere from the west, its corridors lined with sleek, glowing panels that pulsed softly, giving the space an almost futuristic feel.

As they passed through the main hallway, Aurora glanced at Asami, who strode confidently beside her, arms crossed in anticipation. “So, what do you think this ‘fantasy world’ is going to be like?” she asked.

Asami smirked. “If I had to guess, something generic. A medieval setting with swords, magic, and maybe some ridiculous goblin hordes for us to slay. Still, it’s more interesting than sitting around doing nothing.”

The AI hostess slowed her pace as they reached a large door embedded into the wall, completely seamless until a glowing frame outlined its structure. “This is the simulation chamber. Inside, you will be fully immersed in the world generated for you.”

The door slid open silently, revealing a massive chamber with smooth metallic walls. Aurora and Asami stepped inside, the air charged with an almost tangible energy.

“Before we begin, please select your roles,” the AI hostess said, materializing in the center of the room. “Would you like to use your normal abilities, or would you prefer a specialized role within this world’s system?”

Asami placed a hand on her hip. “I would like to be a warrior, preferably with a massive sword and invulnerability to physical attacks.”

Aurora hesitated before responding. “I want to be a healer, but one with strong offensive magic as well.”

The AI’s smile never wavered. “Understood. Adjusting parameters now.”

The room flared with light, and in an instant, Aurora felt a strange shift in her body. When she looked down, her costume had completely changed. Her white and gold toga dress disappeared, replaced by flowing white and gold robes, strongly resembling what she customarily wore. It was cinched at the waist with ornate embroidery resembling celestial motifs. A staff appeared in her hand, its crystalline tip glowing faintly with energy.

Asami let out a low chuckle. “Well, now. This is more like it.”

Aurora turned to see Asami standing tall in dark steel armor, a massive greatsword strapped to her back. She looked the part of an absolute menace, and her cocky smirk only amplified the effect.

The AI hostess gave a final nod. “You are now ready. The scenario is set in a small village under siege by goblins. Your goal is to defend the town and eliminate the threat. I will now begin the simulation.”

Before either of them could react, the world around them blurred—a sensation like being pulled through water, then suddenly dropped into open air.

When the colors stabilized, they were no longer in the chamber.

Instead, they landed in the middle of a quaint medieval village, surrounded by thatched-roof houses and stone-paved streets. The scent of smoke and embers filled the air. In the distance, the sound of shrieking and clashing weapons rang out.

Aurora blinked. “Okay, that was intense.”

Asami grinned, gripping the handle of her greatsword. “This just got interesting.”

Aurora adjusted her grip on her staff, feeling the power coursing through her fingertips. “Guess we better get to work.”

With that, the two of them rushed into battle, ready to face whatever the simulation had in store.