My Avatar Is Becoming the Final Boss-Chapter 64: Speculation

Su Zimai thought again and realized something was off—maybe she'd been misled by the Captain again.
So she asked with a cold face, "What's the reason? You can't seriously think my brother is Blue Arc just because they arrived in Japan at the same time, right?"
"Of course that's not the only reason." Ke Qirui shook her head. "Actually, a few days ago in the park, right after I shook hands with your brother, I had a vague feeling that something about him wasn't right. But considering his feelings, I didn’t tell you at the time."
"What's not right exactly?" Su Zimai was unimpressed. She took a swig of ramune with the same energy she had when drinking alcohol, raised an eyebrow, and stared directly into this sly fox's eyes.
She slammed the soda bottle down on the bar, just wanting to see how long it would take for Ke Qirui to crack a smile. Every time the Captain tried to keep a straight face while joking, she usually gave herself away after just a few extra looks.
Ke Qirui recalled the details from the park while glancing at the palm of her right hand.
She said, "It seemed like your brother used some kind of ability to test me. He moved really fast—I didn’t even react at first. The feeling was very subtle... like I got ‘shocked’ or something." Ke Qirui paused. "And Blue Arc’s ability just happens to be manipulating electricity."
Su Zimai had a chopstick in her mouth, stunned as she listened. The Captain didn’t look like she was joking... she usually had a sly fox-like smirk when she cracked jokes.
But right now, Ke Qirui’s expression was completely different—too calm, so calm it was scary. If the Captain wasn’t joking, how was she supposed to face this truth? What kind of expression should she have the next time she saw Gu Wenyu?
Ke Qirui continued, "Exorcists need to release ‘Tianqu Power,’ and Anecdote Envoys have to summon their ‘Anecdote Codex.’ Neither of them can use their abilities instantly. So... I suspect your brother is an Esper."
Hearing that, Su Zimai completely lost her appetite. She opened her mouth, about to speak, but suddenly remembered she had felt a similar odd sensation that day, so she just looked quietly at Ke Qirui.
Staring into Su Zimai’s eyes, Ke Qirui slowed her tone and continued, "If your brother is Blue Arc, then it all makes sense. That electric shock feeling I had—maybe it’s because Blue Arc can read a target’s background by transmitting electricity. So he was testing me with that move. Blue Arc’s ability is extremely versatile. With his strength, it wouldn’t be surprising if he developed his power to that level."
Su Zimai lowered her head and thought for a moment, then took a deep breath and looked up.
"But... if my brother is Blue Arc, then when he debuted he was only in middle school! Don’t you think that’s a stretch? The youngest Esper the Reality-altering Esper Association has ever accepted is at least sixteen—high school age."
As if she had finally found a breakthrough, she stared hard at Ke Qirui, like a proctor glaring at a student suspected of cheating, hoping the other person would just come clean and stop trying to lie.
That way, she could convince herself this was all just a joke.
"Think about it. Who says middle schoolers can’t wear tights and fight crime?" Ke Qirui said. "Besides, if I remember right... Blue Arc only joined the Association after acting solo for a year or two."
She paused and looked away. "So... by the time Gu Wenyu was officially invited to become an Esper, he should’ve already met the minimum age requirement."
Su Zimai couldn’t find any arguments anymore.
After a while, she said softly, "Say no more... I feel like my worldview is falling apart."
Ke Qirui glanced at her, seeing she looked like she was about to cry.
She opened her mouth and gently comforted her. "But I’m only saying it’s a possibility. Maybe what happened in the park was just my imagination, in which case all my later guesses fall apart."
If they weren’t about to work with Blue Arc, Ke Qirui never would’ve told Su Zimai these thoughts.
But if she didn’t say anything now, and Su Zimai recognized her brother Gu Wenyu during the operation, she’d be even more devastated and shocked.
That would definitely affect the Tokyo Auction Operation to some extent. That’s why Ke Qirui wanted to prepare her mentally in advance.
Right now, Su Zimai couldn’t say a word. She just froze, then put down her chopsticks and slowly lowered her head.
Her eyes were hidden by her bangs.
A brief silence settled between Su Zimai and Ke Qirui. So quiet, it felt like they could only hear the hushed murmurs of the customers, and the crisp sound of the chef chopping fish against the cutting board.
She lowered her head in deep thought for a while, her face bathed in the gradually shifting orange-yellow light, and her eyes shimmered faintly.
Going over all the strange things from the past few years, Su Zimai finally remembered where that odd feeling from Gu Wenyu had come from.
That day, Gu Wenyu had taken a Coke out of the fridge for her, and when he touched her shoulder, she also felt that “electric shock” Ke Qirui had described.
She thought it was just the Coke chilling her neck, but thinking back now—it might have been a cover... and then there was that time Gu Wenyu handed chopsticks to Dad, and Dad suddenly grabbed his wrist really hard. That was seriously weird.
Thinking about it now, a whole chain of strange incidents seemed to connect, all pointing to one truth in Su Zimai’s mind—
Her second brother really was an Esper. And just like the Captain said:
He might really be Blue Arc.
Ke Qirui might not be great at logic, but her instincts were scarily accurate. Her guesses rarely missed. Most of the time, even by relying on intuition, she still landed right. At least, ever since Su Zimai had known Ke Qirui, she hadn’t seen her get it wrong.
But... if her second brother really was Blue Arc, then why did Dad also sense something was off back then?
Could it be... Dad is also hiding something, just like second brother?
Why? Why why why?
We’re family, but I don’t know them at all. Were they just pretending this whole time?
Since Mom died, big brother shut himself in his room and wouldn’t talk to the family—was it because he was busy being an Esper? Has Dad’s behavior over the past two years not been about giving up on us, but rather hiding something from us?
The more she thought about it, the more chaotic it became. Her thoughts were like a ball of yarn rolling on the floor—the further it rolled, the more threads scattered, messier and messier, endlessly spreading in all directions.
In the end, they tangled up the whole world.
Su Zimai felt like her brain was swelling to the point of bursting.
She raised her wrist and pressed it to her ear. Her eyes were slightly red, and tears of frustration began to well up and spill out, one by one.
If Gu Wenyu really was Blue Arc, then this dumb brother had been hiding such dangerous stuff from her the whole time? Why didn’t he say a single word to her? Was it because he didn’t trust his own little sister?
Thinking that, Su Zimai suddenly remembered why she had always refused to let Gu Wenyu get involved with the Exorcist world.
She just didn’t want him to get hurt.
"...He just didn’t want me to get hurt either?" she muttered quietly, staring blankly at the table.