"Come back soon!"
Omnimaru's voice echoed from the other side of the portal, filled with urgency. But honestly, it was already too late to turn back just to say "sorry, I felt like it." Besides, reopening a portal just for that would be… boring. And I hate that.
I lifted my face, taking a deep breath — or at least trying to grasp this bizarre human habit. And then it hit me all at once: the air! So fresh! The colors! So vivid! And this weird feeling in my body… warm, but not bad… what's it called again? Ah, yes, "heat."
After spending millions of years in a bland white space (imagine infinity with the vibe of a waiting room, only emptier), stepping onto a real planet was like… I don't know, adding salt to popcorn for the first time. Unexpected, delicious, and completely addictive.
I climbed onto the metal bars around the statue I'd appeared on. The view was breathtaking — even though I didn't exactly need to breathe. Houses, cars, people going back and forth like organized ants, or not, depending on the street. My heart nearly had a heart attack when I almost fell, but I saved myself with my ability to fly.
Then I turned my gaze to the crowd. They were all excited, holding up these glowing rectangles and pointing at everything, especially me. The most frequent sound? A thing called "click." I think I'd become an attraction or something. There was even a guy talking to one of those rectangles.
"Yo, check this out, looks like there's a cosplayer on top of the statue — is this our emo savior?"
Right after that, he slipped on a banana peel that, for some reason, was on the ground. I held back a laugh.
— Do you understand the value of money? Life's too short to waste it on nonsense — said a man next to me, with the seriousness of someone who clearly repressed all their childhood desires.
— But Dad… I just wanted some ice cream — replied the boy, with a sadness that could melt even the coldest ice cream — I mean, hearts.
— You've had enough sweets already. Everything has a limit.
Those words hit me like a bomb: I hadn't put on my limiter yet! If anyone here's abusing power, it's me. And honestly, that won't end well… for the planet.
I thought of something practical, like that weird thing Omnimaru wears on his wrist. Bracelet? Armband? Whatever.
『Creation』
I materialized a bracelet with all the necessary properties to act as a limiter.
— Time to put this on before I cause trouble.
The moment I snapped the limiter onto my wrist, a bright light burst around me, followed by a loud boom that made all the pigeons in the square fly away at once.
The whole plaza froze. All the clicks stopped. Hundreds of eyes turned toward me. Okay… maybe I have more power than I thought. That could be a problem.
Suddenly, a group of men gathered around me, all wearing outfits that practically screamed "authority."
— Hey, buddy, where's your ticket? — one of them asked, pointing some sort of metallic-tipped device at me like a threat.
— Ticket? I don't know that guy.
— Throw him out, guards!
— What? That guy "Ticket" wants me kicked out?
— Do you guys know who you're talking to? I'm a god!
— And I'm Batman. Get movin', joker — snapped the man, as the two bodyguards escorted me out with zero delicacy.
Even though I couldn't explore the place inside, now I had the whole city at my feet. What could be interesting around here?
I started walking through the streets, curious to discover what else this human world had to offer. Ever since I put the limiter on, I've felt like I swallowed a handful of sand. A dry emptiness scratching deep inside, like my throat turned into a desert ready to declare independence.
It took me a while, but it clicked: this is thirst. Apparently, humans drink water when this happens. Practical. Simple. A bit dull, but functional.
After a short break and two dramatic sips from a little bottle I bought at a shop — with coins I found on the ground — I kept walking. The sign said "Avenida Atlântica," and the zigzag sidewalk looked like it had been designed by a drunk god. After a few meters, the pavement started hypnotizing me. I almost prayed to it. Then I remembered — I created this planet.
The heat was melting me — I felt my soul trying to evaporate — so I collapsed onto a bench for a second strategic break. That's when I saw a little boy crying at the foot of a tree. I looked up and there was the cause of the drama: a cat, all puffed up on a branch like it had climbed to feline Olympus and forgotten the way down.
I sighed. What could an emo do in this situation?
— Hey, kitty, come down — I whispered, snapping my fingers.
Nothing happened. Of course, it's not like the cat would obey me. For a second, I thought of climbing the tree, but I remembered my earlier height trauma.
So I took a deep breath, walked to the trunk, and talked to the tree.
— If you're a spy or a cat thief or something, I suggest you cooperate…
I don't know if it was coincidence, a miracle, or fear of my nonsense, but the cat decided to climb down, all clumsy, with that "I didn't do anything wrong" face only cats can make — plus that look that makes you forgive even the worst war crimes. The boy hugged him and started crying even harder, now out of relief.
— Thank you, mister! — the boy said, smiling.
— Don't mention it.
And then, of course, the cat had to break the mood… by stepping on my foot.
I stood still, like someone with nothing left to lose. The boy laughed. The cat looked pleased. And I… well, I was now officially baptized by the human world.
It was already late afternoon when I started walking again. The sky was changing colors, showing a gradient from blue to orange. I walked in silence, thinking. Strangely, I found myself thinking about Omnimaru. Maybe the same way the boy missed his cat. That arrogant, smug idiot… I missed him. He's probably looking for me by now, and maybe I should look for him too.
But before I could finish that existential thought…
— This is a robbery. Hand over everything.