Gabriel strolled down the courtyard path with an easy, almost exaggerated lack of urgency, a light, playful tune drifting from his lips as he flicked a playing card through his fingers. The card spun and snapped back into his palm with practiced precision, the motion so familiar it barely required thought.

  His smile was bright—the kind of smile that made him look harmless, a little silly. His eyes were closed—not fully, just enough to sell the illusion.

  Beneath that relaxed exterior, Gabriel was acutely aware of everything around him. Footsteps on stone. The rustle of leaves. The subtle shifts in air that marked movement before sound ever did. He tracked it all with quiet, surgical precision, cataloguing the world as he passed through it.

  He lifted two fingers in a crisp salute as a squirrel darted across the path.

  “Oho~” he murmured to himself, voice lilting with mock wonder. “Whatever shall I do today?”

  It had been… quiet. Unusually so.

  With the Hollow laying low and Echo making no discernible moves, vigilante activity had dipped into a rare lull. Gabriel knew better than to trust the calm—history had taught them that the Hollow never stayed gone for long. After summoning a M.A.W. anomaly, it always vanished, only to resurface once the toll had run its course. A cooldown, perhaps. Or something far worse.

  It made sense to him. Fractal abilities weren’t tools you simply wielded, they were extensions of the self. Overexert any part of the body, and it would eventually push back. Burnout wasn’t a possibility. It was an inevitability.

  Which, unfortunately, brought his thoughts back to Akio.

  The recent expansion of Akio’s abilities had been nothing short of astounding. Parsing data across an entire facility, predicting structural and kinetic outcomes in real time—it was elegant. Powerful. Indispensable.

  Gabriel could only imagine the cognitive strain such an ability demanded. The sheer scale of it bordered on inhuman. And knowing Akio, knowing how readily he shouldered responsibility, Gabriel had no doubt he would continue to push himself even at the expense of his own health, if it meant completing the mission.

  His smile softened, just a fraction.

  Someone has to look out for him, he thought with a quiet, resigned determination. When he’s always looking out for everyone else.

  A ripple of sound carried across the courtyard—voices, laughter. Gabriel turned his head slightly and spotted a familiar cluster of figures gathered along the path ahead.

  The friend group.

  Amari and Runa were laughing at something Lev had said, while Lev himself gestured wildly, deep in the middle of a story. Kairo was giving him relentless grief, Kieran looked quietly amused, and Alyne and Asha exchanged skeptical glances while humoring the nonsense anyway. Nearby, Gavant stood with one hand thoughtfully stroking his chin, as though attempting to extract meaning from the chaos.

  Gabriel’s grin widened.

  It had been a while since he’d interacted with them like this. He was keenly aware that most of the group found him unsettling—too cheerful, too watchful, too unreadable.

  Which, of course, made it infinitely more fun.

  He clasped his hands behind his back and strolled toward them with exaggerated innocence, footsteps light and unassuming. Their backs were turned, attention wholly consumed by the conversation.

  Quiet as a whisper, Gabriel slipped into position just behind Kairo and Lev: the two with the loudest voices and, by far, the most entertaining reactions.

  He paused there, listening.

  And to his absolute delight, he realized they were talking about him.

  “You know,” Gavant was saying, completely earnest, “there’s this idea that sunflower people exist. Their presence feels like the sun itself—bright, warm. They photosynthesize for energy.”

  Asha didn’t even hesitate. “Gavant, that’s absurd. Sunflower people aren’t real.”

  Kairo snorted. “Nah, bro. If anyone’s secretly a sunflower person, it’s gotta be Gabriel. Dude literally has golden hair. Coincidence? I think not.”

  Runa tilted her head, thinking it over far more seriously than the comment deserved. “That’s true… he does always seem like he’s glowing. Metaphorically, I mean. But at least he’s… nice?”

  “‘Nice’ is definitely one way to put it,” Kieran muttered. “Wait, is he a theater major or something?”

  Alyne shook her head. “No. I don’t believe he is. He’s just… naturally over the top. It’s absurd.”

  Lev hummed thoughtfully. “I don’t know, I think he’d be a good actor. He seems like the kind of guy who could pull off any role.”

  Amari folded her arms. “Actor or not, he definitely has a talent for freaking people out. I swear he just loves being a menace.”

  Behind them, Gabriel’s grin widened.

  They still hadn’t noticed him. All of them standing there in a loose cluster, relaxed, unguarded—speaking freely under the comfortable assumption that he wasn’t within earshot.

  Perfect.

  Gabriel brought his hands together in a sharp, abrupt clap.

  “Oh my!” he exclaimed brightly, beaming with exaggerated warmth as every single one of them jolted in unison. “Little ol’ me being a menace? I would never do such a treacherous, horrible thing.”

  The reaction was instantaneous.

  Lev yelped and jumped sideways so fast he nearly tripped over himself. Kairo spun on his heel, instincts flaring, squaring up as if he were ready to throw a punch. Amari and Runa grabbed onto each other at the same time, Asha clutched at her chest, and Alyne crossed her arms as she instinctively leaned closer to Kieran—who could only blink, stunned. Even Gavant looked momentarily startled, like a man confronted with an unexpected but fascinating anomaly.

  They were all staring at him now.

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  Unease. Suspicion. Dislike.

  Gabriel felt every flicker of it, every spike of tension, and it filled him with a gremlin-like delight he kept carefully hidden behind angelic innocence. He simply stood there, posture relaxed, smile bright—like he could do no wrong.

  Lev pointed at him with a trembling hand. “G–Gabriel?? When did you get here?”

  Gabriel let out a light chuckle and placed a hand over his chest.

  “Oh dear,” he said gently, “what do you mean ‘when’?”

  He deliberately opened his eyes a little wider as he answered, fixing Lev with a gaze that was far too knowing for how kind his expression remained.

  “I was always here.”

  A ripple of unease passed through the rest of the group at his words, and Gabriel’s smile widened just a touch. Good. He knew exactly what that response did to people.

  Kairo pointed at him accusingly, failing to hide how unsettled he was. “Man, shut the hell up, Gabriel! We don’t got time for your games!”

  Gabriel turned toward him in one smooth, fluid motion. He stepped closer, hands folding neatly behind his back, and leaned forward slightly, his grin impossibly bright.

  “Why Kairo!” he said cheerfully, tilting his head, “that’s not very nice. I thought we were friends!”

  Kairo stumbled back a step, bravado evaporating, eyes narrowed like he was rapidly reevaluating every life choice that had led him to this moment.

  “What do you want?” Alyne demanded, sharp eyed and openly suspicious.

  Gabriel spun neatly on his heel and beamed at her, all warmth and delight. “I was simply dropping by to say hello! It’s been far too long since we’ve last seen each other, don’t you agree?”

  “I literally saw you last night,” Alyne shot back.

  “Exactly!” Gabriel perked up, expression bright. “It’s almost been thirteen hours.”

  Amari stepped in before Alyne could escalate, offering a cautious smile. “Uh, hi, Gabriel. How are you?”

  Gabriel spread his arms as if embracing the world itself.

  “I’m doing spectacular!” he announced cheerfully, “I’ve been spreading joy! Light, warmth, good vibes—and, of course, photosynthesis. One must tend to one’s inner sunflower, after all.”

  Runa blinked. “Wait… are you actually a sunflower person?”

  “Don’t encourage him,” Asha muttered immediately.

  Gavant, however, leaned forward with interest, stroking his chin.

  “You know,” he said thoughtfully, “sunflowers turn toward the sun. There’s something poetic about that. A metaphor for seeking attention. Or purpose.”

  Gabriel’s delight was instant.

  “Precisely!” he said, clapping his hands together. “If I concentrate, I can convert my internal sunflower energy into a focused incinerator laser beam.”

  “No you can’t,” Kairo said flatly, eyes narrowed.

  Gabriel turned to him, half lidded gaze sharpening, smile tipping into something far more dangerous.

  “Would you like to test that theory?”

  Kairo weighed his options for half a second, then grabbed Lev by the shoulders and pushed him forward solemnly.

  “All right, Lev. All you. Good luck.”

  Lev froze, horror written plainly across his face. “Wait—! I mean, he’s lying, right?? He can’t actually laser beam people, right???”

  Gabriel leaned forward, clasping his hands together, expression radiating mock innocence. “Now, now. No need for distress. I promise I’m quite harmless~”

  Then he opened his eyes just a little wider, his smile stretching.

  “Most of the time, at least.”

  Lev went completely pale.

  Amari swallowed and glanced around. “Man… where’s Akio when you need him…”

  Kieran, watching the entire exchange with faint amusement, shook his head. “You really have a talent for pushing people’s buttons, don’t you?”

  Gabriel straightened and gave a graceful bow, pleased as ever. “Why, thank you! You speak far too highly of yours truly.”

  Then—

  Something pricked at his senses.

  It was subtle—a faint disturbance in the air, a thin thread of tension that hadn’t been there before. Gabriel’s smile didn’t falter, but his awareness sharpened instantly. His gaze drifted, unhurried, toward the edge of the group.

  That was when he saw him.

  Standing between Kairo and Runa was a young man he had never seen before. Long, light brown hair framed his face, catching the light in a way that felt almost intentional. Crimson eyes—sharp, focused—were fixed squarely on him. The man’s stance was relaxed, almost casual, but there was a quiet weight to him that didn’t match the surrounding noise.

  Gabriel’s eyes opened a fraction wider.

  He hadn’t registered him at all until now.

  Interesting.

  Gabriel stepped forward, closing the distance with the same easy grace he used for everything else. He let his eyes slip shut as he moved, smile warm and harmless, and extended a hand.

  “Why, hello!” he said cheerfully. “I don’t believe we’ve met before.”

  The other man’s eyes flicked briefly to the offered hand, then returned to Gabriel’s face. His expression remained unreadable as if he were weighing something invisible. After a beat, he accepted the handshake.

  “Likewise,” he said, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

  Kairo jolted, spinning around with a strangled noise. “WHAT THE— WHEN THE HELL DID YOU GET HERE?!”

  Runa startled, then laughed, eyes wide as she looked between them. “Hyakki, how long were you standing there?”

  Hyakki tilted his head slightly, amusement flickering across his expression.

  “I was always here,” he said mildly. “What do you mean?”

  Lev stared at him in disbelief. “Bro… you could’ve said something, though.”

  Asha gestured between the two men, clearly trying to regain control of the situation. “Oh, right. You two haven’t met yet. Hyakki, this is Gabriel—Akio’s best friend. And Gabriel, this is Hyakki. Aira’s best friend. They just reconnected after, uh… three years.”

  Gabriel filed that away instantly.

  So this is Aira’s long-lost friend. The one Akio was supposed to meet a few days ago but didn’t show up.

  He hummed lightly, tapping a finger against his chin as if struck by a sudden thought.

  “Oh my,” he said pleasantly, eyes half lidded with gentle concern, “I heard about the food poisoning the other day. Truly unfortunate. I will say, Akio was rather disappointed he didn’t get to meet you.”

  Hyakki let out a resigned exhale, crossing his arms.

  “Yeah. That’s on me,” he admitted. “I should’ve planned better. I didn’t mean to no-show like that. I hope he can understand.”

  Gabriel folded his hands behind his back and inclined his head, the picture of easy reassurance. “Of course. So long as you show up next time, I’m certain all will be forgiven.”

  Hyakki nodded, a hint of relief easing his shoulders. “Yeah. I’ll definitely be there.”

  Gabriel returned the nod but said nothing more. Outwardly, he remained serene. Casual. A friendly presence among friends. Internally, every instinct he possessed had gone razor-sharp.

  There was something wrong.

  Not wrong in the sense of danger. It was subtler than that—an insistent tug at the edge of awareness, the same way the air felt just before a storm broke. Gabriel studied Hyakki in silence, taking in the stillness of him, the way he carried his weight without tension or slack, as though perfectly balanced on an invisible edge.

  His presence was familiar.

  Uncomfortably so.

  And from the faint narrowing of Hyakki’s eyes, the way the other man had gone just as still, Gabriel knew he wasn’t the only one feeling it.

  Why does it feel like we’ve met before?

  The thought surfaced unbidden, unwelcome. But Gabriel did not voice it. Not here. Not with this many people watching.

  Instead, he turned smoothly back toward the rest of the group, his demeanor brightening as if nothing at all had passed between them.

  “All right!” he announced cheerfully. “This has been an absolute pleasure, truly. But alas, I must be off.”

  A chorus of reactions followed, mostly relief. Gabriel turned back to Hyakki one last time, offering a playful salute, his smile just a touch more deliberate.

  “Well then,” he said lightly, “see you around.”

  And with that, he was gone—already humming a soft, lilting tune as he walked away, steps unhurried, posture relaxed.

  But his mind was anything but.

  As the courtyard fell away behind him, Gabriel’s thoughts began to align themselves into careful, methodical lines. The timing. The disappearance. The reappearance. The way it coincided—loosely, imperfectly—with the Hollow’s movements.

  The idea had crossed his mind before. Now, paired with instinct, it refused to fully let go.

  Could he be the Hollow?

  As tempting as it was, he couldn’t be certain. Circumstantial evidence meant nothing on its own. There were countless cases of people who vanished and resurfaced over the years. And Hyakki’s ‘reappearance’ referred simply to reconnecting with Aira—not emerging from the shadows in a mask.

  Then there was the Hollow itself. Masking the presence of the M.A.W. was no trivial feat. Gabriel would have sensed it immediately—years of fighting Anomalies had sharpened that awareness to a near reflex. And yet, standing mere feet away, he’d felt nothing. No distortion. No pressure.

  Baseless suspicion was useless.

  Yet still… his instincts refused to settle.

  As he disappeared down the path, Gabriel made a quiet decision. He would keep an eye on Hyakki. Casually. Carefully. If they ran into each other again, he would take the time to probe, poke, and observe like he always did.

  “Hmm,” he murmured to himself, almost thoughtfully. “Interesting.”

  ─ ? NEXT CHAPTER POV ? ─

  Akio

  ? Overpowers: Magical Girl Crossover ?

  by Moawar

  He, Life, had a simple job.

  His responsibility as an Overpower was to make sure that fiction stories and the characters in them follow their dictated path. He always did his job well enough, not more or less than was needed.

  His latest assignment, however, would, in retrospect, prove to be his most challenging one of all.

  He would find himself in a unfamiliar world. There he'll have to quickly adapt to guide Nozomi.

  The strongest magical girl with the potential to accidentally destroy those she seeks to protect in her fight against evil.

  What to Expect: A love letter to fiction, where each relevant character represents a different genre in fiction with a few twists to make them fresh. Ex: Isekai, Shonen, Magical Girl, Tragedy, Cultivation, Regression, Tokusatsu, Horror, and many others. All are united under one theme: life and how each character will choose to live theirs.

  If you like the psychological aspects of Madoka Magica and the mixing of different genres a crossover story brings then this story is for you