But then Rin looked slightly at Dracula as they talked using telepathic powers.

While the club members continued discussing the Jorogumo sighting, Rin’s voice echoed clearly inside Dracula’s mind: [What? Jorogumo here in Tokyo?..

Are they sure about this? A monster like Jorogumo here in Tokyo — then half of Tokyo should have been wiped out by now].

Dracula’s aristocratic face remained perfectly composed on the surface, but his reply came back smoothly through the same telepathic link, a faint, intrigued smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he responded: [Hmmm, well if this is true about Jorogumo being here in Tokyo, it’s gonna be so interesting.]

The silent exchange happened in a fraction of a second while Rin maintained a convincingly clueless expression toward the rest of the room.

So the plan was to go there, find and take down the monster... but the thing is, it only comes out at night. Hanako explained that Jorogumo seemed to be nocturnal, appearing only after sunset and vanishing before dawn, which made any investigation significantly more dangerous and complicated.

Then Rin was like "Okay, he’ll tag along..." He nodded slowly, keeping his voice casual as if the idea of hunting a powerful spider monster was only mildly interesting to him.

Then Rin asked, tilting his head slightly, "What will then happen when we capture this monster? Is this gonna be for documentation or?"

Then Hanako said to Rin, her expression turning more serious as she leaned forward on the table,

"Hmmm... I think it’s the right time you know all about what we do in this occult research club room."

Then Rin stared as the whole room got so quiet.

The previously murmuring club members fell completely silent.

The air grew thick with anticipation as all eyes turned toward Hanako.

Even the faint rustling of papers stopped.

Then she said, her voice steady and clear, "I know this may sound strange, but we are part of the Hero Association."

Then Rin was like "What? Doesn’t that mean you all have powers or something?"

His eyes widened with perfectly acted surprise, his tone carrying just the right amount of disbelief and curiosity. (Well, Rin clearly knew all this from the start, but he just pretended to be clueless.)

Then Hashimoto Akane, who is a flame user, showed her power by bringing forth a bright fire from her hands.

She raised her right palm upward, and suddenly a vivid, dancing flame erupted from her fingertips, flickering with intense orange and gold light that illuminated the entire club room.

The fire moved fluidly around her hand without burning her skin, twisting into small spirals and shapes before she closed her fist and extinguished it.

She’s a flame user, meaning even if there was a barrier stopping people from using magic, she would still be able to use her flame due to that being her special ability.

Rin was like "What? I do observe you do similar tricks with fire but I thought that’s just a magic trick... Wow." He acted genuinely impressed, leaning forward slightly with wide eyes as if seeing real supernatural power for the first time, even though he had known about Akane’s flame abilities for quite a while.

Then Kurosawa Hanako also explained her powers.

She looked directly at Rin, and for a brief moment, her eyes began to glow with a soft, mesmerizing pinkish light.

She described how her eyes could glow and make people fall in love with her, making them do her bidding almost effortlessly.

She also explained that she could see from a very far distance with incredible clarity. Importantly, you didn’t really have to lock eyes with hers before she could charm you — her ability worked even through indirect exposure or prolonged presence near her.

In Tokyo, it was relatively common for some people to have powers.

Not everyone possessed them, but a noticeable portion of the population did, especially among those connected to the Hero Association or hidden supernatural circles. These abilities ranged widely, and the occult club served as one of the discreet gathering points for such talented individuals. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

The club room remained hushed as Hanako finished speaking.

Rin continued maintaining his facade of surprise and mild awe, nodding slowly while internally processing everything with complete calmness.

Dracula stood silently beside him, his faint smile never fading as he observed the scene with quiet amusement.

The revelation about the club’s true connection to the Hero Association hung in the air, shifting the atmosphere from casual occult discussion to something far more serious and purposeful.