As the mountain fog crept down into G-City, a momentous event was unfolding.
“Ahhh…”
“Lady Shibabawa? Is something wrong?” A suited man with gsses perched on his ood at her side. This man was her bodyguard, sent by the Hero Association.
Shibabawa stretched out her hands, her gaze fixed on the orb resting oable. Her firembled, as if grasping at something unseen.
“I… I see it ing.”
“Lady Shibabawa?!”
“The catastrophe of our time is near… Wait, there is something else—An outsider has ehe course of our history… An end approaches! Ahhh!”
“Lady Shibabalease calm down!”
Sweat beaded on her forehead as she cried out, “Ahh! The Earth is in danger! Wait! This outsider has cause—”
Her words cut off as a violent coughing fit overtook her.
“Lady Shibabawa, here, have some cough drops!”
She hurriedly shoved a handful of cough drops into her mouth, but instead of relief, they only worsened her dition. Her coughing turo choking, her breaths growing ragged. Summoning the st of her strength, she grabbed a bnk sheet of paper and began scribbling her final thoughts with frantic strokes.
Then, with a final, shuddering breath, she colpsed onto the table—lifeless.
¤ ¤ ¤
Last night, after leaving W-City and heading back to his apartment, Caspian had been drawn in by a wonderful st wafting from a small, curtained-off food stand. When his eyes nded on a bicycle with a helmet resting on top, he khis was the pce.
After having a great time chatting with Mumen Rider, he had returned home ao bed.
Even by the time noon rolled around the following day, he still lied on the floor futon, pting what would e .
Would Bang still invite Genos and him to his dojo? That invitation would lead to a Hero Association staff member rushing in, announg that all S-Css heroes had been summoned regarding Shibabarophecy.
He wondered how Tatsumaki would react to his presence. Caspian had searched for her—one of the reasoraveled from city to city, hunting monsters. While Genos had provided the address of her private reside proved useless however, as she never was there.
Caspian’s thoughts finally settled on the Dark Matter Thieves, though he had known for quite some time how to deal with them.
Which left him with nothing to do today. Should he get up and explore, or stay iil tomorrow, the day whehing might unfold?
He would have spent time with Genos, but the cyb had gone off to train his willpower. Caspian reflected. He was the one who had told Genos to train by making himself feel unfortable… but now he realized he hadn’t sidered how Genos was interpreting and implementing said trainihod.
Caspian, growiless, stood and strode to the baly. The surrounding sery, onfamiliar, had bee f. He gripped the railing and pivoted his head toward a rge Mysterious Being in the distance, chug anything it could grab hold of.
That’s new. Well, it’s something to do at the very least.
Finishing his thought, he lept down onto the street below.
¤ ¤ ¤
A bewitg woman with golden-brown skin stood before the tall, barbed metal fence blog access to the Z-City Ghost Town. Warning signs littered the barrier, but she paid them no mind and pushed opehe gates. On the ground, shattered s y in a heap—their former purpose clear. Someone or something had already entered… or escaped.
“Caspian, B-Css Rank 101. A hard man to find, but I told you I would reprimand you for your behavior,” she muttered, her amber eyes narrowing.
This woman was her than Yuta. After her frustrati against Overlord Sparrow, she had devoted herself eo training and battle. While she could revenge on Overlord Sparrow, she could at least vent her frustration on the man who had dared to leer at her so shamelessly.
As she headed dowreet, her vigince remained sharp. To her left, high above, a highway stretched forward before curving out of sight, vanishing behind a t building. Simir structures lihe right side of the street, their silent presence adding to the uling stillness.
Yuta’s bare feet glided over the crete, leaving behind no sound. As she reached the end of the street and turhe er, she froze. Ahead y devastation, buildings and pavement torn from the earth, as if something had lifted them skyward and smashed them back down in a violent dispy of power.
It appears the rumors I read about this pce were true.
Yuta subtly adjusted her grip, ensuring she could uhe her twin swords in an instant. Her sharp gaze swept beyond the rubble, log onto a figure in the distance, where the buildings and streets remained untouched.
A woman? What is she doing here?
She slipped into a narrow alley between two buildings, leaning out just enough to observe. But to her surprise, the young woman suddenly dashed around the er.
There is no way! I hid my presence.
Before Yuta could react, the woman reappeared—backpedaling at a speed beyond that of an ordinary human.
Is she a hero?
SWOOSH!
Suddenly, a rge truck burst from the dire the woman had reappeared from, hurtling through the air straight toward her. With effortless precision, she spun aside, evading the attack, and nimbly regained her footing, settling into a martial artist’s stahe truck tis wild trajectory, vanishing into the distance before crashing into a far-off building.
A Mysterious Being?!
Yuta wasn’t sure if this woman was a hero, a skilled martial artist, or something else entirely, but ohing was definite: she refused to hide like a coward. If a fight was ing, she would meet it head-on.
Uhiwin swords, Yuta stepped out of the narrow alley and spoke. “Let me assist. Are you a hero?”
The woman snapped her head toward Yuta, eyes narrowing with suspi before her expression eased. “Hmm, alright. I’m the A-Css Hero Suiko. And you are?”
“Yuta. Where is it? Are we up against the rumored ‘Ghost Town Monster?’”
Suiko turned bad a look of surprise emerged on her face.
After notig her rea, Yuta swiftly reached her side, taking in a view of their foe. “You…”
“Don’t worry, I tossed the monster away before it could deliver a speech about its backstory,” The man grinned. “I have to say, it’s o see two of my future wives standing together.”
