Hero For Lust

As the mountain fog crept down into G-City, a momentous event was unfolding.

"Ahhh…"

"Lady Shibabawa? Is something wrong?" A suited man with glasses perched on his nose stood 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 on the table. Her fingers trembled, as if grasping at something unseen.

"I… I can see it coming."

"Lady Shibabawa?!"

"The catastrophe of our time is near… Wait, there is something else—An outsider has entered the course of our history… An end approaches! Ahhh!"

"Lady Shibabawa, please 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 condition. Her coughing turned to choking, her breaths growing ragged. Summoning the last of her strength, she grabbed a blank sheet of paper and began scribbling her final thoughts with frantic strokes.

Then, with a final, shuddering breath, she collapsed onto the table—lifeless.

¤ ¤ ¤

Last night, after leaving W-City and heading back to his apartment, Caspian had been drawn in by a wonderful scent wafting from a small, curtained-off food stand. When his eyes landed on a bicycle with a helmet resting on top, he knew this was the place.

After having a great time chatting with Mumen Rider, he had returned home and went to bed.

Even by the time noon rolled around the following day, he still lied on the floor futon, contemplating what would come next.

Would Bang still invite Genos and him to his dojo? That invitation would lead to a Hero Association staff member rushing in, announcing that all S-Class heroes had been summoned regarding Shibabawa's prophecy.

He wondered how Tatsumaki would react to his presence. Caspian had searched for her—one of the reasons he traveled from city to city, hunting monsters. While Genos had provided the address of her private residence, it 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 inside until tomorrow, the day when everything might unfold?

He would have spent time with Genos, but the cyborg had gone off to train his willpower. Caspian reflected. He was the one who had told Genos to train by making himself feel uncomfortable… but now he realized he hadn't considered how Genos was interpreting and implementing said training method.

Caspian, growing restless, stood and strode to the balcony. The surrounding scenery, once unfamiliar, had become comforting. He gripped the railing and pivoted his head toward a large Mysterious Being in the distance, chucking 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 bewitching woman with golden-brown skin stood before the tall, barbed metal fence blocking access to the Z-City Ghost Town. Warning signs littered the barrier, but she paid them no mind and pushed opened the gates. On the ground, shattered chains lay in a heap—their former purpose clear. Someone or something had already entered… or escaped.

"Caspian, B-Class 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 none other than Yuta. After her frustrating defeat against Overlord Sparrow, she had devoted herself entirely to training and battle. While she couldn't exact 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 down the street, her vigilance remained sharp. To her left, high above, a highway stretched forward before curving out of sight, vanishing behind a towering building. Similar structures lined the right side of the street, their silent presence adding to the unsettling stillness.

Yuta's bare feet glided over the concrete, leaving behind no sound. As she reached the end of the street and turned the corner, she froze. Ahead lay devastation, buildings and pavement torn from the earth, as if something had lifted them skyward and smashed them back down in a violent display of power.

It appears the rumors I read about this place were true.

Yuta subtly adjusted her grip, ensuring she could unsheathe her twin swords in an instant. Her sharp gaze swept beyond the rubble, locking 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 corner.

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 large truck burst from the direction 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 stance. The truck continued its 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 one thing was definite: she refused to hide like a coward. If a fight was coming, she would meet it head-on.

Unsheathing her twin 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 suspicion before her expression eased. "Hmm, alright. I'm the A-Class Hero Suiko. And you are?"

"Yuta. Where is it? Are we up against the rumored 'Ghost Town Monster?'"

Suiko turned back and a look of surprise emerged on her face.

After noticing her reaction, 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 nice to see two of my future wives standing side by side."