I knocked on the door of an apartment that was quiet, the lights off, and it seemed like no one lived there. "Hello! I'm a friend of Makoto's, is she home?" The neighbor came out of her apartment and approached. "She's not here." I turned to look at the neighbor; she was older, with white hair and a cane. "Do you know when she'll be back?" The woman made a sad face and looked at the door. "Since her son died, she couldn't bear to be alone, so she went to live with her sister; she didn't want to live here anymore, this house only brings back memories, she packed her things and left." She lowered her head, but remembered something. "But I have her number; if you want, I can tell her you came by." With a small smile, she went downstairs and handed her the flowers. "Thank you, and give her these for me." The woman took the flowers carefully. "Of course, it would be a pleasure."
At a small street food stall near City Y, I was served a large bowl of ramen; for only 500 yen, it was more than reasonable. The stall was empty, so it seemed like it was the first one of the day. The ramen was delicious, better than I expected. "You must be busy, sir, it's delicious," I said between sips. An elderly man, with gray hair, but eager to work, said, "Actually, I'm about to close... no one came today." I choked on my noodles when I heard that. "Why not?" The old man pointed to a nearby building, where a modern sign gleamed. "Since that fancy restaurant opened, all my customers left," he sighed. "Apparently, the service is fast because they're served by advanced robots." I just listened while I kept eating the pork and noodles. The old man looked at me. "Isn't it strange that you didn't go to that place and preferred to eat here?" "I'll finish feeding the pig and clean myself up before answering you." "I don't like crowded places; it's noisy and annoying." Although the truth was different: I didn't have that much money. The old man nodded without saying anything else, but then he looked up toward the entrance. "Good evening, miss, welcome." He had said "miss." I turned around, and there she was again. "Fubuki."
Fubuki enters, looking around the place; it's a bit old, with slightly worn chairs and tables, and a few spotlights that decorate the ambiance. Her eyes scan the room until they settle on me. "I didn't expect to find you here," she says as she sits down next to me, elegantly crossing her legs. "Come on, I'll treat you to another ramen at the new restaurant across the street." Without looking at her, I stop eating and reply, "No, thank you. I took a chance on eating here, and it was a good decision. You should try it; their pork is very good." Fubuki just smiles and looks at the cook. "A pork ramen, please." The old man smiles and starts preparing the order. Fubuki looks at me, and it really feels strange to be watched while eating. "What's wrong?" She turns her head forward and just smiles proudly. "Everyone at Blizzard Group thanks you for what happened today with the kaijin." I stop eating for a second and, without looking at her, offer a slight smile. "Sure, and what about you?" She sighs and gives me that superior look again. "I suppose I should thank you too." Silence returns. Only the sound of the boiling broth can be heard. "Fubuki," I finally say, "what did you really come here for?" She barely turns her face, a shadow in her eyes that wasn't there before. "Let's just say... there's something you should know."
The old man places the bowl on the table with chopsticks and a spoon. "Enjoy," he says with a kind smile. Fubuki looks at him and thanks him quickly; with the first bite of soup, she realizes what I said was true. "Not bad," she murmurs with a small smile. I smiled as if I had won. "I told you, I know where the good food is." She looks at me. "That's why you used to be fat." I look at her, blushing. "It's not enough for you to just say my name, now you have my past too." She laughs softly, covering her lips like a lady, and it was true; seeing a beautiful woman smile like that really does make you blush. "Well, what exactly is it I should know?" Fubuki stops eating for a moment and, wiping her mouth with a napkin, looks at me intently. "We found where the person who fell days after you might be." I choke on my soup again and start coughing; When I finally calmed down, I looked at her. "So you found her?" Fubuki began to explain, her expression serious. "In a cave, in a forest far from City Z, a woman with red and white hair. We thought she was just an ordinary citizen, but like you, there's no record of her, no fingerprints, no family. She was wearing a white dress with black buttons." She looked at me directly and coldly. "Does that description sound familiar?" But at that moment, she also realized I wasn't taking her seriously and was just focused on eating, so she got a little annoyed, I think. "Could you be mature for once? This is serious, J!" she said, frowning. I finished my ramen and thanked her for the food. "Fubuki, I don't have time. I'm stressed about so many things. I have to pay for my apartment this month, and I need to find a job to survive." I thank the old man for the food and tell him I'll come back another day. As I walk away without turning around, I raise my hand to wave goodbye to Fubuki. "See you later, and leave that multiversal or dimensional stuff to Blast." Fubuki, who had been silently watching me, was surprised by what I said, so she stood up quickly. "Wait, how do you know Blast?" With a dumbfounded look on my face, I stop dead in my tracks and turn around, scared and nervous. "Did I say 'Blast'? I meant... bold. Yes, that. Bold people." I stare at her, and she has a look that says she doesn't believe me at all, so she just closes her eyes and speaks to me with a hint of anger. "R-really..."
"Miss, the young man has already left," the old man interrupts from the back of the stall.
Fubuki opens her eyes in surprise, looks around, and notices I'm gone. She sighs and smiles in annoyance. "He's an idiot..."
The night was beautiful as always; walking through the streets was always peaceful. "Red and white hair, I see..." I took a breath to relax. "I'd better leave that for another time."
As the full moon illuminated the cities on a tranquil night, we moved into a forest far from the city; two shadows walked calmly. "I can't believe those who call themselves heroes are so weak." A woman of about 5 feet tall followed behind, sighing; she wore a mischievous smile. "It must be because you only face Class C heroes," she replied mockingly.
The man raised a massive sword; the blade reflected stains of still-fresh blood. "I also faced a Class A hero." With a swift movement, the sword sliced through the air, leaving a line of energy that distorted everything around it. The Hero Association's camera barely managed to capture an image before the signal was interrupted. A humanoid figure, standing upright. His armor was a deep black, with metallic reflections that curved as if the material were alive. The chest plates seemed to intertwine like ribs, and in between, everything was dark, devoid of detail. The helmet tapered upward, ending in two sharp claws that curved backward like warped horns. "Do me a favor and destroy that camera," the knight said firmly. "It bothers me." The woman smirked. She raised an arm, and as she pointed it at the spot where the device was hidden, a massive explosion devoured half the forest. The trees bent from the shockwave, and every living thing nearby vanished in an instant. The knight whirled toward her, his tone like someone reprimanding a soldier. "Hey, kid! Don't exaggerate." "That's why we stay hidden!" She frowned and pointed at him furiously. "Who are you calling a kid, tin head? It's one thing to be short, but I'm not a kid!" He raised his sword and pointed it at her. His voice sounded colder. "Respect the rank you hold. There's a reason we're put there, isn't there?" The woman calmed down and sighed. "Yes, yes… ranks," she muttered listlessly. Suddenly, a portal opened, and the knight lowered his sword. "Finally. I was getting tired of being in this pathetic place." Before entering, the woman looked at the devastated forest, a wistful expression curling her lips. "I don't think it's so bad being here," she whispered, disappearing behind him.
The next day I found myself in City A. To make a long story short, I ended up here because of a chain of calls that even I don't fully understand: Tank Top Protective's mother called Fubuki—I don't know how she got her number—Fubuki contacted Marci, and Marci… well, she dragged me along, and here I am. I have to admit: City A is beautiful. Big, full of life, with cafes, parks, and buildings so tall they almost touch the clouds. It looked good in the manga, but seeing it in person was something else entirely; I know it sounds ridiculous, but it's true. I arrived at the Hero Association at ten in the morning, a huge, black building, and the first thing I thought was, "Doesn't it have any windows?" Although, honestly, I didn't really care. I'd barely put a cake inside when two guards stopped me. "Excuse me, sir, ID or invitation?"
"Right, I think I left it around here..." Until I realized I'd left it in my pants from yesterday. Before she could shove me out, a female voice broke the silence. "Let him in. He's the friend of the hero being honored today." The guards immediately stepped aside. And there she was: Fubuki, wearing an elegant, long-sleeved, dark green dress with two small necklaces that sparkled in the light. We walked together down the corridor. "Thanks for letting me in," I said out of the corner of my eye. "Don't worry about it," she replied with a slight smile. "On the contrary, someone wants to meet you." I looked at her with a "what have you gotten me into now?" expression. We entered a large room adorned with white flowers, wreaths, and gold ribbons. In the center, Makoto's (Tank Top Protective) photo rested surrounded by arrangements and candles. There were B-Class, C-Class, and a few A-Class heroes. Not a trace of the S-Class heroes. We continued walking until Fubuki stopped. "Come in," he said calmly. I sighed and went through the door. Inside, three Association employees were reviewing some documents. The air smelled of incense and fresh cleaning.
"Welcome, young man, please have a seat." The man stands up. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Sitch, and I'm the Minister of Justice for the Hero Association." He raises his left hand to introduce his partner. "My partner here is Busho; he works in the administrative staff." So Sitch was a middle-aged man with a bulbous nose and gray hair parted on the right. He was wearing a brown suit with a white shirt and a red tie. I was looking for a tall man with short black hair and brown eyes. He had a beard and was wearing a standard black business suit with a white shirt and a gray tie. I practically knew them already, but whatever. Sitch sat back down and looked directly at me. "Would you please tell us your name?" I gave him a look of disinterest so as not to take him seriously. "J—" Busho looked at me. "J? We're asking for your name, not your nickname." Sitch looked at Busho. "Okay, leave it at that." Then he looked back at me. "Excuse us for intruding, but we'd like to ask you a few questions." "I smiled confidently. "So this is an interrogation?" Sitch glanced at the young woman asking for a glass of water when Busho startled him by slamming his fist on the table. "What are you playing at, young man?" I looked at him, still with a confident smile. "I don't understand." Busho took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Do you want me to be specific? Fine. A young man arrives here with no record whatsoever. He has no family, no work history. It's as if he doesn't exist. You saved lives, but then you disappear. You don't help anyone else. What do you think you are, some kind of hero? If you are, join us." I sighed, annoyed. "Could you be quiet for a moment? Or better yet, summarize what you said. I'm tired of hearing the same thing over and over. If you really knew everything about me, you wouldn't propose…"
"I do accept." Someone interrupted me. I barely turned my head. It was Tank Top Master.
NAME: Tank Top Master
CLASS: S
RANK: 16
"So you must be the kid who saved everyone from the collapse." I glanced at him, then turned my head back to the table. "It really was Tank T..."
"I know it was Tank Top Protective," he interrupted firmly. Tank Top Master walked forward, sitting in the middle of the table separating me from Sitch and Busho, then looked at me. "I know what happened. We received several reports about the people who were trapped, and they all said good things about Tank Top Protective." "Master, lower your head." "Makoto was a good kid, one of my top disciples; his energy stood out more than the others'." He looked back at me. "But no one said anything about you, nothing good came out of their words, just a girl who had a cat sticker on her backpack." I looked at him with a half-smile. "That's normal. I yelled at them then, so they probably hate me." I chuckled softly. Tank Top Master is looking directly at me. "Become a hero." He raises his arms to show off his muscles. "And you'll be part of Tank Top's group..."
"No, thank you," I said with a smile, glancing at Sitch and then at the Master. "I'm not cut out to be a hero." Sitch smiled. "Not even with the benefits we offer." I froze, my mind racing: `Did he say benefits? That means money.´ Sitch looked at me intently. "We know where you live, J, in City Z, and you have a sister, right? So you don't look alike at all." He pulled out some documents and placed them on the table. "With these, you can take the Hero Association exam." Exam… so they really want me to be a hero, but no. I stood up slowly. "Thank you, but I don't like being told what to do." I turned and left the room; Sitch and Busho exchanged confused glances about what had just happened; the Tank Top Master stood still, staring at the door with a faint smile. "Looks like it'll be more complicated than we thought." Busho nodded, sighing. "Yes… although, according to Miss Fubuki, that boy single-handedly defeated a Tiger-level kaijin. Without any help." Sitch leaned back in his seat. "Then… we'll have to keep a close eye on him."
As soon as I stepped outside, my pride, which I had displayed so proudly in the room, crumbled with every step I took. "Benefits, money, a new house, nice clothes… we could live without worrying about money," I thought when Fubuki saw me sitting on the floor, as if I were crying. "Don't tell me you turned him down?" I turned away so she wouldn't see my tears. "Of course not, I told you I'd think about it and give you my answer another day." Fubuki came closer and looked at me intently. "The truth is," I sighed, "she was a very demanding woman, and as we walked, I told her the truth. I wasn't born to be a hero, nor do I deserve to be, believe me. If you were in danger, would you trust someone like me?" Fubuki smiled and kept walking. "You're right, I didn't know how to trust someone with that look." I got a little angry and turned around quickly. "Hey, are you calling me ugly? Hey! Fubuki! Are you calling me ugly?" She was already gone. The memorial was both incredible and heartbreaking. Makoto's mother said a few words, and then tears and grief overwhelmed her. She listened to some of her comrades—heroes, close friends, and members of the Association—but before the ceremony ended, five more portraits were brought in. Five heroes had fallen just a few days ago. "It's strange, isn't it? Heroes almost never die, or we almost always save them, but for five heroes to die on a mission, some even Class A heroes, is hard to believe." I looked at her. She was a young woman with purple hair and green eyes. She was wearing formal business attire: a black skirt and jacket over a white shirt and a blue tie. "And you are…?" The young woman looked at me. I don't give my name to strangers, but I'm the Operator of Branch Z, so you don't have to be afraid of me. —I smiled slightly, with a hint of irony—. Sure, I understand. Five heroes have died. It's something I didn't see in either the manga or the anime. As they carried the paintings, I sighed. —I learn something new every time.
As I left the Hero Association, I received a call. —Hey, idiot, are you ready? —No way, the day has arrived and I wanted to go to my apartment and rest. —Yeah, I'm ready. Tell me everything you know, Daz, what we have to steal.