A-City had been wiped off the map.
Under the clash of energies that tore through the heavens and shook the earth, even with Tatsumaki desperately trying to dampen the aftershocks, the damage to the city remained catastrophic.
That was to say nothing of the fact that the city was already a hollowed-out ruin from the two combatants' initial exchange before the true devastation even began.
In the aftermath, Metal Knight took it upon himself to oversee the reconstruction of A-City.
This alien invasion served as a grim wake-up call for everyone; if they truly believed themselves to be invincible, sooner or later, a threat from beyond the stars would arrive that they simply couldn't handle.
Compared to Boros, the alien who had assaulted the city, and his armada, humanity finally realized just how merciful Herta had been toward them all along.
Was Boros strong? It was plain for all to see: he was terrifyingly so.
Whether it was the energy reserves capable of vaporizing a planet or that hyper-resilient physiology that could unleash such power in a single blast, he was, by every definition, a God-level disaster for Earth.
So, what about Alice, the one who could stand against him?
If Alice—or rather, Herta—truly meant harm to Earth, was there any way they could possibly resist?
After witnessing the state of A-City, no one could maintain even a shred of confidence.
For a time, they even felt a strange sense of relief that their previous plans hadn't been fully set in motion.
The heroes' confidence in their own strength and their steadfast commitment to their convictions had, in a roundabout way, defused a situation that would have been a guaranteed, unnecessary death sentence.
While this left the "Pureblood" faction feeling utterly ashamed, it also solidified their belief in the necessity of a hero's orthodoxy.
It wasn't just about raw power; a sense of justice, too, had to be a standard for a hero's ascent.
However, they didn't go so far as to denounce Metal Knight for proposing the original plan. It wasn't because they were complicit or shared his mindset, but because Alice herself showed no sign of caring.
In fact, after Silver Fang explained the ins and outs of the situation, she magnanimously forgave him.
When it came down to it, Metal Knight had been acting from a human perspective rather than out of selfish desire. That alone made it impossible for Alice to harbor any resentment.
Her grace and open-mindedness only made the Purebloods feel even more embarrassed.
To signal their stance to the young girl—and the Herta backing her—they refrained from any official condemnation of Metal Knight. Instead, they quietly throttled his access to Association resources, and this latest reconstruction effort was turned into a purely mandatory act of community service.
At the same time, Metal Knight's ranking was unceremoniously slashed from sixth to eighteenth, with all other heroes shifting up accordingly.
Alice's rank, meanwhile, soared all the way to second.
In truth, there was some internal disagreement within the Association regarding this.
Blast held the number one spot not just because he had stepped forward over a decade ago to repel Elder Centipede—a monster capable of easily destroying human cities—while displaying peerless might.
More importantly, the Hero Association needed a benchmark.
In other words, his role was to ensure that no matter what kind of disaster humanity or the Association faced, there would always be a glimmer of hope.
"We still have our greatest hero who hasn't stepped onto the field yet; we haven't been utterly defeated!" Blast was the existence that provided everyone with that singular belief.
His position was no longer just a rank tied to combat power; he had become the Association's last line of defense and its ultimate deterrent.
Although everyone knew that Alice, and by extension the mysterious Herta, were almost certainly more powerful and had deeper origins than Blast, that "last line of defense" wasn't something they could just discard overnight.
Caught in this dilemma, Yamada simply offered a suggestion: why not just ask Alice what she thought?
That was exactly what the rest of the Purebloods had been waiting for.
And so, the one left with a headache became Alice.
In her heart of hearts, as the protagonist of a true hero's tale, Alice naturally wanted to be the number one ranked hero. The benefits were irrelevant; it was the honor that mattered.
Yet, after much deliberation, she chose the spot of S-Class Rank 2.
This wasn't out of magnanimity, but because... the very fact that everyone was hesitating meant she still wasn't quite good enough yet.
Blast was the symbol people clung to as their final trump card—the strongest, invincible hero.
The fact that the Association hadn't made the call themselves, instead handing the choice to her, proved she had yet to become that undisputed symbol.
Rather than snatching the title for herself, Alice preferred to earn it until she was undeniably the number one in everyone's eyes.
When the day came that people would think of her first whenever they encountered a disaster they couldn't face, she would naturally become the hero at the top.
"An incorrect choice, yet one that transcends correctness."
After reviewing the files sent over by the Purebloods, Sweet Mask wore an elegant smile, though his heart was racing, metaphorically shadowboxing with excitement.
Beautiful! Powerful! Noble! This is the kind of hero I wanted to see! Alice! This is exactly how it should be!
Yes, rankings were nothing more than boring trifles; only those recognized by others were true heroes.
Recalling the answer the girl had given him during their first meeting, Sweet Mask felt his excitement crest even higher.
At the same time, he felt a sting of envy.
A true hero... surely that is what she looks like, isn't it?
No matter how hard he reached toward the hero in his heart, Sweet Mask knew he still fell short.
Yet, in his eyes, even a flawed version of himself understood the true nature of a hero better than anyone else in this world.
What was a true hero like? He still couldn't put the answer into words, but looking at the smiling face of that raven-haired girl in the news reports, that image seemed to grow much clearer.
The situation in A-City was far too large to hide.
The aftershocks of those heaven-shattering attacks hadn't just crippled A-City; they had brought earthquakes and tsunamis to the surrounding regions.
If there was one name that shone the brightest besides Alice, it was definitely Blizzard of Hell.
Moving at incredible speed to quell disasters across various cities, her combined application of psychic storms and telekinesis played a pivotal role in disaster response. It forced everyone to realize for the first time that the true value of the Blizzard Group didn't just begin and end with Alice.
As the leader of the Blizzard Group, Blizzard of Hell was not only beautiful, but her strength far exceeded that of an average B-Class hero.
She was the sister of the legendary Tornado of Terror, and with the flashy, dramatic entrances the Blizzard Group was known for, she already commanded a fair amount of attention.
The unprecedented strength she displayed during these events made it clear to everyone that she was far beyond B-Class. Even if she were appointed to S-Class immediately, no one would bat an eye.
"As expected, being Tatsumaki's sister, her strength is immense! She must be every bit as strong as her sister, right?!"
The internet thrived on building up legends, and this kind of "triumphant comeback" was the perfect catalyst to get everyone's blood pumping.
Fubuki, however, couldn't care less about the flattery. She had no intention of accepting an invitation to become an S-Class hero.
Compared to all of that, she had a much bigger problem: the power within her Sephira Crystal was nearly drained dry.
She had been rationing it carefully until now, but the sensation of absolute, all-encompassing power she had experienced while fighting at full throttle left her feeling hollow and adrift in her current state.
Ms. Herta... have you forgotten about me?
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Alice Tendou in One Punch Man Arc: End
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T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL