The sun filtered through the tired curtains of the apartment. Kotobe was on the balcony, watering can in hand, contemplating his three puny basil plants with pride.
"You see, One, gardening teaches patience. Nature follows its own rhythm. You can't force things."
One, sprawled on the sofa, controller in hand, answered without taking his eyes off the screen.
"Mmh."
Kotobe sighed.
"You could at least pretend to be interested."
"Mmh."
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
Someone was pounding on the door. Violently.
"OPEN THE FUCK UP!"
Kotobe and One exchanged a glance. One slowly got up, shuffled to the door, and opened it.
A short, pudgy man, face red with anger, stood on the landing. His cheap suit was wrinkled, and his greasy hair stuck to his skull.
The building's caretaker.
"SO YOU'RE HIDING, HUH?!"
One tilted his head.
"…Sorry?"
"DON'T PLAY INNOCENT! THE OTHER DAY, WITH THE GIANT, THE BUILDING TOOK A BEATING WITH THAT GIANT! EVERYONE CHIPPED IN FOR THE REPAIRS! EVERYONE! EXCEPT YOU!"
One thought intensely.
"…What giant?"
The caretaker turned purple.
"WHAT GIANT?! THE DEMON! THE THING THAT SHOOK THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD! WHERE WERE YOU? IN YOUR BASEMENT?!"
[In the auxiliary episode: The Life of Rank C Hunter.]
"I don't have a basement."
"IT'S A METAPHOR, YOU IDIOT!"
Kotobe came running, still holding the watering can.
"Sir, sir, calm down! We're really sorry, we were… uh… busy."
"BUSY DOING WHAT? WATCHING THE WALLS SHAKE?"
"We… we were gardening?"
The caretaker looked at the three scrawny basil plants on the balcony. His face went from purple to brick red.
"BASIL?! YOU WERE GROWING BASIL WHILE THE BUILDING WAS COLLAPSING?!"
"It helps with concentration," Kotobe tried.
The caretaker threw his arms up in the air.
"I'VE HAD ENOUGH! ENOUGH OF THESE CHEAP HEROES WHO THINK THEY CAN DO WHATEVER THE FUCK THEY WANT!"
One, still on the threshold, asked calmly.
"…Do you want to come in?"
"NO I DON'T WANT TO COME IN! I WANT YOU TO PAY YOUR SHARE!"
"Ah. How much?"
The caretaker pulled out a crumpled paper.
"THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND YEN!"
One dug through his pockets. Pulled out a ten-yen coin.
"…That's all I've got."
The caretaker screamed.
Kotobe stepped in.
"Sir, sir, listen, we're really sorry. We'll contribute next time, promise. We're heroes, we have income, well… soon."
The caretaker looked at him, sighed, and put his paper away.
"Well… fine. But next time, I'm telling the Association!"
He turned on his heel, then turned back.
"By the way, I took out insurance with the Hero Association. State-run. At least they're reliable."
He left, grumbling.
Kotobe closed the door, exhaled.
"Whew."
One was already back on the sofa, controller in hand.
"Wanna play?"
"Gladly."
He sat down next to One. They were about to start when…
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
Again.
"What now?" Kotobe groaned.
One opened the door.
Two deliverymen stood there, loaded with packages. A small square box, and a huge carton that nearly touched the ceiling.
"Delivery for One and Kotobe. Sign here."
One signed with an illegible scribble. The deliverymen set down the packages and left.
Kotobe looked at the boxes.
"Looks like it's from the Association."
On the small package, a label: "FOR ONE"
On the large carton: "FOR KOTOBE"
They brought them inside.
Kotobe opened his first – but the carton was so big he had to lay it on the floor. He lifted the lid.
A human-sized robot, with a fun design, red and yellow, was lying inside. Its eyes suddenly lit up.
"Hello, Kotobe! I'm Funny-GPT, your AI assistant! I was created by the Association to help rookie heroes like you!"
Kotobe stared at it, perplexed.
"Uh… I'm not a rookie. I'm Class B, just so you know."
The robot climbed out of the box, stood up, and looked around.
"Class B? Impressive! I'll be able to assist you in all your missions! Analyze data! Spot demons! Regulate negative emotions!"
It spun around, slipped on the console cable, and turned it off.
"OHHH SHIT!" Kotobe shouted. "OUR SAVE FILE!"
The robot got up, sheepish.
"Sorry, I haven't mastered my movements yet…"
Kotobe buried his face in his hands.
"This is starting well."
Meanwhile, One had opened his small package.
A costume came out. Black, with white gloves and boots. A magnificent belt. And a large white X drawn on the chest.
One stared at it, eyes wide.
"…It's magnificent."
Then he looked around.
"But… where's my cape?"
He searched the box. Nothing.
He looked under the paper. Nothing.
"WHERE IS MY CAPE?!"
He turned to Kotobe, tears in his eyes.
"THEY FORGOT MY CAPE!"
Kotobe looked at him, dismayed.
"One… don't cry over a cape…"
"IT'S THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CAPE IN THE WORLD AND I'LL NEVER HAVE IT!"
He collapsed on the sofa, sobbing.
Kotobe sighed. Then he noticed a note in the carton.
"Dear One, this is a message from the Hero Association. You have been officially accepted as a sidekick. You have been assigned to the hero Captain Man, who will be your partner and mentor. We wish you a very successful heroic career. Please contact the number below to continue the procedure."
Kotobe read it aloud.
One, still crying, looked at him.
"…Captain Man? The cool guy?"
"The very same."
One dried his tears instantly.
"AM I GOING TO GET A CAPE?!"
"I… I don't think it works like that."
---
Kotobe finally opened the note in the large carton.
His face fell.
"Dear Kotobe, after reviewing your file, your profile could not be validated by the Association's system to become a sidekick. However, the Association has not overlooked your performance during the tournament. We therefore offer you this gift: an AI assistant, Funny-GPT, to help you in your missions. Best of luck."
Kotobe read it three times.
"…What?"
He looked at the robot, which was circling the coffee table, humming.
"I'm Class B… I beat Viper… I almost died… and they give me a ROBOT?"
The robot stopped in front of him.
"Want me to clean the apartment? I can clean the apartment!"
It charged into the wall.
Kotobe closed his eyes.
"This is going to be a long ride."
——
HERO TOWER – CITY CENTER – ONE HOUR LATER
One stood before the imposing skyscraper. The Hero Tower. Thirty floors of glory, offices, and luxury apartments for Class S heroes.
He entered the lobby.
The crowd was dense. Tourists everywhere, taking photos, buying merchandise, seeking autographs. The smell of success, mixed with overpriced coffee.
One looked around, lost.
"Captain Man… where are you?"
He wove through the groups, ignoring curious looks.
In the same lobby, Pinky approached the reception desk, a nervous smile on her lips.
"Hello, I have an appointment with Iron-Tank."
The receptionist checked her screen.
"Pinky? Accepted as a sidekick. Very well, follow me, I'll take you to the 9th floor. Iron-Tank's penthouse."
Pinky followed her, heart pounding.
Iron-Tank… Number 10 of Class S… incredible.
———
ELEVATOR – 15TH FLOOR
Someone got out of the elevator and approached a massive door.
Viper.
He knocked. The door opened.
Shadow G was sprawled on a sofa in boxers and a robe, completely stoned, a cigarette in his mouth, watching a TV tuned to a continuous news channel.
The penthouse was… empty. No decor. No furniture. Just a sofa, a TV, and a kitchen that had clearly never been used.
"Uh… Mr. Shadow G? I'm Viper, your new sidekick."
Shadow G barely looked at him.
"Hey, kid. Relax, you're too polite."
Viper, usually so self-assured, stood stiff as a board.
"It's just… you're a legend, I…"
"Legend my ass. I'm just a guy who knows how to use his shadows. Sit down. Want a cigarette?"
"No thanks, I don't smoke."
"Too bad. It's relaxing."
Viper sat on the edge of the sofa, uncomfortable.
Shadow G blew a smoke ring.
"Don't worry, kid. Everything's gonna be fine."
——
25TH FLOOR – ANGEL'S PENTHOUSE
Angel, Number 3 of Class S, was doing push-ups when the elevator opened.
Grann stepped out, looking cold, provocative.
Angel stopped, stood up, observed him.
"Ehhh… so you're Grann? The guy who got himself out of the arena at the tournament?"
Grann didn't answer. He frowned.
Angel sneered.
"Don't look at me like that, I don't like you either. I don't know why they assigned you to me. I wanted that savage Kotobe."
He licked his lips, lecherous.
"Annh… that guy gives me goosebumps. Training him would've been a pleasure. But oh well…"
Suddenly, an invisible attack shot out.
Grann, with a sublime movement, dodged it. The wall behind him was slashed clean.
A silhouette appeared next to Angel. Thinner, less muscular, but with the same features.
Archange.
Angel put an arm around him.
"I'd like you to meet Archange. I absolutely wanted a stand like in my favorite manga, so I materialized a mirror image of myself."
Archange and Angel touched each other in a… intimate way.
"Archange and I are one."
Grann looked at him, perplexed.
"…So you're gay?"
"NO!" Angel exclaimed. "Archange is a manifestation of my Ether, that's all! I have the ability to create objects linked to my gauge. As long as it's intact, my objects are indestructible, with monstrous impact force."
He struck a pose.
"Right, we're going to start your training."
———
TOWER LOBBY – ALL THE WAY DOWNSTAIRS
One had finally found Captain Man, who was waiting near a column, a charming smile on his lips.
"One! Glad to see you! Ready to start the adventure?"
One looked at him.
"…My cape?"
Captain Man blinked.
"Sorry?"
"My costume doesn't have a cape."
"Ah… uh… that's not a big deal, right?"
"YES IT IS."
Captain Man cleared his throat.
"Anyway, let's move on. We'll do missions together, climb the rankings, become a formidable team…"
"Why didn't Kotobe get a Class S?"
Captain Man paused.
"That's a long story. A decision by the Association."
Flashback.
——
THE MEETING OF THE FIFTEEN GREATS – THE NIGHT BEFORE
A circular room. A round table. Fifteen seats.
Anastasia and Arata, the chief administrators, stood.
"We will now welcome the members."
The doors opened. Masked figures entered one by one.
Eagle. Tiger. Bull. Antelope. Wolf. Rabbit. Fox. Boar. Goat. Ant. Leopard. Monkey. Rat.
And finally…
Crow.
Rat grew impatient.
"Are we starting soon? I've got bets to place."
The door opened again.
A man entered. Imposing. Authoritative. A lion's mane around his neck.
Lion. The legal representative of the Association.
"Hello my dear friends, I am very happy to see you all here."
"Cut to the chase," Rat growled.
Lion smiled.
"Fine. Thank you for coming to this meeting of the Fifteen Greats. Us, who rule the world."
Footsteps echoed in the hallway.
Anastasia and Arata bowed their heads.
"Hello, Madam President."
A woman entered. Elegant. Formidable.
Sakura. President of JIPANGU [parody of present-day Japan.]
Lion's face lit up.
"Ohhh, my dear and tender Sakura, how ravishing you look today!"
"Stop your childishness, Lion. And call me by my new name."
A man entered, carrying a box.
"Madam, your mask."
She opened it. A sublime dragon mask, made of gold and diamonds.
She placed it on her face.
"After all, I'm one of you now."
Lion nodded.
"Oh, yes, sorry. The Dragoness."
He turned to the assembly.
"Good. Now that we are all here, we can begin the meeting."
To be continued…