Z-City Hero Association Branch, First Operations Room.
Half the command center's large screen displayed the Hero Association's disaster tracking system. The other half showed surveillance cameras throughout the city.
A newly connected video signal was switched to maximize coverage, pushing aside other feeds.
Shaky footage. Screaming crowds driven by giant, spike-covered vines. In the distance, buildings collapsed like Lego bricks. Thick smoke billowed across the background.
"Lord Jordan Evans, headquarters has issued a distress call. A series of explosions occurred at Fifth Avenue Garden Plaza in K-City. Current situation unclear, but suspected Demon-level disaster at minimum!"
"Understood. Departing immediately."
"Received. Thank you for your work!"
Jordan rose, grabbed his coat from the hanger, and headed to the balcony.
"Saitama, I'm heading out."
"Okay. I'm leaving for training soon too."
The magnetic field lifted Jordan's figure off the balcony. The next moment, gale-force winds howled.
Amidst a series of sonic booms, a blurry black shadow rapidly ascended into the stratosphere, pausing briefly to determine direction.
Blinding blue light flared and vanished instantly. Jordan's figure disappeared over Z-City.
Hero Association Branch.
Lanny breathed a sigh of relief hearing Jordan's voice through the channel.
Staff at the control panel typed rapidly. Hero response status appeared simultaneously in the scrolling information bar on the large screen.
'C-Class, Rank 157, "Mecha-Esper" has responded.'
'B-Class, Rank 16, "Wild Siren" has responded.'
'C-Class, Rank 28, "Red Ribbon Guardian" has responded.'
'S-Class Rank 2, "Super Cop" has responded.'
"Super Cop is so hardworking!"
Beside Lanny, her assistant held a stack of documents and sighed with genuine emotion.
"According to official statistics, his attendance rate has remained consistently highest among S-Class heroes since last week. Apart from hero events, he rarely participates in media interviews or publicity—only interacts with fans and civilians he's saved. Such a low-key, reliable hero should be the top S-Class..."
"Do your job and shut up."
The deputy shrank back instinctively after Lanny's glare.
As they spoke, a message refreshed on the scrolling bar.
'S-Class Rank 3, "Tornado of Terror" has responded.'
A-City.
Tatsumaki, wearing a long slit dress and dark brown fur coat with hands in pockets, boarded the Hero Association's large transport plane.
The communicator beeped in her coat pocket. She glanced at it, pressed the call button. "What's wrong, Sitch? Didn't you say not to contact me unless it's important?"
"Y-yes, Miss Tornado! An S-Class hero has already been dispatched to K-City to handle the disaster. The journey from headquarters to K-City is quite long, so... perhaps we don't need to trouble you for the trip?"
Tatsumaki's frown deepened. She bristled. "What's going on? Didn't someone tell me the situation was urgent and only B-Class and C-Class responders were available nearby?"
On the other end, Sitch kept wiping sweat. "Probably a mistake by staff when filtering information..."
Who did this?! Didn't we say in the last meeting not to let Super Cop and Tornado meet recently?!
"I don't care. I came all the way from home after receiving the news. It's too frivolous asking me to go back now."
"But—"
"No buts! I'll go check it out. What if the other S-Class can't stop the monster? Let me be clear: if he's too weak, I won't bother protecting him! That's settled!"
"What are you waiting for? Take off!"
Headquarters, Sitch's Office.
Sitch stared blankly at the dial tone.
"We... we couldn't stop her!"
It's all over. Everything's completely ruined!
A giant vine covered in sharp thorns burst from the ground and slammed down, tearing a massive crack through asphalt.
Terrifying shockwaves swept outward. Cars, streetlights, bridges, and buildings shattered and collapsed like toys.
Flames surged from ruptured underground pipes, triggering deafening explosions.
The culprit was a single vine.
There were hundreds—possibly thousands—of such vines.
The garden square, originally a green space in the city, was shrouded in thick smoke and shadows. Ruins in the sea of fire resembled hell on earth.
Several figures moved against the flow, appearing in the inferno. Heroes who'd rushed to the scene in response to the distress call.
But even professional heroes were at a loss facing this nightmare scenario.
"Damn it! The tips of these vines are thicker than my whole body. Even bullets can't penetrate them. There's no way to deal with this!"
"Exactly! It's a plant-based monster but not afraid of fire at all. Doesn't it have any weaknesses?!"
"There are still survivors over there! Anyone want to help rescue them?"
On the battlefield amidst ruins, the arriving heroes were terrified and lost facing the unprecedented plant monster.
The overwhelming size alone could trigger megalophobia. Handling even one tentacle-like vine would be difficult, let alone eliminating it, even if they worked themselves to death.
As for the main body buried deep underground—they didn't even have the right to glimpse it.
"There must be some mistake! How could this be a battle for our level?!"
"Enough complaining. At least hold out until an S-Class arrives. That's more reasonable, isn't it?"
"Yeah! Where's the S-Class? Has anyone from the new roster arrived yet?! They're taking way too long!"
C-Class hero Mecha-Esper held hands to his temples. With amplification from his specially made mechanical headgear, the psychic light around his body flickered and fluctuated before finally stabilizing.
As a psychic hero, the main reason his ranking hadn't risen was his ability's inconsistency.
If it couldn't activate at a crucial moment, it was completely useless.
Right now, he was fortunate enough to use his power—but could only barely move a broken rock weighing several hundred kilograms.
He was desperately trying to rescue a mother and daughter trapped in a rubble pit.
"Quick... climb out quickly! You two—my abilities are limited! I can't hold out much longer!"
The panicked young mother pushed her daughter forward. When she started climbing up herself, she found the semi-suspended rock overhead suddenly shaking.
The shaking intensified rapidly. Blue psychic light flickered, as if about to crash down again.
Mecha-Esper was pale. Sweat dripped from beneath his mask onto his cheeks. His hands trembled uncontrollably as he unleashed his power.
"Oh no. It's breaking..."