"Kou, why did you become a hero? What kind of person do you believe a hero should be?"
Inside a private room at a teahouse, Sweet Mask smiled as he questioned Kou, who was drinking mineral water.
"After waking up with amnesia, I had a conviction, or perhaps a goal, that I had to become a hero. But to be honest, even now, I don't know whether that goal was implanted in me by someone behind the scenes.
"Furthermore, I still haven't figured out what a hero truly is. However, the relieved smiles on the faces of the people I've saved are real.
"Many things are still unclear to me, but at the very least, there is nothing wrong with saving people, right? Besides, being a professional hero lets me earn some money. Otherwise, I would have to collect trash just to afford food, and I would be hungry all day."
Looking at the pure smile on Kou's face, Sweet Mask became slightly dazed, just as Ren Kanzaki had before.
The person before him was confused about his origins, his purpose, his powers, and why he wanted to become a hero. Even so, he still wanted to be one because he believed there could be nothing wrong with saving others.
Many of the things Sweet Mask had originally intended to say became stuck in his throat.
Looking at the innocent expression on Kou's face, he felt there was nothing more that needed to be said.
Compared to those who held the title of S-Class Hero but lacked a true hero's heart, Kou was countless times better.
In fact, Kou was more like a hero than Sweet Mask himself.
With that thought, Sweet Mask rose from his seat with a smile.
"Thank you for your answer. I imagine it won't be long before you hear from the Hero Association. Allow me to congratulate you in advance on becoming a new S-Class Hero."
"Generally speaking, although I am reluctant to admit it, S-Class Heroes possess certain privileges. They may choose their own jurisdiction and decide which city they wish to remain in. Do you have any plans?"
Kou took a sip of mineral water and shook his head.
"I don't plan to stay in one place. I intend to keep traveling. If I see someone in trouble, I'll help them. If a monster appears, I'll deal with it. That way, perhaps I can arrive in time whenever more people need a hero."
"...If only every hero could be like you."
Sweet Mask left those words behind before walking out of the room.
Kou scratched his head, unable to understand why the other man had said that.
From what he had experienced over the past few days, every hero had been an individual before becoming a hero. Everyone had their own way of life, families to care for, and personal responsibilities.
Becoming a hero did not mean a person could only be a hero and nothing else.
Not everyone was like him, someone who had lost his memories and become a hero because of a mysterious goal, with no family or other attachments.
"Everyone has so many different ideas about what a hero should be... So what exactly is a hero? This question is really difficult."
Kou spoke with a dejected expression.
...
Caelus handed Dr. Genus a drink and said, "His overall combat ability is already approaching Carnage Kabuto's normal state. If he continues tempering himself through battle, he will soon enter the second stage."
Dr. Genus accepted the drink without ceremony and gulped it down.
Unlike the person beside him, he could not simply ignore the heat. After sitting beneath the scorching sun for so long, he was extremely thirsty.
"But is his current humanity truly developed enough? Once he enters the second stage, Carnage Mode will trigger an overwhelming desire for slaughter and destruction. Can his still-underdeveloped humanity really resist an impulse rooted in his genes and biological instincts?"
Dr. Genus felt the timing was too rushed and believed they should wait a little longer.
"Now is the ideal time. He has just moved beyond his confusion about his identity and found the beginnings of a direction and purpose in life."
"If he discovers the danger hidden within himself now, the desire to overcome his uncontrollable nature will drive him forward. Throughout that process, whether through his own efforts or the guidance of those around him, his decisions will shape the final outcome."
After speaking, Caelus turned his gaze toward Sweet Mask, who had just left.
At a glance, Caelus could tell that Sweet Mask was no longer the same kind of life-form as an ordinary human.
His healthy, handsome, and radiant appearance was itself a mask. His true form was most likely hideously different.
No wonder he was called Sweet Mask.
He was an existence close to a monster, yet he possessed an incredibly powerful admiration for heroes.
The reason he remained at A-Class Rank 1 was also so he could evaluate anyone seeking promotion to S-Class.
A few days later, the Deep Sea Army invaded.
"You foolish creatures of the surface! The vastness and depth of the ocean are far beyond anything you can imagine!"
"The ocean will eventually swallow everything, and I, the Deep Sea King, will become the ruler of it all!"
"But there will be no place for humanity in the ocean's new world. Day after day, you humans produce endless amounts of garbage and discharge polluted water into the sea. Now you will pay for the damage you have caused!"
A tall, crowned figure with a mostly humanoid body and fish-like features walked onto the shore.
An enormous army of sea monsters followed behind him.
However, upon closer inspection, the Deep Sea King's eyes appeared slightly unfocused and dazed, as though he had not fully awakened.
The Hero Association immediately sounded the alarm, and large numbers of heroes rushed toward the area to repel the invading sea monsters.
The local heroes also launched their own attacks.
The first wave of sea monsters was indeed easy to handle. Several A-Class Heroes joined forces and quickly defeated a large group of them.
However, once the more powerful monsters from the depths of the ocean appeared, the A-Class Heroes were swiftly overwhelmed. Some were even killed.
"Foolish humans! How could attacks like these ever compare to the pressure of thousands of meters of seawater crushing down on the body?"
An octopus-like sea monster mocked them.
Although no one knew why it could speak a human language, it laughed arrogantly before easily restraining an A-Class Hero.
Several of its tentacles wrapped tightly around the hero.
With a single squeeze, it shattered nearly every bone in his body.
The A-Class Hero let out a miserable scream before losing consciousness from the pain.
The octopus monster savored the sound of his suffering and prepared to twist the hero's body apart with its tentacles.
At that moment, a crimson figure flashed past.
The sound of beating insect wings filled the air, and every tentacle was severed.
The figure in crimson insect-like armor caught the hero, whose bones had nearly all been shattered, and carried him to the rear at extreme speed.
Then he returned to the battlefield.
Looking at the endless tide of monsters surging forward, Kou took a deep breath beneath his armor.
Then he charged straight into them.
(To be continued.)
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)