The midday sky stretched bright above K-city's commercial district.
The city was alive—too alive to be called ordinary.
Rows of towering buildings stood tightly packed, filled with massive digital screens displaying advertisements, news, and constantly shifting hero rankings like a system that never stopped updating.
On the streets, streams of people moved without pause.
Yet one thing was immediately different to a careful observer: many of them were not dressed "normally."
A man wearing layered blue armor with a lightning symbol on his chest walked briskly, as if he were truly on a rescue mission.
Elsewhere, a woman in a long white coat with burning red accents strolled casually while carrying a shopping bag—yet still wore a half-open helmet styled like an "elite-class hero."
Not costumes for performance.
More like… identities worn in daily life.
A group of teenagers gathered, comparing outfits—imitating their favorite heroes with exaggerated detail, from gloves to specialized boots.
Some were overly serious.
Others were clearly just cosplay.
Yet in this city, the boundary between the two had already blurred.
All of it was accepted as normal.
Amid all that, Chiyome blended naturally into the crowd.
Her presence did not stand out, nor did it attract attention—she simply looked like a newcomer adjusting to the city's rhythm.
Her expression was calm, her steps steady, and her body movements controlled enough not to appear suspicious.
Her eyes moved slowly, observing the surroundings without breaking her pace.
Buildings.
Traffic flow.
Number of people.
And most notably—the variety of "hero" costumes worn by civilians.
She recorded everything in silence.
"…Interesting."
Her voice was flat.
"This culture integrates combat identity into daily life."
Her gaze lingered on a man wearing a replica of a popular hero costume, complete with a slightly too-long cape meant purely for style.
"Efficient. Status and role can be displayed without explanation."
She continued walking.
But suddenly—
"Kyaaah!!"
A woman's scream echoed sharply through the air.
"Monster!!"
"Run!! Everyone run!!"
The crowd immediately panicked.
People scattered in every direction. Some dropped shopping bags, others tripped in their haste, while the rest focused solely on escaping.
In just a few seconds, the once orderly sidewalk turned into chaos.
In the distance, the sound of an explosion echoed.
BOOM!
A faint tremor rippled through the ground all the way to where Chiyome stood.
Dust rose from the direction of the disturbance.
Chiyome stopped.
Her gaze locked straight ahead.
She observed the pattern of civilian panic for a few seconds.
Escape routes.
Origin point of the threat.
Estimated damage radius.
Everything was analyzed in an instant.
"…Threat emergence confirmed," she murmured softly. "An efficient moment to begin."
Her tone was low, almost as if speaking to herself.
After all, building a reputation through heroic action required a stage—and this world had just provided one.
Chiyome stepped forward.
One step.
Then another—and her body vanished from ordinary sight.
***
Upon arriving at the location, Mochizuki Chiyome did not immediately descend to the street.
She chose a position on the roof of a nearby building, concealing her presence perfectly.
From there, she observed the situation.
Below, people were running in panic.
The sounds of footsteps, screams, and collisions filled the once-busy street.
Behind the fleeing crowd, a monster could be seen.
Its body was humanoid, but its head—and what resembled its hair—consisted of octopus-like tentacles that writhed wildly and uncontrollably.
Other tentacles coiled around vehicles, lifting them effortlessly as if they had no weight at all.
"GYAAHAHAHA!!"
Its laughter echoed harshly.
"Because I like eating squid…" it said in an almost deranged tone. "I became a squid myself! All of you who used to mock me… just die!"
Chiyome observed in silence.
Her gaze remained calm, but her mind worked quickly.
"…My Lord did not inform me of the origin of monsters in this world," she murmured softly.
She tilted her head slightly.
"And based on the target's words… the monster's transformation appears to be related to obsession or psychological conditions."
She stored that conclusion for later.
But a moment afterward, her thoughts drifted, and her gaze softened slightly.
Unconsciously, her fingertip rose and touched her lips.
A memory from earlier resurfaced in her mind.
A faint blush appeared on her face.
Her heartbeat was slightly faster than usual.
"…It seems," she murmured softly, almost expressionless despite the faint color on her cheeks, "I should suggest My Lord reduce smoking and alcohol later."
A brief pause.
"…The scent lingers for quite a while."
Just after she said that, almost at the same time, amidst the panicking crowd, a small child fell in the middle of the street.
The child's small body froze for a moment.
Too late to get back up.
And directly above them, one of the monster's tentacles was already raised high, ready to strike down.
In a split second, Chiyome moved.
Her body vanished from the rooftop.
She descended as fast as the wind, almost invisible to the human eye.
BOOM!
The tentacle slammed into the ground with tremendous force, shattering asphalt and sending dust in every direction.
But its target was already gone.
On the other side of the street, about five steps from the previous impact point, Chiyome was already standing firmly.
The small child was in her arms, completely unharmed.
The monster paused.
Its tentacles lifted slightly.
"Huh?"
Its eyes scanned the surroundings.
"What was that just now?"
It narrowed its gaze, trying to locate it.
"Who dares interfere with my prey?!"
Its enraged voice echoed through the area.
Meanwhile, the child in Chiyome's arms was trembling.
"M-Mom…" the small voice was barely a whisper, almost crying.
Chiyome lowered her gaze slightly toward the child.
"Child," she said gently. "You are safe now."
She knelt down slowly, then carefully set the child onto the ground.
"Move in the opposite direction of the source of danger," she continued calmly. "Do not stop."
The child looked at her for a moment.
Fear was still clear on their face, but slowly they nodded.
"Y-Yes!"
Without wasting any more time, they quickly ran away.
Chiyome rose to her feet again.
Her gaze was now locked onto the squid-like monster in the distance.
Her posture shifted slightly.
More prepared.
Sharper.
Yet still calm.
A tanto blade tied to her back was drawn from its sheath.
A cold glint from the blade reflected the midday light.
"Oi," the monster said roughly. "You… a Hero, huh?"
A brief silence followed.
Chiyome looked straight at it without fear.
"…Yes," she replied shortly.
It wasn't entirely a lie. She wasn't a "Hero" in this world's system.
However, as a Heroic Spirit, the definition was still close enough.
Moreover, she did intend to join the Hero Association in the future, once her reputation had grown sufficiently.
"Tch…" the monster clicked its tongue. "Heroes are annoying. But it doesn't matter… I'll kill you!"
One of the vehicles wrapped in its tentacles was lifted high, ready to be thrown.
In a split second, time seemed to slow.
Chiyome moved swiftly and silently, as if vanishing from sight.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Cold flashes cut through the air.
Her movements were smooth and precise, almost like a dance fused with the flow of the wind. Every swing had purpose, every step was calculated.
One by one, the tentacles were cleanly severed.
No wasted motion.
No hesitation.
And before the monster could even react, a final flash swept through.
Its head was severed.
In a single chain of movements.
Done.
Blood sprayed into the air, splattering across the street.
The monster's body stopped moving.
Several objects it had been holding fell to the ground.
Chiyome was already standing behind it, her back turned to the collapsing remains.
"Defeating you," she said flatly, "did not require me to use Orochi's poison."
She turned around slowly.
No expression.
No change in breath.
Her hand moved, picking up a piece of tentacle lying on the ground.
"…Can this be consumed?"
The atmosphere around them changed. Silence blanketed the area for a few seconds, as if everyone was still processing what had just happened.
Then voices began to rise.
"She… she defeated it?!"
"The monster is dead?!"
"Is that… a Hero?!"
People who had previously been running away slowly began to approach.
Still hesitant.
Still cautious.
But clearly filled with relief.
"Thank you!"
"You saved us!"
"Incredible… that was so fast…"
Several people looked at Mochizuki Chiyome with admiration.
A mysterious girl had appeared out of nowhere and defeated the monster in mere seconds.
Chiyome looked at the crowd.
Her expression remained calm.
But this time, her eyes softened slightly.
She resheathed her tanto with a neat motion.
"There is no need for excessive gratitude," she said gently.
Her tone was calm and measured.
"Your safety is the top priority."
She shifted her gaze briefly, confirming that there were no additional threats in the surroundings.
Once she was certain the situation was safe, she looked back at the civilians.
"Leave this area immediately," she continued. "Even though the primary threat has been eliminated, this location may still be unstable."
Several civilians exchanged glances, then quickly nodded.
"Y-Yes!"
"Understood!"
However, before they could fully leave, a woman looked at Chiyome with sparkling eyes.
"May we know your name?"
The question made Chiyome pause for a moment.
She considered Kuro's instructions.
Increase popularity.
Build an identity.
Without hesitation, she answered.
"…Chiyome."
Short.
Clear.
The crowd seemed to immediately store the name in their memories.
"Chiyome…"
"Hero Chiyome…"
"What a cool name…"
Chiyome simply gave a small nod.
Neither denying.
Nor affirming.
But enough to allow the identity to begin spreading on its own.
_______
Author's note:
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Sory guys! Late update. Cuz, i forgot 😅
This 4 chapters for update!