“Thank you for your purchase.”

  Saki grinned, her cobalt blue eyes twinkling with excitement as she clutched the bag of goodies from the local bookstore. Inside was the latest Hero Chronicles magazine and a limited-edition Crimson Blaze figurine—her most treasured find yet.

  This week’s feature was on Crimson Blaze’s mentorship of Cometz, a rising star team among Japan’s new generation of heroes. As their biggest fan, Saki couldn’t resist. Getting her hands on the magazine before it sold out was a mission in itself.

  Her heart soared as she walked down the neon-lit streets of Shinjuku’s Villain Town, a place as chaotic as its name suggested. The setting sun bathed the bustling markets and graffiti-covered walls in an eerie glow. Some of the street art reflected the local creativity, but much of it was bitter protests and insults against heroes and law enforcement.

  Saki sighed in disappointment. She understood the resentment—the unfair treatment, the stigma of living in a villain town and being branded as criminals for just existing—but it saddened her that these people couldn’t see the greatness of the heroes she idolised.

  Turning onto the fourth street in Block C, she noticed a growing commotion. People were gathered, murmuring as they pointed toward Block E, where a plume of black smoke rose ominously into the sky.

  “What’s that?” someone muttered.

  “Probably another supervillain attack.”

  “I should head home. The Special Forces don’t care who they round up in chaos like this.”

  “Right. No one wants to be mistaken for a criminal.”

  The crowd quickly thinned as cautious residents hurried away, leaving only a handful of onlookers and Saki, her curiosity piqued. She pulled out her phone and opened the Virtual Zap news app.

  “Breaking news!” announced the anchor. “The supervillain Dr. Yamagata has resurfaced in Villain Town Shinjuku with a new weapon: a 60-metre-tall robot armed with rocket launchers and laser cannons. Authorities are currently evacuating Block E whilst awaiting the arrival of superheroes. Citizens are advised to seek immediate refuge.”

  Saki’s grip tightened on her phone.

  Dr. Yamagata again… What is he up to this time?

  Her phone vibrated, cutting into her thoughts.

  “Hello?”

  “Blue, it’s Armstrong,” his gruff voice cut through the static. “We’re in trouble—half the team’s still laid up from last night, and Yamagata’s bots are ripping the block apart. I know that you don’t do night missions but you’re our only shot. Can you make it?”

  Saki glanced at her watch.

  Barely six. Training starts at seven... If I go, I’ll cut it close.

  Her fingers lingered on her phone, the edges digging into her palm.

  This was not just another call. If I don’t show up, people might—

  She exhaled sharply. There was no time to think, there were lives at risk. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

  “Thank you, Blue,” Armstrong said, his voice softening. “We’ll hold it until you get here.”

  As the line went dead, Saki felt the weight of his words settle on her. This was not just another mission—it was a lifeline.

  She let out a heavy sigh, her mind still debating on her sudden decision while she slipped into a nearby train station. At a coin locker, she retrieved her vigilante kit: a black tactical outfit and her collapsible metal staff. In the restroom, she quickly changed into her gear—a tight black shirt under a bullet-resistant military jacket, black cargo pants, gloves, and combat boots. Once suited up, she slipped on her mask and hailed a cab.

  As Saki approached the border of Blocks D and E, the air grew heavier, thick with the tang of scorched metal and gasoline. Distant explosions shook the pavement beneath the car, each tremor rattling her nerves. Flames licked at the jagged skyline, casting distorted shadows over the chaos ahead—half-crumbled buildings, overturned vehicles, and the faint, desperate screams of those trapped inside the inferno.

  “This is as far as I can take you,” said the cab driver, glancing nervously at the chaos ahead.

  “Thank you, sir. Please head back to safety.”

  Saki took a deep breath, clearing her mind and steadying her heart as she overcame a flicker of doubt.

  Let’s do this!

  Saki exited the cab and sprinted toward the centre of Block E.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  ***

  The streets were a battlefield, strewn with wreckage and echoing with the cacophony of screams, gunfire, and mechanical destruction.

  At the heart of the chaos, vigilantes fought desperately against a horde of humanoid robots. Some struggled to maintain their footing as exhaustion weighed them down, their movements sluggish compared to the relentless onslaught.

  “When's the backup arriving?” shouted Longshot, shooting another electric arrow as sweat dripped down his face.

  “She’s on her way,” replied Armstrong, smashing a bot with his hammer.

  His massive arms swung the weapon left and right, crushing the metallic structures of the enemies.

  “She?” Longshot glanced at his leader, doubt flashing in his eyes.

  “Yes, she. Don’t worry, if there’s anyone who can handle this, it’s Blue.”

  A deafening crash ripped through the battlefield, halting the relentless sound of clashing metal and gunfire. Heads snapped toward the source—a single, slender figure standing atop a crumpled bot, her combat boots crushing its shattered frame. For a heartbeat, the battlefield held its breath as the girl straightened, the faint metallic groan of the broken robot beneath her being the only sound that could be heard. Then, like a storm unleashed, she sprang into action.

  ***

  Saki straightened, her combat stance fluid and precise. Without hesitation, she lunged at another robot, her weapon unfolding in her hands. She struck with lightning speed, dismantling her target in seconds before spinning to roundhouse kick a third bot. Its head flew off, colliding with another enemy.

  The girl sucked in a sharp breath, scrutinising her surroundings with a quick glance over the perimeter.

  The number of enemies was overwhelming despite the combined forces of the vigilantes. Saki now understood why someone as strong as the captain of the vigilantes would call for her.

  I might actually not make it back on time… Grandpa will probably scold me again… “sigh”.

  Shaking off her worries, she locked onto her next targets. Without losing any more time, she proceeded to take down a horde of robots single handedly.

  “She’s fast,” muttered Longshot, watching in awe as Saki moved like a shadow—there one moment, gone the next.

  “That’s Blue,” Armstrong rumbled, his grin faint but unmistakably proud. “Strength, agility, precision. She’s got more fight in her than anyone I’ve seen, and she hasn’t failed any mission yet. Took me three months to convince her to join—and now I can’t imagine the team without her.”

  Longshot scoffed. “She’s just a kid. How—”

  A sharp crack cut him off as Saki used a robot’s severed arm to batter another bot into submission.

  “I see what you mean,” Longshot admitted, wide-eyed.

  “She’s not just good—she’s brilliant,” Armstrong said. “But well, we’ll fail as her seniors if we let her handle this alone. Everyone, let's show these damn robots what the Shinjuku Vigilante Association is worth. Let’s go!”

  Saki barely noticed their renewed effort as she tore through the battlefield. Each movement was deliberate, every strike calculated. The tide of battle began to shift as vigilantes rallied around her, their morale bolstered by her unrelenting determination.

  I won’t let them down, Saki thought, her cobalt eyes blazing with resolve as she plunged deeper into the chaos.

  In the midst of the intense battle, Saki’s mind wandered back to the reasons that pushed her to put her life on the line for the safety of others.

  Being a villain sucked. Not one day went by without our villain towns being used as playgrounds by the supervillains. On top of this, with the many prejudices that weighed on us, we received less attention from the Hero Alliance League.

  She sighed heavily, as she wiped off the sweat dripping down her face.

  That was why the vigilante association was the main line of defence against the degenerate supervillains. These people needed us more than anything. So if my ridiculously frightening strength could help protect the people of Villain Town Shinjuku, I would gladly put it into use.

  Tightening her fist, she unleashed a brutal torrent of punches at the remaining enemies, not sparing any of them.

  Saki’s eyes burned brighter, her resolve solidifying as the last of the robots fell beneath her strike. Just like with all the other fights that she had gone through, she was not going to stop. Not until the last bot was destroyed, and not until the people of Villain Town Shinjuku were safe once more.

  At last, the army of robots had been defeated, leaving only the gigantic 60m one to be dealt with. But suddenly out of nowhere, the people who had taken refuge at the borders were loudly cheering from the sidelines. However, contrary to one might have thought, neither she nor her fellow colleagues were on the receiving end of these cheerful shouts of encouragement, making the girl switch her attention back to the gigantic mecha.

  Saki stood frozen for a moment, her breath catching in her throat as the realisation hit her.

  The flames from Kinryu’s attacks illuminated the battlefield as he soared through the air, his powers creating ripples in the sky. Dash was everywhere, his speed dismantling the robot faster than Saki’s eyes could follow. Raijin, with his energy-sucking powers, was draining life from the metallic monstrosity at its core.

  Saki’s heart pounded in her chest, her pulse thundering in her ears. The heroes she had admired from afar—heroes who were now right in front of her—were the ones ending the battle she had been a part of.

  For a moment, she couldn’t move. Her fangirl side overwhelmed her, eyes wide and mouth agape in sheer admiration. Kinryu. Dash. Raijin. The names she had memorised, the heroes she had studied. They were here, fighting just a few metres away from her, and for a brief moment, Saki was just... a fan again.

  Taking off her mask, she drew in the cold air of the evening to calm her blood still burning from the adrenaline rush of the battle. Her eyes glanced over toward the towering mecha, giving all of her attention to her idols, carefully watching and absorbing the amazing display of strengths of her heroes. Her cobalt eyes gazing at them with envy, secretly wishing that she could fight beside them.

  But she quickly pushed that thought aside. There was a line she couldn’t cross—a boundary she had accepted long ago. Being a vigilante was the limit of her desire to protect people. It was as far as someone cursed with villain genes could dare to dream. Anything beyond that was arrogance. A delusion.

  Stop dreaming. A villain can never become a superhero. Just be happy that you got to watch them closer this time. That’s good enough.

  With this bitter thought in mind, the girl hid behind her mask once more, suppressing her flickering hopes and desires to be a part of the heroes’ stage. Her eyes dimmed as her harsh reality caught up with her.