Suiko couldn’t predict what would happe. One moment, the monster was about to attack, the , S-Css Hero King casually stepped out of a gaming shop as if he’d been hiding there all along. Then, a caped bald man called out saying that King had ‘weakehe monster for him,’ before pointing at her and btantly hitting on her.

  She goward King, who hadn’t moved an inch siepping outside. Had he actually done something to the mohe thought g her, leading to one clusion, King’s might was unfathomable.

  “How do you know my—”

  “Your he bald man grinned. “I’m a big fan. ‘Void Fist’—yrandfather’s a true legend, so of course I’m ied in the iors of his martial art. Say, I would love to swing by your dojo sometime.”

  A spark of ioward the mysterious newer flickered within Suiko as she made her way to King’s side.

  Creak

  Faultless Marioe’s body trembled violently. “Ignore me…? The one who grants fwlessness? Uable!”

  With a thunderous cp, it smmed its charred wooden hands together. Suddenly, tless threads shot from its fiips, weaving through the air and twisting into the shape of a massive war hammer.

  Suiko gritted her teeth. If the monster had wao, it could have ended her with ease. She despised this feeling. The st time she had felt so powerless was two years ago, when her grandfather passed away.

  This bald man carried himself with absolute fidence, yet his posture and stance were those of a plete amateur fighter. Was he bluffing? Did he think he could act tough just because King was here to save him? These thoughts tumbled in Suiko’s mind, but failed to settle as she watched what unfolded .

  Faultless Marioe lu the man with blurring speed, defying its hulking size. The war hammer desded like an avanche, unstoppable.

  “Oh. I love this game.”

  The war hammer struck true, crushing him into the pavement.

  Did he really just...

  Faultless Marioe raised up its war hammer. “It is time… To plete your transformation. Hmm?” Its violet eyes flickered.

  The bald man was buried neck-deep in crete, yet his expression remained as carefree as ever.

  “Alright, let’s begin. Try your best to hit me.”

  Faultless Marioe wasted no time, smming its massive war hammer down again, sending ks of crete flying and leaving a small crater in its wake.

  “He’s…” Suiko mumbled.

  “He is pying a game of ‘Whac-A-Mole’ with the monster,” said King, his voiwavering.

  Suiko could only nod, eyes locked on the lunafolding before her.

  Faultless Marioruck again and again, each swing faster tha, yet no matter how relentless its attacks became, it couldn’t nd a single blow.

  “Why…? Cease your futile resistance! You must uand. Perfe! I will bestow it!”

  With a frantic gesture, Faultless Marioe split its hands apart, the threads of its war hammer rapidly unraveling and twisting into two separate war hammers.

  “Enough of your nonsehe man’s hand shot through the crete, tg onto the monster’s leg with an iron grip. “Why don’t you e down here and see what it’s like to be the mole? Do you think the mole enjoys getting whacked?”

  Faultless Marioe raised its war hammers, but before they could desd even an inch, its massive frame vanished — dragged under in a blink.

  RUMBLE!

  Suiko braced herself as a powerful underground bst sent shockwaves rippling through the street. The ground trembled violently beh their feet, buildings groaned in protest, and abandoned cars rocked madly before everythiled once more.

  She gnced over at King, noting how his expression and stance remained pletely unged. The ‘King Engine,‘ still making its presenown.

  How closed had her eyes been? Why had she ever felt proud of her abilities? pared to those who wielded true strength, she was nothing more than a liability. Perhaps... one of them would give her some pointers.

  A deep noise from beh the ground pulled her attention forward. As the noise reached its peak, a red-gloved hand burst through the charred pavement, thrusting into the air. With effortless ease, the bald man crawled out, brushing debris from his suit.

  Suiko couldn’t stay silent any longer and asked, “What’s your name? Are you a hero? A martial artist? How did you do that? Would you be willing to give me some pointers? Maybe you could swing by the dojo like you mentiohe—”

  The bald man raised a hand. “Whoa, slow down. Too many questions.” He fshed a carefree grin. “But to ahe first two, my name’s Caspian, and I’m just a hero for fun.”

  Suiko tilted her head, brow furrowing in thought. “Nope. Never heard of you.”

  Caspian shrugged and turned his attention toward King. “We meet again at st. And what do you do? Save yet another city. Hey, what’s in that bag?”

  “N-Nothing!” King’s quickly hid the shopping bag behind his back.

  Is this how the powerful act?

  Suiko studied the pair. The more they versed and moved about, the more it seemed she was watg twur humans with no actual fighting experience. Her instincts screamed this detail at her. But it couldn’t be true. She had already been wrong too many times today, and this must have bee another error on her end.

  After waiting for what felt like minutes, Suiko had to interrupt them, first turning to King. “Hey. Would you be willing to give me some pointers?”

  “Nope, I have to go.”

  Suiko wao respond, but King had already walked bato the store.

  Go where?!

  She looked at Caspian and asked, “How about you?”

  Caspian looked away. “’t say I’m fan of being someone’s sed choice.”

  But I asked you first…

  Following those words, he ran away before disappearing into some alley.

  Suiko stood there in a daze. Did their strength screw with their minds? What just happened?

  Her eyes closed and reopened with a new, determined light. “I won’t let you get away that easily.”

  While she admired King for his strength, that was where it ended. With Caspian, though, it was different. Something about him sparked her curiosity. She had to learn all she could about this man. He cimed to be a hero, so the first step would be to check the Heristry.

  Actually, that gave her an idea, a new dire to follow.

  “I’ll bee a hero too,” said Suiko as she focused in the dire Caspian disappeared.