Amidst the constant hustle and bustle of the Hero's Association, Albedo and Scathach found themselves handling a whirlwind of tasks, from endless paperwork to attending strategy meetings.
Despite the chaos, they were granted a special room inside the Hero Exam Center.
This gesture, an unspoken recognition of their connection to an S-Class Hero, served both to reduce their burden and to acknowledge their incredible status. T
he room itself was a comfortable space, far removed from the overwhelming commotion outside. Without a second thought, Albedo and Scathach accepted the arrangement, knowing that it would make their stay easier.
One afternoon, as they took a moment to relax in the room, Albedo casually leaned back in her chair, eyeing Scathach with curiosity.
"So, Scathach," she began, the tone in her voice playful yet probing.
"Why did you hold back during the examination? You could've easily scored higher. I mean, look at you. You're a powerhouse."
Scathach glanced over at her, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
"Well, I thought it would be more interesting this way,"
she replied with a small chuckle.
"Besides, we wouldn't want to overshadow our Master too much, right?"
Both women were aware of their immense strength—power capable of leveling entire cities if they truly wanted to—but they'd purposely restrained themselves during the examination.
Scathach, despite her overwhelming abilities, had ended up in B-Class, ranked 104, not far behind Albedo, who landed at Rank 98.
The rankings had surprised many, considering their performance.
They both had easily crushed both the physical and written portions of the exam. Yet, their ranks were deceptively modest compared to their actual potential.
"The Hero Association might have been expecting a bit more... fireworks from us,"
Albedo continued with a wink.
"But I think it's more fun this way. Besides, if we went all out, Master might end up feeling a bit... left out. We're a team, after all."
Scathach nodded, amused.
"Exactly. And we don't want all the attention to be on us. That wouldn't be very fair to Master."
As they exchanged banter, a man outside the door, Sekingar, inadvertently overheard their conversation.
He blinked in surprise, his brow furrowing. They were holding back?
The realization hit him hard. He had seen their performance firsthand. Their scores were off the charts, and their raw power was... unsettling. Yet, they had purposely toned it down.
'B-Class…? With their abilities?' he thought, momentarily lost in thought. 'Could they even be contenders for A-Class... no, maybe higher?'
His musings were interrupted by a buzz in his earpiece. He quickly answered it, eager to refocus.
"Hello?"
A voice, cold and commanding, shot through the earpiece. "Is everything in order with the new monster?" It was Tatsumaki.
Her voice was sharp and direct, almost cutting through the air itself. "Give me its location."
Sekingar flinched. Tatsumaki's reputation as a volatile, unpredictable force was well-known, and he knew better than to cross her.
"Uh, everything's fine," he quickly replied. "The situation with the disaster was resolved before it could escalate further.
You should focus on your shopping with Fubuki. Enjoy the day. Everything's under control."
There was a brief silence before Tatsumaki's voice returned, colder than ever.
"Fine. But if I hear anything about that monster again, I won't hesitate to deal with it myself." With that, the line went dead.
Sekingar sighed in relief, grateful for the brief reprieve. He looked toward the room where Albedo and Scathach were now preparing to leave.
He couldn't help but feel uneasy about the new arrivals. These two were unlike any heroes he'd ever met before.
Before he could think any more on it, the door swung open, and Albedo stepped out, her usual confident air on full display.
"We're heading out," she said, her voice brimming with a playful authority.
"Is there anything we need to know as new heroes? Any protocols or rules we should follow?"
Sekingar, who was still mentally recovering from his conversation with Tatsumaki, quickly snapped back to attention.
"Ah, yes," he stammered. "Well, C-Class heroes have a weekly task quota, but as B-Class heroes, you're exempt from that. Your main focus will be neutralizing Mysterious Beings as they appear. Other than that, you're free to... operate however you wish."
Scathach smiled knowingly.
"Neutralizing Mysterious Beings, huh? Sounds like fun."
She adjusted her cloak, her demeanor light but with a glint of seriousness beneath the surface. "We'll make sure to take care of that."
With that, they turned to leave, but Sekingar couldn't shake the strange feeling in his chest. There was something about these two that didn't add up.
They were powerful, yes, but their motivations, their origins—they were mysteries he wasn't sure he wanted to uncover.
Outside, the sun was beginning to set, casting a warm glow over the city.
A familiar figure stood near a sleek, expensive-looking sports car, leaning casually against it.
The figure removed his glasses and looked over in their direction, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
"Well, well," Albedo said, tilting her head as she spotted him.
"You're that guy from earlier, aren't you? The one who was hanging around with Master."
Amai Mask, the self-proclaimed
"hero" of the people, gave a nonchalant shrug. "I don't remember you. But, in case you're wondering, give your man a message. Amai Mask will be keeping a close eye on him."
Albedo raised an eyebrow, her tone still light but her expression cooling.
"Are you starting something? I'm pretty sure you're not here to chat."
Before Amai Mask could respond, an invisible force gripped him, halting his movement entirely. He froze in place, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Psychokinesis?"
Amai Mask muttered under his breath, more curious than frightened. He had encountered many monsters in his life, but never a human with powers like this.
Albedo turned to Scathach, giving her a small, knowing nod. "Your turn."
With a smile that was as lethal as it was serene, Scathach took a step forward, her eyes narrowing as she addressed Amai Mask directly.
"You'd better stop harassing Master," she said, her voice low and serious.
"He doesn't have the time or patience for your petty games."
Amai Mask, feeling the weight of her words and power, grimaced. His pride flared for a moment, but he realized that this wasn't a battle he was likely to win. He didn't want to escalate things further.
"Fine, whatever,"
he muttered, gathering his strength to break free from Scathach's telekinetic hold. With a final, frustrated grunt, he pushed himself away and slid into his car.
Without another word, he sped off into the night.
Albedo watched him leave, her arms crossed and a playful smirk tugging at her lips.
"What a waste of time. His head's clearly not on straight. But oh well,"
she added with a dramatic sigh, turning to Scathach.
"Let's go have some fun. There's got to be a damsel in distress out there waiting for us to save her. Or, you know, a monster to crush."
Scathach chuckled, her smile widening. "Sounds like a plan. Let's go, my lucky star."
With that, the two of them disappeared into the night, ready for whatever the city had in store for them.