Thursday, December 1, 807
City of Fort
In an apartment located on the upper floors of a building, not far from the official headquarters of the Heroes Association, the sound of an alarm clock echoes, signaling 7:00 am.
After a few moments, an arm emerges from under the covers of a bed and forcefully smashes the alarm clock, destroying it.
The man in question is a high-ranking Hero named Zeff; tall and muscular, the only things that don't quite fit his appearance are his messy black hair and unkempt beard.
Zeff opens the bedside drawer, takes one of the many alarms there, and remarks: "Hope you survive till tomorrow morning, miss."
He places the new alarm on the bedside table and then looks out of the bedroom window.
"Mission starts today, huh? Hope it wraps up quickly."
He reaches for a pack of cigarettes on the bedside table and lights one.
Afterwards, he thinks to himself: "...I really don't feel like doing this."
The room's silence is interrupted by a ringing cellphone; someone is calling him.
Zeff, already gearing up for a punch, holds back when he reads the caller's name. He accepts the call and puts the phone to his ear.
"Hello... dad?" The angelic voice of a little girl emerges from the phone, touching him.
"Sweetie! Are you already awake? Good girl!"
"Hehe... Mom told me to call you, so you won't be late for work."
"Oh... Thanks, Tomie. Did you have breakfast?"
"Not yet, dad. Mom is making it. She said I'll spend the whole day with you on Saturday, is that true?"
"Yes, sweetheart. We'll spend the whole day together. Sorry, but I have to hang up now. Remember that I love you, my dear!"
"I love you too, dad. Bye!"
Zeff, initially annoyed and depressed, seems to have regained vitality to face the day.
...
8:45 AM
After leaving his apartment, he quickly arrives at the central headquarters of the Heroes Association.
Entering the building, he takes the elevator to the thirteenth floor. Once there, he calmly walks to a room and opens the door without knocking.
Inside, a dozen people are seated around a table having a meeting.
Zeff, still with a smile on his face, ignores everyone and takes his seat.
At the head of the table is Yu Yato, the president of the Heroes Association. A middle-aged man, he never lost his charm, but due to sensitive eyes, he always wears sunglasses.
Zeff's arrival doesn't disturb Yato much; it's a usual situation. He just looks at him with resignation.
Zeff, feeling defensive, says: "I promised I'd come, and here I am! Don't look at me like that."
"I told you the meeting starts at eight sharp..." Replies Yu Yato, showing a desperate face.
"Oh... But I'm here now. Carry on; I'm listening."
Accustomed to his behavior, Yato says nothing more and continues his speech: "Forgive me; let me recap a few points for obvious reasons. At eleven sharp, the demon Spider subjugation mission begins. We've been monitoring him for over a month; something disturbed him yesterday. We've tracked his movements and discovered his hideout. His lair is in a cave in the northern part of Bakuro Forest. At eleven sharp..."
He pauses for a moment to stare at Zeff, then continues: "The departure will be at eleven sharp, with the association's plane. The designated team for the operation will be 'Tomie Team'."
A woman with long silver hair shows discontent. She starts staring at Yu Yato, implicitly asking for explanations.
"Hero Mei... I chose 'Tomie Team' because I trust Hero Zeff!" Yato replies, pointing a hand at Zeff, who is stretching with his legs on the table.
Seeing that behavior, Hero Mei gets irritated and says: "See, President? He might be a skilled Hero, but his behavior is no different from a criminal. I don't understand why you rely so much on him. Besides, my team has field experience; I really don't understand your choice."
"This will be an important test for his team. The Spider demon is of low-intermediate rank; it shouldn't be a problem for them. I'll assign your team the next mission."
Mei looks at him with a resigned expression, then stands up and says: "Understood, if the meeting is over, I'll take my leave."
Yu Yato nods.
"Mei... If you continue like this, you'll never find a husband." Zeff tries to provoke her.
Mei ignores him and quickly leaves the room.
The other participants, having accepted President Yu Yato's decision, leave the room calmly.
Yato approaches Zeff, still seated.
"So, what do you think of those kids? Do they have potential?"
"They might; they've chosen some good weapons."
...
10:45 AM
Room 549, twenty-second floor of the same building.
Inside, three young Heroes are sitting on various armchairs, waiting for updates.
They recently graduated from different military academies and are here to undergo the final test to become full-fledged Heroes. Among the three, Kon and Haro are boys, while June is the only girl.
After some silence, Haro decides to speak: "Shouldn't we introduce ourselves? At this point, I think we'll be doing the mission together... I'm Haro."
Kon and June look at him curiously, or rather, they look at his long bangs.
"Shouldn't you cut that thing? It's so long it's covering your eyes." Kon is the first to reply, but he doesn't look directly at him; instead, he continues to gaze at his phone.
"After completing this mission, we'll probably work separately. So, I don't see any point in these introductions." June speaks next, looking at him indifferently.
Haro starts to look at them with disdain, wondering where the world is heading with Heroes like them.
At that moment, someone opens the door without knocking: it's Zeff.
Immediately after entering, he stares at the three kids and says: "So... You with the bangs should be Hiro. You with the blond hair should be Kan... While this girl with the princess complex should be Rachel. Well, get up... I'm Hero Zeff, and I'll be your examiner."
Haro puts a hand on his heart, nearly having a heart attack. He merely mutters something quietly: "Maybe we're already screwed."
June stands up, followed by Kon and the already traumatized Haro.
"Today's mission is simple. We need to take a plane to go into a forest to kill a spider that has grown a bit too much. Do you all have your weapons?"
They immediately show him their swords.
"Good, then follow me; we're going to the rooftop."
They leave the room and take an elevator, which will take them to the top floor.
"For the record, this group will be called 'Tomie Team.' Remember it until you die."
This catches June's attention, who promptly asks: "Examiner, so once we pass this mission, we'll continue working with this group?"
Generally, new Heroes, after passing the final test, are free to choose how to approach their careers. They can act individually or form teams with other Heroes to tackle more complex missions, but the choice remains theirs.
"Of course, princess. I personally chose you. " He responds with a serious tone.
"Pfft... Hahaha."
Kon can't hold back his laughter and explains: "Sorry, sorry... It's just funny that she doesn't even remember our names but claims she chose us personally, haha."
Zeff looks at him puzzled, then changes his expression, as if he understood what Kon meant, and reveals: "Ah... You thought I was talking about you."
Kon stops laughing and looks at Zeff suspiciously, then glances at Haro, who remains confused like him.
The elevator opens, so they head to the rooftop where the plane is already waiting.
"Let's finish this quickly because I have plans for the weekend," Zeff says, already bored.
The three nod thoughtfully, with one idea in their minds: This Zeff doesn't seem very reliable.