4 Days After the Gaze of Chronus
The night hung over the city in a dark yet luminous way, with twinkling stars creating a breathtaking spectacle, their unyielding presence as majestic as an indestructible titan.
Amidst it all, in a corporate building, Nelsinho was euphoric—more than he had ever been in his entire life.
He was the owner of a private communication lines company (7KO), primarily used by Local Heroes. Due to this, the company offered extremely high-quality services, utilizing solar-powered signals to interconnect calls as needed for solo heroes, teams, and more across the globe.
But in most cases, major heroes didn't rely on such services.
Today was different.
He received a notification from his artificial secretary about an unknown call from an unidentified number.
His secretary was programmed to alert him only in cases where the caller was someone of utmost importance or in the event of a heroic emergency. Naturally, he answered immediately.
He never expected to hear Hirofumi Naobito's voice on the other end.
HIROFUMI FREAKING NAOBITO.
He had followed this man's career since before his time at the Academy, back when the famous Jihai was just a mere Local Hero—if even that!
Now, the Emerald Sentinel, the Angelic Insectoid, the One Born of Hell, the Angel in the Flesh of Plague, the Next Strongest, the Beast Chained by Darkness, the Second Coming of Adam on Earth, was speaking directly to him!
And his words were even more thrilling!
HE SAID "HELLO"!!!
Oh, and he also mentioned needing to be connected with a Local Hero from North Carolina—something about helping a rookie who would soon be making headlines after some training.
BUT WHO CARES ABOUT THAT?!
Nelsinho's device was almost immediately replaced after the call. Why? Simple! The old DermaData had instantly become a highly valuable collector's item—not just for personal collection but also for sale. He could already see the money rolling in!
How would anyone believe him?
Simple.
He recorded the call!
His enthusiasm, however, was suddenly interrupted by sharp pain as violent coughing wracked his body. Blood splattered onto his desk, forcing him to quickly wipe his mouth.
He ensured his throat was intact and smiled.
He owed it all to the man he admired so deeply, who had now indirectly done him a great favor—just as Osvaldo Carmini had done, both in life and in death.
The money from selling that DermaData would finally cure him of the illness he had been unable to defeat until now.
The pain, the cries of anger and despair, the neural shocks, the intense bleeding, the kidney stones—all of it would finally end thanks to this moment.
Because this was something that hadn't even involved the adopted son of the greatest hero of the modern era, Mattheuz Henriques.
Hirofumi Naobito was colossal.
And everyone knew it.
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The Internet | Next Morning | 5 Days After the Gaze of Chronus
The planet's social networks weren't ready for the revelation that followed that night. Nelson Belson, the CEO of the world's largest heroic communication company, had apparently gone insane.
He gave all his employees—yes, even the non-sentient robots—a five-week vacation.
Then he walked out naked onto the street while recording himself, avoiding arrest only because the sole eyewitness was an old lady who liked what she saw.
When asked about his actions on social media, he recounted the events of the previous night, presenting concrete evidence.
The response shook the world.
Hirofumi Naobito training his own disciple?
It had never happened before—not until that moment. Especially given how young he was!
The news, however, was never officially confirmed, leaving room for endless theories and doubts, which fueled engagement and created a snowball of comments across platforms.
It became the most talked-about topic of the day and would remain so for the next two weeks.
Newspapers ran headlines about the event, just as they had once reported for three consecutive days about his high school razor, which had been found buried underground.
The media even created conspiracy theories about his simple new haircut, claiming he wasn't the real Jihai but a reptilian impostor.
This was the power of Hirofumi Naobito's global fame.
And unbeknownst to anyone, the young man was laughing his heart out.
It was all part of a plan—a leadership strategy to generate massive engagement and divert attention from the fact that he had not been acting as a hero for some time.
No suspicions would arise about his strength in the public eye. Even if the rumor lasted only a month, all he had to do was confirm it and move on to the next one—until he fully regained his power.
He killed three birds with one stone:
He helped his friend, ensuring the rookie would attract the attention of numerous Local Heroes willing to mentor him (providing extra trainers beyond the one he already had in mind).
He shifted focus away from himself to something he orchestrated.
And finally, Nelson was now in his debt.
The money from selling that DermaData had allowed Nelson to afford the treatment for the strange illness that had plagued him for so long.
It was too advantageous to have the president of a company of this caliber in his corner.
Hirofumi might be foolish, but he wasn't an idiot.
His intellect lay in planning.
Flies are cunning and repugnant, always staying two steps ahead of anyone trying to swat them, crafting schemes, and reacting faster than humans.
An angel is a being of light that protects humanity from demonic creatures, bad omens, and stays close to a person's life.
Both represented him.
The fly symbolized his dark past, his intelligence, his unpredictability.
The angel symbolized his kindness.
He was...
The Angel in Plague's Flesh.
To be continued…