Hero For Lust

The next day arrived, bringing with it a lull in the timeline. Caspian, taking advantage of this lull, set out in search of someone.

Before him lay a large city, different from any he had encountered thus far. At its farthest edge, perched atop a cliff, stood a row of ancient feudal Japanese-style buildings.

This city was none other than G-City. Upon arriving, Caspian recalled a couple of details: first, this was where Shibabawa lived, and second, it was home to the Council of Swordmasters Headquarters.

As for how he found this city in a timely manner…

Yesterday evening, after disciplining Sneck, Caspian visited an electronics store and purchased a high-quality phone. After leaving the store, he felt thankful to Sneck for 'providing' the requisite funds. In a good mood, he decided he would lend Sneck a hand in the future.

Waking up early this morning and with the aid of GPS, he sprinted toward G-City at record-breaking speeds. The wind hasted past him as the various landscapes blurred into streaks of color.

"This is the only place I can think to look."

¤ ¤ ¤

A thick layer of clouds blanketed the skies over G-City. Combined with a dense fog rolling down from the mountains and winding through the crowded streets, the city transformed into a lusterless world destined for limited visibility.

On a quiet street, a golden-brown-skinned woman in her early twenties walked with confident strides. Her athletic, curvy figure was accentuated by a cropped top and pants fastened with gem-like hooks, revealing glimpses of her thighs and wide hips. Her long white hair, tied in a high ponytail, cascaded down to the hilts of two curved swords crisscrossed on her lower back. As she moved, her bare feet seemed to glide effortlessly over the pavement, framed by stirrup-like legwear.

This bewitching woman's name was Yuta.

Father was called in for a meeting with the Council. I wonder what crisis could have transpired?

Yuta continued down the foggy, shop-lined street, her sharp eyes darting between passersby.

Trust in strangers had never come easily to her, not for as long as she could recall.

In order to reach my full potential, I must keep hunting monsters. Father, I will bring honor to your name.

Asudden, an explosion thundered out from the distant corner of the city.

Yuta watched as people ran past her, terrified.

"Monster attack!"

"Heroes, please save us!"

An opportunity has unveiled itself before me.

With practiced grace, Yuta wove through the streams of fleeing people, her movement fluid and unhindered. Instead of slowing her down, the disarray seemed to fuel her momentum, her speed increasing with every step.

Her swift strides brought her to the edge of G-City, where the urban sprawl gave way to a dense forest. Entire buildings had vanished, leaving only eerie voids in their place, as if they had never stood at all.

A massive shadow descended from the sky, bearing down on her with terrifying speed.

In an instant, her curved swords were unsheathed. With a precise, flowing motion, she spun gracefully, the blades held high above her head, their arcs gleaming as they sliced through the encroaching danger.

CLANG!

Her elegant movement deflected the thick and jagged black talons of the monster, diverting to force of creature away from her.

The monster, having failed its strike, landed on the street ahead of her, causing the nearby surroundings to quake.

Yuta's eyes narrowed. She could sense the monster in front of her was stronger than any she had faced before.

The monster stood 10 meters tall, its feathers a striking blend of black and gold. Each feather shimmered like a blade. While its long, serrated beak glinted like a guillotine.

-

Name: Overlord Sparrow

Disaster Level: High Demon

-

Overlord Sparrow's glowing, red eyes locked onto Yuta, as he spoke, "Why must humanity continue to interfere with I, Overlord Sparrow's goals? I was born because of my grudge against humanity for destroying my nests repeatedly. But with my newfound might, I shall annihilate every human settlement and all who inhabit them. You shall be the first to witness my true power."

Yuta raised her swords, her stance poised and precise, like an adroit figurant ready to perform. "I will not assent to your existence," she declared, her voice firm and unwavering, as her blades gleamed under the dim light that seeped through the thick clouds and fog.

"Hubristic fool." Overlord Sparrow ascended into the air. His massive, obsidian-colored wings spanned an imposing 30 meters, their edges lined with jagged spines.

His voiced boomed. "'Chaos Epidemic!'" Immediately, pulsating gray veins spread across the underside of his wings.

Yuta remained guarded, waiting for a chance to counterstrike.

Without warning, explosions erupted across nearby and distant buildings, the chaos escalating as firestorms swirled through the city, followed by violent twisters that tore through everything in their path. The devastation was immense, likely claiming many lives. One environmental aberration after another followed, each more destructive than the last, relentlessly wreaking havoc throughout G-City.

I must stop him.

Yuta's speed peaked as her body spun, transforming her into a sword cyclone, propelling her toward him.

Before she could close the gap, Overlord Sparrow's massive frame descended. His large talons piercing through the pavement, holding him in place.

"'Wing Shockwaves!'" Sparrow's deep voice thundered as he flapped his wings at a blurring speed. The result being violent shockwaves of wind rocketing toward the airborne Yuta.

She had no way to dodge the attack and could only slow down enough to raise her swords in front of her vital organs.

SMASH!

The force of the attack hurled her through a large building, shattering walls and scattering debris as she crashed onto the wide street on the other side. The impact sent tremors through the ground, leaving a trail of destruction in her wake.

Yuta struggled to her feet as blood trailed down from her mouth. Her eyes focused on Overlord Sparrow, who had reappeared from above.

I am still too weak. With but one of its assaults I am on my last stand.

"Witless human," Overlord Sparrow sneered. "With your speed, you might've been able to escape and prolong your pitiful existence for a while longer. But now, I shall erase you, along with this entire city, from this mortal coil."

Overlord Sparrow ascended higher into the sky, the gray veins on his wings glowing brighter as they crept toward his throat. He opened his beak, and a ball of swirling, chaotic gray energy formed, steadily growing in size.

Yuta stared up at the monster, her expression stoic, her lips pressed into a thin line. Forgive me, Father. I have underestimated my foe. My inadequacy has cost many lives on this day. Farew—

A hand gently landed on her shoulder. "There you are. Are you okay?"

Yuta's eyes widened. Even in her current state, she should still be able to sense someone approaching her from behind.

Turning to her head, she caught sight of an ordinary looking bald man in a yellow one-piece jumpsuit.

"Haha! Another human has arrived to witness their eradication."

By the now the swirling ball of chaotic energy had swelled to the size of a miniature sun.

Yuta grew panicked. How could she allow another innocent person to die? "Why have you yet to evacuate the city? You must flee immediately!"

"There shall be no escape!" Overgrown Sparrow raised his head. The surrounding air seemed to warp, signaling the impending release of what was undoubtedly his most devastating attack.

The ordinary man moved in front of her, facing an attack that only a powerful S-Class Hero like Atomic Samurai could handle.

"Don't worry Yuta, I'm an official C-Class Hero."

She collapsed onto her ample bottom. How does he know my name? Wait... C-Class? He is barely any greater than a passerby on the street.

Time was up. The ball of chaotic energy had ceased its growth, its immense size now casting a dark, ominous shadow over them. The air grew heavy, charged with an almost palpable dread.

"Be annihilated!" Overlord's beak slammed downward. "'Chaos Supernova!'"

Watching the swirling gray sun of chaos descend, Yuta exhaled deeply, her shoulders relaxing as she accepted her fate. Her gaze remained steady, a quiet resolve in her eyes, even as the inevitable destruction loomed closer.

Overlord Sparrow's silhouette towered behind the descending chaos. "Hahaha! I, Overlord Sparrow, am the one who decides the fate of all living things!"

"At the end of the day…" The bald man bent his knees. "…you're nothing more than an overgrown chicken."

A moment later, Yuta's entire worldview turned upside down.

The C-Class Hero launched himself from the ground, the pavement splintering into large cracks from the sheer force of his leap. He rocketed toward the 'Chaos Supernova,' and with a casual slap he not only halted the descending ball of chaos but sent it hurtling back toward its source at an even greater speed.

Overlord Sparrow's composure crumbled. "No! It can't be! Curse you humahhh—"

The Chaos Supernova struck Sparrow with unrelenting force. Like an ascending gray comet, Overlord Sparrow shot skyward, the 'Chaos Supernova' carrying him into the thick cloud cover. No visible explosion followed its detonation—only a deafening silence that lingered briefly before a massive, window-like rift appeared in the sky, revealing a vibrant blue sky beyond G-City's ever-present thick cloud cover.

Yuta's mind only came to when she noticed that C-Class Hero she referred to as an 'overconfident imbecile' held out his hand to her.

"Take my hand."

Yuta struggled to process what she had just witnessed. Who was this man? How could someone with his strength be a mere C-Class Hero? The power he displayed was uncanny, and she couldn't shake the feeling that he didn't give it his all.

Snap

"Yuta, you there?" the man asked, snapping the fingers of his other hand.

She silently took his hand as she tried to figure out how to respond.

Once she was back on her feet, she said, "I'm fine. Thank you." Yuta noticed he still hadn't let go. "Please release my hand."

The man pulled back. "My bad. Your callouses are impressive. You must train hard."

Where is he looking?

She wanted to show gratitude towards the man, but his actions, which were anything but subtle, made it difficult. Are my hips that interesting?

Before Yuta could admonish her lecherous savior, she turned, sensing multiple individuals approaching at high speed from the direction of the Swordmasters Headquarters.

Turning back, to her disbelief, the man had disappeared like an apparition. Her senses once again failed her. What were this man's depths?

Yuta sheathed her swords, the fog and smoke swirling around her. Sirens blared in the distance, mixed with the sounds of construction as G-City quickly returned to its original state, thanks to the work of S-Class Hero Metal Knight's robots.

I will not let you escape reprimand Mister C-Class Hero.