It was a sword far too large to be wielded with one hand.

The jet-black blade emits a cold air like ice scooped from a river of sorrow. The green line on the blade shines with an eerie radiance like a devil’s fire.

Rintaro, with the magic sword in his hand, looked down at Minato, who was lying on the ground, covered in wounds, without making the slightest move.

「Don’t flinch! His weapon is only a sword after all, so as long as we are wearing the latest hero suit, we’ll be safe!」

One of the heroes surrounding him held up a ray gun.

Even if the opponent is a vicious mysterious being, the fact remains that they are outnumbered. The total number of heroes stationed at the main entrance is 100, and if the heroes inside the facility are included, there are as many as 250 heroes in the branch.

Although the majority of the group are newcomers, the numbers are more than adequate. Therefore, there is not even a one in a million chance of defeat.　

They were convinced of that.

「Is it you.」

With trembling aim, his eyes met with the man’s.

「Hih」

Faster than he could scream, the magic sword traced a glowing green trail in the darkness.

All the heroes present could see was that trail…

The magic sword was swung down with a speed beyond recognition and slammed into the shoulder of the hero suit. The blow, driven by rage, broke the collarbone through the ultra-hard carbon and blade-resistant fibers, reaching down to the ribs.

「Ugyaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!」

The man who preached the safety of the latest model of hero suit proved its performance with his own body. If the blade had dug in just three centimeters further, the blade would have reached his heart.

「Shoot! Shooooot!!!」

Someone shouted this as if to suppress their fear.

Multiple muzzle flashed, rays of light, and lead bullets struck Rintaro in the flesh.

However–

Rintaro took the deadly bullet that was fired at him with his left arm, which did not have a sword.

「Is it you.」

Faster than the blood spurting from his arm, Rintaro swung his magic sword sideways.

The three heroes with their guns were flung 30 meters away, unable to avoid them.

Swords wielded with brute force and without regard for one’s own wounds no longer have any logic or skill. But because of this, even heroes have no way to resist the overwhelming and unreasonable violence.

「Is it you, is it you, is it yoooooouuuuuu!!!!!」

In a rage like an active volcano, Rintaro wielded his demon sword despite wounds all over his body. He broke every spear in sight, shattered shields, pierced guns, gouged armor, and slaughtered pride.

A raging storm of scarlet and green darkness spread fear and despair, dragging the heroes one by one into the depths of hell.

「Impossible……, Something- something like this……」

What is surprising is Rintaro’s physical ability.

Although he naturally possessed superior physical abilities, his movements, despite being a flesh-and-blood body, clearly overwhelmed the human race. Whether this was due to the power of the magic sword or anger is not known.

However, the human body, burned by resentment and rage, continued to devour the enemy before it, even with wounds that are close to fatal.

Despite having the overwhelming advantage in numbers, the champions of justice were defeated one after another.

「It’s no use…! We are no match for him!」

Their heroic instincts warn them. They should never confront it.

It was no longer a person or even a mysterious being that they must exterminate.

Rintaro’s unfocused eyes catch sight of the backs of the fleeing heroes.

「…… Don’t run away, you… it’s cowardly… it’s cowardly to run away after promoting good and punishing eviiiiiiiiil!!!!!!!!!!!」

A line of green light extended from the blade to the hilt and finally crawled up Rintaro’s arm. Half of his body was covered in green flames, and it was too deformed to be called a person, and too orderly to be called a mysterious being.

His appearance was that of a disaster, an evil demon that slaughters justice in its rage.

「Wa- wait, let’s talk and you…… Guwaaaaah!!!」

「Please let me go, I have a family… Higyaaaaaaaah!!!」

A bloody murderous intent attacks their backs as they flee. Against the lone demon, the 250 heroes were now the ones being hunted…

Only a few minutes after the battle began.

Among the more than 100 heroes in the crowd, Rintaro was the only one standing until the end, covered in scars.

If this is not called a disaster, what on earth should it be called?

「Hahi… help, someone, help me…!」

The rookie hero, the only one to escape the deadly blade, crawled on the ground and struggled to get as far away as possible.

The first senior to be attacked was convulsing, letting out an incomprehensible cry of “Ohh… Ohh…” that was neither a word nor a sound.

There was no guarantee that she would survive the same attack.

But then she clearly heard the breath of a wild predator.

「……Is it you……」

As if she had been grabbed by the neck, the rookie hero’s body was lifted into the air and slammed against an outdoor lamp in the front yard of the branch.

「ーーーーー!!」

The impact compressed her lungs and made an inaudible sound escape her mouth.

How happy she would have been if she had lost consciousness.

When she caught her breath and looked up, she saw a bloodied man standing in front of her, holding a magic sword.

「I see, it’s you.」

In the hands of the rookie hero was a stylishly designed ray gun. It was the only way to protect herself, so she held on to it even though she was hurt.

It was, without a doubt, the gun that pierced the Sword Mountain Mysterious Being Swordminas’ vital point. The man’s eyes, which held no light whatsoever, looked down at the rookie hero with conviction.

「I- i- i- it’s true that I was the one who shot the bullet…! I- I- I was… j- j- j- just fulfilling my duty as a hero…!」

The rookie hero hurriedly tried to explain herself, but the evil mysterious being’s answer was extremely simple.

「I’ll kill you.」

The green flames surrounding the man’s half-body burst into flames. The jet-black magic sword wailed as if in mourning for the dead.

The great sword was slowly lifted with an overwhelming killing intent that was incomparable to anything that had come before.

「Piiiiiiiiii!!!!!」

The rookie hero could no longer keep her eyes open at the misfortune that was about to befall her, and she let out a pathetic scream as she lost control of her bladder.

And at that very moment, when murderous intent and misfortune were about to take shape and be swung down…

「Anikiiiiiiii!!!」

Together with the child’s scream, the dark murderous aura that had been swelling up in front of her dissipated.

The magic sword was quietly lowered without fulfilling its true purpose. At the same time, the body of the rookie hero, who had already fainted, relaxed limply.

The blood-soaked man collapsed on top.

A small figure ran up to the man. It is the home of heroes, but no one tried to stop her.

No one was able to stand up any longer.

Two shadows appeared after the girl and were perplexed at the devastation they saw. And as soon as they saw Rintaro, covered in wounds and lying on the ground, and Minato, who was growing cold and gasping for air, they realized what was going on.

「This…… Did senpai do this alone……?」

「Kirika, you mustn’t tell anyone about this. We’ll leave here as soon as we retrieve the two of them.」

「Understood. I’ll get the car right away.」

…………

It was a few minutes after Rintaro and the others were collected that Retto and Asaka escaped from the underground interrogation room and arrived at the front yard of the branch.

Heroes groaned as they lay unconscious and piled high. Many of them had sustained near-fatal injuries.

Even though many of them were newcomers, it was hard to believe.

「Asaka-san, call an ambulance!」

「Arrangements have already been made. I’m more concerned about the seriously injured.」

「Got it! Hey-kun, pull yourself together!」

Fainting under an exterior light was that rookie hero whom Retto shook hands with.

A piece of paper was roughly taped to her forehead with duct tape.

「Asaka!　Look at this!　It might be a statement by the mysterious beings!」

「This handwriting…… Saya……?」

Asaka recognized the handwriting.

It was unmistakably the handwriting of her own sister, Samecchi, who left her after mysterious being awakening.

On the paper was written.

『Zetsu Green Dog.』

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