162: Archmage’s Performance
In Jimbocho, Chiyoda Ward, the new Hero Headquarters building, finally rebuilt, stood tall in the Tokyo night. The room of the ” The National Public Safety Commissions Committee, Local Human Disasters, Special Cases, Special Measures Office” as it is officially called, was still lit.
「…………」
In a room with a flimsy plaque that read “Victor Ranger Secret Base,” a man was sitting on a chair with his feet up on his knees. The room was not even air-conditioned, even though it was still bitterly cold in March.
Since the old Hero Headquarters building was completely destroyed at the end of last year, the reputation of the Hero Headquarters had been on a steady decline. In order to restore its prestige, the new building was hurriedly built only on the outside, and the indoor infrastructure was put on the back burner.
Surprisingly, the man was wearing a short-sleeved shirt in that cold room.
「…………Haa」
The man, Kurenai Retto, aka Victor Ranger leader Victor Red, sighed loudly when he saw a sheet of paper on the table.
His face, which always had a friendly smile, was tinged with sentimentality, as if he was at a funeral.
「Haaaaaaaaah, Normally I would also have had to go out…… I am so pathetiiiiic!!!」
Retto suddenly screamed and took off his thin, short-sleeved shirt. Then, with a sentimental expression on his face, he deftly began to do Hindu squats on a chair.
「１! I am so worthless! ２! I am so stubborn!」
It was in the midst of a group of friends who had finally returned to the scene of the crime and were being dispatched in response to a mysterious being alert. There was a reason why the leader of the group, Retto, was acting in such a bizarre manner.
The paper on the table, illuminated by the white light of the fluorescent lamp, was a “certificate of commendation”.
It is a token of Kurenai Retto’s spectacular achievement as a hero. At the award ceremony held during the day, Kurenai himself once refused to accept the award.
But in the end, he had to accept it. Even though it was an unbearable pain for Retto.
「６! I’m an insignificant man! ７! I am the undisputed loser!」
This was not the first time that he had received an award. Victory Sentai Victor Ranger had received several awards over the past year.
Most of them were due to the work of Victor Green, Kuriyama Rintaro. Now that his life has been taken by Death Green, those decorating the walls were now like mementos.
This year’s award was in honor of “defeating Hinosmera, the Purgatory Mysterious being”.
「21! I haven’t done anything yet! 22! I haven’t accomplished anything yet!」
Hinosumera, the purgatory mysterious being that destroyed Kasumigaseki and Ginza, disappeared with the collapse of the Rainbow Bridge. The upper echelons of the Public Security Bureau believe that this was due to a war between the mysterious beings.
Of course, it was not Retto who gave Hinosmera the finishing blow. Retto was easily defeated by Death Green and was just lying stretched out in the underground passage.
As he said so himself, Retto himself has done nothing.
It was at noon today that a letter of commendation was sent to Retto at the sole discretion of the top management, including Director Kazami. Naturally, it was obvious that this is propaganda by the Hero Headquarters to restore its prestige.
『You have to take it, Kurenai. You are the hero who saved Tokyo.』
The words of Secretary Kazami at the award ceremony came back to Retto’s mind.
The Secretary and the Hero Headquarters are not looking for a man named Kurenai Retto. They were looking for a hero who will serve as a banner to restore confidence in the National Public Safety Commission.
「99! For the hapless me now! 100! I don’t deserve to be a hero!」
The red suit, symbolizing that empty justice, was currently displayed in a glass case in the first floor lobby of the new Hero Headquarters building. Retto had been ordered to stand by, albeit for a few days, until the new suit arrived.
It is all part of the image strategy set up by Director Kazami.
The reason why Retto was held back from going out tonight was all to fulfill his role as a hero.
―― As a hero of justice, it was the greatest humiliation of all――
The frustration of having to boast of his phantom achievements while biting his own incompetence consumed Kurenai Retto.
「211! Sorry everyone! 212! I’m not a hero!」
As if to shake off the blurring in his mind, Retsujin continued to do hindu squats. He worked single-mindedly, as if to wash away his weakness with a waterfall of sweat.
……Some time later, when the clock was about to strike 21:00, the door to the secret base was unexpectedly opened.
「998! I’m a stray dog in the rain! 999! Ah, Good evening Asaka-san!」
「What’s with that look?」
In a cold room long past lights out, Asaka blatantly scowled when she saw her half-naked subordinate squatting on a chair.
「Nnnn 1000! Fuu…… Would you like to join me, Asaka-san?」
「I’ll refrain from that, but there’s something else I’d like to tell you.」
Asaka handed a towel to Retto in a nonchalant manner. Wiping the sweat from his face with the towel, Retto asked Asaka.
「Tell me? What is it?」
「Three people, Blue, Yellow, and Pink, have disappeared.」
「Seriously?」
…………
『What a surprise! The mysterious beings that had been rampaging were obliterated by SHIVA’s magic!』
「Kyaaaaaa! ＳＨＩＶＡ-sama amaziiiiiiiing!」
「ＳＨＩＶＡ-samaaaaaaaa! Nnaaaaaaaaaaa!!」
High-pitched cheers echoed at the special venue in Minato Mirai.
Terrifying and cruel mysterious beings suddenly appeared in the vicinity of the venue. But as soon as SHIVA snapped his fingers, they disappeared without a trace.
「……………………」
『SHIVA said, “I am glad you are all safe and sound.”』
The man who literally made the mysterious beings disappear made an ostentatious bow.
What disappeared were not only the mysterious beings, but also the wreckage of the heroes who had faced them and their mechas. The Red Brick Warehouse and the Landmark Tower were also gone, but nothing compared to the threat to their lives.
Everyone, including not only the fans but also the media, were verbally praising SHIVA’s magic.
「Oh, SHIVA-sama…… how foolish we were to suspect that he might be a mysterious being, etc. ……」
「He is a real magician…… and a real hero…… governments around the world owe him an apology……！」
「「「「ＳＨＩＶＡ！ ＳＨＩＶＡ！ ＳＨＩＶＡ！」」」」
The highest-ranked magician (Archmage) only smiled silently at the outpouring of SHIVA calls.
…………
「……ki. ……niki!」
「……Uun……」
The feeling of cold, wet soil on his back. Rintaro woke up feeling as if there was something heavy on his stomach.
「Finally wakes up, ssu! aniki is alive, ssuu!」
「Ngyaaaaaaaah!!!」
As soon as he woke up, the impact of the gaping hug sent shock waves through his ribs. The pain was so great that Rintaro almost lost consciousness again, but he managed to stay conscious.
「Hasu…… Hasu……！」
「Aniki, Sorry, ssu.」
「Ah, it’s okay now, let’s be careful from now on. More than that, this place is…?」
Rintaro looked around and saw what appeared to be a large cave.
The ceiling was probably more than 10 meters high. The large basement space, with exposed earthen walls, extended long to the left and right, maintaining its spaciousness.
It looked more like an artificially dug tunnel than a natural cave.
「…… Where’s Minato and Mayuzumi?」
「Don’t know, ssu. Samecchi just woke up, ssu.」
「I was supposed to be fighting those Victor Rangers a while ago…… What the hell is going on……?」
He felt faint, perhaps due to the light purple fog that filled the cave. Rintaro stood up slowly, holding his dizzy head.
A deep darkness stretched endlessly in front of them.
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