CH 58

While Rintaro and Kirika were engaged in a fierce muddy battle in Saitama Shintoshin, a major incident was taking place in Jimbocho that no one could have predicted.

This is the headquarters of The National Public Safety Commissions Committee, Local Human Disasters, Special Cases, Special Measures Office, also known as the Hero Headquarters. The “local human disasters” in the long-winded official name refers simply to mysterious beings.

In other words, the Hero Headquarters is an administrative agency that specializes in handling mysterious being cases. The Hero Headquarters was about to be dealt with by a group of giant mysterious beings.

「Megalodon Kick, ssu!」

「The Hundred Beasts King Lariat!!」

「Full power drop kick rabbit (shoot)!!!」

Even a giant robot could not have withstood the onslaught of the 60-meter mysterious beings, let alone a mere reinforced concrete structure. The Hero Headquarters building was reduced to a pile of rubble in less than five minutes.

「What happened to the heroes!　Why aren’t they mobilized!?」

「Weren’t you guys the ones who mobilized all of them to Saitama Shin-Toshin!」

「What kind of language are you using to speak to me?　I, I, I’m the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Operations Headquarters, you know!」

「I am saying it’s the Operations Staffs Headquarters fault!!!」

The staff members were in a state of panic and evacuated through the basement, mutually criticizing each other. No one was left to protect the pride of the Hero Headquarters.

Except for that one man.

「Since we are here, let’s rescue the mysterious beings who are imprisoned in the underground detention facility, ssu. Samecchi brought a scoop, ssu.」

The scoop taken out by the 60-meter Samecchi, of course, did not grow bigger and looked like a toothpick.

「Oi Samecchi, isn’t it better to dig out by hand? Oi Usanyi! You are good at digging, right. Try it!」

「Yes! Then leave it to me!」

Colonel Usanyi-chan, the number two of the Hundred Beast Legion, was so happy to be trusted by General Bearion that she saluted him with her eyes lit up.

「All right, peel your eyeballs off, newbies!　I’ll show you how it’s done, and you can be as grateful as if you are served with your mom’s stew!」

While such exchanges were taking place on the ground, a man was mentally preparing himself underground. He was dressed in a bright red hero suit and a large cloak with a collar over it.

The majority of his head was covered with gray hair that showed his age, and deep creases were etched between his eyebrows. However, the rock-like muscles that covered his entire body belied his sixty-eight years of age.

「Director Morikuni, the mask.」

「Mm, thanks for your help.」

Hero Headquarters Director General Ittetsu Morikuni received a slightly faded red mask from his former aide, Samejima Asaka. He puts it on his head for the first time in 20 years.

The first hero, Justice Five, does not have a transformation tool as useful as Victory Transformation Gear.

「Director Morikuni, best of luck.」

「Asaka Aide…… No, you’re Commander Asaka now. I’ve known you since you were a naughty kid, but you’ve really changed.」

「Changed…… as in？」

「You finally have the look of a warrior.」

Morikuni said just that and kicked the floor with his legs as thick as logs.

「Tou!」

Breaking through the ceiling, he made a straight line toward the ground. Then, just as he was digging his way through the ground, a bright red fist struck Colonel Usanyi-chan right between the eyes.

「Migyaaaaaaah! ! !」

While Colonel Usanyi-chan’s long ears were flapping, the red warrior glared at the mysterious beings surrounding the ruined Hero Headquarters.

At the top of a mountain of rubble, the oldest warrior stands up and says his name.

「Aka Justice!」

A mask like a burning red sun. Inside his goggles, which are shaped like a fist, burns a fighting spirit that has yet to fade.

He made a very simple self-introduction and posed in a very simple pose with both fists raised in the air. Surrounded by mysterious beings measuring 60 meters in height, the 180-centimeter old man still had a strong presence.

「Did only one hero remain? Impudent!」

The fastest man in the Hundred Beast Legion, the giant fist of the fastest mysterious being, Chi Tiger, was aimed at the dwarf-like Morikuni. The overwhelming size difference of 60 meters versus 180 centimeters seemed to flatten the body of Aka justice in an instant.

――However――

「Aka Punch!」

Morikuni, a.k.a. Aka justice, was in a head-on collision with the giant fist. And it did not stop there, as an eye-opening scene unfolded.

「Wh- What!? Uooooooooooooooooh!?」

It was the giant body of the Cheetah Tiger that was blown away. The overwhelming strength which defied the laws of physics, caused a stir among the giant mysterious beings.

Morikuni turned his shoulders and struck a new fighting pose.

「In my time, we didn’t have robots for convenience. How do you think we fought the gigantic enemies?」

Kicking the ground with his legs, Morikuni was ejected like a bullet, striking a nearby bull-like mysterious being. The 60-meter tall mysterious being crumbled to the ground, knocking down a building.

「We hit them with all our might.」

He had been fighting on the front lines for 30 years, and after his retirement, he had been working for the peace of the nation as a director for 20 years. In total, he is a veteran who has been protecting Japan from the disaster of mysterious beings for half a century.

The oldest hero, Aka Justice, stood in front of more than 10 giant mysterious beings.

…………

Let’s go back in time a little bit, Saitama Super Arena.

Kenmochi Minato, a.k.a. Swordminas, aka Sword Mountain Mysterious Being, who was waiting alone, heard the explosion from several hundred meters away.

「Uwa, it’s already started!」

The night sky lit up, countless gunshots rang out, and the sound of explosions gradually grew louder and louder.

Minato, who had received no orders other than to put on Rintaro’s glasses and wait for him, was lost for a moment, but before she knew it, she was running toward the sound.

Despite her vicious ability to create an unlimited number of blades, she believes that even though she is one of the weakest mysterious beings in the world, she must be able to do something useful.

「Haa……Haa……Running is so difficult…… I’m dying…… S- S- So cold……」

For Minato, who until just two weeks ago had been forced to live in confinement underground, the several hundred-meter dash was too physically demanding, despite her eagerness to get there.

Minato’s eyes catch a glimpse of a red short-sleeve.

「Hii!　A- A corpse!」

「Uuu……」

A man wearing red short sleeves, Kurenai Retto, had burns all over his body and was unconscious with his eyes rolled back. However, as Minato approached, he sensed the presence of someone and let out a faint moan.

「Thank God, he’s alive!　But, no good…there are still civilians left? I thought we had already cleared out all the people.」

Minato took out ointments and gauze from a bag she was carrying and deftly treated the man in short sleeves.

As can be seen from the fact that she has been in the infirmary of Ark Dominion for a long time now, Kenmochi Minato has a background in medicine. Before her awakening as a mysterious being, she was a medical student aspiring to become a surgeon.

「It looks as if he fell on his motorcycle, was exposed to a high-voltage electric current, and was blown up by an explosion……. I’m glad he is wearing short sleeves so I don’t have to take them off.」

Surprisingly, he was wearing short sleeves from the beginning, not that he had taken any clothe off. It was late at night in the middle of winter in December, and Kurenai Retto had ridden from Tokyo on a motorcycle wearing short sleeves.

「Huh? It feels warm……」

For some reason, the temperature around Rhetto rose about 10 degrees Celsius, but even though he was unconscious, his constitution remained strong. While Minato was treating Retto with a bandage, an electronic sound suddenly rang out.

Pipipipopopopi!

When Minato, startled, searched for the source of the sound, she found a small machine in the man’s pocket.

It was unmistakably “Victory Transformation Gear”.

「Hieee! T- T- Transformation gear!? This person, isn’t an ordinary person!!!」

Minato jumped up and held her head. Unfortunately, she dropped the Victory Transformation Gear and the call was connected.

A voice calling out the owner’s name echoes from the Victory transformation gear.

『Ah, finally connected!　This is the standby team. Victor Red, respond. I can’t reach headquarters. What is your situation? There was an explosion.』

It was a safety confirmation from the heroes who had been mobilized in the suburbs of Saitama-shintoshin.

『There’s no response……. Something must have happened to Victor Red!　All units, prepare to move out!』

「Oooh!? That’s bad…… reinforcement is bad!」

Minato panicked and picked up the Victory Transformation Gear. However, even after picking it up, she had no idea what to do with it.

However, it seemed inevitable that the heroes on standby would rush to the scene if the situation was left unchecked. With the battle between Rintaro (Death Green) and Kirika (Victor Black) still unresolved, the situation of inviting enemy reinforcements should be avoided at all costs.

「Haooo……! Wh-Wh-What should I do……! That’s right, I should pretend to be this guy and respond!」

After much hesitation, Minato came up with a plan to stop the reinforcement by posing as Retto.

However, Minato had no idea what kind of voice or manner of speaking this man called Kurenai Retto had. All she knows is that he has a dark skin and short sleeves, she doesn’t know if he originally look like this or if he was burnt.

（Dark-skinned and wearing short sleeves…… Summer…… Sea…… The playboy-type?）

And the image that Minato formed with these informations is.

『Victor Red, respond!』

「Ah, Hello~. It’s me it’s me, Victory Red~. Someone like Death Green, I can just finish with one punch? Y’know?　That’s why, you don’t really need to cheer for me, like, you should just go back? わんちゃんバイブスあげてく系のやばたにえんみたいな？」

『All units, move ouuuuuut!!!!!』

「Wh- Wh- Wh- Whyyyyyyyy!?」

The heroes who had been waiting on the outskirts of the city rushed out to the city center where Rintaro and his men were fighting. Minato ran toward the sound of fierce sword fights to tell Rintaro that reinforcements were on their way.