"My apologies, BOSS. That troublemaking insect… escaped."
"Did he escape by accident—"
"Or did you let him escape?"
"…As expected, BOSS has seen through me."
Kneeling on one knee before Aiden Cross, Aizen spoke respectfully.
Under his Eidolon—
Apocalypse had zero chance of resisting.
Even with super regeneration—
If the soul was cut, the result would be no different from a living corpse.
A body that could regenerate—
But a mind that could never awaken.
The reason Aizen spared him—
Was simple.
Value.
Apocalypse's ability to cause chaos—
Was… useful.
The moment he awakened—
He launched every nuclear weapon on Earth.
Not only did that eliminate humanity's reliance on such weapons against Demon-level threats—
It also pushed the Hero Alliance's reputation to unprecedented heights.
From New York—
To the entire world.
This time—
Their influence had spread across the globe.
If that troublemaker continued causing chaos—
The Hero Alliance could completely surpass national authority.
Not through force—
But through overwhelming achievements.
Through victory after victory—
Earning absolute trust.
"Don't let it happen again."
"…Yes."
Aizen responded obediently.
But in truth—
If something benefited the Hero Alliance—
He would still do it.
Without hesitation.
Even if it meant bearing all the blame.
To him—
The opinions of ordinary people meant nothing.
Aiden Cross knew that.
So he didn't press further.
After Apocalypse's attack—
The relocation of Hero Academy would likely happen soon.
Once it moved near the Hero Alliance headquarters—
No one would dare cause trouble.
And if Apocalypse dared to return—
Reinforcements would arrive in seconds.
And beat him into submission.
"Master."
"Mash, are you alright?"
"Yes. At the moment of the nuclear explosion, your telekinetic protection shielded me. I wasn't seriously injured."
Mash walked in, wearing her white work outfit.
Her Noble Phantasm—
Lord Camelot—
Was absolute in defense.
But it had one fatal flaw.
It protected everyone—except the user.
If Aiden Cross had done nothing—
Mash might have died under hundreds of nuclear detonations.
So when she activated it—
He layered her body with a thick telekinetic barrier.
Enough to withstand the blast.
"What about Billy, Lucian, and King? Have they returned?"
"Yes. Billy and Lucian are in the training room."
"As for King… he went out to buy the latest strategy game—Total War: Three Kingdoms."
"…The training room?"
Aiden Cross raised an eyebrow.
"What are they doing there?"
"…It seems the new S-Class hero—Reinhard—is there too."
Mash hesitated slightly before answering.
To her—
Everyone there was a monster.
Their level of power—
Was unimaginable.
"…That many people gathered together…"
Aiden Cross rubbed his forehead.
"…Don't tell me they're about to start a group fight."
"…Probably… not?"
"Don't say that with uncertainty."
He sighed.
"Aizen, I'll leave the cleanup to you."
"Yes."
Aizen responded calmly.
As always—
Handling everything behind the scenes.
Reliable.
Efficient.
Aiden Cross stood up from his chair.
Together with Mash—
He headed toward the training room.
Before even entering—
A loud voice echoed from inside.
"Justice Crash!"
The moment they stepped in—
They saw it.
Standing in the center—
Mumen Rider.
In front of him—
Billy Herrington.
Not a simulation.
The real one.
Mumen Rider charged forward—
Wrapping his arms tightly around Billy from behind.
After consuming the Life Fruit—
He had been training relentlessly.
Pushing his body beyond its limits every single day.
Now—
He possessed twenty times the strength of a normal human.
If measured—
He had gone from "1" to "4."
Still weak.
But—
Growth was visible.
With this move—
He could already crush low Wolf-level threats.
"…Not enough strength, Mumen boy."
Billy didn't even move.
His muscles flexed slightly—
And the recoil alone sent Mumen Rider flying.
He crashed to the ground—
Near his shield.
"Haah… haah… haah…"
Breathing heavily—
Mumen wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Even with Billy holding back—
It took everything just to endure.
"Chairman."
"What's going on here?"
Aiden Cross and Mash sat down in the viewing area—
Next to Reinhard.
Red hair.
Blue eyes.
Tall.
Composed.
Refined.
The perfect knight.
Honest. Just. Brave. Humble.
A man worthy of the title—
"Knight among Knights."
A hero loved by the people.
Flawless in conduct.
Flawless in character.
"Mumen Rider wished to test his training results."
"So he asked Billy to spar with him."
Reinhard spoke calmly.
His tone carried respect.
"He is a remarkable hero."
"No matter how many times he is defeated…"
"He rises again."
Reinhard's gaze rested on Mumen Rider—
Filled with admiration.
Though his strength—
Was only mid-tier among D-Class—
His spirit—
Was something far greater.
Unyielding.
Unbreakable.
And worthy—
Of respect.
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Read Chapters ahead: [email protected] / KaiOynx