After some time had passed, it was now twelve noon.
The sun stood directly overhead, bathing the streets of M-City in the bright light typical of midday.
At the moment, Kuro was walking casually along the sidewalk.
On his right side, Tamamo was comfortably holding onto his right arm, her steps light and her expression much brighter than earlier that morning.
A faint smile rested on her beautiful face.
It was clear that she was in a very good mood.
The sight of the two of them naturally attracted the attention of people around them.
It was hard not to notice them.
Kuro, in his simple outfit—a white shirt and long black pants—looked oddly striking because he was not using any Mystic Code or illusion magic.
Meanwhile, Tamamo, now wearing a new outfit from their earlier shopping trip, also looked far too eye-catching to ignore.
Several pedestrians secretly glanced at them. Some whispered to the person beside them, while others even turned their heads twice before continuing on their way.
"A model couple?" someone muttered quietly.
"Not sure, but their visuals are unreal," their friend replied.
Tamamo seemed to be enjoying the attention. Her grip on Kuro's arm tightened slightly, as if unconsciously emphasizing her place beside him even more.
However, shortly after, Kuro suddenly stopped walking. Tamamo also came to a halt and tilted her head slightly.
"Hm?"
Kuro's gaze was now fixed straight across the street.
Not on Saitama.
But on a stranger with black hair, wearing simple clothes and ordinary long pants.
At first glance, there was nothing remarkable about his appearance. At least, for a normal person.
However, in Kuro's eyes, something felt wrong.
The man's body seemed to be covered in a faint, nearly transparent distortion—like a small glitch on a digital screen. It appeared and disappeared intermittently; so subtle it would be almost impossible to notice without abnormal perception.
Kuro narrowed his eyes.
A brief silence formed between them.
Tamamo finally released her hold on Kuro's arm and looked at him from the side with a curious expression.
"What is it?" she asked.
Without taking his eyes off the man, Kuro raised a finger and pointed across the street.
"Do you see anything strange about that man?"
Tamamo followed the direction of his finger. After a few seconds, she tilted her head slightly.
"A normal man?" she replied.
Kuro continued staring forward.
"No distortion?"
"Distortion?" Tamamo repeated, confused.
She blinked once, then shook her head. "No. I don't see anything other than an ordinary man who looks a little tired."
Kuro fell silent for a moment.
To make sure, he stopped a passerby who happened to be walking nearby.
"Excuse me."
The middle-aged man paused and turned around. "Yes?"
Kuro pointed again toward the same target.
"Do you see anything strange about that man?"
The passerby followed his line of sight and stared for a few seconds, as if genuinely trying to find something.
But in the end, he only shrugged.
"No. Just an ordinary man."
The same answer.
Kuro gave a small nod. "I see. Thank you."
The man continued walking, looking slightly confused, occasionally glancing back as if questioning the strange interaction.
Silence returned once again.
Kuro's gaze remained fixed on the stranger, not moving even slightly. A faint crease formed between his brows as his thoughts began to form a conclusion.
So I'm the only one who can see it.
And right at that moment—a transparent window suddenly appeared before Kuro.
Ding!
A familiar system interface opened in his field of vision.
[Herald has been found!]
[Congratulations! Host has unlocked a system function: Chain Missions.]
_____________
Mission: Eliminate All Invaders
Description: Eliminate the Herald, Lord Variant, found in the world the Host has visited.
Reward: All memories of the eliminated target, a World Travel Ticket, and a Permanent Travel Ticket Modifier.
Penalty: None.
_____________
The expression in Kuro's eyes shifted slightly.
Not surprised.
Rather… intrigued.
"…What?" he murmured softly.
Tamamo blinked.
"Master?"
With a simple mental motion, Kuro closed the interface.
His dark gaze returned to the man across the street.
A faint smile formed at the corner of his lips.
"It seems," he said calmly, "I've just found something interesting."
Then he turned toward Tamamo.
"Go home first."
His tone remained casual, but it was clear he had already made his decision.
"There's something I need to take care of personally."
Tamamo blinked slowly.
Her golden eyes shifted from Kuro to the strange man across the street, then back again.
Her expression turned slightly more serious.
"Personally?" she repeated softly.
Kuro gave a small nod.
"Yes."
Tamamo narrowed her eyes slightly.
She could clearly tell this wasn't simple curiosity.
Something in Kuro's gaze had changed—more focused, more attentive than before.
That alone was enough for her to understand the situation was different.
Still, Tamamo let out a small sigh.
"And of course," she said while crossing her arms, "you say it like I'll just obediently go home like that."
Kuro looked at her for two seconds.
"Isn't that safer?"
Tamamo fell silent for a moment.
Then she gave a faint smile.
"A very rational answer."
She stepped closer and gently adjusted the collar of Kuro's shirt, which had shifted slightly while walking earlier.
The movement was soft and natural, almost habitual.
"Alright," she said at last. "I'll head home first."
Kuro seemed slightly surprised that she agreed so easily.
Tamamo looked straight at him.
"But."
Her tone shifted slightly more serious.
"Don't take too long."
She raised a single index finger.
"And don't come back covered in blood like some cheap anti-hero character."
Kuro thought for a moment.
"…I'll try."
Tamamo let out a long sigh.
"That answer is not reassuring at all."
Still, a small smile remained on her face.
She reached out and briefly took Kuro's hand, giving it a light squeeze.
"At least let me know when you're done."
Kuro gave a small nod.
"Alright."
Tamamo looked at him for a few moments, as if confirming there was nothing else he was hiding.
Then she finally released his hand.
"Then…"
She took a step back.
"I'll be waiting for you at home."
Her smile turned warmer again.
"Don't make your wife worry too much."
"We're not married," Kuro replied automatically.
Tamamo let out a light laugh, clearly satisfied at having lightened the mood again.
"Yes, yes."
She gave a small wave before turning around and walking off.
Kuro watched her for a moment until her figure disappeared into the crowd.
Only then did his gaze turn cold and focused again.
Back onto the strange man across the street.
That faint smile from earlier returned.
This time, it was slightly sharper.
"Alright," he murmured. "Now it's just the two of us."
***
"System gave me an absurd side mission…" Herald muttered quietly. "And a reward that isn't even worth it."
At the moment, the man was walking along the sidewalk with a hollow gaze fixed straight ahead.
In front of him, a transparent holographic screen floated faintly—visible only to him—displaying the full details of the side mission still clearly listed.
Herald raised his right hand and pressed his temple, his frustration becoming harder to conceal.
"If the target was Genos, or at least one of the other S-Class Heroes…" he exhaled. "I could still accept it."
He paused for a moment, then quickly added, "Alright, except Tatsumaki."
His tone sounded far too certain for that exception.
However, his expression soon returned to flatness.
"But Saitama?"
His gaze dropped onto the system screen, as if hoping the text would change out of pity. Of course, nothing happened.
"Impossible," he said firmly.
Just thinking about that name was enough to make his head feel heavier.
Defeating Saitama wasn't just a difficult mission; it was equivalent to asking someone to destroy the very concept of absurdity itself.
And the compensation?
Herald narrowed his eyes at the reward section.
30,000 System Points.
His face twitched slightly.
"Give me a break."
He sounded genuinely offended this time.
"This small a reward for a disguised suicide mission?"
Herald let out another sigh—longer than the previous one.
His goal was actually simple: accumulate System Points until reaching a certain amount, then return to the Infinity Room and request a system evaluation in order to obtain the third reward from his mission.
"If the missions are like this…" he muttered while lowering his hand from his temple. "I'd rather wait for the system to release a new side mission."
He paused for a moment before adding in a resigned tone, "Or wait an entire year."
Both options were equally frustrating.
Herald stared at the midday sky above M-City with a blank expression.
"This system really only knows how to make things difficult for me."
He shook his head slightly, then sighed.
"Sometimes I suspect the developer genuinely hates me personally."
Suddenly, Herald's steps felt strange.
The surface of the sidewalk beneath his feet shifted unnaturally. Not because it was moving, but because space itself felt like it was being folded repeatedly.
The pavement stretched, folded upward, then rotated back into place in impossible geometric patterns. Buildings along the street followed suit; their edges bending like massive origami constructs.
Streetlights, windows, and asphalt markings split into symmetrical fragments, rotating and rearranging themselves with a logic that defied normal Euclidean existence.
Herald, who had been walking forward just moments ago, finally realized something.
Even though he was moving, his position wasn't changing.
It felt as if he were running on an invisible treadmill.
"What is happening?!"
He immediately stopped, then looked around with full alertness.
Now he truly realized the environment had completely changed.
The streets of M-City still looked familiar, but they felt… wrong.
Too quiet.
There were no sounds of vehicles, wind, or other people.
Only himself and a space that moved slowly like a living puzzle.
Herald turned to the right.
The air surface beside him rippled faintly—thin and transparent, like a massive sheet of glass reflecting the world in imperfect layers.
When he reached out, his fingertips touched something solid yet invisible.
A barrier.
"An isolated dimension?" he muttered softly, his brows immediately furrowing.
His expression turned serious.
"I've never encountered a skill like this before…"
"Excuse me."
A calm voice came from behind him.
"May I ask, who is Herald?"
________
Author's Note:
Creating something, even a fanfic, is not easy! Please support me! Leave comments, reviews, and some (or all) of your Power Stones! 😎
Hei. Don't ignore meh! Plz notice me senpai~
Sorry for the late update everyone 😅 I fell asleep and forgot.