Herald immediately turned around.
About ten steps away from him, a man stood casually with both hands in his trouser pockets.
White shirt. Black long pants.
His expression was too calm for someone who was most likely responsible for this absurd situation.
Kuro.
His dark gaze was fixed directly on Herald.
Instead of attacking immediately, Kuro chose to ask first. Simple. Practical.
Even though the system had given him a mission to kill the man in front of him, the available information was almost nonexistent. No explanation, no background—only a name, a serial number, and a reward.
True, he could obtain all of Herald's memories after killing him.
But as long as there was a more efficient option, there was no harm in trying to ask first.
Silence fell between them.
Several seconds passed without an answer.
Herald did not speak immediately.
Instead, his gaze shifted slightly, empty, as if reading something invisible to Kuro. His eyes moved subtly through empty air.
Then slowly, the corner of his lips curved upward.
A faint smile appeared.
But something about it was different this time.
Too sharp.
Too interested.
Almost greedy.
"Interesting," Herald murmured softly.
His gaze refocused on Kuro.
"Seems like the system is being kind to me."
His smile widened slightly.
"My side mission target has just changed…"
***
Almost at the same time, on the streets of E-City, which had become quiet due to evacuation procedures.
Chiyome had just sheathed her tantō again with a smooth and precise motion. She stood calmly near the corpse of a giant worm monster, now lifeless at her side.
The creature's once pale body had turned dark purple.
The slash wounds across its body appeared contaminated by Orochi's poison—deadly corrosion that did not only attack the physical body, but also slowly eroded the nervous system and consciousness of the target.
As with most battles against monsters, although damage had been minimized, the asphalt around the area was still cracked and partially destroyed due to the monster's rampage.
"Your technique is good."
A man's voice came from nearby.
"Where did you learn it?"
Chiyome turned toward the source of the voice.
There stood an androgynous-looking man with long blond hair.
A white cloak covered the black armor he wore, while his arms were casually crossed as he leaned against a building that was still intact.
He did not emit a bloodthirsty aura.
However, Chiyome's vigilance did not decrease at all.
Her gaze swept over him from head to toe, observing posture, stance, and the position of his hands.
"Who are you?" she asked flatly. "And what is your purpose?"
The man was silent for a moment before a faint smile appeared on his face.
"I am Flashy Flash," he replied. "S-Class Professional Hero."
After a brief pause, he glanced at the worm monster lying beside Chiyome.
"That monster was my target."
Chiyome looked at him for a few seconds in silence.
Her expression did not change.
"Then," she said calmly, "you arrived too late."
Her gaze briefly shifted to the corpse before returning to him.
"If that was your target, then unfortunately I am not obligated to wait."
Her hand moved lightly, touching the hilt of her sheathed tantō.
Not a threat.
Just the natural reflex of a shinobi who had not fully lowered her guard yet.
"And if your purpose here is only to complain about that…" Chiyome narrowed her eyes slightly. "Then speak now."
Her demeanor remained calm, but her body was clearly ready to move at any moment.
Flashy Flash observed her for a few more moments.
His gaze sharpened, as if reevaluating everything in front of him.
Then the corner of his lips lifted slightly.
"Relax," he said casually. "I'm not here to complain."
He pushed off the wall and stood straight.
His gaze dropped to the tantō at Chiyome's waist.
"Just curious."
His tone became lighter.
"Your movements are fast."
There was a hint of genuine appreciation in it.
"It's rare to see someone outside the Hero Association with skills like that."
He paused briefly, eyes narrowing slightly.
"And I'm very familiar with that kind of style."
His gaze lifted again, locking onto her.
"A ninja."
His tone became slightly more serious.
"Who exactly are you?"
A brief silence filled the ruined street, the wind blowing gently, fluttering the edges of Chiyome's scarf and hair.
She did not look away.
"I am Kouga Jōnin," she finally replied, her voice still calm and flat. "Mochizuki Chiyome."
The name came out without hesitation.
Hearing it, Flashy Flash's expression changed—barely noticeable.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
He fell silent for a moment.
His mind moved quickly, scanning through lists of names, clans, and ninja individuals he had encountered before.
One by one, names surfaced in his memory.
But none matched.
The name Mochizuki Chiyome felt unfamiliar.
Not a ninja from any village he knew, nor an assassin, disciple, or exile on record.
The conclusion came almost immediately.
…She is not from a village I know.
Flashy Flash's gaze shifted slightly.
More focused.
More interested.
If so, then only one possibility remained.
A ninja lineage outside his known network.
Or more precisely—an entirely different branch that had never been detected.
"Hoh…" he murmured softly.
A thin smile returned.
"So it's true."
He crossed his arms.
"There are other ninjas out there."
His tone did not sound dismissive.
On the contrary—it carried genuine interest mixed with professional caution.
"Interesting."
His gaze returned to Chiyome.
"Then where are you from, Mochizuki Chiyome?"
Even though the question sounded casual, his eyes clearly showed he was gathering as much information as possible.
"Where I come from," Chiyome answered calmly, almost flatly, "is not important."
Her gaze remained fixed on him.
"However, if you are trying to gather information through this conversation, there is something you should know."
She paused briefly.
"I came here with my Lord."
Flashy Flash raised an eyebrow.
"Lord?"
He repeated the word, then chuckled softly as if realizing something.
"Ah… I see."
A faint smile appeared.
"Ancient ninja."
His tone was not mocking, more like simple observation.
His golden eyes returned to her.
Formal speech patterns, rigid structure, absolute loyalty to a superior figure.
Yes, that explained quite a bit.
Chiyome neither confirmed nor denied.
She simply stood silently, letting the assumption hang in the air.
A brief silence fell again.
Flashy Flash then glanced at the ruined street, the corpse of the giant worm monster, and the evacuation area in the distance.
Despite Chiyome's ruthless and efficient methods, one fact was undeniable.
She eliminated monsters quickly, minimized collateral damage, and most importantly—neutralized threats before they could disrupt evacuation routes.
That was… heroic.
Or at least close enough.
Flashy Flash looked back at her.
"You know," he said casually, "with skills like yours, you'd be very useful."
He crossed his arms.
"The Hero Association always needs capable people."
His tone was more serious now.
"You should consider joining the Hero Association."
There was no pressure in his voice.
Only a genuine recommendation.
Chiyome remained silent for a moment, as if considering it—or simply being polite.
"I will think about it," she finally replied.
A safe answer.
Neither acceptance nor refusal.
Flashy Flash clicked his tongue softly in his mind.
Diplomatic.
Very ninja.
But before he could say anything else, Chiyome's body vanished from the spot.
Without sound.
Without trace.
As if she had never been there at all.
Only the cracked street, the monster corpse, and the silent evacuated city remained.
Flashy Flash stared at the empty space for a moment.
Then a faint smile formed.
"Heh."
He slipped both hands into his pockets.
"Truly an ancient ninja."
There was a hint of interest in his voice.
"Interesting."
The next moment, his body blurred away, vanishing from the area at lightning speed.
***
Some time had passed since the battle between Kuro and Herald began.
If they had not fought inside the Mirror Dimension, most of M-City would likely have become a disaster zone.
Buildings would have collapsed, roads destroyed, and massive explosions would almost certainly have caused mass panic in public areas.
However, thanks to this isolated dimension, all of that destruction occurred separately, far from the real world.
Now, the battle had ended, though Kuro had suffered injuries that had already been healed.
At present, Kuro sat casually on a high-rise railing.
The wind blew gently, moving the edges of his black coat, while in his hand he held a special ticket whose surface reflected shifting light and constantly changing patterns.
According to the system, the item could turn one of the worlds in the list into a permanent one.
A reward that was clearly not something to be taken lightly.
Still, Kuro's attention was focused elsewhere.
He was reviewing fragments of information and memories obtained after killing Herald earlier.
Some of the data felt incomplete and fragmented, but still enough to form a rough picture of the situation he was facing.
Kuro's brows slightly furrowed.
"So Herald serial number 100,563…" he murmured, "and his true identity was a variant of myself, Kuro Tokito?"