Heroes.
To me, they are the most hateful beings.
Eliminating them from this world was my calling, and all that, and I can safely say that I would sacrifice my dignity and existence for it.
One of these abominable heroes stands before me.
The only evidence is the Chief's words, but it is certain.
The Chief's perception is incomparably superior to mine.
"My name is James Hart. I didn't know where to go because there was no space, so thank you for allowing me to sit with you."
"Don't mention it. We must help each other."
Of course.
even though they are such hateful beings, I dare not show my sword to them.
The mask that hides my true self is the greatest weapon against my enemies.
For me, who has infiltrated society for 3 years, this situation was a crisis, but it was not an insurmountable problem.
"It seems you came with your daughter, like me... It's only natural that we help each other when we're in similar situations."
"Haha, I met someone too good to be a coincidence."
The hero said, adjusting his glasses.
No, his name was James Hart. However, it was a name I had never heard before.
Well, that's only natural.
Heroes usually only use their hero names. Since they usually hide their faces with costumes and masks, it's hard to identify them just by hearing their names.
Of course, there are many viewers who like to see their heroes show off,
but the reason why they often hide their identities is simple.
"Come on, Nella. You should say thank you too."
Family, lovers, friends, neighbors, etc...
When their existence becomes known, villains often take people around them hostage to take advantage of their weaknesses.
"Oh, thank you, sir."
Yes, if I were a normal villain, it would have been a really dangerous situation.
But still, I'm from Ouroboros.
When they were alive, they were a powerful force that didn't even dream of other villains' power struggles,
and since they had the luxury of being strong, they didn't carelessly approach civilians.
Yes, what they always face is their target and those who directly get in their way.
Even though I'm just a rookie, I've never thought of doing something so petty since I belonged to that organization.
"What a polite girl."
"No, I'm still a little worried that she's shy and not very active."
"Oh no problem, that was impressive enough."
Yes, that girl will never be on the battlefield.
So, what you need to worry about now is not that girl, but her father.
It's not just me, but the boss must be thinking that way too...
"...Hmm."
No, there's no way I, a mere rookie, can read the boss's mind.
Unlike me, who was nervous, the boss had an empty fork in his mouth and a complex expression.
The boss, who had always been generous, seemed to be dissatisfied with something.
"What's wrong, why are you like this, boss?"
When I asked quietly, in case anyone heard, she said,
"I thought a real child couldn't beat me after all."
"...Huh?"
A real child can't beat me.
What are you talking about?
"The food you ordered has arrived~"
However, no matter how long I waited, my doubts were not resolved, and in the end, the food I ordered arrived and it was time to eat.
"Come on, Nella. Dad will cut it for you."
"Ah, that's fine. I can do it myself."
She held the knife and fork, embarrassed by her father's consideration.
Even though she might have difficulty holding the knife, she was quite skilled with it.
Did she receive etiquette training before?
Of course, the Boss had already learned how to use it, so she could eat by herself.
"My father."
Even thinking like that, why was the Boss handing me a fork with food in it?
"Ah~"
"...."
"Ah~"
"Calm down, calm down.... Ugh!"
The fork went in just as I opened my mouth.
When my mouth was filled with the taste of pork chop, she looked at me and started smiling happily.
A smile so bright that her dimples were visible.
"...Boss."
"If you receive something, you should also give back."
The Boss quickly stopped her words, worried that the compliment she had unconsciously uttered would be heard by the other person.
After that, she looked at me, opened her mouth wide and said:
"Ah~"
"...."
"Ah~"
Calm down, Boss.
No matter how much of an act it is, this is too much.
"Haha, you and your daughter get along very well."
As I reluctantly fed her, James, who was watching from the other side, began to laugh heartily.
We get along well....
It must be rare to see a father and daughter sharing food.
"It seems to me that Mr. James values his daughter very much."
"Since we are busy with work, we have little time together, so we try to do our best while we are together. But, by chance, your wife…"
"Well, there was an accident…"
During the informal conversation during the meal, James' face gradually began to show sympathy.
James changed the subject without asking for more details. It was a moment when I realized once again that having a story is good for the stomach.
"Actually, I'm also raising my daughter alone. Since I'm busy with work in many ways, I can't find time to spend with her even after work on weekdays."
"The same goes for me. Since I don't have a specific job, my work schedule is irregular, so when I see my daughter sleeping alone late at night, my heart feels heavy."
After I started lying, I continued smoothly, as if we were on the same page.
Well, it's not all lies, so I guess it's my conscience weighing on me?
Taking care of the boss…..no, there's nothing wrong with trying to help her, so I didn't hesitate to speak up.
"That, that…"
As we were conducting this dangerous yet flexible conversation, I noticed Nella, James' daughter, hesitating as she looked at the boss sitting across from her.
Looking at the boss holding the fork in his hand.
"Why don't we switch the food?"
… …Ah.
That's not the tone of a seven-year-old. What if they get suspicious?
"Yeah, uh…"
While looking at her anxiously, Nella nodded and took a bite of the food the boss had given her.
The boss looked at her with serious eyes.
"Did you like it?"
Nella nodded silently at her next words, and the boss, who was watching her, smiled happily and rested his chin on his hand.
"It's good to see you eating. If you want more, you can tell me."
"…Would you like to try mine too?"
"Ah, are you offering me an offering? Yes, I will accept it with gratitude."
Tom, tone.
I was nervous about the situation that I couldn't control, but fortunately, James didn't give me any suspicious looks.
"All children of that age are like that. They tend to get carried away by the cartoons or movies they like to watch... ... I was worried that Nella would only read books and wouldn't be able to get along with other children her age, but now that I see her, I feel a little relieved."
"Ah, haha. Thank you for your kind words."
Is that also considered eccentric?
Fortunately, many heroes that children admire are unique,
I thought for a moment.
-Kugung!
While I was feeling doubtful, a loud noise suddenly resounded.
With that, the table that still had food on it began to shake strangely due to the shaking of the ground.
Is it an earthquake?
No, there were no warning signs and it was quite irregular.
It was an explosive or something caused by a person with powers.
-Hiss.
Just as I was feeling it, I heard a strange vibration in James's arms, sitting on the other side.
Immediately, he had a serious expression on his face and was holding something that was quite thick for a smartphone.
"A person with powers escaped from a police bus..."DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
It was a communication device provided by the Hero Association and was mainly used to send signals to the Heroes at the scene of the incident.
"Dad..."
"It's okay, Nella. I'll finish up soon and be right back."
James took off his glasses as he patted his worried daughter's head.
He then looked at me for a moment and asked in a serious voice:
"Can I ask you to take care of my daughter for a moment?"
"Is something serious happening?"
"You'll hear an evacuation order soon, but don't worry."
He didn't explain the details.
It seemed like he thought he would soon find out what was going to happen.
"I'm here."
James said that and reached out to the glass window next to me.
The moment a vibration sounded from his hand, something flew out from his fingertips and pierced the window.
There wasn't even the sound of glass breaking.
The glass was cut smoothly, without any pieces flying.
-Whew!
Things flew out of James's coat that had slipped through the gap, turned into flashes of light, and at the same time his body began to fly through the city.
A body that flew as if it was being pulled by something invisible.
As the eyes of the people around him focused on him, the chef who was eating next to him said as he poked at the food he had cut with his fork.
"Finally something good to look at while we eat."
The moment when none other than the chef said "something to look at."
This meant that the opponent was no ordinary scoundrel.
***
In an era full of villains.
as such, many prisons are built in each district every year, and the number of vehicles to transport them is constantly increasing, and every day they are on the road.
And very occasionally, there are those who escape from these vehicles and end up stopping in civilian areas.
"Sergeant! We got a call from headquarters! The guy's escape route is Time Square Station in District D! We need to quickly build a defense line and issue an evacuation order!"
"Keep calm and organize your defense line! Don't let your guard down just because there's a fugitive!!"
The police organization responsible for Pangea's security was already waiting on the scene.
As soon as the defense line wasOnce the defense line was firmly established in the center of District D, the surrounding citizens began taking pictures of the gathering place from afar.
As if they were watching a show that was about to take place there.
"What are you guys doing!? Evacuate the citizens immediately!"
"They won't listen. Even if we try to suppress them, we don't have enough personnel…"
"These damned reckless people!"
The fierce shouts of the squad leader leading the defense line.
This kind of thing happened so often, and from the police's perspective, it was undesirable.
"This is all because of the Hero Association! Do you think protecting the city is a joke?
Aah! Do you think the scene is a spectacle because you're putting on a show with those damned heroes!!"
"Boss, calm down for now…"
"Boss! It's coming!"
The police officer who was trying to stop him and the police officer who was observing the situation shouted.
The squad leader, who had put aside his anger and resumed his position on the defensive line, once again ordered the officers under his command to raise their weapons and shields.
- Kkundangtang!!
Was that huge shadow that appeared from the alley in the distance the villain?
No, it was a car.
The sight of a car parked on the street being thrown away by the villain's power.
"... Th, uh."
The next person to appear was a man whose entire body was wrapped in restraints and bandages.
However, the restraints were torn in several places. The blood on the bandages was probably not just his.