The crowd, seeing a new savior, erupted in even more excited shouts.
"Hades-sama! Hades-sama is here!"
"Hades-sama! Please act! Destroy this ugly monster!"
"Yes! That's him! Sweet Mask... no, this monster disguised as a Hero!"
Setsuna's gaze swept over the devastated plaza, the angry crowd, and finally rested on the ugly monster standing silently at the center, bearing all the malice.
He shook his head gently.
"This man..." Setsuna's calm voice sounded clearly in everyone's ears. "He knew very well what would happen once his 'monster' identity was exposed."
"He would lose all his admiration, fame, status..."
"He would be hated, feared, and reviled by those who once loved him..."
"He might even be hunted by his former comrades among the Heroes."
"But in that situation earlier, to protect you, he abandoned all of it without hesitation."
"He chose to return to this form you call 'ugly'."
Setsuna's gaze, like a cold mirror, reflected the evasive eyes of many in the crowd.
"Does a person like that cease to be a 'Hero' because of his appearance, because of what he is?"
"You don't even thank him for saving your lives, you want to kill him? Who, truly, is the 'ugly' one here?"
The plaza fell deathly silent.
Many of those who had shouted the loudest now stood with mouths agape, faces flushing, speechless.
Setsuna's words seemed to peel away the selfishness and cowardice beneath their hypocritical fear.
Yet some still stubbornly muttered under their breath:
"B-but... he's a monster..."
"Monsters should die..."
"Who knows if he had ulterior motives..."
Setsuna seemed to hear these murmurs. He sighed softly. "It seems you didn't truly listen to what No.17 said last time."
"That No.17 once said: 'A world that doesn't know how to cherish its Heroes doesn't deserve to be protected by them'."
"If he were to find out what happened here, he might feel even more certain about his decision to 'destroy Earth'."
It had to be said, many people didn't heed well-intentioned advice, but understood threats instantly.
"It's your fault!" Some visitors quickly turned their anger on those who had shouted the loudest.
"You despicable scum! Treating the Hero who protected us like this! If you anger the Destroyer, we'll all die!"
"Yes! It's you! You nearly got us all killed!"
"Apologize to Sweet Mask-sama!"
Those being accused, shocked and angry, retorted loudly, "Stop pretending to be righteous! Your thoughts are the same as ours! You're just acting virtuous because you're afraid of the Destroyer!"
"Exactly! You think he's ugly too! You think he's a monster!"
"As long as no one spreads the word, the Destroyer will never know what happened here."
The scene descended into chaos and mutual recrimination.
Sweet Mask watched it all quietly, watching these people's faces change so quickly. He felt only immense irony and sadness.
'I protected them, they cursed me.'
'That No.17 threatens to destroy them, yet they dare not even speak his name, only respectfully call him 'Destroyer'.'
'Even now, they only acknowledge me as a Hero because they fear No.17's reaction...'
'What is this supposed to be?'
Crackle!
The massive electronic screen in the center of the park, which had been showing cheerful advertisements, suddenly flickered with static before switching to a different image.
On the screen appeared the figure who haunted the nightmares of billions: No.17.
Beside No.17 stood a blonde, blue-eyed, exquisitely featured young woman in a black jacket and skirt, a playful smile on her face.
In the park, everyone's movements and voices seemed to freeze.
"I know what happened here."
No.17's voice came clearly through the screen, devoid of emotion.
"Once again, you've proven my point. Ungrateful, uncaring, rejecting a Hero who risked his life to save you based solely on appearance..."
"Such a world is too filthy."
He paused, then delivered the final verdict.
"To increase the challenge, now you must not only defeat me, but also defeat my sister."
In the park, everyone's minds went blank.
The doomsday challenge had doubled!
At that moment, the blonde girl beside No.17 waved cheerfully at the camera. Her smile was sweet, but devoid of warmth.
"Hello, everyone~ I'm his sister. You can call me No.18."
"Don't worry~ I'm actually a little weaker than him."
"So, good luck, humans~ Defeat us both, and you get to live."
The screen went dark.
In the park, deathly silence lasted a few seconds, then pandemonium erupted.
"Waaaaah!"
"Not this!"
"We can't beat one! Now there are two!"
"It's over! Completely over! We're doomed!"
Complete breakdown and despair exploded like a volcano.
Many collapsed, weeping uncontrollably, their spirits crushed.
At the same time, a deeper fear gripped them.
If what happened here got out...
They had heard about the fate of the man in the plaid shirt after the Deep Sea King incident… doxxed, harassed in real life...
If today's events were exposed, they would surely face the world's wrath like that man did.
"Sweet Mask, please explain for us! We forgive you!"
"Please plead with the Destroyer for us! Say you don't mind!"
"You always cared about your fans, didn't you?"
Sweet Mask remained silent, his heart growing lighter.
He no longer felt ugly at all.
He cast a grateful glance at Setsuna, then didn't linger.
With a few leaps, his figure disappeared into the trees at the park's edge, leaving behind the chaos and the still-bickering, panicked crowd.
At the Hero Association's Headquarters, Genos, who had been monitoring remotely, watched with confusion in his eyes.
"Hades, what kind of person is he?" Genos murmured.
Having been mocked during the Deep Sea King incident, he empathized with Sweet Mask's experience.
The judgment Setsuna had delivered through No.17 gave him an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
Fubuki was also confused. The more she understood him, the more she felt his greatness, as if everything he did was purifying this world.
If she didn't know Hades was the mastermind behind it all, she might even have felt the urge to follow him.