In the depths of City Z, within the Monster Association.
Gyoro Gyoro sat on the sofa in his room watching TV, which was broadcasting the title matches live.
"The Hero Association has so many tricks, but it's just as well. The more events they hold, the more intelligence I can gather on them."
Suddenly, a large golem made of earth rose from the ground, positioning itself right between Gyoro Gyoro and the television.
Glints of sharp light flickered in Gyoro Gyoro's eye as he stared at the unfamiliar mud figure. "Who are you? What do you want, sending a puppet to find me?"
A slit opened at the bottom of the mud figure's face, emitting a muffled voice. "A puppet for a puppet, isn't that appropriate? My true self is currently paying a visit to yours."
"What did you say?" Gyoro Gyoro was struck with shock.
Deep underground, far below this very spot, a graceful woman with glasses, Psykos, abruptly stood up from her sofa. Standing before her, at some unknown point, was an ordinary-looking young man.
"Who are you? How did you find this place?" The bespectacled beauty looked at him with gravity, her mind racing: Is he from the Hero Association? No, impossible! Even someone like Tatsumaki couldn't easily discover my location.
"Put away those boring guesses." No. 17 spread his hands, his expression one of fanatical zeal. "I am the 17th-ranked Apostle under the Great Lord. I have come by His command to deliver a divine oracle to you, Psykos, the favored of God."
"The Great Lord? Apostle? Favored of God?" Psykos's eyes widened as she immediately recalled the moment years ago that had changed her life.
"It seems you remember. It was then that you received the Lord's favor and were fortunate enough to see the 'Truth'."
"The Truth..."
"Naturally. To purge all humans like dross and restore this world to its rightful state—that is the mission the Lord has bestowed upon us."
"Yes... that's right. I have worked for years to create the Monster Association specifically to wipe out humanity and build a kingdom for monsters!" Hearing this man describe the vision she had seen, Psykos believed his identity seventy percent. The remaining thirty percent was the innate skepticism of a woman.
"Excellent." No. 17 was satisfied with Psykos's reaction. He nodded. "The Lord has seen your efforts. Fearing it would be difficult for you alone to face those evil forces, He sent us to assist you. With our help, that self-proclaimed righteous Hero Association is nothing more than a trivial anthill."
"Are there several other Apostles like yourself?" Psykos asked, half-convinced.
"Yes. Including myself, there were two Apostles who descende—" Before he could finish, No. 17's expression shifted drastically. He looked upward in disbelief.
No. 18's aura has completely vanished? That fool... what on earth did he encounter? With his strength, who besides Blast and his team could defeat him? Has Blast returned? No, that's impossible.
No. 17 was baffled, and a seed of unease took root in his heart. Being able to kill No. 18 means they can threaten me too. It seems I cannot rush the sacrifice.
"Apostle-sama, has something happened?" Psykos asked curiously, seeing No. 17's face turn from red to pale.
"It's nothing. Only that the other Apostle was suddenly recalled, so for now, I alone remain to assist you," No. 17 said, trying to maintain his composure. "No matter. I alone can change the tides."
"Oh, I see." Psykos smiled. "Then, Apostle-sama, what should our next step be?"
"Within three months, I will help you evolve the Monster King you created under the Lord's guidance into his complete form. In the meantime, continue managing your Monster Association. The birth of the ultimate Monster King shall be the signal for a global offensive."
"Three months? Wonderful!" Psykos excitedly licked her lips. "I can hardly wait."
…
Aomori's return triggered a collective climax of excitement from the audience. It took some time for order to be restored before Fubuki officially began her challenge.
Based on the previous contestants, this should be an illusion, Fubuki concluded, just as Zombie Man had. Going last gave her a distinct advantage over the earlier challengers.
My spirit is far superior to theirs. As long as I stay alert, I won't be easily dragged into the illusion.
Fubuki took a deep breath, focusing most of her mental energy to shield her brain, and then stared directly into the polished surface of the Mirror of Fear.
Just as before, within a minute, a dark shadow appeared on the mirror, its crimson eyes reflecting Fubuki's silhouette. Then, a surge of psychic energy projected outward, instantly shattering the defenses she had spent her full effort to set up.
How is this possible? This psychic pressure feels almost like my sister's. It's too strong; I'm completely outmatched! Fubuki felt a moment of dizziness, and then her surroundings changed.
When she regained her senses, she found herself in a very familiar place, standing before a very familiar person.
"Sensei?"
"Fubuki, why are you daydreaming during class?" In the office, Aomori frowned. "I am so disappointed in you. You think you can surpass your sister like this? Keep dreaming!"
Is this the Mirror of Fear's illusion? It's too realistic. Fubuki bit her lip. Even knowing it was an illusion, she couldn't bear to see Aomori look at her with such disdain.
"I'm sorry, sensei. It was my fault," Fubuki said, bowing slightly in sincere apology.
"What use is an apology now? I have lost all hope in you. Go. I'll act as though I never took you as a student."
"What?!" A sharp pain suddenly flared in her chest, causing Fubuki to clutch her heart as tears welled in her eyes.
So this is what I fear most? She took a deep breath, trying to steady her emotions. It's okay. This is a hallucination. Sensei would never be so heartless.
However, to her shock, this was only the beginning.
Another familiar figure flew in through the window and, right before her eyes, threw herself into Aomori's arms. Aomori's expression softened into a look of tenderness Fubuki had never seen before as he affectionately embraced her.
"O... Onee-chan?!" Fubuki was stunned. With trembling hands, she pointed at them. "You... you and sensei..."
Tatsumaki leaned against Aomori like a delicate bird. She looked at Fubuki and said, "Fubuki, I'm sorry. You've never beaten me once in your life, and this time is no exception. Aomori belongs to me now."
"No, impossible!" Fubuki argued loudly. "Compared to a flat-chested sister with no feminine curves and a sharp tongue, I'm much more popular with men!"
"Ho-ho-ho, that's where you're wrong. Aomori isn't like other shallow men. He likes powerful women like me, who can stand by his side through life and death." Tatsumaki affectionately caressed Aomori's face.
Aomori took her small hand and echoed, "Indeed. I prefer someone with Tatsumaki's strength. Besides, her petite and exquisite form is much more endearing."
"How could this be?" The light faded from Fubuki's eyes. The massive blow made her forget that this was an illusion.
"Aomori, let's ignore my foolish little sister from now on. Let's return to a world that belongs only to the two of us."
"Alright."
The two gazed deeply into each other's eyes. Under Fubuki's horrified gaze, their heads slowly leaned together.
Crack! Something inside Fubuki felt as though it had shattered.
"What she fears is being betrayed and abandoned by the two people closest to her," whispered Darkrai, peering from the shadows. "It feels a bit cruel. This should be enough to break her; there's no need to continue."
Darkrai merely manifested the hidden fears of the challengers in the form of nightmares; it didn't intentionally manipulate the specific content.
Remembering that Fubuki was Aomori's student, Darkrai was about to release her from the nightmare when it suddenly sensed a massive surge of psychic energy erupting from within her.
"Why? One is the sensei I admire and love, and the other is the sister I respect and adore. Yet you both conspire to betray me! Unforgivable! Unpardonable! I will never accept a sister and sensei who abandon their cute student just to go off and be happy together!" Fubuki screamed, her eyes blurred with tears.
At that moment, a visible green light spread down from the top of her head, dyeing her entire being verdant. A resilient suit of armor covered her body, and a whirlwind infused with powerful psychic energy expanded uncontrollably in all directions.
The embracing Aomori and Tatsumaki distorted along with the scenery and finally shattered like a mirror. Fubuki was back at the competition venue.
"What's happening?!" the host shouted. "At the three-minute mark, Fubuki has suddenly transformed into the Verdant Rider! A violent gale is swirling around her, kicking up so much dust we can't even see her clearly!"
"Fortunately, that emerald glow is so bright we can still track her position."
"However, we have no way of knowing her current state."
As her consciousness returned from the illusion and she saw the unaffected Mirror of Fear before her, Fubuki slowly remembered she was participating in the title matches. But the gloom and anger in her heart refused to dissipate.
The storm slowly subsided, and the field became clear again. Fubuki stood there, her face cold as frost, with traces of tears still in her eyes.
"Five minutes have passed! Contestant Fubuki appears to be fine on the surface. Does this mean she has succeeded?! Judges, please provide your scores."
"A total score of 9.25! Fubuki has taken the title of Courage with an absolute lead. A truly well-deserved brave one!"
"Fubuki! Fubuki! Fubuki!" The stands erupted into massive cheers.
"Nicely done." Aomori smiled and clapped, satisfied with Fubuki's performance. Seeing Fubuki look toward him, he gave her a thumbs-up.
However, Fubuki returned his gesture with a look of intense resentment.
"Did she see something bad in the dream?" Aomori wondered. Darkrai loved exposing scars, something Aomori knew from experience. "Whatever it was, I hope she can face it bravely."
Amidst the tsunami of cheers, Fubuki walked slowly toward the tunnel to the lounge, only to be intercepted by a waiting reporter.
"Congratulations, Fubuki, on winning the Courage title! I'm sure many of our viewers are wondering: why did you transform into the Verdant Rider at the last second?"
Fubuki glared at him, a chilling aura of killing intent radiating from her. She said coldly, "From now on, call me the Gale Rider!"
Anything related to "Green" or "Verdant" had become a taboo word for her.
"Oh... uh, okay." The reporter broke into a cold sweat and quickly corrected himself. "Gale Rider. Why did you transform into the Gale Rider?"
"No comment. Goodbye!" Fubuki pushed past the reporter and entered the lounge without looking back.
Having failed to get a direct answer, the reporter was mentally prepared. "It seems Fubuki was not entirely unaffected. We will conduct a more in-depth interview after she has had a moment to rest."
Inside the lounge, Fubuki locked the door and immediately collapsed onto the table, covering her face with her arms.
"Uwahhh... I'm such an idiot. The idea of sensei and onee-chan being together like that is totally impossible. How could I fall for such an illusion?"
"Wait... it's actually a little bit possible," Fubuki thought carefully. "With a man as excellent as sensei, it wouldn't be strange for onee-chan to be interested. And sensei's strength isn't inferior to hers. The conditions match perfectly."
"On the other hand, sensei has so many girls who like him, yet he's always indifferent. Even after what happened between us last time, he was unmoved... Could it be that he really does like strong women?"
The more she thought, the more panicked she became.
"Ever since one-chan went out alone with sensei last time, she's always mentioning him. Even if it's mostly badmouthing him, isn't that a sign that she cares? And this time, they went out alone again, sensei changed his clothes, and onee-chan left without a word... Could it be..."
Fubuki's imagination ran wild, but she quickly rejected the thought. "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"Ah, but if it's true, what should I do?" Fubuki sighed, her worries deepening.
…
"Finally, we have reached the last challenge! Will the final ten contestants please take the field!"
Sweet Mask, Tanktop Master, Mumen Rider, and seven others stepped onto the field to the cheers and screams of the crowd.
"This time, I will definitely win!" Sweet Mask resolved.
"Tanktop Power is invincible!" Tanktop Master was full of confidence.
"Fubuki succeeded, so I can't fall behind. I'll give it my all!" Mumen Rider wore an expression of grim determination.
The final challenge had begun!