Inside the police car, with the ignition rumbling to life, Joshiro Joestar sat in silence for a moment, his expression faintly puzzled. As he raised his hand, a simple white-quality card materialized from the void. The card bore an illustration of a dead fish-eyed head, wearing an empty grin.
It was the first time Joshiro had received a fantasy card just from a close encounter. His brows furrowed slightly. Had he activated a substitute ability without realizing it? He wasn't sure. Normally, a weirdo encounter at the very least required a direct battle with a strong opponent, often a BOSS-class fight, for a meaningful reward to drop. Yet here he was, holding a card as if it had been handed to him for free.
He attributed the peculiarity to the uniqueness of Saitama's "Child of the World" status before turning his attention to the card itself. The dull shimmer of its surface reflected between his fingers as he read the printed details aloud quietly.
[Fantasy Card: Limiter Fragments]
[Card type: Special Card]
[Rarity: N]
[Introduction: Unknown fragments that come from nowhere]
[Effect 1: ???]
[???]
Joshiro blinked at the rows of question marks that taunted him from the card's description. He let out a quiet breath and leaned back against the seat. The limiter, spoken of in the original work through the words of Dr. Genus, was one of the underlying laws of this world. Every species, and every individual within it, existed with a limiter in place to prevent uncontrollable growth. No matter how much effort was put into surpassing it, that invisible ceiling shaped the limits of all living beings. It served as the safeguard that kept survival instincts and rationality intact for each species. This limit was known simply as the "limiter."
To put it in human terms, certain S-Class heroes were born with limiters stretched wider than that of ordinary people, granting them talents that far exceeded the norm: Child Emperor's genius intellect, Tatsumaki's psychic abilities, and Bang's martial arts mastery were each examples of this. When a human transformed into a monster, it was effectively the process of discarding and resetting a limiter under an entirely different form of existence.
Only one person had remained human yet broken through that limiter entirely-Saitama.
Joshiro tapped the edge of the card with his finger as he thought. "Limiter fragments... what exactly are these supposed to be?" The automatically generated card gave no clear explanation in his status feedback. Yet a card produced through contact with Saitama was unlikely to be meaningless. He slipped it into the card library, letting it settle to the bottom of the growing collection.
With no restrictions on the number of fantasy cards he could carry, storing it away was harmless. Whether it gathered dust in the library was irrelevant; if it came from Saitama, he would hold onto it regardless.
The encounter with Saitama was only one part of his routine work as a police officer, though it left Joshiro with an unfamiliar tension buried beneath the surface. To others, strange events were disasters to avoid, but to him they appeared as sources of irreplaceable value, opportunities that would not come again. Even with Saitama nearby, the price to acquire such opportunities could only be paid by continuing forward without hesitation.
…
One month passed uneventfully in the city. There were no disasters exceeding ghost-level during that time, but wolf-level and tiger-level monsters emerged without pause. Seemingly trivial oddities-the Onion Weirdo, the Sausage Weirdo, the Mailbox Weirdo, the Toilet Weirdo-surfaced, each mutation born from commonplace items twisted by unknown catalysts. One after another, they appeared like weeds growing after a rainfall.
Joshiro found himself wondering if these weaker monsters existed for the sole purpose of sharpening Saitama. If that were truly the case, he was the one stepping into the role of disrupting that process. "So I'm the one stealing encounters," he muttered after another patrol. His daily grind of fighting minor monsters and collecting cards left his physical condition stronger than before, his endurance raised to a new level. But the card system's draws were beyond his control; progress depended on rate and chance, not on effort alone. He was reminded of the path Saitama had taken-stacking fundamentals until they broke the natural order itself.
During this time, Joshiro also sensed unease during patrols. From the periphery of his awareness, he could feel someone's eyes trailing him, that faint weight that suggested he was being observed. Each time he activated his "Spider Sense" to investigate, however, nothing was found. His instinct told him this was no ordinary gaze, though it carried no immediate danger. He remained cautious, aware of exactly what lay hidden in Z-City-the headquarters of the Monster Association buried beneath the ground. His activities may have drawn unnecessary attention, and that possibility required vigilance.
…
The Heroes Association's influence grew louder with each passing week. Public searches and promotions spread their name through cities, far more visible than any police department could manage. Joshiro returned to the station one morning, continuing his unbroken routine of reporting patrol results, when a colleague approached his desk.
"Mr. Joshiro, Director Akari wants to see you," Kyoko, a young policewoman with a ponytail, said hesitantly.
Joshiro raised his head from the report forms in front of him. "Find me? Do you know what it's about, Kyoko-san?"
She shook her head lightly, tapping her index finger against her lips as her large eyes darted upward in thought. "I'm not sure. But there were guests in the director's office this morning. Maybe it's related to them?"
"Guests... I see," Joshiro nodded, setting down his work. He adjusted his jacket and walked toward the hallway that led to the director's office.
He knocked once at the door. "Officer Joestar, reporting."
"Enter," came the reply.
Inside the office sat three men in formal suits across from Director Akari. As the door closed behind Joshiro, their attention shifted toward him, eyes moving over his posture and presence in clear appraisal. He suppressed the instinctive urge to frown. Their scrutiny felt mechanical, as though testing if he would fit into some precise framework.
Facing the director, Joshiro asked, "Director, you called for me?"
Before he could say more, Director Akari gave a brief cough, his expression caught between irritation and formality. "This is our bureau's outstanding officer, Mr. Joshiro. The matter you wished to discuss should be addressed to him directly." Though his words were polite, the undertone made it clear he was not pleased at how the situation was unfolding.
The three men rose to their feet in practiced unison. The leading figure stepped forward with a refined bearing, his voice courteous but firm. "Mr. Joshiro, it is an honor to meet you. I am Bach, a cadre from the Z-City branch of the Heroes Association. Please, just call me Bach-san."
"Hello," Joshiro replied evenly.
Bach continued, "I am here to invite you to join the Heroes Association as an official professional hero. Becoming a hero will not affect your position with the police, so long as you cooperate with public promotions during your free time. We have already confirmed this arrangement with Director Akari-san. We are confident you could become the pride of Z-City-no, even the ace of our entire Association."
Director Akari let out a long breath and interjected, his tone edged but controlled. "Wait. I did not agree. But if you can convince Mr. Joshiro himself, I will not interfere."
Joshiro kept his composure as he listened. The Heroes Association, with its sweeping expansion and resources, had clearly set its sights on him. That explained the faint sense of being observed that lingered over the past days. The Association's members had been quietly scrutinizing him all along. With state surveillance and public exposure everywhere in modern cities, hiding effectively was hardly realistic. The director's discontent was understandable; he had always disliked the Association's overreach. Yet their rise was unavoidable now that higher authorities lent them support.
Joshiro looked at Bach and finally gave a measured response. "In that case, I would like to know more about the responsibilities and obligations undertaken after joining as a hero. Is that acceptable?"
Bach inclined his head with visible satisfaction, nodding repeatedly. "Of course. We brought all the relevant information with us, and we can move to a more suitable place to discuss it thoroughly."
PS GOALS: 150 PS= 5-10 extra chapter on an update.
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