The reason Amai Mask wore a mask was that he believed he was hideous—truly, deeply ugly. Since childhood, he had been shunned, leading to an intense longing for those with beautiful features. As he grew, this longing extended to moral character. If he couldn't be beautiful, he would be perfect in conduct. He held himself to the strictest standards, craving validation.
But humans were superficial; they recoiled at his true face. It didn't matter. He told himself that one day he would find acceptance.
Then, reality struck him with a heavy blow: perfect people actually existed.
One man was handsome, elegant, powerful, and virtuosic. The exact image of perfection he dreamed of. He idolized that man. He searched for every bit of info on him, joined dozens of fan clubs, listened to his music, watched his videos, and began to mimic his every move. He put on a mask and became the hero Amai Mask.
When he heard that man had founded the Hero Association, he was among the first to sign up. Hearing that man's voice up close felt like pure bliss. For this assessment, he had resolved to be active and perfect so he might finally have the confidence to speak to him.
But fate had other plans.
…
"Amai Mask, wake up!"
An anxious voice pulled Amai Mask from his unconsciousness.
"Zombieman? Just now..." Amai Mask recalled the scene. "I was... taken out in one hit? How is that possible?"
Had he just humiliated himself in front of Chairman Aomori?
"Wait, the mission—" He looked up at Zombieman and froze.
"Yes, your assessment was a failure. To be honest, I am quite disappointed in all of you," Aomori replied before Zombieman could speak.
"It was my mistake. Punish me alone. I'm willing to go back to Class B," Zombieman said, taking the blame. He didn't care for titles.
"We'll discuss that later. The mission failed, but the enemy isn't dealt with. No time to waste."
"Understood!"
Under Aomori's healing, the group's injuries had mostly vanished. They were dejected, hanging their heads as they followed Aomori to watch, or rather, support, Darkshine.
Seeing Amai Mask still sitting on the floor with his head in his hands, Zombieman patted his shoulder. "It's okay. The enemy was beyond our scope. It was my bad tactical call. You did your best."
Amai Mask's head dropped lower. "My face... you saw it, didn't you? The mask... it's gone."
"Yeah, I saw. It broke during the fight."
Noticing the lack of disgust in Zombieman's voice, Amai Mask asked, "You... you don't find me repulsive? My face is so ugly..."
"Huh?" Zombieman looked at him like he was joking. "By human standards, your face is top-tier. What do you mean 'ugly'?"
Amai Mask was stunned.
"I can testify to that," Aomori interjected. "You aren't quite as handsome as me, but you're close. You actually look a bit like me."
"How?" Amai Mask trusted Aomori implicitly. He slowly raised his head, revealing a face that drew gasps of admiration from the others.
"Not bad. Not quite my level of masculine beauty, but you're definitely the type girls go crazy for," the honest Tanktop Master remarked.
"Mm-hmm, good," Pig God agreed through a mouthful of snacks.
"Beautiful! Just my type of boy. Here, I have a mirror, see for yourself," Puri-Puri Prisoner said, handing over a small pocket mirror.
"Thanks..." Amai Mask looked into the glass. "Is... is this me?"
In the reflection was a handsome man with short black hair and deep, soulful eyes. Amai Mask felt lightheaded. Is this a miracle? Did the heavens take pity on me?
"Alright, if that's settled, let's move. They might have started fighting," Aomori urged.
"Right!"
"Thanks for the mirror, Prisoner."
"You're very welcome!"
"Wait, I have a question. Prisoner, you aren't wearing any clothes with pockets... where did you pull that mirror from?"
"Oh, you naughty boy! Don't ask such private questions!~"
"..."
"Blegh..."
A few minutes later, Aomori and the group reached the combat room. To their surprise, the fight hadn't started. It wasn't because Darkshine was stalling, but because Carnage Kabuto was busy bragging about being the "Perfect New Human." Darkshine, in turn, was lecturing him about how his muscles were the ultimate peak of evolution.
They arrived just as the trash talk reached its climax.
Carnage Kabuto: "You're just an Old Human! I'll tear you into pieces!"
Darkshine: "Another one who doesn't appreciate the beauty of muscles. I'll turn you into meat paste!"
The two lunged at each other, clashing with a violent explosion of force. The visual was... difficult for the spectators. Without power, the room was pitch black. Darkshine, with his dark complexion, practically vanished into the shadows. Only Carnage Kabuto's instincts allowed him to track his opponent. Meanwhile, Carnage Kabuto moved so fast he was a mere blur.
"I can't see anything!" Tanktop Master complained.
"I can see some blurry shapes," Puri-Puri Prisoner noted.
"Same here," Zombieman added, his night vision superior to most.
Crunch, munch... Pig God was still eating. Amai Mask remained quiet, still processing his new appearance.
"My apologies, I forgot." Aomori conjured several orbs of light and hung them in the corners of the room, illuminating the area like broad daylight.
"As expected of the Chairman."
"Handy. Saves on the electric bill."
"It didn't just light the room, it lit up the empty room in my heart!~"
Dr. Genus, hiding in a corner, looked on in shock. This ability defied his scientific understanding.
Aomori ignored the comments and focused on the center of the room. Currently, Darkshine was acting as a human punching bag, being hammered by Carnage Kabuto.
"That beetle is too fast!"
"The power is insane."
"Should we jump in?"
"Don't panic," Aomori instructed. "Did you forget the exhibition? Darkshine's greatest asset is his 'Absolute Defense' muscles. Look closely. Has he moved back even a single inch under that assault?"
The heroes, still shaken from their own defeat, looked closer.
"He's right. Instructor Darkshine hasn't moved his feet at all."
"His skin... there isn't a single scratch. It's still perfectly smooth."
"So this is the power of an S-Class hero?"
Compared to their own instant defeat, the gap was astronomical.
"It's too early to celebrate," Aomori said. "Neither of them has used their full power yet."
Everyone fell silent as they watched the speed-of-sound blur of Carnage Kabuto and heard the deafening thuds of his fists hitting Darkshine's body.
"Maybe we should take this chance to secure Dr. Genus," Zombieman suggested.
Aomori shook his head. "No need. Just watch. This is a top-tier duel you won't see anywhere else."
"How is this possible?" Carnage Kabuto, who thought victory was assured, was starting to feel his hands go numb from the recoil of his own punches. The human hadn't taken any damage. "This human... how can his defense be this ridiculous? Is he even human?"
He stopped his assault, gasping. "You! How are you so strong?!"
"I told you," Darkshine said, lowering his guard. "These beautiful, powerful muscles were forged in the gym. Ten years ago, I was a sickly boy. I started lifting weights to get healthy. Three years, five years, ten years... I never stopped. My weights went from three kilograms to over a ton. These steel muscles were built piece by piece!"
"Impossible!" Dr. Genus shouted.
No gene editing? No high-tech? Just... lifting weights? It was absurd to think such "child's play" could rival his ultimate artificial evolution. If this were true, his life's work was a joke. His worldview was collapsing.
The heroes, however, thought it made perfect sense.
Tanktop Master: "I wear a tank top and get stronger."
Puri-Puri Prisoner: "I break out of jail and get stronger through pain."
Zombieman: "I was an experiment and now I'm immortal."
Pig God: "I eat and get stronger."
Amai Mask: "I... I'm not human anymore!"
Aomori: "I have a cheat!"
In this world, almost every top-tier powerhouse had a "cheat"—be it technological, biological, or purely "willpower." Genus simply couldn't accept it.
"Whatever!" Carnage Kabuto roared, his eyes turning blood-red. "Today, you die!"
"Wait! Carnage Kabuto, are you going to go berserk? Stop!" Dr. Genus screamed.
"Too late! Everyone in this room is dead!" The beetle's shell turned deep purple with green highlights. Long spikes erupted from his head and back.
"Carnage Mode!"
"It's over," Genus slumped to the floor. "In this mode, he becomes a true demon. he loses all reason and kills until his energy is spent."
"!" The group gasped in shock. Darkshine opened his mouth to say something, but in a flash, he was struck down to the ground.
Everywhere Carnage Kabuto tread, the floor shattered completely. The hurricane-force winds generated by his movements sent Zombieman flying, only to be caught and saved by Pig God just in time.
Only then did the explosive thunder of the sonic booms reach their ears.
No, it wasn't just one sound; it was a continuous, bone-shattering roar, like the heavens themselves were collapsing!
"ROOOAAAR! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!" The berserk Carnage Kabuto unleashed his never-ending slaughter.
"To be able to make my muscles feel pain... you should be proud. Now, I'm going all out too!" Darkshine's already terrifying muscles expanded further, veins bulging as his entire frame grew a size larger.
"Muscle Full Release! Superalloy Bazooka!"
Wielding his arms like heavy-duty pile drivers and fueled by invincible confidence, Darkshine struck at Carnage Kabuto.
Having lost all reason, Carnage Kabuto didn't even try to dodge, meeting the attack with a fist of his own.
The two physical titans collided violently, hammering each other's bodies with their most ferocious blows.
Each swing of their fists kicked up a horrifying gale, turning the entire room into a disaster zone ravaged by a hurricane.
The A-Class heroes used Tanktop Master, Zombieman, and Pig God as human shields, circling around the less physically sturdy Amai Mask and Puri-Puri Prisoner to protect them from the storm and flying debris.
Meanwhile, Aomori had already stepped to Dr. Genus's side, deploying a Reflect barrier to keep him safe.
"Why save me?" Genus asked.
"It would be a waste for you to die here."
"What is this? Psychic power?"
"Something like that."
"It's useless. Carnage Mode Kabuto will kill everyone. He's invincible!"
"I wouldn't be so sure," Aomori smiled. "Want to bet?"
"Bet?"
"On who wins. if Carnage Kabuto wins, we all die. But if Darkshine wins, you turn over a new leaf and work for the Hero Association. Deal?"
Genus adjusted his glasses. "Sounds like a bad deal for me, but fine. I'll take it. I don't believe Carnage Kabuto can lose!"
"Let's see, then."
Aomori smirked. With him there, even if Darkshine struggled, he could nudge things in the right direction. Dr. Genus was already his. The Hero Association was about to get a very talented new "employee."