"Can't you understand plain speech? Fubuki's business has nothing to do with you!"
A dense green glow radiated as Tornado's curly hair and the hem of her dress fluttered upward. She raised both hands toward Lexon, her powerful psychokinesis ready to sweep forward.
Lexon didn't budge, standing firmly as though he were entirely unaffected.
"Don't fight! Don't fight! Miss Tornado! Mr. Lexon! Please, don't do this!" Just as the clash was about to begin, a figure came scrambling and crawling between the two confronting sides.
It was Guqi, the Hero Association staff member Lexon had spoken with before.
"Move." Tornado was clearly fuming, and her attitude toward Guqi was far from friendly.
"The meeting is about to start, Miss Tornado! If you start a fight now, it will affect many things!" Guqi explained frantically.
He was truly terrified that Lexon and Tornado would come to blows.
According to the Association's assessment, the 'Mist Swordsman' Lexon, who could easily resolve Dragon-level crises, was at least on the same combat level as Tornado.
If these two started fighting inside the headquarters... even though this building was a fortified structure built by Metal Knight, it wouldn't withstand their devastation!
Therefore, their conflict had to be stopped at all costs.
Hearing Guqi's words, Tornado temporarily regained her composure, her anger gradually subsiding.
Although she was often headstrong, she generally understood the bigger picture.
"My sister is just a regular B-rank. She isn't qualified to attend this meeting." With that, Tornado shifted the burden to Guqi, expecting him to represent the Association and stop those who clearly didn't belong.
"Not qualified..." Murmuring, Guqi turned his gaze toward Lexon.
To be honest, the Association didn't have much of an issue with the 'Mist Swordsman' or 'Demon Cyborg' bringing a few close acquaintances to the meeting.
Part of the reason was the weight of their status.
Another part was that, excluding Mumen Rider, the other two were heroes the Association considered capable.
Though 'Hellish Blizzard' was only B-rank, her actual strength was at least at the level of A-rank Rank 2.
As for 'Caped Baldy', his performance in every test except the written portion had basically matched the record-breaking 'Mist Swordsman', which was highly anticipated.
Thus, the Association had essentially given their tacit approval.
Otherwise, staff would have intercepted them on the way to the conference room; they wouldn't have made it this far.
But now that Tornado was refusing to budge...
And was strictly demanding that her sister not participate...
"Mr. Lexon..." Guqi's eyes flickered across Lexon's face, seemingly hoping the man would yield.
After all, it was just Fubuki. Even without her, Mumen Rider and Caped Baldy could still attend.
However, all he received in response was Lexon's gentle, calm smile.
"Sister!" Suddenly, Fubuki's voice rang out.
Hmm?
Tornado looked at Fubuki, who was standing behind Lexon.
"I won't be joining the meeting," Fubuki said.
"Good," Tornado nodded, satisfied with her sister's obedience.
"But... Sister." Fubuki looked directly at Tornado, her eyes filled with a resolve she had never possessed before. "Just like I said... from now on, I want to decide my own matters!"
Tornado just stared at her.
After a long silence, Tornado said nothing and gave no reaction. She simply walked past Fubuki and headed toward the conference room.
"Phew..."
Seeing her sister leave, Fubuki felt as though all her energy had been drained. Her body felt weak, and she let out a long sigh of relief.
"Thank you, 'Mist Swordsman'... Thank you for standing up for me." Fubuki then sincerely thanked Lexon.
'Standing up for you?'
Lexon's expression didn't change.
'I just didn't want you to be cowered by the shadow you've lived in for years during a confrontation with her.'
'What I'm doing...'
'Is ensuring the success of my own goals as much as possible.'
...
Inside the conference room at the Hero Association headquarters.
There were over twenty seats, most of which were already occupied.
Since Fubuki had gone to the lounge, only four people remained on Lexon's side.
The four of them sat together in a small section of the long table, their chairs close to one another. To any observer, it was clear these five were a group.
After all, the other S-class heroes sat with some distance between them.
As they took their seats, the other S-class heroes couldn't help but glance over, their eyes filled with curiosity.
'Who are these people? I've never seen them.'
'They're not S-class, right?' Such questions inevitably arose in their minds.
"Yo, old man from before." Once Saitama sat down, he waved a greeting to Bang, who was sitting opposite him.
'An acquaintance of Silver Fang?' Another question surfaced.
"Oh, hello," Bang replied.
He had just witnessed Lexon confronting Tornado without a shred of fear, and from Demon Cyborg's words...
Bang judged that this bald man, Saitama, was likely of the same standing as Lexon.
Therefore, his strength should be comparable as well.
Not to be underestimated.
Bang felt it was better to maintain good relations if possible.
*Clack.*
The high-tech doors slid open, and three people entered the conference room.
Leading them was a middle-aged man with a relatively short stature, pale hair, a large nose, and a business suit.
Upon entering, he scanned the room and said, "Apologies for the delay. It seems most S-class heroes are here. Since the whereabouts of Rank 1, Blast, and Rank 6, Metal Knight, are unknown, we couldn't contact them, so they are absent."
"Therefore, we shall begin the emergency meeting now!"
"I, Sitch, will be explaining the situation to everyone!"
The man continued.
'Sitch? So what's your relationship with that Guqi?' Lexon glanced at him briefly.
"Without further ado, let's get straight to the poin—"
"Before the meeting starts, can you tell us what's going on with these guys?" Before Sitch could continue, a youthful voice interrupted him.
The speaker was a young boy who looked like an elementary schooler, carrying a small backpack and holding a lollipop.
"Another brat? Is this a playground?" Saitama muttered under his breath.
"Saitama-sensei... that child is the S-class Rank 5 hero, 'Child Emperor'. He has a very high IQ and is one of the Hero Association's main strategists," Genos explained quietly.
"A kid as a strategist? How has this association not gone bankrupt? And this is definitely child labor." Saitama, being Saitama, looked at the situation from a completely different perspective.
"Hey! You over there! What are you saying about me!" Sensing he was being discussed, Child Emperor pointed his lollipop toward Lexon's group.
'Oops, he heard me.'
Saitama immediately whistled innocently, pretending nothing had happened.
"Yeah, tell us. I don't recall the S-class suddenly gaining so many new members." A man in casual clothes with an incredibly pale complexion spoke up as well.
He was the S-class Rank 8 hero, Zombieman.
"People involved in the incident?" The S-class Rank 14 hero, a muscular man in a tank top—Tanktop Master—asked.
The other S-class heroes remained silent but were also waiting for an answer.
"They are also heroes the Association has high hopes for, so there's no issue with them participating in the meeting," Sitch explained.
"But if I'm not mistaken, isn't that the C-class Rank 1 hero, Mumen Rider?" S-class Rank 17, Puri-Puri Prisoner, said, pointing at the now-bald Mumen.
"Hey, hey, hey. I skipped my sister's piano recital for this, and now you're telling me I'm attending an 'emergency meeting' where even a C-class is capable of coming? Be careful, or I'll tear this place apart!"
S-class Rank 15, Metal Bat, spoke with the tone and manner of a delinquent, slamming his bat against the armrest of his chair with a loud clang.
"I think a better explanation is indeed in order," Atomic Samurai said leisurely, a stalk of hay in his mouth.
His impression of the 'Mist Swordsman' was good, but business was business; things needed to be cleared up.
[Ding]
Suddenly, a long-unheard voice rang out in Lexon's mind again.
[TRIGGER SIDE MISSION]
["DISPEL THE SUSPICIONS OF THE S-CLASS HEROES PRESENT"]
[REWARD: 100,000 REINCARNATION POINTS]
Oh?
Lexon, who had already planned to suppress the doubts, was momentarily taken aback, but a smile soon played across his lips.
'Aren't these just free Reincarnation Points...'
The pleasant thought settled in his mind.
"
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]