The atmosphere in the Aegis Hero Association's high-security boardroom was suffocating. Forty-one figures sat around a massive obsidian table, their forms shrouded in darkness. The only source of light came from the enormous holographic screen at the front of the room, displaying a grainy image.
On the screen, a lone figure stood among corpses, his black suit pristine despite the carnage. A purple eye mask covered his face, but his aura—one of absolute, unrelenting menace—was unmistakable. The image flickered for a moment before stabilizing.
Vigilante 7A.
The silence was shattered by the deep voice of the meeting's chairman. "We have a problem."
The words were simple, but the weight behind them was palpable.
Another hologram flickered to life, displaying a list of names—heroes that had been killed over the past month. Many had been seasoned fighters, some even ranked among the Association's elite, yet none had survived their encounters with him.
The air in the room grew heavy.
Then, from the left side of the table, a man scoffed, his voice filled with disdain.
"A mere bastard that can't control his powers is what you guys call threatening?"
All eyes turned to him as he leaned forward, his presence domineering despite the veil of shadows. His face was partially illuminated by the faint blue glow of the screen, revealing a deep scar running across his forehead, a grotesque line that split his skin like an old battle-worn map.
His left eye shimmered green, while his right eye burned purple.
Vilostar.
One of the most feared heroes within the Aegis Hero Association—not because of any sense of justice or heroism, but because he was a monster who thrived in battle.
Another voice cut through the tense silence. Unlike Vilostar's sharp mockery, this voice was smooth and deliberate, each word laced with calculation.
"That's the thing, Vilostar," the speaker said, her tone unhurried yet firm. "We know nothing about his powers. All the heroes he's been against haven't pushed him to the point of revealing them."
The woman speaking finally stepped forward into the dim light, revealing her long, flowing teal hair, a stark contrast against the darkness of the room.
Her eyes were unsettling—both pupils split perfectly in half by a divide symbol (÷), creating a cold, mathematical eeriness.
Divider.
Vilostar turned his heterochromatic gaze toward her and let out a low chuckle. "So what?" He waved a hand dismissively. "Some no-name freak with a mask goes around wiping out small-time heroes and suddenly we're supposed to take him seriously? Pathetic."
Divider didn't respond right away. She simply crossed her arms, her piercing gaze locked onto Vilostar, as if she were calculating the exact moment he would become a liability.
Before she could speak again, a voice from near the head of the table interrupted them.
"Then you two, deal with him."
The words were an order, not a request.
The speaker remained in the shadows, but his tone was that of an old war general—deep, measured, and utterly void of emotion.
Vilostar smirked, leaning back in his seat. "Finally, something fun."
But Divider hesitated. She understood the weight of this order. Whoever their masked target was, he had systematically dismantled the Association's vassal organizations, yet never revealed the full extent of his power. That meant one thing.
He was still holding back.
Divider steeled herself and spoke. "Please consider, Commander—"
She was cut off.
A new voice resonated through the chamber, this one coming from the silhouette closest to the head of the table.
It was different.
Not loud. Not harsh.
But absolute.
A voice that crushed any defiance before it could be fully formed.
Divider immediately froze, her heart hammering in her chest.
Her throat clenched, and without hesitation, she bowed.
"Yes, Master."
A single bead of sweat dripped from her temple.
The presence of the true authority in this room—the one who sat at the very head of the table—was something that not even she dared to question.
Vilostar, meanwhile, simply grinned.
—
After the Meeting
The corridor outside the meeting hall was eerily silent, the footsteps of Vilostar and Divider echoing off the pristine white walls. The halls of the Aegis Hero Association's upper echelon were built like a fortress, filled with reinforced steel and state-of-the-art security, yet it felt like a prison.
Divider's mind raced as she walked. This Vigilante 7A… who the hell was he?
They had collected no useful data on him. He moved like a ghost, struck with surgical precision, and dismantled their operations without revealing a single weakness.
That wasn't a vigilante.
That was a predator.
As they turned a corner, Vilostar let out a low chuckle.
"Idiot."
Divider's teeth clenched, her fists balling up. "What the hell are you laughing at?"
Vilostar gave her a side glance, his scarred face twisting into a smirk. "You got scared back there."
She bristled. "You think I don't know what I'm dealing with?"
He shrugged, his amusement only growing. "You hesitated in front of him. That's all I needed to see."
Divider glared at him, but inwardly, she cursed herself. She had hesitated. And in this world, hesitation meant weakness.
And weakness…
Was something the Association never forgave.
Her grip tightened.
Vigilante 7A.
Whoever you are…
You better be worth all of this.
The corridor lights flickered slightly as the two continued their walk, their shadows stretching out behind them like specters of war.