Sol Mirek took out his communicator, tapped the screen a few times, and dialed the Hero Association's dedicated line.
"This is Sol Mirek. I've completed the preliminary investigation into the Zenil Tower attack," he said calmly.
His tone carried no emotion.
"Based on the evidence at the scene and eyewitness reports, the attacker was the same Armored Monster that appeared earlier at the gym. He calls himself Ashura."
On the other end of the call, the rapid sound of typing echoed as the operator recorded everything.
"Understood, Mr. Mirek. The Association has added the information to the report. Thank you for your investigation."
Sol gave a quiet nod.
"Alright. Inform me immediately if there are any new developments."
After ending the call, Sol sat on the edge of his bed and opened the notebook Silver Fang had given him.
His eyes paused on a particular page describing the Exploding Heart Release Fist.
His finger traced the messy handwriting slowly.
If he modified the technique slightly, it might work well with his Asura Mode.
Before he could think further, the communicator rang again.
Sol picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Mirek, this is the Hero Association Headquarters," an unfamiliar male voice said.
"There will be an emergency meeting tomorrow at ten in the morning. Your attendance is required."
"Understood. I'll be there on time."
Sol ended the call and allowed a faint smile to appear.
Everything was unfolding exactly as planned.
The Hero Association had already taken the bait, and Zenil was reacting exactly as expected.
Tomorrow's meeting would only need a small push to make the situation escalate.
Sol leaned back on the bed and closed his eyes.
Tomorrow would be important. Getting proper rest mattered.
The next morning, Sol stood in front of the mirror adjusting the collar of his black combat suit.
Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a calm glow across his face.
"Time to meet the Association's higher ups," he murmured.
When he stepped out of his apartment, he found Genos hanging freshly washed clothes in the hallway.
"Good morning, Senpai," Genos said. "I heard you're attending the Association's emergency meeting today."
Sol nodded.
"Yes. It's about that Armored Monster. Things are becoming more serious."
A flicker of concern passed through Genos's mechanical eyes.
"Please be careful, Senpai."
Sol lightly patted his shoulder.
"Relax. I know what I'm doing."
Moments later, Sol used psychokinesis to fly toward A-City, where the Hero Association Headquarters stood.
The moment he entered the lobby, he sensed the tension in the air.
Staff members moved quickly through the hallways, speaking in hushed voices. When they noticed Sol, several of them looked at him with clear respect.
"Mr. Mirek!"
A female assistant hurried over.
"The meeting will begin shortly. Please follow me."
She guided him down a long corridor before stopping at the entrance to a large conference room.
Several S-Class heroes were already seated around the circular table.
Among them were Silver Fang, Tanktop Master, and Metal Bat.
"Teacher Bang," Sol greeted with a nod as he sat beside Silver Fang.
Silver Fang stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"How is the investigation into that Armored Monster going?"
Sol lowered his voice slightly.
"It's more complicated than we expected."
At that moment, the conference room door suddenly burst open.
Tatsumaki floated inside.
Her green curly hair moved as if stirred by invisible wind.
"Hmph. It's just a monster," she said dismissively. "Do we really need this much commotion?"
She floated directly in front of Sol and poked his chest with her finger.
"Rookie, why haven't you caught him yet?"
Sol met her gaze calmly.
"This monster is cautious. Every time he appears, he fights briefly and disappears."
Tatsumaki snorted.
"Looks like I'll have to deal with it myself."
She floated over and dropped into the empty seat beside Sol.
The meeting officially began.
Sitch, the Hero Association executive, stood in front of a large projection screen.
"Everyone, according to the latest intelligence, the Armored Monster calling himself Ashura has attacked an S-Class hero and the bodyguard of Mr. Zenil."
The screen displayed a simulation of the armored figure.
Black and red bio armor reflected the light with a metallic sheen.
"It is worth noting," Sitch continued while adjusting his glasses, "that the monster consistently stops short of killing his opponents. He appears to be testing the strength of heroes."
"This leads us to suspect that this may be a reconnaissance operation related to the Monster Association."
Tanktop Master raised his hand.
"I can confirm the monster is extremely strong, but he definitely held back. It didn't feel like he was trying to kill me."
Metal Bat leaned back in his chair impatiently.
"Can we hurry this up? I promised my sister I'd take her shopping today."
"Quiet please," Sitch said firmly, tapping the table.
"The current issue is that the monster is clearly targeting S-Class heroes. We must determine a response strategy."
Tatsumaki crossed her arms.
"What's there to discuss? I can deal with it alone."
Sol spoke at the right moment.
"I think S-Class heroes should strengthen communication between each other. If the monster appears again, we should support one another immediately."
Silver Fang nodded.
"That's a sensible idea. Working in groups would increase our response speed."
Just then, the conference room door opened again.
Zenil stormed in with several shareholders following behind him.
"Heroes," Zenil shouted angrily. "I think you owe us an explanation."
His face was dark with rage.
"We spend huge amounts of money funding the Hero Association, yet you can't even guarantee our safety?"
Sitch immediately stood up.
"Mr. Zenil, please calm down."
"Calm down?" Zenil slammed his hand onto the table.
He pointed directly at Sol.
"That monster broke into my building! What exactly are you heroes good for?"
Tatsumaki's hair began to float again as her psychic power stirred.
"Hey, baldy," she said coldly. "Watch your tone."
Zenil instinctively stepped back when he felt her aura, but he quickly forced himself to stand firm.
"I demand that S-Class heroes be assigned to protect me twenty four hours a day!"
He pointed again at Sol.
"And him!"
Inside, Zenil sneered.
So you didn't want to be my personal bodyguard before? Now you won't have a choice.
A newly promoted S-Class hero without connections had no right to refuse him.
Sol slowly stood up.
His voice remained calm but firm.
"Mr. Zenil, a hero's duty is to protect the city, not serve as someone's private bodyguard."
Zenil's face darkened instantly.
"You!"
He had not expected Sol to reject him so directly.
"Don't forget who pays your salaries!" Zenil shouted.
The atmosphere in the conference room immediately grew tense.
Sitch quickly stepped in to mediate.
"How about this? We will increase patrols around Zenil Tower."
"Not enough!" Zenil snapped.
The veins on his forehead pulsed.
"I want that Armored Monster's head. If you can't do that, then send heroes to protect us shareholders!"
Sol narrowed his eyes slightly.
"We will deal with the monster. You won't need to worry."
"If there is nothing else, please leave. We are discussing the monster situation."
Zenil laughed angrily.
"Good. Very good."
"It seems the Hero Association needs to reconsider how it distributes its funding."
With that, he turned and left with the shareholders, slamming the door behind them.
The conference room fell into silence.
Sitch let out a tired sigh.
"Sol, that may have been a little impulsive."
"The situation is more complicated than it appears. We're dealing with the Armored Monster, possible involvement from the Monster Association, and pressure from the shareholders."
---