Turned Into Gacha?! - 511 - 520

Turned Into Gacha?! - 511

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"…I don't have any troubles that need solving, nor do I need your help with anything. If you really want to be useful, just staying where I can see you would be a massive help."

Perhaps because she had distanced herself from Fubuki, Tatsumaki's tone was considerably calmer than before.

"So, what are we doing next?"

"Patrolling."

Tatsumaki's voice remained flat. "We wasted quite a bit of time today waiting for you, but there's still enough time to make a round through the neighboring cities. A-City, City-D, City-H, and City-I."

"Patrolling several cities all at once?" Alice blinked. "Won't that be tiring? Esper powers put a huge burden on the mind and brain, right? Fubuki said so before."

"Ha! How could a level like this ever be a problem? Are you looking down on me?" Tatsumaki let out a dismissive, cold snort.

"A trivial matter like this is a piece of cake for me. I don't even need to step foot inside the cities; even from the outskirts, I can sense exactly what's going on inside."

She phrased it a bit vaguely. While she could sense the situation, she could actually only detect relatively large disturbances.

Unless she used her psychic powers with intense focus, there was no way for her to directly see what was happening in every nook and cranny of the streets.

This was simply a matter of necessity.

She couldn't just absorb every single image and sound; doing so might instead overwhelm her brain with too much data, preventing her from pinpointing a Mysterious Being's location right away.

"Do you have to patrol that many cities every single day?"

"Isn't it because there are too many utterly useless people around all day? Seriously, what's with the B-Class and A-Class? Even among those S-Class heroes, isn't there a whole bunch of them who just sit around and do absolutely nothing?"

Bringing up this topic immediately set Tatsumaki off into a rant.

"They can't even figure out their own jobs, and they even expect other people to protect them. Can people like that just hurry up and get the hell out of this industry already?"

Well… she certainly sounded incredibly resentful.

And it felt like a huge portion of that resentment stemmed from the Blizzard Group…

Seeing that the robot-head didn't chip in, Tatsumaki glanced at her once more.

Remembering that this robot-head was also a member of that Blizzard Group, Tatsumaki knitted her brows.

"Speaking of which, didn't you stay in City-L? There hasn't been much movement from Mysterious Beings over there lately, but don't go thinking you've done a good job just because of that."

"Alice only did what a Hero is supposed to do." The girl looked back at Tatsumaki, her expression perfectly natural. Clearly, she didn't think she had done anything spectacular.

"Hmph, that's only a matter of course."

Tatsumaki withdrew her gaze.

The sight of the two walking together inside the Association drew many onlookers.

One was the long-standing, powerhouse hero ranked second, the one with the highest count of eliminated Mysterious Beings and the grandest combat spectacles—the Tornado of Terror, Tatsumaki.

The other was a recently fast-tracked S-Class hero with an excellent reputation. She had single-handedly reduced the frequency of Mysterious Being disasters in City-L while simultaneously driving the crime rate down to an absolute minimum.

Though she hadn't been debuted for very long, her personality and appearance had already won over countless fans, making her an equally dedicated hero.

Both of them were exceptionally eye-catching beautiful girls, so walking side by side naturally made people curious.

It seemed there had never been any news leaking out about a relationship between these two.

How did two practically unrelated people suddenly wind up together? Could there be some sort of mission they needed to execute jointly?

Every now and then, Alice would warmly greet the people passing by, making no distinction between staff members and heroes.

Her friendly, cheerful demeanor perfectly illustrated to everyone why she had amassed so many fans in such a short time and held such a sterling reputation in City-L.

Tatsumaki didn't even bother giving a single glance to the surrounding eyes and curiosity. She had always distrusted others and had no desire to interact with anyone.

Once the pair left the Association, Tatsumaki carried Alice along and flew up into the midair.

"It's the ability to fly! With the addition of a new companion, Alice has temporarily acquired the skill 'Flight'!"

What companion?

Tatsumaki found herself utterly unable to understand this robot-head's optimism and bizarre wavelength. Did she honestly not know about the hostility directed toward her? She had clearly given her a harsh reality check right from the start.

"I'm just using my psychokinesis to let you temporarily move through the air." Tatsumaki simply gave up explaining, feeling that even if she spoke, this robot wouldn't understand anyway. "Otherwise, you won't be able to keep up with my speed when the time comes, and you'll just drag me down."

Flying was indeed much more convenient than running.

The figures of the two vanished from the spot in a flash, quickly circling the skies above the borders of A-City. After Tatsumaki confirmed that A-City harbored no danger, she flew off toward another city in the distance.

Tatsumaki's psychic power was profoundly immense, enough to drag a meteor down from outer space, rip an entire city from the ground, or twist a city into a pretzel.

If she wanted to, not even the most cutting-edge fighter jet could rival her in flight speed.

Her patrolling process was brutally simple and direct.

She moved rapidly from one region to another, scanning for any traces of Mysterious Beings with her psychokinesis, and then used her psychic power to crush them to death on the spot.

Because of the green glow enveloping the Mysterious Beings, and the way they vanished without a trace, compressed alongside their own blood, such highly distinct features made it obvious to anyone that Tatsumaki was the one who solved the issue.

There was no need to worry about just anyone claiming the credit.

As for the Mysterious Beings no one saw, they died in absolute silence.

However, her efficiency wasn't exactly a good thing for everyone.

Even if a hero was currently engaged in combat with a Mysterious Being, Tatsumaki wouldn't hesitate to crush the fighting creature to death, acting in a way that essentially stole the credit.

Eliminating Mysterious Beings was a critical metric in the Hero Association.

Yet, if any hero expressed dissatisfaction over this, they would be snapped back at by Tatsumaki with a curt, "If you have time to complain, why don't you use it to do something useful?"

After patrolling through several cities in this exact manner, Tatsumaki had already taken care of over a dozen Mysterious Beings.

If she maintained this kill count every day, it was no wonder she had become the hero with the most eliminated targets.

Yet, she didn't just stop there.

Because she had zero social life, Tatsumaki had virtually nothing else to do except patrol and kill Mysterious Beings unless the Hero Association explicitly contacted her for a matter.

Consequently, she immediately commenced a second round of patrols, sniffing out and eliminating three more Mysterious Beings.

It wasn't until her stomach started rumbling that she finally showed signs of stopping.

And so, she flew back to her own home, bringing Alice along.

It was a perfectly ordinary residential house, looking completely unlike a place where a rank-two hero like Tatsumaki would reside. Originally, Alice had assumed Tatsumaki would live in a luxury high-rise apartment or somewhere similar.

Upon returning home, Tatsumaki didn't even take off her shoes, floating right into the house just like that. Seeing Alice standing motionless at the entrance, she used her psychokinesis to open the shoe cabinet and pulled out a pair of white, fluffy bear slippers.

By the looks of it, they hadn't been worn even once.

"Ta-da! Unlocked a new map: Tatsumaki's Residence!" After changing into the slippers, Alice walked into the living room, raising a hand with a face full of joy.

Startled by the noise that suddenly flared up, Tatsumaki couldn't help but glare at her.

This robot-head always managed to pull off some completely inexplicable stunts.

--+--

A/N: I didn't expect everyone to have such a bad impression of Tatsumaki; it's a bit different from how I perceive her… Aside from being way too proud and lacking understanding and patience for other heroes, Tatsumaki is actually quite qualified as a hero. During the Monster Association Arc, she even ended up nearly losing her life just to restrain herself for the sake of others.

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Turned Into Gacha?! - 512

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Since it wasn't a big deal anyway, Tatsumaki didn't give it another thought, walking straight toward the refrigerator.

"Can Alice look around?"

Alice’s voice echoed from the hallway just outside the living room.

Seeing her scanning her surroundings with curious eyes and finally locking her gaze onto the second floor, Tatsumaki knit her brows. "What are you snooping around someone else's house for?"

"Alice wants to see the details of Tatsumaki's home!"

The girl walked back into the living room, looking at Tatsumaki with absolute sincerity. "That way, Alice can understand Tatsumaki a lot better!"

Understand me? So she really is here to gather intel?

Though she didn't want to think of it that way, the possibility immediately crossed Tatsumaki's mind.

Her scowl deepened, but she didn't say anything to stop her. Instead, she said rather coldly, "Suit yourself. You're going to be staying here anyway."

Besides, there were absolutely no "details" to speak of in this house.

Just as Tatsumaki thought, Alice couldn't find a single trace of personal life within these walls. It felt exactly like a hotel room that got tidied up by staff every day—actually, it was worse than a hotel.

Watching the girl trudge back into the living room with a look of disappointment on her face, Tatsumaki said, entirely unsurprised, "Didn't find what you were looking for, did you?"

"Ugh..."

Alice let out a muffled sigh. "There are no plushies, no flowers, and no TV or game consoles. It doesn't feel like a 'home' at all."

"Having those things makes it a home?" Tatsumaki scoffed at Alice's lament.

"A place that makes you want to return to it is a home." The girl wasn't stung by the other's disdain at all, carefully explaining her own outlook.

"The flowers Lily gave Alice, Mountain Ape's plushie, Eyelashes' TV, Piko's game console... Alice's home is surrounded by everyone's feelings, and that's why Alice wants to go back."

"...Hmph! You've barely been out and you're already homesick?"

Sitting at the dining table, Tatsumaki’s fingers twitched slightly before she crossed her arms, speaking with an arrogant air.

"Huddling together for warmth like that is just a foolish choice. Those guys are only using Fubuki's name and yours."

"At the end of the day, they're just a bunch of clout-chasers. Playing house with people like that will only drag you down."

"...Tatsumaki talks... kind of like a Demon King waiting to be defeated by a Hero."

Alice pouted, looking displeased. "Everyone is a really good person."

"You're too naive, you..." Just as she was about to point out how ridiculous Alice's worldview was, Tatsumaki remembered a second too late that this girl was just a robot.

How could someone change what had been hardcoded into her with just a few words?

And yet, she couldn't help but recall the girl's expression and tone when she mentioned "home."

Are robots really this realistic? She acts exactly like a real human.

I almost treated her like a person. Am I stupid?

At that thought, Tatsumaki forcefully suppressed the emotions in her heart, turning her attention back to the cake she had bought yesterday and left in the fridge.

Psychic powers required immense brain power; anyone who wasn't smart couldn't use them. Because of this, sugar was one of the most critical fuels for psychics.

Coupled with the fact that Tatsumaki truly did like cakes and pastries, she had developed a habit of eating cake whenever she took a break during patrols.

Alice also eyed the mille-feuille cake on Tatsumaki's table.

"Alice wants to eat mille-feuille cake too. Are there any highly rated cake shops nearby?" Alice asked as she pulled out her phone to search.

"...Huh?"

Tatsumaki, who was just about to open her mouth to bite into the cake on her fork, froze.

You looked like you were ready to pick a fight a second ago, so how did you suddenly jump to this topic? Is this just how robots work?

Wait, do robots even eat food? It's not like she's a cyborg.

Tatsumaki didn't suspect that Alice might actually be a cyborg in disguise. After all, the difference between a robot and a cyborg was huge—cyborgs possessed a normal person's body, or at the very least, a human brain.

A robot, on the other hand, didn't have a single scrap of human tissue.

Whether she was a robot or a cyborg was something the Association could easily determine with a simple physical exam; there was no way they'd get it wrong.

Still... treating her completely like a machine was proving to be rather difficult...

"We have to keep patrolling in a bit. Where would we find the time to go buy one right now?" A green psychic aura enveloped the refrigerator, and a box containing a strawberry shortcake was spat out by the appliance, floating gently over to the side opposite Tatsumaki.

"Hurry up and eat. We still have a lot to do."

With that, she ignored Alice's reaction and lowered her head again to tackle the mango mille-feuille in front of her.

"Wow! Thank you, Tatsumaki! Alice will give Tatsumaki a gift next time!" Having received the cake, the girl naturally assumed their relationship had improved, so she naturally offered a return gift.

"No need. If I want something, I'll buy it myself."

"But the back-and-forth between friends is very important, you know! Alice gave a gift to everyone in the Blizzard Group!"

"Huh?! Since when did I become friends with you?!"

"Hmm? Wasn't it just now?"

"I already told you, I just don't want to waste time on pointless things!"

"But Tatsumaki still gave Alice cake. If Tatsumaki didn't want to, she could have just left Alice to starve."

"...I!"

Realizing once again the sheer impossibility of mutual understanding between herself and a robotic brain, Tatsumaki's blood pressure skyrocketed.

She quickly shoved a bite of the cold cake into her mouth to cool her temper, forcing her brain back into gear. "I only promised Fubuki that I wouldn't let anything happen to you, don't get it twisted!"

No! Why am I explaining myself to a robot again! It's not like she understands anyway!

"Forget it! Do whatever you want!"

Taking a deep breath, Tatsumaki chose to give up.

"Ta-da! Alice has made a new companion!"

"You don't make companions just by exchanging a few words!"

"But everyone is an S-Class hero, so we are companions by default, right?"

"..."

Shaking all over, Tatsumaki finished her afternoon tea. She then took Alice along to start their final patrol of the day, dealing with another Mysterious Being and stopping a crime along the way.

However, the two of them didn't head straight back after finishing their work for the day.

Thinking about how she would be staying safely at Tatsumaki's house today, and remembering how bare Tatsumaki's place was, Alice stated that she wanted to make a trip back to the Blizzard Group to pack up her game console and computer.

Knowing her own temper, Tatsumaki was well aware that going back would only lead to another unpleasant argument with her sister. She was clearly reluctant to agree to the proposal.

Couldn't they just buy a new game console or computer on the way back?

But Alice didn't see it that way. "Those save files are treasures created through Alice's hard work! No other game console will have them!"

Tatsumaki really wanted to ask if that kind of stuff was actually worth caring about. But considering Alice was a robot, maybe those data files held some unique, profound meaning to a machine...

Fine, she couldn't understand this robot brain at all. To think Fubuki had actually been living with a robot like this for over a month?

For the first time in her life, Tatsumaki felt a sense of awe toward Fubuki's tolerance.

--+--

Turned Into Gacha?! - 513

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Knowing that going back down would only end up annoying both sides, Tatsumaki really didn't want to bother. She simply told Alice to head down by herself, grab whatever she needed to pack, and meet her back outside.

Alice, naturally, had no objections.

All she really needed to bring along was her handheld console, her gaming system, and her PC tower; things like monitors could always be bought later.

When Alice returned to the Blizzard Group's base alone, everyone froze in surprise. Fubuki, in particular, never expected her older sister would let Alice come back so soon in the afternoon.

However, once Alice explained the situation, Fubuki understood what was going on. Though she felt a bit frustrated by her sister's overbearing control and excessive protectiveness, she couldn't bring herself to say anything to make Alice stay.

Since even Fubuki kept her mouth shut, the others obviously couldn't say much either.

Piko and Lily helped Alice pack up the things she needed. They felt she should probably bring the pillow she usually slept on so she wouldn't struggle to adjust to a new environment, but Alice couldn't carry any more than she already had.

The Sword of Light on her back was fine, but between the gaming system and the PC tower—one large box and one small—her arms were already completely full. At most, she could balance her handheld console right on top.

Seeing this, Piko and Lily had no choice but to give up on the idea.

"It's just one more item, what's so hard about that?" Just as the three of them were lamenting, Tatsumaki’s voice suddenly drifted into their ears.

As it turned out, she had descended from the sky at some unknown point and was floating just outside Alice's dormitory window, quietly watching the three of them work.

Hearing her voice, Piko and Lily instantly tensed up. Tatsumaki didn't have a shred of goodwill toward them, and worse, she was the one taking Alice away!

Alice herself, however, harbored no hostility toward Tatsumaki. Instead, a delighted smile lit up her face.

"Oh, right! Tatsumaki can use her superpowers to carry all of Alice’s things easily!"

"Don't push your luck, you oblivious tin-can," Tatsumaki grumbled.

Yet, even as she said it, she yanked the window open and used her powers to pull Alice—along with everything except the furniture and personal items that couldn't fit through the frame—right out of the room.

She had really been too careless just now, letting this girl come down here alone. If the robot realized that she wouldn't be allowed to see Fubuki anymore, it would have been disastrous if she used this last chance to take Fubuki hostage.

Displeased with her own lapse in vigilance, Tatsumaki glanced at the ditzy robot waving goodbye to Piko and Lily. With a flick of her power, she swept the girl and her belongings up into the high sky.

It wasn't too late by the time they got back to the house.

Even though dusk was settling in, the sun hadn't completely dipped below the horizon.

This time, without needing Tatsumaki’s help, Alice found a pair of slippers on her own. Stepping into the hallway, she turned and asked, "Can Alice choose her own room?"

When she had visited earlier in the afternoon, she had gotten a rough layout of the house. There were three rooms on the second floor; Tatsumaki’s was the one furthest inside, which left two empty rooms.

"Suit yourself," Tatsumaki replied indifferently. "Just make it quick. I'm hungry and thirsty."

Though it might not look like it, Tatsumaki actually cared quite a bit about basic etiquette, like eating meals at the dining table.

Floating a pile of personal belongings around with her telekinesis wasn't exactly convenient for that.

"Alice chooses the middle room!" The young girl had naturally made up her mind long ago. It wasn't because the middle room was the largest, but because she believed a Hero should always stand right in the center.

Although they were empty rooms, they still came furnished with basics like beds and wardrobes. With Tatsumaki’s cooperation, Alice arranged her belongings one by one in the spots she thought fit best.

Among them were a few items Tatsumaki recognized. After all, the girl had explicitly mentioned them during lunch in the living room, proudly stating they were gifts from others.

In just about ten minutes, a barren and somewhat oppressive spare room was transformed into a space bursting with life and a deeply personal flair.

In Tatsumaki’s eyes, the room looked a bit cluttered, but looking at it stirred a strange, inexplicable feeling inside her.

"If you're done, go make dinner. I might have brought you here to keep an eye on you, but you're not allowed to just idle around," Tatsumaki said, seeing that the room was finally sorted.

She wasn't much of a cook and had no intention of learning. Usually, she got by on pastries or store-bought bento boxes. She didn't have much of an appetite anyway; most of the time, eating was just a matter of maintaining basic nutrition to survive and function.

"There are ingredients in the fridge that someone gifted me. Help yourself."

"Um... but, Alice does not know how to cook."

However, Alice's response made Tatsumaki knit her brows in confusion.

"You don't know how to cook? Aren't you a robot?"

"Alice is Alice."

"...No, I'm not asking for your name. You're a robot, right? Since you're a machine, there's no logical reason you shouldn't be able to handle something so simple."

"Even though Alice doesn't know how, Alice can undergo culinary training!"

Which meant, up until now, those people had been catering to this girl's diet.

Don't tell me Fubuki had cooked for it too?

Tatsumaki felt her mind tearing at the seams. Even she had never eaten a meal cooked by Fubuki...

"Then go learn," Tatsumaki muttered, her mood thoroughly tangled. Giving up on the thought, she turned and walked out of the room.

Once they reached the living room, Alice rummaged through the fridge, pulled out some ingredients she deemed ideal, and enthusiastically marched into the kitchen.

As Tatsumaki used her telekinesis to heat up a bento box and brew a pot of tea, she wondered what kind of end product the robot would serve. Since she was a machine, it stood to reason that she should turn out a pretty decent dish, right?

Then again, remembering the girl's bizarre train of thought and her generally ditzy impression, Tatsumaki couldn't be entirely sure.

Her doubts vanished a few minutes later. While the aroma drifting from the kitchen wasn't exactly mouth-watering, it was a far cry from a culinary disaster.

When Alice brought two ordinary plates of curry rice to the dining table, Tatsumaki raised an eyebrow.

Doesn't look like anything special, but why are there two plates? Can she really eat that much?

Alice was clearly thrilled with her creation. After setting the plates down, she thrust one arm into the air, a smile of pure accomplishment plastered across her face. "Ta-da! Alice's specialty dish: Alice Curry!"

"Alice used a pot to steam the rice, then used the other ingredients to make the curry, and even added sugar!"

"It's just regular sweet curry," Tatsumaki huffed, offering a sharp critique. "And besides, only little kids like sweet curry."

The young girl’s sense of achievement wasn't dampened in the slightest.

Instead, she pushed one of the plates right in front of Tatsumaki and said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world: "But Alice and Tatsumaki are kids."

"Huh?!"

--+--

Turned Into Gacha?! - 514

--+--

There were two things Tatsumaki detested above all else: men who lacked actual talent but thought they were hot stuff, and anyone who treated her like a child.

She felt like she should be blowing a fuse right now. Yet, looking at the silly grin on Alice’s dopey face, she figured there was really no point in getting worked up over a literal metalhead.

Suppressing the vein throbbing violently at her temple, Tatsumaki snapped in a thoroughly irritated tone, "No way! And besides, I’m nothing like you—I’m a reliable adult! Get it right through your head!"

With that, having no desire to waste another second on the tin can who had repeatedly pushed her buttons, she grabbed her bento box and floated straight back to her room.

She figured a brief flash of her temper would be enough to teach this bizarrely wired machine a lesson. Little did she know, the very next morning, the girl would raise the stakes all over again.

"Tatsumaki! Big crisis! Alice’s hair is all tangled up!"

Tatsumaki, who was currently in the living room scraping together a makeshift breakfast, suddenly saw a figure resembling Sadako dashing down the stairs.

Actually, it was a stretch to call it a Sadako impression; even Sadako couldn't pull off an effect this dramatic.

The girl’s hair was absurdly long, trailing easily across the floor. You didn't need to be a genius to realize that managing mane like that on a daily basis was bound to be a nightmare.

But... aren't you a robot? How can you mess up something as simple as this?

Tatsumaki desperately wanted to call her out on it. But at this point, complaining was just a waste of time. It was better to just fix the problem and get it over with.

With a casual flick of her finger, a green aura of psychokinesis rippled across the long hair. It was matted into a stubborn nest, courtesy of a terrible sleeping posture compounded by dampness.

While Tatsumaki usually relied on raw, unadulterated brute force during combat, that didn't mean she lacked a delicate touch.

She easily unraveled every single knot. Then, utilizing high-speed vibrations, she gave the long locks a thorough shake-and-dry treatment.

The excess moisture was drawn away by her telekinesis, funneled straight into the sink and down the drain.

The entire process took less than twenty seconds.

"Wow, amazing! It’s dry and silky smooth again!" Alice exclaimed in delight, marveling at the results of the "Tatsumaki Hair Salon." "Psychic powers are so convenient!"

"Not just anyone can pull that off."

Tatsumaki took immense pride in her abilities. After all, she had trained relentlessly, day and night.

Ever since she was rescued from that laboratory, she had never once slacked off when it came to sharpening her power.

Unlike Tatsumaki, who considered a pre-packaged bento a perfectly fine meal, Alice still preferred fresh, home-cooked food.

Listening to the clattering sounds and catching the savory aromas wafting from the kitchen, Tatsumaki felt her newly restored peace of mind fluctuate once more.

Looking down at the instant food sitting on her own table, she couldn't help but feel a tiny bit slighted.

Before long, Alice reappeared in the living room. Seeing that the girl hadn't brought out an extra portion of food, Tatsumaki pouted.

Just as she was about to quickly scarf down the rest of her breakfast, the girl across from her suddenly spoke up.

"Alice wants to go out on her own daily hero quests!"

"Huh?! What kind of nonsense are you talking about? The whole reason you're here is so I can keep an eye on you, isn't it? If we separate, what was the point of bringing you along in the first place?"

Tatsumaki looked at her, utterly bewildered.

"But Alice has things Alice needs to do, too," she replied, completely unfazed by Tatsumaki's sharp tone. "Besides, flying high up in the sky was fun at first, but after doing it for so long, it's not that exciting anymore."

"Absolutely not. What if you take the chance to run away while I’m not looking?"

"Alice would never run away!"

"No means no. You're still technically a suspect."

"But Alice isn't a criminal."

"..."

The words caught in Tatsumaki's throat. It was true. Though she had been treating her like a suspect this entire time, the reality was that the girl hadn't actually done anything wrong.

Fubuki had clearly been experimented on, but that was the work of whoever created this girl, not the girl herself...

Wait, as a creation, shouldn't she naturally...

Shouldn't she bear some responsibility?

Applying that logic felt wrong no matter how she looked at it.

It was like trying to convict a knife for a crime. If she wanted to hold this robot criminally liable, she first had to acknowledge that the girl possessed an independent personality.

But... did she really? Surely not...

Because if she did...

Thinking back on how she had treated her and the things she had said, Tatsumaki didn't want to admit it.

She knew her sharp tongue offended plenty of people and left a bad taste in their mouths, but that was only because those people failed to do their duty. Alice's actions, on the other hand, certainly didn't warrant the claim that she wasn't doing her part.

If she were just a piece of metal running a pre-programmed script, it wouldn't matter. But if she was a person with a soul...

"Do... whatever you want. As long as you don't leave the range of my perception, I guess I can let you move around freely. I did promise Fubuki, after all. It’d be a pain if you rusted out from sitting around doing nothing, and I don't know the first thing about fixing machines."

Tatsumaki's voice went quiet, a clear indicator that her mood had taken a turn for the worse.

"Are you unhappy? Is it because of Alice?"

"How could someone like you ever make me unhappy? I just thought of something unpleasant, that's all!" Tatsumaki had no intention of explaining herself. Frankly, she couldn't quite sort out her own tangled emotions at the moment.

Not wanting to hear another word, she pressed on, "The cities we patrolled yesterday—you are only allowed to operate within that perimeter. If you cross the line, I'll know instantly."

Maintaining a perimeter that size was pushing her limits; it practically required her to drape her sensory net over half the continent. It was by no means an easy feat.

"Okay! Then when can Alice go back and see everyone?"

"On a day off... No, whenever I have time." At this, Tatsumaki's gaze sharpened significantly.

She looked at Alice with an unreadable expression. "Or... if your creator is willing to meet with me ahead of schedule, I wouldn't mind letting you go right then and there."

"The person you want to see is Auntie Herta, right? But Auntie Herta isn't Alice's creator."

"...Huh?"

"Alice doesn't know who created her either. The only reason Alice stays with Auntie Herta is because..."

"Hold on, I don't care about any of that background noise," Tatsumaki interrupted. "I just want to know one thing. This Herta—when can I see her?"

"Hmm..."

Alice glanced at her chat group, typing out a quick inquiry. After a brief pause, she looked back up at Tatsumaki. "In eight days."

"Fine. I'll give her eight days." Noticing that the girl seemed to be staring at something only she could see, Tatsumaki figured this was her method of contacting Herta.

Eight days. Not an unbearable amount of time.

The days slowly ticked away by Tatsumaki's count. The complex thoughts stirred up by their conversation caused her to actively avoid talking to the girl.

Fortunately, Alice had taken the initiative to spend her time outside, meaning the two of them only crossed paths during lunch and in the evenings.

While Alice couldn't take to the skies like Tatsumaki to zip across distances, her ground speed moving between cities wasn't slow by any means. It was just a bit more tedious.

Through her sensory net, Tatsumaki frequently caught glimpses of Alice engaging in friendly chats with ordinary citizens, and even going out of her way to help them with mundane tasks that had nothing to do with fighting monsters.

Unlike the somewhat isolated L-City, the residents of the bustling central districts were far more enthusiastic. She even witnessed scenes where the girl was completely mobbed by adoring fans.

These mental images only served to complicate Tatsumaki's feelings further.

She had braced herself to endure a tense eight days, but on the seventh day, the presence she had been tracking suddenly vanished.

Alice had dropped completely off her radar.

Was she running away?

--+--

Turned Into Gacha?! - 515

--+--

"You really are a true Hero. Just like everyone says on the forums, you are such a reliable and adorable girl."

In a courtyard lush with vibrant plants and blooming flowers, a hunched old woman smiled warmly at Alice, who had just rescued a kitten from a nearby tree.

"To tell you the truth, my grandkid is a huge fan of yours too."

"Being loved and trusted by everyone is what makes Alice proudest of being a Hero!" Alice beamed, handing the grateful little cat back to the elderly woman. She accepted the praise wholeheartedly.

"I heard you’ve been keeping busy around the city these past couple of days. Mrs. Uehara from next door brings you up all the time. For an S-Class Hero, it's amazing how much you care about the little things—things most C-Class Heroes wouldn't even bother with."

The old woman cradled the kitten in her arms, gently and carefully stroking its back.

"Whether it's dealing with monsters or anything else, as long as it brings smiles and happiness to everyone, this Hero will give it her all!" This time, Alice didn't boast.

After all, she was simply doing what she was supposed to do.

"So that's how it is, haha. Oh, right, would you like to come inside for a cup of tea? Grandma just boiled some hot water. My grandkid and the neighbors absolutely rave about my herbal tea."

"Wow! A quest reward! Then Alice won't be polite!"

No reward made her happy, but a reward made her even happier—such was a Hero's attitude toward quests.

But the joy didn't last long. Before they could even step through the front door, a sharp, siren-like ring echoed from Alice's pocket.

It was the Hero Association's ringtone, a specific tone reserved strictly for the emergency channel.

Under the old woman's bewildered gaze, Alice immediately pressed the answer button.

"Hero! The Hero Association has an emergency mission and we need your help!"

"Mr. Yamada? What kind of mission is it?" Alice hadn't expected to hear a familiar voice on the other end, but given the urgency of the situation, she pressed for details immediately.

"A disaster that the A-Class Heroes can't handle has just broken out in J-City! The threat level has been assessed as Demon.”

“Puri-Puri Prisoner was supposed to be handling it, but the situation remains unresolved. It's highly likely he's been defeated! The newly appointed S-Class, Genos, is already on his way!"

Yamada's words rushed out at breakneck speed. "Hero, we might need your strength alongside Genos! There are still many citizens who haven't evacuated yet. We need you to head there and provide backup as soon as possible!"

With one S-Class already down, sending a second to join forces was clearly the safer bet to handle the threat.

The moment he finished speaking, the loud slam of a door opening echoed through the transceiver to Alice's side.

"You idiot! How could you send Hero to a place like that?! Who's going to take responsibility if something happens to her?! Don't forget! Tatsumaki has already submitted a request to put Hero under her supervision, you can't just...!"

"Is this really the time for that?!" Yamada roared back. His voice grew muffled, sounding a fair distance away from the microphone, but he quickly returned to the line. "Anyway! We're counting on you! Hero!"

"Leave it to Alice!"

Without wasting any more words, Alice gave her solemn promise and hung up. She then turned to the old woman with an apologetic look.

"I'm so sorry, Grandma. Alice has something very important to take care of right now!"

"Hero work, right? Don't you worry about it. Go where you're needed most, little Alice." The old woman naturally didn't mind. It wasn't as if Alice was breaking a promise on a whim; she was off to protect people.

"And now, Hero Alice—moving out!"

The young girl dashed out of the courtyard onto the main road, then leaped powerfully into the distance.

"What's the situation now?!" Yamada demanded, turning to the staff beside him.

"Hero is moving at incredible speed. According to the GPS tracking, if she maintains this pace, she should arrive in about eighteen minutes!" the monitoring technician replied. "As for Genos... he hasn't activated his Hero App's location tracking system... so we can't determine his position..."

"Can't determine it?!"

The fog of uncertainty made Yamada grit his teeth.

The Hero App's location tracking wasn't constantly active; it only functioned if a hero chose to turn it on.

However, most heroes who kept it on were those lacking confidence in their own strength, hoping they could be rescued if a crisis struck.

After all, normal people didn't like having their real-time location monitored, as it felt like an invasion of privacy, like being constantly watched.

Among the current S-Class, the only ones who actually kept the tracking feature enabled were Hero and Child Emperor.

But Child Emperor was just too far away... and besides, he was currently in the middle of school hours...

Hero... Genos... the safety of the citizens rests entirely on your shoulders!

In the distance, rain was pouring over the city.

Moving at high speeds, Alice easily spotted the incoming storm clouds. She didn't particularly enjoy working in the rain, but now was not the time to care about that.

Plunging headfirst into the downpour, Alice quickly scaled a high vantage point to gather as much information as possible. However, as a bustling metropolis, skyscrapers were everywhere, and even from her elevated position, numerous buildings still obstructed her view.

Even so, she could see down into the distant streets. Scores of citizens who hadn't managed to evacuate in time were fleeing, pursued by all sorts of seafaring monsters.

Although most of the seafood monsters were clearly low-level threats, their sheer numbers were overwhelming.

"Light——————!!!!"

A brilliant blue-and-white beam scorched a charred mark across the earth. The fleeing crowd only saw a flash of light arc over their heads from afar, striking the ground right behind them with a thunderous explosion.

The unmistakable visual effects of the attack immediately made them realize which hero had arrived.

And the figure that dropped down right in front of their eyes confirmed their suspicions, leaving them frozen in a mixture of shock and sheer relief.

"It's Hero! Hero Alice!"

Generally speaking, a hero's alias was used far more frequently than their birth name.

Not only did colleagues refer to each other by their hero names, but public relations and media promotions used them exclusively.

But because Alice constantly referred to herself by her own name whenever she spoke, her real name was just as widely known.

Genos, on the other hand, was still referred to by his actual name simply because he had just joined the Association and hadn't been assigned an official hero alias yet.

"Don't worry! Alice will protect everyone!"

The girl was naturally petite, and the relentless rain had completely soaked her long hair and clothes, making her look almost as fragile as a porcelain doll.

Yet, her high-spirited, unwavering voice wasn't muffled in the slightest by the heavy thrum of rain hitting the pavement. The confidence shining in her eyes left no room for vulnerability.

Even if her appearance didn't scream raw power, at this very moment, she provided the citizens with an indescribable sense of security. In their hearts, she left an indelible impression that transcended mere cuteness—the true mark of a Hero.

--+--

Turned Into Gacha?! - 516

--+--

"Alice will take you to safety! Are there any shelters around here?"

Seeing that everyone was still in a bit of a daze, Alice proactively spoke up to ask.

They couldn't keep running around outside like this. The rain was freezing, and it added extra weight, draining their body heat while burning through their remaining stamina.

No matter how one looked at it, they needed to find a place large enough to hold as many people as possible, one with food reserves and built to withstand an attack.

"There's a mega-shelter on 13th Street..."

A young man stepped forward and pointed in a certain direction. "Roughly that way. It's a domed building, but it's not exactly close to here..."

As a local, there was no way he wouldn't know this. A shelter was always the first choice for anyone fleeing for their lives, and remembering the route was the absolute bare minimum.

Everyone looked like they were running on empty, but the survivors currently fleeing weren't just the people standing here. Alice couldn't afford to stop.

"In that case, please move toward the shelter. Alice will stay on high alert for the surroundings at all times!"

Glancing at the number of survivors, the young girl flashed a reassuring smile to the crowd. "Don't worry! If there's any danger, Alice will protect everyone right away!"

Without a leader to lean on, seeing the only hero they could rely on say this, the crowd naturally nodded in agreement.

Shortly after, Alice leapt back up onto the high-rises.

She moved back and forth in all directions to expand her field of vision as much as possible, monitoring the streets around the group to ensure no wandering monsters would ambush them.

Of course, she didn't dare venture too far from the line. After all, some monsters would enter buildings just to hunt down humans; quite a few had already lunged out from houses while the group was on the move.

This strategy paid off rather well. During her scouting, Alice discovered two more groups of fleeing survivors and eliminated several wandering Deep Sea Folk.

In one of those groups, there was even a hero covered in wounds who had completely lost consciousness, let alone the ability to move.

It was the unconscious Stinger, spotted by the survivors and carried on their backs through the torrential rain.

Under Alice's busy care, the survivor group expanded significantly, growing to nearly seventy people.

Once she confirmed there were no more stranded victims nearby, the girl finally focused on advancing alongside the group. They had to traverse a distance of three kilometers—undeniably an incredibly grueling challenge for the exhausted survivors.

Forget cars, even animals had gone into hiding. Under these circumstances, relying solely on walking wasn't a viable option.

"Everyone's stamina stats are too low to reach the shelter. We have to find a way to replenish our energy," Alice explained her thought process to the survivors.

It was true. The group included children, the elderly, and women, whose conditions were visibly worse than the young men's.

A few with weaker constitutions had already developed fevers due to the drain on their energy and the drop in body temperature.

Pressing on like this... was just too difficult.

They needed to eat something to regain their strength, and they also needed to find a warm place—or at least somewhere to shield themselves from the wind and rain—to take a brief rest.

"Alice just saw a supermarket. It's enough for everyone to take a temporary break!"

The situation in J-City couldn't be hidden from the outside world.

Although the Tiger-level monster in M-City had previously caused greater property damage and erupted much faster, it was precisely because it happened so quickly that no one had time to react.

This time, the signs of disaster had been brewing since morning.

The A-Class hero Stinger had engaged the monsters by the shore, wiping out quite a few vanguards of the Deep Sea Folk. This feat was witnessed by many and quickly spread.

It wasn't until the monsters kept appearing in an endless stream and the disaster began to spiral out of control that J-City was forced to initiate a citizen evacuation. Forget the civilians, even many low-ranked heroes were instructed by the Hero Association to take shelter.

An event of such massive scale naturally drew the attention of every city, and the public was glued to the developments in J-City.

At that moment, on a live broadcast talk show, Sweet Mask sat on one side of the stage. On the other side were two hosts, one older and one younger. The backdrop of the stage was plastered with Sweet Mask's portrait posters and promotional shots for his latest album.

This was precisely the venue he was using to promote his new release.

However, halfway through discussing the album, the director issued a new instruction to the hosts through their earpieces, seemingly wanting to capitalize on the marketing momentum.

The older host looked at Sweet Mask and threw out a question: "Mr. Sweet Mask, what are your thoughts on the dangerous situation in J-City upgrading from a Tiger-level to a Demon-level threat?"

Sweet Mask glanced sideways at the host, then withdrew his gaze, speaking in a flat tone, "Well, that is a complicated question."

"Oh? Why do you say that?" The host wasn't looking for such a brief answer, so he pressed on. "Is it because of the scene we might witness of three S-Class heroes fighting together? As rookies, both the Hero and Genos—we're really looking forward to their performance."

The hint in his words had practically become an explicit statement.

"As a hero, I only focus on fighting evil when the time comes. At all other times, I am solely devoted to my work in the entertainment industry." However, Sweet Mask's reply didn't take the bait.

His meaning could basically be summarized as: this matter had nothing to do with him when he wasn't currently "fighting evil."

Sweet Mask knew exactly what they wanted to hear.

The hottest topic in this world was naturally heroes, and among them, S-Class heroes were the epicenter of discussion, the very peak of gossip.

The reason this disaster had been upgraded to Demon-level was precisely because the S-Class Puri-Puri Prisoner had been defeated, forcing the Hero Association to temporarily raise the threat level.

Sweet Mask had sharply criticized heroes on plenty of occasions, and the director clearly wanted to use his mouth to push the show's engagement and ratings to the next level.

Catching the underlying meaning, the director felt it was a pity but didn't push his luck any further.

Seeing no next instruction, the host kept a straight face, nodded, and steered the topic back on track. "I see. In that case, let us move right into introducing the new song."

"Except."

However, just when both the director and the host thought Sweet Mask's response to the matter had concluded, he suddenly spoke up.

"If I were to summarize it in one sentence: to dispel the public's anxiety, a hero must be a resilient, powerful, handsome, swift, and magnificent existence that eradicates evil."

A faint, cold smile played on his face, the disappointment in his eyes plain to see. "Therefore, I express my deepest regrets over the crushing defeat of the heroes at the hands of the forces of evil this time."

Then, his words grew sharp and piercing. "To ensure that heroes do not throw their lives away for nothing in the future, I hope everyone who calls themselves a hero will intensify their training."

"—Oh!"

Gasps of various volumes instantly erupted from the audience below. This was practically calling out Puri-Puri Prisoner by name for criticism.

Sweet Mask smiled at the audience, then looked back at the host. Following the host's lead, a few quick questions and answers seamlessly pulled the conversation back to the song's promotion.

His golden eyes darkened slightly as two figures surfaced in his mind.

Whether it was Alice or Genos, both were individuals he kept a constant eye on. As for Alice heading to J-City to provide backup, Sweet Mask was naturally at ease; he thought very highly of this rookie hero.

Every day when he saw posts on the internet about Alice helping others, a heartfelt smile would appear on his face.

From dealing with monsters down to helping a child retrieve a balloon caught in a tree, she earnestly carried out every heroic activity within her power, looking just like he used to.

This was the ideal form a hero should take in Sweet Mask's heart; a hero ought to be exactly like this.

As for Genos... he had taken notice of the cyborg even earlier, even before Genos officially became a hero.

It was because Genos had demolished quite a few criminal organizations and dens that he had entered Sweet Mask's radar.

In Sweet Mask's view, Genos likewise possessed a powerful sense of justice, so he was quite looking forward to Genos's performance this time.

--+--

"Thank you... I feel much better..."

Conveniently, there was a pharmacy right next to the supermarket. Under the effects of the medicine, the unconscious hero finally opened his eyes.

"Stinger! It's great that you're okay!" A boy barely over ten years old saw him wake up, his face filled with relief and joy. As one of the most famous heroes in their city, Stinger had quite a few fans.

"Sorry for making you all worry... and for letting you see my least cool side." Stinger's face was still covered in bruises, and his expression carried a fair amount of shame and embarrassment.

Facing a child who idolized him right after waking up from a crushing defeat, Stinger clearly felt he lacked the face to confront him. He could only turn his head toward the adults beside him. "Did you guys carry me here? What's the situation look like now?"

This place appeared to be a supermarket. The not-so-large store was currently packed with people, everyone stuffing food into their mouths as fast as they could. The water dripping from their hair and clothes showed they had just been drenched by a heavy downpour.

"Are you all right now?"

Before the adults could answer, a young, crisp voice rang out. The voice, completely devoid of trembling or any sense of crisis, drew Stinger's attention.

"You...! You are! The S-Class Hero!?" Stinger stared open-mouthed at the tiny "big shot" in front of him, surprised by her appearance here yet finding it somewhat making sense.

"As I thought... was that monster who defeated me a Demon-level?"

Recalling how he hadn't even lasted a single exchange, Stinger let out a sigh. "Since you've arrived, the crisis must have been resolved, right?"

"Not yet." However, the young girl shook her head. "Alice just arrived here and hasn't encountered that Demon-level monster yet."

Huh? Then what's going on right now?

Seeing that he still looked completely bewildered, Alice explained the current situation to him.

The evacuation of J-City's citizens was mostly complete. Because the S-Class Puri-Puri Prisoner failed to resolve the crisis, the threat level had been elevated to Demon.

Subsequently, the Hero Alice had followed the guidance of the Hero Association and arrived here.

Of course, she wasn't the only one who came to reinforce the area; the newly promoted S-Class Genos had also come along.

She spoke as if she were merely introducing a background story, but Stinger listened with a dumbfounded expression.

What do you mean an S-Class hero failed to resolve the disaster? Is this disaster something even an S-Class finds difficult to handle? And I actually survived facing an enemy like that?

Alice felt inclined to offer him some comfort, but unfortunately, now was not the time.

Her gaze shifted outside the massive floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Because the supermarket was the only place on the entire street with its lights on, two or three monsters with hideous expressions had already gathered on the rooftops outside.

--+--

Turned Into Gacha?! - 517

--+--

Alice was able to notice the situation, and naturally, a few people with sharper eyes or those who happened to be looking at the opposite rooftop saw it too.

"A—A monster!!"

As if to vent their terror, or perhaps to warn Alice, the survivors who spotted the monster immediately cried out.

Their voices instantly put the already anxious crowd on edge. But before anyone else could panic, Alice spoke up first, her voice ringing out clearly: "Everyone, please don't worry! Alice is here, no one will get hurt!"

She had said similar words many times before, but it couldn't be helped.

People trapped in a panic always needed a pillar of support; the more tense they were, the more they yearned for a calm presence to give them peace of mind.

The young girl's voice once again soothed everyone's frayed nerves. In their state of anxious unrest, they just wanted to hear an unwavering voice answer them.

As it happened, Alice never minded repeating herself over and over. As long as it calmed the panic of others, it was no trouble at all.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the girl stepped out of the supermarket. The torrential rain swallowed her figure, yet it didn't cause her to waver in the slightest.

She looked straight up at the monsters on the rooftop, as if saying, 'You can come at me now.'

Realizing that this human girl seemed to be their only opponent, the monsters instantly burst into mockery. Three massive, four-meter-tall silhouettes crashed from the rooftop onto the ground almost simultaneously. Spidery cracks webbed across the road as their snickers echoed through the air.

"To think it’s just a single brat. Humans really are ruthless yet weak creatures."

Alice didn't reply right away. Instead, she warily scanned her surroundings.

The reason she hadn't jumped up to the rooftop immediately was the underlying worry that the moment she left, the supermarket behind her might be attacked by other monsters.

But for now, it really did seem like there were only these three.

Sensing Alice's train of thought, the playful mockery on the three monsters' faces was instantly replaced by bloodlust and fury: "What’s that look for, you little runt? Are you looking down on us?"

The temperaments of monsters were far more volatile and extreme than those of humans, and they were filled with absolute malice toward humanity.

This held true even for humans who turned into monsters, let alone these natural-born aberrations.

Unable to tolerate being underestimated by a weaker race, the lead monster’s legs erupted with massive power. Bending and snapping straight like springs, he thrust his fist right before Alice's face in the blink of an eye. "To dare look down on us, you're going to pay—!"

However, before he could finish his threat, the heavy, white electromagnetic cannon drew a pristine white arc through the air.

Without encountering a shred of resistance, the flesh and bone it touched were instantly pulverized under its sheer power and weight, scattering into countless fragments off to the side.

By the time everyone snapped out of it, the monster's upper body had completely vanished.

Whirrrrr—

The Sword of Light began to charge at that very moment.

"Something's wrong! Take her serious—!"

The second monster realized that the human before them wasn't just bait thrown out to buy time or die, but...

Alice wasn't particularly known for her speed, but that was strictly relative.

The overly heavy and massive Sword of Light prevented her from making nimble movements at will, but to these Deep Sea Group small fries, capturing her speed was an absolute impossibility.

The sounds of a sonic boom and shattering bones had barely echoed when the final monster already turned to flee for his life.

However, the fully charged Sword of Light was already locked onto his body. And once a target was locked by the Sword of Light, there was practically no chance of dodging.

Boom!

The ground cracked open in a straight line from the powerful impact. At the end of that line lay only the corpse of a monster missing its upper torso.

The entire process hadn't even taken two seconds. The incredibly swift conclusion simply and directly demonstrated the vast disparity in power to the survivors. This should give them some peace of mind.

"So amazing! Hero!"

"Is this the S-Class? It feels completely different from any battle I've seen before!"

The moment Alice returned to the supermarket, the survivors cheerfully voiced their admiration. Rather than praising Alice, it was more like they were comforting themselves.

The hero was incredibly strong. With such a powerful hero protecting them, they would definitely be safe!

Alice was just about to respond and offer further encouragement to everyone when she was interrupted by the ringing of the phone in her pocket.

It was another emergency distress call from the Hero Association.

"Hero! Things have taken a turn for the worse!"

The one speaking was still Yamada, and his very first words dragged the atmosphere into the depths.

"What happened?" Alice frowned. Was it because something went wrong on Genos's side?

From the very beginning, she had established her own role: to rescue survivors along the way, gathering and protecting as many people as possible who hadn't made it to the shelters in time.

After all, the shelter was protected by Genos. After Genos fell, Mumen Rider would buy time, and then Saitama would arrive to handle the Deep Sea King.

Compared to the shelter, which would ultimately be fine, she felt she needed to pay closer attention to other areas.

"Genos sent a message to the Hero Association. He is currently engaging the leader of the monsters, but due to a careless mistake, he only has one arm left to use! His combat effectiveness has dropped drastically!"

"He's at the shelter! There are a large number of survivors taking refuge there! Hero, please head over to reinforce him as quickly as possible!"

"But...! Alice has over sixty survivors here too! They have no energy left right now, and they're all soaked from the rain. They might be found by roaming monsters!"

"What!?"

Alice's words caused Yamada's brain to short-circuit.

This... how could there be people on Alice's side too? No wonder her tracker had been moving back and forth erratically earlier; so she was searching for survivors?

But... this makes things rather difficult...

The command room fell into a stretch of silence. Yamada opened his mouth but couldn't bring himself to say the words to abandon one side for the shelter.

Isn't this just the trolley problem?

"Leave this side to me." Just as the atmosphere grew stiflingly quiet, a familiar voice suddenly rang out.

Stinger, who had been sitting on the floor wrapped from head to toe in bandages, stood up. Though his face was black and blue with bruises, a determined and bright light shone in his eyes. "I will protect this place."

"Since that monster leader is over at the shelter, then there's nothing to worry about here. Aside from that guy, no monster can break past my Bamboo Shoot."

With that, he smiled at Alice. "Even if something really goes wrong, I can hold out until you return, even if it costs me my life."

As for how to notify Alice, that was simple enough. He could just hand his phone to someone else, have them dial the emergency channel if he couldn't hold on anymore, and let the Hero Association contact Alice.

It would take some time, but there was no other choice.

Stinger's voice echoed inside the supermarket. It wasn't loud, yet it carried an exceptional resonance.

He was a highly popular hero in J-City, commanding immense prestige and the deep trust of the residents.

Furthermore, the injuries covering his body were all sustained while protecting J-City.

Even if the crowd didn't want an S-Class combatant like Alice to leave just like that, they couldn't bring themselves to say any words of refusal at this moment.

"Stinger... Thank goodness you're alright!" Yamada finally found his voice. Though the silence just now had only lasted a few seconds, standing on that moral execution dock had soaked his back with sweat.

Feeling a bit drained, he continued, "Hero! Then we'll leave the shelter in your hands!"

"Okay! Just leave it to Alice!"

Now that her worries were temporarily resolved, Alice waved goodbye to the crowd. Under their slightly anxious gazes, she sprinted toward the distant shelter.

At this moment, she felt somewhat upset. Although her combat strength was indeed enough to accomplish many things, she still couldn't protect both sides at the same time in a situation like this.

This current solution was completely a last resort born of necessity; fundamentally, it was still due to her lack of capability.

She could only hope that Herta would bring good news this time.

At Alice's full speed, a distance of three kilometers took only about four seconds. This was even with the city's high-rise buildings obstructing her way; if it were flat, empty ground, she would have been even faster.

And as Alice crashed through the dome of the shelter from high above, she saw Genos kneeling on the ground, covered in acid. At the same time, a green-skinned, fish-headed monster over two meters tall was walking up behind him with a sinister grin.

"Genos!"

Although she had anticipated this scene in her mind, seeing Genos in such a wretched state still made anger flare up uncontrollably within the young girl.

"Humph?"

Both the sound of the roof crashing in and Alice's shout were incredibly distinct. The Deep Sea King looked toward the source of the noise with utter disdain, only to find no one there.

Just as he instinctively went to look down at the ground, his entire being felt as if it had been struck head-on by a truck. Under the direct impact of the Sword of Light, he was sent flying straight out of the shelter.

"Genos! Are you alright!?"

The girl had no time to watch the flying Deep Sea King, prioritizing checking on Genos's condition instead.

"Ali...ce...!"

The good news was that Genos responded immediately.

Though his voice was somewhat distorted, his core components—or rather, his two vital lifelines, his energy core and his brain—had suffered no mishaps.

As long as nothing went wrong with those two areas, Genos's injuries wouldn't be life-threatening.

Alice finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But Genos's current state of mind was one of extreme frustration.

He had embarrassed himself in front of the girl yet again. This was already the third time. Whether it was the Mosquito Girl, Carnage Kabuto, or this time, he always ended up displaying his most pathetic state before her.

It reminded him of his mindset when he first met Alice. Thinking back on it now, it was an absolute joke.

Why... am I so weak?

"Another hero has arrived?"

"But... but what use is that? The heroes are all getting..."

"You idiot! Do you know who that is?! That's the Hero! An elite S-Class who defeated at least three Demon-level threats within less than two months of becoming a hero! With her here, we don't even have to worry about that monster!"

Hearing his explanation, the survivors—who were learning of Alice's magnificent track record for the first time—instantly felt hope rise within them.

--+--

Turned Into Gacha?! - 518

--+--

"That monster... it’s strong...!"

Genos couldn't afford to dwell on his complicated feelings right now. Having just suffered a bitter defeat due to his own carelessness, he didn't want Alice to follow in his footsteps.

"If you let your guard down, you’ll pay for it..." he warned.

"Don't worry, Genos. Everyone is going to be fine," Alice said, scanning their surroundings. Her eyes slipped past the fleeing crowd and caught sight of several figures strewn across the grounds.

"They are..."

"Those are the heroes who were just protecting us..." Seeing that the immediate danger had seemingly passed, the survivors finally crept back toward the center of the shelter.

A few good Samaritans carried the fallen heroes over, laying them together as everyone began chattering at once about what had just happened.

"The highest-ranked among them is at the bottom of A-Class, and the lowest are only C-Class." Now that they were safe, the survivors finally had the breathing room to praise and thank the heroes for their sacrifice.

When they thought about how these heroes had been taken down almost one by one, with a single blow each, yet still threw themselves forward wave after wave just to buy time, a profound wave of admiration washed over the crowd.

At the same time, they felt a pang of sorrow seeing them in their current state—either completely unconscious or unable to move.

Among all the heroes, only Sneck of A-Class managed to remain conscious.

"An... S-Class hero..."

The heroes were laid out flat on the ground, with some citizens taking off their jackets to use as makeshift pillows. Under the circumstances, no one could afford to be picky.

"I’ve already notified the Hero Association’s rescue team. An ambulance should be here in an hour or two." Nearby, Genos had managed to steady himself enough to stand.

Although his arms and upper torso were practically melted away, basic movement wasn't an issue.

He truly lived up to his reputation as the guy who always tries to flex even on a sliver of health.

"Thanks..."

Sneck’s consciousness felt incredibly heavy. The crushing frustration of being useless made him reluctant to speak. Surrounded by so many survivors, even knowing their intentions were pure, the sheer humiliation made him want to crawl into a hole and disappear.

"You all did exactly what true heroes would do."

Alice spoke up, offering words of comfort.

"Heroes...?" Only then did Sneck realize there was another S-Class hero present.

"Thanks to you dragging out the monster’s movements, Genos and Alice were able to make it in time. Thank you so much for not letting Alice become a hero in name only." The girl’s gentle, sincere words slowly cleared Sneck’s hazy mind.

He had never imagined that a day would come when he would be thanked by an S-Class hero.

Woah...

A low whisper rippled through the crowd. It wasn't that they had never seen an approachable S-Class hero before, but someone like Alice was a first.

Many fans who only knew Alice through the internet were ecstatic to see her in person, especially while she was actively doing hero work.

Witnessing her shine even brighter than she did on screen naturally made them adore her all the more.

A few people who were recording the scene felt a surge of excitement. An A-Class and an S-Class hero sharing mutual respect—this video was absolutely going to rake in the views, wasn't it?

Sneck didn't share those shallow thoughts; he was simply deeply moved.

"No... it was your arrival that kept our efforts from being in vain..."

Thud!

Just as the atmosphere was turning warm and reassuring, the heavy sound of a massive object slamming onto the ground echoed from the other side of the shelter.

The Deep Sea King, who had just been blasted away by Alice's strike, had returned to the shelter. His face had completely reverted to its fish-like form, and his entire physique had practically doubled in size. Like a suffocating man finally breathing in fresh oxygen, his aura had completely transformed.

"It—It’s still alive!"

Seeing the monster that had defeated countless heroes reappear right before their eyes, the survivors, who had thought the disaster was over, instantly froze in terror.

"You've got some kick in you. You're not human, are you?"

The Deep Sea King's dead-fish eyes locked onto Alice, who stood in front of everyone. His face was a mask of sheer amusement and mockery.

"Too bad for you. Now that there's water, the damage you did to me has already healed."

Genos kept his guard up while warning her, "He's a Seafolk. The rain makes him stronger."

At the same time, a sense of shame washed over him. He was completely stripped of his combat capability right now; otherwise, he could have used his incinerating flames to help Alice dry the monster out.

"Alice will defeat you—Light of—!"

Paying no mind to the monster's questions, Alice pointed the muzzle of the Sword of Light directly at him. A brilliant blue light coalesced in an instant, accompanied by the volatile crackle of snapping electrical arcs as it fired.

Neither Alice nor Genos expected this shot to actually land.

The power of the Sword of Light was unquestionable; if it hit, it could easily be called Alice's ultimate attack.

But hitting the target was the hard part. No enemy would just stand there and take a blast to the face without dodging. While they couldn't outrun the beam of light once it was fired, getting away from the muzzle before the trigger was pulled wasn't difficult.

Every time the Sword of Light had landed a hit before, it was either by catching the enemy off guard with a sneak attack of justice, a self-detonation when the enemy least expected it, or hitting them dead-on when they couldn't move.

No matter how it hit, the enemy was always forced to take it because they had no other choice.

Yet, this time was different.

Even as the Sword of Light unleashed its blinding blue beam, the Deep Sea King didn't shift his feet even an inch. Genos and Alice watched in utter shock as he wore an arrogant smirk and thrust out a single hand to block it.

In the next second, that entire hand, along with more than half of his body, was brutally shaved away by the unstoppable force and searing heat.

"Huh?"

The Deep Sea King looked down in confusion at his missing right arm, and at the empty, instantly charred cavity that made up half of his body, where not a single drop of blood could even flow out.

What happened? How did it end in a split second? Am I really this weak?

His brief moment of clarity wasn't enough to sustain his thoughts, and his mangled body left him unable to take any action.

As his consciousness plunged entirely into darkness, his body simply tipped backward, stiff as a board.

He... he's just dead?

Everyone stared at the scene in absolute disbelief.

A monster that so many heroes couldn't handle, who had beaten them down one after another and made them feel he was utterly invincible, was just dead? In a single strike?

The survivors felt like they were dreaming. Were S-Class heroes really this powerful? But Genos was an S-Class too, wasn't he?

"It's all thanks to everyone."

Standing at the very front, her back to the crowd, the girl suddenly turned around and flashed a bright smile.

She held the Sword of Light upright by her side, closed her eyes, and pressed her hands together in front of her chest like a devout cleric.

It wasn't a posture a typical hero would assume.

"It's all thanks to everyone wearing down the enemy's stamina. In the end, the enemy couldn't even dodge the judgment of the light."

"O brave heroes, may the light be with you."

--+--

Turned Into Gacha?! - 519

--+--

[Demonic-Level Crisis Strikes J-City! Several Heroes Step Up! Two S-Class Heroes Fall in Succession! The One Who Saved J-City Is Actually—!]

[Defeating a Powerful Foe to Save the City! An In-Depth Look into the S-Class Hero, 'The Hero' Alice!]

[The Hero Association declares Alice an outstanding hero with a profound sense of justice. In response to public demand, discussions regarding her official merchandise have already begun!]

[The heroes injured in this incident have been transferred to the hospital for treatment.]

"What's wrong? Are you that concerned about the new S-Class?"

Inside the dressing room on the studio set, an assistant looked with confusion at Sweet Mask, who was sitting in his chair, holding up a newspaper.

It was rare to see him wear such an intensely focused expression... No, focus was actually common for him.

As a top celebrity, Sweet Mask always maintained strict standards for himself, and taking everything seriously was just his way of doing things.

Rather than calling his current expression focused, it was more accurate to say it looked somewhat grim.

But didn't he seem quite pleased at the very beginning?

"How unsightly..."

"Huh?"

"No, sorry. I'm fine. I just didn't get enough rest last night." Realizing that his mood was affecting his assistant, Sweet Mask immediately flashed a flawless smile and offered a reassuring word.

"Ah, I see."

The assistant nodded understandingly, then thought back to the report in the newspaper and asked tentatively, "Is it because of that 'Hero'?"

They were both powerful heroes, and both possessed exceptionally striking, beautiful appearances. On top of that, the newcomer was a young child—a demographic that was incredibly easy for the general public to fall in love with, holding an extremely broad appeal.

Energetic, lively, and always eager to help; no matter how you looked at her, a hero like that was bound to become a massive cash cow the Hero Association could trot out at a moment's notice.

The assistant knew the Hero Association’s playbook inside and out. In fact, his talent manager had even been on the phone with the Association recently, hoping to get Alice assigned under his management as well.

So, was Sweet Mask feeling a sense of rivalry? It wouldn't be surprising. Because of Sweet Mask's ever-growing influence and unique status, his manager actually had very little control over him now.

It was only natural to worry about a similar type of hero being brought in to compete against him.

However, contrary to what the assistant thought, Sweet Mask had never cared about things like that.

A hero's duty wasn't just limited to physical rescue. Sweet Mask understood this perfectly, which was why he engaged in idol activities in the first place—to keep 'heroes' from degenerating into a mundane profession driven purely by profit.

That was why he constantly used various shows to emphasize the nobility of a hero, and to hammer home a hero's true mission.

With a star like him—someone who could dictate public opinion—acting as the gold standard, they could maximize their chances of keeping the absolute bottom-feeders from muddying the definition of what a hero should be.

If Alice wanted to walk this path as well, Sweet Mask wouldn't object. After all, Alice truly was a hero capable of guiding the public image of heroism in a positive direction.

He had naturally watched the video recorded and uploaded by the people from the shelter.

Her act of disregarding accolades, sharing the credit with all the other heroes, and boosting the overall reputation of heroes was, in his eyes, incredibly noble.

Sweet Mask loathed weak heroes. The ones who fell before the Deep Sea King were exactly the kind of people he detested, but he didn't dislike Alice's approach.

Furthermore, Alice's sheer strength perfectly embodied the labels a hero must have: 'invincible' and 'the ultimate vanquisher of evil.'

Up until this point, Sweet Mask had been quite pleased, but...

Looking at the photos of Genos and Puri-Puri Prisoner in the newspaper, a cold, deep fury welled up in the man's eyes.

As S-Class heroes, they shouldn't possess a single blemish. They should stand at the absolute peak as symbols of utter invincibility, capable of wiping out all evil.

That was the entire purpose of an S-Class hero's existence. If they couldn't achieve that, then they were nothing more than a bunch of fakes.

His gaze pierced into Genos's photo as if trying to bore a hole straight through it.

I hope you won't disappoint me again, Genos.

After dialing back the emotions that shouldn't belong to a hero, Sweet Mask picked up his phone, pulled up the contact labeled 'Alice,' and sent a message.

Sweet Mask: [You did a wonderful job. Once again, you have shown everyone what a true hero should look like.]

Sweet Mask: [As I mentioned before, if the Association asks you to participate in promotional work, you can contact me. Let me correct that now: if they make any unreasonable demands of you, you can tell me directly. As long as you stay the way you are, this promise remains valid indefinitely.]

Sweet Mask: [Lately, Tornado of Terror seems to be acting a bit erratically. If necessary, you can let me know about that as well.]

Thinking of Genos's crushing defeat, Sweet Mask's eyes darkened, and by some strange twist of impulse, he tacked on one last line.

Sweet Mask: [Don't disappoint me.]

The moment he sent it, he realized he was paying a bit too much attention to her.

This wasn't a good thing; he needed to mind his social boundaries moving forward... And... Thinking of the hero ranked second in the S-Class, Sweet Mask narrowed his eyes.

Her recent movements had been a bit too extreme, yet the Hero Association was completely indifferent to it... Was it because of the pressure Tatsumaki put on them, or did they have some other motive...

Sweet Mask knew exactly how terrible Tatsumaki's personality was, but at least in the eyes of the public, she was still a hero of excellent character and standing. Even though he didn't particularly like her, he knew how important she was.

The thought that the Association’s indulgence was likely an attempt to use Tatsumaki as a pawn to test the waters with Alice's creator instantly soured Sweet Mask's mood.

And Tatsumaki, completely unaware that she was being viewed as a pawn, wasn't in a great mood either.

"Hmph!"

Inside an unremarkable, ordinary house, Tatsumaki sat in a chair with a thoroughly displeased look on her face, staring at the newspaper in her hands with a deep frown.

"Those guys are supposed to be S-Class just like me, yet they put on such a pathetic show. They might as well just go back to the B-Class and practice some more!"

She delivered her harsh critique bluntly.

"If everyone else hadn't been there, Alice wouldn't have been able to guarantee everyone's safety by the time she arrived." Sitting across from her, Alice held a teacup in both hands, curiously swallowing the floating flower petals along with the tea.

It was sweet, but also a little bitter.

Still, this floral tea was really delicious.

"If they were even remotely useful, they should have solved the problem themselves instead of needing you, rather than just protecting citizens until you showed up!" Tatsumaki did not agree with Alice's leniency at all.

"Constantly wiping their asses like this will only ensure they never amount to anything in their lives!"

'No one is going to save you when you're in danger.' Tatsumaki held this phrase as an absolute truth and lived strictly by it.

Seeing that Alice still didn't grasp the severity of the matter, she couldn't help but feel that the girl was incredibly dense, completely failing to learn no matter how much she was taught.

However, the only response she got was a beaming smile from Alice as she sipped her tea.

To put it bluntly, it was a silly grin.

Tatsumaki scoffed, tossing the newspaper aside. Just as she was about to quickly finish her breakfast and head out for patrol, she heard the girl across from her suddenly speak up:

"Auntie Herta is coming back today, you know."

--+--

Turned Into Gacha?! - 520

--+--

That Herta was finally coming?

Hearing this, Tatsumaki, whose face had been perfectly calm just a moment ago, widened her eyes slightly. Without a second thought, she pressed for answers: "Where is that guy!?"

"Um, she should be in the laboratory right now," Alice replied, taking another sip of her floral tea, looking completely unbothered by any sense of urgency.

Tatsumaki was losing her patience. "Where is this lab? Let’s get over there right now. It's best if we settle this before working hours."

"L-City."

The young girl answered, "Tatsumaki, you can always come by after you finish your work. Auntie Herta cleared her entire schedule today just to help upgrade Alice's equipment, so it's fine to come over whenever you're not busy."

She’s actually in Fubuki's city?!

Hearing this, there was no way Tatsumaki could wait any longer. "No! We’re going right now. We can drink tea anytime later!"

Alice could certainly understand her urgency. But thinking about Tatsumaki’s current misunderstanding of Herta, coupled with Tatsumaki’s notoriously sharp tongue, Alice was absolutely certain that the two would clash the moment they met.

"Auntie Herta is a very powerful and great scientist. Tatsumaki, you must promise not to get into a fight with Auntie Herta when we get there!" The young girl set down her teacup, her expression showing a rare streak of stubbornness.

"..."

From that stubbornness, Tatsumaki saw concern... not for that Herta person, but for herself.

This stupid, robotic brain of hers is actually worrying about me? Worrying about the Tornado of Terror? Is this some kind of joke?

Yet, even though she felt a flash of annoyance at being underestimated, facing the young girl’s sheer persistence, Tatsumaki couldn't bring herself to voice a flat, blunt rejection.

In the end, she could only huff, "That depends on how things go when we get there. It’s not up to me."

Even so, an attitude like that meant she had at least listened to the advice. Through their days of spending time together, Alice could easily discern this much.

But... listening was one thing. Though Tatsumaki might restrain herself slightly, it really did depend on Herta's attitude, just as Tatsumaki had said. And Herta... she was clearly approaching Tatsumaki with a conclusion already in mind, looking for a reason to find fault.

To put it simply, Herta was absolutely going to stir up trouble. If Tatsumaki couldn't present an attitude that satisfied Herta, she was practically guaranteed to suffer a setback.

The young girl sighed inwardly. Even knowing this, things had already progressed to this point, and there wasn't much else she could say. Tatsumaki wouldn't listen anyway.

More importantly, Herta was doing this with the intention of venting anger on Alice's behalf. Giving Tatsumaki a mild warning was one thing, but she couldn't exactly turn against her own side.

After both sides considered themselves to have made a compromise, Tatsumaki took Alice and soared into the sky. Following Alice’s directions, they flew high into the airspace of L-City. Then... Alice stopped guiding her.

Tatsumaki looked around in confusion, her tone carrying a hint of displeasure. "Is this the place you were talking about? Are you sure this is the destination?"

Alice had long since grown accustomed to Tatsumaki’s temperament.

"Actually, we don't need to be in any specific location within L-City. As long as we are within the boundaries of L-City, we can reach the [Ark]. Auntie Herta's laboratory is built right on the [Ark]."

The Ark?

Tatsumaki knit her brows. The word 'Ark' sounded like a ship, but having seen plenty of sci-fi works, Tatsumaki knew all too well that a ship didn't necessarily sail on the sea.

But how were they supposed to get there like this?

She used her psychic powers to blanket the entirety of L-City, including the high airspace above, yet she failed entirely to find any suspicious targets, no matter how much she deepened her perception.

Before Tatsumaki could speak again, she suddenly felt a bizarre sensation of weightlessness. At the exact same moment, the scenery before her eyes completely shifted right in front of her.

A clean, immaculate laboratory suddenly manifested before her.

A reclining chair, looking slightly miniature compared to what a normal human would use, was positioned in the center of the lab, connected to various pieces of machinery with unknown functions.

A multitude of meters and gauges were stacked all over the room—numerous but orderly—appearing as though they weren't frequently used.

"Since you're here, don't just stand there like an idiot."

Suddenly, an unfamiliar, youthful voice rang out from the side. Only then did Tatsumaki take a proper look at her current surroundings.

They seemed to be standing in the center of some kind of apparatus. While she couldn't be entirely certain, it was likely a teleportation device. It was this very thing that had brought her and the robot-head down from a height of thousands of meters.

And standing right beside the device was a witch who looked as though she had walked straight out of a manga.

A wide witch hat failed to obscure a face that even Tatsumaki had to admit wasn't bad at all. Her mysterious, arrogant aura complemented her witch attire almost flawlessly.

Contrary to what she had imagined, this young girl bore absolutely no resemblance to a researcher, nor did she look like any sort of "aunt."

Could it be that she wasn't that Herta, but rather a research subject of this institute?

Looking at that witch outfit, it really was highly possible that she had something to do with espers.

The moment this thought surfaced, the anger in Tatsumaki's heart became somewhat difficult to control.

"Auntie Herta!" Unaware of Tatsumaki's current misunderstanding, Alice leaped straight down from the teleportation platform upon hearing the voice.

She then trotted over and wrapped her arms around Herta, her face brimming with pure joy.

I can finally upgrade! Awesome!

Herta didn't particularly resist Alice's clinginess. However, even though she had cleared up the matters at hand specifically to free up a day to come over, it didn't mean her time wasn't valuable.

Allowing Alice to remain excited for a brief moment, she reached out and pushed the young girl away from her side. "Alright, enough! I haven't even settled the score with you for calling me 'Auntie' yet, so don't get too overly familiar."

But it was Amber (Sensei) who had told her to call her that, so how could she blame Alice?

Seemingly aware of this point as well, Herta didn't dwell on it further and switched back to the main topic.

"I've spent some time researching the mechanism and essence of the 'Sublime.' Upgrading you now won't be a difficult task anymore."

"But more importantly than that, I've brought you more equipment to increase your combat options. The Aatrahasis has also been upgraded."

"By the way..."

"Hey!"

Herta's voice was interrupted by a sharp, delicate shout. The two turned their gazes simultaneously toward Tatsumaki, who was floating not far away.

"Are you that Herta? The one who tricked my little sister!"

"Your sister?"

Though a memory like that took only an instant for Herta to recall, she still put on an act of 'remembering something utterly trivial.'

Subsequently, those mysterious, arrogant purple eyes locked onto Tatsumaki. "By 'tricked,' do you mean taking a half-finished Sephira Crystal from a genius like me as an advance payment, when the job was merely to take care of a little girl for a period of time?"

Sephira Crystal?

The unfamiliar term made Tatsumaki uneasy.

She thought of the power Fubuki had gained to become stronger, yet she remembered that Fubuki hadn't been carrying anything that could be described as a 'crystal' at the time.

An intense wave of dread made her entire body shudder, and even her voice trembled slightly. "What is that Sephira Crystal!? What did you do to Fubuki's body!?"

"If you wish to converse with a genius, you must first recognize your place and consider your attitude."

Herta’s tone remained calm. It had been a very long time since anyone had offended her.

If the other party possessed any value that caught Herta's interest, then an offense could be overlooked as a quirk of personality. But... Tatsumaki held absolutely no value to her.

With a snap of her thumb and middle finger, Tatsumaki only heard a crisp click echo in her ears, and her consciousness began to rapidly fade away.

--+--