Turned Into Gacha?! - 521 - 530

Turned Into Gacha?! - 521

--+--

When awareness slowly drifted back, the first thing Tatsumaki saw was an unfamiliar ceiling.

The final images from her memory surged forth like a tidal wave. The looming threat and her own lingering wariness instantly drove her to rally her powers for defense.

This place was highly likely a trap laid specifically for an esper like her! She had to break free, and fast!

With that thought, Tatsumaki intended to crush and warp everything around her.

Yet, in the very next heartbeat, she realized something was terribly wrong with her psychic abilities. Forget unleashing any destructive force—she couldn't even manage to make herself float.

She couldn’t use her powers at all…!

This realization made her all the more certain that she had fallen into a trap, while simultaneously sending a shiver of pure dread down her spine. If she couldn’t use her powers, she was stripped of almost all her combat capability.

Tatsumaki didn’t dare move an inch. She worried that if Herta noticed she was awake, she might do something even more horrific to her.

At the same time, her mind drifted to the girl she had spent the last few days with.

With that girl's naive sense of justice, surely she would have done something after Tatsumaki met with disaster, right? But right now, there wasn’t a sound.

Either she had also been restrained by Herta, or… she was a part of this trap all along.

Tatsumaki desperately hoped the truth wasn’t the latter.

But that brought up an immediate problem… how was she supposed to escape? Without her powers, was she just a lamb to the slaughter?

She felt a wave of fear and helplessness she hadn’t experienced in a very long time. However, this fragile emotional state didn't last long.

Because she caught the sound of a familiar voice.

"Auntie Herta, how is Tatsumaki doing right now? If she keeps lying on the floor like that… won't she get cold?"

It was that robot-head? Were they actually in cahoots after all?

"Maybe she just really likes my laboratory floor. It doesn't look like she's in any hurry to leave."

A slightly arrogant tone drifted over from the other side. The voice didn’t sound quite as icy as before, but the meaning behind the words made Tatsumaki’s skin crawl. Herta knew she was awake.

Since she couldn't play dead anymore, there was no point in pretending.

Propping herself up with her arms, Tatsumaki glared at Alice with absolute vigilance, a trace of disappointment coloring her face that she didn't even notice herself.

She had expected the machine across from her to be completely indifferent, but when her eyes met Alice's, she was surprised to find nothing but genuine worry etched across the girl's face.

"Tatsumaki?" Alice took a few quick steps over to her side, reaching out to help her up.

That worry didn't seem fake… Could it be that she didn't understand Herta had just attacked her? Was it a difference in perception between robots and humans? Or had Herta said something to trick this metal blockhead?

Tatsumaki subconsciously brushed her suspicions aside, then turned her furious gaze toward Herta. "What did you do to me?!"

Sitting in a wheeled office chair, Herta merely curled the corner of her lips. Her unhidden pride gave her a distinctly overbearing air.

"Arrogance is born from a gap in perception and information. And arrogance keeps a person from seeing exactly where they stand."

She spoke as casually as if she were deciding what to have for lunch, yet the weight of her words made the pressure on Tatsumaki skyrocket. "I simply altered reality and made your powers cease to exist."

Altered reality? What kind of a joke was that?

"It’s a machine, isn’t it?!" Tatsumaki instantly rejected the idea that this was humanly possible. "There’s some kind of device inside this [Ark] that invalidates psychic abilities!"

"It's good to be skeptical. That's a vital trait when pursuing the truth. But unfortunately, wrong answer." The witch extended a hand, purple flames churning in her palm. Immediately after, Tatsumaki felt her perspective rapidly rising.

What was happening?

She looked down in utter bewilderment, only to see a sight she had never witnessed before.

She couldn't see her own toes? What was blocking her view?

Realizing what was changing with her body, Tatsumaki stared at herself in sheer disbelief.

It really changed! Her body had grown up?!

However, before her shock could even fully register, her vision dropped once more. The sudden fullness blocking her view vanished without a trace within two seconds.

Her body… had changed back…

"Is it an illusion-generating device this time?"

A mocking voice drifted from ahead. Tatsumaki was forced to refocus her mind, staring warily at the witch before her.

"What… what is going on? Who on earth are you? Is altering reality actually real?"

"My time is incredibly precious. I have no need to talk in circles or lie to you. If it weren't for your connection to Alice, the possibility of you even seeing me wouldn't exist."

Herta’s smirk faded, leaving her stunningly beautiful face coated in a layer of frost.

Tatsumaki could feel her psychic powers rapidly returning. She didn't know if the woman was doing this on purpose or if it was an oversight, but just to be safe, she wasn’t in a hurry to use them.

Though she desperately wanted to demand answers about Fubuki and the Sephira Crystals, speaking up about that right now was clearly unwise.

An esper couldn't possibly be an idiot. No matter how spoiled or willful Tatsumaki usually was, she knew how to read the room. Besides, this submission was undoubtedly the exact effect Herta wanted to achieve right now.

And Herta’s next words made Tatsumaki realize just how smart her choice to endure really was.

"As I said, what I just did wasn't a punishment. It was simply a quick method to make you realize the gap between us." This basically meant that a certain phase was over, which was why her powers had been restored.

Tatsumaki had heard this tone and these kinds of words too many times before—in fact, she often used them herself.

Next, the woman would probably bring up the "real punishment."

Tatsumaki possessed a healthy amount of self-awareness regarding her own personality.

She even knew exactly how she looked in the eyes of others. She naturally remembered what had happened back in the Hero Association's training room.

Her impulsiveness frequently led to extreme consequences.

Even if Tatsumaki was loath to admit it, she felt a subconscious pang of remorse for hurting Alice, a guilt that had only grown over the past few days of keeping her company.

Even classifying the girl as a mere machine to lessen her own guilt was nothing more than an awkward, self-deluding lie.

What was this now?

Tatsumaki could only see the reflection of herself and Fubuki in these two, except this time, the one coming to stir up trouble was Herta, and she was the one on the receiving end.

Yet, Tatsumaki didn't feel much resistance to this. In fact, she felt a faint sense of relief.

This way, she and Alice were even.

"So, from now on, every time you use your psychic powers, you will do one thing… Be grateful. This is the compromise Alice fought for."

Like a final judgment, Herta’s words fell. But the meaning behind them threw Tatsumaki back into confusion, sending a cold shiver down her spine.

Forcing her to do something every time she used her powers? This practically meant the woman could take her life whenever she pleased.

Now, Tatsumaki had no choice but to believe that even if she left this [Ark], the woman still held her in the palm of her hand.

"Do what exactly?" Tatsumaki demanded. Even though Alice had apparently begged for mercy on her behalf and lessened the severity of the retaliation, this concerned her deeply. She had to know.

"Why don't you try it and find out?" Instead of giving an answer, Herta smiled again, gesturing for her to give it a go.

Seeing this, Tatsumaki didn't hesitate. She immediately called upon her psychic powers to make herself float.

The very next second, she bellowed uncontrollably at the top of her lungs:

"Madam Herta is a peerless gem! Madam Herta is an unrivaled genius! Madam Herta is an inimitable beauty!"

--+--

Turned Into Gacha?! - 522

--+--

What!! What in the world is going on here!!??

Tatsumaki looked down in utter disbelief. Though she couldn't see it herself, her hand was currently pressed tight against her throat.

Just moments ago, she hadn't reacted at all. Her body had just blurted out those words completely on instinct, as if it were some sort of command hardwired directly into her DNA.

It wasn't until the entire sentence left her mouth that she finally realized something was terribly wrong.

Was she seriously going to have to say that line every single time she used her psychic powers from now on?!

"Looks like it works well enough. Alright, that takes care of that," Herta noted with a satisfied nod.

However, she lost interest almost immediately. Her primary reason for coming this time was Alice, after all.

Shifting her gaze to the young girl standing nearby, Herta continued, "The upgrade I've given you this time isn't massive, but it's not minor either. It's not designed to boost your standard combat specs. Instead, it raises the upper limit of your 'Mystic'."

As a mature genius, she naturally explained the mechanics himself.

"To put it simply, your base stats haven't changed. But as your sense of justice and 'determination' grow, the power of your 'Mystic' will rapidly swell within your halo, continuously driving your stats upward. As for the ceiling... well, it obviously won't reach the level of an Emanator, so you'll just have to figure out the rest on your own."

"Whoa—!"

Alice's eyes immediately lit up with pure excitement.

She had to admit, Herta really knew her stuff! This was just too much like a classic 'Hero' trope! Powering up based on justice and determination—it was exactly like a main character!

Did this mean she could start shouting lines like "Because we are Fairy Tail!" too?

Standing to the side and still processing her own sudden changes, Tatsumaki looked visibly taken aback by the explanation. But upon deeper reflection, it didn't really seem all that surprising.

While this Herta woman was clearly looking for a fight with her, Tatsumaki knew it was just a petty way of sticking up for Alice.

From the look of it, the woman genuinely cared a great deal about this little robot.

If she recalled correctly, the tin can had mentioned having a teacher before. Was she just being fostered here for now?

Even if it was just a foster situation, this witch was fiercely protective of her.

And honestly, concepts like a sense of justice and determination really did suit the robot's whole vibe...

Tatsumaki couldn't help but steal a glance at Alice, who was currently practically vibrating with excitement.

"But of course, I didn't come all this way just for that. Putting your Sword of Light aside for a moment, didn't I mention earlier? I've upgraded the [Ark], and I just completely unlocked your access permissions for it."

Herta spoke at a leisurely pace. "I've outfitted the Ark with orbital weaponry, a drone fleet, defensive plating, autonomous combat androids, multiple main cannons, and anti-air batteries. You can completely treat it as a literal flying fortress now."

"Naturally, its original functions remain fully intact. How you choose to deploy it is entirely up to you... To make things easier for you, I've integrated an AI into the [Ark's] system to handle the processing loads."

"An AI?"

"How you utilize it is your choice." As if checking off the final item on her to-do list, a cup of black tea materialized out of thin air in Herta's hand.

With elegant grace, she took a sip before continuing, "Any other questions? If not, I'll be heading back."

"Aren't you going to stay and have lunch with Alice?"

Alice tilted her head, clearly reluctant to see Big Herta go, her expression tinged with a bit of worry.

After all, Herta was probably the busiest person among them. The woman had almost zero time to relax or rest.

With a schedule like that, it wasn't all that surprising that her income topped the charts, even eclipsing her actual prime body.

"I only bother with things that interest me. Do you honestly think I'd waste my time on something I find boring?" Herta clearly saw right through Alice's thoughts.

With a casual wave of her hand, she vanished on the spot.

"Hey, wait a second!!"

With her sudden departure, a heavy silence fell over the room. Tatsumaki had never expected the woman to just vanish into thin air without so much as a goodbye.

Seriously, what was the deal with that Sephira Crystal?! What exactly was her relationship with Fubuki?! Did she ignore the question on purpose? Was that part of the 'punishment' too?

Recalling the condescending look on the woman's face when she spoke, Tatsumaki couldn't help but equate 'ignorance' with punishment.

After all, the witch was clearly the type who was utterly obsessed with science and absolute truth. People like that couldn't stomach ignorance.

Left with no other choice, she turned her gaze toward Alice.

"Did that witch really just leave like that? I still had things to say!"

Tatsumaki stomped her foot in frustration.

"Is this about Fubuki?" Alice finally remembered that Tatsumaki hadn't come all this way just to get bullied.

"Exactly!" Tatsumaki scratched her head in sheer exasperation. "And what's with you guys constantly saying 'heading back' anyway? Where exactly does that witch live? How am I supposed to find her?"

There were only so many places in this world. Even flying around the entire globe wouldn't take her a full day. If worst came to worst, she would just hunt the woman down to wherever she was hiding.

"Um... Auntie Herta usually stays in other universes."

However, Alice's response left Tatsumaki's brain completely short-circuiting.

"Recently, Auntie Herta created a brand-new universe all by herself. She's currently trying to split it into parallel universes and a multiverse, so she barely has any free time to spare."

Tatsumaki stood frozen.

What did she mean, 'in another universe'? What did she mean, 'created a universe by herself and is splitting parallel universes and a multiverse'? Is your processor fried? Is your language module working right?

She wanted nothing more than to scream, "Are you pulling my leg?", but thinking back to the witch who had just completely played her like a fiddle, the absurd statement somehow didn't feel entirely beyond the realm of possibility.

After all, that witch could effortlessly subdue even her. Was there really any need to fabricate such a massive, pointless lie?

Even so, the moment Tatsumaki entertained the thought that it might actually be true, a chilling sense of her own insignificance washed over her.

If it really was true, then the woman's so-called 'reality-warping' powers weren't all that hard to comprehend.

Perhaps to someone like her, existences like themselves were nothing more than lower-dimensional organisms. A higher-dimensional being rewriting a lower-dimensional being at a whim wasn't even something worth batting an eye over.

But... that was just too far beyond her reality.

Compared to all that...

Tatsumaki quickly suppressed the sudden wave of insignificance and fear swelling in her chest, forcing herself to push forward. "That Sephira Crystal... what exactly is it?"

She hadn't originally expected to get a real answer from Alice. After all, a robot's answers could easily just be pre-programmed responses. But right now, she didn't seem to have any other leads to go on.

"It's something that can make Fubuki stronger... Other than that, Alice doesn't really know much either..." Unfortunately, the young girl could only offer a vague, empty response.

But before disappointment could fully sink into Tatsumaki, a nearby computer monitor suddenly flared with a brilliant red light. Immediately after, a detached, synthesized voice echoed through the room.

"Individual AL-1S detected with a potential requirement to access archives. Shall the relevant data on [Sephira Crystal] be retrieved?"

Was this the Ark AI that Herta had left behind?

--+--

Turned Into Gacha?! - 523

--+--

Tatsumaki turned to look at Alice, who nodded, accepting the assistance of the AI.

The function and definition of a Sephira Crystal weren't exactly hard concepts to grasp. Strip away the experimental logs and data, and the core concept was actually pretty straightforward.

Tatsumaki easily summarized what a Sephira Crystal was in her own words.

Simply put, it was a gem that granted eternal youth and contained a massive amount of energy, allowing the user to gain corresponding abilities. To use it, one just had to fuse the crystal into their body.

Though it was called "fusing into the body," the Sephira Crystal didn't actually displace any organs. In other words, it wasn't a physical fusion.

This was practically a cheat item with zero drawbacks—and Fubuki had actually managed to get her hands on one?

Tatsumaki could hardly believe her eyes.

She really wanted to question it, but then again, what reason did Herta have to lie to them? To someone like Herta, this was probably just a toy she could toss away on a whim.

Was it really... just that?

A wave of complex absurdity washed over Tatsumaki. Even though it had barely been half an hour—hardly more than a brief exchange of words—she felt an inexplicable, overwhelming exhaustion.

No, it wasn't inexplicable. It was pure information overload.

She gave up trying to say anything more. She needed time to slowly process and digest all of this.

"How do we get down?" Tatsumaki looked over at Alice.

"We just need to stand in front of that teleportation gate." Alice actually knew about this much.

Strictly speaking, they didn't have to stand right on it to use the Ark's teleportation function, but this was something Herta had put together, so its transmission range was much farther than the Ark's.

The two of them stepped onto the teleportation gate together. Before Tatsumaki could even ask what to do next, she felt that familiar weightless sensation wash over her once more.

A moment later, the two of them materialized right outside the Blizzard Group's building.

"Of all the places to end up..."

Tatsumaki's eye twitched as she snapped back to reality.

If she used her superpowers to leave right now and Fubuki happened to overhear that utterly baffling, embarrassing chant, what then? Was she supposed to walk a long way off before finally flying away?

She could manage that this time, but she couldn't live like this forever, could she?

She was bound to be found out sooner or later!

Tatsumaki finally realized just how constrained and humiliated her daily life would become because of this seemingly minor catch. Was this really just "revenge" after a gentle persuasion?

"Hmm? Because Alice missed everyone so much!" Seeing Tatsumaki's conflicted state, Alice playfully feigned ignorance, wearing nothing but a pure, cheerful expression.

Only then did Tatsumaki realize she had genuinely misunderstood this robot-head.

On top of that, she had forced Alice to leave her own home to live with a sharp-tongued person like herself for so many days.

Realizing it was one thing, but actually getting her to apologize... she really couldn't bring herself to say the words.

I'll just find some other way to make it up to her later...

With that thought, Tatsumaki intended to say her goodbyes right then and there.

While she couldn't hide the anomaly with her body forever, it was best not to expose it just yet. She couldn't handle that much stimulation right now; she needed to pull herself together first.

Yet, as if luck were deliberately playing tricks on her, just as she was preparing to walk away to gather her thoughts, she spotted Fubuki stepping out of the stairwell, leading several people with her.

"Alice...? Sister!?"

Having just accepted a request from the Association, Fubuki had been planning to head out with the Blizzard Group when she was stunned to see two highly unexpected figures.

Not just Fubuki, but the entire Blizzard Group looked instantly on edge.

If Alice had just come back to grab some things like before, they could understand, but... what was Tatsumaki doing here?

Fubuki's eyes darted between the two of them. She remembered vividly that her sister could be classified as a textbook workaholic.

Normally, she would be on the front lines protecting the city 24/7, 365 days a year, only slowing down occasionally when her energy flagged.

Other than that, she almost never shirked her responsibilities.

But what was going on now? Granted, today was indeed a day off, but appearing here at this hour—was there some major crisis? No, that didn't make sense either, because her sister was currently standing flat on the ground, showing absolutely no signs of urgency.

Noticing Fubuki's bewildered and surprised gaze, Tatsumaki's face instantly soured, and she turned her head away without a word.

"Ta-da! Alice has successfully returned to the main base!"

Beside her, Alice raised a hand, throwing out a joyful announcement.

Then, she jogged a few steps over to Fubuki. "From now on, Alice can travel back and forth freely!"

"Travel back and forth freely?"

The utterly perplexed Fubuki finally caught the keyword. She looked at the beaming Alice, then at Tatsumaki's sour expression, and a guess began to form in her mind.

"Alice, and Sister... did you go see Miss Herta?" Though it was a guess, Fubuki's tone carried more certainty than anything.

"Mm-hmm! Alice received Auntie Herta's blessing and enhancements. Alice has become way stronger! This way, I can protect everyone more thoroughly and much more often in the future!"

The confidence and joy in the girl's voice practically overflowed; anyone could tell just how passionate she was about protecting others.

Seeing this, Fubuki naturally had to offer some praise. After all, regardless of what Alice's past identity had been, the current Alice was a member of the Blizzard Group—in other words, family.

"Very good. That's what it means to be a member of the Blizzard Group. I look forward to your performance, Alice." Fubuki gently patted the girl's head.

"If you have work to do, then get moving already."

Seeing the two of them starting a whole conversation right at the entrance, Tatsumaki couldn't help but snap.

What kind of scene was this?! Her own sister was ignoring her completely, chatting away happily with someone else instead?! And what was up with that robot-head?!

She had been pestering her with endless questions before, so why wasn't she saying a single word to her now?!

She couldn't stand looking at this for another second!

Fubuki didn't know what was going through Tatsumaki's mind, but she could tell her sister had clearly suffered a setback; it was written all over her current expression and behavior.

She really wanted to take this opportunity to knock her sister down a peg, to make her realize she couldn't just control her at will like she used to.

But looking at Tatsumaki's visibly deflated state, Fubuki couldn't bring herself to be cruel.

Next time, then.

With that thought, Fubuki decided to gather the others and head out to work first.

Alice, meanwhile, looked over at Tatsumaki, who hadn't made a move.

"Fubuki and the others are already gone. Shall we head back together?" the girl asked with a smile.

Tatsumaki tightened her crossed arms and let out a cold snort.

"Hmph. In such a rush to pack your things? Well, fine. Having to blow-dry your hair every single day and all that—I've been sick of the extra chore of babysitting a brat anyway!"

Without waiting to see Alice's reaction, she yelled at the top of her lungs: "Madam Herta is a peerless gem! Madam Herta is an unrivaled genius! Madam Herta is an inimitable beauty!"

The moment their figures vanished into thin air, a sonic boom rippled through the surroundings.

As it whipped up the dust and fallen leaves, it also blew up the skirt of Fubuki, who had just jogged back to ask Alice exactly when she would return.

"What... did Sister just say?"

--+--

Turned Into Gacha?! - 524

--+--

Tatsumaki wasn't afraid of loneliness. Or rather, loneliness had long since become a part of her world—something she was so used to that she didn't even bother paying it any mind.

Even so, on the first day after Alice moved out, she felt a strange, unsettling wave of discomfort.

For the citizens of L-City, this was Alice’s grand return after being away on business for over a week, and they welcomed her with open arms.

Alice's recent exploits in J-City had garnered her another massive wave of attention and praise; by now, the young girl’s popularity was absolutely skyrocketing.

Of course, the corporate faction of the Hero Association was pushing this behind the scenes.

But then again, they didn’t even need to make anything up or slander anyone; they literally just had to display the girl's battle records in front of the public as clearly as possible.

Just doing that was more than enough.

Catching a glimpse of her phone and seeing how Alice was being showered with love in L-City—with everyone getting along perfectly and happily—Tatsumaki blankly swiped past the trending topic.

She's that happy after being back for just one day?

Hoping to pay no further attention to it, Tatsumaki swiped away from the trend, only to see something she wanted to look at even less.

[A Rational Discussion: Who exactly is Herta?]

[Why is the S-Class Rank 2 hero, Tornado of Terror, holding 'Herta' in such high esteem? She's even going so far as to shamelessly shout praises across multiple cities at the expense of her own image?]

[Is she a newcomer to the entertainment industry, or a rising star in the Hero Association?]

[To be so highly recognized by Lady Tatsumaki, she must be an incredibly outstanding person, right?]

Tatsumaki: ...Excuse me, it is neither high esteem nor recognition.

No matter how much Tatsumaki wanted to hide it, she couldn't just stop using her superpowers.

This meant that aside from her initial shout when she first took flight, every subsequent time she took action, she would automatically praise Herta once.

As a highly popular hero, anyone Tatsumaki praised naturally became an object of intense public curiosity. Yet in the end, not a single person could find anyone named Herta.

Only the Hero Association had an inkling of the truth, and it left them trembling with fear.

Tatsumaki naturally hadn't hidden the details regarding Herta. Aside from glossing over the parts where she had been utterly humiliated, she recounted everything that needed to be said.

However, the sheer sci-fi nature of the content made the Association staff question whether they had misheard her.

Or if Tatsumaki was playing some kind of joke on them.

But Tatsumaki couldn't be bothered to joke around with them. Whether they believed it or not, once she finished saying what she needed to say, she lost all interest in talking further.

Later, after learning about their 'Ultimate Trump Card' and her automatic-praise predicament, the Hero Association broke out into an even colder sweat.

They realized that regardless of whether Herta was just bragging, the fact that Tatsumaki had suffered a setback and was completely helpless to stop it was absolutely true.

That fact alone was enough to let them know that Herta was someone they couldn't afford to mess with.

Meanwhile, Metal Knight, who maintained a close relationship with the Association, developed a keen interest in the matter.

Because of Tatsumaki's bizarre behavior, quite a few people managed to glean bits and pieces of information.

The corporate faction even used this opportunity to brag about their own 'wisdom,' claiming they had been saying all along that they should treat Alice with the utmost care.

Thank goodness they had ultimately followed their decision. Otherwise, due to the pressure from the purist faction, Alice might have developed a grudge against the Association, which would have negatively affected Madam Herta’s opinion of them.

As for their original intention merely being to make money?

Why bring up money at a nice time like this? Just tell us whether it was a wise move or not!

And as for that [Ark] creation of Herta's whose current whereabouts were unknown—the fact that it was an aerial fortress armed with orbital weapons about which they knew absolutely nothing, posing a massive risk and unknown hidden danger?

Isn't that a topic for the heroes to worry about?! Besides, we’ve already gotten things off to a great start. Shouldn't you purists prove your own capabilities next?

It was clearly just a fluke of a coincidence, yet it gave the corporate faction an excellent opportunity to voice their opinions, leaving the purist faction so angry they could spit blood.

In the end, however, the Hero Association reached a unified consensus.

Since even Tatsumaki was helpless against Alice and the Herta backing her, there was no need for them to restrict Alice so tightly.

When it came down to it, the purist faction was a group of people who held a genuine passion and expectation for the nobility of heroes. Putting her background aside, Alice was undoubtedly very pleasing to their eyes.

Since they couldn't control the situation anyway, they might as well just give her the green light.

Consequently, her rank promotion, which had been held back for the longest time, finally went through.

Alice's rank rose from Number 17 to Number 15. In front of her was Tanktop Master, while behind her were Metal Bat at Number 16, Puri-Puri Prisoner at Number 17, and Genos at Number 18—or rather, the Demon Cyborg, as his hero name had already been granted.

In reality, this ranking could have been even higher.

After all, Alice's influence and reputation among the public were incredibly high, easily matching Tanktop Master's.

Furthermore, while her total number of battle records was lacking, the quality was top-tier. Bumping her up to at least Number 14 wouldn't have been a problem.

But considering that a massive jump all at once might cause dissatisfaction among other heroes, they gave her a standard, perfectly reasonable promotion.

Tanktop Master was a hero who had been famous for a long time and commanded a massive following. His personal sense of justice and charisma were also exceptionally strong, so there was nothing to complain about by placing her right behind him.

With this rise in the hero rankings, the corporate faction finally couldn't wait any longer and sent an invitation to Alice.

Their meaning was simple. They hoped Alice could handle being both a hero and an idol simultaneously, just like Sweet Mask.

When a crisis struck, she would be a hero saving the citizens' lives and property; when there was no crisis, she would be an idol saving their hearts and souls.

The phrasing was quite beautiful—saving not just the body, but the heart as well. Even Sweet Mask would have found the pitch expertly crafted, so Alice naturally had no way to refuse.

However, Alice didn't want her idol work to interfere too much with her hero duties. Her primary focus had to remain on her activities as a hero.

Thus, the girl turned to Sweet Mask for help.

Knowing this would happen all along, Sweet Mask pulled out an agreement he had prepared beforehand.

After assuring Alice that she would be satisfied, he personally went to the Association to handle the rounds of mediation and negotiations.

Even the corporate faction was somewhat wary of his influence and voice.

Ruining Sweet Mask wasn't impossible, but it would mean throwing away all the investments they had put into him over the past few years, spending money to ruin him, and losing their biggest cash cow in the process.

If they had even a shred of a brain, they would never engage in behavior that ran completely counter to making a profit.

Moreover, Sweet Mask's demands weren't particularly difficult to accept.

Two days later, Sweet Mask explained the results of the negotiation to Alice. The moment she nodded and signed her name, it would take effect immediately.

To sum it up, it was actually very simple. Alice only needed to spare some time on her days off to participate in events arranged by Sweet Mask’s agency.

This included recording albums, filming shows, interviews, press conferences, and the like. Furthermore, if a disaster required her to act as a hero during her working hours, she was free to leave at any moment.

This could be considered extremely lenient. Although the trade-off was that Alice's cut of the profits would be very low, neither Sweet Mask nor Alice cared much about that.

Money wasn't important. What mattered was living up to the fans' expectations and making everyone happy.

--+--

Turned Into Gacha?! - 525

--+--

"Wow... she really has become a total superstar, hasn't she..."

Z-City.

In the middle of the dilapidated, desolate ghost town, Saitama was lying on the tatami mat of his cramped little bedroom just like any other day, his eyes glued to the television screen.

"Master, are you watching Alice's promotional video?"

Genos walked out of the kitchen carrying a plate of rolled omelets he had been preparing for lunch.

Hearing Saitama's wistful sigh, he followed his master's gaze toward the TV, instantly understanding the reason behind the sudden melancholy.

"Yeah. I never would've thought Alice would become this popular. A bona fide celebrity..."

Saitama's face gradually stiffened. "Meanwhile, the citizens treat me like some kind of weirdo, other heroes think I'm a criminal, and I still have to drag myself out of the house every single day just to meet the quota for a C-Class hero... Even now, I barely have any fans to my name..."

"Do you desire a fanbase, Master?"

Genos set the rolled omelets down on the small wooden table.

This room doubled as both their bedroom and their living room; whenever it was time to eat, they simply dragged the table out and set it up right here.

"Well... if you're asking whether I want one or not, then yeah, obviously I do... Plus, I really thought becoming a hero would at least count as a proper, steady job." Saitama picked up a piece of the omelet with a toothpick and popped it into his mouth, his voice dripping with bitterness.

"But in reality, I'm barely making any money, and I still have to carve out time between my part-time gigs just to do hero work..."

Finishing his complaint, he couldn't help but let out a satisfied hum. "Mmm~ Man, there really is nothing better than eating rolled omelets while watching TV."

"In that case, you simply need to rise to A-Class or above, Master."

Ever the attentive disciple, Genos offered his logical solution. "B-Class heroes receive a monthly stipend, while A-Class heroes are entirely exempt from the monthly activity quotas. They can even request and mobilize the Hero Association's resources to a certain extent."

"No, no, no... That sounds great and all, but it's not like I have any chances to rank up right now, do I?"

Saitama sat up from the tatami mat, a look of sheer frustration washing over his face. "To raise your hero rank, don't you have to defeat monsters or make some kind of active, high-profile contribution?"

"But... absolutely no monsters are out there specifically calling for a C-Class guy like me to help." He pointed a finger at his own face, a look of profound emptiness in his eyes.

"And besides... this is the ghost town. Who on earth is even around here for me to make a 'high-profile contribution' for?"

"I see."

A look of sudden, profound realization dawned on Genos's face. "Master, you mean to say that the only reason you constantly stay at home is because you lack assignments?!"

"What else did you think it was?!"

"I assumed that you simply held zero interest in those weak, low-level monsters, Master. I thought you chose to remain at home while waiting for an enemy truly worthy of your strength to appear."

"No, no, no! That is completely wrong!"

"If that is the case, then I actually have a suggestion." Having finally grasped the root of Saitama's predicament, Genos came up with another idea.

"A suggestion?"

"Lately, hasn't Alice been scaling back her hero duties because she has to do her idol activities on her days off?"

Saitama did recall hearing about that, though he hadn't paid much attention to it at the time.

"Didn't Alice say that whenever she can't do hero work, she leaves the city monitoring to some kind of Ark AI? I thought that Ark thing was supposed to be a fleet of drones that fights monsters in her place?"

"They even reported it on TV yesterday. They said you can't find a single monster threat in L-A-Citynymore."

"Precisely." Genos nodded in agreement. "We could ask Alice to notify us whenever the Ark detects a monster. Then, you can be the one to step in and handle the disaster, Master."

"Huh?"

However, Saitama's response to the idea was rather lukewarm. "If Alice's system can already handle it, there's really no need for us to butt in, right?"

"Hmm... That is true. You are not the type of person who enjoys stealing credit from other heroes, Master."

Genos nodded, conceding the point. But if that was the case... what options did they have left to quickly raise Saitama's hero rank?

"Come to think of it, hasn't the Hero Association given you any difficult requests, Genos?" Saitama suddenly remembered. He recalled Alice mentioning that the Hero Association would directly hand high-difficulty assignments over to her.

After all, there were certain crises that only an S-Class hero could properly manage.

"My apologies, Master. The Hero Association generally dispatches the closest available hero to provide backup. However, Z-City is situated right on the edge of the continent. On top of that, it's right next to L-City. Compared to Z-City, deploying from L-City makes it far easier to reach almost any location quickly."

"Ah, well..."

Genos was staying here in Z-City with him, which meant almost all of those prime requests ended up falling right into Alice's lap.

"Furthermore, the Rank 3 S-Class hero, Silver Fang, has his dojo located right here in Z-A-Citys well."

Compared to the lowest-ranked S-Class, the third-ranked hero was obviously considered much more reliable.

The corner of Saitama's mouth twitched in awkward defeat.

But he couldn't just keep going on like this forever...

"Master."

Just as Saitama was nursing a mild headache and preparing to just go with the flow and give up thinking altogether, Genos's voice cut through his thoughts.

The cyborg had pulled out his phone at some point and was now holding the screen directly in front of Saitama's face. "It seems Alice wants to invite you and me to go out and have some fun."

"Go out?"

Saitama looked toward the screen.

[Alice: Bang-bang-ka-bang! Alice has sent an invitation to Genos and Saitama!]

[Alice: Would you like to join Alice tomorrow at 8:50 AM to start the (Gaming Festival) dungeon?]

[Alice: yes / no]

[Genos: Gaming Festival? What is that?]

[Alice: It is a place where various developers showcase their electronic games! There will be offline playtests for closed beta games, live tournament matches for popular games, and merchandise exhibition booths for open beta games!]

Genos was no fool, and upon hearing this, he quickly deduced the situation.

[Genos: Because you mentioned your love for gaming during that interview program, the organizers sent you an invitation, correct? It just so happens that tomorrow is a day off.]

[Alice: Precisely! This time, Alice will be participating as both a player and a judge on the live showdown stage for the fighting game "Roadhog"! At the same time, I will also be taking part in a live-streamed playtest for a new open-world adventure game!]

[Alice: The organizers gave Alice a lot of tickets, but the members of the Blizzard Group don't have much free time. Only Piko can carve out some time to come play.]

[Genos: Understood. I will ask my master.]

[Alice: Great! Alice will be looking forward to it!]

"A gaming festival, huh... I've never actually been to one of those places before..." Saitama scratched his bald head.

After all, places like that always required a ticket. On a regular basis, he couldn't even afford a decent piece of meat, pinching pennies at every turn and strictly buying discounted groceries.

Spending cash on an expensive event ticket was completely out of the question for his lifestyle.

But since Alice was providing the tickets this time, he was naturally very interested.

"Alright! Let's go keep Alice company then!"

"Yes, Master!"

Now that Saitama had made up his mind, Genos naturally had no reason to refuse.

--+--

Turned Into Gacha?! - 526

--+--

Even in this world, the gaming industry remained a highly developed and booming market.

In fact, it was precisely because this world was plagued by so many disasters and dangers that gaming found an even richer soil to grow in, enjoying a much higher level of acceptance among the public.

The Gaming Festival was a massive event held every six months in M-City. As mentioned before, many game developers viewed it as the ultimate stage to showcase their titles, pouring a staggering amount of resources into the event.

Naturally, securing an endorsement from an S-class hero whose popularity was currently skyrocketing was an unparalleled marketing strategy.

"Divine Domain Line" was an open-world MMORPG set in a fantasy alternative universe.

Although it wasn’t produced by some small indie studio, its overall production value wasn’t particularly outstanding either. It was essentially a low-budget project from a major corporation.

After all, the MMORPG genre simply didn't hold the same massive appeal nowadays as it used to in the past.

Yet, just a few days before the festival was set to begin, this specific game suddenly became the center of a massive storm of discussion.

The reason was simple: the S-Class hero, the Hero Alice, was playing it.

How did the news leak out that Alice was playing the game? The sequence of events was actually quite straightforward.

It all came down to the fact that Alice and Piko had been playing for a considerable amount of time, and they had consistently remained among the top-tier players.

Even if the top-tier players didn't know each other personally, they still shared a relatively tight-knit circle. But even within such circles, there would always be times when, for one reason or another, someone couldn't find a group among their acquaintances.

In those moments, they had no choice but to rely on random matchmaking to clear dungeons.

As a result, Alice and Piko, who were highly active in random matchmaking queues, became incredibly conspicuous.

They always appeared together and never expanded their circle.

A melee healer-tank and a ranged mage—such a duo wasn't inherently strange, but the problem lay in the fact that the healer-tank's mechanical plays were simply absurd.

Flawless, script-like precision with zero mistakes was bound to catch everyone's attention, whether they were clearing dungeons or fighting in the PVP arena.

Slowly but surely, rumors began to spread: That Paladin (the healer-tank) is definitely a script run by the mage.

Aside from your essential skills, you have a one-hundred-percent block and dodge rate. You're not even trying to hide it anymore.

This sentiment reached a boiling point after a popular streamer was thoroughly crushed by the duo, causing him to rage-quit and rally a massive hate campaign against them.

Eventually, things naturally escalated to a full-blown public reporting frenzy.

Yet, these mass reports proved entirely useless. The official game developers would only repeat their generic response: "There is no evidence of cheating for this player."

When legitimate avenues failed, people naturally turned to extreme measures.

A technologically savvy player decided to dox them. After successfully digging up the phone numbers of both the Paladin and the Mage, he used that information to trace their actual identities.

"Holy crap! It's Alice!"

The moment the player discovered this, he immediately hid his IP address and passed the information through multiple channels, eventually selling it to a tabloid marketing account.

The tabloid immediately leaked the news to a small circle to build suspense, and shortly after, published a full article on it.

[SHOCKING! The 'Cheating' Player in Divine Domain Line is Actually HER!]

'Can't even hate on this, those are literal script-level mechanics.'

'So it really was the Hero?! I ran a dungeon with her once before, and I thought her voice sounded super familiar at the time!'

'Just asking because I don't know, but can an actual script even be as cracked as her?'

'She's basically a human cheat code at this point...'

'Thank goodness she doesn't play FPS games. Otherwise, who could ever beat her? Even the most aggressive aimbots wouldn't be able to lock onto targets faster than she does.'

'Her aim might be perfect, but game sense is also really important. It's not like two people just standing on opposite sides seeing who can pull the trigger faster. Health pools are limited, so getting the drop on someone is crucial.'

The massive wave of discussion quickly generated immense hype.

Naturally, the official team behind Divine Domain Line noticed the trending topic and immediately reached out to Alice’s manager, hoping to invite her to become the official spokesperson for the game.

Granted, no amount of marketing could ever be more effective than the celebrity herself actively playing at the top tier of the game. Offering her a contract was practically throwing free money at her.

But regardless of whether it was free money or not, gaining Alice's goodwill and keeping her happily playing the game was what truly mattered.

In fact, the game’s balance designers were already brainstorming ways to buff the Paladin class.

Alice, of course, had no objections to the invitation. Her manager wasn't about to let the game developers freely capitalize on Alice's massive wave of publicity either.

Seeing them tactfully show up to deliver a paycheck finally appeased the manager's irritated mood.

The three parties hit it off immediately.

Thus, Alice was brought onto the promotional stage during the Gaming Festival, where several players were randomly selected to join her for an exclusive sneak peek at the new expansion map and dungeons.

A beautiful girl who loved video games, who also happened to be a powerful S-class hero filled with a profound sense of justice—the combination of these traits drew an enormous crowd of players to the Divine Domain Line booth.

The sea of people wanting her autograph practically filled the entire line of sight.

Meanwhile, Saitama and Genos stood a short distance away, silently watching the spectacle.

"She really is popular, that kid."

Saitama took a sip of the bottled water provided for free by the exhibition.

Before Genos could reply, a few girls nearby noticed him. Thrilled by the discovery, they happily ran over to ask for his autograph.

"Yes. Alice's fan club is one of the most active among all the heroes, and their numbers have rapidly climbed to the top tiers," Genos replied, casually signing his name as he spoke.

Even Genos has fans...

Saitama's expression stiffened as he poured more water down his throat.

"Hmm?"

Just as he silently averted his eyes, feeling the stark contrast between their lives, his gaze suddenly locked onto a figure lurking nearby. The person looked incredibly shifty, moving with a heavy air of suspicion.

Coming here was definitely the right call after all. In crowded places like this, it was only natural for troublemakers to appear. Now he wouldn't have to worry about meeting his active duty quota for the month.

Setting aside the melancholy and helplessness in his heart, Saitama kept his eyes locked on the target. Just to be safe, he called out to Genos. "Look over there at that guy. He gives off a really dangerous vibe."

"A dangerous individual? But I am not detecting any energy signatures from him." Genos followed Saitama's gaze, but a quick scan revealed no hidden explosives or weapons.

Did that mean the crime wouldn't be on a massive scale?

"That works out fine. It looks like Alice is going to be busy for a while longer. Let's tail him first, and then we can catch him the exact moment he tries to make a move." Saitama quickly made up his mind.

"Genos, I'll leave the recording to you."

"Wait a moment, Master..."

However, Genos stopped Saitama's plan. After observing the figure more carefully, he spoke with a hint of hesitation.

"Regrettably, Master, he is not a suspicious individual. According to my analytical comparison, that man should be M-City's S-class hero, the strongest man on Earth—King."

"Huh?" Saitama looked at Genos, then looked back at the 'strongest man on Earth.' The initial enthusiasm on his face vanished instantly.

What a letdown. He really thought he could take this opportunity to fulfill his active duty quota.

"But... why would King be here? And why is he acting so suspiciously?" A doubt surfaced in Genos's mind, and he voiced it aloud.

"Furthermore, his eyes keep darting between his watch and Alice. He appears to be in quite a hurry."

--+--

Turned Into Gacha?! - 527

--+--

"It's probably none of our business..."

Saitama muttered a reply. He had never been the type to meddle in other people's affairs.

Just as he always said, he was only a hero for fun. Unless a villain popped up right before his eyes, he rarely felt any strong wave of emotion.

Yet, looking at King’s visibly panicked state, he couldn't just leave him high and dry.

"Oh, whatever. Let’s just go ask."

Just as Saitama reached that conclusion, an unnatural, vibrating rumble suddenly echoed from inside King.

A heavy, yet piercingly clear tremor spread outward at a frightening speed, forcing everyone nearby to notice that something was amiss.

M-City was the very place King lived in and protected. His title as the "Strongest Man on Earth" kept the crime rate here incredibly low; ever since King had made a name for himself, monsters rarely came around to stir up trouble.

Just as citizens of any city took immense pride in their own local hero, King enjoyed massive popularity in M-City. Even though he hadn’t shown up during the recent Tiger-level monster incident, his fame hadn't dwindled in the slightest.

After all, no one would ever suspect King of backing down from a fight—they merely assumed he had been held up elsewhere by some other formidable foe.

That sheer popularity was exactly why the crowd gradually quieted down the moment they caught the sound of the "King Engine," their eyes irresistibly drawing toward the source.

"Is that Mr. King?"

"What is Mr. King doing here?"

The bustling noise of the crowd began to simmer down. The tall, fierce-looking man stood right at the very back of the crowd.

His completely expressionless face, paired with the relentless, thumping beat of his engine, sent a wave of tension washing over everyone.

"That's the King Engine! The tone that only sounds when King confronts an enemy! Has something happened?!"

"That's the sound he makes when he enters battle mode!"

"King Engine?" Saitama tilted his head. It sounded pretty cool.

Did all S-Class heroes have their own special battle effects? Genos always fought amidst a flurry of lightning and fire, and Alice was constantly blasting her blue beams.

Did this King guy just come with built-in sound effects?

Whispers rippled through the crowd, and up on the stage, Alice noticed the commotion down below. Her eyes locked onto King standing at the back of the gathering.

"Mr. King?" Alice’s bewildered voice carried over the crowd and reached King’s ears. "Is Mr. King here to check out the convention too? Do you want to play a game with Alice?"

I want to! I really want to! But now is absolutely not the time!

Teaming up with a beautiful girl to play video games was something an old-school anime otaku like King would naturally jump at.

More importantly, he was actually a fan of Alice; he had noticed her the very first time she was trending on social media!

He had come today hoping they might cross paths and chat... but now was really not the time!

"There is no time left."

Despite the sheer terror gripping his heart, King’s body had stiffened so intensely from fear that he couldn't explain the situation properly.

His muscles felt frozen solid, allowing him to utter only a few words with a chillingly stern expression.

"No time left?"

"So something really did happen?!"

"Is there a monster around?!"

"What's there to be afraid of? King will protect us! Besides, the Hero is right here too!"

King’s words instantly threw the crowd into another frenzy of chatter.

Even though they all figured some kind of danger had arisen... just as a few pointed out, no matter how dangerous it was... this was M-City. King was here, Alice was here—what could possibly go wrong?

As a result, far from panicking, they were more than happy to stay right where they were to enjoy the drama.

The crowd's gossip only made King’s expression grow progressively more severe.

Unlike everyone else, Alice actually knew that King was all bark and no bite. Seeing him like this, she knew he wasn't being calm and collected; he was actually scared out of his wits.

Without a second thought, Alice hopped right off the stage. Stepping through the path the crowd willingly parted for her, she ran up to King.

Noticing that Saitama and Genos were also present, she gave them a bright smile and a wave before turning her attention back to King.

"Mr. King, what do you mean there's no time left? What's going on right now? Alice will help!"

The girl’s simple and direct way of speaking made King breathe a massive sigh of relief. For her to so bluntly offer her assistance was a genuine lifesaver!

As expected of the idol I stan!

"On my way here to the convention," King began, recounting the situation word by word, "I ran into a monster... He said he wanted to fight a powerful hero. So, I told him to wait where he was."

Ran into a monster looking to fight a powerful hero? Is it that robot? Did he show up this early this time? Boros hasn't even arrived yet.

Though the situation was a bit unexpected, Alice didn't dwell on it too much. Since a monster had shown up, it was only natural for her to handle it.

"Looking for a powerful hero? Doesn't that mean he was looking for Mr. King?"

"Why didn't Mr. King just finish off that monster himself?"

King’s voice wasn't particularly loud, but because the venue had quieted down, it was clear enough to carry to those nearby.

Consequently, quite a few people standing closer to him wore looks of utter confusion.

However, there was no shortage of self-proclaimed experts in the crowd.

"I see! Last time, the Hero helped protect the city while King was out, so King wants to offer this monster to her as a return favor!"

"Exactly! King isn't the type of hero who craves glory. He never brags about his achievements to the public. If it weren't for eyewitnesses, the rest of the world would never know!"

"Is that really how it is?!"

"Not just that! King just said it himself—the monster was looking for a 'powerful hero,' not an 'invincible hero'! If King were to step in, that monster wouldn't even stand a fighting chance before being obliterated!"

"What?! It carries that kind of meaning too?!"

"Not only is he providing a windfall of achievements for his junior, but he’s also preserving the monster’s pride and dignity in the process? To have that much room to spare... Sasuga, King! You're incredible!"

The experts' commentary quickly enlightened the crowd to the "truth" of the matter. This deeply hidden kindness was something they never would have noticed if it weren't for these analytical onlookers.

As expected of you! The Strongest Man on Earth!

Off to the side, Saitama—who had originally wanted to negotiate with Alice to see if he could take the monster for himself—abandoned the idea upon hearing this.

After all, King had specifically left this for Alice. It wouldn't be right for him to snatch away a gift meant for someone else; he wasn't that thick-skinned.

King: ...

Please, I beg you all, stop talking... What if little Alice hears this and decides to be polite, refusing to deal with the monster? What am I supposed to do then? Will I have to face it alone?

If that happens, I am literally going to die!

The roar of the King Engine grew louder and louder. That thundering resonance, dripping with combat intent, made everyone all the more certain of the onlookers' theories.

With a fighting spirit that roaring, anyone would believe King was desperately suppressing his urge to do battle.

Fortunately for King, his agonizing tension didn't last much longer.

The young girl looked up at the man with a solemn expression, as though she had just accepted a glorious mission.

"Alice will absolutely not let Mr. King's kind intentions go to waste! Leave the monster to Alice to handle!"

--+--

Turned Into Gacha?! - 528

--+--

Fantastic!!!

King breathed a massive sigh of relief. It had been a close call, but he had successfully made it to base once again.

"It's near the post office on 13th Street," he said, explaining the location.

"Understood! Hero Alice, moving out!"

The moment she got the coordinates, the young girl leapt straight up from where she stood. She smashed right through the ceiling, rushing toward the distant street at breakneck speed.

She's so fast.

Genos's camera-lens pupils contracted slightly. As expected, had Alice gotten stronger again...?

Herta had said Alice's baseline stats weren't actually any different from before.

The girl's noble nature would only surge when she displayed a strong sense of justice and determination, boosting her stats as a result.

However, Alice’s sense of justice and determination were present at all times—the only difference was the intensity.

Consequently, even in her normal state, her stats were quite a bit higher than they used to be.

"Master! I want to go up and take a look too!" As a fellow tech-based warrior, Genos was quite interested in Alice's fighting style. Learning from others' strengths always offered something to adapt for himself.

For instance, he had already taken inspiration from Alice's railgun.

He had asked Dr. Kuseno to modify his own arm, adding a function that allowed it to deploy into a railgun. This move had proven highly effective against enemies whose defenses were difficult to pierce.

He wanted to know what kind of combat upgrades that "Auntie Herta" had given Alice this time.

"Oh, go ahead," Saitama said with a casual nod.

"Yes, Master!"

With Saitama's permission, Genos jumped onto the roof through the hole Alice had smashed open, then sped off after the figure shrinking in the distance.

That should do it. With two S-Class heroes going together, there shouldn't be any monster they can't handle... Still, I didn't expect the Demon Cyborg to be here too... Are there really this many heroes who love playing video games?

King thought to himself as he watched the two figures depart one after the other.

"Hey, why do you look like you just breathed a sigh of relief?"

Saitama, who had been watching King the whole time, suddenly spoke up.

"Huh...?"

--+--

She really is fast. Even after my latest upgrade, I still can't close the distance between us. Genos couldn't help but marvel as he trailed behind Alice.

Both of them were moving at full speed. Judging by King's attitude, the monster was waiting there for a strong opponent to fight it. Still, there was no guarantee it wouldn't suddenly lose its mind.

After all, monsters were bloodthirsty creatures with very little rationality.

Even though the entity was a robot in Alice's memory, she wouldn't lower her guard.

However, when she cleared the buildings and streets to view her target, Alice looked surprised.

Standing there was not the machine monster from the original story, but a three-meter-tall creature with four arms and yellowish-gray skin.

Four massive scabbards hung at its waist. Two of them were held in its hands, while its other two arms were crossed over its chest. It stood perfectly upright on the spot.

Its head barely looked human anymore, sporting spider-like mouthparts and fine, dense, spotted bristles covering its six limbs. It gave off the distinct impression of an extremely dangerous apex predator.

It was a monster she had never seen before.

By now, the surrounding crowds had clearly been evacuated. Alice crashed down onto the pavement a short distance away from the monster.

Debris and dust swirled up to bury half her body, but it was enough for the spider monster to see that the girl before him was not the Strongest Man on Earth he had scheduled a duel with.

"Are you here to challenge me?"

The spider monster unleashed an imposing aura. Judging by the young girl's appearance, she could hardly be considered strong. Not only did she completely lack the presence of a powerhouse, but she didn't even have toned muscles.

And... no breathing? So she's a machine.

"I have no interest in cutting up scrap metal. Get lost! Where is King?! Call him out to fight me!"

They really are a handful... dying to look for trouble the moment they get a bit of power... Near the opening of a drainage ditch not far away, a pair of dark, cold eyes watched the confrontation.

Sludge Jellyfish, a Tiger-level monster from the Monster Association, was casually hiding in the shadows.

This is why these so-called 'evolved' monsters are completely worthless. They could easily just kill humans, yet they insist on fighting powerhouses. Are their brains broken?

They're monsters, yet they don't act like monsters at all. I have no idea what Lord Gyoro-Gyoro is thinking.

"If you want to fight Mr. King, you have to defeat Alice first!"

The young girl showed no intention of backing down. "This is a trust placed in me by Mr. King! Alice will not disappoint him!"

"...I see."

Hearing this, the spider monster expressionlessly lowered his hands, then drew the other two nodachi from his waist.

"In that case... I'll finish you in the blink of an eye!"

It was an elusive, extreme speed. Before Sludge Jellyfish could even react, the spider monster was already right in front of Alice.

Four blades struck at the girl's vital points simultaneously from four different angles.

The sheer speed caused Alice a moment of surprise. She hadn't expected this monster, who never appeared in the original story, to be on par with Carnage Kabuto.

But the current Alice was upgraded.

Nanometals rapidly dispersed and reconfigured. The brief, swift hum of particle machinery swept past her eardrums.

When the massive white railgun reappeared in the girl's hands, it had transformed into a greatsword two meters long and thirty inches wide.

It featured a white and silver blade, complemented by a black hilt and crossguard accented with blue. Though it took the shape of a medieval greatsword, it carried an unmistakably high-tech aesthetic.

—CLANG!

The screech of clashing metal and sparks erupted where the weapons collided. Despite the attacks coming from four different directions, they couldn't advance a single millimeter against that shield-like, massive blade.

A tremendous force far beyond the spider monster's imagination violently deflected its assault. No, it wasn't just a matter of strength; the metal of this greatsword actually reflected the impact force back at him!

"Haah—!"

The already cracked asphalt beneath her feet shattered completely after absorbing an attack capable of easily slicing a building in half. Yet, this minor issue didn't hinder the girl's counterattack in the slightest.

Alice aimed the tip of her sword directly at the spider monster's chest. Her obvious intent to pierce straight through made it grit its teeth.

I'll be skewered at this rate...! But that's fine. Using the momentum from my deflected attack, I can lean back into a flip to reset my stance. Her attack won't make it in time!

Just as the spider monster thought this and mapped out his subsequent counterattack, the high-tech greatsword underwent a sudden change that caused his pupils to shrink.

The sharp tip of the blade did not thrust straight forward as he had anticipated. Instead, it suddenly... split down the middle as if being pried open, separating to both sides to form a shape like a harpoon.

And then... it revealed a black cannon muzzle right in the center.

As a hero, one must naturally use the holy light to defeat enemies!

"Light—!"

--+--

Turned Into Gacha?! - 529

--+--

"Is it already over...?"

Having just arrived near the streets, Genos caught sight of that classic blue pillar of light shooting straight up into the sky.

By the time he spotted Alice, she was already transitioning the greatsword in her hands back into its railgun form.

"Is that... nanotechnology?!"

Even with Genos’s camera sensors, he could barely track the way the nanobots shifted and morphed. He hadn't expected Alice to apply nanotechnology to her weaponry after such a short amount of time.

If she could do that, could it be applied to a mechanical body as well?

No... Alice wasn’t a combat-oriented cyborg like him. She was more of a companion type. Compared to combat capability, the fact that she was more akin to a human was clearly what mattered most.

Genos had to admit, he was a little envious.

If he had a body composed entirely of nanotechnology, his tactical adaptability and combat reserves would undoubtedly be much higher than they were now... though on his end, raw firepower was still the priority.

Forcefully suppressing his longing for the nanotechnology, Genos calmed his mind and touched down right next to Alice.

He glanced at the monster, which had now lost its upper torso, before snapping his gaze back. "I didn't expect you to finish off the enemy so quickly. Good work."

"Hehehe, Alice's level went way up! Defeating enemies is super easy now!" The girl smiled brightly at Genos, but quickly flashed a look of guilt. "Ah... Alice forgot to invite Genos to the party."

Having already figured out the inner workings of Alice's mind, Genos knew her unspoken meaning was that he hadn't gained any experience points.

To translate it further, she was apologizing for not letting him gather combat data.

Genos didn't mind at all. "I'm the one who suddenly followed you out here. Arriving as fast as possible was the right move, I can only blame myself for being a step too slow."

As the two continued their discussion, Sludge Jellyfish—hiding in the nearby drainage ditch—was already breaking into a cold sweat.

Strong... so strong! Too strong!

Even though Sludge Jellyfish had absolutely no fondness for that spider monster, and had only come out this time to monitor its movements so the idiot wouldn't say anything it shouldn't, Sludge Jellyfish still had a solid grasp on the spider monster's strength.

It was definitely Dragon-level. While it wasn't among the strongest of the Dragon-levels, it was a Dragon-level personally certified by Gyoro Gyoro!

And yet, a creature that powerful was killed instantly without even getting to trade a single blow?

Sludge Jellyfish knew how important compatibility was.

A lot of times, Fighter A could beat Fighter B but lose to Fighter C, while Fighter B could beat Fighter C. This kind of compatibility issue was actually quite common among monsters.

It also knew all too well how fatal carelessness could be. It could cause a situation to take a sudden turn for the worse, or even cost someone their life.

But even if you added those two premises together, the spider monster was undoubtedly Dragon-level!

To be killed instantly in a single exchange like that... damn it! That "Hero" didn't look powerful at all! She didn't have any aura belonging to a "powerhouse" whatsoever!

Was it because she was a robot? Was that why a monster had absolutely no way to judge her strength through the usual presence or aura exchanged between carbon-based lifeforms?

No matter what, it had to get back and report this immediately!

Not daring to delay a moment longer, Sludge Jellyfish silently let its body melt completely into the darkness.

"Yup! It didn't take too much time, but we should head back quickly so everyone doesn't worry." Alice checked the time on her phone and smiled. "Plus, I have to tell Mr. King that Alice didn't let down his expectations!"

"Alright, then we—"

Genos was only halfway through his sentence when two emergency ringtones chimed from their phones, one right after the other.

This is... did something suddenly happen?

Alice tapped the screen to answer right away.

"Hero Alice speaking."

"Hero Alice! The Association has a major announcement. We need all S-Class heroes to come to headquarters for an emergency meeting immediately. This matter is of grave importance. Unless there is an extreme emergency, please make sure you attend."

Yamada's voice came through the other end of the line. Hearing this, Genos simply spoke up from the side, "Is the call you placed to me about the same thing?"

"Demon Cyborg? You're with her?"

Yamada was confused for a second, but then remembered that Alice did seem to be on quite good terms with Demon Cyborg. This worked out perfectly, saving someone else the trouble of repeating it.

"Yes, that's correct. The Association has already sent out notifications to all heroes. Unless it's an absolute emergency, please come to headquarters along with Hero Alice."

"Is it limited to the S-Class?"

"Huh? Yes, it's a meeting called specifically for the S-Class." Yamada didn't quite understand why he asked, but gave a response anyway.

The situation they were facing this time was incredibly dangerous. Aside from the S-Class, they had no one else to rely on.

Furthermore, because this matter was of critical importance, it wasn't something that could be widely broadcasted.

What a shame, I won't be able to wander around the game festival with Master anymore.

Genos felt a pang of regret in his heart. "Understood. We will arrive shortly."

"Alice will get there as fast as she can!" Alice chimed in from the side, putting Yamada's mind at ease.

So it's Boros after all...? I wonder how I'd fare against Boros right now. It's probably safer to bring Saitama along just in case...

With that thought, Alice looked over at Genos. "What about Uncle Saitama..."

"Master should be at the game festival right now." Genos didn't know what Alice was thinking, but seeing her worried expression, he said understandingly, "I'll inform Master right away that we'll be arriving late... I just wonder if Master will be able to find an evenly matched opponent without Alice there."

Well... that was a very Genos-style thing to say.

In reality, if it weren't for Alice's ability to adjust her gameplay skill level so Saitama could have a back-and-forth match every time, Saitama's actual gaming skills were only good enough to beat talented kids.

Dynamic difficulty scaling was just too far ahead of its time.

But... he had a point. As a Hero, she couldn't just leave everything to someone else.

Wouldn't that be admitting defeat before the battle even started? Still, having a bit of insurance was necessary. With Saitama around, they should be able to minimize the scope of the disaster.

Thinking back to how A-City was turned completely into ruins in the original story, Alice's expression grew serious.

"Let's invite Uncle Saitama along too! If it's a major event that even the Hero Association finds important, Alice thinks Uncle Saitama should know about it."

"I see!" Hearing this, Genos's eyes lit up.

"While Master isn't an S-Class hero, that's only due to an administrative fluke. When it comes to sheer strength, Master is the one who truly deserves to be S-Class!"

With that thought in mind, Genos naturally dialed Saitama's number.

"Ah, I actually heard about that over here too." Standing in an empty emergency evacuation stairwell with King, Saitama said with a laugh, "Doesn't it sound pretty interesting? Let's head out together."

--+--

Turned Into Gacha?! - 530

--+--

A-City. This wasn't Alice's first time here. In fact, she had been here quite a few times already, whether by standard transit or hitchhiking with Tatsumaki.

Having received a special invitation from the Association, the four of them had traveled together via helicopter to the Hero Association headquarters.

As for Saitama, the staff didn't show any signs of pushing him aside or looking down on him.

Setting his actual strength aside for a moment, this was a man who maintained good terms with two S-Class heroes at the same time. He wasn't someone they could just casually gossip about.

Besides, even Mr. King hadn't said anything.

In reality, King was the one most scratching his head among the four.

He really hadn't expected that while he was simply looking forward to playing games and checking out the events at the gaming festival, he would be whisked away directly to the Hero Association to participate in what clearly looked like some grand, ominous affair.

Sitting in the helicopter, he couldn't help but steal glances at the other three relaxed faces.

I guess this is just how heroes with real strength act... By the way, what's the deal with that B-Class bald guy...?

Not only did he lack even a shred of respect or fear toward King, but he also acted completely casual around the other two S-Class heroes...

It wasn't that King enjoyed using his status to intimidate people; rather, he was acutely aware of his own terrifying appearance. This was a fact proven by countless 'real battles.'

Traveling at helicopter speeds, the four of them quickly reached the Association's rooftop. Led by a staff member, they made their way down, eventually arriving at the Hero Association's underground base.

The entire place was forged from high-strength alloy, so dense that even Atomic Samurai would have to put real effort into his swing just to cut through it.

An underground base constructed from such metal naturally wasn't very large, but it was more than enough.

The elevator doors slid open before them. After passing through a long, narrow corridor, the four entered a pitch-black room together.

"It feels just like a Demon King's castle!" Alice couldn't help but comment as she took in the atmosphere. "It's like where the dark executives hold their evil meetings!"

The room was far from empty, of course.

Lining both sides of the long rectangular table at the center of the room, fifteen heroes had already gathered, not counting the three S-Class members from Alice's group.

For most of the heroes present, this was their very first time meeting Alice. Naturally, the same went for Genos.

After all, the two of them had risen to S-Class one right after the other, and because their promotions were so close, neither had actually attended an S-Class meeting yet.

"Hmph."

At the sight of Alice, Tatsumaki, who had been resting her head on her hand, wore a brief, unnatural expression before turning her head away.

The four newcomers noticed that most of the heroes in the room had fixed their eyes squarely on Alice.

"Please, have a seat over here." A staff member guided Alice to her chair, while the other three followed her lead, finding their respective seats further down the line.

"Hello, everyone! I am Tendou Alice, and my hero codename is Hero!"

The heavy, silent atmosphere didn't dampen Alice's spirits in the slightest. Facing a crowd of heroes who all seemed absorbed in their own worlds, she took the initiative to break the speechless deadlock.

Innocent, lively, and brimming with enthusiasm—the others more or less knew what the young girl was like.

But seeing her in person, looking just as she did, a wave of guilt and heavy oppression still spread through everyone's hearts.

Is that her...? Just thinking about what's about to happen... Ugh... I really want to just go back to school.

Looking at the smiling girl, Child Emperor felt a sudden pang of stomach pain as he sucked on his lollipop. He glanced toward Metal Knight, who was sitting not far away.

She defeated that Deep Sea King in J-City, and she protected everyone... Puri-Puri Prisoner uncharacteristically showed a look of melancholy, and then simply closed his eyes.

The power of the tank top isn't meant to be used for something like this... but...

Tanktop Master stared down at the table. No matter how much he tried to awaken the spirit of the tank top, the only response he received was his hands and feet growing colder.

Beside them, Genos swept his eyes across each of the heroes.

He kept sensing a strange friction in the room. Although as a cyborg he felt a bit awkward calling himself human, he could feel an inexplicable vibe coiling around Alice.

Was it an illusion?

It was no illusion.

Anyone with a sufficiently refined martial arts mindset, or simply a sharp enough instinct, could tell the atmosphere was entirely wrong. Right now, the collective 'aura' of most of the heroes was subtly locking onto Alice, like predators wound tight and poised to strike.

"Who introduces themselves at a time like this?"

Tatsumaki suddenly spoke up. "An S-Class hero meeting is no place to play house. Skip the introductions! How irritating. Go sit somewhere else! The further away from me, the better!"

Her words drew the attention of the other heroes.

This targeted hostility and harsh phrasing left Alice a bit puzzled. This attitude made it feel like they had regressed right back to their very first meeting. Something was off here, wasn't it?

Was it because she hadn't found time to hang out with her lately? Surely that wasn't it.

"Tornado of Terror, this is not the place for you to throw a tantrum." Metal Knight’s unfeeling, mechanical voice carried absolutely no emotion.

Tatsumaki frowned and glared at him, then looked back at Alice, her brow furrowed with... conflict?

No matter how off-guard she usually was, even Alice could see something was wrong now.

"What is going on here? Care to give me an explanation?" Alice could see it, so naturally, Genos had noticed it too. His cold, hostile gaze locked onto Metal Knight, the 'good Samaritan' who had just scolded Tatsumaki.

"Genos?"

Saitama, who had been spacing out because of the quiet tension, looked at Genos's unusually aggressive tone, and then followed his line of sight to the robot opposite them.

He really hadn't grasped the situation, but he knew Genos wasn't the type to pick fights for no reason.

"An S-Class hero should possess adequate moral fiber. Is that such a difficult concept to grasp?"

Metal Knight’s tone remained exactly the same. From a featureless iron chassis, reading any kind of emotion was next to impossible.

But Genos only grew more certain of his instincts.

"What is this S-Class meeting actually about? What exactly are you all planning?" Genos's eyes scanned the expressions of everyone within view, beginning a real-time analysis to ensure he didn't miss a single detail.

"..."

The room plunged back into silence. But soon, a sigh escaped the lips of Silver Fang, Bang.

"How sharp."

Beside him, Atomic Samurai smirked. "Couldn't hold it in anymore, Silver Fang?"

"Huh!?" Child Emperor looked at the two of them in disbelief. Were they actually...?

"I'm sorry, I can't keep going either." Puri-Puri Prisoner, who had his hands tightly clasped together, opened his eyes.

The moment he spoke those words, his heart felt significantly lighter. "This plan targeting little Alice... I can't be a part of it anymore."

--+--