Ooparts
"Haa—"
Breathing out, I watched the white puff of breath dissipate in the air. It was a sign that winter was creeping in. My body was still sturdy enough to shrug off this chill, but I hated the cold all the same.
"Ha-eun… I hope she doesn't catch a cold."
Just like me, my little sister despised the winter. I hoped she was staying safe and healthy. Honestly, on days like this, I wanted nothing more than to be in her hospital room, peeling tangerines with her and spending the time in cozy warmth. But things never went the way you wanted.
"Haa…."
All I could do was sigh.
"What's got our Nova so worried?"
"Ah, Jina-unnie."
"You little rascal, you know you're supposed to use hero names during operations~"
She put on a stern face to scold me, and I realized my slip-up, clapping a hand over my mouth. The words were already out, but luckily, there was no one around but the two of us. Still, my heart raced. Even tiny mistakes like that felt amplified today—the air was heavier than usual.
"Ugh, sorry. It's just been so long since we teamed up on a mission, it slipped out."
"Pfft, yeah, yeah. Just be careful next time."
"Yes, Spark-senior."
Spark, the senior hero who'd mentored me when I first started out, flashed a bright smile and patted my shoulder. A top-tier B-rank hero on the cusp of A-rank, she was someone I admired and relied on like a solid pillar.
"Anyway, what had you looking so glum? Our Nova's charm is that bright, energetic face of yours. All gloomy like this, you just look ordinary."
"Ordinary… Ahem, it's just, it's getting colder, and I was worried Ha-eun might catch a cold."
"Silly girl. You know how top-notch the facilities are at the hero-exclusive hospital where Ha-eun's staying. I'm more worried about you than her."
She was right—the hospital catered to heroes and their families, so facilities weren't an issue. My rundown goshiwon, on the other hand, was cheap on rent but skimped on heating and cooling.
"I-It's not that bad. I even bought a new electric blanket."
"Hehe, kidding, kidding. Just make sure that blanket doesn't start a fire, okay?"
Her playful tease brought a smile to my face, but it faded as I watched a massive container being loaded onto a huge cargo truck.
"Is that what we're escorting?"
Spark followed my gaze to the container.
"Yep. More precisely, the Ooparts inside it."
"Ooparts…."
To be honest, I hadn't been thrilled about this escort mission at first. I preferred helping people in immediate trouble over babysitting cargo. But it was an official Hero Association directive, and the pay was generous. Still, mobilizing so many heroes just for one container? Spark's explanation finally made it click.
"I don't know the details, but apparently it was seized en route through illegal channels. Word got out during the bust, so they had to go all-out with the heroes."
"Plenty of people after Ooparts, after all."
Ooparts—enigmatic objects that produced phenomena science couldn't explain. Governments and hero associations around the world secured, isolated, and studied them first. But their mystery drew organizations and villains like moths to a flame.
"Well, we've got A-ranks and even S-ranks on this besides B-ranks like us. If things get dicey, they'll handle it. No need to stress~"
"Haha… right."
With five A-rank heroes and the hot new S-rank Flare on board, my turn probably wouldn't come. I'd likely just stand guard by the truck for a quiet drive to the destination.
"Still, it's an Association directive. We should take it seriously."
"True. At least pretend to work hard for a good performance review."
"No, I mean, what if something does happen…."
"Ehehe, our Nova's read too many comics, huh?"
Spark ruffled my hair with a grin.
"Listen up, Nova. We've got not just A-ranks, but an S-rank here. Superhumans beyond our league. What could possibly go wrong? And even if—if—the worst happens and the A- and S-ranks fall? What could lowly B-rank sidekicks like us do? Right?"
She wasn't wrong. Logically, if it came to that, a low-end B-rank like me was useless. Hell, running might be the best I could hope for. My head knew it, but still….
"—Loading complete! Heroes, please take your assigned positions!"
Preparations wrapped up, and everyone sprang into motion.
"…Alright, let's get to it. Chicken after this mission? My treat, so no worries about the bill."
Spark forced a cheerful tone to lighten the mood.
"…Yeah, I'll do my best."
I mustered some enthusiasm, though half-heartedly. Maybe, as Spark said, all this tension was for nothing—it might end without my involvement. But even so, an inexplicable unease gnawed at me. Like a tiny sailboat facing a massive wave. I couldn't imagine what loomed at the end of that instinct, but I took my post beside the chilled container.
***
Under the dark night sky, gazing down at the city's glittering lights from atop a skyscraper, I listened to Makina's grumbling through the hologram, her face all pouty.
『You're the only one who'd use a Core Relic like this, seriously.』
"Jeez, still on about that even after I came all the way out here."
I shook my head, remembering how she'd freaked out—flabbergasted and furious—when I first laid out the plan. I'd convinced her and we'd reached an agreement, but this kid never stopped griping.
『But still… do we really need to make such a huge deal out of it? We could handle it quietly.』
"No buts. Give me the sitrep. A protagonist's awakening needs a stage worthy of it."
『Tch, I was gonna anyway.』
Always had to get the last word.
『Association convoy just departed. They'll hit the checkpoint in under an hour.』
"Got it, one hour."
『Oh, and heads-up: three trucks carrying containers. Probably dispersing targets to counter villain raids. Pretty smart.』
"Of course the Association isn't run by idiots—they wouldn't stash precious Ooparts in one obvious truck. Still, it's all in my palm."
『Hmph, I knew that much.』
Not unexpected. Dispersing the cargo was a classic cliché in these scenarios, but effective. It sowed confusion for attackers on which to hit—but not for me.
"So, Makina, you scoped out the real one, right?"
『Pfft, what do you take me for? I had that sorted before you even messaged!』
Her scrawny shoulders puffed up proudly, like a kid fishing for praise. I couldn't help a chuckle.
"Kuk, good job, Makina. Perfect."
『Hmph! Wasn't after your praise or anything!』
Yet her ears flushed red, and her lips twitched into a grin. Tsundere through and through. At least she was the one likable character from reading Transformation Without End.
"Alright, per our operator's briefing, real action in one hour."
『Precisely 58 minutes and 27 seconds. Don't be off by a second.』
"Roger that. Everyone ready?"
I called back to the things behind me. Just then, the moonlight hid behind clouds, and the shadows ignited with fervor.
"──!!"
"Nice energy. Yeah, it's almost showtime."
The target: the container—and the hero Nova guarding it. Turning our pathetic extra villain into the protagonist. With today's terror as the opener, her saga would be rewritten.
Are you watching, Tanaka-kun? The bland light novel you wrote? From now on, I'll rewrite it. An extra villain pathetically doomed to die becomes the hero who saves the world—a total rootless trainwreck of a story!