The Armored Lion Emerges
Not long after the lion escort mission began, the massive cargo trucks lumbered onto the great bridge, their heavy wheels rumbling ominously. The cold winter wind battered the windows with unusual force in that moment—right when a gang of villains burst into view, as if they'd been lying in wait.
"The Oparts are ours! Kill them all!"
Villains leaped onto the road, swinging their weapons as they charged. The heroes reacted swiftly to the sudden ambush, and Nova felt her heartbeat spike as she clenched her fists tight. Every nerve in her body tensed in anticipation of the coming fight.
Peeeng—
A piercing screech sliced through her eardrums, followed instantly by a red streak flashing across her vision.
"...Huh?"
Before Nova could even process it, holes punched through the charging villains' bodies, as if invisible blades had impaled them from nowhere.
"Aaaagh!"
"W-What the hell?! Where did—?!"
Blood erupted in sprays with wet thunks, their agonized screams echoing across the bridge.
"How dare you."
Flare descended leisurely from the sky, wreathed in flames, her red hair whipping in the wind as she sneered. With a single strike, she'd neutralized the entire group, ending the threat in seconds. The heroes' tension melted away at her effortless display.
"Woooah!"
"Flare's the best! As expected!"
The relieved cheers erupted, and Spark slapped Nova's shoulder excitedly.
"Kyaa, did you see that? S-rank heroes are on another level! So cool, right?"
"...Yeah. She's incredible."
Nova's response came out heavier than intended. Flare's power was undeniably overwhelming—far beyond someone like her—but wasn't it a bit excessive?
"Urgh... mercy..."
"My... my arm..."
The villains who'd ambushed the cargo were a gruesome sight. Holes riddled their bodies from Flare's attack, limbs torn clean off in some cases. A few looked on the verge of death, their wounds severe enough that massive blood loss should've killed them outright.
Szzzt—
Acrid smoke rose from the punctured flesh where Flare's flames had seared through. The intense heat had cauterized the wounds on impact, forcibly stemming the bleeding. They wouldn't die—not yet—but the pain had to be unimaginable.
I get that she could take down this many villains with a flick of her finger, but... isn't this overkill against people?
"Hmph. Filthy vermin."
Flare cast a cold glance at the groaning villains, then casually brushed back her hair like nothing had happened.
"We're so lucky to be assigned with Flare instead of some other truck. Right?"
"...Yeah. Super lucky..."
Nova forced a nod at Spark's words.
"The follow-up team's handling the villains! Let's move! They could strike again anytime!"
Nova's expression grew complicated at Flare's commanding shout.
Right. Focus on the mission. Nothing else matters right now.
But even as she steeled herself, the image of those writhing villains on the cold pavement lingered in her mind.
As the massive trucks picked up speed again, Spark chimed in once more.
"See? Just like I said. No need for B-ranks like us to even step in."
"...Haha, yeah."
Nova gave an awkward smile. Things had gone smoothly despite the attack—no need for her to fight—and they'd hand off the container without issue soon enough.
Or so it should've been. But an inexplicable unease gnawed at Nova, refusing to fade. The ominous premonition from before takeoff lingered, growing stronger with every passing minute.
What's causing this anxiety?
She pressed a hand to her pounding chest to calm it—
—KABOOOM!!
A deafening roar like the sky tearing open, and a massive blast struck from above. The shockwave launched Nova's truck into the air; it twisted mid-flip and crashed upside down.
"Kyaaak!"
A brief scream, and her vision spun wildly. Dazed inside the overturned vehicle—maybe a mild concussion—her head swam, but her reinforced body held up without major injury.
"Ugh... You okay, Spark senior?"
"Ow... Dizzy as hell, but I'll live. You good, Nova?"
"I'm fine."
Relief washed over her that Spark was unharmed too, but it evaporated when she glimpsed the scene outside. Her face drained of color.
The bombing had stopped, but this was leagues beyond the earlier skirmish. The site was hellish chaos: flames roared beyond the snapped bridge railings, vehicles exploded in chain reactions, billowing black smoke choked the sky. Screams of pain filled the air—a vision of pure pandemonium.
"W-What the...!?"
The devastation was too shocking to process.
"...Let's get out first."
Spark's calm voice snapped Nova back. She kicked open the crumpled door and crawled out, but the situation remained utter mayhem. Heroes and association civilians flailed in confusion, caught off guard.
"Everyone, calm down!!"
Flare's voice cut through the din. Still afloat amid her flames, she directed operations from above.
"This bombing might not be over! Anyone mobile, evacuate the wounded to safety! Heroes who can fight, stay vigilant! Protecting the wounded and cargo is priority until reinforcements arrive!"
Her sharp command rallied them; people snapped to action under her lead. An S-rank hero's presence alone anchored the crumbling control.
"Ugh..."
"Hang on. Rescue's coming soon."
Nova and Spark hauled wounded to safety, fulfilling their briefed roles: encircle the escort container, shield non-combatants, hold out for backup.
But amid the tension, as Nova supported an injured civilian, a strange vibration tingled at her feet.
Thoom—!
Not just any tremor. A massive thud shook the bridge like something colossal had slammed the deck. Nova wasn't the only one who felt it—everyone froze in unison. Even Spark beside her, and Flare directing from above, stared grimly into the smoke.
Thoom—! Thoom—!
Earth-shaking footsteps drew nearer. Through the thick haze of smoke and dust, a gigantic figure slowly emerged.
"—Found you."
An overwhelmingly massive lion.
"A... lion...?"
But no ordinary beast from a zoo or video. Its body was clad in intricate mechanical armor—not mere plating, but a seamless fusion of flesh and machine, like a high-output exosuit. Golden light gleamed between metallic mane strands, and each step of its enormous paws pulverized asphalt to dust. The iron-armored quadruped beast grinned as it fixed on the container.
Or more precisely... on Nova, frozen before it.
Eh? Wait... is it looking at me?
A chilling illusion of eye contact sent goosebumps racing across her skin. Like prey before a predator, paralyzing terror rooted her in place.
A sharp cry from above shattered the stupor.
"Did you cause that bombing, villain?!"
Flare dove, flames engulfing her body, toward the lion.
The lion slowly shifted its gaze from Nova, eyeing her with bored indifference, like an annoying fly. It intoned its line as if reciting from a script.
"I have no interest in trash like you, human. My only goal is reclaiming that Oparts."
"Lies! Junk like you doesn't deserve it!"
Flare thrust her hand; a house-sized fireball hurtled at the lion. The inferno could've swallowed the bridge—but the lion took it head-on without flinching.
Szzzt—
Flames cleared; not even a scorch mark marred its steel armor.
"Heh. That all you got?"
"...What?!"
Flare faltered at its unscathed state. In that instant, the lion whipped its forepaw at impossible speed.
Krunch—!
Air exploded; the shield protecting Flare's suit shattered like glass. The supposedly untouchable S-rank hero rocketed away like a cannonball, vanishing off the bridge without a scream.
"F-Flare...!"
"No way! An S-rank down in one hit?!"
Panic engulfed the scene. Their invincible hero, defeated so casually? Shock held them only briefly.
"Get lost—NOW!!"
The lion's roar jolted them; screams rose as people fled. Spark yanked Nova's arm, face ashen.
"Nova! Run! We can't handle that thing!"
"B-But the wounded... We can't abandon them!"
Nova hesitated, glancing at the fallen civilians, but Spark was lost to fear.
"You wanna die?! Everyone's running! Hurry!"
She shoved Nova off and vanished into the fleeing crowd.
Screams and explosions faded; silence blanketed the ruined bridge. Now, in this wasteland of a battlefield, only the lion—flashing its heavy mechanical armor—and the trembling B-rank hero Nova, holding her ground, remained.