Chapter One Hundred and Eleven: Giant Wave and the Beginning
His face turned towards a security checkpoint on the outskirts of Kyoto Academy.
Haneda Eiji’s life had not been going too well recently.
As a professional hero responsible for the public order in Hero Street, his work was not exactly leisurely. Most of his duties involved mediating neighborly disputes, handling petty theft, or assisting local police in maintaining order, which were relatively peaceful matters. After all, this was Kyoto, the location of the Hero Association Headquarters and the Police Headquarters. The crime rate was far lower than in other areas, and daily life mostly consisted of training and patrols.
However, the “Level One Alert” status over the past few days had placed a mentally and physically exhausting pressure on this old hero, who had long grown accustomed to peace and quiet. He spent more than ten hours a day stationed and patrolling the perimeter of Tōkoku Academy, his nerves constantly on edge, ready to deal with any potential anomalies. The powerful aura emanating from the high-ranking heroes within the academy made Haneda unwilling to slack off even in the slightest, as if he had returned to the tense days of his youth when he first joined the force.
Added to this were the troubles at home. His mischievous son had broken his leg falling from a height at school, and his wife was under immense pressure juggling childcare and work, leading to frequent arguments over trivial matters.
All of this weighed on him like an invisible giant stone, adding an undeniable weariness to his weathered face.
Nevertheless, professionalism and responsibility were ingrained in his very being. He maintained a strong spirit, his body standing as straight as a pine tree, his gaze as sharp as a falcon’s, repeatedly scanning his assigned patrol area, not missing even the slightest rustle of leaves.
In stark contrast to him was the young man standing beside him—Kobayashi Shotai.
Kobayashi Shotai looked to be in his early twenties, still possessing the casual demeanor and lack of solemnity characteristic of youth. He stood loosely, occasionally shaking his head in annoyance or kicking small stones on the ground. After enduring it for a while, he finally couldn’t help but lean closer to Haneda Eiji and whisper complaintingly.
“Hey, Uncle Haneda, why are we still standing here? There’s no one around, let’s take a break, shall we? My legs are going numb.”
Haneda Eiji turned his head, his brow furrowed, reminding him sternly, “Kobayashi, maintain your vigilance. That is an order.”
“Uh…”
Kobayashi Shotai flinched at his senior’s stern gaze and instinctively straightened up. Yet, he couldn’t help but mumble, “It won’t come to that, Uncle! We’ve been here for days and haven’t seen a single shadow. It’s all in your head. I think HQ is just being overly tense.” He crossed his arms and gestured towards the academy, surrounded by an energy shield, on the perimeter of Tōkoku Academy. “This is Kyoto, Uncle! The Association and Police Headquarters are right under our noses. Which fool would dare cause trouble here? I think it’s a drill staged by the bored people upstairs to remind us of their existence, so we downstairs don’t slack off.”
“Nonsense!” Haneda Eiji glared at him, his voice hardening. “Follow orders and don’t make random speculations!”
“Hey, Uncle Haneda, it’s not that I’m speculating,” Kobayashi Shotai said. He knew his mentor’s temper. “It’s just that the mission to guard this place was issued by Lord ‘Thunderclap’ Banno. I heard he’s semi-retired, isn’t he? We saw him a few days ago, and the guy looked like a feeble old man, like he could be blown over by a gust of wind. Instead of enjoying retirement at home, he’s coming out to take charge? Isn’t that just adding to our workload?”
“Lord Banno has his reasons. Obey the arrangements and do your part. Don’t question your superiors!” Haneda Eiji interrupted, his tone admitting no room for doubt.
“Mmm…”
Changing the subject, Kobayashi Shotai pouted and found a new topic, his face lighting up with excitement. “We’re practically becoming comic book heroes now. It’s my first time seeing the legendary No. 1 Hero up close. But I feel… he’s really too old. He doesn’t have the ‘silver-haired handsome uncle’ aura at all! And in terms of strength, shouldn’t Lord Nobikawa, the ‘Telekinetic Master,’ be stronger than him now?”
Mentioning Nobikawa, Kobayashi Shotai’s eyes brightened. “I’ve been following Lord Nobikawa’s hero mission series! It’s exclusively broadcast on the platform and updated weekly! His telekinetic abilities are simply divine. He can move objects from afar, erect barriers, and even distort small spaces! The special effects are amazing too! You should have seen last episode, where he controlled an entire out-of-control construction site by himself. The scene was terrifyingly powerful!”
“Stop spouting nonsense. Nobikawa…”
“That’s right, Lord Nobikawa is a legendary figure. But when it comes to strength, how can one be called the No. 1 Hero just by having strong telekinetic abilities for a short time, without decades of experience? The ‘Telekinetic Master’ was active in the era of the silver-haired handsome uncles. We should focus on the present.” It seemed Haneda Eiji had also made an effort to catch up on some internet knowledge. “As one gets older, the strength and control of telekinesis inevitably decline.”
He added meaningfully, “So, these old heroes should retire honorably when they reach a certain age. They should make way and resources for the younger generation who are more driven and better suited to the demands of the times, like Lord Nobikawa. Those old seniors’ judgment and reaction speed are no match. Without drive, what can they do? The calls for Lord Nobikawa online are extremely high right now. Everyone thinks he’s the leading figure of the future!”
“Kobayashi Shotai!” Haneda Eiji’s tone suddenly became extremely stern, even bordering on a roar, cutting off his increasingly wild words.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Uncle Haneda!” Kobayashi Shotai was startled by the sudden reprimand, realizing that his words might have offended this strict and rule-abiding senior. He quickly turned around and sincerely bowed his head apologetically. “I didn’t mean that. I definitely didn’t mean that you’re old and useless! Please don’t be angry!”
“…”
“Alright.”
Seeing him like that, Haneda Eiji could only sigh heavily and remind him again, “Stand up straight!”
Haneda Eiji wasn’t offended by Kobayashi’s words. He was an adult and couldn’t possibly argue with a child his son’s age. Having lived for almost fifty years, he had long been worldly-wise. He knew that the youthful passion and dreams of becoming a great hero like Banno were long since smoothed over by reality and the limitations of his own ability. Now, his greatest wish was to do his job as a neighborhood patrolman and see the next generation retire peacefully.
He just felt a deep sense of powerlessness. The young people of today, their minds seemed to be completely detached from the responsibility and glory of the profession of “hero.” He glanced at Kobayashi Shotai beside him, his gaze filled with unconcealed fatigue.
As Kobayashi Shotai’s mentor, Haneda Eiji was strict with him, but he knew that Kobayashi’s personality was not something that could be easily changed. However, he had to admit that after saying what he wanted, the young man had returned to his usual distracted and lazy demeanor. He stood there with a vacant stare, clearly lost in thought, not truly taking the scolding or the current security mission to heart.
Haneda sighed inwardly. He came from that era, having grown up listening to the legendary tales of “Thunderclap” Banno. He had even witnessed Banno’s terrifying, calamitous power, like roaring thunder when he was on a mission long ago. That was truly god-like strength, enough to crush any doubt.
But from some point onwards, the younger generation lost the respect and reverence they should have had for the older heroes. Their understanding of heroes seemed to stem more from short online videos, “hero dramas” with flashy special effects, and the popularity manufactured online. They seemed indifferent to the blood, sweat, and tears heroes shed, the responsibilities they bore, and the awareness that they could sacrifice themselves at any moment.
It was like the “Telekinetic Master” Nobikawa, whom Kobayashi always praised—or perhaps his registered hero name was originally just “Telekinetic User,” and he didn’t know why it became “Telekinetic Master.” Haneda had also seen some clips on online recommendations. Those videos were indeed edited brilliantly with flashy special effects, portraying Nobikawa as a war god. However, based on Haneda’s years of frontline experience, the actual abilities and scale of events Nobikawa handled were barely those of a frontline hero. Compared to stabilizing forces like Banno, his true strength was worlds apart. He truly didn’t understand why these young heroes were so enthusiastically adored by the younger generation.
“Honestly, I just don’t understand these young people anymore. What’s happening to this world?”
Haneda Eiji shook his head, a sense of inexplicable unease and dissonance washing over him. He couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong. Perhaps he was just getting old and could no longer understand the world and thoughts of these youngsters?
As Haneda Eiji mused, lost in thought about the changes of this generation—
“D-Uncle! What is that!”
Kobayashi Shotai’s terrified voice, filled with intense trembling, suddenly jolted him back to reality!
Haneda Eiji’s heart tightened. He immediately cast all other thoughts aside and abruptly raised his head, looking in the direction Kobayashi pointed! His pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks, and his blood seemed to freeze instantly!
In the distance, at the edge of the city, an enormous, indescribably terrifying wall of water was rising out of nowhere, defying all laws of physics, soaring towards the sky! The giant wave was so high that it seemed to surpass the spires of the distant Kyoto buildings, casting a shadow over the sun! Muddy floodwaters, carrying shattered rebar, shipping containers, and debris, like the world-ending flood in mythology, with a terrifying force that crushed and tore, were crashing down towards the area where they stood, covering everything!
A vast shadow instantly enveloped half the city, and the suffocating sensation of death washed over them!
