"It wasn't set by an enemy," Kmaal said. "It's a legacy ritual left behind by the ancient sages to protect the Heart of Pure Light from being tainted by evil. Only those whose hearts are pure and spotless, and whose will is unbreakable, can safely touch the crystal and take it."
He paused, then continued, "The challenger must voluntarily step into the shield's range. The shield won't cause physical harm, but it will instantly drag the challenger's consciousness into an illusionary space constructed from dark power. There, you will face your deepest fears, desires, confusion… Every weakness that could shake your mind will be magnified without limit. Only by holding fast to your true self, refusing to be moved by the illusion, and seeing through its falsehood can you find the exit and lift the shield."
"A mental illusion?" Doctor Strange mused. "Similar to the Mirror Dimension, or a nightmare domain… but focused more on interrogating the heart." He looked at Saitama. "Saitama, this kind of spiritual trial—"
"Oh. So I just go in, take a look, and don't get scared, right?" Saitama's understanding was as blunt as ever. He walked up to the black shield and poked it curiously with a finger. When his fingertip touched the flowing black curtain, it felt like thick crude oil. A cold, bone-boring malice tried to crawl up from his finger—but it was effortlessly blocked by his overwhelming body and mental strength.
"More or less, yes—mighty warrior," Kmaal said. Seeing Saitama's completely unruffled reaction, a flicker of hope flashed in his eyes. "But you must be careful. The illusions will feel unbelievably real and strike at the most fragile parts of your heart. In history, several powerful guardian apprentices have been lost inside and suffered total mental collapse."
"Got it." Saitama nodded, without any nervousness or hesitation on his face. "Then I'm going in." He didn't even ask Doctor Strange for approval—he just strode straight into the flowing black shield.
Woom…
Like a drop of water falling into a still lake, ripples spread across the black curtain, and Saitama's figure was completely swallowed.
Inside the shield, Saitama felt his vision go dark. Then, in the next instant, the scenery around him transformed!
He found himself standing atop ruins. A familiar sight—Z-City's uninhabited zone. The shabby apartment building he rented had become broken walls and rubble. In the sky, a massive alien spacecraft cast a terrifying shadow. Countless grotesque monsters rampaged through the ruins, laughing wildly. Far away, Genos lay amid shattered debris, his mechanical body broken apart, the light of his core dim…
"…Sensei… I failed…" Genos's weak voice came through.
Then the scene changed again. He was standing in a huge supermarket. The shelves were packed with dazzling goods—especially the "Discount Beef" labels, which stood out glaringly. But the moment he reached out to take one, all the merchandise instantly turned to ash. The supermarket manager (wearing King's face) shook his head and sighed. "Sorry, Saitama-kun. The discount coupon expired."
The scene changed again. He stood in the Hero Association headquarters. An executive (with Sitch's face) announced expressionlessly, "C-Class Hero Saitama, due to repeated property damage and disregard for Association rules, you are hereby expelled. Permanently barred from reemployment."
Scene after scene switched at high speed—things he valued destroyed, tiny wishes mercilessly stripped away, his identity as a hero completely denied… Every illusion tried to stir up the loss, anger, resentment, or confusion buried deep inside him.
(End of Chapter)
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