As the Heroes Association scrambled to respond...
In Q City, the battle between Yami and Watchdog Man continued to rage.
Yami, relying solely on his physical abilities and combat skills, effortlessly overpowered Watchdog Man.
So much for the feared S-Class heroes—they weren't as invincible as their reputations suggested.
To be fair, some S-Class heroes might indeed be strong, capable of easily defeating monsters. However, fighting another human was an entirely different challenge.
Especially for someone like Yami, who had fought countless battles in simulated worlds. When it came to human opponents, even those as skilled as Watchdog Man seemed lacking in comparison.
The fact that Watchdog Man was being thoroughly suppressed wasn't surprising at all.
If Yami had wanted to kill him, the fight would have ended in just a few rounds. Even now, without going for the kill, Watchdog Man was in serious danger.
"Is this all you've got?"
"Your strength is impressive for an ordinary person, and your speed and reflexes are sharp. But that's about it. Without any special abilities, you've done well to become an S-Class hero, but this fight is over."
Having gauged the limits of his opponent, Yami lost all interest.
Effortlessly, he dodged Watchdog Man's counterattack, then delivered a powerful kick to his chest. The impact sent Watchdog Man tumbling across the square, rolling uncontrollably before crashing into the ground.
But Yami wasn't done yet.
Countless slashing attacks rained down from above, engulfing the fallen Watchdog Man in the rubble.
The ground trembled violently under the onslaught, and the square was soon consumed by a cloud of dust and debris. No one could see what was happening inside.
The crowd, however, was filled with anxiety.
Even though most of them were ordinary citizens, they could sense the shift in the battle. Their beloved hero, Watchdog Man, was being thoroughly beaten.
This was a bitter pill to swallow for the people of Q City.
"How is this possible? How could Watchdog Man be defeated?"
"I can't believe it! There's no way Watchdog Man could lose!"
"Come on, Watchdog Man!!!"
The desperate cheers of the crowd rang out, but they did nothing to change the outcome.
Watchdog Man, buried in the rubble, seemed to be completely incapacitated. There was no response, and no one could tell what his condition was.
Only Yami knew the truth—Watchdog Man was no longer capable of fighting.
The kick, combined with the barrage of slashes, had pushed him to his limit. The only reason he was still alive was because he'd instinctively avoided some of the more dangerous strikes.
But standing up to continue the fight? That was out of the question.
As the dust settled, the square lay in ruins.
Watchdog Man lay amidst the wreckage, struggling in vain to stand. His body simply wouldn't respond, and all that was left were faint, pitiful whimpers.
"It's over. Looks like I won," Yami said softly, looking down at the defeated hero. He had no intention of continuing the battle—it wasn't a life-or-death duel, after all.
Besides, Yami didn't dislike heroes who protected ordinary people.
"Well, that's one more off the challenge list. Time to leave Q City."
Yami's quiet murmur reached the ears of Goddess Hephaestus, who had moved closer to the scene.
The outcome had been exactly what they expected.
"No surprises here, Yami," Hephaestus said with a smile. "But you sure stirred up a lot of trouble this time."
"I did go a bit too hard," Yami admitted. "The environment took quite a hit, but at least there were no casualties."
"That said, we're definitely going to end up on the Heroes Association's watchlist."
Thinking of the potential complications ahead, Yami sighed. It was his own actions that had led to this, so he had no choice but to deal with the consequences.
"Let's get out of here. The crowd looks like they want to tear us apart," said Goddess Artemis, glancing around at the onlookers.
This was the first time the Moon Goddess had seen such hostile expressions directed at her. It was a strange feeling, one she'd never experienced before—not even from the adventurers in Orario dared to look at gods like this.
"Let's go, then. We should also give them time to tend to Watchdog Man. I don't want him to die—that's not what I came here for."
Yami's words earned unanimous agreement from the three goddesses.
Just as they were about to leave Q City, a loud noise echoed from the sky.
It was the sound of engines roaring overhead.
"Hmm?"
"Looks like we're not leaving just yet."
Yami's expression shifted as his keen senses detected something approaching. A powerful presence, far stronger than Watchdog Man, was closing in on Q City at an incredible speed. A massive shadow appeared in the distance.
"What's that? It's flying! How incredible!" Goddess Hestia and Goddess Artemis, their curiosity piqued, stared up at the helicopter approaching them.
Goddess Hephaestus, however, caught the deeper meaning in Yami's words.
"So, this must be the Heroes Association's backup?"
"I think so," Yami replied. "Seems like our plans will have to be postponed. Whoever's coming is probably another S-Class hero. We might not need to search the whole world for challenges after all."
"Then we wait," Hephaestus said, understanding Yami's intent.
The four of them, who had initially been ready to leave, stopped in their tracks, waiting for the helicopter's arrival.
But before the helicopter could touch down, a figure leaped from it, rocketing toward them at breakneck speed.