The crowd that had gathered earlier had already been evacuated from the mall. Lock and Jiro Kyoka followed the mall supervisor outside, discussing the details of compensation.
The man spoke hurriedly about liability, emotional distress, and the mall's responsibility for the dangerous accident caused by their negligence.
Since Jiro Kyoka was the victim, Lock deliberately lagged behind, letting the others walk ahead. No one noticed as he quietly drifted away from the group.
His eyes turned toward the mall in the distance. Security guards had already cordoned off the area with bright yellow tape.
No Entry.
But as always, that only drew more attention. A ring of onlookers had gathered at the edge of the barrier, craning their necks to see what had happened inside.
Not far away, Lock could hear the wail of approaching sirens—police cars getting closer by the second.
"…Sorry."
He glanced toward Kyoka's back, his voice barely a whisper as he crouched down.
If he slipped away without a word, she'd definitely worry.
But the new sub-mission—and the A-Rank Lottery reward attached to it—was something he couldn't afford to miss.
That falling ornament incident had made one thing painfully clear: in this world, power meant everything.
In Japan, the rise of Quirks and superhuman abilities had brought with it an explosion of crime.
And beneath the surface, darkness festered—villains like All For One waiting patiently, hidden and silent, for their chance to shatter the illusion of peace that society clung to.
The peace everyone admired was fragile—sustained only by the presence of All Might, the "Symbol of Peace."
Lock clenched his fists. He couldn't rely on anyone else to protect him or the people he cared about.
Besides, with the speed magic of God's Foot already in his arsenal, he was confident he could move faster than anyone would notice.
"God's Foot."
He whispered the words, and a faint blue magic circle formed beneath his shoes.
In an instant, his figure vanished—leaving behind only a gust of wind.
Kyoka turned at the sudden breeze, blinking in confusion.
Only then did she realize—Lock was gone.
…
Inside the mall, the escalators had stopped running.
Lock's footsteps echoed sharply through the silent, empty floors.
Where was the villain?
There was no direct hint, but from what he'd seen earlier, the chain that had held the falling ornament had snapped from the topmost floor.
As he climbed, faint cries for help reached his ears.
"Entering System Space…"
He'd earned a B-Rank draw for saving Kyoka. If he could take down the villain here, he might be rewarded again.
If he drew offensive magic, he'd have a real shot at victory.
But if it was another support-type spell like God's Foot, he might have to stay out of the fight entirely.
"Use the B-Rank Lottery Ticket!"
The interface flickered to life before his eyes.
[Starting B-Rank Lottery… Congratulations, Host. You have obtained "Water Restraint" Magic from Juvia Lockser.]
[Water Restraint: A Water-Attribute spell that consumes magic power to form a sphere of condensed water, restraining and sealing the target.]
The moment the draw finished, Lock felt memories and sensations flood into his mind—the techniques, the rhythm of magic flow, and even Juvia's emotional impressions…
Not her love for him, of course, but for Gray Fullbuster of Fairy Tail.
Juvia Lockser—also known as the Rain Woman.
Wherever she went, it rained. She could wield nearly every form of water magic—and even turn her body into water itself.
A terrifying mastery of the element.
She had once been a member of the Ghost Guild's Four Elements, but after fighting Fairy Tail—and falling for Gray—she switched sides and joined their ranks.
"Water Restraint…" Lock murmured. "Didn't expect that one. But this is good—at least now I can fight."
Returning to the real world, he pushed forward.
"Help!"
The cry came again—from above.
Lock sprinted up the stalled escalator toward the highest floor, where flames flickered across shattered glass and twisted steel.
At the center of the chaos stood a man with two large wings of fire bursting from his back. He had the head of a bird, and in his clawed left hand, he was strangling a middle-aged man by the neck.
The creature wasn't just a metaphor. His head was literally avian—like Tokoyami Fumikage, whose Quirk had given him a crow-like appearance.
Lock scanned the surroundings: destroyed jewelry stores, broken counters, scattered gemstones glittering amid the flames.
So this floor had sold jewelry—but the bird-headed man wasn't stealing. His hands were empty.
This wasn't a robbery.
Civilians huddled behind debris, trembling, too terrified to flee. They could only wait, praying for a Pro Hero or the police to arrive.
"Flamingo Hero—stop! You realize what you're doing is a crime?!"
Lock turned sharply toward the voice.
A figure in a scorched fire helmet and gas mask was struggling to his feet. Twin water pumps were attached to his arms.
Lock recognized him immediately.
It was Fire Buster, a rescue-type Pro Hero whose Quirk allowed him to generate and control high-pressure water through his palms.
He was well-known across the country for his fire rescue work—often featured in Hero News broadcasts.
In fact, Lock had seen him on TV before.
Outside of the combat-focused top heroes on Japan's Billboard Chart, rescue specialists like Fire Buster were among the most respected.
But the man Fire Buster was facing—the so-called Flamingo Hero—was even more shocking.
A Pro Hero… turned villain.
And now he was unleashing chaos in an open-air shopping mall.
What was his goal?