The Tragic Superheroes

The Viltrumite Youth Group base.

After Eve left the cemetery and returned to the Viltrumite Youth Group, she looked at the empty house before her and felt an unbearable loneliness. Everything from before seemed to belong to the past. Robot had been called away by Celsus, Duplicate Kate had shut herself in her room and was quietly sobbing, and Rex had already been laid to rest...

The enormous Viltrumite Youth Group was now left with only her, all alone...

Eve wrapped her arms around herself. After thinking for a while, she left the Viltrumite Youth Group, flew out of the base, and headed for the Grayson home...

In the end, Jupiter was still the winner in life.

Meanwhile, at the Global Defense Bureau...

After the Guardians had been killed, the most anxious person at that moment wasn't Nolan or Jupiter, nor the countless residents of Blue Star. The most anxious person was Celsus, director of the Global Defense Bureau.

"In the end, I'm the one who has to clean up this mess."

"This planet can't go a single day without the Guardians. I hope to find some new candidates, but..."

Celsus clutched his head in frustration. Honestly, given the current situation, there were very few people he considered qualified to join the Guardians. The only person who met all his standards might actually be an enemy. He really was in a tough spot...

"Celsus, you wanted to see me?"

Robot entered the Global Security Bureau headquarters and walked up to Celsus.

"I'm putting you in charge of rebuilding the Global Guardians."

Celsus looked at Robot and said,

"You're asking me to rebuild the Global Guardians!?"

Robot was taken aback. He didn't understand why Celsus was giving him the chance and responsibility to form the Guardians.

"Celsus, forgive me for speaking frankly, but I think that both Omni-Man Nolan and Nolan's eldest son, Free Man Jupiter, are more suited to this job than I am! Especially Jupiter. He's young, but even stronger. He could easily serve as captain of the new Global Guardians. His joining would make the team stronger than ever before! They might even become the greatest and strongest superhero team in history."

Robot had great admiration for Jupiter. He was powerful and free, everything Robot thought a superhero should be. In Robot's eyes, Jupiter was a born leader. At a time like this, he should step forward and become the new pillar of support!

"Heh..."

Celsus merely laughed coldly at Robot's words. Of course he wanted Omni-Man Nolan or Nolan's son Jupiter to join the Global Guardians, but that was nothing more than wishful thinking. Even before the Guardians were wiped out, Nolan had rejected him with all sorts of excuses. And now, after what had happened...

In Celsus's eyes, Jupiter and Nolan were both murderers with blood on their hands...

"Nolan has always refused to join the Guardians. He's always worked alone."

"As for Jupiter, I think someone who inherited Nolan's blood probably won't want to work with us either."

"Anyway, I'm leaving this to you. I believe you can do a good job..."

Celsus gave Robot a light pat on the shoulder, then turned and walked away with his hands behind his back.

"..."

Robot watched Celsus's retreating figure, puzzled. During the few times Jupiter had acted alongside the Viltrumite Youth Group, Robot hadn't sensed that Jupiter disliked them. Quite the opposite: for the first time, Robot had felt that he was being treated as an equal. In Jupiter's eyes, there had been no difference between him, a robot, and any other living being. Jupiter hadn't even called him "Robot"—he'd given him a human name instead. Even though Robot already had a name, and it wasn't Jack...

So Robot didn't follow Celsus's instructions. He planned to invite not only Jupiter and Mark, but also the senior hero Omni-Man to attend the ceremony.

"Mark and Jupiter, are you free?"

"Yes, that's right. Even if you don't join, you can still come and watch..."

"Great. I'll wait for you at the Global Security Bureau headquarters..."

After a few calls, Robot successfully invited Jupiter and Mark, along with Nolan, whose attendance remained uncertain.

The day of the new Global Guardians' selection...

"Wow!"

"So this is the Bureau headquarters!?"

"Oh my God! These are all the superheroes I've seen before..."

Mark and Jupiter walked side by side down the corridor. Mark looked at the superheroes inside the base—the ones he'd only ever seen on TV—and cried out excitedly.

"Mm..."

Jupiter glanced at Mark beside him. His foolish little brother's utter lack of sophistication was a little embarrassing.

"Of course. Becoming a Guardian is the highest honor for a superhero. Naturally, they'd all come."

Robot walked ahead with his hands behind his back and explained when he heard Mark.

"Is that the Power Team!? F*ck! What are those idiots, who only ever ask headquarters to launch nuclear strikes, doing here!?"

Mark suddenly noticed the Power Team, the superheroes standing at the feet of the others. They looked like a bunch of comic relief characters, a bunch of fools whose job was to serve as a unit of measurement for combat power.

"So, let me invite the two of you once again. I hope you'll join the Global Guardians and become members of the team..."

Robot led Mark and Jupiter into the hall full of superheroes. He turned to face them and loudly invited them.

"I'd really like to join the Guardians! But my father seems to want to train me himself."

Mark hesitated. He really wanted to join the Guardians, but Nolan thought that joining them would waste time Mark could spend getting stronger.

"I have no problem with it at all, Jack! I thought about it all night, and I've decided to join the Guardians! When the Guardians were defeated by an unknown enemy, I should have stepped forward and carried on the torch for the heroes who came before me!"

Jupiter smiled after hearing Robot's invitation. Of course he could join the Guardians. No problem at all.

If the captain of a planet's strongest superhero organization were a Viltrumian, how could he possibly resist Viltrum? The very thought was amusing...

"Then congratulations, Jupiter! Starting today, you're a member of the Global Guardians!"

Robot looked at Jupiter, who seemed just about ready to shout that he and evil were sworn enemies, and felt extremely pleased. He knew he hadn't misjudged Jupiter. When darkness shrouded the land, Jupiter would surely be the light that broke through it! Of course, it wasn't because Jupiter was the first person to treat him like a living person, so Robot always saw him through rose-colored glasses. He meant it...

"Wait..."

Just as Robot unilaterally announced that Jupiter was a member of the Global Guardians, a tall, muscular man stepped forward.

"May I ask what the problem is?"

Robot's eyes flashed as he asked the man politely, though with some confusion.

"This isn't fair! Does being Omni-Man's kid mean you get to join the Guardians automatically?"

The muscular man protested to Robot.

"Exactly! Exactly!"

The man's words won the support of a group of heroes. They looked at Jupiter, who was being allowed to join the Guardians outright, and felt it was unfair.

"Hmph~"

The muscular man heard the support behind him and smirked, looking rather pleased with himself.

"Every person here came because they had the resolve to do what it takes—even if that meant laying down their lives. We don't want to see some superhero legacy kid take up our resources and our spot without even having to compete, just because his father is Omni-Man! I think that's the greatest disrespect to the heroes who came before us!"

The muscular man walked up to Jupiter and looked down at him from his height of over two meters.

"Hero, please calm down. Free Man's abilities meet every requirement for the Guardians. I'm not giving him special treatment because his father is Omni-Man. I'm choosing candidates with complete fairness and impartiality..."

Robot stepped between the aggressive man and Jupiter and explained.

"Robot..."

Just as Robot was about to say more, Jupiter put a hand on his shoulder. With his hands behind his back, he rose gently off the ground and stopped in front of the muscular man, looking down at him.

"Looks like you don't accept me."

Jupiter smiled warmly at the muscular man.

"Of course I don't..."

Jupiter's sunny smile somehow made the muscular man feel pressured. His heart pounded as he forced himself to voice his dissatisfaction.

"Good. Who else doesn't accept me?"

Jupiter looked past the muscular man at the superheroes who supported him.

"Me!"

"And me!"

"None of us accept it!"

One superhero after another looked around at the others, then voiced their displeasure.

"Good..."

Jupiter nodded and looked back at Robot.

"Jack, how do we choose the Guardians?"

Jupiter asked Robot about the rules and criteria for selecting members.

"By defeating your opponent..."

Robot explained the rules to Jupiter.

"Good. You heard him. Then let's get started!"

After getting his answer, Jupiter looked at the superheroes who refused to accept him.

"Get started with what?!"

The heroes looked at one another, unsure what Jupiter meant.

"Obviously, we're going to fight! You little b*tches!"

As soon as Jupiter finished speaking, he reached out and pressed down on the muscular man's shoulder.

"Bang!"

The immense force drove the man to his knees in front of Jupiter. With a sharp crack, it wasn't just the floor that shattered—his kneecap did too.

"Get lost. I don't like people looking down at me."

The instant the man fell to his knees, Jupiter kicked him in the chin, shattering it and sending him flying.

"Bro, watch how hard you hit him!"

Mark looked at Jupiter, who had suddenly attacked, and shouted nervously. He was afraid his brother would get carried away and turn the man into ketchup.

"I am watching how hard I hit him..."

Jupiter replied without turning around. He hadn't smashed the man's head into a thousand pieces like a watermelon, so he was already holding back.

"Hello!?"

"Is this the medical team!?"

"Yes, this is Robot. Please send a medical team to the training room..."

As soon as Jupiter attacked, Robot began contacting the medical team.

"You said you wanted us to send how many people to the training room!?"

Robot listened to the medical team's question, paused, and looked over at Jupiter and the group of superheroes.

"Bang!"

Jupiter turned into a bolt of lightning and hurled every superhero who had opposed him into the air!

"Best send every medical team member who's available. Send as many as you can..."

Robot paused for a few seconds, then looked at the superheroes falling from the sky, some with broken backs and others with broken legs, and spoke.

"My back! It's broken, it's broken..."

"My leg..."

"Damn it, he's a monster..."

The superheroes in their skintight suits clutched their injuries, writhing on the ground and groaning in pain.

"Listen! Not everyone who wears a skintight suit and a mask is a superhero! There are circus clowns, too!"

"Look at yourselves. How much do you look like superheroes? You're nothing but a bunch of clowns, putting on a show for people!"

Jupiter stood amid the groaning "clowns" scattered across the floor and spoke in a deep voice.

"Whoosh!"

At the same time, Eve dropped from the sky. She looked at the superheroes sprawled across the floor and Jupiter standing in the center, and paused in surprise.

"Did I miss something!?"

"What's Jupiter doing?"

Eve looked at Robot and Mark and asked.

"Giving the newbies a lesson..."

Mark explained gently.

"Educating the children."

Robot's explanation was much more matter-of-fact.

"Hmph~"

"What a pitiful group of Guardians~"

"After you died, the heroes your country managed to pick were nothing but buffoons in skintight suits."

"I regret taking care of you so soon. I should've let you see your successors first, then killed you..."

Behind the glass window on the second floor, Nora looked down at the superheroes sprawled across the floor, her eyes full of disdain. These heroes were far too weak and ridiculous.

"So, does anyone else have a problem with me!?"

Jupiter looked around and shouted.

"Me! I have a problem with you!"

Eve, wearing a skintight pink suit, floated in front of Jupiter.

"Eve..."

Jupiter darted forward and pulled Eve into his arms.

"Are you upset because I haven't had time for you?"

Jupiter teased Eve as he held her, then the two kissed.

"F*ck? When did those two get together?"

Mark looked at Jupiter and Eve and asked.

"Who knows..."

Robot shrugged. He wanted to know, too.

"All right, guys. Let's continue the tryouts..."

Robot walked over to the superheroes sprawled across the floor and spoke.

"Um... Anyone who still has the strength to stand, please speak up. Thank you all for cooperating! This is the selection for the Global Guardians, so how are we supposed to choose if you're all lying there and refusing to get up?!"

A few seconds later, when nobody answered, Robot asked helplessly.