Another Expert?

"Ooooooh!!!!!"

"She's so cool! That entrance was absolutely badass! If they hadn't been laying down real suppressive fire earlier, I'd have thought the authorities were shooting a superpower promo!"

"Boohoo... she's stolen my heart. I don't think I'll ever fall for another woman again..."

"I thought there was no such thing as a perfect woman... until today! I've finally found her!"

Badass!

She was just too badass!

Black Rock Shooter's entrance stunned everyone. Even the chat in the onlookers' livestreams went silent, everyone blown away by her spectacular arrival and icy, dark aesthetic.

"Is she... human?"

Even Liu Yaowen, the experienced leader of the task force, couldn't be sure when he saw Black Rock Shooter.

Bloodlessly pale skin, brilliant blue eyes with a flame burning in the left one, and unusually slender limbs-yet she could effortlessly handle this combat motorcycle and yank the airborne Mutant Werewolf to a halt.

There was practically nothing about her that seemed human.

"Wait, why are there so many people here?!"

Black Rock Shooter remained unfazed by all the attention, but Chen Xiao, her aibo, panicked instead, at a loss over what to do.

He had zipped up Black Rock Shooter's coat before they charged out, just to be safe, but he hadn't expected so many people outside!

Good thing he'd had that foresight...

Ever since his figurine girls had gained the ability to materialize, Chen Xiao had imagined they would eventually deal with the authorities, leading to all sorts of scheming and intrigue.

But he hadn't expected that future to arrive so soon!

He wasn't even mentally prepared yet...

"Whew... hello. I'm Liu Yaowen, leader of Magic City's Superpower Crime Task Force."

Before Chen Xiao could figure out how to respond, Liu Yaowen quickly made up his mind. He stepped out from behind the Armed Police Brigade's defensive line and introduced himself to Black Rock Shooter.

"Boss?"

The others looked astonished.

Normally, their leader waited silently for the other party to speak first. Why was he not only taking the initiative this time, but even seeming a little... ingratiating?

"Please allow me to express our deepest gratitude for your help, unknown superpower user. Had you not intervened, we would have lost one of our soldiers."

Oh... wow. Was he really being that formal?

Chen Xiao felt a little embarrassed by his words.

Black Rock Shooter, however, maintained her silent, expressionless demeanor.

"Uh..."

Liu Yaowen pressed his lips together slightly, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead.

Fortunately, although she hadn't responded, she hadn't shown any hostility either. That allowed Liu Yaowen to breathe a sigh of relief.

As long as she wasn't hostile.

"As for the monster you've captured... he was originally a human named Luo Yuan, an internationally notorious superpowered criminal. He's also the suspect we came here to apprehend."

Liu Yaowen continued explaining to Black Rock Shooter, then had a teammate bring over a computer to show her the hooded man's information.

"Wow, this is really detailed... it even lists the things he did as a kid. This puts doxxing to shame."

Chen Xiao moved closer to the screen and read through it carefully, unable to help marveling.

A peaceful life really was best.

Had he enrolled at Shenzhou Nova Academy back then, his information might someday have been pulled up and shown to someone like this.

Sure, they could get equally detailed information on ordinary citizens, but who would bother looking up a slacker like him who didn't even attend school?

"So, would you be willing to hand this criminal over to us?"

Black Rock Shooter: ... (tilted her head slightly)

She was waiting for Chen Xiao's opinion.

"Black Rock, you're sure there aren't any memories of me left in his head, right?"

Chen Xiao's biggest fear was getting dragged into some conspiracy.

As for that financial backer behind the scenes, that man code-named "K," he would have plenty of time to let his figurine girls deal with him later.

The most important thing was to keep himself safely out of sight.

Black Rock Shooter: ... (nodded)

"Okay, hand him over, then."

Chen Xiao gave his answer.

"Whew..."

Meanwhile, seeing Black Rock Shooter nod, Liu Yaowen breathed another sigh of relief, his tone growing considerably more relaxed.

Then Black Rock Shooter swept her right hand, and the long chain wound around Luo Yuan-the hooded man-as though it were alive. But with little capacity for thought left in him, he mistook the sudden restraint for a sign that she was about to kill him.

He immediately fought back with everything he had, leaping up and thrusting a claw at Black Rock Shooter!

"Watch out!"

Liu Yaowen raised a hand and cried out.

At such close range, there was no time to...

Crack!

The claws snapped.

The werewolf claws that struck Black Rock Shooter's pale, soft, untoned belly might as well have hit Superman's body of steel. Apart from a slight indentation in the soft surface, they didn't leave a single mark.

Then Black Rock Shooter raised her fist and slammed it into Luo Yuan's head, sending him straight into the peaceful sleep of a baby before handing the chain to Liu Yaowen.

Everyone: ... (felt a chill across their scalps)

"Hiss...!"

The moment Liu Yaowen took the chain, he sucked in a sharp breath. He nearly failed to hold it with one hand and had to use both to lift it.

"This chain... it's made entirely of rock!"

He grew even more wary of the power possessed by the mysterious girl before him, who might not even be human.

Yet his wariness was of little use. Huang Qingque had secretly warned him over and over not to make an enemy of her, or he would bring a "great calamity" down on Shenzhou.

Although he had never believed such a "great calamity" could happen, seeing Huang Qingque lose her composure like that left Liu Yaowen unwilling to take the gamble...

Of course, he still had to ask for the necessary information.

"May I also ask your name? Please don't misunderstand. It's simply that we have no information about you in our official database..."

Huang Qingque: Boss! Stop asking!

Behind him, Huang Qingque was frantic, but she didn't dare speak up to warn him. All she could do was fret where she stood.

Black Rock Shooter: ... (looked puzzled)

Fortunately, Liu Yaowen's question didn't anger Black Rock Shooter. Instead, she looked toward Chen Xiao, whom no one else could see, leaving him to decide whether to give her name.

"More importantly, Black Rock, how are we supposed to get back now?"

Chen Xiao didn't particularly care whether they gave Black Rock Shooter's name. The problem was that her physical body was now in reality, leaving her unable to return to the dream world.

They couldn't just drive straight back to the villa complex where Chen Xiao lived, could they?

To enter Chen Xiao's own mental world, Black Rock Shooter would first have to undo her Bond Fusion with him.

But he was currently a spirit body, far too distant from his physical body. Who knew what would happen if they undid it? That made separating completely out of the question!

He also remembered that the figurines' materialization had a time limit. Even if his awakened superpower had extended it, he and Black Rock had spent so long adventuring in the dream world that they must have used up quite a lot of it.

"Ugh, what are we supposed to do...?"

Just as Chen Xiao sighed, the sound of a door opening came from a wall nearby.

Creeeak-!

The atmosphere, which had been growing increasingly stiff thanks to Black Rock Shooter's silence, was broken by the sudden sound. Everyone turned toward it at once, and the onlookers behind the windows of the tall buildings noticed something strange as well.

Since when had there been a wooden door in that building's wall?

As the mysterious wooden door slowly opened, a dazzling light shone out from behind it, revealing a petite girl leaning against the doorframe.

"Hey! What are you still dawdling there for? Time to go home, Black★Rock Shooter."

That was what the girl said to Black Rock Shooter.

Wait, there was another expert?!