A City.
Beneath the night sky, the lights of humanity's largest metropolis shone like dazzling diamonds scattered across black velvet, standing out on the map of the supercontinent.
The downtown shopping district glowed with colorful lights and shifting neon, a flourishing city that never slept.
An upscale residential neighborhood on the outskirts of A City.
With an apron tied around his waist, Josen moved his kitchen knife so fast it became a blur. Fruit that had been whole a second ago became neat slices the next. A drizzle of tasty cheese salad dressing, and a low-calorie fruit salad to satisfy a craving was ready.
At that very moment, beneath the night sky.
A tiny black speck drew closer from afar. It was an armored transport aircraft bearing the Hero Association's logo, flying toward A City.
In the spacious cabin, Tatsumaki, wearing only a pale yellow wool trench coat over her dark green battle dress, yawned. Folding her arms over her rather unremarkable chest, she stood and said, "All right, this is far enough. You can head back."
The crew, who had hardly dared breathe throughout the mission, all inwardly sighed in relief and hurriedly answered at the top of their lungs, "Yes, Miss Tatsumaki!"
Ka-clank, ka-clang-
Amid the thunderous whir of machinery, the transport's rear hatch swung wide open, and fierce, icy night winds immediately rushed inside.
The accompanying crew instinctively grabbed nearby fixtures, bracing for the impact of the high-altitude air currents. Just then, pale green Psychic Power rose from Tatsumaki and enveloped the entire transport in an instant.
As the protective force field rose, the powerful air currents abruptly ceased. The enormous aircraft merely shuddered once before steadying. The crew, already braced for impact, opened their eyes in surprise, only then realizing that Tatsumaki had protected them in