The S-Class hero Metal Bat had spent three full days in the Hero Association's dedicated hospital because of his severe injuries.
When he finally recovered and left the hospital, he wanted to find Hellish Fubuki and thank her in person, only to discover...
That rising "national hero" had actually turned down all media interviews and hero activities, vanishing completely from everyone's sight as though she had disappeared off the face of the earth.
That day, Metal Bat was wandering alone through Z City's shopping district, in an extremely foul mood because he had missed his little sister's piano recital.
However, just as he passed a large supermarket, a familiar yet unfamiliar figure suddenly caught his eye.
It was a beautiful woman with smooth, short, dark-green hair, wearing extremely ordinary, even somewhat dowdy casual clothes, yet her bearing remained impossible to hide.
Carrying two shopping bags filled with fresh ingredients, she slowly walked out of the supermarket.
Her face bore none of the practiced smiles she wore for the media.
Instead, she wore a faint smile that came from the heart, and was even humming a cheerful little tune out of key.
"H-Hellish Fubuki?!"
Looking at the woman before him, who was completely different from the queenly figure of the rumors, Metal Bat felt puzzled.
He did not approach her.
Instead, he silently followed her the whole way.
Eventually, Metal Bat followed Fubuki to an apartment building in the most remote and rundown part of Z City's abandoned district.
He watched as the "queen" who had single-handedly defeated a Dragon-level monster actually walked into an unremarkable apartment.
Metal Bat sank into utter bewilderment.
After hesitating for a long time, he finally worked up the courage to approach and knock on the brand-new door, which looked completely out of place amid its