The public often mocks Eblis Corporation, wondering how an organization of villains can be so organized, announcing their appearance down to the time and place. How could such punctual villains be taken seriously?

However, some of the most notorious villains, the named ones, actually admire this behavior. They are impressed by the consistency with which Eblis Corporation upholds their unique aesthetic.

For heroes, Eblis Corporation was the perfect target to gain popularity. With both citizens and villains paying attention, it was a great way for heroes to promote themselves. Plus, even heroes lacking in skill could face Eblis without much risk, making it a safe proving ground.

“Yeeeee-!” “Hail Eblis!”

“Stop right there!”

As usual, heroes showed up right on time to intercept the scheduled appearance of Eblis Corporation.

Recently, Eblis had even begun specifying which of their executives would be present during operations, which meant that on a day like today, when Galm wasn’t around, rookie heroes were eager to gain experience.

“Um, well, I’m Hero Sw-Swing Tornado…”

“Miss, take it easy. We won’t bite.” “Hahaha! She’s scared! Must be a rookie.” “Should we go easy on her?”

“Ugh! Swing Tornado! Here I come!”

Provoked by the taunts of the regular combatants, the rookie hero, unable to control her anger, charged forward. With only ten months at Hero Academy and lauded as a prodigy, she had debuted as a hero in no time. She was confident she could easily wipe out these lowly combatants.

At least, she was confident.

Thud.

“Huh?”

“Miss, we’d like to go easy on you, but this is our job too… you understand, right?”

Swing Tornado, who had her punch blocked by a mere grunt, was soon pummeled by a barrage of punches and kicks. She hadn’t anticipated that even the grunts of Eblis were this strong. Unable to withstand their strikes, she curled up on the ground.

Seeing her crouch down, the combatants hesitated. No matter how much they fought heroes, attacking a frightened woman gave them pause.

Exchanging glances, they nodded at each other and, with some reluctance, picked up Swing Tornado and flung her far away.

“Hahahaha! What a weakling for a hero!” “You’re not strong enough to face us yet! Come back when you’re stronger!”

After tossing Swing Tornado aside, the combatants engaged in a skirmish with the remaining heroes. The fight was fierce, but in the end, the heroes began to subdue the combatants one by one.

As the last combatants were dealt with, the elite fighters in suits emerged, and a fresh battle broke out between them and the junior heroes. Watching this unfold, Swing Tornado realized something important.

‘Oh…’

The talents needed to get good grades were not the same as those needed to be a hero.

She had learned that today.

The next day, the villain organization received a flood of flower arrangements and gifts. As Eight walked down the hallway, he saw some members munching on what looked like potato cakes, making him raise an eyebrow.

“What are those?”

“Um—uh, sir! Hail Eblis!”

“Relax. You’re going to choke.”

“S-sorry, sir!”

“So? What is it you’re eating?”

The member, who had been shaking like a private caught by a sergeant, quickly swallowed the snack in his mouth before responding.

“S-snacks, sir!”

“…What kind of snacks?”

“Oh, these are from the hero we beat up recently. She sent them to us.”

“Excuse me? And why would she…?”

“It’s a long story… Here, this letter will explain.”

The member nervously handed over a letter from the pile of gifts. Opening the envelope, Eight read through its contents.

The letter was absurd. The hero thanked them for showing her that she didn’t have the talent to be a hero. She wrote about retiring from hero work and returning home to her previous occupation.

The tone was less like that of a hero and more like a grateful citizen thanking someone for saving their life.

“Huh…”

“We were confused too, so we asked Galm if we could keep the gifts. He said not to worry about it and to enjoy them.”

“That’s fine. It’s not like there’s a problem with accepting gifts from a hero.”

Eight wasn’t bothered by the fact that the hero had given up after taking a few hits. What caught his attention was the invitation included with the letter.

「Milkia Pocatou’s First Solo Recital After Her Return」

“Oh…”

That explains it. Eight chuckled as he examined the invitation more closely.

A concert, huh?

“Mind if I take this?”

“Of course not, sir! It would be an honor!”

“An honor, huh… Well, thanks.”

Eight was curious. He wondered what music in this world was like. How had the existence of superpowers influenced music?

City A. Art Center.

Arriving at the location written on the invitation, I felt the suffocatingly quiet atmosphere immediately and couldn’t help but laugh. I was also relieved that I hadn’t brought anyone else along besides Birana.

What would have happened if I had brought Aile or Levi-tan to a place like this? Aile would have likely collapsed from a heart attack, overwhelmed by the atmosphere, while Levi-tan would have broken the silence with loud chatter, completely disrupting the event.

It was fortunate I had come with Birana, one of the more tolerable members.

“...What are you staring at?”

“Oh, nothing. I just thought the dress suits you.”

“You’re teasing me, right? I know it doesn’t suit me.”

Birana tugged at the hem of her dress, and veins bulged on the back of her hand.

She was right—the dress didn’t quite suit her. Despite being a woman, her muscular arms and legs were clearly the result of intense training. It created a jarring contrast with the delicate gown she wore.

But I found her awkwardness over the ill-fitting outfit endearing, so I smiled lightly and reassured her.

“Doesn’t matter. You look cute.”

“Cute? Who on earth—?”

“You, Birana.”

“You really are a bastard, you know that?”

“Am I?”

Feigning innocence, I strolled around City A’s Art Center with Birana. The concert hadn’t started yet, so we needed something to pass the time.

Luckily, the Art Center was full of things to see besides the concert. Paintings, sculptures, theatrical performances, photography, and even abstract structures whose purpose I couldn’t fathom—it was a place that truly lived up to the name "Art Center."

It felt like a date, laughing and chatting as we wandered around. But when the time finally came, we headed to the concert hall.

“I can’t believe Pocatou is performing again… I’m so excited.” “Hasn’t it only been a year since her last performance? I’m worried her skills might’ve declined…” “Please, do you know who the Pocatou family is? Even if it had been ten years, her skills wouldn’t have dulled.”

The entrance to the concert hall was already packed with people eagerly anticipating the event. Judging by their excitement, it was clear how much of a prodigy this Milkia Pocatou was.

Upon entering with Birana, who was anxiously scanning the area like a paranoid bodyguard, the staff member checking tickets did a double-take at our invitation, then immediately called for another staff member to guide us to the VIP section.

“Please take a seat here.”

“Here?”

“Yes.”

The seats were right at the front, close enough that it felt like we could talk to the performer on stage.

To make matters more awkward, it seemed this section had been reserved especially for us, as there were no other seats nearby. The envious stares directed our way only made me feel more uncomfortable.

‘…Maybe I shouldn’t have come.’

As I pondered this, the concert hall quickly filled with people. When the time came, the lights dimmed, leaving only the stage illuminated.

Under the spotlight, the performer appeared, briefly made eye contact with me, and flashed a playful smile before beginning her performance.

Even without a word, the audience was immediately captivated by her overwhelming skill. As someone unfamiliar with the music of this world, even I could tell how mesmerizing the performance was.

‘A genius, they said…’

Indeed, if she possessed such mastery at her age, it was no wonder they called her a genius. For an hour and a half, she held the audience spellbound with her extraordinary talent.

When the performance ended, and for some reason, Birana, who had quietly watched the entire show, was now drenched in sweat and panting heavily, Milkia Pocatou finally spoke.

“—Thank you all for coming to my performance today.”

Thunderous applause erupted.

As the cheers subsided, Milkia spoke again, this time more earnestly.

“Until recently, I was actually considering retirement.”

—What!

Gasps of shock rippled through the audience.

But Milkia continued without pause.

“There is someone who changed my mind. Someone who stopped me from giving up… And that person is sitting right here in front. They are the ones who pulled me back from the edge.”

The cheers and applause were now directed toward me. Having only half-intentionally attended, I felt deeply embarrassed and lowered my head.

That’s when Milkia, clearly feeling mischievous, asked me a question.

“Sir, how was my performance today?”

“…Your performance?”

A staff member rushed over and handed me a microphone.

As I took the mic, I thought back to the concert I had just heard.

It had been beautiful—a performance worthy of being called genius. The music stirred my emotions, and its melodies lingered in my mind, echoing over and over.

It was truly an exquisite performance.

“It wasn’t special.”

However, for a world with superpowers, the music felt too… ordinary. That was all.

The moment I finished speaking, a wave of shocked gasps filled the concert hall.