Z City was as calm as ever. Although monsters occasionally appeared, professional heroes usually arrived in time to deal with them.
This morning, a monster showed up in the city center. It was a massive, three-to-four-meter-tall tiger-level threat with the build of a bear.
"I'm the result of wearing a bear costume every day until I mutated into the [Bearman]! I'm here to take revenge on humanity!"
As was tradition in this world, most monsters would patiently announce their names and backstories before causing trouble, and [Bearman] was no exception. "It's because of the human-created social system that I was forced to wear a bear costume every day just to make a living. Now I will destroy human society!"
After declaring his grand plan for revenge, Bearman lunged at the people nearby.
"Ahhh!"
"Run! The monster is going to kill us!"
Panic spread instantly down the entire street.
The next moment, a towering figure appeared in front of Bearman.
He was not as big as Bearman, but still stood a solid two meters forty. His battered battle-worn armor and crimson cape hung from a humanoid frame, yet his single eye and pointed ears marked him as something far from human.
"What the hell?!" Bearman flinched at the sudden appearance of this stranger.
"Are you human or monster? If you're a monster, get out of my way and don't interfere with my revenge!" Bearman barked, still unsure of who or what he was facing.
He had no idea that the one standing before him was Boros, the Dominator of the Universe.
At least for now, Boros remained the undisputed strongest monster, excluding "God," of course. As for "Demon Garou," that would be a story for later.
Boros's strength was not yet fully restored. His earlier Collapsing Star Roaring Cannon had drained every drop of energy from him, and if not for Shinji extending his life, he would have died instantly.
Still, his energy loss was not irreversible. With some recovery time, his full power would return. In just a few days, more than half of it was already back.
"Too weak." Sensing Bearman's strength, Boros shook his head in disappointment.
"What?!" Bearman's face twisted in rage at being looked down on.
"Bear power!"
He swung a massive paw down at Boros's head. For a normal person, that blow could have crushed a skull outright. But when it struck Boros, his head didn't even shift a millimeter.
"...?!"
Bearman froze in disbelief. This strange humanoid had taken his strongest hit without even flinching, completely unscathed.
Boros then casually threw a punch.
The moment his fist connected with Bearman's chest, Bearman's entire body exploded into a cloud of blood mist.
[Alert! Your companion Boros has defeated the tiger-level monster "Bearman," reward gained: 15 points!]
"Was… was that a hero?"
"Isn't that the so-called Dominator of the Universe Boros, the one who wanted to destroy Earth? He actually helped us by defeating a monster?"
"Looks like he's become a pro hero now, huh? Could it be that after being defeated by [Kamui], he decided to stand on humanity's side?"
"..."
The sight of Boros appearing and defeating the monster instantly stirred up heated discussion among the crowd.
However, Boros didn't linger. With a single punch, he blasted the Bearman into a cloud of blood mist, then vanished without a trace. To ordinary people, his departure was too fast for the naked eye to follow.
…
In no time, Boros returned to the Hero Association's Z-City branch.
"The tiger-level monster that just showed up has been dealt with," he reported to the staff.
"Ah… y-yes!"
The sudden appearance of Boros startled everyone present. Even though he was now registered as a pro hero with the Hero Association, many still feared him because of who he was.
After all, everyone on Earth had witnessed almost the entire process of the legendary battle between Shinji and Boros, thanks to the Infinite Tsukuyomi's influence. The only scene the public hadn't seen was the final clash in the planetary space, when the Final Truth Seeking Ball and the Collapsing Star Roaring Cannon collided.
Boros's identity as the overlord of the universe, along with his power capable of wiping out humanity, had been deeply etched into people's minds.
Most of the staff here were ordinary people, so it was hard for them not to fear him.
"...Sigh."
Seeing the humans so afraid of him, Boros couldn't help but feel a touch of helplessness. Without saying a word, he turned and left.
He soon returned to Shinji's home.
"Boros, this is already your second mission. How do you feel? Are you getting used to it?" Shinji asked as Boros stepped inside.
"It's fine," Boros nodded. "But… there's one thing that's been bothering me. I keep sensing a familiar presence nearby, though I can't quite tell what it is..."
"..."
Shinji smiled without saying anything. Clearly, he knew something, but he didn't seem inclined to tell Boros.
Just then, the television broadcast reported another monster sighting in Z-City, a powerful demon-level threat.
"Time to move again," Shinji said with a faint smile. "This time, should you go or should I?"
"I'll go," Boros answered without hesitation. "After all, I promised you I'd make up for the mistakes I've made."
With that, he turned and walked out, carrying himself with the demeanor of a hero, though the overwhelming presence of the cosmic overlord still lingered.
Domineering. Unyielding.