Volume 1 — Chapter 4: The First Enemy of Rank S — Part 2

The city was still quiet after the appearance of the mysterious S-rank enemy.

Miyu Kurohana stood on a rooftop, watching the streets below.

She was still thinking about Sakura Amamiya.

A nine-year-old girl.

An S-rank ability.

And the power to manipulate time.

Miyu had never expected to find someone like her so soon.

But there was something she needed to know.

She summoned a black-and-purple butterfly.

It flew through the night and reached Sakura.

Miyu used the butterfly as a connection between them.

"Sakura."

The little girl looked around.

"Who are you?"

"It's me."

"The person who gave me this power?"

Miyu hesitated.

"Something like that."

Sakura looked at her hands.

"I feel strange."

"Are you hurt?"

"No. I feel stronger than before."

Miyu was relieved.

She had been worried about what would happen when such a powerful ability entered the body of a nine-year-old.

"Can you control your power?"

Sakura thought for a moment.

"I think so."

"Try not to use too much of it."

"Why?"

"Because your power is extremely strong."

Sakura became curious.

"Who are you?"

Miyu was silent.

"Why did you save me?"

Again, Miyu didn't answer immediately.

Sakura continued.

"How powerful are you?"

Miyu smiled faintly.

There were too many things she couldn't tell her.

Her identity.

Her origin.

The fact that she came from another world.

The fact that she knew Sakura's world was a comic.

So she gave the only answer she could.

"I'm your friend."

Sakura blinked.

"My... friend?"

"Yes."

Miyu looked at the butterfly.

"Because who else will protect you?"

Sakura smiled.

"Then I'll help you too."

Miyu froze.

"You will?"

"Yes."

Sakura nodded.

"If you're my friend, I want to help you."

For some reason, those words touched Miyu deeply.

She had been alone ever since arriving in this world.

No parents.

No classmates.

No one who knew her.

In her old world, she had often struggled to communicate with people.

She had been lonely even before entering the comic.

"I didn't really know how to talk to people..."

Miyu quietly admitted.

"I was lonely in my world."

Sakura's expression softened.

"Then you don't have to be lonely anymore."

Miyu didn't know how to respond.

For a moment, she simply remained silent.

Then she smiled.

"Thank you."

The S-Rank Enemy Appears

Suddenly, Miyu felt something.

A powerful presence.

Her expression changed.

"Sakura."

"Yes?"

"Stay where you are."

"What happened?"

"I'll show you the way."

Miyu sent another butterfly toward Sakura.

The butterfly flew through the city, guiding her toward the source of the disturbance.

Miyu herself remained hidden.She couldn't reveal her identity.Not yet.

If Sakura knew who she really was, everything could change.

The butterfly eventually reached a large city square.

Miyu saw the scene through its connection.

Her eyes widened.

The S-rank villain had appeared.

He stood in the center of the square.

Dark energy surrounded his body.

And beside him...

Someone was being held hostage.

Sakura recognized her immediately.

"That's my friend!"

She tried to move.

"Wait!"

Miyu's voice came through the butterfly.

"Don't rush in."

"But she's in danger!"

"I know."

The S-rank villain raised his hand.

"Come out, heroes!"

His voice echoed through the square.

"If you want this girl to survive, show yourselves!"

Miyu clenched her fists.

This was exactly the kind of event she had feared.

An S-rank enemy.

A hostage.

And no hero close enough to stop him.

Then Sakura looked at her friend.

Her eyes filled with determination.

"I have to save her."

Miyu felt Sakura's emotions suddenly surge.

Fear.

Love.

Determination.

And the desperate desire to protect someone important.

The air around Sakura changed.

The world seemed to slow down.

Miyu's eyes widened.

"Sakura..."

The little girl raised her hand.

"Stop."

Everything froze.

The wind.

The falling dust.

The villain.

Even the movement of the girl's hair.

Time itself had stopped.

Sakura's eyes widened.

"I did it..."

She rushed toward her friend.

Using her time-manipulation ability, she moved through the frozen battlefield and pulled the hostage away from the villain.

Then she released her power.

Time resumed.

The S-rank villain looked around in confusion.

"What... happened?"

His hostage was gone.

And standing between him and the girl...Was Sakura.

The Unknown Villain

Miyu stared in disbelief.

"Sakura defeated an S-rank villain's attack..."

She had to act now.

If she remained hidden, Sakura could be killed.

Miyu raised her hand.

A black-and-purple butterfly appeared.

It was much darker than the others.

Purple light flowed through its wings.

Miyu whispered:

"Go."

The butterfly flew toward the battlefield.

The S-rank villain noticed it.

"What is that?"

The butterfly touched his body.

Suddenly, his expression changed."What?!"

Dark energy spread across him.

His power began disappearing.

His supernatural energy was being drained.

"What did you do to me?!"

The butterfly continued absorbing his ability.

Miyu's system appeared before her eyes.

[Target Detected]

Rank: S

Status: Active

[Butterfly Ability Activated]

Ability Suppression

Target's supernatural ability is being completely sealed.

Miyu's eyes widened.

"Complete suppression?"

She hadn't known the butterfly could do that.

The S-rank villain fell to his knees.

His power was gone.

The entire square became silent.

Then the butterfly returned to Miyu.

But this time...

It didn't simply return.

It possessed her.

Black and purple energy surrounded Miyu's body.

Her presence suddenly became overwhelming.

For the first time, she stepped out of the shadows.

The cameras immediately turned toward her.

The heroes stared.

The civilians froze.

Even Sakura looked at her in shock."You're..."

Miyu looked toward the cameras.

She knew exactly what she needed to do.

If she wanted to become a believable villain...

She had to make the world fear her.Her voice echoed across the square.

"I am the one you've been looking for."

Black butterflies filled the sky.

Miyu's eyes glowed purple.

"The unknown villain."

She looked directly at the cameras.

"And from this day forward..."

The butterflies spread across the city.

"...I will become this world's worst nightmare."

The words were broadcast everywhere.Television stations.

Phones.

News networks.

Even people listening to the radio while driving heard her voice.

The entire city had witnessed the impossible.

An unknown villain had appeared...

And defeated an S-rank villain.

Nobody knew her name.

Nobody knew her age.

Nobody knew her true power.

Nobody knew why she had done it.

But everyone now had a reason to fear her.

Miyu silently smiled beneath the shadow of her hood.

I'm sorry, Akari.

If I want to protect you, everyone has to believe I'm really your enemy.

Returning Home

After the battle, Miyu secretly used another butterfly.

It flew toward Sakura and her friend.

"Follow the butterfly."

Sakura looked at the glowing creature.

"Will you come with us?"

Miyu hesitated.

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Because someone might see me."

Sakura understood.

"You're hiding your identity."

Miyu smiled.

"Exactly."

The butterfly guided Sakura and her friend safely home.

Miyu watched from a distant rooftop.She was relieved.

Both girls were safe.

The S-rank villain had been defeated.

And nobody knew who had really done it.

But before Miyu could leave...

A familiar transparent screen appeared before her.

[SYSTEM]

New Main Objective DetectedObjective: Attend a Normal SchoolRequirement: Enter an ordinary school and continue living as a normal student.

Miyu stared at the message.

"...A school?"

She couldn't believe it.

After everything that had happened...

Her mysterious system wanted her to go to school.

Miyu sighed.

"So even a secret villain has to do homework?"

She looked toward the city.

Somewhere out there was Akari.

Somewhere were Yuna, Ren, and Sakura.

And somewhere, new enemies were waiting.

Miyu smiled.

"Fine."

She closed the system window.

"I'll go to school."

The mysterious villain disappeared into the night.

But the next morning...

The entire world would be talking about her.

End of Volume 1 — Chapter 4.