Bird-man… Pro Hero Flamingo…
"Of course I know I'm committing a crime—don't call me a 'Pro Hero.' That name is filthy!" Flamingo's words sparked something, and his emotions erupted.
"Is it really you?"
At that moment, the middle-aged man, Flamingo, had clamped his left hand and screamed in pain.
"So you finally remember me, Prosecutor Yanei Takefumi!" Flamingo's arm bulged with veins as he hissed. "You're still wandering the mall—living it up, aren't you?"
From his hiding place on the escalator, Lock pieced together the villain's motive. Flamingo had once been a Pro Hero. He'd been stripped of his license. His attack here was personal—it targeted Prosecutor Yanei Takefumi.
The snapped ornament earlier had likely been set ablaze by Flamingo's flames; the heat had weakened the fixture until it failed.
"So… you're out for revenge?" Yanei wheezed, struggling for breath under Flamingo's grip.
Lock remembered how it had begun—two years ago.
Flamingo debuted as a Pro Hero. During an arrest mission, he captured criminals, but he'd tortured and killed them in brutal ways. The public outcry was massive.
In Japan's legal system for Pro Heroes, killing a villain without a court-ordered kill order is illegal. Serious misconduct can lead to prosecution.
Yanei Takefumi, the investigator assigned to Flamingo's case, judged Flamingo's actions as criminal and pressed charges. The court stripped Flamingo of his license and sentenced him to two years' imprisonment with two years' probation.
On paper, it looked severe—but probation allowed leniency. If Flamingo behaved after release, the sentence could be vacated, and he could retake the hero exam to regain his license.
Flamingo couldn't accept it.
After the conviction became public, a flood of harassment followed. Social media and news turned on him; people spat hate and accused him of being a murderer. Outside, passersby recognized him and pointed. Even at home, relatives' stares chilled him. Worst of all, his long-term girlfriend broke up with him, calling him a murderer with no admiration left in her eyes.
Desperate and humiliated, Flamingo moved to the desolate outskirts. There, a man in black found him and whispered, "Let's tear down this fake peace together and take revenge on those sanctimonious Pro Heroes."
"You're right! I only killed criminals—why am I punished? It's society's fault. It's the fault of that prosecutor, Yanei Takefumi!" Flamingo, broken and angry, clung to the man's words and slid into darkness.
He had fallen.
"So, Prosecutor Yanei Takefumi, I'll make you the first sacrifice in my plan. Die here!" Flamingo dropped the pretense. He tightened his grip on Yanei's left arm and ignited his flame, preparing the final blow.
"Don't you dare!"
Seeing this, Fire Buster knew he couldn't stall any longer. He pushed himself up, extended his water pump arms, and aimed a torrent at Flamingo.
"Fools—after the Quirk enhancer bestowed by my patron, ordinary water is useless to me!" Flamingo sneered and slashed with his right arm.
The flames met the water; steam and raw heat hammered the air, creating a violent surge. Yet the flames still advanced, licking forward bit by bit; Fire Buster's pumps strained under the onslaught.
"Water Restraint!"
Lock refused to be just a spectator. Quietly, he chanted the words and formed a huge blue magic circle in his hands. Water—shaped and compacted by his magic power—poured from the circle and lunged straight at Flamingo.
"What—another Pro Hero arrived?" Flamingo hawked, flustered at the sudden water attack.
Forced to react, Flamingo ushis right armrmm blaze to counter the incoming flow. He'd been relying on his left hand to keep Yanei pinned; now he released his left hand to deal with the new threat, planning to stomp Yanei with his foot so the prosecutor couldn't escape.
A fierce gust blew from Flamingo's own scorching flames, forcing him to squint.
"God's Foot!"
In the blink that followed, Yanei Takefumi vanished. Lock had already moved—rescuing the prosecutor and hauling him to the side, placing him beside Fire Buster.
Lock's speed stunned the professional Pro Hero. The water restraint had been a feint; Lock's real plan was clear: get the hostage safe first, then fight without any moral restraints.