“Black Cat, I’ve let you escape again… I apologize.”
W City’s local broadcast featured a news article with a photo of Yuanna, her head bowed in apology.
Not long after Cage’s broadcast, Yuanna had fought Black Cat but once again, she became the hero who let the Black Cat get away—even as an S-Class Hero.
She had come prepared with numerous excuses, fearing the public would question why, despite the collaboration of two S-Class Heroes and the full evacuation of citizens, Black Cat still managed to escape.
“If I had chosen to chase, there might have been a chance to capture Black Cat, but I decided to protect the S-Class Hero Cage standing right next to me. Moreover, continuing the fight would have led to exponentially greater damage due to Black Cat’s escape… Since Black Cat is a unique monster capable of changing abilities to counter the hero it faces, predicting the outcome was nearly impossible…”
Protecting your comrade! Do you want to lose one of your S-Class Heroes?
Protecting the buildings! Do you want to lose your homes?
No, if that angry little cat keeps destroying things uncontrollably, W City might eventually need to pay the cost and capture Black Cat.
“I have inflicted proper injuries on Black Cat, so it is estimated that it won’t take reckless actions for some time if I intervene. I will aim to minimize any damage. To this end, I urge citizens and fellow heroes not to unnecessarily provoke Black Cat. Specifically, I’ve learned that some individuals feed Black Cat, but now that Black Cat appears to have recognized humans as hostile, this could result in significantly dangerous actions…”
In short, don’t provoke Black Cat again and make it cause trouble.
Stop giving it food—you’re making things difficult for those trying to capture Black Cat because of this nonsense.
Pleaaaase, listen to me.
You’ve seen how unruly Black Cat can get. Do you really want to watch Black Cat and I tear W City apart?
Having thus provided all suitable excuses, Yuanna reported on the damage.
The damage caused by Black Cat this time amounted to 83 buildings. However, the citizens who typically would have gotten angry over why Black Cat was provoked into causing such incidents showed no frustration toward Yuanna.
[W City should be renamed as Yuanna’s City.]
[The reason Black Cat fears Yuanna.]
[The true nature of the Despair-Class Monster, but suppressed by Yuanna.]
[Star Punch! Star Punch!]
Citizens everywhere were sharing photos of the very muscular, broad-jawed Yuanna “beating up” the tiny Black Cat.
In the image, Black Cat’s paw clutched a gilded knight toy.
S-Class Hero, Cage.
The W City citizen’s bane and hero of A City, who had taken severe injuries from Black Cat this time.
[Cage, you showed up for nothing, saying you’d catch Black Cat, and now my house is gone.]
[Black Cat’s being well-educated by Starlight, but I guess seeing Starlight delivering some brutal punches made Cage think he could catch it too?]
[Ever since Starlight captured Mirage, it was clear Starlight was stronger than Cage—this leaves no room for Cage fans to argue.]
[Without Starlight, Cage would have died. Did you know W City actually saved A City?]
[Starlight is so cool!! ㅠㅠヨ피]
Exposed to everyone through live broadcasts, Cage’s battle scenes showed, contrary to expectations, Black Cat thoroughly outplaying him.
If only Cage had attempted to catch Black Cat alone and something went wrong, he might have garnered some sympathy, but the video revealed a critical flaw, one even the citizens could understand.
[Cage isn’t weak, but he’s more of a high-weight tank and support type hero, not a damage dealer.]
[Yet he tried to deal damage and ended up humiliating others who specialize in it.]
[Why did he try to tackle it alone? If he had joined in from the start, we might’ve already captured it.]
[Ah… Cage, what were you thinking!]
Cage initially seemed unstoppable, looking like the epitome of toughness and receiving high praise. However, the moment he was reduced to a ragdoll and began tearing apart the prison’s interior with a hammer-like force, he was seen as an arrogant hero who made a grave mistake.
[This guy sometimes seems cool with his pride, but looking at him now, he’s so embarrassing.]
[Capturing weaker foes minimizes civilian casualties, which is impressive, but when faced with someone his equal or stronger, he instantly becomes a toy.]
[It’s all those cattery fanatics who claim Black Cat is safe. Their antics have inspired Cage to go after Black Cat, only making him seem foolish.]
And then there was the question:
[Why are there Cage fans and Black Cat fans, but no Yuanna fans?]
[Hey… taunting an S-Class Hero might not be the best idea… ]
If you’re looking for someone to criticize regarding the damage to W City, blame Cage.
To such an extent, public opinion had largely formed in favor of praising Starlight and criticizing Cage. Amidst this, a heartfelt video from some citizens gained attention.
[Black Cat, I can’t pet you anymore ㅠㅜ]
[When I tried to pet you, you growled… what do I do, have you started disliking humans?]
[What should I do… don’t you remember me? You used to let me touch your tail…]
[What should we do about our Blacky ㅠ]
[This is all Cage’s fault!]
[I was a Cage fan, but seeing Blacky get mad made me dislike him… ㅠ]
When someone who had helped Black Cat tried to pet it with a piece of meat, Black Cat bared its teeth and aggressively threatened them.
Having witnessed Black Cat’s destruction of heroes, no one dismissed its warning lightly.
There were even rumors suggesting anyone who tried to poison Black Cat with drugged meat had their hands immediately severed.
Those feeding Black Cat blamed Cage entirely for the change in its behavior.
Surprisingly, the citizens of W City largely agreed.
[Is this footage after Cage’s arrival, or was it taken earlier? Black Cat helped again, didn’t it?]
[Still eating meat, I see?]
[What the… did Black Cat just defeat another monster?]
[Cat fanatics, stop feeding Black Cat and focus on evacuating!]
[Ever since Starlight appeared, Black Cat seems kinda cute when it scurries away.]
[Oh great, more Black Cat fans…]
Citizens criticized the act of feeding a monster while paradoxically celebrating that Black Cat was once again helping by catching other monsters.
After all, nobody wanted to see a Despair-Class Monster running rampant.
But why doesn’t Black Cat attack humans?
As this question began spreading among the citizens, their answer invariably pointed to Starlight.
[Just looking at how a single attack can tear off its leg, it’s clear this is because Starlight is properly disciplining Black Cat.]
[It gets angry when eating monsters but runs away afterward because if it were to eat humans, Starlight would likely kill it, so it restrains itself.]
[Starlight is proving to be quite an effective deterrent.]
[Even if Starlight can’t capture Black Cat but only suppresses it, isn’t that basically equal to having another S-Class Hero? After all, it helps by eating plenty of monsters.]
[I’m not a cat fan, but this does seem logical. We will eventually need to capture it, but maintaining the current state isn’t so bad, is it?]
[If Starlight can stop Black Cat from attacking citizens, even intentionally not capturing it can be seen as a wise decision, correct?]
[Wasn’t it concluded that taming monsters is impossible?]
[The difference between a weaker human trying to tame a monster and Starlight demonstrating overwhelming force to make it listen is significant.]
[More monster researchers will likely head to W City.]
Thus, public opinion around Yuanna shifted: from thinking of her as an S-Class Hero who couldn’t capture a Despair-Class monster, she was now regarded as a suppressor of special Despair-Class entities.
And finally, Cage regained consciousness.
“…To all the citizens of W City and A City, I sincerely apologize for the trouble this has caused.”
With severe compound fractures throughout his body, injuries that would have been fatal to a non-hero, Cage appeared pale before the camera, speaking in a weak voice unlike his usual prideful demeanor.
“To be honest, this was due to my arrogance. I considered the numerous times I defeated Starlight in our battles and thought it was time to confirm my actual strength, especially since Starlight’s monster combat record was similar to mine…”
The overconfident Cage, now surprisingly humble, struck a chord with his fans, forming a wave of sympathy.
Furthermore, the exclusive information Cage calmly provided—that he had always defeated Starlight in their direct battles—was confirmed when aggressive journalists investigated further, speaking with Yuanna.
As such, the hostile opinions against Cage inevitably softened.
[Based on what Starlight said, if they fought, Cage would always win, right?]
[Cage not only excels at catching monsters but also villains. You might not know this in W City because villains are rare, but in A City, he’s considered the top hero for both skills.]
[Cage is a defensive hero, while Starlight is offensive. They just specialize differently.]
[Beating other heroes isn’t much of a boast. Catching monsters well is key!]
[Even while being pummeled by Black Cat, Cage held on. Starlight would’ve been out in one hit, right?]
[Starlight: Why get hit at all? Avoidance is key, isn’t it?]
[Honestly, Cage isn’t weak. Black Cat is just stronger.]
A confusing hierarchy formed.
Starlight, who defeated the monster Mirage, couldn’t capture Black Cat, and the monster Black Cat that Starlight couldn’t capture managed to defeat Cage in battle, who could defeat Starlight in a direct confrontation.
At this point, some citizens realized how absurd it was to debate over who is stronger among the heroes, as strengths and outcomes depend on the abilities’ compatibility. Even strong heroes can fall to weaker ones depending on the circumstances.
[So, does this mean Black Cat will go uncaptured for the foreseeable future?]
[With one S-Class Hero injured, and without anyone else capable of containing Black Cat besides Cage, the situation is complicated.]
[The Black Cat fanatics must be thrilled.]
For the time being, Black Cat would continue its activities in W City, preying on other monsters.
W City residents, though uneasy, largely viewed this state of affairs as acceptable.
As long as it remained under Starlight’s supervision, staying cautious and avoiding unnecessary provocations could ensure that Black Cat continued to be beneficial to its citizens.
“…How pathetic, these W City dwellers…”
Watching the citizens of W City relaxing in such a scenario, Cage, from the back of the ambulance, muttered while unraveling the bandages covering his body.
“Nothing has truly been resolved. Black Cat, the monster, still exists in W City, a ticking bomb just waiting to explode… and yet, these people seem to celebrate, thinking it’s acceptable to leave the bomb be instead of dismantling it.”
In front of him, Yuanna, who had been escorting him as a fellow S-Class Hero, glanced at her smartphone, visibly annoyed.
“I think you’re the pathetic one. Dramatically parading around on camera with those bandages… when did S-Class Heroes get so weak?”
S-Class Superhumans were already beyond human capabilities; compound fractures could heal in about a week with proper eating and rest. Cage’s recovery rate was faster than most.
Yuanna, whose injuries were nearly healed when she appeared on camera, found it ridiculous that Cage overplayed his injuries for the cameras.
—
Within the ambulance, looking at his bandaged body, Cage muttered with annoyance:
“Ultimately, nothing has been resolved. Black Cat, the monster, still exists in W City as an unexploded bomb, and instead of trying to defuse it, everyone seems to be happy as long as it hasn’t yet exploded.”
Standing before him, watching a community site on her smartphone, Yuanna voiced her discontent:
“You’re the one who seems clueless. Acting so injured in front of the cameras—when did S-Class Heroes start being so weak?”
