Epic Of Caterpillar

Chapter 2833 - 2834: American Super Heroes And Their Mysterious Origins

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”Okay, sure. The world shielded ordinary people, so the Spiritual Plane invasion is only affecting the Supernatural Plane. Does that explain how they managed to reach all the way here in Japan?” Kireina asked thoughtfully. ”And thatʼs without even considering how the President is still alive. Could he be some kind of double?”

”Possibly…” Redgaria nodded. ”Or something even more disturbing. Weʼll find out soon enough.”

”Hmmm…” Kireina sighed. ”Havenʼt you entered the Supernatural Plane over in America?”

”Yes, Iʼve fought a few of those annoying ʼSuperheroesʼ that keep showing up,” Redgaria replied. ”And… wait a second. Now that I think about it, itʼs strange. America has Superheroes. Theyʼre so irritating that I never stopped to question how bizarre that actually is. Maybe because I merged with my parallel self who saw them as normal. Why are there beings with supernatural powers flying around fighting Villains?”

”You could have mentioned that earlier!” Kireina exclaimed, shocked.

”Hey, I was enjoying my life with my sister,” Redgaria said with a shrug. ”She… well, she grew very attached to our parents.”

”…Hm,” Kireina acknowledged. ”So North America is odd because it has actual Superheroes… and Villains? Like something straight out of a comic book?”

”Apparently theyʼve been around not just in North America but across Central and South America for quite some time,” Redgaria continued. ”There are Villains they defeat, and they generally keep crime in check. Iʼve fought them both in Reality and in the Supernatural Plane and killed a few. I turned them into Undead. Here.”

Redgaria snapped his fingers. Shadows spread from him and revealed a tall, muscular man wearing a tight blue-and-yellow superhero suit with a large ”T” on his chest and a flowing yellow cape.

It was a zombie now, with blank white eyes and rotting skin that revealed patches of exposed flesh beneath the damaged suit. A unique aura of power still radiated from it.

”This one was called Titanman,” Redgaria said proudly. ”I killed him three weeks ago. He was quite strong, and he still is.”

”Titanman… I see,” Kireina nodded. ”This guy isnʼt part of the Supernatural like we know it. Heʼs an Esper! So they can manifest powers beyond just psychic abilities. But why are there so many Espers concentrated in the Americas? Theyʼre practically nonexistent in Japan.”

”Who knows…” Redgaria said. ”But we can ask the soul trapped inside.”

His hand turned ghostly and plunged into the heroʼs chest. ”Hey, Dream Goddess sisters, would you mind helping me pull him into a dream?”

”Hmph. Why donʼt you use our names?” Somnara asked with clear irritation.

”Yeah, be more polite, uncle!” Magmara added, flames flickering around her.

”Uncle?!” Redgaria snapped. ”I teach at your school sometimes. Iʼm your professor!”

”But youʼre rude!”

”Yeah…”

”Come on, Redgaria. Just say ʼpleaseʼ once in a while,” Kireina said, rolling her eyes. ”We donʼt have time for this.”

”…Please?” Redgaria muttered.

”Ok!”

The two Dream Goddess sisters nodded and extracted Titanmanʼs soul as a swirling dream cloud. Everyone watched his most important memories unfold.

Titanman defeating Doctor Jurassic, a mad scientist who tried to turn an entire city into dinosaurs.

Titanman killing innocent people when his anger got the better of him.

Titanman accidentally destroying buildings.

Titanman battling Shadow Claw, some kind of shapeshifting shadow creature.

And more—his heroic deeds mixed with shameful secrets and crimes hidden behind his fame and authority.

”Whew, this guy was a real piece of work,” Kireina said, rubbing her chin. ”Hmm, wait—stop right there, girls.”

The twins paused on a much older memory. Titanman, still an ordinary civilian, was walking home from work when he accidentally bumped into someone.

A girl with silver hair.

The moment he touched her, his body convulsed. He collapsed and was rushed to the hospital.

The girl glanced back once, revealing rainbow-colored eyes, before vanishing.

She bore a striking resemblance to X0-9.

When the man woke up in the hospital, he was three times larger and far more muscular, possessing near-invulnerable skin and titanic strength.

From that day forward, he became Titanman, eventually licensing his powers and rising to celebrity status.

”Who is that girl?!” Wagyu exclaimed. ”She gave him his superpower?!”

”This is insane. This world has more secrets than I thought…” Kireina murmured. ”Redgaria, can you bring the others?”

”Sure.” Redgaria summoned two more fallen superheroes.

The second was Captain Magma, a man who could erupt and control lava from his body.

His origin was similar—he had briefly locked eyes with the same silver-haired girl.

The third, Gum Girl, could turn her body into pink gum. She had saved someone from being hit by a car.

That someone was the same girl.

”So thereʼs a mysterious girl who grants random superpowers just by touching or looking at people?” Kekensha asked in disbelief.

”And all their origin stories happened within a similar timeframe,” Redgaria noted. ”Superheroes have existed since the seventies, but these belong to the newer generation.”

”Maybe the older ones were traditional Espers or government experiments,” Kireina theorized. ”But this is very interesting… X0-9 was a clone, right? Along with all his siblings… so perhaps this girl is the original Esper they were cloned from.”

”D-Does that mean I can grant superpowers—wait,” X0-9ʼs eyes widened.

”You already have,” Kireina said, glancing at Lazuli and Blaze.

”If I had known superpowers could be granted like this, I would have done something…” Redgaria sighed. ”Well, whatever. That girl hasnʼt been seen in the last twenty years. Nobody knows where she is.”

”Then weʼll add her to the list,” Kireina decided. ”Find the mysterious superpower-granting girl—possibly the source of X0-9. For now, we also need to investigate whatʼs going on with the American government. Thereʼs no way the president is the same person after everything weʼve seen. Redgaria, you and the others who went there—form a team and look into it.”

”What? But…” Redgaria started to protest, but Kireinaʼs expression was firm.

”Itʼs an order from your boss,” she said with a sweet smile. ”Iʼll reward you well, so please.”

”Tsk! Fine…” Redgaria grumbled, crossing his arms. ”But donʼt ask for anything else, okay?!”

”Okay, okay, donʼt get so upset,” Kireina said, rolling her eyes again. ”Anyway, letʼs start the project on X0-9ʼs body. Lazuli, Blaze—your mission is to help him… or her feel better and happier, all right? By the way, do you prefer to be called a boy or a girl? I know you donʼt have anything down there.”

”I like being referred to as a boy,” X0-9 answered. ”I donʼt know why, but it just feels right.”

”Then youʼre a boy,” Kireina said with a nod.

”How about Allen?” Lazuli suggested.

”Or maybe Gawain!” Blaze added excitedly.

”Those sound a bit much…” X0-9 sighed. ”Something simpler would be fine.”

While they discussed names, Kireina turned her attention back to her work, simultaneously walking through the bustling streets of Tokyo until she reached the hidden territory of the Amaterasu Clan.

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