C City disciple Dragon Sparrow hadn’t prepared some luxurious high-end complex for Mirror October’s stay—just an utterly ordinary apartment building. Its sole advantage? Proximity to the Hero Academy. Even at a leisurely stroll, Mirror October quickly found his reserved lodging.
Thanks to the Hero Academy’s absurdly lax rules, as long as no scandals erupted, its students lived nearly as freely as civilians. Skipping classes? Entirely optional. Graduate smoothly by securing endorsement from a recognized hero—that was all it took.
After all… being a hero’s butler wasn’t a role molded by short-term training. The resources and exposure required would bankrupt the Academy if mass-produced!
Since superheroes emerged, how many unable to become heroes had turned to serving them? And how many truly succeeded? Among today’s A-Class and S-Class heroes, how many possessed genuinely qualified butlers?
Mirror October’s meticulous observation over the years yielded a near-zero count.
His enrollment aimed to dissect the incomprehensible hearts of modern superheroes. His sister, Ruosui Jing, was both the perfect research subject… and a delicate target. No one needed to remind him: his humanity was withering, flaking away. Soon, he might not even claim to be human.
The room was spotless—impeccable enough to satisfy Mirror October’s mild OCD. Dragon Sparrow knew Saw’s preferences well: quiet, low-key, easily overlooked. Utterly comfortable. The apartment’s stillness wrapped around Mirror October like a familiar chill. He set his luggage neatly against the wall, a faint smile deepening at the corners of his lips.
The reason? Simple.
Keys.
Specifically—car keys.
Or rather… the key to the next game. In his ears, the wails of the ignorant echoed anew. Since becoming Saw, Mirror October despised those who trampled justice and disrespected life. His games seemed lethal, yet understanding their rules always revealed a path to redemption.
"Game on."
......
If Mirror October was winter, his sister Ruosui Jing was a little sun—radiant, brilliant, exceptional. Unlike her reserved siblings, she blazed with unguarded brilliance, idolized by many at the orphanage. To Mirror October, she felt almost dreamlike.
What intrigued him more: inheriting their grandfather’s ideals, Ruosui now mirrored his past self—equally naive, equally fervent, her convictions forged in steel.
One hand rested on the steering wheel; the other traced his pale, bloodless lips. Crimson eyes studied the two oblivious girls ahead. Ruosui Jing… and a stranger.
*A friend?*
He dismissed the thought instantly. The stranger’s expression reeked of flattery. *A sycophant, then.* His scarlet pupils narrowed slightly. *Ah… having a willful sister is such a headache.*
"I recall Ruosui’s hero power manifests as the Norse Valkyrie—commanding the might of nine armies. With the Central Bureau’s testing methods, they’d have no choice but to use my old relics." Mirror October had secretly implanted a Mirror Flower Node on Ruosui after her awakening. Given the Bureau’s twisted hunger for his power, ignoring her potential would be absurd.
Once they touched his relics, his goals would unfold effortlessly.
As the SS-Class Sovereign who once towered above all heroes, his legacy had been weaponized for years—his battles against the Dire Calamity, his victories over criminals, all repackaged to boost morale. The dead couldn’t protest. But if the dead… weren’t?
He glanced at Ruosui once, then turned the car away.
She was his sister in name. He wouldn’t harm her. But he wouldn’t shield her either. The path she chose, she’d walk—even on bleeding knees.
***
Simultaneously, Ruosui’s heart jolted.
Her power screamed a warning: a warrior of unfathomable strength, hidden in darkness like a starless abyss, had *rejected* her Valkyrie resonance. The Valkyrie’s gift—channeling the strength of living or dead heroes—had been denied. Before even debuting in the superhero world, Ruosui took a critical strike to the heart from her own brother.
For a Valkyrie, nothing cut deeper than rejection by a spirit she could summon.
Deep within her, Mirror October’s Mirror Flower Node sank into undetectable shadows. Even an S-Class hero’s scan would miss his illusory power. He hadn’t realized his cold distance had already scarred her abilities.
"Hey… Jie? I’m in C City. Yeah, all good. I’ll take care of myself—*laughs*—I’m not a kid anymore. Ruosui? She’s making friends, seems happy. Me? Still in the car… What? You’re coming *here*?" Liuhua Jing—his gentle, overprotective sister. Mirror October couldn’t bear to worry her. A simple check-in was the least he owed.
"...Alright. I’ll prepare." His narrow, sharp eyes lifted. Liuhua was coming. And she planned to move into his apartment.
Terrible news. Especially for Saw. His sister’s presence would complicate everything. Catching the strange weight in her gaze during their last meeting, Mirror October felt a flicker of unease.
