Chapter 183: The Rise of the Trash Hero

(Please add it to your Library! Please send Power Stones! Thank you! For more chapters, visit my patreon.com/Fanfic69)

100 stones = +1 Chapter

----

"This is the store," Umi announced as she walked ahead. "They have all sorts of outfits, and the craftsmanship is excellent. They even offer custom-made clothes."

Amamiya glanced up at the shop's exterior and asked, "Do you come here often?"

"I've only been here once," Umi replied. "I wanted to cosplay as Shizuku before, so I checked out the price for a custom outfit, but it was too expensive. I was planning to make the clothes myself." Clenching her fists, her eyes gleamed with determination. "You never know if tomorrow or an accident will come first, so I have to push myself toward my goals—no regrets."

This girl was undoubtedly action-oriented. Once she set her mind on something, she'd work tirelessly to see it through.

"Welcome…"

A hollow, eerie voice drifted from the shadowy corner of the store.

"Good afternoon!" Umi responded instinctively.

The next moment, a corporate evil spirit shrouded in black mist, with hollow eyes and still wearing an employee uniform, lurched forward.

"You… can see me!"

"Eh? Huh?" Umi yelped, quickly grabbing onto Amamiya's arm.

'Evil spirit, begone.'

Without hesitation, Amamiya activated a protective aura, instantly dispelling the office worker spirit.

You've turned into a ghost, and yet you're still greeting customers at the door? Just let go of the past and move on already!

"I almost died of fright," Umi sighed deeply, clutching her chest. "He was hiding behind the door, scaring me like that!"

Amamiya frowned. "You should make sure you see who's talking before responding."

If this girl had come alone, she might've been in real danger.

"I answered because you were with me," Umi said with a playful tone, sticking out her pink tongue. "If you weren't here, I wouldn't have been so careless."

Amamiya narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "I doubt that."

"…"

"Hello, and welcome!" A saleswoman approached, smiling politely and professionally.

Umi stared intently, her eyes widening as she studied the salesgirl from head to toe.

"Confirmed," Umi nodded seriously. "She's alive."

The saleswoman's ears twitched slightly, her smile faltering as unease crept in.

What does she mean by 'alive'? This is a perfectly legitimate clothing store! No one has ever died here… okay?

"Good afternoon!" Umi greeted with a bright, cheerful smile. "Excuse me, do you have Shizuku-tan's uniform?"

"...Shizuku-tan?" the saleswoman asked, slightly confused.

"Kuroe Shizuku," Umi clarified, placing her hand on her hip and speaking confidently. "The Wet Girls' School's Young Lady Shame Club."

Amamiya silently took half a step away.

There's nothing wrong with girls playing 'galgames', but very few could declare their fandom out loud with such shameless pride.

Clearly, this was true love.

"Oh, uh… let me check for you," the salesgirl stammered, her smile freezing in place.

A few moments later…

"Never mind," Umi said with a hint of regret. "I'll try something else today."

The store was quite large, with a steady flow of customers coming and going. As Amamiya scanned the aisles, considering what outfit Umi might try next, a boy emerged from the fitting room dressed in a khaki combat uniform and a white cloak.

"It's Mr. Saitama," Umi's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Want to give it a try, Amamiya?"

"If I nailed the role, I'd be one-punching every ghost around," Amamiya joked, though he quickly followed up in his mind: 'The most iconic thing about Mr. Saitama is his shiny bald head. I'd rather be stomped on by you than sacrifice my hair!'

"Wait, that's strange." Umi suddenly noticed something. "There aren't any cosplay outfits for characters like Spider-Man, Thor, or Captain America in this store."

"The reason is simple," Amamiya grumbled. "In Japan, only students get to save the world."

When Marvel movies were released and dominated box offices worldwide, Japan was the exception. Here, it was always topped by the likes of 'Detective Conan'. There were many reasons for this, but one of the most prominent was cultural mindset.

In Japan, the hero protagonist is almost always a student, usually an elementary, middle, or high schooler. Adult heroes—especially working professionals—are a rarity.

When 'Batman' was released, the box office wasn't great. A survey was conducted, and many people responded:

"A man that old still being a hero? It's embarrassing."

"Why not make him a high school student?"

Simply put, it was a matter of cultural differences. An old guy in his 40s still running around fighting crime? He should just retire and leave Gotham to the younger generation. Let the relics of the past fade away!

The two of them quickly made their way around the store.

"Hey, there's a nun costume over there. I'm going to try it out, see if I can role-play as one," Umi decided. After confirming the fitting room was free of any more ghosts, she walked in with her selection. "Amamiya-kun, what about you?"

Amamiya scanned the store, noticing the various uniforms on display before deciding, "I'll go with a ninja."

The substitution techniques, clones, and other ninja skills would definitely come in handy if they could be unlocked through role-playing.

Entering the fitting room with the ninja cosplay, Amamiya put on the outfit and silently activated his copied 'role-playing' ability.

[Testing… Test failed]

[Compatibility does not meet the minimum requirements for role-playing]

"Failed."

Amamiya remained calm. He hadn't expected to succeed so easily on the first try.

After exiting the fitting room, he tried on another cosplay, but the result was still failure.

Meanwhile, Umi emerged from the opposite fitting room, looking dejected. "Amamiya-kun, I can't be a nun after all."

"Not surprising."

Self-sacrifice, saving others, love for all of humanity, and having a devout faith—you don't tick any of those boxes!

They continued searching for a costume that would trigger successful role-play.

"Hm?"

When Amamiya's eyes fell on a hero cosplay outfit, a sudden prompt appeared in his mind.

[You suddenly have an idea: maybe you have the potential to become a hero.]

Just kidding. I'd much rather be a cunning villain than a noble hero.

There was no reason for the prompt to appear without cause. Intrigued, Amamiya picked up the hero costume and headed into the fitting room.

After putting on the outfit, he activated the role-playing skill once more.

[Testing… Test successful]

[Compatibility met, you have unlocked the role-playing of 'The Trash Hero']

[Current compatibility: 35%]

[Role-playing reward: All your basic stats have been enhanced.]

[Bonus reward: When performing sneak attacks, backstabs, traps, or coercion, enemies are more likely to drop their guard.]

Amamiya clenched his fists and felt power surging through him, as if he could easily break a brick with his bare hands.

[Important note: While role-playing as 'The Trash Hero,' your actions and words must align with the character's personality. The more people who recognize you in this role, the higher your synchronization rate will be. Conversely, acting out of character will lower it. As the synchronization rate increases, more role-playing rewards will be unlocked.]

[At 50% synchronization, you will unlock the role of 'Stick Hero.']

[Note: This ability is temporary. You can role-play for up to 30 minutes.]

Amamiya's expression turned blank.

'Forget the other details… who in the world can explain what a 'Stick Hero' is?'