The stunning woman with long chestnut hair was named Erika.
She didn't have any superpowers,
But she had mastered countless forms of martial arts and was highly skilled with a wide range of weapons.
Her physical capabilities were at the absolute peak of human potential, like an Olympic gold medalist across the board.
Due to a traumatic childhood, Erika had developed an obsession with martial arts.
She and Carl had first met back in college.
They'd attended the same university,
Naturally, they ended up dating.
…
Now, seeing Erika again,
Carl raised an eyebrow.
Because,
It wasn't just Erika he saw.
She was currently sparring one-on-one with Daredevil.
The two were exchanging blows right there on the street.
Daredevil, wearing sunglasses and casual business attire, looked nothing like the red-suited hero that resembled a low-budget Captain America.
But Carl recognized him at a glance.
From the very first time they met,
Carl had already seen through his disguise.
Thanks to his super vision, Carl could see across vast distances, pierce through matter, and scan the stars.
That included X-ray vision and far more.
『God of Mankind』: Daredevil, huh… and of all people, you're picking a fight with my girlfriend?
Carl chuckled, then vanished with a whoosh.
And in the next instant,
He appeared beside Erika and Daredevil.
…
Outside the Café
Matt Murdock, a.k.a. Daredevil, was lightly sparring with Erika.
Of course,
This wasn't some desperate, life-or-death battle.
He was a hero. A vigilante who upheld justice.
All he really wanted was to strike up a conversation.
So,
Daredevil didn't use his full strength.
After exchanging just a few moves, he'd already sensed Erika's level.
Strong. Very strong for a normal human.
Definitely not someone an average person could handle.
But compared to Daredevil?
She still had a ways to go.
That just made her more interesting.
She clearly wasn't trying to kill him either,
Which made sense. She was, after all, a normal person.
And it was broad daylight.
『Daredevil』: Maybe I should let her win… Play the underdog.
『Daredevil』: If I win, she might get mad and walk off. But if I lose, hey, maybe she'll like me.
He decided to hold back,
But right then, a calm voice rang out beside him.
『God of Mankind』: Picking on a woman… not exactly gentlemanly, is it?
The very next second,
Click.
Daredevil's arm was locked in place by something cold and metallic.
His face stiffened. Something wasn't right.
Before he could react,
The world flipped.
Boom!
He was slammed into the ground.
The scent of grass filled his nose.
Groaning, Daredevil instinctively tried to push himself up.
His hands touched soft turf. His heightened senses confirmed it:
He was lying on a patch of lawn.
『Daredevil』: Lawn...? Wait a second… that's over ten meters away from the café!
He couldn't believe it.
『Daredevil』: No way Erika threw me that far… someone else did!
He pushed his senses to the max.
Sure enough,
There she was.
Erika, now holding hands and kissing a man.
『Daredevil』: …What the f,
Boiling with frustration, he stormed forward.
But then,
『God of Mankind』: Small world, Daredevil.
Daredevil froze.
That voice,
『Daredevil』: …It's him.
The man from before. The one who blackmailed Kingpin and took out all his men, alone.
Daredevil's anger instantly vanished.
He stood stiff, trying to read the situation.
His radar sense confirmed everything:
The woman, Erika, was clearly affectionate toward this man.
She wasn't resisting. Quite the opposite.
They were close. Intimate.
『Daredevil』: I can't win this one.
He took a deep breath.
『Daredevil』: …I'm sorry. It was all just a misunderstanding.
Because,
He knew he'd lose in a fight.
And more importantly,
As a hero, he knew when he was in the wrong.
If he'd known Erika had a boyfriend, he never would've tried anything.
『God of Mankind』: …
Carl didn't speak.
He simply smiled, eyes gleaming, watching Daredevil carefully.
With his mind-reading ability, he saw everything Daredevil was thinking.
Truthfully,
When Carl had seen him sparring with Erika,
He'd been seconds away from killing him.
But now?
He changed his mind.
『God of Mankind』: Maybe I'll keep him alive. Could be useful cleaning up low-level villains.
Just then,
『Erika』: Carl! What are you doing here?
『God of Mankind』: Hmm… came to find you.
『Erika』: Really?! Let's go shopping!
『God of Mankind』: Sure.
Erika beamed with joy.
Carl smiled as they walked off together.
Leaving Daredevil standing awkwardly behind them.
『Daredevil』: …Why is my life like this?