#708 An Unlucky Shell

I’m Desmask, an elder spirit.

Everyone, please feel free to call me Desmask.

Mr. Desmask?

Sir Desmask?

No, just Desmask and nothing else, desumasu.

I live in the mighty currents... in a cave on an uninhabited island off Des Avenue, the Manigol Cave, desumasu.

There, I immerse myself in the seawater that flows in with the tides, eat moss growing on the rocks, and sunbathe on good weather days, desumasu.

I’m usually alone, desumasu.

I don’t often spend time with others, desumasu.

That’s due to the form I was born with, desumasu.

You see, I’m a crab, desumasu.

I’m so big that I can be considered a giant, taller than an adult human male, desumasu.

I’m often mistaken for a monster, but I’m a full-fledged elder spirit, desumasu.

People often ask me why I’m a crab for someone who’s an elder spirit, but my origins date back to the mythological era thousands of years ago, desumasu.

Back then, gods used to flirt with the mortals, resulting in an influx of demigods, desumasu.

One of the most prominent demigod heroes was Hercules, desumasu.

He was the strongest among the many heroes and achieved numerous feats, desumasu.

However, like others, Hercules was hated by the Mother Celestial Goddess, Hera, desumasu.

After all, he was the child born from the infidelity of Hera’s husband, Zeus, so it was inevitable that Hercules would be resented, desumasu.

So, while Hercules was living on earth, he suffered from all sorts of harassment from Hera, among which one had a lot to do with us crab spirits, desumasu.

Once, Hera created a ghost crab with her divine power and gave it an order, desumasu.

— “Hercules hath grown too audacious. Couldst thou remove that gent’s feet for me?” she said.

Surely, the ghost crab thought it was an unreasonable request, desumasu.

But it couldn’t defy the goddess ruling the heavens, so it resolved to sneak up on Hercules and cut his Achilles tendon, desumasu.

If that plan had succeeded, perhaps we’d call it the Hercules tendon today, desumasu.

However, as you may know from the fact that it didn’t happen, the attempt was unsuccessful, desumasu.

On the contrary, the ghost crab was accidentally crushed by Hercules, who wasn’t even aware of its existence because he was too busy fighting Hydra at the time, desumasu.

It was a bit of an unbelievable outcome, desumasu...

Even if it was destined to lose, there were better ways to go down, desumasu!

Being crushed without the other person knowing it can’t be called a fight; that’s just an accidental death, desumasu!

Since then, several crab spirits have been born, including me, desumasu.

The ghost crab that Hercules crushed could be considered my relative or ancestor, desumasu.

But let me tell you, it’s an unwanted relationship, desumasu.

Thanks to circumstances, we crab spirits are treated as the worst and most despicable in the spirit world, desumasu.

—”Oh, it’s the crab that got accidentally stepped on!”

—”Getting ambushed while fighting another enemy is unfair enough, but to even fail at that and get stepped on instead. Hah!”

—”And getting squished just by being stepped on? Patheticcc!”

We are subjected to such relentless ridicule by the other elder spirits like so!

Desumasu!

Even Hercules, who later moved to the celestial realm, apologized to us. But since he didn’t do anything wrong, it just made the atmosphere even more awkward, desumasu.

Because of this, we, the crab spirits, including myself, are still made to feel inferior, living in the corner of this world, desumasu.

The Manigol Cave, where I live, is a pretty peaceful place, desumasu.

No one visits, so I don’t have to hear any insults. It’s just utterly quiet, desumasu.

It’s calm, but lonely, desumasu.

Sometimes, Kralc Kent the Kraken comes to visit, desumasu.

He’s shy, so he always comes under the pretext of a “challenge,” but he’s a good person... or rather, a good octopus who cares about me and comes to check up on me, desumasu.

But the fact that we’ve been treated poorly since the mythological times hasn’t changed, desumasu.

Ahhh, why were we born crabs, desumasu?

If it weren’t for that, we wouldn’t be mistreated like this, desumasu...

Just as I was spending my days downcast, a visitor arrived, desumasu.

I found it unusual that someone would visit me in a place like this, but what was even more shocking was what they said, desumasu.

***

“It’s a craaaaaaaaaaaaaab! This is the ideal superhero I’ve been seeking!!!”

Huh? What, desumasu?

This is the first time I’ve welcomed a humanoid visitor, desumasu. But what business does such a person have with a pitiful crab like me, desumasu?!

“Ahhh! I apologize for the late introduction! You’re Desmask, the crab elder spirit, right?!”

Indeed, my name is Desmask, desumasu! Please don’t hesitate to call me casually, desumasu!

“Lord Desmask?”

No, desumasu!

“Sir Desmask?”

That’s not it either, desumasu!

“Desmask?”

Yes, that’s it!

And, who exactly are you, kind sir, who knows my name, desumasu?

“I’m the owner of a farm a little far away! I heard about you from Kralc Kent the Kraken!”

So, you’re related to that octopus, desumasu?

I thought that any visitor who came here would be connected to him. My predictions were correct.

“And so... I have a favor to ask of you... I want you to become a superhero!”

W-What, desumasu?!

Your request is so unexpected that I find it hard to follow, desumasu!!!

No one in the world is more distant from being a superhero than me, desumasu!

Even acting as the hero’s antagonist is too out of reach for a crab like me, desumasu!

Please refrain from such teasing words, desumasu!

“No, not at all! Crabs are cool!”

Cool?!

“First of all, those pincers! They’re obviously powerful weapons! Depending on the species, they can easily crush a human’s fingers! Plus, they look fierce and cool!”

Fierce?!

“Also, the fact that your entire body is covered in a hard shell seems strong, like you have high defensive power! It feels like you could repel anything by spinning at high speed!”

Y-You think so, desumasu?!

I do somewhat take pride in the hardness of my shell, desumasu!

“And as a food source, you have crab hot pot, grilled crab, crab miso, crab omelet, crab cream croquettes, crab porridge, crab fried rice, and crab sticks! No matter how you’re cooked, you’re delicious!”

Does that have anything to do with this, desumasu?

“If we could get a life essence from you, I’m convinced we could create a strong and cool superhero! Please, become a superhero with us!”

This is the first time... someone has ever said such a thing to me, desumasu...!

Can I really shine, desumasu?!

Even in mythology, I, a crab who couldn’t become an enemy to the heroes and was unintentionally stepped on, can become a superhero, desumasuuuuuuuu?!

This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me, desumasu!

Okay, desumasu!

If I can be of help, please make an excellent hero out of me, desumasuuuuuu!!!

“Yeeeees! With your cooperation, we can make a strong, tough, and cool superheroooooo!!!”

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after 167 chapters did we finally find out what kraken's gender is 💦i have updated previously related chapters (541 and 542) for consistency

in other news, tokusatsu heroes are on a whole new level...TIL kamen rider is based on a grasshopper