The Great Hero II [NOEL]

A glitch.

A blink of a second. This had happened before too.

Something had happened. Something had shifted.

What was it? No one realized it before.

Not Noel Not Leon nor the the bystanders. Only the readers who were the unseen observers beyond the veil of this world had known that but that was in the past.

This time someone noticed it.

Bzzt…

A flick of a second before it could pass and goes away like before…He noticed it.

Natsume Maruyama. Amidst what was about to happen and happening he was the only one.

His instincts screamed at him.

“Hmph!!!”

A sudden force surged through him, an invisible wave of power erupting outward. He released a mysterious aura, an energy that clashed against the distortion.

A glitch was not realized or noticed by Noel or Leon but the energy of Natsume was.

Both were alerted.

Pressuring energy emitted from Natsume.

Both of them, “Huh?!”

Noel is shocked, “What are you doing? What happened?”

Natsume smiles, “I knew it… something was interfering”

Noel, “Interfering? With what? Rather than that, how are you able to emit this sort of energy in this world”

Natsume with a smile, “Young lady. Despite how ordinary I look, there was a reason I was hailed as a great hero in your world.”

He looks at Leon, “Young man. Continue…”

Natsume Maruyama, the man hailed as a great hero during the second demonic war, was the man who brought victory to humanity. He was no ordinary. He exerted his mysterious pressure even in this mana-limited world.

Though age was something he couldn’t control. Due to the force exerted, he had blood coming from his nose and ear. But he had successfully countered the effects of the glitch.

Noel and Leon show their concern for the blood but Natsume tells Leon to continue.

Leon finally reveals the truth.

Noel was also anticipating this moment, she waiting.

Leon, “It’s as you said, Noel. It’s like I’ve traversed your world before… but only in certain instances. I don’t remember when or how, but the connection between us… it was already there, long before I realized it.”

“In my mind, there are missing pieces. Fragments of something important, something I can’t fully remember. But among all the uncertainty, one thing has always been clear.”

His eyes met Noel’s. “You.”

Noel inhaled sharply.

“I knew you, Noel.”

Her breath caught.

“I don’t know how or why, but I’ve always known you. Even when I couldn’t explain it, even when the memories didn’t make sense, your name, your face, your world… they were already imprinted in my mind.”

His voice was strained, “And even though it confuses me, even though it terrifies me, I know that this connection between us is real.”

Leon finishes what he has to say.

Not much was known but even this proved very crucial.

Noel is glad but she looks at Natsume, “About red-eyed shadow…”

Natsume’s expression was grim. “Whatever it is, its existence here is unnatural. Perhaps it’s connected to your world, or to the realms that intertwine with it. But one thing is certain. It is not something that should be ignored.”

Noel, “Actually I had few suspicions and I hope you hear about it too”

Natsume, “Go on…”

Noel inhaled, “The red-eyed shadow reminded me of the storied of those crimson-eyed demonkins. Perhaps it's one of them? But there’s another thing too. Levedin.”

Natsume is a bit taken back hearing the name of God of creation.

Noel exhaled and continued, “Actually, I found something in the temple of Levedin, a solitary pillar that was different than others, it had an engraved picture of a celestial warrior with a long spear. I even questioned the entity by blurting out Levedin’s name but I don’t know if it reacted or not before it killed me. For now, I just think something related to demonkin”

Natsume leaned back slightly, “Hmm…I however have a bit different opinion.”

Noel blinked, “Huh?”

Natsume, I cannot say for certain, but rather than suspecting the lower realm’s beings… I find myself considering the upper realms instead.”

Noel, “You mean the levedin and the heavens?”

Natsume nodded. “Yes. The lower realm’s beings, the demonkin, I fought against them. I fought a war against them. I know something of their nature.”

His eyes darkened, “But the upper realm… I never had the chance to encounter many of them. Their intentions remain unclear.”

Noel’s breath caught.

“I’ve always had my suspicions,” Natsume continued, “Even my own traversal to that world, I cannot shake the feeling that it was never an accident, but something orchestrated from above.”

Noel is shocked to hear about this.

Natsume, “Although this is just my baseless suspicion. Also, Leon. Even I realize that everything you said was nothing but truth. I’m sorry but I don’t think I’m capable of helping you out with that. Noel too, I don’t know how much help I’ve been until now but I hope you uncover it all”

The night had fallen so they bid farewell to Natsume Maruyama. He gave them a contact address and assured them to contact him anytime if they needed any help. He also thanked Noel for telling him about Lizbeth and her life.

Leon and Noel exit the place and head to a hotel that Leon booked. On their way, something unusual happened.

A silver streak tore across the sky. Gasps rippled through the crowd. Within seconds, countless people had their phones raised, cameras capturing the fleeting moment.

A comet.

Leon and Noel also admired the view and the moment. Noel also remembered that she had seen another comet before traversing to this world.

We see Natsume Maruyama in the window the place he was before, he was also looking at the comet, and he murmurs to himself, “So… the night changes tonight”

After the comet passes by people go their respective way.

Leon and Noel also made their way to the hotel.

Leon had booked two combined separate rooms. Noel teases him by saying she wouldn’t mind a single room too. She laughs off.

Leon blushes.

They go to their respective rooms. Though neither of them knew that something about this night was about to be different.