The Retired Hero

Zaw was the village chief, my adoptive father, a retired adventurer, and—according to practically everyone who wasn't me—a legendary hero who had once fought beside Genzan during the final hunts against the demons left behind after Grazei's era.

I'd heard those stories plenty of times.

The problem was that the Zaw I knew spent most of his days buried beneath paperwork, complained whenever I touched his food, regularly fell asleep at his desk, and possessed a body odor powerful enough to violate several international treaties.

So hearing that he was legendary and actually believing it had always been two completely different things.

Until now.

The Raven Zaw had punched through the building groaned beneath the rubble, but Zaw didn't even look back as more cloaked figures emerged through the smoke.

There were more than a dozen of them.

Every one wore the same black raven across their backs.

Nearby, one of the injured teachers nearly collapsed, but another caught him.

"Get him to a healer," Zaw said without taking his eyes off the Ravens. "Anyone who can still walk, help somebody who can't."

The teacher nodded and pulled him away.

I glanced at Amachi.

His face was still pale, his hands were trembling, and every distant explosion made his shoulders jerk.

"We should probably go too."

He tried stepping forward, but his knee nearly folded.

I caught his arm.

"...Maybe not."

"I'm fine."

"Your legs disagree."

Another explosion echoed through the village.

BOOM!

Amachi flinched and grabbed my sleeve before quickly loosening his grip.

"...Sorry."

"It's fine."

I looked toward the smoke-covered road behind us. Villagers were still running between damaged buildings, and flashes of Orka kept bursting through the haze.

Dragging Amachi through that while he could barely stand didn't sound particularly safe.

(Stay.)

I blinked.

What?

(Stay behind Zaw.)

There wasn't even the slightest hesitation.

You seriously think this is safer?

(Yes.)

(Genzan fought beside him, Fourth. And you just watched Zaw cross an entire street before either of us could see him move.)

Okay.

That was annoyingly reasonable.

So we stayed. Apparently the safest place in the village during an attack was directly behind the smelly old man I'd spent my entire life making fun of.

One Raven stepped forward as Orka gathered around his fingers.

"Don't act like you're still the man from those stories. You retired years ago."

Several others spread around Zaw.

"You really think you can defeat all of us by yourself?"

I swallowed.

Zaw was obviously strong, but he'd also been retired for years. I couldn't remember the last time I'd seen him seriously train. Most days, his greatest physical challenge seemed to be standing up from his chair.

(You're doubting him.)

I'm being realistic.

There were more than a dozen trained attackers surrounding him.

(He'll win.)

You could at least pretend to think about it.

(No.)

One of the Ravens laughed.

"You're not a hero anymore, Zaw."

"You're right," Zaw replied with a tired sigh.

He rolled one shoulder as tiny sparks crawled across his arm.

"I retired."

Blue-white light danced between his fingers while the air around him began to hum.

"But I don't remember retirement making me weaker than garbage."

Oh.

"Kill him!"

Every Raven moved.

Fire, wind, and concentrated Orka beams tore toward him from every direction.

"ZAW!"

The world flashed white.

KRAAAAAK!

Thunder swallowed the street.

I threw an arm across my face as smoke and debris blasted past us, but when the dust cleared, Zaw was still standing.

Lightning wrapped around his body, thick bolts crawling over his arms and snapping against the ground.

Every attack aimed at him was gone.

One Raven stared.

"Impossible."

Then Zaw moved.

For a moment, I thought he'd disappeared.

My eyes simply couldn't follow him.

A streak of blue-white light crossed the street.

CRACK!

One Raven flew backward. Another flash sent a second attacker into the ground, and before the others could react, a third went straight through a market stall.

I stared.

I'd heard people call Zaw legendary my whole life, but hearing about it and seeing it were completely different things.

Shane was strong. Amachi was strong.

Zaw made them look normal.

(Fourth.)

WHAT?!

(Close your mouth.)

I shut it.

Then opened it again.

WHAT THE HELL?!

The Ravens fired wildly at every flash of light, but trying to hit Zaw looked about as useful as trying to punch actual lightning.

One attacker tried escaping onto a rooftop.

Zaw raised two fingers.

KRAK!

The Raven dropped.

Another rushed him from behind and got blasted across the road without Zaw even turning.

Maybe I'd underestimated him.

(A little?)

A microscopic amount.

Two more attacked together.

One flash later, both were on the ground.

Another turned to run.

Zaw noticed.

"Oh, no."

Lightning crawled down his leg.

"You don't get to start this mess and leave whenever you want."

He vanished.

BOOM!

The fleeing Raven came flying backward through the smoke.

I pointed slowly.

"He kicked him."

(Yes.)

"I didn't even see him move."

(Also yes.)

"...What the hell?"

The last Raven still standing lunged with an Orka-covered blade.

Zaw caught his wrist.

"Too slow."

Lightning flashed.

The man collapsed.

The entire fight hadn't even lasted a minute.

Nearly every Raven was scattered across the street, including one who had somehow ended up halfway inside a pile of hay.

I had several questions about that one.

Zaw brushed dust from his sleeve.

"Pathetic."

This was the same man who complained that walking to the kitchen was too much effort.

I felt personally betrayed.

(Told you.)

How did you know he'd destroy them?

(Common sense.)

Something tugged at my sleeve.

I looked down.

Amachi was still gripping the fabric hard enough to turn his knuckles white. I'd been so distracted by Zaw that I'd almost forgotten how badly he was shaking.

"...Amachi?"

He didn't answer.

Before I could say anything else, Zaw grabbed one of the few conscious Ravens by the cloak.

"Why are you here?"

The man coughed but stayed silent.

"Who sent you?"

Nothing.

Zaw's eyes narrowed.

"I'd recommend answering before I become less patient."

The Raven opened his mouth—

SHNK!

Something silver tore through the smoke.

"ZAW!"

He twisted aside as a sword shot past his face and buried itself in the dirt behind him.

Zaw immediately released the Raven and sprang backward.

Whoever had thrown it hadn't missed. They'd deliberately forced him away.

Slow footsteps followed from the smoke.

A figure emerged wearing the same dark cloak as the others, with a black raven stretched across its back.

Something about him felt familiar.

"You made quick work of them."

My stomach tightened.

That voice.

I'd heard him before.

Behind the storage building.

Talking to Shane.

(The one from that meeting?)

Yeah.

Lightning crackled around Zaw's arms.

"Who are you?"

I blinked.

He doesn't know him?

I'd expected some dramatic reveal where this guy turned out to be Zaw's ancient rival, former partner, secret relative, or whatever ridiculous connection stories usually pulled.

Apparently not.

The stranger tilted his head.

"So we've never met."

"No."

"Interesting."

Zaw glanced toward the sword buried behind him.

"And throwing swords at strangers is how you introduce yourself?"

"It got your attention."

"You already had it."

"Then consider it a greeting."

Yep.

Definitely evil.

Zaw gestured toward the unconscious Ravens.

"These people yours?"

"My subordinates."

"You should train them better."

The stranger laughed quietly.

"Perhaps. Although you dealt with them considerably faster than I expected."

"I've heard plenty of stories about you. Zaw, the retired adventurer who once fought beside Genzan. Apparently retirement hasn't dulled you nearly as much as I'd hoped."

"You came all this way to compliment me?"

"No."

The stranger smiled beneath his hood.

"I came for something else."

My stomach tightened again.

Shane searching for something.

The secret conversation.

Now the Ravens attacking the village.

Maybe Zaw really was connected to whatever they wanted.

His expression hardened.

"What do you want?"

The stranger didn't answer. His hand slowly moved toward the weapon at his side while the lightning around Zaw crackled louder.

The difference between him and the others was obvious. More than a dozen Ravens had attacked Zaw together and gotten destroyed in less than a minute.

This man had seen the aftermath, walked in alone, thrown a sword at Zaw, and didn't look worried at all.

Even my other self had gone quiet.

Then something occurred to me.

I stared at the hooded man standing across from my father.

I think I figured out what kind of character this guy is.

(What kind?)

The kind who shows up after all the disposable henchmen get beaten.

There was a brief silence.

(...Fourth.)

You know.

I swallowed.

The boss fight.

(Please stop.)