The Worst Hero (3)

The tension I feel feels like it's going to kill me. As I walk up the hospital stairs, I think about the bullshit I just did. Hana is just a 5 year old, how could I do this?

With each step I climb, the weight of my conscience starts to alert me to the wrong decisions I've made: my betrayal of my best friend, my mother's death, my sister's accident... All these things can't just be coincidence or bad luck, no matter how much I think I always come up with the same answer.

I'm not a good person.

No matter how much I try to improve, nothing will change, this is my destiny. My colleagues, my family, my neighbors are all completely right, so why make friends? why try to be happy? Why try to pretend to be what I'm not? In the end, the fate will be the same. I will upset or jeopardize whoever is precious to me.

When I get to Hana's floor, my hands and legs start to shake, I break out in a cold sweat from fear and anxiety.

Step by Step I get closer to Hana's room, and when I'm in front of the room, I hear the sound of my grandmother crying.

It's not possible... will H-Hana...

"I gently open the door."

But thank God, they weren't tears of sadness. Hana is fine, as soon as the doctor saw me, he introduced himself and said that Hana had fallen down the stairs at home. Since the stairs were not that big, Hana was not seriously injured, but a neighbor heard the noise and when he realized what had happened, he called an ambulance immediately.

The doctor seems to be very kind, but he didn't stop giving a huge scolding for leaving a small child alone, in addition, he said that my grandparents would have to report the reason for leaving Hana alone at the police station.

After that, he left us alone with Hana. She seemed fine and said they didn't have to worry about her. My grandma seemed pretty relieved that Hana was okay, but my grandpa didn't seem happy at all, and I don't blame him, they hardly ever go out and when they want to enjoy their special day, they get the news that their granddaughter is in the hospital because of a mistake mine.

Hana has her coloring book in her hand, and when asking why, my grandmother tells me that she was also surprised, but Hana was hugging the book when she fell down the stairs according to what the doctors said, so they decided to bring it to the book together.

When I hear this, I instantly laugh, stand up and say goodbye to

Hana.

-"Do you already have to go brother?"

-"Yes, but later I come to visit you".

I get up and head towards the hospital stairs, as for some reason the elevator isn't working. But as I approach the stairs, I hear an angry voice.

-"Satoru, it's not enough to embarrass us at home, do you want to embarrass us here too?"

As I turn around, I see my furious grandfather clenching his teeth and fists vigorously.

-"What's up, old man?"

My grandfather started to rage madly and embarrass me in front of everyone, so many people like doctors and patients started looking at us without knowing what was happening.

-"You are a disgrace to our family, Satoru. Always being selfish and mean since childhood, when your grandma and I adopted you and your sister, we thought your mother had only been kind to you as a , but I see that you are just a trash. really rubbish."

The insults don't stop and in literally a few moments we become the attraction of the hospital.

-"Emi always spoiled you too much, that's true, but that doesn't change the fact that you're despicable, you brat."

I just keep listening to what he says at the end I know he loves me and he's just mad.

-"Emi... I lost my dear daughter, because of you you piece of garbage. If you didn't exist Emi would be with us..."

I know he's just pissed off, I'm not sad about it. My grandma arrives and asks my grandpa to stop, but before she can finish that, my grandpa grabs my shirt tightly with both hands and says in tears...

-"I wish you had died in her place..."

I don't care what people say anymore, because my whole life was like this, people and more people saying things much worse than these and physically and mentally assaulting me every day.

Then why... Why does this hurt so.

Much... why can't I stop crying...

My tears won't stop coming, although my effort to try to wipe my tears is in vain. When my grandfather notices my face, he speaks my name in a low voice...and...

Huh ? I'm falling ? My grandfather...did he...push me?!!

When I fell from that giant stairs I hit my head directly on a step, when I fell downstairs I started to lose consciousness little by little.

I couldn't move properly, but I could hear the despair of doctors and patients in the hospital.

"What did you do ?!" , "How could you have done this to him", were the last words I heard before I lost consciousness.

Looking up, I saw my grandfather and I blacked out... So is this the end? Got it, well, I can't say it wasn't deserved. I can't blame my grandfather, I only made him despise me in life, so maybe my disappearing is the best thing for them anyway.

Will Hana be okay? I hope she doesn't get too sad and that she manages to make a lot of friends, maybe my biggest regret is not seeing her grow up. Will my grandparents be okay? They are already getting quite old, if I could I would like to help them...

I think when you're about to die, you start to have sincere regrets for what you didn't do in your life.

I wish I had more friends, I wish I had a girlfriend, I wish I had enjoyed my high school more, I wish I had spent more time with my mother, with my father, with my little sister.

The incessant pain I was having is fading so my end approaches...so...

Sorry, Mom, for not becoming the man you worked so hard to create. Goodbye.

There is... I've had this feeling, it's the feeling of several people looking at you.

Also, a gentle wind touched my face. When I opened my eyes I saw a big clear blue sky and when I looked around an interesting amount of people looked at me as if I were an animal in a zoo.

When looking at the ground, I saw that I was on top of a very large rock. I'm not in any pain and it's clear I'm not in the hospital anymore. Am I in the "other world", or am I just dreaming? After looking at me for a while, those people started to whisper some things about me, and as I was always the target of "back talk" I could hear the words: "Hero", "Summoned". So I decided to try talking to those people to see if I could understand my situation.

-"Hey you, where am I and why are you circling me?"

They were very surprised when I spoke, so a woman from that place decided to speak.

-"W-Wait just a little bit Hero, the village chief will talk to you soon"

Hero? What ? Why are these people calling me a hero? Okay, this is definitely a dream. They continued talking to each other for about 10 minutes, until an old man came out of their midst who was definitely their boss.

He arrived accompanied by two more men who looked like guards and, one thing I make clear, is how weird these people's clothes are, we don't even look like we're in the 21st century. This gentleman seems very kind and so, when he saw me, he asked everyone to calm down. He also ordered me to come down from that rock.

-"Good morning big hero! How are you doing?"

They keep calling me a hero, so I decided to ask them without batting an eye.

-"Where am I? And why do you call me a hero?"

The old man gave a big smile and said, "So the prophecy really is right" and everyone who was there jumped up and shouted for joy. Noticing my confused look, he told me to stay calm and that he would explain everything.

-"Well, where can I start... You are in a small village near the city of Ennis. You are one of the many heroes summoned from another world to here."

At first I really treated everything they were saying as a joke and I was just thinking it was all a dream, but it was all too real to be a dream. Also, they seemed too serious about the matter.

-"Right, but why specifically "I" was summoned?

-"As far as we know, there is no such thing as "specifically someone", the most likely is that the invocation is random."

I still have a lot of doubts about these people and this world, so it's good to get as much information as possible.

-"Do you call all people who are summoned from another world heroes?"

-"Yes, young man. But many young people who are born into this world are also heroes. I know most heroes who come from a world where there are no powers, but in this world they do."

A world with powers? Ok I feel inside a shounen manga. I was interested in this subject so will continue it.

-"There is a legend that says that a great evil is to come, so heroes from another world are invoked."

So I'm not the only one. Well at least I won't feel so out of place (I think).

-"In this world you can become very strong by training your powers, physical skills or even appropriating a rare crystal"

-"Rare crystal?"

-"Yes, in this world there are rare crystals with incredible powers! It is said that even people who had no fighting skills became real monsters after getting a rare crystal."

This is getting really interesting.

-"And how can I get one? From the name, it doesn't seem easy to get one."

-"Yes, these crystals are very difficult to get. They are usually found in dungeons, labyrinths, large caves or even after defeating a powerful monster."

Well, it's a shame, but it looks like it's going to be very difficult to get one.

-"But you are lucky! Our village has a rare crystal, which is our greatest treasure in Yve's village. And I would be very happy to give it to you.

Hmm, this sounds too good to be true...

-"Well, we only have a few requests in exchange, great hero..."

-"What order?"

-"The village of Yve asks you to participate in the grand championship of heroes giving us 50% of what you earn, we ask for protection of our village from monsters, thieves among other things and we ask you to give us 50% of what you earn per month."

What ?!

-"Grand Championship of Heroes? What is this?"

-"The grand championship of heroes is a trio competition to decide who will be entitled to be from the royal court of Ennis, so the first 3 will be part of the kingdom of Ennis. This competition is held every 5 years and is a competition very targeted."

Teams of three?! I really didn't want to get involved with other people, these old man's conditions are ridiculous...

-"I know it sounds like a lot, but this crystal is really very valuable to us..."

-"It doesn't seem like much, it's a lot. I'm sorry old man, but I'll have to refuse your request.

"H-Hi, I don't understand...

-"First, why should I become a hero? I didn't ask for it, besides these conditions are ridiculous, a bad joke."

-"Please, great hero, accept our request. We healed him of his head wound and gave all the information we had, besides, having a hero representing us in the great hero championship could make Yve more recognized..."

-"Thank you for healing me and for the information, but I have nothing to do with Yve, I will decide what is best for me."

I noticed that the residents of Yve have totally changed. Their happy, happy faces became angry faces, I realized I had to get out of there fast or I'd be killed.

-"Alright... Get out of Yve damn hero, we'll summon another we don't need you. Get out of Yve, haha ​​I want to know how long it will last in this forest full of monsters without water and without food. Just killing him would be very boring let's go let him suffer...

I had to run away, and as I ran, pieces of wood, tomatoes and stones were thrown at me. When he was leaving the village, he was already badly wounded. And as I walked away I heard loud and clear from the people who inhabited that village: -"Damn you, the worst hero of all, the worst that ever lived."

And that was my beginning in this new world...

The beginning of the worst hero of all...