Hero-II

...

Deron successfully stabbed the enemy in his chest but his strike is too shallow to pierce the heart. The enemy responded with an angry swing. It was sharp and full of power. Deron will certainly die if he is hit by that.

Deron raised the dead man's head he is carrying to impede the enemy's strike. It's worse compared to a buckler, but it bought Deron more time as he put more weight on his sword.

"Huuuuk..." The enemy drew his last breath and then slumped. Deron felt something inside him awakening, it was weak, but it was there.

SWUUUUSH!

It's the sound of mace Deron barely registered through his intuition. Deron dodged with all his might, but the mace still got him.

Deron's left arm hung limply as he weakly backed away from the assailant. He can't pull the sword plunged into the dead's chest, so he has to leave it stuck like that.

15201 saw his dead partner, 14444.

“I am sorry.” Deron weakly said as tears stream down his eyes.

“What the fuck, who are you!?”

Deron steadied himself, tears still pouring out of his eyes. It’s a peculiar sight. Usually, a person’s first murder would not develop like this. At their worse, they would puke from the psychological shock. But Deron, his reaction is too exaggerated… he is abnormally sympathetic.

“Crazy,” 15201 thought out loud, noticing the bizarreness of Deron. “Why are you crying?” He asked.

“I am crying?” Only now did Deron realize the wetness of his cheeks. He wiped his tears while remaining vigilant of the enemy.

15201 became wary of Deron. To think that his partner was done this fast. It's either the kid is too lucky, has some skills, or both.

Deron has to adapt quickly to the change of situation. Courage is what Deron desperately needs. He looked at the door where his fellow orphans hid.

“Don’t look away brat, your enemy is here!” A mace came flying for Deron’s head. 15201 lunged with anger.

Without seeing where the mace is coming from, ‘I will fight,’ Deron ducked, rolled then picked up the short sword 14444 once held.

‘This will do.’ He convinced himself once more.

That is when.

Smoke found their way into the basement’s chamber.

“Is there a fire? Fuck.” 15201 panicked, but Deron didn’t. This is where the gap between the two fighters started increasing.

Deron doesn't know if it's a blessing in disguise, but the smoke helped him to sink a strike or two. The remaining enemy was already wounded, to begin with. But Deron's strikes are too shallow to inflict fatal injury.

Even if he wins this fight, they'll be dead, the kids can't survive this amount of smoke, and they’ll die from asphyxiation. If the fire reaches the wine cellar, it would be catastrophic.

Deron needs to finish this fight fast.

His will and emotions churned. Like charcoal to fire. Deron sought the warmth beyond this predicament. Desperation, yearning, and responsibility. All of this converged and became the fuel to his burning desire to win.

He needs to win. For his family. For himself.

His mutation cried into existence. Victorious Valor.

This was what his power called. The power to get stronger with every victory he accomplishes, it’s a kind of mutation that learns, grows, and evolves by itself as its host becomes more immersed in his battles and struggles.

Deron replicated the swordsmanship he glimpsed from 14444— that swing full of anger and killing intent. It was only one swing, but he learned more than what is let on. Deron only saw it once, but it's as if he can peer beyond what he can see.

"Impossible, this swordsmanship." 15201 is shocked by the familiar swordsmanship. It's the Razor Ruby swordsmanship. Zentury has a wide array of martial arts. They stole them from ancient kingdoms, clans, and powerhouses. They even have a collection of extinct arts thought to be lost in the vestige of time.

Sorcerers, mages, or mutants as Alfir likes to call them stood above the current world because of this strength. Mutant abilities are not enough to sustain a strongman’s prestige. Martial arts, talent, and resources are needed.

Razor Ruby Swordsmanship.

15201 uses this very same swordsmanship. 14444, an acquaintance in his martial training since boot camp days also uses this same swordsmanship.

Perhaps, this kid stole 14444's swordsmanship? It's not a far-fetched theory since 15201 is witnessing it firsthand for himself. All kinds of bizarre mutant abilities has developed over time, and one that allow them to learn the trait of others are not that surprising anymore.

The more 15201 parries and attacks, the better Deron is becoming in wielding his sword.

With 15201's every swing, the more Deron strikes. It didn't take long for Deron to overwhelm 15201.

‘What a monster?!’ 15201's neck gushed with blood. He admitted his defeat easily. When he realized that he can’t perceive Deron’s sword anymore, he already had a premonition of his death.

With his life severed from him, 15201 died.

Deron can see the fire expanding from the tunnel. It only took Deron less than a minute to defeat his enemy, but he wished that he had more time.

There were a dozen fire extinguishers in the cellar.

The baron is worried that accidental fire may find its way into the cellar, so the baron made sure to stock plenty of fire extinguishers here in the basement.

Deron dashed to get one. He fought the fire for minutes he felt like hours.

But still, it’s too much for him. The fire was too ferocious. He was forced to retreat in aisle where the other orphans stayed. And from there, he persistently fought the fire.

Deron's actions bought hope for his fellow orphans, but hope is bleak and cheap. Despite all of this, they are never enough. They are not substantial enough to lull their fears.

The orphans' crying is loud. Panic, shock, and confusion are spreading like the plague. Deron has no power to comfort them from their fears since he himself is feeling the same fear.

"Is this it? Am I gonna die?"

Smoke and soot fill Deron's lunges. He is hallucinating from the lack of oxygen. Some of the kids have long fainted from suffocation. If they are not resuscitated, they'll die.

"Thank you, Baron Zest... I have done the best I could."

In his gloomy days, Deron never lost to sadness… since he believes that the next day, despite the odds, will be brighter. That small probability, of luck and hope— just maybe— tomorrow will be better.

But in the face of death. Deron felt it—

Lost, defeated, and brokenhearted.

This is the unfairness of the world. Youth, dreams, friendships, family, and life are all void at once. Why is it them? Why this orphanage? What did they do wrong?

“I… can’t die just yet.” Emptying a fire extinguisher, he immediately got another.

Deron imagined that maybe not all hope is lost.

…

Then… hope came. Though, the young Deron can’t see it, he would surely recognize the figure flying in the sky.

A son who lost his father descended like the evening sun. The flames that carried him slowly died as he gently landed by the orphanage's gate.

Eron felt the negative emotions resurfacing in him. But he suppressed it. He needs to save lives. He went for his father's office through the windows. A stream of flames was ejected from his palms lifting him to the second floor's window, adjacent to his father's office.

Eron saw his father's gruesome remains. He can recognize the clothes, but not the flesh clinging to them.

He wants to cry so much, fall to his knees, to express his loss, but he suppressed all of it. Eron aspired to become a hero because he felt that it is the noblest thing to do.

He still believes the same way, but with more motivation than ever. He will save the orphans' lives whatever it takes— they should be alive!

If not, Eron might lose his mind. He needs to save them, so just to comfort and give strength to his now fragile heart.

After that, he'll get his revenge.

...

Heroism is not a job, but some fools can't help themselves but turn it into one.

It was a thankless job until the Hero Society is formed. Still in the end, even with Hero Society's presence, you can still get killed every waking day.

But that is not where the problem truly lies— it is the way you get killed.

Some don't die physically. Some die mentally, spiritually, and so on... The LIST goes on...

This is sad, but there is a reason why we call Heroes 'Heroes'.

Because even in their darkest moment, they strive to do good.

...