Chapter 33 - The Harsh Truth

I couldn't believe it. It was really him, it was "Hero", the 1st seat of the level 7 heroes, and the current top-ranked member of the entire Hero Camp. He appeared out of nowhere, with literally no time left to spare.

"You're Hero? I've heard about you from these other heroes. They've said quite a bit about you!" I said, eager to speak with him. I had so many questions I wanted to ask him.

"Oh, really? I hope they didn't say anything embarrassing, dear god please tell me they didn't humiliate me for being gone for so long! I'll apologize to them all they want!"

"...huh?"

Hero was biting his nails, looking in various directions, before suddenly collecting himself, and returning to his neutral state. To be honest, I expected him to be way more intimidating than he actually was. In reality, he was a nervous wreck. I wondered why. Perhaps he was shocked that his ability had no effect on me.

"Yo, calm down. Why are you so worried all of a sudden?" I asked, reassuring him.

"It's just who I am. The pressure of being the first seat is getting to me. You're given all the responsibilities in the camp, and when you disappear for a long time, people start getting worried about you, and the inverse occurs, you start worrying about them too."

"If you mess up a single task, regardless of importance, you could be reprimanded severely for it, especially if you're in my position. I just hope everyone frozen around me is okay..." said Hero.

It seemed like Hero had a level head on his shoulders. He was aware of his responsibilities, and the consequences he would face were he to fail, and it worried him.

But at the same time, considering his position today, and how long he'd been at the top, according to Ambrosia, he seemed to have never failed any of his tasks.

"They're more than okay. Except for Natsuo Ren... he's uhh, how do I put this..."

"He's dead, isn't he..." said Hero, guessing from the context where I was going.

"Yeah, he got smashed by a monster's foot... it was pretty gruesome. Daphne seemed to be disturbed severely by it. Was she close to him?" I asked. Hero closed his eyes and smiled.

"First of all, Natsuo's going to be fine. He has connections with God, he'll come around eventually. Also, he and Daphne have been a couple for 7 years now, it only makes sense that she was disturbed."

My suspicions were confirmed. Daphne and Natsuo were a pair. If Natsuo really did have connections with God, perhaps he would be fine after all. I decided to ask Hero about himself, to get some background information on who he really is.

"So, the other heroes in the top ten tell me that you're pretty strong. Ambrosia went as far as to call you a Deity figure."

"Oh, is that so? That's flattering, but I think she's exaggerating a little bit. I do find myself to be pretty strong, but I'm no deity. Ambie just gives me a lot of praise because I've crushed her in duels nearly 80 times in a row now."

Hero claimed to have easily defeated Ambrosia nearly 80 times in a row… knowing how powerful she was, I was shocked to say the least. He was truly out of everyone's league... I doubted I would ever match his level, even with this sleeping power inside of me.

Hero then began to walk around, analyzing the heroes around him. I could tell he was worried about them, and rightfully so, as they were seconds from dying.

"Had I not shown up when I did, everyone here would be dead. This is why I worry so much. If they died, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself…"

Hero kneeled on the ground, next to Tasuki, who had an expression of terror on his face. Hero gritted his teeth, and closed his eyes.

"Tch- Tasuki is so young, he shouldn't have to face death yet. Nobody should. Monsters are truly terrifying beasts…they always have been..."

I decided to inquire about The Zodiac, considering our circumstances, I'm sure he would be eager to know what was going on.

"Hero? I need to talk to you about something. We need your help..."

"Of course, do go on," replied Hero, listening in.

"...are you aware of the current situation that's going on in Etheria? There's this group called-" Hero then interrupted me.

"The Zodiac, yes?"

"Yeah… you know about them?" I asked, curious to hear what he knew.

"I've been on the hunt for their leaders. That's why I left for 5 months. I accidentally ran into Marius one day, catching him in the act of trying to recruit someone. He tried recruiting me too, but after he realized how strong I was, he fled in fear, and I've been tracking him and his leaders ever since."

"I decided to leave without telling anybody except Ambie, who I didn't even reveal the details to. I've met 5 leaders so far, and all of them seem to be able to escape death in crazy and unusual ways. I've been unable to kill them..."

"You see, I figured out the truth about them... I know everything. I'm coming back to warn the administration, but I also came back because both Gemini and Pisces are here, and I need to take them out. But it seems they've escaped yet again..."

Hero seemed to have much more experience dealing with the Zodiac than I did. I wondered if he could tell that I was Capricorn or not. I decided to question him on the motives of the organization.

"Well, you said you figured out the truth. Is there something we don't know? Marius told me that their goal is to turn humans into monsters to repopulate the world with them and live peacefully alongside one another. Is this true?"

Hero turned his head to the left, gazing at Marius's monster body. He put his hand on his chin, and squinted his eyes, as if thinking about something. Then, he returned to the conversation.

"That is partially true. The objective is correct, but the motivation and reasoning were never explained... you see, the truth is, Marius, and everyone else, well, they were brainwashed..."

Brainwashed? This changed everything. Marius and Henka both explained their ideals with such elegance as if it had been planned for years upon years. But if it was all a farce, then...-

"What do you mean they were brainwashed? Tell me everything you know, please..." I said.

"Well, alright. I guess you should know. But before I tell you, can you give me a brief summary of your experiences with them?"

"Well, they basically tried to recruit me, saying I was Capricorn. They explained their ideas to me, and threatened me with their monster transformations, and in the case of Henka, his form shifting, to try and get me to join their cause..."

"Wait, did you say Capricorn? That's the missing seat! Why were you blessed with such an ability?" asked Hero.

"I have no idea... I never realized it until I took my hero test when I suddenly took control of a monster's body. I'm still wondering how authorities even work, and how I got one." I said.

"...I know how they work, if you want me to explain it to you, I can, but I want you to be ready for the harsh truth..."

"Go ahead and tell me. I'm ready for it."

"I'm not entirely sure about his backstory, but The Zodiac is a group started by The Shade, as a way for him to dominate the world with his modified race of demi-monsters, you know them as humans who eat the hearts of monsters, and turn into them, yes?"

"Yes, that's what I've been told... is there more to the story?"

"Much more... from what I understand, once you ingest a monster heart, it changes your DNA forever, stripping you of your humanity. It affects your brain, and effectively corrupts you."

"I figured this out while spying on a few zodiac members who attempted to assassinate me by turning into monsters. It seemed that they had completely lost their minds. Of course, I swiftly took them out, but they were still dangerous."

"The Zodiac is correct in saying that turning everybody into a monster would lead to world peace, but it would come at a price. Not everybody is compatible to become a monster, and not everybody wants to become a monster."

"The Zodiac is keen on purging those who go against their ideals, so if they succeeded, it would come at the price of millions of lives. The Shade brainwashed his members into thinking they were helping humanity, but in reality, they're destroying it."

"In terms of the patriarch's authorities, they were abilities given to them by The Shade himself, so that they could be protected during their preaching missions, spreading the word of The Zodiac. It seems The Shade blessed you with one of these abilities as well."

I couldn't believe it. This was the work of The Shade… when did he ever make contact with me though? That's when I remembered the flower field. I woke up senseless, hearing two clashing voices in my head. Could the male voice have been The Shade? If that's the case, who was the female voice?

This world worked in mysterious ways, and I could barely make sense of it. I had no idea how abilities were gained, how I was sent here, or the true reason for my summoning. If the shade summoned me, then that would mean my task was to join The Zodiac, but that would be genocide… I decided to stick to my own agenda.

I went silent, unable to muster out any words. Hero took notice of this, and spoke to me once more, attempting to reassure me.

"I see… perhaps this news was a little too shocking. Here, before we continue our conversation, I need to get rid of that monster body over there, it's worrying me."

Hero walked over to Marius's body, and lifted his fist into the air. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them once more. They changed color, becoming gold, as Ambrosia had described them.

Then, he drove his fist forward, with incredible velocity. I had never seen such a powerful punch before in my entire life. His fist broke right through the monster's body, ripping it into pieces, as the cracks and rips travelled up and around the entire corpse.

*B A N G*

The punch generated an incredibly loud sound, followed by great tremors. When the cracks reached the top of the body, the entire corpse exploded into minced pieces, falling to the ground in small chunks. Hero then waved his hand in the air, as if it were sore.

"Ah, I haven't punched anything this large in quite some time. I'd be lying if I said that didn't sting a little bit! But no matter, the threat is gone now. So, back to our conversation then…"

I was dumbfounded. How could someone so powerful even exist in the first place? 8 of the top 10 heroes worked their asses off, sustaining injuries, and almost dying, just to damage this body, and then Hero comes in, and with a single strike, practically evaporates it!

There was no denying it… if the top ten heroes were like individual instruments, Hero was the entire symphony. Despite his worrisome demeanor, he carried infinite elegance and ability. I just wondered why he appeared so young...

"So, back to my original question, you're not from here, are you? You seem to be immune to my time manipulation. Your DNA is modified!"

"Well, it's a complicated story, and I'm sure you wouldn't believe me if I said this, but I think I was summoned here from another world."

Hero's eyes widened, and he broke into an open-mouthed smile. He ran over to me, and put his hands on my shoulders, excitedly.

"You were summoned!? That makes two people I've met now that claim they were sent here!"

"Wait, did you say 2? Who else was summoned?"

"It's a man whose name I forgot, unfortunately. I haven't spoken with him in about a year, but I'd like you to meet him someday, I think he had something important to say or something. I remember he told me he was waiting for a very specific person to come around."

"He's older than both of us, I'd say in his 50s. But if you're that person to which he was referring, then he has something to tell you."

"So wait, you're not going to deny that I was summoned, or even question it?"

"Not at all! I'm not sure how summoning works, or who summons people here anyway, but as far as I know, there are two people who were sent here. Perhaps Natsuo knows a thing or two, considering he can talk to God. You might wanna ask him."

"But...but he's-"

"He's not dead... trust me..."

I took Hero's word. If Natsuo wasn't dead, then I wondered where he was... perhaps he was simply unconscious? No, he couldn't be, his entire body was flattened. How could he possibly pull himself out of such dire circumstances? Hero then spoke once more,

"By the way, I never caught your name... who are you, mysterious boy?"