Chapter 8: Attack the Demon King's Castle, Great Hero!

"H-huh?" I was dumbfounded.

I. Actually. FORGOT.

"Ahmm... G-ge(je)..." Maybe I should just find a word that resembles my original name .... ?

"Ge?" Joanne tilt her head waiting for me to continue.

Damn, damn, damn!

What should I choose?

Gerry?

Geric?

Ge...

What the heck!

I unconsciously roam my eyes as if I'll be able to search for a person's name in the air.

And I did.

"Ace! My name is Ace!" I blurted out after seeing three middle-aged man playing cards on the table beside us.

"Ace..." She muttered my 'name' slowly as if memorizing the short word straight to the deepest part of her brain. "Ace Michaels. What a beautiful name..." Joanne brightly smile at me again.

"Y-yeah... Isn't it...?" I awkwardly laugh and ran my fingers through my hair.

Whoa,... It's good that I didn't chose a stupid name in the heat of the moment...

Joanne seemed to want to say something but she's interrupted by the ringing of her phone.

She pick it up and put it on speaker.

"Joanne dear..."

I could feel my heart churn the moment I heard the anxious and hesitant voice from the receiver.

"Grandma~~!" Joanne answered.

The other line was silent for a moment. "Is what you just said earlier ... T-true?"

Joanne glance at me and smiled. "Of course, grandma. I just met my cousin Ace here earlier. In fact, he's also listening." She move the phone closer to me, urging me to talk to our 'grandmother'.

"H-hello..." I tried my hardest not to choke but I still did.

The cry full of a strange mix of grief and joy made Joanne's eyes water again and my own heart finally break to dust.

just how much pain did I caused her to make my strong and powerful mother reduce to this state?

I felt as if every single second is a needle stabbing straight to my already battered heart,

"Oh, my poor Grandchild!"

Joanne and I instantly look at where the sound came from.

There they saw a grief-stricken but still beautiful and elegant elderly woman supported by a group of panicked doctors and surrounded by 4 well-built fierce bodyguards in black suits.

the girl beside me immediately run calling out to the old woman but me, even if I would die to do so too, can't

I was left stunned. rooted to the spot. My whole body involuntarily stiffened as i gawk with an unconcious fear to the seemingly gentle but actually rotten to the core middle aged man following behind the group.

I feel as if time stopped as I appeared like a prey standing in front of it's predator...

just like a poor little mouse stiff in fear and utterly hopeless in the presence of a cold blooded foe.

shit shit shit.

Warning bells rang and Curses cursed chaotically inside my mind but I wasn't given even a slim chance to muster the courage to do anything about it...

'He' appeared

The fuckin snake appeared...

the damned reptile shows-off it's wretched appearance and the formally full of hate and confidence me can do nothing but helplessly wait to be eaten.

I instantly recall how hollowed and dark his eyes were 'that' time. They were just as dark as the loaded gun still smoking held in his hands.

'Just die, Gerald. Thank you for being my Hero but Heroes are useless during peaceful times...'

Laughable.

I feel so miserable and embarrass of my weak self that I wants to puke my guts out.

just what the fuck!

I could feel my heart squeeze painfully and my throat tighten. It's freakin hard to breath.

No.

I can't breath. Figuratively and Literally.

I clutch my chest and desperately search for air.

The dramatic scene that was supposed to happen shattered as the doctors rushed to the newfound young master that seemed to be dying just as he was reunited to the matriarch and be brought back to the family.

I tried to fight back the fear, squeezed a tiny courage and at last, successfully managed to raise my head.

Brown eyes met green ones. I saw how they were initially full of worry and anxiety but narrowed with disdain and ridicule from my pathetic episode.

it only lasted for a moment before it perfectly turned back to it's default gentle ones.

But I noticed it. I fucking did.

The fucker also noticed that I saw him.

He didn't care. The fucker didn't care.

I felt like he'll even cock his brow and look at me disdainfully if only he doesn't have to keep the facade for the old madame and young miss.

His pretension is only for those he deemed that mattered.

Not for the dead ugly retard and the dead ugly retard's even more retarded 'son'.

I saw how he came threatened but immediately realized that he was too old to snatch a lollipop from a thumb sucking retarded, stupid, foolish, socially disabled baby.

I didn't know It is possible to feel this utterly worthless.

.

just remembering how haughty I was initially make my hair stand in shame...

what poised revenge?

What cool come back?

What foolproof plan?!

Just the sight of him and it made me scared shitless I even hyperventilated!

Pathetic.

useless.

fuck you, Gerald Michaels!

fuck Ace Michaels! you can't even endure the sight of that fucking snake!!

I was trying to catch my breath from the take out paper bag of a popular cheap fast-food chain when I finally realize, it was no small foe. I was too foolish to think that I'll be dealing with a simple worm.

it was a damned stinking Anaconda that perfected it's human shifting technique!

Rick was no small BOSS. He was actually the Demon King found on the highest floor and even seen laughing maniacally on the front cover.

And that talk about Heroes?!

.

.

.

Bastard! I'm a big ZERO!

a pathetic, miserable, disfigured 40 year old foolish man that was manipulated, used and sucked dry then thrown away like a dirty old rag!

Even after rebirth, I was given useless and outdated skills as a newbie package, a severe case of social anxiousness, and a 'constant damage from the demon king's presence' status.

That moment, only a stupid man and a humongous Serpent existed. there was no doctors that assisted me, no fierce bodyguards that kept the nosy outsiders away, no niece or cousin or whatever she is that cried in fear and no mother that fainted in shock.

there was only US. the 'Prey' and the 'Predator'.

The one PREVIOUSLY murdered and the one who PREVIOUSLY killed.

The key word there is PREVIOUSLY, you fucking snake shit!

"A-are you okay, Ace?" my mother cried while gently patting my back with her shaking hands.

I smiled despite the tears flowing down my face and the large lump on my chest.

I nodded at her then turn my eyes to fucking Rick.

There's a massive change of plans.

I won't use the precise and neat style revenge I already formed.

He deserves Messy! I'll make sure to destroy this guy even the crazy girl in high school would despise him!

i'm counting your debt even if i can't breath, you fucking asshole!

contrary to the Gerald from before that will surely cower in fear and anxious of the unexpected difficulty level, the new me as Ace didn't and wouldn't back down. it even fueled my perverted desire for revenge and even my fighting spirit.

unknown to even me, I am massively changing.

I might just lost a big chunk of something inside me but I'm not even the least bit aware of it.

Be it good that I lost it or regretful that I did, only how it'll end will tell.