Wait, what!?

BOOM!

I feel my body get blown away by the blast and my clothes burnt away by its heat, and my body landing hard on the ground a few feet away. My buttocks graze the pavement and my head bashes against the wall, causing it to bleed.

A grenade!?

Why would I be carrying that to school!? And why wouldn't people notice it when it's a damn grenade!?

That's not right, though! I've never owned a grenade my whole life! In fact, who would own such things?! The government is strict about not giving the public dangerous weapons like that! There's no way that... someone... got their hands... on a grenade...

Unless...

No, that can't be.....

Explosions in areas where they shouldn't be.

Explosions right on top of a hero in their day-to-day civilian life...

No, no, no! That can't be!

That's the trademark entrance of...

"Aha-ahahahaha! Oh, my darlings, that feels good! Marvelous, truly! Marvelous!"

Exepla Shionmann!

But that's impossible! Exepla Shionmann was killed in battle two years ago in her battle against fellow hero, Miracle Magical! She had to retire because of it, and all of a sudden she's back!?

But...

That voice...

The pitch of a banshee, laughing at the suffering of others. A voice devoid of any compassion or care for life...

There's no mistaking it.

This is Exepla Shionmann.

The smoke from the explosion is still up and it's causing me to lose sight of everything, and the ringing in my head is too loud! I can barely make out what's going on. I can recognize the screaming and crowd rush because of people trying to get away from here, but I still don't understand how it's possible for the dead to return. Everyone saw her be killed on live national television!

Exepla Shionmann was dubbed "Hero Killer" because of her tendency to find the true identities of heroes and killing them when they least expect it, which is why the previously pacifist Miracle Magical killed her! How is she here!?

"To think I would be given another chance to shine," she says. "What joy, what joy!"

Her voice is getting closer to me! Damn, how did she find my true identity!?

"I missed my target," she starts, "but I sure know how to make an entrance! Aha-ahahaha!"

Missed her target..? Wait, I wasn't her target? She doesn't know who I am?

That's perfect! I can save whoever her real target is and ambush her in my Hero form! I still don't understand how she's back, but I do know that this won't end well if I don't intervene!

"Ehehe..." I laugh, menacingly, as a soft, blue light coats my body.

"Hm? Someone is here?"

My uniform is ripped from my body and replaced by my Hero attire. My black pants become dark blue jogging pants and my white polo shirt becomes white bandage bindings, wrapped all around my torso, which is then covered by the soft fur of my black hoodie. On my face spawns a white mask that covers everything from the bottom of my jaw to the tip of my head, completely devoid of any design other than an almost-messy splash of black paint forming a big, terrifying frown. On the back of my hoodie appears a long, white cape with the same frown plastered proudly on its form.

A frown that strikes fear into the hearts of villains and danger in the eyes of monsters and kaiju.

The attire that gives the people a feeling of hope and security, and an attire that inspires the young to grow up and become heroes, just like me.

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This is the look of Hero.

...

......

If ONLY people were actually decent enough to call me by my hero name, Hero! They keep calling me "Depression Man" because, "oh, that frown must mean he's sad!"

NO! That's a frown that indicates ANGER and HATRED towards the vile! Gah!

But I don't blame the civilians for calling me that. They couldn't possibly know my real, chosen hero name when the Hero's Guild keeps advertising me as Depression Man! The damned Hero's Guild! My allies! And they don't even have the decency to call me by my chosen name! Argh! Why do I even fight for these people!?

Ah, whatever. I can't let that get the best of me. That would make me no better than them, and I know that I'm better than them. That's why I fight to protect, even against all these adversities.

I clutch my right hand as the outline of a sword's handle forms right on top of my palm, soon followed by a steel blade that boasts sixty-five thousand layers because of an admittedly unimpressive sixteen folds.

This is my signature weapon.

This is my nodachi.

"Yes," I respond as I stand upright and dust my clothing. "There is, in fact, someone right here."

"Oh, ho-ho! A hero, presenting himself to me? That's quite an unusually fast response time, but how kind of you!" she remarks.

"You have no right to compliment me.... Exepla Shionmann. The fact that you're speaking to me at all disgraces my name. It disgusts me. You disgust me."

The dust has almost completely cleared out, and from it I can see the shadow of her figure.

Tall and thin, dressed in extravagant clothing that makes her look bigger than she really is. The cloak she wears has a massive collar that causes the head of her silhouette to look like a peacock's fan... her exact look all those years ago.

"My, my! Don't they tell you to be kind to strangers? Or are you one of those people? A kitten?"

"I have no need to be kind to— I'm sorry, a what?"

The smoke finally clears out, revealing her red and purple outfit and her aggressively yellow cloak. Her purple hair flows down to her waist, on which is attached a belt that holds dozens of grenades and explosives.

"Mm? You've never met him before? He's quite an infamous villain around these parts, if I remember..."

"What are you talking about? If you're trying to distract me, then—"

"Wait! Wait wait wait wait wait! You don't know Richie, but you know me? Yes, you even called me by my name! Have I... Have I achieved the stardom of my old days..?"

Stardom? Ah, that's right.

Before becoming a villain, Exepla was a phenomenal model and superstar. Her face was on every ad and on every billboard.

"That silence..." she says. "That means, 'yes,' correct? Ahaha... AHAHAHAHA! I HAVE!? REALLY, I HAVE? OH, WHAT JOY! TO THINK A HERO WOULD RECOGNIZE ME, EXEPLA SHIONMANN, OVER THE LIKES OF RICHIE EVE LEMAN! I HAVE TRULY PEAKED!"

"Have you gone insane, scoundrel?!" I question.

"AHA-AHAHAHAHAHA! Aha... ahahaha...ha... What did you say? Me? Insane?" she replies with a stern tone.

Did I piss off her? That might cause her to make mistakes, but pissing off a walking nuke is a bad—

"What are you, stupid? Of course I am, dumdum! That's why I'm a supervillain!"

"Tch. I should've known there was no use in talki—"

"Ah, but I must thank you for bringing some joy to my life before this all ends! But, I must kill you now. That is my schtick, you know? But I'll grant you the honor of being remembered, and remembered by me! I recognize that costume of yours, and the frown on your mask. You're, uh... de... dep... the... Oh, I know! Dapper Man! Yes, I remember it all clearly now! The Hero's Guild called you the Dapper Man! I don't see why, though. You don't look as dapper as, say, Sovereign Pianist."

Is she mocking me!?

"Well, Dapper Man, it has been quite nice talking to you! I'll be sure to keep your name in a note! Aha-AHAHAHAHA! I hope you've finished your prayers, but for now, my name is Exepla Shionmann. Thank you for living. Prepare to die."

The arrogance on her... It pisses me off. Unfortunately, she's in the right to be arrogant. I am a melee fighter while she is classified as a caster. Even with my skill, just getting close enough to attack her will be hard with her explosions. But I can't back down. I'll wipe that smug look on her face, and I'll be sure to make it hurt.

"I thank you for having the decency to talk, Shionmann. To return your generosity, my name is Hero. Shame on you for living. Prepare to die."

The smile on her face grows wide. Wider than I've ever seen it on TV screens. She raises her arms and curls her fingers as yellow orbs appear above her palms.

I raise my sword and place the spine of the blade on my shoulder, holding the handle with both hands.

... But there's something I can't shake off about her.

I have never seen true evil before.

Not in my many years of fighting monsters and villains.

An evil so deep and rooted in the person's very being that I can feel it just by being near them. I hate to admit it, but it even intimidates me. This true lack of empathy...

No, this lack of humanity.

I must stop it.

I, as the Hero, must put an end to this evil.

I will shine the light on her darkness.

I will defeat her.

I will put an end to her evil.

I will prevail.

Justice will prevail.