CHAPTER 6: AND THUS, A [HERO] WAS BORN

Ray

…Two months later, I woke up in a firm bed with no bounce. Confused, I glanced at my surroundings, only to see walls of white.

I noticed a metallic glint, and saw an IV bag strapped up, the nozzle dripping fluids into my arm. I was hurt badly, but well and alive.

I burst out of bed, almost ripping the IV syringe from my arm, and quickly asked the first nurse I saw if Rena was fine.

She averted her eyes and dragged her feet along the chalky floors. She called my doctor over to explain.

I had a severe concussion and a few broken bones when the paramedics arrived. But in the bigger picture, I was alive and well. Rena, on the other hand, died a gruesome death.

When I first heard the words slip out of the doctor’s mouth, I shook my head and let out a nervous chuckle.

This has to be a joke, right? I thought to myself.

But the doctor looked dead serious.

And so, his explanation began.

Shock overwhelmed my body. Then piles of immeasurable guilt.

Guilt.

So much guilt.

So much of it.

It was suffocating.

All of it came pouring towards me at once, like a wave that had burst the dam.

And I collapsed on the spot. My fake smile shattered. I fell down and burst into wretched tears. My face contorted, and I had difficulty swallowing. Covering my anguished form with my hands, I shook, sobbing and trembling.

Was this justice?!

The doctor leaned backwards, surprised by the sudden outburst.

Eventually, he left me to be.

According to the doctor, the driver was distracted by an incoming call. After I had pushed Rena, the driver suddenly noticed me. He made a ‘good,’ call in the situation, and quickly channelled the car sideways in an attempt to avoid me, swivelling to the left…

…Where Rena lay on the hard gravel, dazed and confused, with no idea what was happening. The car ran over her, squishing her like a bug. She was treated like roadkill. Her ribs were crushed instantly. Yet… at that point, she was still conscious. She was suffering, like a fish out of water, slowly dying with no hope—only the knowledge of eventual death.

Apparently, she lay there, unable to move or even scream in pain. Her spine was shattered and her entire body was paralysed. When the paramedics came, it was already too late. The loss of blood and total amount of injury was far too great for a possible recovery.

The only ‘good’ news—though I’m not sure it can be considered good due to circumstance—was that after a few minutes of suffering, Rena’s brain entered some state of trauma-rejection and erased the memory from her mind.

However, the post MRI scans had shown that due to the damaged neurons, other memories were removed as well. Small puzzle pieces, gone.

But a puzzle can never be completed if even one piece is missing.

Perhaps in the afterlife, she would have lost sense of herself. Maybe she forgot more than intended and lost her identity?

At least she would have forgotten about the gore of the incident. At least she would not have to witness such an abhorrent sight.

However, that did not change the fact that… it… it was I who killed her.

If I had done nothing, she would be fine. The driver would have noticed her. He would have quickly avoided her.

Minor charges would have been pressed, but no case of manslaughter. No deaths.

I was the killer.

What sort of accursed justice did I uphold?

The result of my futile attempts was misery to both parties.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Forget about Father. I am worse. Far worse.

I became a murderer. The worst kind.

I held the knife, but pointed fingers at the driver.

I slipped out of the palms of justice, and put the blame elsewhere. On someone else.

I had to atone.

So, as a final act of punishment and atonement, I decided to take my own life and forge chains that would permanently bind my soul into the depths of hell.

I didn’t want people to know it was suicide. I didn’t want it to end flashy. Too many people would be hurt. Traumatised by a public execution.

I decided to kill myself through overdosage of sleeping pills.

That way, Mother would be less hurt than if she was informed I jumped out the building.

I was no stranger to pills. And the pharmacist knew me well. She gave the bag to me without batting an eye.

In my room, I got ready.

But willingly swallowing something I knew would end me was difficult. I stood there for a while, motionless. The world seemed so small beneath my feet. I was contemplating whether to do it or not. I considered chickening out at the last second. A cynical laugh escaped my lips.

But I bit my tongue down, and carried out the order. I let my will win out.

The wind rushed by me. The apartments(...?) flew past in a kaleidoscope of colour. The ground rushed up to meet me.

And thus, I fell into an eternal sleep.

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After that, my memory becomes vague and puzzling. I was in a room with expanding walls. Whenever I was about to touch the walls, they would retreat backwards. It felt like I was drifting aloft in lukewarm water.

…And then… my eyes shoot open.

“The summoning was a success!” chants an unfamiliar voice. I immediately shoot up and scan my surroundings. Bewilderment, then confusion. Yet amidst my perplexion, I notice a miniscule detail: for some reason, the man’s words don’t sync with the movement of his mouth.

Ray Tanaka has been gifted the [Hero: Humility] title!>

“Hero!” I hear the man applaud. My eyes finally zone in properly, and I get a good look at the man. His overall attire: a combination of ebullient green cloth with neon outlines through the centre flaps, as well as a grey, hooded robe with runic engravings etched inside.

His getup reminds me of the Mage class in the four dimensional VR game Skyl Online.

What happened…?

Why—when I wish to end my life, do I wake up in some strange, foreign place?

I move my head around, analysing and critiquing my surroundings.

The walls surrounding me are covered with runic scribbles reminiscent of the writing on the mage’s clothes. For some unknown reason, my vision blurs for a moment.

The same blurring effect I feel when getting up after laying down.

Seconds later, my vision returns to normal. Only then do I realise that the once runic text is translated into Japanese.

Summoning Chamber

…Occultists?

After the translation, more questions flood into my mind than ones answered.

Summoning Chamber?

But in what unlikely situation would I have to be in to commit suicide, only to wake up in a… summoning chamber?

I wasn’t resurrected like a zombie and bought here, was I?

Confused and utterly bemused, I manage to ask my yearning question in nothing but short stutters.

“Where am I?”

The words slip out of my mouth, unrestrained. Like a leaky tap.

The mage collectively answers my question.

“[Hero], I, the court mage Kequak, have been summoned from your world to ours in order to fend off an upcoming Human-Demon war.”

Still confused, I pressure him for more information till I become content with the responses.

This world—Travia—has a certain situation going on.

Allegedly, there has been profuse tension between demonkind and humankind since the beginning of recorded history. Demonkind is governed by the [Demon Lords], who rule over the territory as a single mass. Humans on the other hand, are divided into five major kingdoms. The kingdom I was summoned to being Alzania, the one adjacent to the borders between the two races.

And King Braiher—the one who rules over this kingdom—fears that the situation will get out of hand soon. Although no major conflict has occurred yet, both parties have been discreetly preparing for war. I am told that the demons already have tens of thousands of troops ready for battle at a moment’s notice.

Yet, there may be even more that King Braiher’s spies have not sniffed out yet.

Because the demons run as a single body while the humans are split into fifths, Alzania alone cannot stand up to the entire demon populace.

Although we are getting reinforcements from the four other major kingdoms, King Braiher, along with the other Kings unanimously voted that individuals with immense power were needed to successfully win the upcoming war.

After all, the seven [Demon Lords] each have power to or equal to that of the court mages. There are only five court mages—the strongest from each kingdom.

From a pure statistical vantage point, that would leave two more [Demon Lords] left.

That is where the [Heroes] come in—one in each kingdom.

Powerful individuals with the power to surpass court mages.

And so, I was summoned here.

To save as many lives as possible.

I am weak. I am a monster. A murderer and a coward.

All of the above I will admit to without even a hint of reluctancy.

Yet, people can change. People atone.

And gods forgive.

I will live this new life of mine in order to atone. I will show obsolete power, and wipe demons off the face of this planet.

And finally, the human race will be able to live in peace without fear. True happiness. Awarded.