Chapter 06: The Hero.

"Big bro! Big bro!!"

Damn it… who's the jerk yelling while I'm sleeping so well…

As I was cuddling two beautiful girls in my arms, a piercing voice echoed in my head, jolting me out of that perfect dream. Thanks to that voice, I realized I was dreaming, but so what? A dream is still better than reality.

I tried to ignore the frantic shouting and fall back asleep, hoping to resume the wonderful dream that had just been interrupted.

"Big bro! Wake up! Big bro!"

A hint of worry crept into the voice, which only irritated me more.

Damn it, my patience was reaching its limit. I tried desperately to cling to the dream, but I couldn't. That incessant calling of my name was like needles pricking my skin.

“Boohoo, big bro… why’d you have to leave us so soon, big bro?!”

Leave early? What the hell are you talking about? Are you cursing me to die or something? That whimpering, mournful tone made my blood boil even more. I shot up like a lion rudely awakened from its slumber.

“Damn you!”

Without thinking, I threw a punch right into the gut of the person who had just spewed those ominous words. A loud thud echoed, and the one I hit doubled over, clutching their stomach and writhing on the floor.

“Th...thank goodness... b...big bro’s awake!”

I rubbed my eyes to get a better look. It seemed to be Takagi, one of my close subordinates. His eyes were teary, and he was still holding his stomach, clearly in pain.

“H...huh? Takagi?”

Guilt suddenly washed over me as I realized I'd hit the wrong person. But seeing him curled up like that, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of satisfaction. Ruining someone’s sleep is a crime, especially when they’re having a good dream.

“Damn, I’m sorry. You okay?”

“Not good, big bro... Farewell, Ajin, my beloved big bro…”

Takagi whimpered, his face twisted in pain as if he were about to pass away.

“Oh, then you’re fine.”

I laughed, feeling relieved that my punch hadn’t been fatal.

I started to take in my surroundings. What was this grand structure? A church? As I pondered, a sudden headache struck. I grimaced, clutching my forehead as a flood of memories came rushing back.

“Damn it… what the hell is going on?”

I remembered. Earlier, I had encountered a talking blob of goo, something that called itself Slime. It had said something confusing about another world, Heroes, and Demon Lords...

Church? Oh yeah, Slime had mentioned we’d be transported to a church. So, this is the church? It’s much bigger than I’d imagined. The place was gothic in style, with towering pillars supporting a vast ceiling. Sunlight streamed through stained glass windows, creating a bright and ethereal atmosphere. The back wall of the church was adorned with massive gears, and a grand staircase lined with red carpet led upward. Crystal chandeliers lined the aisles, and decorative banners gave the place an air of solemnity and mystery.

Since I was born, I’ve never seen such an imposing structure, not even in games or movies.

That’s enough describing the scenery. Now I need to organize the important information.

“Hey, why is big bro just staring around like that? You sure you’re okay?”

“Shut up! Let me think.”

This Takagi guy talks way too much. Speaking of which, Slime said there were supposed to be three Heroes summoned to each church, right? With me and this chatterbox here, that only makes two. Or does two count as three now? No, I may not be great at math, but one plus one definitely equals two.

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“Hey, is it just you and me here?”

I asked Takagi while my mind was still foggy.

“Yeah. Hana and the church priestess left earlier. You should be grateful I stayed behind to wait for you, big bro!”

“Ugh…”

I muttered.

Why the hell am I stuck with that witch again… damn Slime!

Forget that for now. I should probably head outside; it wouldn’t be polite to keep people waiting when I’ve just arrived in another world. I stood up, brushed the dust off my clothes, and walked out of the church with Takagi.

“Greetings, everyone!”

Outside, a girl dressed in a black clerical robe was waiting for us. Even though it was our first meeting, it felt like my heart was stolen by her beauty. Those emerald eyes and flawless white skin... wait, was her hair white too? Whatever, I guess religious beliefs change in another world. White hair or not, I couldn’t possibly resist this divine beauty.

“I’m Eva, the High Priestess of this church. I will now escort you to meet Lord Kagami, the emissary of the deity Dian and the one who will bestow the Divine Rings. Please, follow me.”

“Divine Rings? What the hell is that?”

I thought to myself. Not that it mattered; the only thing on my mind right now was Eva. How should I approach her? Should I use my handsome face or my cool demeanor?

“Big bro, over there!”

Takagi pointed ahead.

In the distance, I saw Hana and another girl. She was leaning against a wall, arms crossed, staring at us. Though I couldn’t see clearly, I could tell her gaze was filled with disdain. I’ll let her look at me like that for a while longer. In this world, her family’s wealth and status are like a fairy tale—no one’s ever seen them and they’re not real. Someday, she’ll be begging for my forgiveness.

“Are these the other two Heroes?”

Lost in my thoughts about that girl, I almost missed the presence of another stunning woman sitting nearby. Her pink hair and beautiful yet cold face... is this really another world or heaven!?

“Yes, Lord Kagami.”

Eva responded, bowing slightly.

Lord Kagami? This is the emissary of the deity Dian? My head was suddenly filled with countless unanswered questions, but instead of asking them, I chose to stay silent. Saying something stupid might get me killed right on the spot.

“Have you two seen enough?”

Kagami’s voice was low and cold, snapping Takagi and me out of our short-lived daze.

“Damn, we’ve been caught!”

I thought, quickly pretending to look away. But just then, I realized something concerning. “You two”? Don’t tell me…

I glanced at Takagi, and what I saw made me unsure whether to laugh or cry. This guy’s face was flushed red, staring at Kagami with wide eyes. I could almost see drool starting to drip from his mouth!

“Hehe… we’re good, we’re good!”

Takagi laughed awkwardly, trying to avoid Kagami’s gaze, but his goofy expression was impossible to hide.

“I will now explain the Divine Rings. Each of you will receive a divine artifact in the form of a ring, which you must wear on any finger.”

Kagami began explaining.

“Once worn, the ring will assess your abilities and start to change color. The color of the ring determines your initial strength and the maximum potential you can reach. Red is the highest, followed by purple, yellow, and blue, with white being the lowest.”

Kagami continued, her sharp eyes sweeping over the two of us.

“Hana’s ring is purple, indicating she is among the most promising heroes. I wonder if either of you will get red. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Rings?”

I squinted, looking more closely at the item in Kagami’s hand, then at Hana’s hand. Indeed, her ring was purple, different from the two gray rings on Kagami’s hands. They all looked pretty ordinary, but the way Kagami spoke made me curious. What color would my ring be?

Kagami handed both me and Takagi a ring each. Its gray metal shone under the light, looking quite fancy. And it even adjusted its size to fit the wearer’s finger perfectly!

This world has way too many things I can’t understand.

Takagi finished before I did, his ring turning yellow. Not bad, I suppose.

But what about mine? I continued waiting. A minute, two minutes, then fifteen passed, but my ring showed no sign of changing. The dull gray on my finger made me anxious. Is it broken?

“Strange…”

Kagami stepped closer, a puzzled look on her face. “I’ve never seen this happen before. The rings are made from rare materials of the Divine Realm; they can’t be faulty.”

“Maybe he’s just unqualified to be a Hero.”

Hana suddenly spoke up, her voice cold and mocking.

“A bully like him can’t be a hero saving the world, can he?!”

“Hana, what the hell are you saying? Do you want to get punched?”

“I’m just speaking the truth.”

She shrugged, looking indifferent.

My anger was starting to boil over.

“Hey, I’ve had enough of your crap!”

Without thinking, I stepped towards Hana, rage building, ready to give her a few slaps.

“Big bro, calm down! Just wait a little longer, Kagami-sama said so, didn’t she? It can’t be like that!”

“Heroes protected by the same god are forbidden from fighting each other. If you can’t understand that, you’ll have to face the consequences yourself.”

“...”

“Tsk.”

Damn it, I didn’t expect such a ridiculous rule. I must be the unluckiest Hero on Earth in 2030.

Because of some rule set

by the gods, I couldn’t smack that witch Hana around. So, I had to swallow my rage and sit back down, staring intently at the ring.

It wasn’t in vain; a few minutes later, something unexpected happened. My ring began to change color. Not red, not yellow, or even blue, but black.

“Black? That color wasn’t even mentioned in the ring’s assessment.”

I stared at the ring, overwhelmed with shock.

While I was still dumbfounded, Kagami slowly approached me with hesitant steps, her face pale, no longer showing the previous coldness.

“No… no way…”

“You… have been stripped of the title of Hero.”