Eighteen hours before Hayato lost everything, he tucked his son into bed and eloquently told him a fun story about a pirate searching for treasure. His son seemed entertained before falling asleep.
Eleven hours before Hayato lost everything, he woke up early and meditated. With his six super senses, he could have detected every sign of activity within Whisperwind, but instead shut himself off from the world for one hour. He smiled, reminding himself there were many things to be grateful for. Being alive was one. Retiring on his terms was another. Most superheroes didn’t get that luxury. Despite the numerous close calls, he had been able to live long enough to relocate back to his hometown and even marry his childhood sweetheart.
One hour before Hayato lost everything, he absorbed the beauty of Whisperwind from the inside of his dojo while making sure every villager was okay mentally, scanning their auras. Students asked him questions, and he tried to answer them succinctly and accurately.
Eighteen hours after Blood Hound lost everything, only one mission mattered. He sat crosslegged in his roofless, almost destroyed dojo and waited. Flaunt Woman and Blur-Man eventually emerged from a portal, their method of transport leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. If it wasn’t for their negligence, they could have stopped Carnage themselves, allowing him to prioritise his family. They had the resources and the ability. They had trained and graduated under one of the many gruelling superhero schools.
Their potential was great… and yet…
“Nice gear, old man,” Flaunt Woman said.
“Sorry for being late, Mr Hayato,” Blur-man said. “But it seems you sorted out the threat well. We can help pay for the damages. Are we done here?”
“I contacted you about Carnage.”
“We were busy,” Flaunt Woman said bluntly.
“Yes,” Blur-Man agreed. “Back in Tokyo, there was a B-class threat and–”
“You were not involved in the conflict. You were gambling on the outcomes.”
Blur-Man stroked his chin as a smirk slowly appeared on his face. “You got me! But now I’m up half a million. I’ve almost recouped my debts. Superheroes must make tough decisions, Mr Hayato. I’m sure you can understand that.”
Hayato stood up slowly and scowled, brandishing both katanas. He had always liked Flaunt Woman’s pear-scented perfume but now it reeked of betrayal. “Paul-san. Emily-san. For not fulfilling your duties, both of you will be executed. Do you have any final words?”
The superheroes stared him dead in the eye. Neither of them was smiling now. Blur-Man walked in one direction and Flaunt Woman in the other. Hayato focused on their movements, slightly widening his stance.
Blur-Man rushed towards him and threw a flurry of punches and kicks. Hayato evaded every attack. He swung one katana and Blur-Man sped back to his original position, his eyes wide with caution. Flaunt Woman tapped on her bracelet and a portal materialised beside her. She reached an arm through the portal to bring out a golden axe and sprung forward, swinging the weapon downwards. Hayato sidestepped, sinking a knee into her stomach. She let out a wheeze, reeling backwards.
Bolts of lightning shot out from Blur-man’s palm, sending debris scattering in all directions. Hayato spun to one side, predicting the attack purely from the complex patterns and shape of the superhero’s aura. He deflected a lightning bolt with both katanas but the force catapulted him backwards. Thick vines erupted from the ground, wrapping around his arms and gently lowering him.
Flaunt Woman threw her axe, dashing towards him. Hayato ducked. The axe shot out of another portal behind him. Hayato cut the weapon in half with one swing of his katana. She tried to connect with a soaring punch but Hayato swung once again, his blade cleanly cutting through her neck and resulting in a–
SPLAT!
Her head rolled. Hayato flicked one katana, sending blood splattering on the ground.
“You made a big mistake, Blood Hound!” Blur-Man yelled. “I thought we both wanted peace!”
Hayato slowly walked towards him. With each step he took, dandelions blossomed by his feet and large oak trees formed a circle around them, trapping them in a flower field. “Not anymore, Paul-san. But I heard you weren’t always a disgrace. They say you once wielded a sword masterfully. They say you once fought tirelessly against bloodthirsty people like myself. Show me.”
Hayato tossed one of his katanas in the air. As soon as Blur-Man caught the weapon, he utilised his super speed, running circles around him. Sparks flashed between their swords as Blur-Man dipped in and out of range with lunges.
Too predictable, Hayato thought, deflecting each attack with perfect timing. Large, thick vines covered in purple-tipped thorns shot from the ground, and Blur-Man howled in agony, immediately stopped in his tracks, forced to his knees. The vines wrapped around his body, each thorn burying into his skin.
“You don’t have to do this!” Blur-Man cried desperately. “We can work together again! I’ll do my part. I can protect the village. I’ll keep everyone safe.”
Hayato swiftly cut off one of Blur Man’s arm. Blood squirted in the air and the superhero spat a bundle of curses. “It’s a little too late for that. My wife and son are dead because of you. The villagers are suffering and grieving because of you. You broke our agreement. I’m sure you can understand that.”
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Blur-Man winced and raised his head, glaring at Hayato’s ghostly white mask. Lightening shot from his eyes. Hayato darted to one side and impaled both katanas in Blur-Man’s chest.”
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It took less than twenty minutes before the next superhero reached Hayato. Still meditating, he didn’t bother opening his eyes, remaining in a cross-legged position. Blur-Man and Flaunt Woman’s bodies hung from trees behind him, vines gripping at their decomposing bodies.
The superhero stood before him and bowed. Hayato immediately identified them despite the lack of any strong scent, detecting their complex blend of skin oils, hormones, and other organic compounds. It was Nomura, an old student, and an active superhero in Tokyo.
“Sensei,” she began. “Do my eyes deceive me?”
“Not at all. You know me well. Your speculation is correct. Execute me right now if you must, but please allow me to make one final request.”
Hayato could hear her tears hitting the grass. “Yes, Sensei.”
“Treat me as an S-tier threat, and seek support from one of the top three superhero guilds.”
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As Remy watched from afar, he wasn’t sure what to feel. There were plenty of reasons to rejoice and celebrate. There were also plenty of reasons to throw on a face of disgust. With his Super Vision, he might as well have seen Hayato’s fights up close. He had seen everything in detail– every attack and retaliation. Every blood splatter and killing blow.
He had seen superheroes face extraterrestrial threats numerous times on TV but supervillains didn’t get much coverage. People were fine with aliens getting pummelled into oblivion but other humans? Not so much. It was more of a refined taste.
Of course, Remy had wanted Blur-Man and Flaunt Woman to be punished… but was execution the right way? He was not sure. Something told him it would take a few late nights alone to come up with an answer.
“Same status?” Jay asked.
“Yeah. Sensei is just sitting there. I think he’s…”
Remy’s voice trailed away as a long ring of portals materialised in the air and flying spherical capsules exited them. A large display filled the sky, showing Sensei Hayato deep in meditation, surrounded by blooming flowers. He no longer wielded the katanas and his palms were pressed together.
“Ladies and gentlemen!” a commentator roared, their voice blasting out of a speaker. “Are you ready to be entertained? For the first time in over a year, we have an S-tier suuuuuper villain. But be warned! What you’re about to witness is not for the faint of hearts. Things are about to get wild! My name’s John Galloway…”
“... and my name’s Rich Everett.”
“And we will be commentating on the fight today. Unfortunately, one of our esteemed retired superheroes, Blood Hound, has lost his mind! He has heartlessly destroyed his own village and even managed to kill Flaunt Woman and Blur-Man, two great superheroes who put their lives on the line to protect the humble town of Whisperwind.”
Jay scoffed, turning his head towards Remy despite being blindfolded. “What a load of bull.”
“But do not fear!” John continued. “Today, we have three A-rank superheroes from Instant’s Flashpoint guild! Rampage, Whizz and Focus have entered the stage!”
Three superheroes emerged from a portal to face Hayato, and Remy was able to identify them immediately. He clenched his fists, taking a step forward. Those bastards were there! The trio wore similar navy blue super suits with a demon-faced logo on the torso as if they were part of the same football team.
Remy knew too much about them, so much so that it almost felt embarrassing. He had consumed countless articles, interviews and video footage, painstakingly memorising their strengths and weaknesses, just like he had done with all the top-ranked superheroes. The three of them hadn’t changed much since silently spectating Wide Awake’s torture four years ago.
Rampage, ranked #74, was a very competent superhero despite the obesity. His cheeks resembled a chipmunk and with every step he took his belly bounced up and down like a yoyo. The superhero had been with the Flashpoint Guild for more than a decade and tended to lead superhero groups into battles. Whizz, ranked #87, was a popular elemental superhero who had made splashes in the last few years. He had recently been given another five-year lucrative deal by Flashpoint Guild. Lastly, Focus, ranked #92, was a slender-framed superhero who was popular for his rare Heat Vision ability. He tended to get roasted on social media a lot for having an absurdly receded hairline, the kind of hairline that was better off not existing in the first place. For some reason, he refused to go bald.
Rampage charged towards Hayato like a raging bull, his bulky frame turning a glistening steel. Hayato sprung to his feet, ducked under a meaty swing, and executed a swift leg sweep, sending Rampage crashing to the ground with a dull thud. Remy’s jaw dropped, wondering how powerful the kick needed to be to topple the mountainous superhero.
Multiple thorned vines erupted out of the ground and chased after Whizz and Focus. They evaded, ducking and diving, while Rampage shot back up and dashed at Hayato with abnormal agility. The two superheroes let off a quick series of attacks until–
CRUNK, CRUNK!
Rampage reeled back from two successive palm strikes to the skull, his pupils rolling backwards. Before he could topple over, Hayato seized him by the neck with one hand and Remy’s eyes bulged in horror and fascination as all the water inside Rampage was rapidly sucked out of him, leaving a shrunken wrinkly mess of flesh.
Hayato threw the lifeless body so forcefully that it slammed into one of the flying capsules. Inside, the spectators recoiled as the capsule's windscreen wiper automatically cleared away the splattered internal organs.
“I can’t believe it; Rampage is down!” Rich screeched, his voice cracking. “I repeat! Blood Hound has ruthlessly taken down Rampage!”
Hayato turned his attention to Whizz and Focus who were both heavily occupied by an increasingly growing amount of thorned vines. Whizz shot streams of ice out of his palm, attempting to freeze some of the vines but the moving plants seemed to be sentient, dodging each projectile. Focus was more successful, sizzling some of them up with the red lasers bursting out of his eyes, but more plants immediately replaced the fallen ones.
Hayato lifted an arm and it expanded into a humongous wooden claw which cast a huge shadow on the superheroes. They looked up, eyes widened before the large hand slammed down.
SMASH!
Hayato slowly raised his hand in the air.
“Unbelievable!” John hollered. “It looks like–”
SMASH!
SMASH!
SMASH!
Once the smoke cleared, Whizz and Focus could barely be recognised, their mutilated bodies entangled within the crimson flower field. Silence hung in the air until Rich finally spoke… “What a tragedy. Blood Hound has killed all three superheroes. In my ten years in this business, I have never seen three A-ranked superheroes eliminated so quickly. Wait a minute… Hold on! What do we have here? When despair is at its highest, has a special treasure come to save the day? I think so!”
“You couldn’t be more right!” John bellowed. “The most vicious superhero is finally here! He’s the demon every villain fears. The transient teleporter. The unstoppable undertaker. Hope is on the horizon, folks, and it looks goddamn beautiful, because the number three-ranked superhero, Instant, has made an entrance!”