Heo's point of view
I ran till my feet started to get sore and continued running. The beach was large, I'd never find where they were hidden, but I knew in advance. Baydí was supposed to not do anything the entire day, what changed it? She was supposed to sit in that shack and constantly expend her magic till at night she tries to attack and dies during the flooding after hero syndrome's initial boost.
For whatever reason it's different. Is it because I ask Lynix to check on Stella? Did that change what was the predicted future? It's about eight hours till she actually attacks. I was still running down that alleyway, fearing if my speed could catch the person.
I saw the shack that Baydí was in. I sprinted and kicked down the door. Scattered around the room were the corpses of dead adventurers, all looking new to adventuring. Among the dead was Lynix. Her purple hair covered her face. Her clothes ripped and her blood mixed with the others around her.
Stella wasn't here. She must have gotten away. Thank the gods. I scanned the dead one more time. My body froze. Should I feel bad about these people? My heart tilted and I stepped out to vomit recognizing the little adventure who bought the potion from me. Where is Baydí? I wiped my mouth and stood up. There were tracks in the sand leading away from the shack. Something is wrong. Is she dragging someone?
On the other side of the shack my eyes widened. A large body of blood, organs and bones laid on the ground. All perfectly, but brutally ripped away from one another. They almost looked like they exploded.
"No…" I grabbed my head, my horns becoming a ragged mess. "NO! NO! NO! WHY! WHY MY COUSIN!" My eyes swelled and I hunched over the mess of bloody body parts. I turned that corner in the alleyway just to see nobody there.
Rex's point of view
"Come on Rex, I've told you time and time again we should kill him. Now are you not only actively preventing my attempts, you're allowing for the death of humans because of him?"
A tall, green-haired woman spoke. Piercing purple eyes looked at me. Number-hands within her eyes ticked slowly with two closed slits under them. She wore half a sweatshirt that was cut in the front twice with each end being connected by golden rope. Under the sweatshirt was a dress that reached her knees with long sleeves. Hanging off her head was a mask made of stone of a woman's face. Two black horns protruded out above her ears, one swooping out and over her forehead, the other doing the same to the back of her head.
"Yeal, don't you think the president of nearly half the world shouldn't hold grudges against children?"
"That 'man' knows exactly who he really is. He's been lying this entire time, playing this 'Heo Estellé' role so well."
"If he's as evil as you say, I would have killed him by now."
"But you haven't."
"Lady Yeal is never wrong." A woman with dark armor said.
"Yeah, until he was born and all predictions and the majority of time mani- pulation magic stopped working."
The armored woman shut her mouth like she should. Her orange eyes darted at Yeal, then at the ceiling. She also had an arrow-like clock hand in her eye, but only on the left side. Her orange eyes matched her flaming orange crown on her ashy brown hair. Between cracks in her dark armor was the same bright flaming orange color. Her armor ended with ripped red cloth. Under all the armor, her skin from her neck down was burnt, deforming into spiralling clumps of ash.
"Remember the primary goal of allowing this to happen." I spat out at Yeal.
Yeal stood up, tall but still looking up at me. "I don't wanna see that city killed, you got me!"
"Of course."
"Now, I'm planning on sending Flamé back out to fight King. Give her a little help getting to the man's doorstep." She froze and turned around. "Our doorstep."
I teleported the woman, Flamé, to where the King of egoswords had currently been. I shook my head and walked out of the room, removing the stupid stone mask. Make me proud, Heo.
I stopped. Or… Destroyer.
Heo's point of view
I hesitantly touched the blood, my hands stained then shook violently. Tears burned their way down my face in an emotion I've never felt. Not a recognizable inch of my cousin remained. Smearing the guts I didn't find any piece of clothing.
I sat there in her blood for minutes. I heard a car slow down and park near the beach. Grouped footsteps made their way to the shack. They proceeded to scream and panic. It was Herika, Ezree, and Angel. They must have used my phone's location.
Ezree yelped from the shack and ran around finding me.
"Heo!" She screamed.
"Oh thank god you-" Herika stopped talking.
Angel walked around, his eyes going wide.
"Don't tell us…"
"For some reason, the strongest hero syndrome case has it out for my c.. cousin." I tried to be like I always was, but I felt so pained like it was the first time in my existence.
I turned around, and with clockwork I was used to, they screamed and fell onto the floor as if seeing the universal being skill. Herika barely broke free of the fear after a couple of seconds.
"Heo, your pupils, they're different."
I touched my eyelid. Pulling my hand away, a cut was on the tip of my finger.
"Her clothes were taken, for some reason. Her phone should still be in her pocket. I'll be able to find her by tonight."
"Let us help." Herika said.
"Please Heo. You're going to die if you keep going by yourself." Ezree pleaded.
"You guys will die."
So will I if they come. I'll be seen as a hero. I'd be next. Why don't I just lay down and let someone else take over.
"Our friend is dead! Not just your cousin." Ezree yelled. "I'm scary when I need to be. Whoever is the sick fuck that did that to Stella is going to more than die!" Ezree yelled.
Maybe. More tears flowed out of my eyes. Maybe they have to as well. Maybe they need to die with me. Rex wanted me by myself. Instead of turning them down I opened my phone and looked for Stella's phone. It was on the opposite side of the city, on a mountain just on the edge of the city looking over it.
I walked to the edge of the street. They were all up after the horror and ran after me. I didn't push them back, I just didn't say a word. They can die if I'm dying.
By nightfall, we'd all be at the top of that mountain overlooking the city. We'd be confronting the strongest case of hero syndrome. But that's all it is, a hero syndrome case, dumbed down from the initial burst. She'd already be close to death, all this is doing is making sure she doesn't do this last act. A real hero this group would have no power against. Even Baydí would be helplessly killed by one. Thankfully you can't be an evil hero, only hero syndromed.