The Untrusting Hero From Another World

2018, Riley, Age 9

The sound of gunfire rang outside the house. It was nothing new; it was just a normal night in LA. But while I was used to it, it scared my little brothers and sisters to death. Gangs just roam free and do whatever they want, and the cops can only do so much due to legal BS. Luckily, Dad was a tough man, one who took no shit. He wasn't a great man, but he kept us safe. Sadly, that is what turned this usual gang war into a tragedy. The door was suddenly busted wide open as men in dark green clothes and gold jewelry rushed in. These thugs were part of the newest gang in town, a bunch of sewer rats trying to act tough, the "Downtown Underground," as they call themselves. Such a dumb name, but it made them tough to track. They'd just pop out of the sewers and cause havoc. We were just the unlucky target this time. They screamed so loud, dragging Lana away. That was more than enough, but when Dad tried to fight back, they gunned him down. Rage filled my body, and I tackled one of them, grabbing him by the throat. They all shifted their guns to me, but I kept their boy in a tight headlock so they wouldn't shoot while I throttled him.

"Everyone, stand down, damn it!" A loud voice boomed, and the thugs obeyed. Lana hurried to me with tears in her eyes. I took the gun from my hostage, aiming it at them as I released him to embrace her. A tall, muscular man that I'm shocked could even get out of the sewers slowly approached, "Easy there, boy. You got guts. A dozen guys with guns, and your first thought is to choke one out and take his piece? You're nuts."

"You hurt my family. I hurt you," I answered, any fear in my voice overshadowed by my rage. That got a chuckle out of him, and he kneeled down in front of me. Lana winced, expecting the worst, but instead, he gently patted her curly hair.

"Loyal, huh? Could use more like that. How about this? You and your family join up with us. We'll keep your siblings safe. Deal?" I looked at him with heavy skepticism. I nod, but before turning to the guy who shot my dad and fired into his shoulder. His scream had everyone aiming their guns at me, but a wave of the man's hand made them stand down.

"This bastard made my sister cry."

"Fair enough. Do what you want."

BANG!! BANG!!! BANG!!!

Six Months Since Summoning Day, Riley, Age 15

Quickly jumping out of my bed, I rushed to punch the creep who was watching me, only for Ritto to dodge my fist, "Oh my, quite the beating you took, and you're already prepared to fight," he mocked, much to my annoyance. He seemed more talkative than usual, suspiciously so. I looked around at what seemed to be my room, but there were minor inconsistencies. The dresser beside my bed was ever so slightly tilted instead of being pressed straight against the wall, and the mirror, while hard to see in the darkness, showed no reflection.

"Where am I, Ritto?"

"Ah, perceptive as ever," He noted with a hearty chuckle. Something definitely wasn't right. He snapped his fingers, and the mirage faded. We were actually in an even darker room with a single torch of purple flames lighting it. I saw two people chained to the walls, one a demon with a long beard and a striking resemblance to Ritto, including his signature glowing horns. The two looked like father and son, even having the same ghostly skin tone and beady amber eyes. However, the man was much more built than his son, who was a skeleton. My eyes lingered on the two before looking at the other man. Hatred burned in my eyes as I glared at the bearded man in a police uniform. The nametag 'Burnes' was what sealed it.

"What the hell is he doing here?!"

"Calm down! I brought our dear lawman here as a reward for your hard work yesterday. I would also like to make a deal." I narrowed my eyes and looked around. The oppressive mana that covered the Dark Island due to Zeddral's barrier was nowhere to be felt. Where were we, and why would Ritto take me here just to make a deal, "You can have this scum who killed you, as well as all the leaders of those pathetic gangs of thugs and brutes in your world. But in exchange, you answer to me, first and foremost."

"So that's why you brought us here? So your king couldn't hear you working behind his back?"

"He is not my king!" Ritto snapped in a brief moment of rage before regaining his composure, "I follow no king. I'm sure you understand. I was given no choice in my role. I was just told to do it and expected to obey, even against my best interests. Does that sound familiar?" Really? He's comparing us to him? Even here, things are only slightly closer to what life was like back home, and he's complaining? Pathetic. But fine, I'll play along for now. I have no desire to see this perfect world become worse than the one I left, but I can still help my crew from here and find a chance to get out of it. Without a word, I held out my hand to shake, which he returned. After that, I wasted no time having fun making Burnes squeal like the pig he was.

A Few Days Later, Ryan, Age 15

"Mr. Harlow... Mr. Harlow!"

THWACK!!

I groan as I wake, feeling a stinging pain in my head. Looking down, I saw the culprit, a small piece of white chalk. Perfect world, and they haven't invented markers? Jeez, this is gonna suck, "Yeah yeah, I'm up." The old hag glared at me, elderly even by elf standards and wearing a blue silk robe

"We are quite honored to teach a hero, Mr. Harlow. However, I would appreciate it if you didn't fall asleep during class. Now, tell me step-by-step how one casts a spell." I yawn and prepare to answer. They had to go over a few basics with me. Thanks to the Fire Spirit, magic came easier to me than most, but if I wanted to do more complex things than a fireball and Baphomet Set, I needed to learn this.

"Let's see, step one is to generate the formula in your mind. Step two, gather the mana around you either by hand or via a channeler. Step three, say the trigger word to release it. It usually comes out as just backward talk. I remember that much."

"Good. Well, class ends in a minute so I will leave you with your homework. ffo ot krow." With a simple cast, we were each given a sheet of paper and a list of spells specifically tailored to us. Everyone got up to leave, but I just hit my head on an invisible wall in the doorway, "Not you. Sit down. We need to talk."

"About?" I asked, just picking a desk and hopping onto it

"Your demeanor. It's been a few days, and I noticed you're struggling with staying awake or even reading with us. At first, I simply thought you weren't interested. Then I saw the report about what happened. I just want to know if there's anything I can do to help."

That's all this was about? I was expecting to get scolded or something. I simply shake my head in response, "Appreciate the thought, teach. But you couldn't help me with this."

"Are you sure? Your sister..."

"My sister left because I was weak and careless. It won't happen again," I interrupted before jumping out the window.

Jaune, Age 15

"Begin!" Our instructor called out as I dodged two shadow spikes. Dueling classes had us protected by a barrier, so any manner of spell was allowed. Still, if it was struck three times, it would break, and the match would end, so using your own barriers and dodging was encouraged. Additionally, I was forbidden from using Storm Step, so I was greatly handicapped. Xandric tried to keep me at a distance with his shadows, but I easily sidestepped them before jumping back.

"Llams rednuht mrots!" I called out, firing small lightning bolts at him. If there's one thing I've learned recently, it's that I can't make anything too big, but what I can make, I can make lots of it. Think of it like a death by a thousand cuts. Xandric, on the other hand, was quite predictable. Likely due to his use of a spear in combat, almost anything he produced was going to be made to stab me. I ducked and dodged, using lightning to propel me out of the way when I was in the air. It wasn't as fast as Storm Step, but it was a good substitute. Slowly, I would try to approach him before going for the final kill shot. When I did, though, I went right through him, and three shadows stabbed my barrier from behind.

"Enough! Xandric is the winner!" The instructor exclaimed as the other students clapped and cheered. I suppose we did good. With the battle over, the two of us approached our instructor, a Vampire man with pointed ears, "You both did well, though I am curious where you learned that spell, Xandric."

"I may have read ahead. I thought it would be a good way to balance out my fighting style. Is that not allowed?" Xandric asked, clearly nervous. It was actually quite funny, especially since he told us his void. I suppose humility staves off pride. One can't get a big head if they expect to mess up.

"Not at all. We are in the business of teaching students to apply magic in whatever way works for them. Speaking of which..." He slowly turns to me, "I noticed your focus on smaller spells, and I get your logic. However, have you considered enhancement magic?"

"Enhancement? My Storm Step is already plenty fast."

"You move fast, but magic is about thinking fast, thinking up the formula, and applying it before it's too late. Enhancement magic can enhance any part of your body, not just your physical traits." With that idea, inspiration struck. Not only could I use it to make my spells faster, but maybe I could come up with new strategies to win points with Eliza. A grin crosses my face, and I give a slight bow.

"Thank you so much for the idea!"

"Great, I'm glad I could you stop grinning like that? It's almost time for me to hit the hay, and I can't sleep with you haunting my dreams."

Makoto, Age 15

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

I sat at my desk, doing some early research. Since I chose to practice healing, I needed to know the human anatomy. Eliza can already heal and will probably always be my superior at it, but it doesn't hurt to know it in case she isn't around, and since she's not a hero, the chances of that are likely. After doing some reading, I did some basic application on a dummy, "I see you're doing pretty good," Eliza noted, appearing in a way that almost made me leap out of my skin.

"Ah! Don't spook me like that, would you? This is important."

"Why? You're just learning to heal. Anyone can do that. Well...anyone except a Dwarf."

"Yeah, but doing it right is important. Especially in the heat of battle."

"True enough, I guess," She answered with a shrug and sat down, "You four are pretty lucky, you know? I'd kill to take classes here."

"Why haven't you?"

"Same issue as always. Dad being too overprotective. He knows how strong magic can be, so he doesn't want me learning too much. Jokes on him, though; I managed to get a hold of some of Mom's old books. So if you need any help..."

"I'll be fine. I do know someone who needs help, though. Ryan's been struggling," I explained. I wanted to help him myself, but I needed to focus on my own studying. It would help us all in the long run. Plus, I don't think it's his lack of understanding that's the issue. I think maybe someone who understands loss could be better. I lost my mother, but I spent so long watching Kuroko and Ryuji that I don't remember much of what it was like losing Mom. She could probably guess my thought process since she simply nodded and left.

Ryan, Age 15

I grumbled as I sat on the massive clock tower, fiddling with my helmet. It scanned my brain, creating images of me and Hailey. It's weird. For the first time, I felt genuinely happy around her, and now she's gone. Again. I couldn't help but get lost in the smile I had ignored for so many years before nearly falling after feeling a light tap on my shoulder, "Wow, am I really that quiet?" Eliza teased as I snatched myself around

"Apparently. What do you want?"

"Well, Makoto told me you were having issues in class," She answered, sitting down beside me, "So what's the problem? Because I know it's not that you're an idiot. Well, mostly"

"Gee, thanks but I'm fine" I mumbled, rolling my eyes. I could tell she didn't believe me though as she snatched away my helmet, looking inside it, "H-Hey! What are you doing?"

"I knew it. You're still beat up about Hailey."

"It's rude to take people's stuff without permission," I scold, trying to dodge the subject as I steal back my helmet, "Like I said, I'm fine. What? Do you want me to ball up and cry?"

"I want you to admit you have a problem so we can help."

"Yeah? And then what? Our enemies can show up at any moment. I can't let them see me wea-!" I was cut off by a stinging pain on my cheek. Eliza's hand slowly lowered as her gaze softened.

"Don't go there. You've been doing really good at opening up and trusting this world. Please don't go back."

"You think that's what it is, huh?" I asked, water filling my eyes and going down my cheeks. It was so bad I could barely see her. "The others did amazing. They protected the civilians and found those new Shadows' weaknesses. Me? I was too stupid and overconfident. I thought I could hold off Riley long enough for the others to show up, and look what happened! Even with White there, I barely lived. Hailey left to protect me but if I wasn't so stupid, she wouldn't have felt the need!"

"I see. Well, I guess I wasn't a great pick for this job," Eliza muttered, much to my confusion, "I can't say I understand the guilt you feel. But I can say this. You feel like she left because of you, right? Then, to me, the answer is obvious. Use that to drive you instead of letting it eat away. Bring her back no matter what, then you two can talk it out." She made it sound so easy... so simple. A simple thought for a simple world. Perhaps I need to learn to adjust my thinking. With a newfound fire in my chest, I got to work studying the formulas given for my homework. Eliza smiled, though I could barely see it from over the paper, "Need help?"

"Not particularly, but I'm pretty far behind, so I'll take it," I answered with a mutual chuckle as she sat beside me, looking it over.

"I see. So you chose to specialize in enhancement and conjuration schools..."

Meanwhile, Cass, Age 15

The throne room was dead silent. Nobody dared so much as let a bead of sweat drop as we felt Zeddral's anger. Riley, Leon, and I were all waiting to be given permission to speak. We all flinched when he stood up, "Hero White has returned? That's impossible," he growled.

"We can take them out just like any of the others. They're still probably pretty green," I spoke up, hoping to calm him down.

"Do not underestimate Allison's power," He scolded, instantly shutting me up. "Still, you're right. This new Hero Green could pose an issue as well. Leon, hunt her down. Cass, deal with this imposter hero."

"Hold up! I've fought her before! I can-!" Riley started but was silenced by a glare. Why so defensive? Does he know something I don't? Still, he won't keep me from the action this time.

"Fine. But I'm going to need something big."

Two Days Later, Eliza, Age 15

Ryan had improved greatly since our last talk. We were sparring on the roof, with the only rule being no kill shots. I was trying to use my ice to restrain him, but he enhanced both his speed and strength. Whatever he couldn't dodge or shatter, he would superheat, causing a massive amount of steam. I quickly use a chunk of the building to launch myself in the air, only to be met with a massive flaming dragon. I brace for impact only to see Ryan in front of me before flicking my nose. "You give?"

"I chuckle and precisely lower the piece of the roof back into place. "What was the Dragon for?"

"Style Points." Gosh, he sounds like Riley when he mentions that. Our post-fight discussion was cut short, though, as the holograms around the city changed. Shock ran through my body as I saw Cass just beneath the city.

"People of Mao Zhua, hey! Long time no see! Hell Hero Yellow is paying you guys a visit, and I even brought a present that'll blow your mind!" The screen suddenly changed to a massive Bomb Shadow stuck to the bottom of the Palace Island, "But you guys can save yourselves. You guys remember my idiot leader's attack a while back? Well all our replacements and traitor you know and love were there but there was another there." She then pulled up footage, likely from Riley's built-in camera, "That's right! Hero White has made her comeback after almost a decade, and if she doesn't want this place to turn into a moon colony, she'd best meet me in an hour! Oh, and if the other heroes show up, Mao Zhua will be ash before you can say boom! I don't wanna end up like Jarred." The broadcast then cut off, and when I looked over, I saw that Ryan was long gone.

"Fine then. If you want me, Cass, I'm on my way. rewoP oerH layoR!" I declared and transformed. Here's hoping the others don't interfere.

Ryan, Age 15

In a panic, the four of us all scrambled to meet each other outside the palace. After some frantic chatter, we all pieced together that yes, we did, in fact, all see the same thing, "She was surprisingly energetic. Is that how she typically is when not hyper-fixating on Eliza? That's scary and also kinda cute," Jaune joked, much to our annoyance, but we decided to brush it off.

"What are we supposed to do? We don't know White, and we don't know if they'll show up."

"They will. We should focus on the bomb," Xandric advised. I don't know why he's so certain White will handle it, but the bomb comes first.

"Right. Makoto, can you confirm where it is?" I asked, to which she nodded and looked beneath us, her eyes glowing a slight blue tinge

"What the-? That can't be right? We saw it on the hologram, but it's not there."

"Illusion magic, maybe? Jarred was quite proficient in it," Xandric reminded

"So does that mean the bomb is just one big lie"

"No, just that they're not storing it there. It's more likely to be back on the Dark Island, waiting to be dropped like any other horde."

"The small versions of those monsters packed a serious punch, absolutely shredded my suit. I doubt the Heroic Titan would last against the big guy," I grumble, thinking to myself. There's only one option I see

"Then what do you propose?" Xandric asked, to which I smirk

"Let's put those magic classes to the test."

Cass, Age 15

I groan as I sit on top of my Oni Goliath, looking up at the city. Honestly, I didn't want to blow it up, but... I just don't care. I guess that's just how it goes. Folks die every day. Most deserve it. Oh well! Enough of that. Let's get this done so Sonya, Eliza, and I can finally have a happy ending. I stand up and stretch as Hero White floats down, her cape flowing in the wind, "Wow, you showed up! Ya know, for a fake, you've got more guts than I thought. Still, can't have you impersonating my girlfriend's mom." That response got little more than a blank stare. I summoned my sword and rushed at her, starting with a series of swings followed by an uppercut. Combining two fighting styles that just don't work together may be weird, but hey, I didn't ask for this. She would dodge all of my strikes or deflect them with barrier magic before tossing me around with wind and cutting me with it. Whoever this is, they know how my ability works, so they're trying to create as little kinetic energy as they can. Still, that's hard to avoid in a fight. Slowly but surely, I let it build up before landing a punch to her gut, sending her flying. I Storm Step after her, smashing her back to the ground. When the dust cleared, she looked up at me from the crater, completely unscathed. That wasn't my strongest punch, but it should've still done something.

"You want to get rough? Fine," She responded, her voice distorted, so I couldn't tell by that. Several large runes began to open up as she began to chant, "mrotS! drazzilB! noitpurE! ekuaqhtraE! ruoF latnemelE scigaM ediA eM!" The orange rune on the ground created an earthquake, making landing impossible. Next were the yellow, red, and white runes firing lightning, ice, and fire all at once. Clever girl, trying to damage me while I'm busy trying to stay in the air so I can't get a good hit. C'mon on, Cass! Relax and just blast them! Trying to collect my thoughts despite being constantly stunned by the attacks, I managed to Storm Step directly to her, and just before I could hit her, I heard clapping.

"Again! Again!" I turned to see Hero Black standing there. Something ain't right. Why would he just show up after making that threat? "Still, was the bluff really necessary? That Shadow is just an illusion, right?"

"Really? You can't seriously be that stupid, Princey. You think just because the bottom one is fake?" I asked before pressing the button on my wrist. A giant shadow dwarfed that of the city. I was expecting him to be more scared. I was keeping my word. Instead, he took off his helmet and smiled before vanishing. A mirage? While distracted, I was quickly launched back, frozen in a shard of ice. No... No, no, no!! I'm not gonna lose to this fake! I somehow managed to force my arm to break from the ice and hit another button on my suit. My Oni Goliath then zapped me with a bolt of lightning, setting me free as I hurried into the cockpit. "Let's see you handle this!"

Meanwhile, Ryan, Age 15

"Ryan, my part's done, and White's still down there fighting. You guys ready?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Xandric. Go back up White while we handle this," I ordered and saw the Bat Goliath swoop down. Xandric did his part. Time for us to do the same. Our suits act as large channelers. The more magic they take in, the more powerful spells we can do. With that in mind, I created a larger version of the flaming dragon I had made earlier. The flames formed around me, really working up a sweat as I tried to keep the massive Bomb Shadow on my back, "Jaune! Strike the Heart!"

"Are you sure about this?! What if it blows on top of you!"

"Relax, that's what I'm here for!" Makoto insisted with confidence. After that assurance, I saw Jaune in the sky thanks to his Boost Medal. He created multiple bolts of lightning in the sky before raining down. He would control the bolts, sending them in and out, but it didn't seem to work, "Guess, there's a problem! I'm seeing multiple hearts!"

"How many?"

"Too many!" Damn, I didn't consider a Shadow with multiple hearts. Well, time for Plan B. I flew the flame dragon higher into the sky, past Jaune, before launching myself out once. It exploded far enough above to protect the city, and I was left freefalling. I frantically find my Boost Medal and latch it onto my chest.

"BOOST UP!!"

The world around me changed around to a treasure trove as a dragon flew through me. My armor changed into something much more armored. Dragon fangs adorned my gauntlets, and wings replaced my scarf. The dragon then came back, chomping at my head. My helmet was now replaced with one with dragon wing ornaments, "Dragon Reborn: Red Mythic Hero!" I boldly declared as the explosion went off, much to the cheers of the people below. A strike of lightning went off, and we hurried to the edge of the city. Looking down, only Xandric and White were there. With her plans in smoke, Cass must have left. Looking down, the two gave a thumbs up, to which we responded in kind. Once again, this mystery hero helped save Mao Zhua, and I was left even more curious. I'm going to learn who you are, Hero White.