The Untrusting Hero From Another World

Ritto, Age 105

"Again!"

I panted heavily as Father repeated himself. I struggled to even make a basic lightning spell. I couldn't get the formula right no matter how hard I tried, "Please... Let me stop..."

"Stop?! You think King Zeddral will make you Arch Mage by stopping?! You're my son, but that doesn't earn you your place!"

I don't care about being Arch Mage! That's what you want, not me! He would push me day in and day out until, eventually, I was drained. The Space Between Worlds, the source of all magic, was physically exhausting to channel without breaks. Quick bursts or even extended battles, but entire days? Very few could do such a thing without enhancing items. I fell to my hands and knees, panting heavily as Father looked upon me with disappointment before leaving.

Four and a Half Months Since Summoning Day, Ritto, Age 856

Having woken up from my not-so-blissful slumber, I got out of bed and began working once again on the new Goliath for the Hell Heroes. I had long depended on Thaddeus to finish off this foolish king, and yet how long has this war been waged? It must be going on a decade now, surely. Combined with that damnable spell he's conjured, and I must be more cautious. Assassins would fail, and I would be left headless. The creatures roared out as the beasts who would be Goliaths were not too fond of having their flesh bound to metal. The Heroes had the benefit of technology, something we sorely lack. With a massive stream of chain lightning, I drove them all to silence. While I loathed my position, I took pride in it and meticulously grafted the metal to their flesh, using it as the skeletal structure for the metallic frame. First came the Red Chimera Goliath, a mighty beast with the body of a lion but with the wings of a dragon and snake-like tail, followed by the Yellow Oni, a hulking fanged beast with a drum that calls lightning on impact, and Blue Kraken, a mighty multi-armed creature that could crush anything caught in its suctioned tentacles

"For some reason, I feel a tentacle monster really fits Jerrod," the voice of Cassandra joked as she entered the hangar. "So when do we get to take these for a test drive?"

"Later. You remember the King's orders. We are to let the Generals wear the Heroes down, then strike."

"Oh, c'mon. When have you ever been concerned with the King's orders?" she further mocked, and if looks could kill, I would have struck her down where she stood, "That reminds me, though, what monster did you send this time?" she inquired to which I couldn't resist my devious chuckle.

Meanwhile, Xandric, Age 118

"Don't we have more important things to be doing?" I asked, wandering around the Capital City. For some reason that I could not quite explain, I was dragged along before I could even start to prepare for the day.

"Simple, get to know the people you protect," Makoto answered as she dragged him into helping out at a nearby café, "It's Ryan's policy, and honestly, it feels good."

"I see. I did something similar in the month following my escape. Much more dangerous, though," I said with a soft chuckle, but I could feel tension once we answered. Everyone's eyes were on me as if I would combust at any moment.

"Ryan tends to work around the Orphanage, and Jaune the... School... "She said, slowly drifting off as she noticed it, too, before turning to me. Noticing my unease, she began messing up my hair.

"Ah!! H-Hey! What's that for!"

"Don't mind them, okay?" she insisted," You are a Demon. It's natural they'd be scared. Instead, focus on showing them who you really are."

"That's not... " I started, but before I could finish, she was dragging me behind the counter. They would avoid me like the plague, causing a massive line for Makoto until she had to demand that some of them go to me. Still, I did the work as best I could as she showed me how to make it. By the end of the day, they were satisfied, but the pressure never left my shoulders. With that finished, we returned to the palace where Princess Eliza was waiting on us outside, "You're back. Good. Are you ready?"

"Yeah. We got our daily routine done," Makoto answered

"Are you sure it's okay if I come?"

"You need to. This isn't just a political meeting. This is for your training both as individual heroes and as a team," she explained as she started to leave for the launch pad atop the castle. From there, we marveled at the technological juggernaut, a massive carriage but without any Qraptors, "We're leaving in this? But there's nothing to pull."

"It's like a jet," Ryan assumed. I knew not what a 'jet' was but Princess Eliza seemed to and she snickered in response, "Am I wrong?"

"In function? No. It is for flight, but comparing it to those slow things is almost an insult," she mocked and stepped on, "Father, are you ready?!"

"More than ready!! Fasten your seat belts, Young Lords and Ladies! It's going to be a bumpy ride!" King Thaddeus proudly declared, and before I knew it, we were floating off the ground. That floating turned into full flight as we narrowly missed one of the many castle spires on our way out.

"Wow, such speed!" I exclaimed, nearly blown to the back of the craft

"This is the Royal Cloud Cutter, an experimental craft that Felmi and I worked together on," Princess Eliza informed me, "Using Dwarven propulsion tech and a massive stone as a channeler for gravity magic, it can go higher and faster than any aircraft in either world."

"Has anyone ever told you that you're amazing, little dove?" Jaune asked, his voice turning flirtatious, to which she laughed

"Easy, Jaune, remember our deal."

"Ah, sorry! It's a habit!" He immediately answered, bowing on his hands and knees, much to the laughter of everyone on board. It was a rocky ride out of the forest surrounding Zordonia. Even what few guards were on board struggled to keep their lunches in their bellies at some points. Still, the view was something to behold. You could make out all four kingdoms from up here, be they the dense forests of Zordonia, the desert, and jungle that divided Animaria, the Elven Savannahs, Mountains, and Evergreens that made up Dai Shi or the desolate Vypari Wastes the Vampires call home. All Biomes met in the Island's center, a lush Oasis of trees and crystal blue waters. If Father's stories still hold true, they call the Spring of Life. I can understand why from up here. Looking down, I can't blame anyone for imagining this as the start of it all.

"Mind blown yet?" Ryan asked, standing beside me to stare out the window

"Was it that obvious?"

"Kinda. You look like you were about to spill out a whole lore dump," he joked, using more strange terminology as he leaned against the glass, "It looks so neat from up here, though. Four Kingdoms with the Dwarves making their homes in whatever mountain they want. It's so... simple."

"Care to elaborate?" I asked, genuinely curious. I had always wanted to know more about the other world, but I dared not ask the Hell Heroes.

"There are almost two hundred countries in our world. They all have their differences, but when it comes down to it, they're all rotten in some way or another. Greed, Corruption, Crime. Even the best nations in the world are still a nightmare for the everyman, and if you dare complain, you're told to 'Just go somewhere else,'" he answered with a clear disdain as if speaking from personal knowledge.

"Honestly, this place does admittedly seem like a paradise besides this war, and the diary backs this up, but... "

"Diary?" I asked. In response, he pulled out an old, worn book.

"This diary was given to me by the old man. I believe it belonged to one of the first Heroes. I've been reading it in my spare time, and it not only details things as they are but also how they became that way, " he explained, "Like how war technology was converted into things to improve the standard of living and create jobs for criminals that utilize their skillsets to avoid repeat offenses. For example, assassins were given roles as doctors and teachers due to their knowledge of anatomy."

"Yet you don't trust it?" I asked, and his excitement quickly turned somber

"It only works if you work under the assumption that everyone acts as they should. People are competitive by nature. They'll actively screw each other over to get ahead. To keep a machine like this running smoothly, something must have happened," he answered, his voice and body language coming off more so as completely numb than anything else

"Still, you hope to be wrong, am I correct?" I asked, causing a shocked expression to appear on his face, "You would rather be wrong, and the outcome be better than you had hoped. It's just like the gamble you took on me."

He rolled his eyes and walked off, "Don't get the wrong idea. You're not out of the woods with me yet. But I won't complain if you prove yourself. Consider it...probation". Oh, stubborn till the end. Not long after, we would land deep in the jungles of Animaria. Upon landing, we were met by a small group of men with gold plates of armor around the joints over their navy blue robes. They wore no helmets as a side effect of their animalistic features, be they horns or a second set of ears. The guards then broke off into two parallel rows, making a path for a dark-skinned man in a flashy golden robe. His tail was comprised of a massive bundle of feathers that collapsed like a fan and a mohawk that started brown but turned to the same greenish color as the feathers.

"Ah!! Thaddeus, it's been too long! I hope you're well!" he declared, sounding overly excited. I could tell King Thaddeus was rather annoyed, his eyebrow twitching.

"Hello, Shay... Yes, I am well. Are the others here?"

"Straight to business? Oh, but I suppose this is too important to dilly dally," he answered with an almost disappointed sigh, "Yes. The other Kings are here. Let's finish this so we can celebrate. Tis not every day that heroes visit an Animarian city" he answered before walking away with Thaddeus following soon after. We would have followed, but Ryan's hand stopped us.

"You gonna come out or what?" he asked and as if something out of those animated plays I've caught them watching, three people fell out of our craft, a Vampire woman, an Elf/Demi-Human Hybrid, and an Elven boy missing an eye.

"Hello..." The boy said with a nervous chuckle as he waved

"What are you doing here? Better question, how did you even get on board?"

"I-It was Ms. Sonya's idea!"

"I thought it could be fun. Not every day we get to go outside Zordonia," Sonya answered, "A-And maybe I wanted to make sure nothing happened to Eliza."

"As for how, well..." the half-elf slowly waved his hand about "ytilibisivni," he chanted, and like that, he was gone before returning back. But as they did, I noticed the boy hiding behind Sonya.

"Do you... fear me?" I asked. It was a dumb question, one I already knew the answer to. Instead of answering, though, he hid more.

"Kai's parents were killed by demons. Try not to take it personally," Ryan spoke up. It isn't their fear that bothers me. I have known how the populace of the Island view my kind for quite some time. So why am I so...?

"I suppose their is no turning back now," Jaune noted, interrupting my train of thought, "What do we do, Eliza?"

"You just answered that. If there is no turning back, they simply need to stay. However, no civilians are allowed," Princess Eliza answered before hurrying to catch up with her father, to which we followed. With our now much larger group in tow, we entered Animari City, a bustling magical metropolis built from wood and sandstone. Beautiful art was painted on almost every building. Signs mainly used symbols as well as the typical alphabet, and water flowed through the streets. It was so foreign from either Zordonia or the Dark Island. That big light in the sky nearly torched me, and yet, I felt cooled upon entering the city limits, likely some magic barrier around the city that controls its temperature. Fireworks exploded in the sky nonstop as if every day were some celebration. Were it not for Jaune kindly dragging me along, I would have merely stood in awe. As we walked along the great steps to the massive pyramid in the sky, you could get a perfect view. Oddly enough, I noticed a lack of productivity. Everyone would dance, paint, write, all things that were enjoyable pass times, but far from anything that could make a society run, "Merric, was it? Do you know anything about this place?"

"M-Me?!" he stuttered, standing stiff as a board, "I-I mean... My mother told me quite a lot, but that's it..."

"Did she ever tell you why things are so... joyful?" I asked, struggling to find the proper words

"Oh. Well, there are a couple of reasons," he answered "We Demi-Humans are more expressive than other races. We feel emotions much more strongly and struggle to contain them. Putting them into form such as painting or music helps us project it in a healthy manner. The other... "

"Is the result of our enslavement prior to the Unity War!" King Shay answered, his feathers expanding out in a massive pattern as if to grab our attention, "Animaria was not always our Kingdom. Once upon a time, we were slaves to the humans until a Hero in White gave us the courage to rebel. As such, we came to a collective realization. Life is too short to be wasted, slaving away. As such, the government and the land tends to all needs. They only work for what they want in order to feel fulfilled."

Not even questioning the logic behind that, we make our way inside the floating pyramid, "Alright, you three. Stay here, okay?" Ryan asked, specifically looking to Kai, who nodded. We then entered the chamber, and I could already feel the tension. The meeting room was round, with an elevated pedestal for each Nation's leader. Behind them were a series of stands for any potential guests to listen from

"All are present. We may begin the eight hundredth New Dawn Congregation," King Thaddeus declared, "Now shall we begin with..."

"Ohhhh no, you don't, Thaddeus," An elegant voice interrupted as a green-haired Elven woman clad in loose but richly ornamented and embroidered red and white robes approached, her pedestal moving to the center.

"Seems we found this world's Asia," Ryan mumbled, earning a jab from Makoto. What's an 'Asia'

"There is no other subject that matters today besides that of these new 'Heroes,'" She insisted, "In the time since their summoning, nothing but trouble has been caused. The Shadows have grown more powerful, new demons have been born, and now you're employing living creatures by having the dwarves put their souls into metallic shells."

"We volunteered for this task, Queen Min," A voice spoke as the Dragon Goliath snaked its way out of Ryan's pockets, "The Darkness the Demons would bring would do damage to us as well. We would gladly give our bodies to prevent that."

"Be that as it may, it still proves my point. In King Thaddeus's attempt to save this world, the war has only escalated. How long before we see a repeat of the Unity War?"

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"And what would you have us do?" asked the Dwarven King, adorned in armor of solid gold and his black beard showing signs of grey, "The Demons had the upper hand, and that divide only grew with the original Heroes' betrayal."

"Then perhaps, King Magna, summoning from that world to begin with was our mistake," she suggested

"Surely, you must be kidding!" I called out, somewhat frustrated, "It's not easy, but these Heroes you keep summoning have pulled through for you time and again. Yet because it is not done to your standards, you would dub them a mistake? Before the Hell Heroes defected, my father feared for hi-"

"And there lies another questionable choice," she interrupted, "Allowing a demon is already questionable, but Zeddral's son? Have you gone mad, Thaddeus?"

"Xandric holds valuable information. We would be foolish not to accept his help."

"And if he is a spy? You would just be giving him our plans!" Queen Min argued as I sat back down. I could feel Makoto and Jaune patting my back to comfort me, but it did little good.

"Your concerns are valid, Min. So instead of arguing, how about you help us," the Vampire King suggested. Of all the rulers, he was certainly the biggest, a towering pale-skinned man with blood-red eyes, wearing a cloak as well as some fairly common black clothing, hardly befitting of a king, "Shay and I discussed this when I arrived last night. We agree with your observation; however, we cannot back out now. That would leave us with no Heroes and three of us five defenseless. Not every race has the same aptitude for magic as Dai Shi and Animaria."

The Queen hummed, seeking hesitant, though she could not deny the logic," Very well, Necroli. What is this plan?"

"As you said, the enemy is escalating alongside us, and four of us five know all too well how that can make a war so much worse."

"All five. Don't dismiss my age to mean I don't understand," Shay corrected, his feathers shooting out once again to get their attention, "Still, we are in too deep. So what do we do, you ask? We simply escalate further before our next attack! It will not stop them, but it will create a large divide that will take time for them to cross. In that time, we will continue to improve the strength of our Heroes."

"A decent idea. But how?" King Magna asked

"Our road map begins here. Animaria has the greatest genetic diversity of any Kingdom. Princess Eliza has been sending you those 'hearts' for study, correct?"

"You wish to make more Goliaths?" Princess Eliza asked, standing beside her father

"Indeed. Not only is the extra firepower much appreciated, but we believe it could add versatility to that so-called 'Heroic Titan,'" he explained, causing much unease for Ryan.

"After that, they shall be sent to Dai Shi for further training in magic. Lastly, they will enter my domain, where I will help them unlock their true potential. The Vypari Wastes are the closest we can get to the Dark Island, after all, so they must be prepared."

"That is a wonderful plan, but I must ask, what if Zordonia is attacked?" Jaune inquired, "It is the closest to the Dark Island after all, and we would be leaving it defenseless for a long period of time."

"Aye, lad. Not quite as dumb as I thought," mocked a Dwarf in the stands wearing a lab coat, "Don't worry. We are already building something to counter just that."

Meanwhile, Cass, Age 15

The three of us waited outside, hearing the Elven Queen arguing. She always was quite the annoyance. Eventually, I stood up, ready to put my plan into action.

"Where are you going? We were told to stay right here?" Kai asked, pouting like the child he was

"Relax. I'm just gonna find a bathroom," I assured before walking away. Once I was far enough away and checked that I was clear of guards, I whispered, "It's safe. You can come out now". On command, a small bug flew out of my pocket.

"Buzz Buzz, finally! You couldn't find a way to escape sooner?" Fearfly smarted off, being so annoying, I wanted to just cut him where he stood

"Shut up and do your job already. Ritto gave you a job."

"Yeah, yeah. Before I'm done, they'll be nothing but husks, Buzz Buzz," he answered and flew away. I should get back to the others before anyone notices I'm gone. I luckily managed to get back just in time before everything went white.

Unknown Time, Ryan, Age 15

My eyes open after shielding myself from the bright light. I guess that wasn't part of the meeting, especially since I saw... home? Not Alex's house or the castle, my real home just down the street from me. Looking down in the puddle, I saw myself much younger, at least ten years old. Oh no. I hurry towards the house. It's just like that day, but things are different now. With my power, maybe I could save her! I kick the door with all the force my small body could muster, forcing the door open. That's when I saw her, a beautiful woman with flowing red hair, her emerald eyes looking at me with such warmth and care, "Welcome home, Ryan? How was school?"

"We need to leave. Now," I demanded, not wasting time explaining. I grab her wrist and try to drag her out of the house. She clearly wasn't taking it as seriously as I was, giggling as she stayed still

"Hey now, what's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

"Mom! Now's not the time! We need to leave, or you're gonna-!" I started before being interrupted by a bright light and the Shadow that came from it. Escaping isn't an option anymore. I reach for my Shifter and call out "Worlds Combine, Heroes Unite!"

...

...

... Nothing. My Shifter was gone. I had no power. I was batted away with ease, being slammed against the TV. When I looked up, all my blurry vision could see was Mom dead on the ground. The Shadow was gone, the portal opening up once again to snatch it back. I hurry to Mom with tears in my eyes. She died again, and I could do nothing. The environment around me began to change. This time, I was myself again, and I was at school. First mom, now what? I wandered aimlessly through the school, but nobody seemed to notice. None of my 'friends' said so much as hey to me; the airhead girls who used to fawn over me didn't give me the time of day. That's fine, though. I didn't care much for them anyway. They just wanted to be with the 'cool, silent type.' But my seeming invisibility did give me some valuable insight

"Did you hear? They held a funeral for Ryan last night?"

"Really? Oh my gosh, is Hailey doing okay?"

Hailey? That's it! I rushed to her classroom, going purely off memory. She was sitting at her desk, her dirty blonde hair unkempt as ever, "Hailey!!" I called out, knowing she couldn't hear me

"Hey, Hailey!" Someone else called out, a vile-looking woman who shoved Hailey around. Despite being able to rip her apart, she didn't fight back. I tried to throw a punch, but I went right through. Why? Why isn't she fighting back? The vision faded, though, and now, I was back in the castle; however, this time, it was in ruins. As I walked down, I saw them all. Thaddeus, Eliza, Kai, Jaune, Makoto... All dead

"Hey there, Rookie," a taunting voice said, and there he was. Riley standing beside the thrown with the other Hell Heroes and Zeddral on Thaddeus's throne. I was going to attack before suddenly feeling a pressure that sent me to the ground, "Poor kid. Helpless as ever. But I'll do you a favor..."

Meanwhile, Eliza, Age 15

I wake up to see everything in flames. My kingdom, my people, all gone, and me? I was just trapped in a cage with my machines and books, "Whoever you are, when are you planning on breaking this illusion?" I called out, knowing what was going on. This wasn't real, just fowl magic used to bring out my worst fears.

"Quite impressive, Buzz Buzz. To answer your question, there's only one way out. Well, one that doesn't leave you as a pile of bones. Not like I'd tell you, Buzz Buzz!" A voice answered, much to my annoyance. I hate the 'Buzz Buzz.'

"No need. I know how these sorts of spells work. I read about them," I answered as the cave vanished, "I'll warn you, though, you may have made a mistake. Especially with our little red."

"Wh-What?! How did you-?! And so easily!?"

"Your little trick is just a simple illusion spell based on fear. It's on a massive scale that one typically cannot achieve, so I'll give you credit there. But you didn't account for me. Now, if you don't mind... " I explain before pulling out my mobile communicator. It's one of a kind right now, something I made so I didn't have to be in the war room to assist. Using attachment to the neurological links in their helmets, I locked onto one hero and sent my consciousness into theirs, "I have friends to save."

Xandric, Age 116

"Murderer!"

"Traitor!"

"Monster!!"

"Evil Prince!!"

I was slowly backed against a wall. Demons and Non-Demons alike, unified for one thing, hating me.

"You betrayed us!!"

"Did you just expect us to forgive you?!"

"N-No! I'm just doing what I think is right!" I tried to explain, but they didn't get through. They just continue to shout and berate me. Who can blame them? I am a demon. We've hurt people, and now? I've betrayed the people who would have accepted me. I was slowly overwhelmed, dogpiled by those of all races, when suddenly I felt someone grab my arm, slowly dragging me out from the horde.

"Good thing I linked your helmet. Seems like you would've been in real trouble," my mysterious savior joked before revealing herself. Princess Eliza stood there, holding my arm in a death grip.

"What are you doing here? Want to shout at the monster like the others?"

"What others? We're the only ones here. Well, the only ones really here" she replied as I looked down at the people we stood on," So this is what you think? That everyone's against you?" she asked before lightly slapping me. It caused no pain, though it did draw my attention, "Well, then prove them wrong! It will take time, but if you work towards it, you can be a hero to both sides". Her words made it sound so simple. It was almost naive to believe their fear and resentment would just slowly fade away. Yet, it felt like something I needed to hear for someone outside of my mother to tell me I could do it. With new food determination, I look down to see my Shifter returned to me.

"Souls combine, Heroes Unite," I say softly and transform, "Let's get to work. How do I do this?"

"I'll send you. I can't tell you who you'll go to, though," She warned, but I simply waited to be sent away. When I blinked my eyes, I saw Ryan on the ground, being smashed repeatedly by Riley's Warhammer. That's his fear? It doesn't seem right. Looking around, I understood. One could only imagine how helpless he felt. I quickly threw a spear at Riley. He vanished into smoke, and Ryan immediately leaped at my father, destroying him and the Hell Heroes with each strike, thunderously roaring each time. He seemed more angry than scared, "This may be a foolish question, but... are you okay?"

"I've been trapped in a vision that forces me to see my biggest fear. What do you think?"

"So you've already figured it out?"

"I saw a few episodes like this on my show back home, and I had a lot of time to think when I was having my spine crushed." He answered, "Do me a favor. Don't tell anyone what you saw here."

"My lips are sealed," I assured before contacting Eliza. It seems even in this illusion, our communicators still work, "I've got Ryan. That just leaves Jaune and Makoto, right?"

"You two can go after them. I'm going to save my father."

"I see. Best of luck," I replied, and the two of us locked onto the two remaining heroes.

Makoto, Age 15

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... "

Those were the only words I could form as I sobbed. Dad, Kuroko, and Ryuji all surrounded me, shouting horrible things.

"Why did you abandon us?!"

"I needed you to help raise your brothers!!"

"I didn't have a choice! I was trying to save you! I'm still-!" I tried to argue before Kuroko interrupted me

"Still what?! Don't tell me you think goofing off in some other world will bring you back to us! I bet you're glad we're gone."

"That's not true, and you know it!"

"I thought you were better than this, Makoto," Father said, his shame coming through in his voice. Just when I was about to give up, quit arguing, and endure the verbal assault, I heard someone else.

"So, this is your family. Gotta say, does not paint a pretty picture". I quickly turned around to see Ryan, already transformed, "Still, I guess I'm not one to talk."

"H-How did you get here? Did we win...?"

"Win? Oh God, you don't know yet, huh?"

"Who are you?! I'm trying to have a talk wit-" Dad tried to argue, but without hesitation, Ryan slapped him away. What I thought was my father merely erupted into smoke. I looked on in shock, unable to process what I was seeing.

"D-Dad!!" I called out, hoping he'd somehow reform and come back to me. When that didn't happen, I transformed and attacked Ryan with my whips, something he easily dodged, "What have you done?!"

"I haven't done anything yet. I'm trying to snap you out of this!" he answered, dodging past me and kicking both Kuroko and Ryuji. The moment I tried to attack again, though, he caught my whip and pulled me into a hug.

"Wh-What are you doing?! Let me go!!" I insisted, struggling against his grip, but slowly, I could feel myself relaxing, melting in his arms

"Only when you calm down and think," he responded, "You know your family better than me? Would any of them blame you for trying to save them? For trying to live for once?"

"O-Of course not, but... "

"But you think that's how they would feel?" he assumed, looking down at me, "Trust me, I understand the feeling. But we can't let those fears trap us. One day, we'll win this and go home. For now, we need to work, and you can have some fun doing it."

"You'll reach the sea in time... " I said softly, remembering what the voice told me when she first gave me my powers. It's almost funny how I folded at the slightest test of those words. Still, I'm back now, "What's the plan, leader?"

"Xandric and Eliza will work on freeing Jaune and Thaddeus. In the meantime, I want us to find a way out of here," he explained, "I think your eyes might do some good."

Jaune, Age 48

I sat in my chair, watching the TV, my tenth bottle in my hand as I gulped it down. Two kids played in front of it, and without my own input, my lips moved on their own," You damn brats, I'm trying to watch. This is the only relief I get these days."

"Sorry, father," the two said, quivering in fear. Please don't apologize to me for that. They did nothing wrong; it was just a bit of roughhousing. Still, my body acted on its own, tossing the bottle right past them as if it were a warning shot.

"If you're really sorry, both of you should go out a get a damn job," I scolded. Looking around, it wasn't the same place I lived in. It was practically like a penthouse with the best technology money could buy at every corner. Is this not enough? Why would children need to work? As if hearing my thoughts, the man whose body I seemed to be trapped in told them, "This world cares for nothing but money and power. With you two, the Allard family will have plenty of both."

"Certainly not the nightmare I expected," a voice said on the TV before Xandric dragged himself out. Thank God. Maybe he can get me out of this, "Alright, Jaune, time to wake up."

"Go to hell, Xandric! I'm fine here! Just look at me!"

"Truly, you look just perfect," He said with obvious sarcasm, "The way you're talking to those kids is horrible. You're better than that."

"And how would you know? You just joined us because we were stronger!"

"I did it to protect my people, Jaune. You would do the same," He argued, "Remember what you did for the Dwarves. What power or riches did that bring you? Why did you do it?". His words seemed to weaken whatever pathetic form entrapped me, "You're a hero, power or not! You are Jaune Allard and-!"

"Shut up!!" The false me declared, but it didn't matter; that loose grip was just enough for me to burst out in a bolt of lightning. With a sigh of relief, I smile and transform, "Thanks. Though, it is somewhat embarrassing that an enemy knows me that well."

"But we're not enemies now, right?"

"Right..." I say softly, and try using my communications, "Yellow to all Heroes. Is anyone there."

"Blue here, we hear you. Are you okay, Jaune?"

"Yes, thanks to our friend," I answer, "Do you have a plan to get out?"

"Yup. We've just been waiting on you," Ryan answered

"I'm coming too. My father is safe now," Eliza chimed in, and before I could even disapprove, she continued, "All make him pay for hurting him." Such determination shocked me, but I would be the same if it were my mother. Once I was told how, we all appeared alongside Makoto and Ryan, "So, what's the plan?"

"A good question with a simple answer," Makoto answered and used her Styx Whip to attack something in the darkness. We were all fairly confused until we heard a cry of pain followed by a strange buzzing, "He's been watching from the inside this whole time."

"What? I knew he was here, but..." Eliza muttered to herself, expressing disbelief

"Surprising, I know. I did have suspicions, though," Ryan explained, "This is all taking place inside our heads. But how does he know what to create? You made a mental avatar, am I right?"

"Buzz Buzz, pretty smart! Well, since you broke the illusions, there's no point in hiding it, Buzz," The being spoke from the shadows before coming out, revealing... a fly? That's all he was, just a large fly. This whole situation gets more and more embarrassing.

"This...is just sad. A sad little monster using people's fears because he can't fight his own wars," I mocked, and in return, multiple identical flies.

"I won't deny that, Buzz Buzz. But in the mind, I'm not so little!" He retorted, and his army of clones charged at us

"Dleif ecorf!" Eliza called out, and a dome formed around us, "This is going to be harder than expected. Any ideas?"

"There's still only one real one, right? We need to find that one," Makoto suggested

"But how? They all look totally identical!" I reminded, but she just looked at them again with her Mer Eyes

"Not totally. They have something only I can see. It's like just...a pitch black..."

"A Void," Xandric corrected, "Every Demon has one. Think of it like water or food; you satisfy your thirst or hunger, it digests, and then you do it again. Demons are much the same, but instead of food or water, it's desires. For my father, it's his bloodlust. The best of us can go decades, even centuries, without feeding, though the inevitable breaking point is made worse."

"And this helps us, how?" Ryan asked

"If the illusions don't have Voids, we can track him amongst the crowds. Just tell me where to go via communications. The rest of you should buy me time. If I had to guess, he'll pop as easy as his illusions."

"Alright, team. You heard him. Makoto, avoid combat as best you can and stay zeroed in on the real one," Ryan ordered, and with that, we broke off, ready to fight.

Xandric, Age 116

With those words we spread out, Makoto used her whips to swing over the battle. Whoever's mind we were currently in was kind enough to make an actual environment complete with trees, rock, and other such foliage. Magic was slung with reckless abandon as Jaune cleared a path with his Storm Step. Some tried to get in the way, but they faced the wrath of my spear. Any attacks from behind were met with Ryan, who acted as the rear guard.

"Left. Right. Another Left. There!" Makoto exclaimed, barking out orders. I locked on to the true fly and rushed to attack, but suddenly.

"Son..."

Before me, the fly was replaced with my mother. What a cruel joke. I couldn't help but hesitate, my hand shaking as I struggled to raise my spear, "Don't do this. You know better..."

With tears in my eyes, I clench my fist, "I do. I know what you would want me to do," I answer and run them through. With a howl of pain, light began to burst through her pours, exploding in a flash of light. When we opened our eyes, we were back in the meeting. The Rulers all groaned and looked around.

"What...happened?" Queen Min asked, looking around

"Is it not obvious? The Heroes saved us," King Thaddeus answered, and with us now in the center, we all posed, with me accidentally stepping on the fly.

Later, Ritto, Age 856

Fearfly's been beaten. How annoying. I grit my teeth as I walk through my lab, now absent of any of the others who helped me create these monstrosities, all the way back to the wall. With a wave of my hand, it came open. Inside was completely revolting; the stench of waste and food long gone bad filled the air, "Another one failed, Father. I just thought I would make you aware". Father looked up at me, his body weak as he was chained to the floor, and asked one question.

"Wh-Why..."

"Why what? You wanted this. I am Arch Mage now. But I will use that for what I want, not you," I answered, grabbing his head and looking at him with an unmatched fire in my eyes, "And what I want is to see this world burn."