The Untrusting Hero From Another World

Four and a Half Months Since Summoning Day, Makoto, Age 15

With the monster defeated, we all could finally afford to relax, no more kings and queens yelling, no monster flies, just enjoying the party outside. According to King Shay, night is the best time in Animari City, so we decided to test it. Sure enough, the city was bustling with Demi-Humans dancing, drinking, and playing games they set up, "Wow! Is every night like this?"

"Indeed! The Nightlife of Animari City is the envy of the world!" King Shay responded, "Take time to enjoy it. We will begin the hunt for potential Goliaths tomorrow," he insisted before walking off to enjoy the festivities himself. As we enjoyed an amazing meal, I noticed something off about Ryan. He kept looking to Eliza, just the occasional glance in her direction. It was so small, so insignificant. So why did it make me feel like drowning this entire city?

"Tell her," I said simply, causing him to turn his attention to me, "It's kind of creepy that you keep staring at her. So just tell her what you want to say."

"Sheesh, aren't you perceptive? Well, this is gonna hurt," Ryan responded, muttering the last part, "Yo, Princess." At that, Eliza turned to him, rolling her eyes, likely expecting to be chewed out again, "I just wanted to say... thanks. Oh, and sorry for all the times I got on your case. We probably wouldn't have gotten out without you."

"What? That's not like you!" She admitted, letting out a bit of a huff, "Still, you already knew what was going on. You would've found a way out."

"No, I really wouldn't. I couldn't even begin to think of using our helmet's links to go into our heads and help each other out. That was all you," he assured. I couldn't help but feel relieved. I thought he would say something else, though I don't know why that would bother me. Jaune simply stared at me with an eyebrow raised, but I chose to ignore it. Still, Eliza seemed...off. I wonder what's going on.

Time Unknown, Eliza, Age 15

With Xandric and Ryan free of the nightmare, I hurried into my father's mind. It was much less detailed than the others, just fire and dead soldiers whose faces could barely be made out. But what was clear as day was Father. He was much younger. Assuming this is actually the past, I couldn't tell when, as his age would be impossible to make out depending on the state of medical technology. He was holding a woman in his arms that looked like a hero. That wasn't possible, though, right? There were no records of a Hero White. Then again, there wasn't a Hero Black either until a few weeks ago, so anything is possible, "Thaddeus...is that..?" the woman asked in a raspy voice as she bled through her armor.

"Yes, I'm here! Hold on! We can get you help!"

"N-No... The staff... Where...?

"Forget the staff! You're more important than that thing. I can't..." He tried to insist with tears in his eyes, but she slowly reached up, caressing his cheek

"You are the King... If Zeddral gets the staff, then..." she said softly as the life slowly left her eyes. Clenching her hand in his, Father cried as the Hero attired burst and fell to the ground like snowflakes, and I finally saw her face. My mother?

Four and a Half Months Since Summoning Day, Eliza, Age 15

I need to talk to him about what I saw. Maybe if I can find that staff, I can help. That power Hero White used, no matter how weak or strong, I could do more than nothing. Just before he got back on the flyer, I managed to hug him from behind. Clearly, Father was taken off guard, but he smiled and turned around to return it, "I thought you were staying here with the heroes."

"I am, but first, we need to have a talk before you go," I answered, my stern tone overwhelming him as we went inside.

"I assume that you want to discuss that nightmare you saved me from?" Father asked, taking a seat as the guard brought us both cups of coffee

"Mother was a hero. Why didn't you tell me? I didn't even think it was possible to make our own Heroes prior to Xandric's arrival, but if Mother really was one, she would have preceded him by hundreds of years. It wasn't taught in school, either. They only listed three heroes."

"That is correct," He confirmed with a sigh and took a sip of his coffee. Just from his expression, I could see a deep sadness on his face, "After the Unity War, I had her give up the life of a hero and had it stripped from all records. As far as history was concerned, she was never a hero. The Demi-Humans only know via oral traditions."

"But why?"

"You've seen how people treat those three, have you not? Even if people do not approach them, they are known far and wide as heroes. Such fame is a burden even royalty cannot bare. A hero queen would have great things expected of her. So, we erased any traces of Hero White."

To say I was shocked was an understatement. I can't truly imagine Mother's burden, but a hero can't just give up, right? That's why Cass, Jarred, and Riley are in their situation in the first place. Once you start, you can't quit until you win. Getting past that, I asked the big question on my mind, "And the staff?"

"Gone. After your mother died, I put a spell on it, sending it somewhere that even I don't know," he answered simply before standing up and smiling, "I'm sorry. I'm not usually so serious, am I? Enjoy your stay. Time outside the castle would do you good."

With that, he made his way to the cockpit seat, and I was forced to leave, no more satisfied than when I entered.

The Next Morning, Makoto, Age 15

King Shay had brought us to this bizarre room. It was bright white that hurt my eyes. The only remnant of the world was a single door, "Excuse me? What is this place?" I asked, somewhat nervous

"This is a Spirit World, a pocket dimension created during the Unity War. It was used as an efficient method of training mages, free from the bounds of conventional time," He explained, "Has anyone told you the difference between us and Dai Shi? We are both renowned for our magic, but there is one thing that sets us apart."

"According to Eliza, magic in Animaria is more spiritual while magic in Dai Shi is more academic, magic formulas and such," Jaune answered with a shrug, "However, I thought we were here to form new Goliaths."

"Indeed, and you shall, but I thought up a new spell I would like to pass on to you," He answered, "Not only will it help you tame the beasts of Animaria, but it will give you an extra set of hands against the Hell Heroes. It is foolish to think you could ever catch up to them so quickly after all". With that sort of pitch, how could we refuse? Looking at each other, we each nodded, to which he released all his feathers and cheered with joy, "Then let the Heroic Spirit Training begin!"

Meanwhile, Cass, Age 15

Marching into the lab, I immediately grabbed Ritto by the throat. His fellow mages looked at me in shock as I picked him up with ease, my grip on him tightening with each second, "You son of a bitch! You didn't tell me I would get caught in it too!"

"O-Of course... Why wouldn't you be? You thought you would be exempt from it? Fearfly's illusions don't discriminate..."

"You idiot! What if Eliza accidentally linked to me! I still had my Shifter on me!"

"Well, that was your mista-!" His taunting was cut off by a bit of extra pressure. Eventually, Sonya stepped in, getting between us and trying to pry my arm off.

"Cass, calm down! We still need him!" She insisted with a pleading expression. What's gotten into her? It's one thing to not want me to kill him, but she looked genuinely scared. Whatever the reason was, I released my grip as to not upset her.. After checking on Ritto, who was desperately gasping for air, she turned to me with a soft smile, "So, that aside, how'd it go?"

"Fine, I guess. I dragged a couple of civilians along to maintain cover. Turns out they knew the newbies, so it worked out," I answered with a shrug before turning to leave. After all, I still had to report to Zeddral, "I also know their road map. They're training them to come here". After filling her in, I made my way to the throne room, where Zeddral, Jerrod, and Riley were waiting for me. I quickly kneeled before explaining everything.

"I see. So, Zordonia is defenseless while their heroes enjoy their trip?" He asked, seeming intrigued

"Not exactly. The Dwarves claim to have a way to send them back," I elaborated, and he simply hummed. He's seemed less into it since Xandric left. He had always been somewhat calm and measured, but this wasn't the same. It's more like he just doesn't care, "What should we do?"

"Is it not obvious? Go to the Dwarves and stop the production of this device," He ordered, to which we left without a word, "Leon will be going with you to observe you. Do not think I haven't noticed your unpermitted excursions to the Island of Light". That sent chills down our collective spines. We figured that he knew, but we never once thought he'd think anything of it.

"Don't worry, boss man. Sometimes, we just miss being among our own kind, ya know? Especially the pretty ones," Jerrod assured, to which Zeddral just rolled his eyes, and we left

Five Months Since Summoning Day, Makoto, Age 15

"In Animaria, instead of formulas and tools to capture and release energy from the Space Between Worlds, we work with those that reside inside it. You all have already done such a thing in the past."

"We have? I don't remember talking to ghosts," Jaune asked, scratching his head in visible confusion.

"You must certainly have. Where do you think your basic magical abilities and powers stemmed from."

"Come to think of it," I muttered to myself, thinking back to when I first unlocked my Mer Eyes, "Wait, so those voices were-!"

"Indeed. The first heroes each made a pact with the Fire, Water, and Lightning Spirits, respectively. As the years went on, this pact was passed along to the next generation," He explained before uproariously declaring, "You three will take this pact to the next level! You will summon these spirits to fight by your side!" before giving us orders to sit down in a meditative position and simply listen, just like before, "Clear your mind and listen. Their voices are not bound to the Space Between Worlds. They echo into both but go unheard. Your pacts and your summoning here will make it easier. But it will still take time. Once you find the spirit, though, it can do the rest."

I took slow, deep breaths and listened. I thought I could hear small muttering until I finally heard, "Welcome back. It's been a while since I last heard from you."

'I know. Thank you again for the power. You really did save us,' I thought in my head, keeping the conversation in our minds so as to not disrupt the others, 'I'm sorry, but I must ask another favor.'

"I heard. You want to project me into the same space as you and fight, correct?" She assumed, and I could practically hear her shrug as she replied with a simple "Okay."

'Wait, what? That easy?'

"Why not? You've done well so far. You followed my advice and used my power as I had hoped, even if you did have a slight hiccup yesterday. You should reward good behavior, right?"

'Well, I won't look a gift horse in the mouth, but what now?'

"Exactly like the peacock said, let me take it from here," She answered, and suddenly, it felt like a surge of knowledge was poured into my brain. It was a shock at first, but once I recovered, I stood up, and my arms practically started moving on their own, flowing like two rivers before converging into one.

"Undying Heroic Spirit: Ocean Hero!" I called out, and what looked like a spirit of some sort dashed out of me, slowly taking form before solidifying with a pose as if she were one of the team. She had a Hero Suit just like me, but the blue was much darker, almost a navy color; her wings on the helmet were replaced with fins, and the white scarf was instead made of some sort of light green energy.

"Holy crap!" Ryan exclaimed, immediately getting into a fighting position, only for her to wave in response. The tension quickly died down and was replaced with mild annoyance as Ryan walked out.

"I take it his talk didn't go well," I muttered, hoping he was okay before turning to Jaune, "How about you?"

"Yes... about that," He trailed off with a nervous chuckle, "I'm going to need this room to myself for a bit." I simply nodded and left, dragging Xandric and King Shay outside so he could do whatever he needed. Xandric mostly just looked confused, and I can't blame him. After all, we don't know how his Shifter was made, so we don't know what rules apply to him.

"So, what now?" Xandric asked

"I don't know, but I'm going to check on Ryan. He seemed angry. Well, angrier than usual," I answered and left for the time being

Meanwhile, Jaune, Age 15

Once they were all gone, I began moving my arms in quick, thunderous motions before aiming at a single point, "Undying Heroic Spirit: Thunder Hero!" I declare and with a bolt of lightning, a spirit similar to Makoto's appeared. This one though, was solid gold with lightning bolts where the wings should be, "Remember the terms?"

"Indeed," The spirit answered and we both kicked off with a Storm Step towards each other and trapping each other in a bear hug that would have knocked me off my feet had I not shifted my weight to throw him to the ground. Next was a series of Storm Steps with the intent of confusing each other. We zipped through the air at increasingly fast speed, getting quick strikes in where we could, but neither gained the upper hand. Eventually, I grabbed him by his Ethereal Scarf, and Storm Stepped down towards the ground, slamming him into it face-first

Panting heavily, I revert back. My legs felt numb, and my arms felt charged as the hair on my arms was loaded with static electricity. Eventually, my legs gave out, and I fell on my back. Still, I couldn't help but smile and ask, "How was that...Powerful enough for you...?"

"You still have a long way to go, Jaune. But for now, you are worthy of my aid," The Spirit answered, and as quick as he arrived, he vanished, and I was left there alone and slowly falling into a well-earned nap.

Ryan, Age 15

Walking through the streets, I had hoped the constant joy would cheer me up, but that damn Spirit's words just wouldn't go away, "Your Allies can use the powers granted to them with ease. You have two powers available and cannot use even one with intent. I refuse to give more power to one who squanders what he already has". It's not like I don't want to use these powers, but Draconic Aura and Crimson Mind just never work when I need them, too.

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"You'll be fine," Ric said, slithering out of my pocket and onto my shoulder, "It just takes time. You need to channel the right emotions."

"I know, but it's just so... so frustrating!" I admit, punching into some poor person's sandstone house. Once I calmed down, my ears were met with a whistle that compelled me to turn around. Sure enough, Makoto was standing there with the look Mom would have when I accidentally dropped a plate. I looked to Ric for backup, but he was already flying away, "Traitor."

"I take it things with the Fire Spirit didn't go well?" she asked, sitting down on the steps that lead down this street. She seemed genuinely concerned, which I could never comprehend, but it felt nice to feel that. I eventually fully relax and sit down beside her.

"Yeah. Basically said that if I don't master either Draconic Presence or Crimson Mind, he won't help me," I explained, clenching my fist, which she quickly grabbed.

"This isn't worth your anger."

"But I'm the leader, right? I should-!"

"Yes, you are the leader, but guess what? Even leaders aren't perfect," She assured, "Give it time. You'll find the right trigger". Sheesh, why does she have to be so good at this? I nod my head.

"You're right. Thanks, Queen. Now, can you let go of my hand?" I asked, a smirk crossing my lips as her face turned a bright red, and she snatched herself away

"Bringing back that nickname, huh? Are you trying to get me flustered?"

"Hey, motivational speeches are great and all, but comedy is the best medicine sometimes," I retorted with a hearty laugh, but she wasn't laughing. In a low tone of voice, she said the dreaded words.

"Worlds Combine, Heroes Unite"

Before I knew it, I was running all the way back to the Pyramid, the cracking of the Styx Whips right behind me

Three Days Later, Jarred, Age 15

Christ, here I thought we would never get a second away from Leon. I convinced him it was best to scout the tunnels ahead since we weren't going for a full-on siege this time. We don't need pointless bloodshed. We just need to destroy whatever they're building and get out. Plus, it gave us time to discuss our plan alone, "Finally ditched him?" Riley asked

"Yeah, but I don't know for how long," I admitted before sitting down, "So what now? He's onto us. You think he knows we're trying to find a way home?"

"Even if he does, so what? He'll thank us for it when we're done," Riley assured, "We get our payback; he doesn't have to worry about any more heroes. It's a win-win."

"If we were that sure, we wouldn't be doing this in secret in the first place, idiot," Cass scolded, "You've seen how he's been acting recently. I don't think his heart's in it as much as it used to be."

"Well, his own son did betray him. If that was my brother, I don't know what I'd do," Riley replied before looking up with determination, "Still, we just gotta hope this cheers him up. For now, let's handle whatever this 'surprise' the Dwarves have."

"Sure, leave it to the thief. You guys can back me up," I assured, standing back up from my quick break and popping my bones, "Once Leon gets back with the layout, we strike." Gotta admit, it felt weird calling the shots like this. I was never the leader type, but I guess spending an entire lifetime as a solo actor will do that. After a good hour or so, Leon came back, passing me a map, "Thanks, old man."

"Call me that again if you wish to lose your head," he warned, but I simply shrugged it off before using a quick invisibility spell. Unlike the other two, I actually put some effort into using magic beyond our weapons. Still, I stayed on my toes as I navigated the rocky underground city. Going off Xandric's report had me on edge about the idea of getting shanked because, apparently, every dwarf has a damn weapon, and with their size, I could easily bump into them. It was like walking on eggshells all the way to the elevator. Going over the fake clouds into the so-called Sky District, my eyes were met with wonders of technology, from 3D printers that could create whole new body parts to weapons that used channelers to fire concentrated blasts without the use of Mana, "Yikes, this place is a gold mine. Think we could snatch some of this stuff?"

"Don't get greedy, Jarred. Get in, get whatever they're looking for, and get out."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Would help if I knew what to look for," I grumbled and looked around. Eventually, I did find something that resembled teleportation technology, a small disk with a series of locations programmed on it. Just throw it down and go to any of the preprogrammed locations. Once the dwarves left, I crept right in and grabbed it, "I guess this is it."

"Great. Now get out of there," Riley insisted, but I was curious, to say the least. Ignoring him, I input the command to take me straight to Eltaria Castle. Maybe I could take out the King while I'm there. Chucking it on the ground, a large tear seemed to open up before me, giving way to a massive blue void with several dots of varying colors. Surrounding them, I could barely see the outline of humans, "Jarred said. What are you doing"

"This isn't teleportation. Well... kinda, but..." I tried to explain before the alarm went off. The entire sky district turned red as an infernal racket assaulted my eardrums, and Dwarves rushed in, blasters ready. They threw down a grenade, which I tried to avoid, but instead of an explosion, a strange mist came out, and suddenly, I was visible again.

"Long time no see," Felmi said, a somber look on his face, "Don't do anything foolish, Jarred. I don't want to hurt you."

Looking around, I snatch the device and send out an SOS for the others to hurry, "Sorry, old man, but I'm not the one who's gonna get hurt. Nothing personal"

Meanwhile, Makoto, Age 15

Jaune and I were still getting a feel for our Heroic Spirits, learning their ins and outs through sparring. For the most part, they seemed entirely autonomous, capable of fighting on their own and even creating their own weapons and spells, each tied to their element, of course. However, we also found they had a limited range as if they were tethered to us. Eventually, it came time for a break, and we sat down between Xandric and Eliza, who were spectating, "You sure you don't want to practice?"

"Actually, King Shay has been teaching us the basics," Eliza corrected, "I just wanted to take a second to check on your progress."

"You two seem to be coming along quite well. Ryan, on the other hand..." Xandric droned on, turning to Ryan as he sat down, his body tense as he glared at seemingly nothing. I looked at him, trying to decide what to do, only to be shoved forward by Elize. While she giggled like a schoolgirl, I slowly approached, trying not to startle him.

"Trying to use your Crimson Mind again?"

"Yeah, but it's no use," He said with a deep sigh. Though he tried to act calm, he was clearly frustrated, "Four hours with no luck."

"Well, why don't we talk for a bit? Normally, a cool head is better for these things."

"Really? That's why you wanna talk?" he asked before looking behind me and casually throwing a fireball. When I turned around, the team was unharmed but audibly snickering and whispering among themselves. I wondered about what but brushed it off and simply sat beside him.

"Anyway, so you like Tokusatsu, right? And you managed to combine our goliaths together. Do you think there's a link?"

"Well, I did get really excited at the idea. I mean, c'mon, giant robots to fight giant monsters is just so damn cool! Don't even get me started on how some parts can be swapped out for new weapons!" he exclaimed, going into a fanboy frenzy. He started going on and on about not just the robot but even the weapons and gimmicks of different teams. He was like an excited child, and that's when he seemed to light up with inspiration, "Wait, that's it!"

"What? What's it?"

"You saw just how hyped I was getting. I think that's what I need to use my Powers! I need to channel those passions at will!" He exclaimed, getting really close. Can he please not do that while talking about passions? Luckily for me, our talk was interrupted before I could die of embarrassment. Eliza rushed to us with the others.

"We need to go, guys. I just got a distress call from Korinthar."

"Sweet. Maybe I can test my theory then. Let the peacock know where we went, okay?"

"Oh no, I'm coming too!" She argued, but Ryan didn't complain, instead shifting and rushing outside

"Are you sure about this, Eliza? This could be dangerous," I asked, worried for her. After all, while she was quite the mage, she didn't have any powers like us, and I didn't want the death of a princess on our shoulders.

"Yes. With my father gone, I can finally do more, like I've wanted from the start," she answered, and with no time to debate, we hurried after Ryan, who had already summoned the Heroic Titan. The six of us blasted off towards Korinthar with Jaune providing directions. He had been there before, after all. We landed outside the mountain and hurried in, finding the city in ruins. I couldn't even take in the false sky that was now riddled with holes or crumbling rock buildings. Who could have done this? That question was quickly answered as the attackers made themselves known, three heroes in chitinous armor similar to Xandrics, each sporting the same colors as us and a man in armor.

"Came for another dance, Leon?" Jaune asked, seeming familiar with him

"Not quite, boy. This was simply a plan gone south. Not that it matters. We achieved our goal. Step aside, and you may live," the armored man replied, his gravely voice speaking with clear authority. Eliza got visibly worried but held herself back.

"We're not doing that," Xandric said, "Eliza, get to work on search and rescue. We will hold them off". Without a word, she ran ahead. Hell Hero Yellow tried to stop her, but Jaune immediately grabbed her wrist. In a rage, she launched him with a punch to the gut that sent him through multiple buildings. The fight from there was chaotic, with each of us splitting off into groups to fight the attackers. I was going to try and back up Jaune only to be hit in the back of the head. Seems Hell Hero Black chose me as his target

"Look, I hate hitting girls, so how about this? You play dead, and I'll leave you alone."

"Sorry, but I can't do that. Unlike some people, I don't betray people who are counting on me," I argued, summoning my Styx Whips and attacking from a distance. I stand no chance in a mid-ranged fight, but I can handle this much. He dodged with ease, trying to get in close.

"Oh yeah, they're definitely counting on you. But what happens when you get the job done? You just go back? Sorry, beautiful, but you died, remember? You really want to go back to a world like that? We're all so young, yet we had to die so someone else could live!" He argued, eventually rushing me and hitting me across the jaw with his nunchaku. I was sent flying back to the ground, groaning in pain, "Why would you want to go back?"

"You're right. Our world is cruel. But it's where my family is, and I'll never abandon them!!" I answered and shot out my whips once again. This time, though, I went for pressure points around his joints. My Mer Eyes made them quite easy to see. Despite this, he moved around them with ease, knocking me down once again.

"A pretty speech, but doesn't seem you're strong enough to back it up," he mocked, resting his weapon along his shoulders, "You've gotten good with those eyes but it won't be enough. Especially when I haven't even used my power yet". What? Damn, he's right. We each get a power from our spirit and then one unique to us. I haven't seen him use either, and that angered me greatly. My pride stung, and I began to summon my Heroic Spirit, something he just let me do with no interference.

"Undying Heroic Spirit: Ocean Hero!" I called out, and as expected, she appeared, immediately going for a kick that launched him back. It was naive to think that would keep him down and thus, we resorted to a simple tag team strategy. It didn't work out, though, as everything suddenly went black.

Jaune, Age 15

I struggle to stand up after the punch Cass dealt out, grasping at the rocks that made up the destroyed building to even stand. How can she hit so hard? Even without enhancements, I couldn't launch someone down a street and through solid stone like she did. I tried to catch my breath but quickly had to Storm Step away to avoid her once again. This time, she came at me with a sword made from pure lightning, "You've gotten pretty good at that Storm Step, huh?"

"It's the only reason I'm alive right now...didn't really have much choice."

"Good point. Just surviving one Thunder Strike is impressive," She admitted, "Lucky you, though. I need some time to charge it back up."

"Charge up, you say?"

"Yeah, I have to take a lot of hits to charge it."

"I see. You're telling me all this, why?"

"Simple. I just like the sound of my own voice," she answered before Storm Stepping towards me. I barely blocked her blade with my claw, but it left me open for the following punch that again sent me back a bit. Even without that Thunder Strike, she packs quite a punch. Still, she kept up the aggression, to which I could only run, "Why you, huh!? C'mon, fight back! I wanna see what makes you so special! What does Eliza see in you to where she'd play your little game!?" She shouted, constantly charging me, and eventually, I managed to get a few quick slashes. How did she even know about that? I didn't have time to ponder it as she grabbed my ankle before slamming me on the ground. I just barely got out of the way of the following stab.

"Undying Heroic Spirit: Thunder Hero!" I called out and quickly summoned the spirit to even the odds. With continuous Storm Steps, we zipped around, slashing her whenever we could. The only issue with that was that she was charging her attack with every strike. While we were doing so, I noticed something interesting. Whenever she was charging, she started going for punches and kicks less often, relying on her sword instead. Perhaps her blade didn't use up the charge. That makes it easier. Now I knew exactly what to avoid. She went for a massive swinging punch, surely intent on hitting both me and my spirit. With such a long wind up, though, it was easy for us to both dodge before and each go for a slash across her body with our claws, "Spirit Combo: Storm Cross Slash!!". She fell to her knees and then to her face, leaving me thinking one thing. Oh no, I'm becoming like Ryan. That didn't last long as I felt a hand around my throat.

Eliza, Age 15

As the battle raged on, I hurried around the different districts, using my magic to heal the many injured civilians. I couldn't possibly believe that my friends could have done this. Traitors or not, I thought they were at least decent people. I was right to tell Cass I wanted nothing to do with them anymore. Eventually, I made my way to the Sky District. The first dwarf I found was Felmi, bleeding badly right in front of the elevator. I gasped as he looked up at me, "Hey, Lass... Shouldn't you be getting somewhere safe...?"

"Shut up. I'm here to help," I answered as I got into a meditative position. According to King Shay, advanced users don't need to do this, but since I'm just now learning Spirit Magic, I'm starting from the basics. I projected my mind into the Space Between Worlds, calling on the spirits to help heal. His wounds closed quickly, same with all the other Dwarves in the district. Felmi smiled as he sat up before his expression turned to shock. I was already turning around when I heard the sound of steel clanging together. The Armored Man, General Leon, would have killed me in the spot if not for Xandric's spear.

"Are you done yet?"

"Yes, but it will take a while for them to recover from the fatigue."

"Good. That means you can back me up," Xandric suggested, and I wasted no time standing up and preparing a spell. Gathering Mana, I gave it form as a group of icicles and launched them at Leon. He blocked with his shield, but it gave Xandric a chance to stab him from behind, but he was deflected by Leon's sword. It was only a matter of time before he tired out. At least, that's what I thought. After what felt like hours of me casting a variety of elemental magic and even creating a barrier to be sure he didn't escape, he didn't seem the least bit exhausted. Xandric and I, meanwhile, were almost completely worn out, even more so in Xandric's case, as there were multiple moments where he could barely dodge his strikes, "What the hell? Even with my Kairos Sight, I can barely keep up."

"Precognition is quite the trick, young prince. But you can't rely on it."

"Apologies, General, but that trick is the only reason I'm still alive."

"Then learn to new ones or die," He insisted and charged at him. Xandric dodged the flurry of slashes just barely as scratches were left across his suit. Eventually, I managed to throw a massive chunk of earth, sending him flying. I fell to my knees, my body quivering from taking in so much Mana. Just when I thought he was down, though, he stood up. His head, no, his whole body was missing. He was a walking suit of armor.

Ryan, Age 15

Duck, dodge, strike. This series of moves seemed to do pretty well, allowing me to avoid his warhammer before getting hits in, "Not bad, rookie."

"Don't lie to me. You could've easily pinned me down with Draconic Presence if you wanted."

"You're right. But where's the fun in that?" He asked before picking up the case, making me struggle with my rhythm. Over and over, he would swing, and I would struggle to avoid. Eventually, he moved so fast that I had no choice but to just block. I howled out in pain as I felt the bones in my arm fractured before he pushed me back, "Look, rookie. I don't want to fight you. But this world? It's a paradise. You've read that book and seen how it happened. So what if it's unrealistic? That's how this world is. Just accept it and enjoy yourself."

"Big talk...coming from the guy...who's putting it in danger.." I managed to bite back, throwing out a kick, which he easily sidestepped, hitting me in the gut and putting me on my knees

"Because they'll send us home. What do you not get about that? You can't back out once you agree. So what if you like it here? So what if you got shot trying to protect someone? That world doesn't care, and neither does Thaddeus," he argued as I was surrounded. The other Hell Heroes and Leon, each holding a member of my team. My friends. It was just like that dream. That's what I needed, "You think he'd care if you all died again?"

"No, but I do," I replied with a fire in my eyes as suddenly each of the Hell Heroes collapsed to the ground. Meanwhile, I stood tall, easily overpowering them, "You see, that's where you messed up, Riley. I had no friends growing up. But guess what? If I ever did have friends, I would kill and die for them. Do you know what those people are to me?" I asked, picking him up by the head. He just looked at me stunned and tossed him, "That's right. My friends". They struggled but eventually stood up despite my Presence and prepared to fight again before pausing.

"Kinda busy...Really? Right now? Okay, fine. Sorry, rookie, but we've gotta go."

"Really? Leaving as soon as I get the upper-" I started before being forced to the ground.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I just don't want to kill you over this. I'd rather you just accept the truth. But the King's calling us back, and we're done here anyway," he answered before knocking me out cold with a single kick. When I woke up, we were back in Animari City, each resting in our own beds.

"It would seem you had a rough outing," the Fire Spirit noted

'That's putting it mildly. We got our butts handed to us. But I think I can use Draconic Presence on my own now. I know how.'

"Really? Or was it just the heat of the moment again?"

'Let's test it'. With that answer, he gave me the information to summon him, and I went onto the hospital roof. With a roar that probably woke the entire city, I called out "Undying Heroic Spirit: Volcanic Hero!" and sure enough, the spirit erupted from me, looking identical to the other two save for the crimson-colored suit and wings that looked to be made of molten rock. Immediately, it turned on me, but the moment it went for the attack, I thought about them, my friends, all defeated and helpless. That rage I felt in that moment was just the right trigger. Recalling that moment, I easily pinned him down, the pressure holding him in place. I held him like that for a solid minute before letting up, "That proof enough?" I asked. In response, the spirit got on one knee and bowed, "Good. Now tomorrow, we start hunting new Goliaths. We won't lose to them again."