The Untrusting Hero From Another World

Fifteen Years Before Summoning Day, Thaddeus, Age 1114

I smiled as we looked over the cliffs out to sea. It was so peaceful; it was a shame that war would be coming again soon. I looked to Allison, who was much more serious, "Hey, cheer up. Don't want our daughter inheriting a bad attitude."

"We fought so hard to make this world so nobody would have to go through another Unity War. How am I supposed to be happy that we failed?"

"We haven't yet. We'll stop it before it gets too serious, and if not, we'll summon more heroes like before," I assured her, gently grabbing her hand, "For now, let's enjoy life. Then we can worry about war. Just promise me you won't go out there, okay? At least not until we have more heroes." Of course, I knew she couldn't comply with my request. Instead of lying, she merely gave me a smile and said four simple words.

"Whatever helps the people."

SNAP!

Six and a Half Months Since Summoning Day, Thaddeus, Age 1129

I smile and stick the picture of that day in my pocket. She would always put others before herself. It was so frustrating, but I couldn't help but admire it. Sadly, that admiration has been replaced with a hole. I can't afford a second one. Leaving the castle, I would walk amongst the people on my way to School City. If my theory was correct, I wanted to know what other people thought, free of my own bias. Why would Titana tell me that if it wasn't important? Overprotective fool, eh? If a goddess says it, who am I to question it? Still, I won't just let my one daughter throw herself into peril. Entering School City, I was met by kids young and old, playing, talking, just generally being more lively than expected, "Um, hello, young man. Can I ask you some questions?" I asked, pulling a Vampire boy to me. He immediately panicked and bowed.

"M-My Lord! What brings you here?!"

"Easy, young man. No need for such formalities," I assured with a soft chuckle, helping him up to his feet, "I am merely a parent today. Do you know anyone I can ask about my daughter?"

"Oh, Ms. Eliza?" He asked, tilting his head to the side as he tugged at his cloak to hide his face from the sun. Tapping his chin with his gloved hand, he contemplated my question before turning towards the Upper-Class building, "She is close with the Upper Student Council. If I remember correctly, she even recommended the current president." She recommended Jaune? I suppose that is close to a leadership position. Wait? Does that mean their game is serious? Leaving the next King up to a game is insanity.

"I see. And is the Student Council President here?"

"Yes, he's here for his weekly visit. I guess being in another Kingdom isn't a problem when you have a giant mechanical Thunderbird."

"Excellent. Thank you, my friend," I answered with a bow before leaving. Looking around, I could already see improvements being made. The halls looked much cleaner as students took care of the building with assistance from the existing janitorial staff; those in class watched eagerly as no interesting methods were introduced that allowed them to interact with what they were studying. There were even Shadow Defense Classes, instructing students on how to weaken a Shadow and escape. I suppose with the increased frequency of Shadow attacks in major cities, this was a wise choice. Eventually, I finally found my way to the student council office, where a Demi-Human/Elf Hybrid carried more papers to the main desk.

"Here you go, Jaune!"

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me. More?" Jaune complained before smiling, "Thank you, Merric. You've done a good job watching over things while I'm gone."

"What can I say? You and Eliza left Sonya and I in charge! I don't want to let you down!"

"Right. Speaking of Sonya..."

"Ah, Lord Jaune! You're here!" I exclaimed, accidentally interrupting their conversation. It was probably nothing, "I am so glad to see you again! But shouldn't you be in Mao Zhua right now?"

"Ah, King Thaddeus. Yes, but they permit me to leave once a week to check on the student council. Plus, as annoying as all this paperwork is, it makes an excellent application for my enhancement magic," Jaune replied, not even looking up as he got to work, signing papers and tossing them aside at lightning speed, each of them landing precisely on top of each other. I would assume he was just being lazy had I not seen them myself. Each one was meticulously annotated before approving or declining. It didn't take me long to realize he wasn't just using enhancement magic for his speed, "Anyway, what can I do for you?"

"Ah, straight to business. You see, I wanted to ask people about Eliza," I answered, sitting down. I could feel the sudden tension in the air as he looked up at me. I suppose he's just frightened by the idea of me grabbing the giant scissors again, "I was told by a friend that I was... overprotective."

"What? No, never! You? I can't believe it!" he exclaimed incredibly fast, shaking his head in fear.

"No, she was right. But... I want to hear from people who know her. I want to make sure she has the strength of body and heart to where I can let go."

"Oh. I uhhh... I see. Well, Eliza's magic prowess is second to none. She isn't the flashiest, but if needed, she'll hit you with a bombardment that rivals a nuclear blast. Character-wise, I've never met a kinder, more selfless wo-"

"Of course you would say that," I interrupted, immediately dismissing his words. I'm pretty sure I could see the soul leave his body for just a moment. Of course, her 'fiancé' would have nothing but high praise. I sigh, trying to think of where to look, "Do you know anyone who could tell me from personal experience?"

"Well... She did teach me a new way to make spells faster..." Merric answered, smiling sheepishly. That seems fairly small scale, but it is nice to know that she is helping people. Jaune hummed as he thought for a moment. Suddenly, he snapped up with a flash of inspiration.

"I know just the place!" he exclaimed before letting Thundaga out the window. It grew from the small pocket size to what one would expect from a being called a Goliath, "Come with me."

"H-Huh?! But..." Merric tried to interject

"Don't worry. We will be back by the time it's done," Jaune insisted before the two of us mounted the beast and flew away from the school

2025, Riley, Age 15

I hummed as I wandered the streets of my hometown. Slowly, a police car approached me, and I tried to ignore it for a moment. It would be so easy to handle them, but they may just be one of the good ones. Sure enough, he followed me all the way into the alleyway. He stepped out of his car and began to follow me on foot, "Yo kid! What are you doin' out here so late! You know there's a curfew, right? With the Downtown Underground on the warpath, nobody's allowed out past ten," he answered, trying to act friendly but I noticed him switching off his bodycam.

"I'm aware. I'm just getting home late from a friend's house."

"Really? And how do I know you're not one of them."

"Are you accusing me of being some gangbanger?"

"Now I could let you off easy, maybe even give you a ride home. But what's in it for me?" He asked as he approached, only to snatch away to narrowly avoid a bullet. My men were everywhere, coming out of the sewers from every manhole, drain, and even poking out from over every rooftop.

"How about this? You get one chance to leave, and I can let you live," I lied, hoping he'd just turn his back. It ain't right having to see the hail of bullets coming at him. Everything goes slow, making you think you can escape. The time resumes, and before you know it, you're on the ground. Instead, he grits his teeth and charges. I covered my ears as my men turned him into Swiss cheese. Another dirty cop down, we grabbed all his gear, including his bodycam, and retreated to the sewers.

"Good job sniffing out another one, boss!"

"Maybe this can lead us to the big man!"

Praises were sent my way as we wandered back to base. A lot's changed since the boss man died and became leader. Just entering the base, you could see news stories on TV of the 'Downtown Underground; Former Street Gang to Local Heroes.' It wasn't anything like that. I just had to make a world where my siblings could be happy and safe. That's what good brothers do, right? Speaking of which, "Hey! About time you got your asses back here! Dinner was just about to get cold."

"Yeah, yeah. Damn, who taught you to be so foul-mouthed?" I grumbled as we all sat down to eat while one of my boys looked over the bodycam footage. Lana had grown up a lot and become more rude. Still, she never lost that kindness.

"So, how was it?" Dax asked, his eyes lit up as he prepared to hear tales of the 'heroes of the shadows.' Apparently, that's what folks at his school have been calling us.

"Another cop down. Here's hoping he's the one."

"Hey, if not, at least we have more gear!" One of them cheered, much to my annoyance. These are still thugs at the end of the day. I just directed them to a better cause. Everything was going good; too good. My suspicion was right as suddenly cops armed with machine guns and SWAT gear burst into the base! Damn, they must have been expecting this. Even with the trackers, we were usually gone by the time they found our old base. Everyone quickly began taking cover behind whatever they could. Gunfire filled the room while I reached for a hammer. I don't know why. I was just better at it than I was with a gun. I would sneak around while they were distracted with my men, then cave their skulls in. It was easy, but then... everything slowed down. But it wasn't for me. It was like, for a moment, I could see everything, just enough for my eyes to narrow in on the stray bullet going straight for Lana. I only had one option. I had to do it...

Six and a Half Months Since Summoning Day, Riley, Age 15

"All that sound familiar?" I asked, snapping Burnes's femur. He roared out in pain as I healed the damage a bit to do it again. I was not a master healer, but even I could patch up minor stuff like this, "I was just a kid, doing what any big brother would. And you killed me for it!"

Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

"Y-you were... a criminal..."

"And so what?! We were doing your job for you! You should be thanking me, not putting a bullet between my eyes!" I shouted before punching him in the chest to shatter his ribs. I could've kept going forever, making him regret what he did to me until I heard someone clear their throat. When I turned around, Cass was standing there, "Let me guess? Another job?"

"I got confirmation from Min. Eliza is Hero White," she responded coldly as if trying to hide her true feelings. I sigh and lead her out, leaving Burnes broken on the ground, "I think Ritto already knows. He said I could have her if I brought her here."

"Look, I'll grab Jarred, and we can discuss this privately. Discuss what?"

"How I'm sick of being tugged around."

Thaddeus, Age 1129

"So this is..."

"Yes, welcome to Mariner Cove," Jaune answered, holding out his hands as he was beholding the small seaside village. What could this place possibly have to do with my daughter? As I thought that, people immediately began swarming us. At first, it was excited chattering, but at the sight of me, they all bowed, "It's okay, everyone. No need for formalities. Our lovely king just wants to ask some questions about his daughter. Anyone care to show him around?"

"Um... I-I will..." A young man sheepishly answered. Jaune's eyes began to narrow with suspicion, "I-I know you don't trust me after what I did, but..."

"Nope. Go ahead," he interrupted, "Eliza gave you a chance, so I will too." That line had me confused, to say the least. A chance? Chance for what? Before I could ask, the young man just passed something. It took a moment for me to register, but it was a Shadow's heart, "You collected one?"

"If I remember right, you guys started building those big robots after these things were discovered. I thought you could put it to good use."

"Well, there are two extra heroes running around. Thank you," Jaune said with a smile before essentially passing me off to the boy. Some guide he turned out to be. Still, he did a good job leading me around. While still damaged, the village was doing quite well. I was worried about villages outside the kingdom, but it seemed to be doing well.

"Quite lovely but... What does this have to do with my daughter?"

"Well... it's because of her that we could do this," the boy answered, "She helped get our farms in working order, rebuilding our housing and healing our wounded. By the time your men arrived, we didn't need them."

"And what about the Shadows?" I asked, and he quickly froze. Shuddering like he was in a snowstorm, he turned to me.

"Pl-please don't be mad...."

Meanwhile, Jaune, Age 15

Wow, that was close. If he had continued to pester me, I would have cracked. I promised Eliza I'd keep her secret, so I had to get away as fast as possible. I wonder what's gotten into him, though. That thought filled my mind as I walked through the woods. Suddenly, I heard mumbling. Quickly hiding behind a tree, I peeked around to see three familiar faces, the Hell Heroes, all circling each other.

"So what's this about?" Cass questioned

"Well, sounds to me like Ritto's roped us all in, right?" Riley asked, to which the other two nodded their heads. Wait, wasn't Jarred dead?! We killed him!

"Yeah, he can also listen to us through our Goliaths, hence why I said to leave yours," Jarred answered and gritted his teeth, "Bastard. He can do what he wants to me, but if he lays a hand on Sabrina...!"

"And he said I could keep Eliza if I brought her to him," Cass added.

"And he's been supplying me with people from my world who got on my bad side. In short, he's manipulating all of us to keep us under his thumb." My eyes widened upon hearing that. Ritto's the guy who makes the Shadows, right? What could he be planning that would require them directly under him? Quickly, I send Thundaga and Naga out to get back-up. I need everyone if we're even going to compare to these three, "And I'm honestly sick of it. Ever since we got here, we've been pulled around left and right, told what to do for even a chance at a peaceful life."

"Well... What are we going to do about it?" Cass asked, shrugging, but Riley seemed confident

"I'll tell you guys. But let's drag our little sneak out of hiding," he said, turning to me. Shit! I immediately tried to Storm Step away, only to be grabbed by Cass, "Can't have you blabbing to your friends."

Thaddeus, Age 1129

I hummed, taking in the sights of the village. Rough as it may be, my daughter must have done a good job. She even got her kidnapper to actually be productive. I sat outside the local cafe, sipping my drink, when I heard someone call out, "Finally getting out of the castle, huh, Dad?" Turning to my right, I saw Eliza sipping tea

"I was actually asking about you," I answered with a warm smile as I sat back, "An old friend insisted I quit being so overprotective. So I wanted to ask people who knew you what they thought."

"So you'll listen to literally anyone but me?"

"Not anyone. I didn't listen to Jaune," I answered, causing us to share a hearty chuckle, "I just don't want to lose you like I did your mother. You two are alike in so many ways, after all. Some of my friends even thought I cloned her."

"I'm not that much like her," she huffed, nearly killing me with her cuteness. Even now, she's still my little girl, "Still, thanks for looking after me. But this is too important for me not to be involved in."

"Indeed. Well, if..."

"King Thaddeus! Princess Eliza?!" Thundaga interrupted, flying towards us in our miniaturized form, "You need to leave quick! The Hell Heroes are nearby!"

"What?! Where? And where's Jaune?" Eliza asked in a panic

"He's eavesdropping on them right now!"

"Dad, start prepping the civilians for evacuation!"

"But-" I tried to start, only to be immediately cut off

"Look, I promise I won't fight them. I'll just grab Jaune and leave," she insisted before smiling at me, "Whatever you've heard about me, it probably pales to the real thing." With that joke, she hurried away. She really is just like you, Allison

"Everyone! May I have your attention, please!" I exclaim at the top of my lungs to get the villagers' attention

Eliza, Age 15

Once out of Dad's sight, I summoned the staff and transformed. There wasn't much time. If Jaune was caught, he definitely wouldn't survive. With Thundaga as my guide, I hurried to Jaune. They were stationed at a clearing in the forest. But before I could do anything, "Glad to see you here..." A voice whispered in my ear. I would have screamed so loud if I didn't see the solid red helmet. How did he even get here? "Crimson Mind sure is helpful. Anyway, I'm sure you're thinking the same thing, right?"

"I can hold them in with a Suijin Dome, then we make a break for it."

"That won't work," I countered in my distorted voice, "They'll just chase us down and cause damage to nearby villages. Fighting here may be our best option."

"Given the enhancements we've all made, I like our odds," Xandric noted. Ryan nodded, clearly uneasy but agreeing with my counterargument.

"Fine. First..." Without warning, he rushed in, leaping over the three off-guard heroes and burning Jaune's ropes, "Really, man? You can move as fast as lightning, and ropes stopped you?"

"What's the point if I'm just going to get caught again. I much prefer my chances with the full team here."

"Wow, you've got some nerve showing yourself after last time. How's that burnt skin?" Jarred mocked, more aggressive than normal

"How's yours? Didn't we send you into the sun?" Ryan bit back, making Jarred let out a low growl. Before he could approach, we all jumped to his side, "So, one chance. Give up, and we won't smash your face in."

"It's cute that you think you can," Cass teased, and without a second thought, we each rushed at each other. Ryan and Xandric pushed Riley north while Makoto launched Jarred out to sea. That just left me and Jaune with Cass.

"Better suit up."

"You're right. World's Combine, Heroes Unite!"

"BOOST UP!"

That thing talks? Regardless, Jaune was more than prepared. He flew at Cass at top speed while I hurled every element I could, even lifting rocks into the air to throw her off balance. She smashed through the rocks with ease before rushing to stab me, only for a Golden Heroic Spirit to tackle her, pinning her down, "Move! tlobrednuhT tlobrednuhT tlobrednuhT tlobrednuhT!" Jaune repeated almost faster than I could make out as small bolts of lightning covered the sky. I quickly caged her in ice before launching myself away. Just before the lightning came down, I melted it into water. Cass roared in pain as lightning shot through her; her body lit up as if she were a human lightning rod.

Meanwhile, Makoto, Age 15

"I am so going to enjoy this."

"You're still hung up on what I did?' Jarred asked, rushing at me with a barrage of strikes from his nunchakus. I dodged each with ease, and what little damage he did do, I could easily heal. It was no secret he was the weakest of the three Hell Heroes. So long as he didn't go into that monster form, I wasn't concerned. During a brief exchange, I flipped back and turned the water beneath him into a boiling hot geyser that sent him to the sky. Up there, he began to turn the water droplets into spikes of ice and launch them at me, "You thought you were the only one who could do magic?!"

"Far from it. Now, Undying Heroic Spirit: Ocean Hero!" I called out, sending a title wave as the Ocean Hero rushed him. Her whips and mine quickly bound his limbs before we began to heat up the water to a boiling point. He roared out before going into his monster form. In response, I quickly equipped my Boost Medal.

"BOOST UP!"

"Suijin Dome!" I declared mid-transformation, once again creating a dome around us. No matter how much he tried to whip around, I sent tendrils to bind him. He can't whip around if his arms are bound. With my boosted power, I may finally beat him.

Meanwhile, Ryan, Age 15

Xandric and I rushed Riley with a barrage of punches, kicks, and thrusts. I kept up my Draconic Presence to be sure that he couldn't ever be at full strength. Eventually, he managed to push us back, resulting in a stare-down, "You guys have gotten pretty good. We need to up our game."

"Now that your position is threatened, you can't afford to be lazy, correct?"

"Xandric, what are you even doing here? Shouldn't you be back at the castle?" Riley asked, turning to him with a devious smirk I could practically sense beneath his helmet

"I never said I'd stay there every day and night."

"You're a terrible liar. Oh well, my lips are sealed," he mocked and rushed at us once again. Xandric tried to summon his army, but for all their power, they melted like butter at the touch of Riley's burning hammer. I rushed in to get him in a full nelson, allowing him to get some good hits in, but his explosions made quick work, sending me and the Shadow Soldiers flying while Xandric easily dodged. Moments like this made me wish I had precognition. Quickly, I put the Boost Medal on my chest.

"BOOST UP!"

I then tackle him, flying high into the sky. He beat on my back, causing me to cough blood into my helmet. Even with my Enhancement Magic, he's stronger than I can take. But I don't need to for long. Once I was high enough, I tossed him back down to earth where Xandric's Shadow Soldiers waited to impale him, and as the final nail in the coffin, I summoned my Heroic Spirit and prepared to hit him with the strongest axe kick possible. "Molten Core Kick!!" That should have been it. Xandric and I looked at each other, both exhausted.

"You know... I think my soldiers are quite crossed with you."

"Reasonably so..." I muttered before turning to Riley. Wait... where is he? Suddenly, Xandric pushed me aside, making a spirit barrier as he blocked a massive ball of fire.

Makoto, Age 15

Just when I thought I had won, I quickly had to dodge a massive mechanical tendril.

Eliza, Age 15

Cass stood there, panting heavily. Before I could even get a word out, though, Jaune tackled me to the side as a massive bolt of lightning struck where we once stood. Before either could react, Cass was in front of us and uppercut Jaune into the sky, "Thanks for the save, Ritto. Now we can pull out the big guns." Big guns? What does she mean? Suddenly, the Oni Goliath's chest split in two, making a spot for the Phoenix Goliath, who collapsed all but its wings, which hung out from its back. The Oni then shut, placing its head on top as the Kraken Goliath's squid-like head formed a helmet, and the tentacles wrapped around the arms. Cass then vanished, likely to pilot the new machine.

"Destroyer of Light; Demonic Titan!"

"Ryan? Are you seeing this?" Jaune called out into his communicator

"Yeah. You got your Auxiliary Goliaths? Give them to White and let her pilot the Mythic Titan,' Ryan ordered, to which Jaune nodded. In no time, both Titans were formed, ready to take on this opponent

"Ultimate Weapon: Heroic Titan!"

"Secondary Machine: Mythic Titan!"

So I need to control this thing on my own? I've never done that before, but I'll make it work. Immediately, Xandric made illusory copies to confuse the Hell Heroes, but the tentacles lashed out, taking them down and binding the real one. I used the canon on my arm to blast detach them, though, making the mangled monstrosity of flesh and machine scream in pain. The other hand beat on the Oni's drum, sending lightning that we each had to dodge. Left, right, the others even needed to hide under their shield while I blasted from a distance, but then suddenly, the Phoenix's mouth on the chest opened up. A massive ball of flames was fired at us, and that was it...

Thaddeus, Age 1129

There's no way. I watched in shock as the new Demonic Titan flew away. Even from the village, we could see the defeat of the Heroes.... Or so we thought. The smoking machines were perfectly fine. And if you looked very closely, you could see the source. A Hero Clad in White had left her titan to create a barrier while Black made the illusion. The evacuating villagers cheered. No holding back, no ulterior motive. They fought the Hell Heroes and lived. Thanks to her.