The Untrusting Hero From Another World

2025, Hailey, Age 18

My heart sank when I heard the news. Dad had told me they found Ryan stabbed in some alley. Apparently, he was long gone by the time they found his body. That idiot! Why couldn't he just stay out of trouble for once? It took some time and a few donations from a surprising number of people to get the funeral prepared. I saw many unfamiliar faces, causing me to look to Dad, "Who are all these people?"

"Folks Ryan helped. Apparently, he made a habit of that..." Dad answered, a smile barely masking his pain. The moments leading up to actually lowering the body weren't very formal, just people talking and sharing their experiences with each other. It was strange how everyone said the same thing. Despite his attitude, he could never turn away when someone needed help. Never again. Could that be what he meant? My thoughts beneath a solitary tree were interrupted as a group of guys approached. They weren't in any sort of suits; instead, they were wearing leather jackets, similar to what he always wore.

"You know Ryan?" One of them asked, a bulky man about Ryan's age with greasy slicked back hair

"You could say that...My dad watched over him. You?"

"Yeah. Name's Eric. Me and your... brother go way back. We would fight almost every day. I never thought I'd miss the guy this bad..."

"Yeah, trust me. I know the feeling."

"All that to say, I'm sorry for your loss. If you ever wanna talk, hit me up," He offered, and at first, I thought he was trying to hit on me or something. He seemed the type, but his face had a genuine sincerity. Eventually, it came time to lower the coffin. Everyone was silent as he slowly descended, but my eyes widened the moment I heard a familiar voice.

"With The Passion of a Dragon: Hero Red!!" It was loud, booming even, and I knew it was. In a panic, I rushed to the coffin, trying to pull it open before it came down, much to everyone else's shock and some disgust. Dad tried to pull me back, but I easily broke out and began fiddling around to undo the lock.

"What are you doing, idiot!" Eric asked, trying to pull me away

"I heard him! He's alive; he has to be!!" I insisted with tears in my eyes, breaking from his grip and finally opening the coffin to find...nothing. No body. What's going on? Before I could ask questions, Dad dragged me away, sobbing and begging for answers

One Thousand Years Before Summoning Day, Makoto, Age 15

We returned to camp, exhausted. Eliza seemed to be having fun with her mother, but I just wanted to rest. For me, the exhaustion wasn't just physical. Ryan's assurance made it easier in the short term, but it didn't answer my question. I laid down in one of the tents, staring blankly at whatever was in front of me until Jacob came in, knocking on the wood that kept it standing as if it were a door, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Not a scratch."

"That's not what I mean," he said, sitting down on the floor, "Your mind and body are both important to keep in top form. Is something on your mind?" I was quiet, worried about what he would think. He was from a different time. Would he call me selfish for even considering this? Throwing my anxiety to the wind, I answered.

"This world you're in right now... It gets better, and it's the closest thing I've ever seen to perfect. It's just... why would I want to leave that? I know it's terrible to think, but..."

"No, it isn't," he interrupted, standing up, "I haven't seen the world you say this one becomes, but I already prefer it much more. It has all the problems of our own, such as war and discrimination. You saw those Demi-Human camps. The only difference is that here, I'm not the one being hated. Not that I fault them for doing so. But, if you want my opinion, if the world you saw is so great, why not use that knowledge to make our better?"

My eyes widened. I had considered it but brushed it aside as a childish dream, "You really think that's possible?"

"Of course. After all, nothing will change unless someone starts. That's what we're doing here, and by the sounds of it, the results are remarkable," he answered, causing me to chuckle as I sat up.

"You know... You're not as bad as the journal described."

"The journal?"

Ryan, Age 15

Jack and I were stuck on scouting duty. Thaddeus thought it would give us a chance to find Xandric. We hadn't seen him since our attempt to save the Demi-Humans. I had been going for days now. Jack could rest all he wanted, but it was my responsibility to make sure he was okay! He's a member of my team! Eventually, I jumped out of the trees, unsure if I would find any trace above ground, "Ready to call it a day?" Jack asked, scaring the daylights out of me, "What?"

I sigh and simply respond, "It's nothing. Go back to camp."

"To the point. You must be real fun at parties."

"I'm sorry, my teammate is missing alongside the future general of the Demon Army we're currently fighting and you expect me to keep calm?" I asked, getting up in his face. I had expected the writer of this journal to not act like such a child, trying to call it quits before any progress had even been made.

"What good does stressing over it get you?" He countered, easily flipping me on my back before I could respond. He raised his fist, and I quickly guarded, only to be let go, "See? What if I was an actual enemy just now? You were so distracted that you couldn't stop me from knocking you out cold." His hand unclenched and opened up to help me to my feet, "Our job is to scout the forest for any valuable resources or enemies. Thaddeus sent you with me in case we found anything about your friend, not specifically to hunt for him. Trust your team to get the job done and do your part."

"Trust, huh? I've never been the best at that..."

"I can tell," he said, lightly jabbing me in the arm, "I don't know what sort of life you've lived, kid, but I can tell ya one thing. It'll be real miserable and lonely if you don't let anyone in. But you already know that, don't you?" I looked surprised at that last part. What? Is he just analyzing me now? Then again, from what I read, he was a soldier. I guess knowing your men is important. "What? You thought I didn't see that look you were giving Blue 2? Now you're worrying about Black. If you really like these guys, relax around them and drop the angry guy act."

I sigh and shake my head, "You know, Makoto said the same thing."

"Maybe because it's true."

"Alright, Mr. War Hero. Let's keep searching a bit longer, then we'll head back."

"Aye, aye, captain," he joked as we wandered around. There were small battalions of soldiers, nothing two heroes couldn't handle, "You know, you're pretty good with those gloves of yours!"

"What? My Baphomet Set? Yeah, what about it?" I asked, knocking a solider into a tree

"Nothing, just curious about you. There weren't kids like you back in my day," He answered, running a guy through with his sword. Someone tried to fire a bolt of lightning at him but was cut off by a simple roundtrip.

"You sure about that? Or did you just not notice?" I asked, stunning him to silence, "Don't get me wrong, I'm not faulting you, but there have always been folks who, for some reason or another, don't trust authority to get things done. So we do it ourselves. How about you? I doubt you were using a sword very much in Vietnam."

"Self-taught mostly. Read enough comics as a kid, and you will start to imitate them. I'm guessing that's where you came up with all those moves?"

"Yeah. Mostly anime and Tokusatsu," I answered before releasing my Baphomet Set and returning to camp.

"Toku-what now?"

Jaune, Age 15

Looking around the capital streets, it was quite a grim sight. Hangings in the town square where children played in my time, heads on pikes outside the gate. Luckily, I was able to get over the walls with Lu, though I wish that I hadn't. "What the...this is horrible."

"You get used to it," Lu responded. Seriously? Why am I stuck with the insensitive one? I bet Ryan and Makoto are getting sage wisdom from their predecessors right now; meanwhile, I'm stuck with 'Get used to it.' Trying to ignore that annoyance, I followed after her, both of us hiding our Shifters under peasant clothes and cloaks. Besides the executions that happened to an almost cartoonish amount, everyone went about their day-to-day lives, ignorant of the war outside besides what was said in newspapers and wanted posters. They even had posters for the four of us up already, "So you're sure that this 'Hell Hero' of yours is here?"

"Yeah, he thrives in environments like these. Before we got here, he had me, Eliza, and Makoto all under his control and planned to do the same to the King of Animaria," I answered, venom filling my voice. Before she could ask about my sudden disdain, a massive blue projection of a man, as round as he was tall, adorned in jewels and the crown that would one day be mine, appeared in the town square, "Who's that?"

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Who else could afford such a massive projection and dress that good?" She asked sarcastically. I already knew. I just didn't want to believe someone like that was sitting on my throne.

"People of Zordonia and the City of Eltaria, hear me! In light of last night's siege, I will send my men out to parlay with the leaders of the resistance!" The results were a stream of boos and cries. While far from a mob, one could tell that violence was on the horizon. But why? Did they not know about what was happening to the Demi-Humans? Did they just not care? I struggled to imagine this was the world I had once known, but one could not deny facts. Still, one siege was all it took for him to fold? I looked at Lu, who seemed to have a similar thought process. Something's not right. With only a nod between the two of us, we split off in hopes of gathering information. Sadly, little came of it, only that a monster of some kind had been taken to the King's dungeon. Against my better judgment, That's where I went. It wasn't exactly smart, but one person had better chances of not being caught than two, and in the worst-case scenario, I could run or fight with equal difficulty. Sneaking past the guards of the castle was the hardest part, but luckily, the floor plan hadn't changed much in the past thousand years. Reaching the dungeon, I checked cell by cell, hoping to find any sign of Jarred, but he was long gone. It wasn't a waste, though, as I found a familiar dwarf. He lacked the lab coat that I had grown accustomed to, but the greying ginger hair and beard were identical. What wasn't familiar was the sobbing. The Felmi I knew would never shed a tear in the presence of the enemy. As I opened the cell door, I could tell why. The darkness may have shielded my eyes, but I could still feel the crunch of massive chunks of nails beneath my feet. His scarred chest was barely visible in what dim light the torches allowed. Such monsters...

"Felmi..." I muttered softly, reaching out to him, exposing my Shifter. His sniffling quickly went silent as he crawled out.

"Y-You're not Lu...Who are you?"

"Jaune Allard. Long story short, there's more than one Hero Yellow.." He seemed cautious, far from the confident general turned scientist that I knew, but was in no position to stop me as I heaved him over my shoulder with unsettling ease

"Real surprised, right? I didn't expect the old man to be here either." A voice echoed through the dungeon, causing me to freeze. Guards, I could handle, but please, not him. Jarred slowly came out, illuminated by the torches. It only made his black and blue Hell Hero suit all the more terrifying, "No need to be so tense. We're in the same boat after all."

"Says the one strolling about the castle without a care in the world."

"Well, that is the benefit of the Siren Song," He said so casually as he approached, "You have the portal, correct? Keep working on it. I have business to finish here."

"What sort of business?" He only responded to my question, placing a finger over where his lips would be. Not wanting to push my luck, I hurried out with Felmi in tow.

Jarred, Age 17

Smart kid. Once he left, I returned to the throne room, not wanting the King to get too used to me not whispering orders into his ear. The guards all stood at attention for the new 'Grand Advisor Jarred.' I had to admit, for all my distaste for the wealthy elite, it sure felt good to be among them. I entered the throne room, taking a small bow as I looked around. While the floor layout was the same, it was so much more dreary. The pristine white columns and walls were replaced with a dull brown, and the purple banners and rugs were now a deep shade of red. Putting my disgust for the interior aside, I turned to the king, "My Lord, the Future Hero Yellow has retrieved General Felmi of the Dwarves. Should we retrieve him"

"Oh no... There is no need. This war will end soon anyway."

"As you command." I then walked away, a smile crossing my lips. Just you guys wait. One change at a time, I'll make our perfect world.

Xandric, Age 116

I stared blankly at the fire I had made as I cooked a giant worm I had hunted. It had been a long... I don't even know how many days, "Are you sure you're not hungry?" I asked Leon, tied up on the opposite side of the fire. It would seem we weren't the first ones to fall down here. I found many skeletons and their equipment, including a rope.

"Even if I were, how could I trust food from the enemy."

"Trust really is scarce in this era, isn't it?"

"Era? What are you on about?"

"Oh... Nothing," I answered, not wanting to give away too much, "So... how do you know General Banshee?"

"What do you care?" He bit back, clearly defensive and fiercely loyal

"I guess you could say I'm a fan of sorts. Relax, I'm not asking for anything confidential. Just tell me whatever you're willing to."

He raised an eyebrow, confused by my request, and reasonably so. Still, he eventually released a reluctant sigh before answering, "The general saved my life. My home was destroyed in a battle between the Rebellion and King Demitrious's army. After the battle, she found me beneath the rubble of my home and offered me a position. That was...I would say ten years ago."

"You would have been a child..." I asked, my eyes widening under my helmet. I couldn't believe my mother would do such a thing.

"What other option was there? To starve in the streets?" He countered, "While not ideal, she saved my life. I'll do my best to repay it." Suddenly, his actions back home made sense. Whenever mother died, it was Leon who rushed to save her. When he couldn't save her, he trained me. I had never thought of why, but it made me see the lions that covered his armor differently, a symbol of loyalty on proud display.

"And if Banshee were ever to have a family, what would you do?" I asked, to which he laughed. It was only after I removed my helmet to eat that he realized just how serious I was. His eyes went wide as I casually ate the worm, "Is something wrong?"

"You... Your skin is different, and you have horns and wings... but your face. You look like..."

"That is correct."

"But how? When? You can't..."

"My name is Xandric, I am from a thousand years in the future, and I am the son of the Demon King Zeddral and Demon Queen Banshee." He seemed shocked by my answer, unsure if this was some illusion or the genuine truth

"Zeddral... So we..."

"Yes. Now I'll ask again, do you want to eat?" I asked, only answering questions about the future when he asked. It is quite annoying having to explain it to every past version of someone I know. As if learning this had changed something, he quickly changed his tune and nodded. With a smile, I undid his bindings.

"It sounds ridiculous, but I suppose nothing is impossible."

"Enjoy your meal. After that, we find our way out." With that declaration, I prepared to set off. We navigated the cavern as best we could, using a small torch for light. Slowly, we inched through the narrow tunnels. That slow progress came to a total halt when I saw a familiar purple glow. Just around the corner, a small sea of Darkness covered the floor. Out of curiosity, Leon prepared to poke his sword into it, but I quickly snatched him back, "Don't touch it!"

"Why?! What is that stuff?"

"Darkness. It corrupts all it touches. It's what created all Demons," I answered, glaring daggers into it, "Even if it's just a sword, that corruption will spread until it reaches you. We're better off hunting for another way." As I made that suggestion, though, the entire cavern began to rumble. Before either of us could respond, a massive worm burst through the wall, turning the cavern into this massive open area and sending us flying. It tried to eat Leon, but I kicked him back. However, I ended up being pushed into the Darkness below. I'm sorry, team.

"Xandric!"

Eliza, Age 15

Watching the Demi-Humans work was a very interesting experience. They stayed entirely devoted to their work, far different from the party animals I knew. Granted, this diligence was due to a life of slavery, but it was still commendable. They all sat around the portal, constantly pumping mana into it. If one could not continue, they would switch out with another. I studied their every movement, hoping to learn some way to improve my own Spirit Magic, "Quite a sight, isn't it?" Dad asked, nearly making my spirit leave my body. When I recovered, I lightly punched him on the arm, "Ow! What was that for!"

"Scaring me. Do you want your daughter to become a ghost?" I huffed and continued watching, "You are right, though. Seeing the Demi-Humans work so tirelessly to repay us. I'd hardly expect it."

"There are still many slaves who need to be freed, especially in Eltaria. Maybe they think this will ensure we continue to save them."

"As if you wouldn't already," I said with a soft chuckle. The two of us talked for quite some time, exchanging stories. Me and Dad never really talked like this in my time. I was too focused on helping however he would allow, and he was busy being the King. Eventually, we both went silent, and he finally asked about what was really on his mind.

"So, Allison told me she's giving you the White Staff..."

"Yeah, I don't know how to feel about it..." I admitted, letting out a soft sigh as I look at the ground. "It's her choice. I get that, but I don't want to take something like that away. What if something happens and you need her? I don't want another version of me without a mother."

"Fair enough. I would never wish for a kid to lose a parent either, but if that parent gives a gift, it should be cherished, not rejected." He was determined to make sure I would accept it, a far cry from the father I knew. Still, I guess he had a point. This staff would be all I ever had of my mother.

"Alright. But don't tell the others. I can't risk, well, you finding out," I insisted, and in response, he slid his fingers across his lips as if zipping it shut. He was like a cute little kid in the way he went about communication, making me grin ear to ear. Our discussion was cut short as Jaune and Lu hurried back with a young dwarf in hand, "Is that-?

"Yes, and he needs healing. Then we need to discuss something," Lu answered and hurried to the medical tent with me hot on her tail so I could provide immediate healing.

Zeddral, Age 22

Sitting outside the cells, I watched as my foe finally woke up. We didn't take many prisoners, but this was certainly a special case. She groaned and finally woke up, immediately trying to jump up and fight despite her bondage, "Easy there, you're okay."

"And how can I be sure of that?"

"Because, unlike your boss, despite my pleas to do so, we don't torture people." She glared at me after that comment. Honestly, it was rather admirable. Such a strong will behind those eyes despite the dire situation, "Look, we just need to keep you out of the fight for some time, am I clear?"

"Taking a prominent general to demoralize the enemy. Yet you won't go as far as to kill me?"

"No, Xandric was surprised to see you, so I'm assuming you're important to him. I won't betray him," I answered, and the two of us went silent. We both saw what happened, and we didn't know if he or Leon were okay. I guess this is one of those... parental instinct things. With a sigh, I stood up from the bench. I need to stay focused on the mission. That would be the best way to set an example.

"So you traitors actually do care about each other? I'm shocked," she scoffed, "You're a Demi-Human, right? I suppose I can see why you'd be so angry. Still, what good are you doing like this? You're just vindicating people's beliefs?"

"So what? We should just bend the knee? Let ourselves be slaughtered and enslaved? Like Hell!"

"No, however, there are other ways. Personally, I think Prince Thaddeus is onto something with the 'no torture' policy." Her answer shocked me. I had expected a general to be ruthless and bloody thirsty. Maybe she teaches me something that affects how Xandric saw me. With a sigh, I reluctantly lean in

"Elaborate"

Ryan Age 15

Slowly, the teams pulled into the main tent with Jaune and Thaddeus at the head. There was tension in the air. Nobody dared speak until Thaddeus gave Jaune a reassuring nod, "There's no easy way to say this... Jarred has caught the King in his Siren Song."

"What?!" Makoto exclaimed, her rage bellowing from the bottom of her heart. Jane simply turned to her and nodded. His face was pale, probably the most scared I have ever seen him in his life.

"It gets worse. He wants to meet with us to parlay. If the King said it, it's likely this 'Jarred' using him as a mouthpiece," Lu assumed, seeming uneasy. She turned to Thaddeus as if hoping for him to have some sort of magical answer as to what was the right move, "It's up to you. You are the leader of this Rebellion, after all"

"If we go, we'll need to keep our guard up. Once the Siren Song gets you, it takes really advanced Spirit Magic to get out, something we don't currently have," Eliza advises. Her past father just nodded, contemplating before coming up with an idea.

"I will discuss my next course of action with General Zeddral and General Felmi. For now, you all prepare for the worst."