Night Two Hundred And Fifty
Age 1991
Rafflesia City...
Hero Law walked the city at a slow pace looking around with narrowed eyes.
"Puppy!" A girl cried out trying to pet him but he quickly moved out of the childs way and stalked the streets on all fours once more. The water. his Equation allowed him to control, bending around him and twisting.
He let out a growl when he saw two men slowly backing a woman up to the wall.
"Is... Is that a dog?" One of the men asked.
"Yeah it is? Whoa. Animals are pretty rare what with most going extinct from the Bestia Macht. I bet this thing would sell for a pretty penny wouldn't he-"
The water wrapped around Hero's body forming the massive water avatar of a giant dog which let out a loud sound thrashing bark that shook the entire city block they were on. A massive water tendril came out slamming into the two men and smashing them back through a wall. Then the tendril turned into what looked like a large watery hand which began to pet the shaking woman.
"W... What?" The woman asked water splashing onto her and soaking her as the dog reverted back. "Y... You saved me?"
"Bark!" Hero announced in a chipper tone.
"T... Thanks I guess?"
With the deed done the doggo soon turned and began to prance away on all fours his tail wagging once again.
He was the current protector of this city. Well... One of the protectors.
"HAHAHA!" A voice announced as a sleigh flew over the city and Santa dropped down with his battle axe. "Hero. Why did you run off?" He asked cocking his head to the side.
"Bark. Bark, bark, bark. Bark. Bark, bark." Hero said nodding his head.
"Ahh yes. I see I still don't know how to speak to dogs. I have no idea what you're say. HAHAHA!" Santa stated making Hero groan.
As it stood they were the two protectors of Rafflesia City. Hero didn't really understand it.
'Hey little guy. We're all going to play in these games. The city could be attacked while we're gone. Captain Katrina says Santa can handle it but honestly that guy is kind of weak for a high rank Enforcer... So I want you to keep the city safe.'
Those had been Rows words to him. No... Not Row. Hero knew this new Master wasn't Row. He smelled like him. And sounded like him. And at times spoke and acted like him. But he wasn't Row. New Master was New Master and Row was Row. Hero decided he liked them both. He wished he could have them both.
From what he had gathered. The big boobed Captain, the Red Demon, the Lightning boy, the phasing girl who he knew to be Rows older sister, the blind boy, the dumbass fox, the two lesbians, the ice bitch, and the New Master, had left the city to go do something. Leaving just him and the Hahaha man behind to protect the city from any manner of scum.
As a pure breed power house such a job was naturally beneath him but he would do as the New Master ordered and keep this city safe no matter what-
'Hey! Listen up you damn dirt ball! Give me some energy!'
The words echoed out making Hero's eyes go wide when he heard the voice of his young master.
"Well. Would you look at that?" Santa mused. Hero turned following the laughing mans look. High above them on a building was a weird flat portal device with moving images! On the front of it appeared to be the games going on. Hero had noticed it before. It was showing off all the fights to the rest of the Red Nation. But this one was a new fight. This one was the young Master and one of the Heralds of the Squid! They were fighting.
On the screen Hero had slammed his hand into the ground as a burst of golden aura began to escape him.
Hero let out a whine seeing the New Master do this. He covered his nose as his ears twitched.
"Hey are you alright?" Santa asked.
"...Bark!" The water exploded around Hero forming into a pair of massive water wings as he began to fly up high into the air shocking Santa. With his mind made up Hero began to fly towards Gladiolus City... His Master needed him...
***
Gladiolus City...
The Arena...
Ava began to pull herself out of the place Hero had slammed her down into. It had seemed she had undergone a new form. Her body was wrapped up in the white glowing energy like water nearly fully. It flowed like cloth covering every inch of her skin. Only a small slit for a mouth and eyes could be seen. The eyes were a pure gold and seemed to glow and shine as if a fire was seeping out of them. The mouth was filled with rows of razor sharp fanged and jagged teeth. Instead of the six wings she now had eight ghostly white hands that flowed out of her back buzzing through the air and ripping everything around her apart. Her actual two normal arms now had long razor sharp claws at the end of them.
She breathed heavily as Hero let out a sigh.
"Alright." He said as the yellow aura began to bounce up around him. "Let's see what this form can really do. Body don't let me down."
And with those words Hero did something he almost never did. Something that he was told to not do. Something he knew he shouldn't do.
Hero stopped holding back. He stopped throwing his punches. He stopped trying conserve energy or spare the enemy. Instead he channeled all that power into his fist.
Because Ava could take it.
Right?
Hero's God Striking Aura flared up around him like a mini sun as he slammed his arm forward as hard as he could the yellow lightning seeping out and lighting the area up around them. Ava did the same slamming her foot down and throwing out a massive punch using everything she had all in an attempt to kill the person in front of her. Hero might be trying to turn this into a battle of ideals but Ava didn't care about any of that. She didn't care what he did or what he said. Rather he was right or in the wrong. None of it mattered. Because at the end of the day he wasn't Hero Otoko! He wasn't her hero. He wasn't her savior. He wasn't Hero.
The entire arena shook as their fists slammed into each other and a massive shock wave seemed to blast out from around them shaking the very ground around them and lighting the entire floor up as a mass of energy escaped them both.
Hero gritted his teeth feeling the sheer power of the attack ripple through his metal arm but he held his ground flaring up even more aura the yellow glow getting even bigger and brighter. He was practically on fire.
Hero slammed his arm back throwing out a powerful punch as the entire aura exploded around him in the shape of a massive dragon! "Shatter Dragon!" He cried out the entire aura of the dragon cracking and exploding into a massive ball of golden energy which he grabbed with his hand squeezing it down into a ball and then ramming right into Ava's face as hard as he could another explosion hitting them both and rocking the entire stadium. "I don't care if you can call my ideals childish. And I don't care if others think his dream is better. I'm going to save the entire world." Hero yelled out the golden blast exploding out of his hand like a massive of golden flames becoming so bright no one could dare to look at it. "Not just the world. I'll save it all. I'll kill that Squid which scares even Otoko and I'll save the Multiverse! You mocked me for not dreaming big. I don't think you get that Otoko lost! He gave up and just cares about keeping one world safe. Sure it might be a Noble Goal, but if keeping our world safe means a monster like that can devour other worlds, filled with their own dreams, and hopes, then whats even the point! I'll save everyone!"
Both Ava and Hero soon found themselves inside of a small green cube as Ward used all of his power to hold in the two clashing forces.
Neither of them noticed though as instead Ava tanked the massive punch right to her face. "You naive idiot!" Ava said using her skull to hold back Hero's massive fist somehow. "You don't get him the way I do then. Yes. He did give up. He isn't going to save everyone. I'll admit that compared to you his dream is smaller. But its because of that I respect him. He saw what awaits the fate of everyone. You haven't. You can announce you'll fight that thing a hundred more times. But in the end it wont matter. You wont win. He didn't. God didn't. No one did. So instead of trying to stop and impossible goal he threw all his morals and hopes and dreams away. All to keep at least one world safe. You think he's a coward because he gave up. Well I think you're the coward for keeping this foolish dream alive any longer!" She yelled slamming her face into Hero's as hard as she could and smashing him into the ground.
Hero gasped out blood and shattered teeth snapping out of his jaw and spilling down his face. God Striking Aura gave him the power and speed of a level two, or at least it was so close it might as well be a level 2, but it didn't give him the extra durability.
Hero hit the ground back first and rolled across it. His back hit the barrier and he instantly raised his right arm up as it shifted into its cannon form and he fired off a point black rage cannon right to her face. Ava didn't even have time to process the barrel of the gun that intook her head. Even if she did it wouldn't have mattered though. She was trapped in an enclosed space thanks to this massive barrier.
The fiery blast exploded out as hundreds of cracks covered the barrier and it shattered all the flames and energy spilling out. Hero and Ava were both sent flying out of it both of them slamming through the stone walls of the coliseum and smashing down into the snowy fields outside.
"T... This is to much." Irene said gritting her teeth. "They're gonna call it off right?"
"I don't think so." Kitsune said frowning as he stared up at Katrina and Aka who were still talking.
"Is Big Brother gonna be okay!"
"F... Father..." Daughter sniffled.
"I'll heal him the best I can after the match." Shelly sighed folding her arms up.
Ken didn't say anything as she began to climb up onto the wall. "Uh where are you going?" Kitsune asked.
"To find a spot where I can watch the rest of the fight." Was her blunt response.
Hero rolled through the snow landing back on his feet burn marks covering him as his clothing began to catch on fire. He had caught himself in the blast radius. He didn't have time to process anything though as seconds later a massive shadow exploded around him as Ava came slamming down towards him. He managed to turn his God Striking Aura back to its max and dodged her kick as she slammed down. Then he launched forward slamming his fist into his face. Or at least he would have but she caught his punch with ease.
"Why the hell do you care so much about this impossible dream." She hissed out. "Why can't you and him work together. You could save this world."
"I already told you." Hero gasped out his aura fading. "I can't stand his dream. He wants to keep this world safe no matter what. To the point he had o give up almost everything. He's turned into a Devil. One that can bare the sins of the world itself and hold them all. He's turned himself into a villain to save the world. And it makes me wonder. How many times has this happened. How many Hero's have to give up everything and just settle on a single goal. Thats just to cruel. I can't accept that. I'll defeat the Squid. I'll save the world. All the worlds."
"He wants to bare all the sins himself. To give the world a happy ending even at a cost to himself." Ava hissed out. "If thats not heroic..."
"To hell with that." Hero yelled. "I don't care about that. I'll give everyone the happy ending they deserve. I'll win. I'll make it where no one has to suffer. Suffering for the sake of others. That isn't what it means to be a hero. Thats not the hero of justice I want to be. I want to be a hero of justice that can make everyone happy. That can end the suffering for everyone!"
"You're a fool if you think a dream like that will ever be possible."
"Ha... Yeah. You're right. Still." Hero gave a small smile. "You have to admit its a beautiful dream right? And thats why. I wont give up on it. Not ever."
"I really hate you." Ava held her hand out creating a white blade which she sliced out but Hero's aura flared back up as he ducked under the attack.
"Well then good. Use all of that hate and throw it at me. Give it everything you got so I can overcome it!" He yelled forcing his hand away from her. He jumped back as his golden aura flared so bright and something began to happen. "Every strike. Every dodge. Every speech. All it does is motivate me to do better!" Hero yelled as he begged the world for even more power and it listened. The golden aura changed becoming a pitch black as the yellow lightning in his hand was replaced with black darkness. "I'm 100% motivated on this dream!"
"But thats..." Ava said with wide eyes her mind flashing back to Hero Otokos left arm. "That power is-"
Hero slammed his hand into the ground and the darkness seeped out the very shadows rising up and striking out like a wave of black water forming blades and whips out of the darkness around him. Ava dodged all the strikes as best as she could but it was like she was fighting the world itself. Hero fired forward once more pulling his arm back the white metal being wrapped up in the darkness as he balled his hand into a fist.
"World Wide Smack Down!" He yelled throwing his punch out as hard as he could and smashing it into Ava who took the blow wrapping her arms around it and being pushed back as she gritted her teeth. The black aura faded reverting to a yellow which then reverted to a normal white which then reverted to nothing as he dropped down.
"I don't care how much resolve you have or how many power ups you have." She hissed out. "At the end of the day you're still a child holding onto dreams. You wanted to show me my past to get me to change. Well lets do the same to you."
"What?"
Ava leapt forward wrapping her hands around Hero's head as she glared into his blood soaked face. "You're not the only one who can access memories. You might have a connection to me but that means I have a connection to you. Now lets walk down memory lane!"
"Wait-"
In a flash of light Hero found himself standing within a small white lab...