...
Deron thought that he was gonna die. To a weird twist of fate, lady luck smiled at him, in the form of the strange teen that he met today. Truly a 'stranger' in his very core, a one-of-a-kind. Deron even held a small hope that the 'defector' might have good intentions for them at that time.
But…This is wrong! Deron should not think like this. He should think for himself. Deron has become tired of waiting for hope. The anxiety is killing him. Looking at his fellow orphans, Deron steeled his resolve— these are kids he believed to be siblings of his own— as their eldest brother, he has to take responsibility.
"Kids, wait for me here. Your big brother will be back in a jiffy."
"But big brother, we are scared."
The eldest among Deron's charge is an eight-year-old boy that idolizes him, Zerry held a stick as a weapon. Deron observed Zerry's slight trembling.
"Don't worry. Didn't you forget, I will be the future Hero King, unrelenting and never giving up is my motto. If there is victory, then I will take it."
"But I thought, you don't want to become a hero?" Zerry countered.
"Tsk… read the mood, kid, just go with the flow! Sheesh…"
"But I am 8… I cannot read the mood yet..."
"Yeah, that's unreasonable of me. Protect your siblings, okay?"
Deron gave the brightest smile he can muster. He tried his best to comfort the kids, these kids can only rely on him at this moment. There are no heroes to rely on, no adults to tell them what to do. Left but a meager hope that maybe someone out there will rescue them, the orphans wished for a savior.
"Please come back," Zerry said, which the other kids echoed in their childish and squeaky voices.
Deron took the sword of the headless corpse in front of him. It feels heavy. It's not just the weight, but also the intention that comes from wielding it.
Hero, they represent this world's new order. Deron idolized them with great fervour. There was a time in his childhood that he dreamt of becoming one of them. However, as he reaches puberty, he realized the cruel truth that he can't become like them.
Though he has the talent, and wits, he won't dare to even entertain the thought of becoming one. The reason might be simpler than obviously not possessing any sort of Special Ability himself. In a sense, the reason why Deron have an aversion into becoming is a hero is simply because... he lacks the conviction to punish evil.
"If you want to wield a sword, you must resolve yourself to kill." These are Baron Zest's words to him, and now, Deron is repeating them for himself…it is because~ Deron is scared to kill.
Kill.
Such a scary word. For villains, it is something like breathing. Ironically, heroes too engage in such acts in the name of punishing evil... The irony is too stark that even despite in Deron's youth, he could see how 'killing' can become a tool for justice.
Is it really necessary for a Hero to kill a Villain? Doesn't that just make a Hero another Villain? Many would argue that this way of thinking is wrong. But Deron believes differently. A heroic villain does not exist. Neither so a villainous hero.
Because of this sense of justice that Deron possesses, he can't be a hero. Baron Zest, the orphanage's headmaster wanted Deron's sense of justice to remain pure.
If Deron were to become a hero, he has to abandon his original sense of justice. The only justice there is among heroes, especially in this era, is those of hypocrites. As a hero's child, Deron learned of the world of heroes the hard way.
The blurred face of his dying mom, when he was just 5 years old, resurfaced in his mind. And her mother's wish for him to become a good person as he grows up—...it echoed to his ears, "Become a good person." She said. The memory felt so vivid yet his mother's face eludes him.
"Sorry about this." Deron pulled the headless corpse by its legs. It was the remains of a dead man, but Deron is unflustered.
He then unceremoniously dropped it outside of the door where the kids can't see it. Deron can do nothing about the smell though.
Heroes of this era are nothing compared to the ancient heroes of the past where Demon Kings, Dragons, and all sorts of Villains run amok. Nowadays, Heroes are nothing but decorative soldiers made to maintain and protect the 'World Order' that the fore founding heroes have established.
The ancient heroes of the past are Deron's subject of admiration. There were a lot of them, but among them, Deron liked the Hero of No Killing the most. Though the Hero of No Killing is deemed the weakest of the Heroes in history, Deron still liked this particular Hero.
In Deron's eyes, even the fore founding heroes who established the current hero system pale in comparison to this 'Hero of No Killing'.
At this moment, Deron imagined himself to be the Hero of No Killing. Deron recalls Baron Zest's words to him when he said, he wanted to become the Hero of No Killing.
"You want to be the Hero of No Killing? Hmmm… That's impossible, he is not even real."
Deron felt hurt. Why is he even in the history books, if he were not real? Seeing his doubtful face, Baron Zest added "He is not real in an individualistic sense. He is more of a symbol, an ordinary person who wore the cape of justice— he can be a peasant, chef, lord, king, priest, and even a child. In the history texts, he was perceived as 'everyone' and 'no-one'. Under the anonymity of his mask, he punished evil and righted the wrongs of the world.
This anonymity is what allowed him to become everyone and anyone… Stories of him were circulated by mouth, and only a few records of him exist. Do you know why? It is because he wasn't remembered as a hero. You see, child, the reason you can't become him is that he is just too unreal, a ghost of the past that is impossible to replicate in this time and age.
The Hero of No Killing is what we call a 'vigilante'."
Brandishing his sword, Deron contemplated Baron Zest's words. He didn't understand the Baron's words at that time. But now, he caught a glimpse of its truth.
"I know I can't become a hero nor a vigilante. I am just a normal teen of the orphanage, struggling to save his fellow orphans." Tearing off a strip of cloth from the headless dead body, Deron made a makeshift mask to cover his face.
"I am afraid that I would be seen. To be criticized and left vulnerable in the scrutiny of the people— an undesirable outcome I'd never dare challenge. If this flimsy mask can offer me a sense of security, then so be it."
Just an ordinary kid, but possesses an extraordinary heart. This is Deron's origin story.
…
Deron spied from a distance. Thanks to his eyesight well-adjusted to the darkness, he was able to detect the intruder.
The intruder carefully weaved in the darkness, carefully maintaining his stealth. However, his breath betrays him as Deron was able to catch the faint interval beating of the intruder's heartbeat. It's almost like a superpower.
What Deron doesn't know, is that something inside him is slowly awakening.
Deron crouched for fear he might get discovered. He returned to the inner chamber where the kids hid, then grabbed the fallen head. "Ugh, I forgot to bring the head…" He whispered to himself. Fortunately, the kids didn't mind the head. Maybe, they subconsciously ignored it.
"Big bro—" It was Zerry, excitedly calling to Deron
"Shuuush…" Deron hushed Zerry, aware of the approaching presence just outside the cellar. The basement is spacious, but a lot of crates are dispersed in the surroundings. This makes it difficult for the intruder to maneuver.
Judging by the intruder's build, it's not the same guy who made that confusing speech a moment ago. Deron only has one chance. It's kill or be killed.
He made a scale in his heart. Then… he decided.
"Fuck! You brat! Get away from me! A-aack!!"
He will kill.