The grand seminar hall buzzed with energy. It was 11:30 a.m. the massive auditorium was packed wall-to-wall with students of every year. From eager freshmen to composed seniors, they had all gathered here to witness the Rank – 3 hero, Glory– the third strongest human known to mankind.
*Crunch… crunch…*
Sitting in my seat, I could hear all the whispering, gossiping, and few words of praise.
"Did you hear about his last mission? He took down an entire army of Orcs single-handedly!"
"He's incredible. I can't believe we get to see him in person!"
"Glory is amazing. He's the reason I wanted to be a hero in the first place."
To their faces, he was their savior. Their idol. Their hope. But to me? He was nothing but a façade—a man whose reputation and power would crumble into dust today. I leaned back to my seat, popping another piece of popcorn into my mouth.
*Crunch… crunch..*
"Hey, will you stop eating now?" beside me Anna said, glaring at me.
"Sorry."
At exactly 11:45, the doors at the front of the hall creaked open, and the sound of chatter quieted for a moment before a wave of cheers swept through the entire hall.
And there he was.
Glory strode inside like a king entering his throne room, his presence commanding everyone's attention without even a single word. All the lights seemed to shift, highlighting him as though the universe itself was bending to his will. His blond hair glowed under the spotlight, every strand perfectly in place. His white and gold color hero uniform was immaculate and flawless, clung to him like it was crafted by a gold itself, he exuded an authority and aura of someone worthy of a Rank – 3 title.
The room suddenly, erupted into cheers, claps and screams of excitement, filling the space like a tidal wave. Some students jumped on their feet, applauding so hard that their hand must have stung.
A few even waved a banners, bearing his name and emblem.
"Oh god! Look at him," a student near me whispered, almost awestruck. "He's so handsome."
I smirked, watching as the grand performance of his unfold. Glory waved his hand to the crowd with a perfection smile, almost as if he had rehearsed it a hundred times. And with that, the crowd cheered him with even louder cheers, like a well trained orchestra reaching its crescendo.
'What a show off!'
"Thank you very much," Glory began his speaking as he ascended the stage and stood behind the podium. His deep, commanding voice echoed through out the hall, silencing every noise almost instantly. "It's an honor to stand before the brightest minds and future heroes of our world. You all represent the hope of tomorrow, and I am here to guide you to achieve that tomorrow."
I popped another palmful of popcorn into my mouth and chewed it slowly. "Hope of tomorrow, huh?" I muttered under my breath, the corners of my mouth curling into a smirk. "Let's see if there's a hope for you tomorrow."
And with that, he began his speech, The crowd hung onto his every word, their eyes glimmering with admiration.
Beside me Anna, scribbling down every word he is spouting.
But I wasn't listening. My focus was completely on my wristband. The timer ticked down, second by second, and my heart raced in anticipation. I have almost full confidence that this strategy of mine will definitely work, but I am a bit excited as this is my very first move against the Hero Association.
And I know better than anyone, what are they actually capable of. The whole façade of Hero Association being the protector of humanity, is not hundred percent correct. There are people from Hero Association, that I knew are even worst than Glory, and for everyone's better future, someone needs to remove those people.
Finally the clock struck noon.
*Buzz. Buzz.*
A soft buzz broke the air. It started really small, almost unnoticeable, but within seconds, it grew. Wristbands vibrated all across the hall as their screens lighting up with notifications.
*Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.*
At first, it was just confusion. Students glanced at their wrists, their excitement weavering. The whispers began again, quieter but sharper this time.
"What's happening?"
"Why is everyone's wristband buzzing?"
Students exchanged puzzled glances with each other as their attention shifted from Glory to their wristbands. The noise of confusion grew louder, as the holographic screens of wristband, appeared on every one's control panel.
"Breaking News: Hero Rank – 3, Glory Accused of Treason!"
"Shocking Allegations Surface Against Hero Glory!"
"Evidence Leaked: Bribery, Abuse, Assault, and More!"
These types of headlines, keep popping up on every news channels and articles.
The words spread through out the hall like wildfire. Students leaned closer to each other, sharing their screens, pointing at the headlines. The noise grew louder, mixing gasps, exclamations, and shouts.
"No way… This can't be real," a girl whispered, her voice trembling.
"It has to be fake. There's no way Glory would—"
"Look! Look at this!" another student interrupted, holding up his wristband.
Images filled the holographic—images of Glory, receiving bribery. Disgusting images of him with different women. Secret meetings with known criminals. Videos of him killing innocents followed, each clip more damning than the last. His voice wad clear in every videos and audios, giving orders for all kinds of operations.
"Are these… Are these real?" Anna asked, her tone had a mixture of shock and despair.
"No way…" a first-year whispered as tears started pooling in her eyes. "But… But he's a hero…"
"How could… he?!" another student yelled, his voice cracking with anger.
The room soon descended into chaos. Students stood as they began shouting accusations and questions at each other. Some even clung to denial, with their voices rising in defense of their idol, while others stared at the evidence in stunned silence.
"Pftt.. he..hehe.."
I just couldn't help it—I laughed. It wasn't loud, but it was enough. Watching as their so called hero's world crumble, their faith disintegrate right in front of them, was more satisfying than I'd imagined.
On stage, Glory's words faltered. His words slowed down, then stopped entirely. His confident facade was finally cracking a little.
"Your strength… uh, your strength will determine—" He froze, his eyes scanning the crowd. He definitely felt it—the shift of emotion in the room, the weight of hundreds of eyes filled with confusion, doubt, and disgust stared at him.
His assistant rushed to him, whispering something urgently into his ear. Glory fumbled with his wristband, his hand trembling as he read the notifications.
His face finally paled, and for a moment, he looked… human. Vulnerable. Really pathetic.
"What!? This… this is nonsense," he stammered was barely audible.
He raised a hand, his voice trembling. "Everyone, listen! This is clearly a ploy campaign—a coordinated attack to discredit me! Lies! All lies! Don't believe those."
"You're nothing but a criminal!" someone shouted from the crowd.
"How could you do this to us?!"
The hall erupted once more, students were yelling, crying, accusing him. Glory's assistant tried to guide him off the stage but he resisted him, "This is all fake."
I leaned back in my chair, savoring the flavor of my popcorn. Every shout, every tear, every look of disbelief—it was just, perfect.
"Just look at him," I thought, watching as Glory's hands trembled on stage, his face drenched in sweat. The man who once commanded the admiration of millions now looked like a cornered animal, desperate and afraid.
I wondered how everyone felt, as to find out that, Glory's true color wasn't glorious at all.
*Ywaaaan..*
I stood up from my seat, stretching lazily as the noises behind me continued to rise. Tossing one last piece of popcorn into my mouth, I let out a satisfied sigh.
"Well, that was really entertaining," I muttered under my breath, a smirk appeared on my lips as I walked toward the exit.
'This is nothing compared to what I have planned for him next.'
End of Chapter.