Mayumi and I exited the medical building. The sun was beginning to set upon the camp, as I gazed around, shocked at what I was seeing. Heavy damage, debris littering the camp, and corpses of monsters scattered about.

"Oh my, well, it sure seems like you guys had a hell of a battle. Are those the fox monsters?" I said in amazement.

There was a group of heroes around the body of a malice fox, slicing it into pieces, and disposing of its carcass in large containers labeled [MONSTER PARTS]. It seemed as if they were cleaning the camp.

"Yeah, those are the bodies of the Malice Foxes. The two of them were responsible for the deaths of 5 heroes. The Tiger Frog claimed the lives of 5 more, leaving 10 dead in total."

"Ten heroes... I never thought three monsters would be able to cause so much damage. What was it like Mayumi? Fighting those beasts?"

Mayumi had a melancholy expression on her. It seemed as if she was reluctant to recount the events that had just taken place. They must have been horrific.

"It was much worse than we anticipated. We underestimated the threat level of the Tiger Frog. It was actually a level 6 monster, one level under the highest rating... we called in a level 7 hero to take care of it, but both he and the monster have gone missing."

I hadn't grasped the whole idea of the Hero System yet, but I assumed that level 7 heroes were at the top of the pyramid, considering "The Shade" had a threat level of 7, labeled maximum. If the Tiger Frog was rated a 6, then I can only imagine the true devastation a level 7 would be able to cause.

"Well, as long as the monster is gone, I think we're going to be okay. I'm sure whoever this hero is, he knows what he's doing. What should we do now, Mayumi?"

"Follow me, Yukio. There's something I need to show you..."

"Alright, you lead the way."

Mayumi then took me by the arm, and together, we walked to the western gate...

We walked down the path, and the silence grew ever so much louder. I could tell Mayumi was stressed out, as she tightened her grip on my hand. We approached the western gate, and the smell of blood immediately filled my nostrils. I gagged.

"Ah, shit. Mayumi, what the hell happened here?"

"What happened here, is exactly what I was afraid of. This is the location where four heroes perished to the Malice Fox."

Blood littered the surrounding area, accompanied by the arms and legs of deceased heroes. My stomach tensed up at the sight of it all. I felt like I was going to be sick.

"Oh god, Mayumi... this is terrible."

I was speechless. Mayumi turned around and gave me a stern look. She looked like she was in pain. I could see large teeth marks on her leg. Had she almost been eaten herself?

"Yukio, this is the truth of being a hero. You give your life for humanity. The monster population is great, but the human population is much greater. Less than 1% of people in the world are heroes, so they must fight to the very end to protect the other 99%."

Mayumi approached the leg of a deceased hero. It was still decorated with the yellow cloth of a hero outfit. It stood out from the rest of the body parts, and Mayumi recognized who it belonged to.

"Maxime...dear god...I can't believe they got you too, I just spoke with you the other day. You were supposed to be transferred..."

Did she say "Maxime"? I recognized that name... that was the name of the person whose conversation I listened in on earlier. Who knew, that he was going to die today? He never made it back to Camp Epsilon...

"You see now, Yukio? This is the horrible truth of the monster race. They relentlessly feast upon the human race, as we are an integral part of their diet. They're at the top of the food chain, and we try out best, every damn day, to keep humanity safe..."

"...but shit like this keeps happening. Every day, more lives are lost to these hellbent creatures. I understand that it's just how nature works and that we're severely disadvantaged. But, unlike the monsters, we're an intelligent species. We're going to continue to try everything in our power to protect our race."

Mayumi spoke with sorrow, but she also spoke with great valor. This battle served not only as a grim reminder of why the Hero Camp existed, but also as a motivator to continue the mission to save humanity. I then chimed in.

"Mayumi, how can I help? I think I've seen enough, and experienced enough, to make a decision. I myself was almost eaten by a monster, and it was terrifying."

Mayumi turned around and gazed into my eyes. She seemed to be listening attentively to what I was saying. I continued my speech.

"Mayumi, I want to join the Hero Camp and help save the world from these monsters. Seeing this sight is just too much to bear. Considering things like this happen every day, as you mention, gives me no other choice BUT to join."

"...Yukio"

"Yes?"

"Are you sure you want to join the Hero Camp, knowing that you'll be putting your life on the line every day, to save humanity? Because that is all this job is about..."

"Yes, Mayumi. I want to join the Hero Camp. I think it's my duty..."

Mayumi then looked at me with confusion. Perhaps it was a bit alarming to her that after meeting me just hours ago, I was adamant about joining the Hero Camp. She then asked me a question.

"What do you mean, your duty? Do you have a background with the Hero Camp?"

"Well, I'm here already, I've witnessed you killing a monster, I've seen the devastation they can cause, and I've been in one's mouth personally. Why not join the retaliation against them?"

Mayumi chuckled and glanced over at me once more. I seemed to be cheering her up, despite the horrific battle she had just experienced.

"Well then, Yukio. If you want to be a hero, you need to help me clean up the camp first. It's going to be dirty work, but we must be respectful and honor the lives lost. I'll explain to you how we go about this."

Even in another world, the Hero Camp still had customs in place to respect the lives lost in battle. It was honorable.

"We must gather all of the body parts, and burn them in the central campfire. It's a respectful way to send them off, to their next step in the journey of life, and into the afterlife. This has been a custom for hundreds of years now, long before my grandparents were born."

"I see, well then, I think we should begin collecting them. Let's honor the heroes who served us well in this battle, Mayumi."

The two of them began to gather the limbs of the deceased heroes, and make their way toward the central campfire. Yukio could barely keep himself together. He had never seen so much death before in his life, but he pulled through and forced himself to accept, that that's how life was in this world.

Meanwhile, near Camp Kappa, a whole other story was taking place. Kento had just radioed into the level 7 hero line and spoke with a hero named Ambrosia, who offered to finish off the level 6 monster, as it made its escape from Camp Theta.

As the monster continued to evade Kento, it started to regenerate its cheek, as well as its paw. This allowed it to run even faster than before, now being able to use all four legs. Because of this, Kento had to increase his speed.

"It's moving faster? That means it's regenerating its limbs. Ugh, I hope Ambrosia will be able to finish it off..."

"...who am I kidding, she'll disintegrate it, she's a lunatic. I just wanna catch up so I can see the spectacle for myself."

Kento pushed himself to run even faster. He continued to chase down the Tiger Frog through the grass fields, running past the many streams of water, and groups of trees that surrounded them. The sun was setting, and the skies were lit with a beautiful orange hue.

As they continued to run, Kento could feel himself growing exhausted. He had been on the chase for nearly 10 minutes, running at his top speed. He didn't know how much longer he would be able to run before he had to slow down his pace.

"Ah, hah, damn Ambrosia, where are you?"

It was then, that Kento noticed a yellow and pink light in the distance, approaching him at a high velocity. It shined with brilliance, and it grew quicker and quicker as it made its way toward them. The Tiger Frog came to a grinding halt and took a few steps back.

"Oh? You're stopping? Wait, I see her, Ambrosia! Yes, she's here! Okay, let's see what she does. I'm sorry Tiger Frog, but you're finished!"

The Tiger Frog sat on the ground patiently and turned toward Kento. It then started flashing its freshly regenerated tongue at him in a threatening manner. Kento stood back.

"It's too late to play games with me. Although you may have regenerated your limbs, your whole body is about to be reduced to atoms! Let's go, Ambrosia!"

The ball of light arrived at where Kento was. After coming to a stop, the light took the form of a young girl, standing just shy of Yui's height.

She had cream-colored hair decorated with pink and yellow highlights and accents. It reached her shoulders before naturally curling. She had pink eyes and wore a thin black dress reaching her thighs before tapering off, and low black heels.

She gracefully landed on the ground, and a yellow glow surrounded her body. She was emitting massive amounts of power. The monster gazed at her, curious as to who she was. Then, in a high-pitched, childlike voice, she began to speak.

"KENTO!"

"Oh god, you sound pissed."

"Well, I was busy with another quest, and you interrupted me, so I'm a little bit miffed! But anyway, I'm here now, so, is that the monster you want me to finish?" She said, pointing her finger at the Tiger Frog.

"Yeah, it's that Tiger Frog. He's a level 6, standing at an estimated 30 feet tall. It's huge. I brought it to the brink of death, bu-"

Ambrosia then interrupted Kento.

"Yeah yeah, you told me this already. But I have to give it to ya, that's a big ass Tiger Frog! It's larger than any other one I've ever seen before. Don't worry about not killing it, it's rated at 6, meaning it's meant to be handled by multiple level 6 heroes. Considering you did this much damage by yourself, I applaud you."

"The sarcasm in your voice is killing me from the inside, Ambrosia."

"I'm not being sarcastic! It's truly a terrifying creature, were it to be a bit larger, and perhaps if it could breathe fire, it would be worthy of a 7 rating. But regardless, stand back, I'm about to do somethin' real fancy."

"Do what you must, Esper Witch."

Ambrosia Heroux, age 28, alias "Esper Witch". Hero Level 7, Rank 2. She specializes in the use of psychic abilities, such as telekinesis. Her specialty is her mysterious book, which she carries everywhere with her, allowing her to increase her psychic powers. Without it, her power would be diminished. She's been in the Hero Camp for 9 years.

"Ambrosia, you have that little book of yours with you, right? I'm still not sure how it even works..."

"Always, I never leave home without it. Now then, let's get to work on this Tiger Frog, shall we? Kento, I want you to pose as bait, okay?"

"WAIT, WHAT!?"

Ambrosia then turned to Kento with a smug look on her face. She giggled and repeated herself once more.

"Go out there and play dead silly, when the monster comes down to bite you, swing at it with your hammer and stun it, then I'll come in and deliver the finishing blow."

"You know, that sounds totally crazy, but I trust you. Just don't let me get eaten."

Kento then turned around and ran toward the Tiger Frog at full speed. When he got close enough, he lunged to the ground and laid still. The Tiger Frog was confused.

Regardless, the monster lowered its head toward Kento and began to sniff him. Kento's heart started racing, and he put his hand on his War Hammer, preparing to strike when the timing was perfect.

The monster retracted its head and opened its mouth. Then, it quickly lowered it and attempted to eat Kento. He then swung his War Hammer and smashed it into the side of the Tiger Frog's head.

The head was blown in the other direction, and the Tiger Frog was stunned. Ambrosia's plan was working as she had expected it to. When the monster was stunned, Ambrosia began to hover in the air. She then opened her book and lifted her hand. Kento then spoke.

"Here she goes! I wonder what she's gonna do. I hope it kills this thing, it's been alive for far too long!"

Ambrosia then closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she re-opened them, a great gust of air blew past her, and her eyes became dichromatic. Her right eye was yellow, and her left eye was magenta. Then, she spoke.

"No worries Kento, I'll be able to kill this thing. Killing monsters... that's all this job is about.