Deron fought with his life on the line. The stranger he met was one of a kind. To actually think he held hope that the 'defector' have any good intentions.

This is wrong!

Deron should not think like this. He should think for himself.

"Kids, wait for me here. There is danger outside."

"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 if a weapon. Deron looked to the cowering children behind.

"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."

Deron gave the brightest smile he can muster. This comforted the kids.

"I will believe in you," Zery 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.

"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.

Deron pulled the headless corpse by its legs then unceremoniously dropped it outside of the door where the kids can't see it.

Deron can do nothing about the smell though.

He spied someone in the distance thanks to his eyesight well adjusted to the darkness. Deron crouched for fear he might get discovered. He returned to the inner chamber where the kids hid, then grabbed the fallen head.

Judging by the intruder's build, it's not the same guy who made that confusing speech a moment ago.

"Fuck! You brat! Get away from me!"

Deron successfully stabbed the enemy in his chest but his strike is too shallow to pierce the heart. The enemy responded with an angry swing. It was sharp and full of power. Deron will certainly die if he is hit by that.

Deron raised the dead's head to impede the enemy's strike. It's worse compared to a buckler, but it bought Deron more time as he put more weight on his sword.

"Huuuuk..." The enemy drew his last breath then slumped. Deron felt something inside him awakening, it was weak, but it was there.

SWUUUUSH!

It's the sound of mace Deron barely registered through his intuition. Deron dodged with all his might, but the mace still got him.

Deron's left arm hung limply as he weakly backed away from the assailant. He can't pull the sword plunged into the dead's chest, so have to leave it stuck like that.

15201 saw his dead partner, 14444.

15201 became wary of Deron. To think that his partner was done this fast. It's either the kid is too lucky, has some skills, or both.

Deron has to adapt quickly to the change of situation. Courage is what Deron desperately needs. He looked at the door where his fellow orphans hid.

I will fight. Deron ducked, rolled then picked up the short sword 14444 once held.

This will do.

Smoke found their way into the chamber. He doesn't know if it's a blessing in disguise, but the smoke helped him to sink a strike or two.

The remaining enemy was already wounded, to begin with. But Deron's strikes are too shallow to inflict fatal injury.

Even if he wins this fight, they'll be dead, the kids can't survive this amount of fire. If the fire reaches the wine cellar, it would be catastrophic. The baron is worried that accidental fire may find its way into the cellar, so the baron made sure to stock plenty of fire extinguishers here in the basement.

Deron needs to finish this fight fast.

His will and emotions churned. Like charcoal to fire. Deron sought the warmth beyond this predicament. Desperation, yearning, and responsibility. All of this converged and became the fuel to his burning desire to win.

He needs to win. For his family. For himself.

Victorious Valor.

This was what his power called. That he gets stronger with every victory he accomplishes. He replicated the swordsmanship performed by 14444— that swing full of anger and killing intent. It was only one swing, but he learned more than what is let on. Deron only saw it once, but it's as if he can peer beyond what he can see.

"Impossible, this swordsmanship." 15201 is shocked by the familiar swordsmanship. It's the razor ruby swordsmanship. Zentury has a wide array of martial arts they stole from kingdoms, clans, and powerhouses. They even have a collection of extinct arts that was shadowed by the rise of sorcerers.

Sorcerers, mages, mutants as Alfir likes to call them stood above the current world because of this strength.

15201 uses the same swordsmanship. 14444 is his acquaintance in martial training since his boot camp days.

Perhaps, this kid stole 14444's swordsmanship? It's not a far-fetched theory since 15201 is witnessing it firsthand for himself.

The more 15201 parries and attacks, the better Deron is becoming in wielding his sword.

With 15201's every swing, the more Deron strikes. It didn't take long for Deron to overwhelm 15201.

What a monster?! 15201's neck gushes with blood.

Deron can see the fire expanding from the tunnel. It only took Deron less than a minute to defeat his enemy, but he wished that he had more time. There were a dozen fire extinguishers in the cellar.

Deron dashed to get one. He fought the fire for minutes he felt like hours. Deron's actions bought hope for his fellow orphans, but hope is bleak and cheap. Despite all of this, they are never enough. They are not substantial enough to lull their fears.

The orphans' crying is loud. Panic, shock, and confusion are spreading like the plague. Deron has no power to comfort them from their fears since he himself is feeling the same fear.

"Is this it? Am I gonna die?"

Smoke and soot fill Deron's lunges. He is hallucinating from the lack of oxygen. Some of the kids have long fainted from suffocation. If they are not resuscitated, they'll die.

"Thank you, Baron Zest... I have done the best I could."

In his gloomy days, Deron never lost to sadness, since he believes that the next day, despite the odds, will be brighter. That small probability, of luck and hope— just maybe— tomorrow will be better.

But in the face of death. Deron felt it—

Lost, defeated, and brokenhearted.

This is the unfairness of the world. Youth, dreams, friendships, family, and life are all void at once.

Then hope came.

A son who lost his father descended like the evening sun. The flames that carried him slowly died as he gently landed by the orphanage's gate.

Eron felt the negative emotions resurfacing in him. But he suppressed it. He needs to save lives. He went for his father's office through the windows. A stream of flames was ejected from his palms lifting him to the second floor's window, adjacent to his father's office.

Eron saw his father's gruesome remains. He can recognize the clothes, but not the flesh clinging to them.

He wants to cry so much, fall to his knees, to express his loss, but he suppressed all of it. Eron aspired to become a hero because he felt that it is the noblest thing to do.

He still believes the same way, but with more motivation than ever. He will save the orphans' lives whatever it takes— they should be alive!

If not, Eron might lose his mind. He needs to save them, so just to comfort and give strength to his now fragile heart.

After that, he'll get his revenge.

...

Heroism is not a job, but some fools can't help themselves but turn it into one.

It was a thankless job until the Hero Society is formed. Still in the end, even with Hero Society's presence, you can still get killed every waking day.

But that is not where the problem truly lies— it is the way you get killed.

Some don't die physically. Some die mentally, spiritually, and so on... The LIST goes on...

This is sad, but there is a reason why we call Heroes 'Heroes'.

Because even in their darkest moment, they strive to do good.

...

TRIVIA!

Eron Vilman Zest— Flamecore's no.1 disciple. AKA Furious Flames.

"I have a short fuse, choose your words very carefully."

Have a pyrokinetic ability he activates through muscle movement and breathing techniques. Gets stronger the more anger he feels. Have increased lung capacity. Above-average superhuman physique. Have notable strength.

At 82% potential.