Chapter 3

Arc 1 - You Lose - Part 3

Cycle 2.1 - Verial, Silanos:

It has been 1 week since the heroes died.

It has been 1 week since Back Wing has become the powerhouse of this planet.

It has been 1 week since the 「Age of Villains」 began.

And now, at the capital of Silanos, the capital state of Alpha Scion, the king of the planet twitched his eyes.

He sat on a luxurious red and golden throne, inside a large castle at the centre of the capital city.

“The heroes have failed…”

History has shown over and over again, heroes always win. Heroes kept the world safe from any threat. Whether it was human fiends or alien invaders. They have always toppled their enemies.

But a day like this was never meant to happen.

“How?!” he slammed his fist into the arms of the throne.

If you asked someone on the streets of Silanos, what are heroes?

The answer will always be the same: Of course, they are great people who use their powers to keep everyone safe. They will risk their lives to save us. They will defeat the villains.

And if you asked, what if the villains win?

Laugh.

The only answer one would get is laughter.

Heroes? Lose? It has never happened in the history of this world.

Yes, heroes have died for various reasons, but others took their place and worked towards creating an ideal world.

“- Kssh. -”

Throughout the whole world, the screens glitched.

“Hm?”

“- How is it going? -”

A man in black robes appeared on the screen and spoke in a comedic tone.

“- Actually, I don’t really care. But I have an important announcement to make. -”

The king widened his eyes.

He knew what the villain would say.

Was this day ever meant to come?

Of course, not. But reality is often disappointing.

“- You! -”

Black Wing raised his hand and held a golden glowing sword at the camera.

“- Your days are numbered. Your days of a free world are numbered. Because I... -”

A pearl of psychopathic laughter rang out.

“- I will take over this world, HAHA!! -”

The king clenched his fist and grit his teeth.

“Damn YOU--”

“Oh, that’s an old one.”

The king was sitting on a golden and red throne in the castle.

He was surrounded by dozens upon dozens of guards.

BLINK!

But then suddenly, darkness fell upon the room.

Wh--What is going--

Before the king could finish his thoughts, the darkness vanished. It only covered the room for an instant.

But.

!!!

The king widened his eyes in horror and disgust as he looked around.

How…?

The king was sitting on a luxurious red and golden throne.

He was surrounded by dozens upon dozens of guards.

They are all...

The king raised his hand to stop himself from vomiting.

He glanced around at the pink and dark red guts covered in blood lying around as if he had stepped into a meat factory.

“That recording is from yesterday.”

The king raised his head.

In front of him stood a man in dark robes.

“Either way, King--”

Black Wing trailed off as he thought.

“What's his name again?” he muttered to himself. “Bunita? Patita? Are those even real names?”

This monster--- He dares?

He removed his hand from his mouth.

He remembered his past.

His glorious past.

The past of his ancestor.

He isn’t just a king.

He was a hero once.

A hero who stood for good.

As long as I stand undefeated--

The king tried to move, but instead, he widened his eyes.

“...Huh?”

Glancing down at his legs, he gulped.

His eyes went wide, so wide it looked as if it would fall from its sockets.

Fear, anger, disappointment and shame danced on his old wrinkled face.

I can’t move?!

His body refused to move.

Why am… Why am I shaking in fear?

There is a certain region in the brain of living beings that determines what should be done when faced with fear. Run, freeze or fight back. Depending on the situation, either of the three will be activated automatically by the brain of the person involved.

The automatic response in this situation is to freeze.

No, I refuse to accept that.

He is a hero who thwarted alien invaders.

He is a hero who stood alongside the 「Heavenly Shaman」, the greatest hero this planet has ever seen according to the king and Cosmic Titan.

I will be our saviour!

The king clenched his fist.

I won’t let a pathetic loser like him bring us down.

Slamming his fists into his thighs, his body jolted.

“I will save US ALL!!”

Forcing his legs to move, he stood.

The old king of Alpha Scion stood still in front of Black Wing.

“Ohhh. Forget that,” Black Wing bumped his left fist against his right palm, “I think I have come up with the name for our world after I take over.”

The king paid him no heed.

He mustered his remaining power and focused on planning his attacks.

“Remember that old cartoon called Planet Hero? A planet full of nothing but heroes-- Oh right.”

He realised something.

This man before him was insane.

“You are old, so of course you wouldn’t remember.”

A faint white light appeared around the king.

I am going to cross the one line a hero must never. I am going to KILL YOU!

Collecting the energy within him and then moving all of it into his right hand, he took a deep breath.

I am not in prime anymore. But even with the little power, I should be more than enough to stop this fiend.

The white light gathered around his clenched fists.

Darkness vs light.

The game was set.

I will avenge you all, heroes!

And so, the battle between the light bearer and dark bearer began.

The light bearer shot himself at Black Wing.

“How cute,” Black Wing spoke in a tone as if he was talking to a newborn child.

Why--

The distance between them was less than five meters.

The king has previously travelled faster than light itself. Even at a weakened state, he is fast enough to kill hundreds of people in a blink of an eye.

Why is he not fighting back?

He shook his head and threw away those thoughts.

His punch carried more power than most of the heroes combined.

“!!”

However, he was sorely mistaken about Black Wing and his beautiful golden glowing sword.

With just a slash from the sword, the light bearer fell to the ground.

...Huh? I can’t move…

The king, whose face was kissing the bare ground of the floor, tried to move but he couldn’t.

So, he tried a different approach.

He mustered up the power within him and tried to use the light around him to move.

No, he tried to muster up the power from within.

My power is gone?!

“I feel terrible,” Black Wing spoke sarcastically. “How can I make an old frail man waste so much energy?”

He shook his head.

“I am so terrible. Maybe, I should name myself ‘Black Wing, the Terrible’. Very cartoonish, I love it.”

“You-- You destroyer--”

“Oh!” a stroke of light flashed across his mind. “Thanks, old chap! What about, ‘Black Wing, the God of Destruction’?”

From Black Wing’s shadows, multiple figures rose.

He turned around to them and spread his arms wide.

“Black Wing, the God of Destruction!” he exclaimed excitedly. “What do you think of my new name?”

Soul Slayer rolled her eyes.

Ignoring him, she said, “The guards in the castle are dead.”

“Good, good, good, good, good, good!”

He turned around and looked down at the king enthusiastically.

“Now, I want you to announce to the world that I will be taking over the world.”

The king gritted his teeth.

“I will NEVER--”

A kick to the face caused his words to be eaten in.

“Actually...”

Black Wing picked up the king by his hair.

“Let’s do it differently.”

“Aaahhhhhhhh!!”

Slamming him into the throne which fell backwards, Black Wing said, “This is more fun, isn’t it, old-man-who-is-about-to-die?”

The king coughed blood and groaned in pain.

“Your time has come to an end, old man.”

He swung the sword in his hand, not hitting anyone but the empty air.

“My reign over this world will begin soon.”

In ecstasy, Black Wing shivered.

“Oh, I can’t wait to have my fun with all of you.”

“Someone...” The king forced out words in a barely audible sound. “Someone will come and stop you. Heroes are everywhere--”

“♫Ola la la♫”

Seeing as how Black Wing started to sing, the king swallowed his words.

“♫Oh baby lola, I am gonna--- oooh oho♫”

His singing… the voice was there, but whether it was good or bad, we will leave that to the cringing expression of his teammates. They have never felt more embarrassed in their lives.

And of course, the lyrics were equally as bad as his sound.

“♫Ooh baby, I am gonna killlll you♫”

Hearing his singing, the king’s face flushed red in anger.

“Someone will stop you! SOMEONE WILL COME--”

Suddenly, in this bloodied room, a man wearing casual blue trousers and a black shirt.

The blond man with lightning blue eyes stood sternly in the room, facing the king.

“Cosmic… Titan?”

The king’s chest tightened with joy and hope.

A faint smile flourished on his frail wrinkled face.

“You-- You came? I-- I am… I am--”

“Oh no, it’s Cosmic Titan!” Black Wing made a scared sound. “Oh my, what am I going to do now?”

“Titan! Please dispose of him. He is a killer. A murderer. I...”

The king forced himself to stand up.

“I shouldn’t say this, but… I think the line should be crossed.”

“No,” Cosmic Titan replied sternly. “I will never cross that line. I promised him.”

The king was surprised but very impressed at the same time.

This is the man ‘he’ entrusted the world onto.

“I see… Then find me the means--”

“Hahaha!”

Black Wing burst into laughter.

Cosmic Titan clenched his fist in anger.

The laughter caused images of his dead friends to flash through his mind, so he closed his eyes momentarily to contain his anger.

Breathing out heavily, he dampened that anger deep within him.

“I don’t get you, King---”

Black Wing’s shoulders drooped and let out a heavy sigh.

“What’s his name again?”

“Doesn’t matter. Now that Cosmic Titan is here, you will--”

Black Wing couldn’t help but laugh.

“Listen, will you, please?”

Black Wing danced around the room and stood behind Cosmic Titan.

Placing his hands on Titan’s shoulders, he said, “He is my lackey now.”

The king widened his eyes.

Black Wing burst into slow and evil laughter as he saw the little hope from his eyes fade.

“Huh…? What?”

Cosmic Titan closed his eyes again while gritting his teeth.

He did not want to look the king in the eyes.

“I know, right?”

Blink.

That’s all the king did before Black Wing vanished from his sight.

He did not want to bother searching for him because he could feel an ominous presence from behind him.

Gulp.

He tried to swallow the fear but it was too late.

“You lose.”

The devil laughed in his ear as he seduced him with his sword.

The king could feel the tip of the sword entering his back.

He could feel the blood slowly coming out.

“Don’t worry, the world will be in good hands.”

The sword went through his back and came out from the front.

“Hrk?!”

The golden sword glowed brightly as the king was reduced to small atoms.

Black Wing spread his arm wide as he breathed in happily.

“Ah, this is what I always wanted.”

Cosmic Titan slowly opened his teary eyes full of anger and sadness.

He failed everyone.

He failed himself.

He failed his parents.

He… He failed himself.

I failed my very own ideals and goals… Titan’s chest swelled.

He wanted to scream on top of his lungs. He wanted to scream so loud that everyone could hear it.

The world is heavy, so don’t let it crush you, Titan. Be like Herc, the God of Heroes from Ugya myths. Grow a strong backbone and hold the world high above your head.

Words of a certain hero flashed through his mind.

Cosmic Titan couldn’t do anything but clench his fists even more. He clenched it so hard, blood could burst out of it any moment.

I am sorry… But know this, I WILL DEFEAT HIM!

He wanted to scream out his thoughts, but instead, he kept quiet.

Without saying a word, he walked out of the throne room.

Black Wing sang a song as he watched Cosmic Titan left the room.

“So, what are you going to do now?” Soul Slayer narrowed her eyes.

“What else?”

Black Wing sounded as if the answer to her question is obvious and simple, something as simple as answering “what’s 1 plus 1?”

“Take over the world, of course.”