A roar of fire ate the trees, black smoke blackened the sky, and the ground pulsed with a red glow as if it were alive.

It was red. The sky, the tree, the ground. Everything was red.

Scorching world; was what people would describe this scenery.

No animal or monster dared to get close to that place. Not that there was any alive near that place. In the ground several burned corpses can be seen all over the place. They were caught by the explosion that occurred there.

There was nothing alive there, except the culprit himself.

Demon lord of fire, Vergaser. People called him that.

He didn’t bother looking at the result of his action and stood there, in the middle of the explosion. He was troubled by something.

He had gone and did something that made him lose his place to stay. He was troubled on where he should spend the night. Such thought was what went through his head. Until someone. Something came to him.

“Hey there! How is it going?”

He greeted him like a close friend.

“……”

“Don’t be that meek. Did I do something that make you mad?”

Vergaser said his sarcasm with a smile. The other party was irritated but, it didn’t show on its face. Rather than didn’t show, it was more like it can’t. Because it was not a living being.

Without proper shape, it just stood there with a white energy around it. It was different than slime that was made with jelly-like liquid or shape shifter that didn’t have proper shape. It was just a lump of energy that able to hear him.

That thing without vocal organ, just stayed there and listened to Vergaser’s self-talk.

“Just like what you asked for, I did took care of them right? Be grateful that I willingly to play along with you.”

“……”

“Though along the way I changed my mind. Hahahahaha!!”

Vergaser laughed with an exaggerated manner.

That thing form slightly wavered from anger but, it soon returned to normal. The thing deeply regretted for asking his help.

Nevertheless their relation ended here because of what Vergaser had done.

“Ah, wait a second. I still not finish.”

The thing was about to leave until he had called out.

“You said that the enemy of an enemy is friend right? That was wrong. In the end, the enemy of an enemy is another enemy!”

Unable to hold it anger anymore, it jumped toward Vergaser and exploded. It left behind a huge white explosion before it abandoned it temporary body.

The area that received another explosion was sweep clean by it. This time not even bacteria survived the explosion. It erased everything leaving nothing but a red ball of fire in the middle.

The ball of fire disappeared, and a man came out from it.

“What a tempered person. To think it would leave me that unpleasant farewell gift. Do you know how hard it was to lose a dominant arm?”

Vergaser wasn’t unscratched from that explosion. He lost his right arm from trying to negate the explosion.

“It’s fine that I already used to it but, damn!”

To injure Vergaser who was the Demon lord of fire that barely got any injury from fighting the heroes. The strength of that thing was apparent. At least it wasn’t inferior to him in term of firepower.

Vergaser made a ball of fire on his left hand. He placed his left hand on his missing right arm. Because fire was his element, he barely felt anything from it.

“Here goes nothing…”

He put his hand deeper into his flesh until he felt his own bone. Without hesitation he pulled out his hand while still holding the bone. The bone slightly moved from its normal position to the flame that was on his right arm opening.

The bone stopped there but, a fire continued from where it had stopped. It made a line of fire. It was slowly being filled and beneath it the flame stuck each other with his nerve and bone.

The shape slowly stabilized and made a thick arm and hand. Verganser tried to move his finger and arm.

“This feels disgusting as usual.”

Noticing that there wasn’t anything unusual with his regrown arm, he swung his arm to disperse the small flame around it.

Vergaser was used to pain but, he just can’t get used to the disgusting feeling he felt when his own flame connected itself with his nerves and bone. He felt it was as if he was being molested by himself from inside.

He looked up the place where the thing had standing.

“I have done my part. The rest is not my business. I will only me see how small fish that i released will grow up.”

Catch and release. That was the rule for fisher to return the small fish back to let it grow big before they catch it.

What Vergaser did was without a doubt something similar to that. He let go of the eight small fish back to the wild to give it an opportunity to grow.

“Heroes project. What an ironic name.”

Vergaser felt like laughing when he remembered the name of the project they planned. However it was a suitable name for what they were trying to do.

“The plan to use the twenty five otherworlders to overthrow God. That guy really thought of amusing idea. However I wonder, how much of it will go according to his plan.”

The reason the Heroes transferred to this world wasn’t coincident. It was intentional by someone.

Vergaser thought that it was a good idea but, he doubted that it will go as they planned. After all he expected interference from the other party.

“At worst case we will be the one obliterated…… That’s also sound fun in its own way.”

No matter where it will fall, Vergaser was fine as long he can fight.

“Now then, time to search for a place to sleep.”

He looked around only to find nothing except clean space from the explosion. Because it gave out an unpleasant feeling, Vergaser decided to look for another place.

“I wonder how they’re doing. Especially that female swordsman, Selia that managed to injured me. I place a great expectation on her.”

Vergaser looked at the orange sky and thought of the eight small fish he met today.

All of them were weak but, he felt potential on them. They would definitely make some change in this world in their own way. Just like how foreign element should do.

“Right now they should be at that place, trying to get out. As for the other……”

Vergaser knew the other’s location. And with this the Heroes were completely scattered all over the place.

Some was inside a tall tower that reached out the sky. Some was watching beautiful scenery. Some was trapped inside a small black room. Some was surrounded by scary looking adults. Some was having a test of strength. Some was earning money. Some was playing. Some was solving a problem.

All of them were doing different thing but, they were slowly being directed toward something by a powerful will.

Completely oblivious to the big power behind them, the Heroes were moving in the palm of someone.

Well, thank you for reading this far. I ABSOLUTELY have no idea what ever someone enjoy reading this or not but, for now i said my thanks.

And yes. The heroes didn't die. I used the word disappeared right? Not dead. While i think that killing all of them is quite interesting i choose not to at the moment(it's a waste to kill them that early). Later in the story some will die thought.

That's all i have to say. Have a good day.