Chapter 109: Hero

Moving through the darkness, I silently thanked the night-vision function of my helmet.

In a world where not even a single ray of sunlight penetrated, this feature was invaluable.

I had completely outmaneuvered the "zombies," who couldn't see in the dark.

I navigated through the shadows, carefully avoiding the zombies, and continued forward toward the subway tunnel.

"Hey, hey, hey. Don't you think it's about time we fought back?"

Kouon complained, sounding impatient.

"Shut up. What if they hear you?"

"It's fine. Only you can hear me now."

Well then, that's fine.

"I don't know what you're thinking, but at least I'm not fond of killing 'zombies.'"

"Oh? But you did a pretty good job saving me just now, didn't you?"

"I was just desperate at that moment."

With that, he let out a small sigh.

"Let me ask you this—just so I'm clear—you're not some sad hallucination born from my lonely soul, are you?"

—Of course not.

"If it were a hallucination, any response would be perfectly normal."

――Well, we'll understand that better as we go along, won't we? Right now, let's focus on getting through this situation... look, right in front of us!

For just an instant, I lost my concentration.

『Gluar!』

One of the corpses I'd assumed was dead suddenly rose up and lunged at me.

"――Gh! "

It felt like the moment just before being hit by a car.

An unavoidable tragedy loomed before me.

His fangs sank into the right arm I'd instinctively raised.

I instinctively shut my eyes, trying not to look at the scene—

“?”

Frowning.

There was no expected pain in my right arm.

Looking closer, I saw that the “Hero’s Sword” had pierced through the head of the “zombie.”

—You did it! “Shikanda”!

Hikaru shouted, her voice full of excitement.

As she pulled the sword from the zombie’s corpse,

“‘Shikanda’?”

—It's hard to say "Hero's Sword" every time, so I gave it a nickname. By the way, it fights on its own, so please keep that in mind.

"Hmm..."

Muttering to myself, I found myself unexpectedly impressed.

"Amazing... This is what 'magical power' means."

—That's right.

"Man, magic actually exists..."

Sighing with genuine reflection,

—Now you're saying that? You've seen me using magic, haven't you?

That's true, but...

There's a slight difference in perception between watching something from the outside and actually experiencing it firsthand.

Oh, by the way, it looks like I leveled up just now.

"Level?...Are you really treating this so game-like?"

Yeah, I'll show you the stats that went up.

As usual, my status appeared on the monitor in front of me.

Status

Level: 2 (+1)

HP: 38 (+2)

MP: 13

Attack: 30 (+1)

Defense: 29 (+1)

Magic: 6 (+2)

Agility: 21 (+1)

Speed: 6

――Incidentally, these stats are roughly equivalent to the "Attack I" of a Warrior job at around 20 points... though, I guess you wouldn't understand even if I told you.

"Anyway, these parameters are confusing. There's nothing to compare them to."

――...Ah, right. I suppose it's only natural to feel that way...

After pondering for a moment, 光音 said,

――Well then, right now, there's that "zombie" dressed like a salaryman in front of us, isn't there? Let's try displaying its status.

"――Hm?"

Without waiting for a reply, 光音 brought up the information on the monitor.

Name: Zombie A

Job: None

Weapon: None

Head: None

Body: Tattered suit

Arms: None

Legs: Old leather shoes

Accessory: Stylish tie

Status

Level: 1

HP: 9

MP: 1

Attack: 12

Defense: 3

Magic: 1

Agility: 2

Luck: 0

"Huh."

Makes perfect sense.

Indeed, compared to my own stats, the difference in combat power is glaring.

—Right? Just fighting for a bit won't put me at a disadvantage.

"But they've got a fatal bite. I don't know how tough this armor is, but if I somehow catch the 'zombie disease,' I'd be dead no matter what, right?"

——Well, yeah... I guess that's true.

"That's why I'm asking you, be careful here."

Then, 光音 responded in a sullen tone,

——Fine... whatever...

and that was it.

▼

The underground movement progressed smoothly.

Walking atop the subway tracks, they eliminated only the "zombies" blocking their path and pressed forward.

The further they went, the more they realized the mysterious item given by 光音 possessed terrifying power.

Especially the "Shikanda" was overwhelmingly strong.

All one had to do was grip the hilt of the sword—no complicated thinking required—and every "zombie" was instantly obliterated.

In the meantime, my level had risen by one more.

Status

Level: 3 (+1)

HP: 39 (+1)

MP: 14 (+1)

Attack: 31 (+1)

Defense: 30 (+1)

Magic: 7 (+1)

Speed: 21

Agility: 6

For now, I haven't really felt the effect yet, but perhaps one day I'll be able to bring down a "zombie" with just a single fingertip.

You're right—truthfully, I don't feel like I'd be taken down by something as simple as a zombie anymore.

Right?

"Of course, such is the way of the world," Hikaru said, as if stating an obvious truth.

A walk of about an hour and a half, uninterrupted.

After reaching this point, I finally began to feel some mental ease....I realized I was hungry.

Whether to make it into a meal

Tweaking, he sits on a convenient uneven spot and opens the backpack he brought along.

Wait a minute!

Then, 光音 shouted.

"What's wrong?"

――There's expired food inside the backpack.

"Nothing much. I'm used to it by now."

"Really? Won't you get sick?"

"Better than starving."

Wait, can you even tell that?

"By the way, do I have to take off my helmet to eat?"

It's pitch black around us. Even for a moment, taking off my helmet with night-vision function felt uneasy.

—Ah, it's fine. Just wait a sec...

Then, with a snap, the mask part covering my mouth opens up.

"Wow, convenient..."

—Just remember, the mask also protects against pathogens, so close it right after eating.

"Thanks."

I mutter, awkwardly shoving the calorie bar into my mouth. My favorite, cheese flavor.

After taking a breath.

"...Anyway..."

Then, finally, realizing it only now.

I arrive at a fundamental question.

"What exactly is this helmet, anyway?"

——Huh? You're the type to worry about things like that?

"Yeah, I guess so."

——I know a guy kinda like Doraemon. I borrowed some secret gadgets from him.

"Oh, that's right."

Just as I'm about to fully accept it,

——Wait. Did you actually believe that just now?

"Are you serious?"

——Yeah. Just kidding.

I let out a sigh.

"This is just a complete mess. No matter what anyone says, I have no choice but to believe it from the start."

——Ahaha. Sorry, sorry.

Even though the apology is cute, it only deepens my confusion.

——To be honest, I don’t really understand it myself. There’s been all sorts of twists and turns.

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

——If I have to put it into words... maybe something like a gift from the gods?

"A god... a gift..."

Honestly, the explanations behind Doraemon's secret gadgets made much more sense than this.

——I feel like I'm some kind of "hero" sent to save this world. Apparently, this is a special item meant only for that "hero," handed down to them alone.

That "something" must be the mysterious helmet I'm currently wearing.

—Something like a skill that corresponds with "Undying," capable of anchoring the soul of a "Hero"... or maybe an item that lets even ordinary people attain power equivalent to a "Player"... something along those lines.

"Huh. I see."

Things I didn't understand suddenly made perfect sense.

Anyway, I'm fine with that helmet. I already accepted it casually as a "magic item" from the start.

But there was something more important.

"So?...What's your goal?"

I don't really understand it all, but I know that the Demon King must be defeated, and that we need to restore peace to the world.

"Huh... interesting..."

...And, as you know, in the end, the power wasn't enough—the Hero was betrayed and killed by the forces of evil! That's the story.

"Well, that's quite a problem, isn't it?"

But wait! The world hasn't been swallowed by darkness yet! The Hero possesses, astonishingly, a super invincible power—*a power that never lets them truly die*!

"Hmm..."

But this power does come with limitations. To truly come back to life in a proper form, they must rebuild their karma of good—basically, they'll need to help countless people once more.

"Well, um..."

Trying to absorb the meaning of this story by combining knowledge from all the manga and light novels I've read, the games I've played, and the anime I've watched.

"So, um... this helmet is like a temporary form for Koine until she regains her physical body?"

-- Yeah.

"And in order for Koine to reclaim her body, she'll need to do a lot of the right things..."

-- That's right.

"And if you don't regain your physical form, that 'Demon King' will keep wreaking havoc across this world... is that right?"

Damn it!

Hm...

Crossing his arms and sitting cross-legged, he pondered.

So, I actually have a small favor to ask...

Ko-on's voice became slightly hesitant for the first time since arriving here.

I responded, staying one step ahead.

"Is it 'I need your help,' right?"

Yeah, well...

"Yeah, it's fine, really."

—That's right... I guess it's tough after all... Wait, what?

"So basically, I just use this invincible sword and armor to help people all over the place, right?"

—Well, sure, that's true... But are you really okay with that?

"What's wrong? Am I not good enough?"

—Ah, no, no. Not at all. It's just... I think you'll run into all sorts of dangerous situations, that's all.

Kouon's voice carried a hint of concern.

I'm treated like I'm utterly lacking in imagination.

"Of course I know the dangers. There's no telling when I might end up dying in some gruesome way, just like that guy earlier."

—Then...

"Guess you don't know. Boys are creatures who always dream of being the hero, the righteous side."

Having judged that I'd rested enough, I stood up.

"Let's go."

Maybe this time could really be my chance to become the hero... I thought to myself.

I really am a bit too kind-hearted, aren't I?

Today, I finally realized something.