The Mind World And The Outcast Hero

A Cold Reality

 Isabella fell face first in a pool of blood. As if to complement the horrific scene, the wind blew gently and the fires around them danced to the rhythm of her dying heartbeat. Finally, her hair was released from its bun, causing it to flow gently in the wind as it was stained by a few droplets of blood, turning its snow-white color to red.

 As if to keep his promise, Scorpio released Nathan before pushing him forward towards Isabella's body. Drowning in sorrow, Nathan ran towards her. However, he stumbled and fell before he could even get close. Slowly, he then stretched forth his hands towards her body not knowing what else to do. The pain he felt was unbearable.

"I kept my word," began Scorpio. "I didn't kill you. She can rest in peace knowing that I didn't harm you."

Nathan was drowning in despair. Once again, he had failed to save anyone. The only thing that he had accomplished was slaughtering his enemies like a mad man. He felt undeserving of the title of Hero.

A moment later, Nathan heard a scream of pure rage. He then turned to see both Andrew and Sindy attacking Scorpio. They had allowed their emotions to get the better of them and made the unwise decision of attacking. Andrew attacked with a horizontal slash while Sindy simultaneously trusted with her daggers.

"How dare you do that to Nate and Isabella!?" Cursed Sindy.

"Bastards like yourself deserve to die!" Supported Andrew.

Forced to defend himself, Scorpio dodged their attacks before swiftly countering with his hooks. He cut Sindy's chest right open and delivered a life-threatening stab to Andrew's liver. This resulted in both of them falling to the ground in a pool of blood.

 

Nathan's eyes flew wide open upon seeing this. His heart raced against his chest and his breathing became heavy. Scorpio had already placed Isabella on the brink of death. Now he had gravely injured Sindy and Andrew. Nathan would not stand for it. Scorpio had crossed the line.

"You bastard!! I'll kill you!!" Shouted Nathan as he picked himself up in anger.

"Don't be foolish! If you attack me now then I will kill you! Are you telling me that you're willing to allow Isabella's sacrifice to be in vain?!" Boomed Scorpio.

"It won't be in vain because I'm going to end your useless life!"

Nathan then recklessly charged towards Scorpio with his sword clenched between his fists. He aimed to remove Scorpio's head with a single swing of his blade but Scorpio easily parried before kicking him in the gut.

Nathan staggered backward from the impact. However, he was not about to give up. He was determined to kill Scorpio even if it was the last thing he did. 

Nathan then launched a second attack, this time aiming for Scorpio's chest. Unfortunately, once again, Scorpio dodged before slamming his knee underneath Nathan's chin, causing his teeth to clatter like glass.

"Stay down, Mind Hero. I will kill you if you attack me again!"

"I don't give a damn what you say! Lightning Art: Thunderclap Strike!"

Ignoring Scorpio's warning, Nathan used his Lightning Art to launch another attack at breathtaking speeds. Sadly, it was still not enough. Scorpio still managed to easily block the attack before countering with a powerful jab with one of his hooks. This resulted in Scorpio's hook piercing Nathan's gut.

Nathan then coughed up blood violently before falling to his knees. He wanted to keep fighting but his wound was far too severe. As if he hadn't done enough, Scorpio kicked Nathan to the ground with disgust.

"How pathetic. I warned you and yet you allowed your emotions to blind you. Now you'll die a meaningless death!"

Scorpio then turned himself around before he prepared to walk away. However, to his astonishment, Nathan grabbed onto his leg, preventing him from moving forward. He refused to give up.

"You dumb—"

"Shut the hell up..!" Shouted Nathan. "None of this would have happened if it weren't for you! If you were a better person then the world would be a better place! The reason the world is like this is because of people like you! I refuse to lose to you!"

Scorpio glared at Nathan with disgust. He then kicked him in the face, forcing him to release his leg. Following this, he stepped on Nathan's wounded stomach as if wiping filth from his shoe.

"Aagh!!" Screamed Nathan in pain.

"Do you feel that?" Asked Scorpio angrily. "That's pain! Everyone feels it! Your view of the world is so damn black and white. I killed your friends so I'm automatically the bad guy, right? Then what about all my men that you killed? Doesn't that make you the bad guy too? No? That's right because your actions are supposedly more justified than mine!"

"What the hell are you talking about..?"

"Do you know what's the age of mortality in the Mind World?"

Nathan clenched his red-stained teeth as he looked up at Scorpio in bewilderment. He didn't have an answer.

"It's age 30!" Continued Scorpio. "Very few people make it past that age. Do you know the reason why?"

"..."

"Demon Beasts! Tens of thousands die yearly from Demon Beast attacks alone! It's because the Real World exists that the people of the Mind World suffer like this! We're always at constant war because of people like you! Children lose their parents and parents lose their children! Not a day passes where we don't suffer!"

"But what does that have to do with the things you've done?! I know that the pain the Real World has brought upon the Mind World is unforgivable but what about you?! You're just as bad for all the lives you've taken!"

"You're right. I have killed many. But that's only because I'm a victim of Demon Beasts too. I grew up without a family because they were all killed by Demon Beasts!"

"So what? You decided to take out your pain on the world or something?! Is that it?!"

"No, I didn't kill all those people for fun. I did it because it was a necessary evil. Due to my experiences with Demon Beasts, I'm well aware of how terrible they are. So I set out on a mission to deal with this problem. That mission was to show the people of the Mind World that the Real World needs to be destroyed if we're ever to attain true peace!"

Nathan wasn't very surprised to hear this. He was already aware that many people sought the destruction of the Real World. However, its destruction was never approved by the government for unknown reasons.

"I still don't get it... Why kill so many people if your goal is to destroy the Real World? You said it's a necessary evil but it just seems like an excuse to kill!"

"On the surface, it might seem that way. However, our true goal is to get Demon Beasts into safe zones so that we can make a statement. You see, safe zones like Conscience City are free from Demon Beasts. People who live there know very little about the pain others on the outside experience. That includes the government! They all stay cooped up inside their safe zones, free from the dangers of Demon Beasts. They live lives of luxury without truly acknowledging our pain! That is why we need our voices to be heard!"

Nathan was shocked to hear this. He now understood what Isabella was trying to tell them while they were on the jet. Nathan had also heard that the government official from the Retrieval Mission acted like a spoiled child. This had confused him at first but it now made a lot more sense after hearing Scorpio's explanation.

"The government refuses to destroy the Real World because they don't know the pain of those who reside outside of the safe zones," continued Scorpio. "That's why we're doing this. By sneaking Demon Beasts inside safe zones, they'll be forced to acknowledge our pain. Sure, a few people die in the process but they're essential sacrifices. The more blood, the more attention the problem gets! Then, in the end, they'll finally decide to destroy the Real World to cure the problem!"

Nathan remained silent. There was nothing that he could say. He understood Scorpio's motivation and reasoning. He wasn't killing people because he wanted to. He was doing it because he wanted to change the Mind World for the better.

Scorpio then turned towards Isabella's body with a slightly remorseful look across his face.

"Look at her..." He began. "Only age 16, yet she's forced to fight on the battlefield. She can still be considered a child. The concept of living alongside Demon Beasts is what forces children like her to become tools for the government. They become these so-called heroes only to fight meaningless battles until they die. Do you believe something like that is right, Nathan?"

Nathan averted his gaze as his lips quivered. He had no answer.

"If you tell me that I am wrong then are you saying it's also wrong for us to seek happiness? For us to want normal lives? To want the next generation to grow up in a world of peace? You might see us as villains but even if we are, just remember this; Villains are heroes with different perspectives of the world. And only a villain can change this world for the better!"

Nathan was speechless. He felt empty and confused. He could not deny Scorpio his right to happiness and peace. This was simply the cold reality of the Mind World.