Bab 16: Little Hero
From the lowest of origins, a beggar on the streets had been turned into a 'Hero' the very next day.
Oh how happy the citizens of Drakeyol were.
After the incident known as the 'First Calamity', it became important to put their minds at ease.
Heroes were created to serve the populace.
Those who were given the title of 'Hero' had no choice but to sacrifice their lives for the greater good. After all, humanity would perish if no one did anything to destroy the remnants of that calamity.
Many could remember that day well…
An explosion occurred that engulfed an entire neighbouring kingdom, and erased it thoroughly.
Many lost their families and relatives in that event.
Not too long later, it was said that Drakeyol's beloved King had exterminated the 'Archdemon'.
Even so, the first calamity hadn't ended.
An organisation was born from a rebel group that went against the foundations of their kingdom.
All wielding weapons created by this Archdemon.
A war promptly ensued, but one that somehow didn't seem to effect regular citizens that much.
They couldn't help believing that this was the protection from God. That the nobility were right.
The 'First Calamity' was nothing in the face of God.
Their faith shall reign supreme.
It was under the strict grasp of the Holy Temple. A religious order who practiced a form of Buddhism.
An empty mind bred a peaceful heart, they said.
Sherry Muffet sat on a bedazzled throne that granted her neither political power nor influence.
She started off with nothing, and didn't gain anything she wanted after being 'kidnapped'.
Taken off the streets away from her usual routine and dolled up to become a puppet for their ideals.
The little girl wearing lipstick hid her frown.
However, there was a thing they gifted her that could move the heart of any orphan off the streets.
They gave her a family.
At her title ceremony, she was introduced to her bright and dazzling sister… Madeline Muffet.
Her radiant and smooth strands of hair fell down her back, and two gems were the older girl's eyes.
Sherry had never seen someone so beautiful.
She reached out to grasp the hand that would feed her from now on. The benefactor she'd live with.
It was decided that once her mentor she had been assigned to returned, her formal training would start. That day, she would truly be able to live up to the potential the Holy Temple had seen within her.
The little girl knew life wouldn't be easy, but so long as she had the love of her new 'family', it would be enough. She wasn't greedy for fame or fortune. All she wanted was to be loved by them.
Her family…
It was a great misfortune for her to desire this.
Her father was cold and indifferent. Her new mother neglected her and saw only shiny jewellery.
But she still had Madeline. Her sister.
Even if not given much attention by her, she was happy enough being able to be part of her story.
…At least, that was until everything changed.
It was while returning from a meeting set by the Holy Temple that she entered a carriage her sister sent her. Madeline had given her a gift for her newly decided birthday. It was a bowl of sweet curd that was both familiar, yet out of place in this place.
She should have noticed its meaning then.
Curd was a lesser desert only the poor could afford. It was a symbol of her lowly origins.
And yet, she ate it gladly while entering the carriage. It was her most favourite desert of all.
She left for her home.
Which was the last time she was seen…
When Sherry entered the carriage, she felt her body promptly being hit by fatigue and weakness.
The sweet bowl fell from her hands.
Revealing a sinister colour underneath the curd.
She couldn't fight or scream. Only being able to blink in her paralysed state. Completely helpless.
It was when figures dressed in black entered after boldly opening the door to go inside her carriage.
They stared at her pupils, and whispered: "The doctor wants her eyes. Send the rest later."
She shivered, but was unable to even let out a cry of pain when her eyeballs were brutally ripped out.
Pain assaulted her senses.
After taking what they wanted and any valuables on her dress, they left her to die without treatment.
Her sight was gone, leaving her with only the 'Magic Sense' she had been taught just recently.
Sherry watched as those dark figures with black Mana signatures were captured after a while.
The guards weee ambushed by a group of Beasts with even more vile Mana signatures than they had.
Then taken away with her to be turned into Beasts.
A hopeless situation indeed.
She had already given up at that point. Nobody would save her. Not hoping was better for her now.
If she didn't desire help, there wouldn't be any disappointment from not getting that assistance.
The little girl closed off her heart.
Little did she expect everything would change in an instant. That a different 'Beast' would save her.
Everything she was taught seemed useless now.
…..
….
…
..
.
In the far away land of ruin, a new civilisation had been born from the ashes of the fallen kingdom.
A man stood atop of the newly built castle of steel.
On his head was a crown of iron. Metal seemed to be a theme in this new kingdom born from ashes.
"I, Jekyll Pandorica, shall now congratulate all new recruits of our cause." The man known to be the Archdemon lifted a goblet. Many figures donning armour looked up to see him from atop a balcony.
Wearing a battle-suit made of foldable metal alloy.
"Even if we're outcasted, we shall our world. There WILL be a future for humanity!" He passionately gave a speech, and those listening to his words couldn't help but he moved by his determination.
"YEAH!!!" The crowd cheered for their big dream.
Ever since the dawn of the First Calamity, there had been much more regular sighting of True Demons.
Escapees that ran from Hell.
Those malicious Demonic Beasts appeared out of nowhere and tried their best to slaughter humanity.
This was a game of cat and mouse…
And the newborn organisation, 'Anti-Ruin', was now dead set on becoming the predators of this game.
After he congratulated them, the mechanised knights saluted him before heading to Drakeyol.
There was someone there they were hoping to find.
Anti-Ruin's greatest enemy and humanity's traitor.
Jekyll Pandorica gave the decree for a manhunt on the man who had caused the death of the previous incarnation of the First Calamity. He, and the citizens creating the core of his 'Demon Heart', was going to take revenge on that conniving bastard.
Along with the Beast Humans that had made up a majority of humanity, but were still ostracised.
He created living armours for them that tethered to their bodies and boosted their combat ability.
It was movement in political powers of Gaia.
Whether it be the greatest hero or the Archdemon feared by all, they all made their moves that day.
Finding a common enemy.
In burning villages and ruined kingdoms, the mechanical knights ventured forth to save lives.
A scene that would change the entire world.
Praise finally came to the name of Anti-Ruin. The organisation that was becoming the name of hope.
Heroism in its truest form.
Never would these citizens forget the armoured knights that held up the broken debris of houses.
Stopping anything from squishing them.
Neither would the greatest hero who was late to arrive at each scene. This was the work of a devil.
However, no one could deny Jekyll's heroic acts.
Anti-Ruin gradually stabilised as a national power on the same level of the Holy Temple after a while.
A balance of power had been created.
But this had nothing to do with Adam and Sherry for now. Their fate wouldn't intertwine just yet.
Not until the birth of the Second Calamity…
Until then, Adam's peaceful life would continue without ever crossing paths with these powers.
Sherry would be left to live her life in peace.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone