章 2: Chapter 2: Claude Vanderheinz of the Vanderheinz Empire?

My body hurt but my attention was focused on that person.

A guy in… bizarre clothing appeared, holding a gleaming sword, and surrounded by a storm.

He slashed the winged creature into two, its poor eyes never would be together again. A few of those monsters flew to him, coming from the outside, but the guy skillfully killed them one by one, as if fighting with those kinds of beings was his calling.

I wonder who was he. A cosplayer? A rescuer cladded in…oh, a princely outfit. European? His golden hair shines like the sun, and it's hurting my eyes.

I blinked. Maybe I was just dreaming. However, when I opened my eyes again, the chatterbox was already beside me. And the weird guy was looking down at me. Yeah, contact lenses exist, but something tells me his aquamarine eyes were real.

"Hey, take care of him," he said like he was some unaffectionate father leaving his son to his nanny.

I glanced to my side and found the son was already asleep. "Is he even still alive?" I couldn't help but ask.

"He just fainted."

I nodded. I checked the chatterbox's pulse and yes, he's indeed still breathing. My back hurts from hitting the wall, so I'm afraid I won't be able to take care of him. If the wall behind us collapses, I will have to leave him.

But I didn't voice it out and just reassured him.

The room smelled of blood and dust. Due to this, the remaining monsters outside flocked into the room. I watched as the guy engaged in battle again. Behind them, outside the vast sky, several black holes where these creatures came from began disappearing.

Several minutes later, the room was now completely safe from those ugly, angry birds.

The guy walked toward me, picked up the soon-to-be crippled chatterbox, and said, "Let's go. Let's get you to safety."

He pulled me up by grabbing my hand. "Thanks. But who are you?"

The guy glanced at me. He was very confused. I raised my eyebrow. "Why?"

"How come you weren't even frightened by all of this? Everyone I witnessed on my way here was lamenting, screaming, and praying to the heavens, yet you were just standing there as if you were inhaling a fresh breeze in the middle of the vast field. May I ask if you're mentally retarded?"

I nodded. "I get that a lot, so maybe I am indeed."

"You're very accepting. I admire you."

What's with the way of his speaking? I replied, "You're very polite. But thank you. Who are you again?"

"My name's Claude Vanderheinz of the Vanderheinz Empire, heir to the throne and hero of the kingdom. I am—

"So, which Comic-Con did you come from?" I asked curiously. I know plenty of famous characters since I not only read books, but comics too. And the name somehow rings a bell, but I can't name the book exactly.

"Comi…what? Forgive me, but I find it hard to understand what you were saying."

He looked baffled. But I'm bewildered. We exited the building and I was shocked to see that it was barely holding on. The roads were now filled with tanks and the military was stationed everywhere, shooting all the monsters in sight.

"ALL CIVILIANS OUTSIDE THEIR SHELTERS EVACUATE TO THE NEAREST UNDERGROUND STATION. TROOPS ARE STATIONED IN BOTH ENDS! THERE IS NOTHING TO WORRY. DO NOT PANIC."

There were ambulances everywhere so I just pointed to Claude one. "Throw that guy to them. They will take care of him."

"Are they healers?" Claude asked me. I just nodded. When he walked away, I quickly headed in the direction of the nearest station.

The winged creatures are bigger than humans, but it seems the government thinks that they won't be able to destroy the underground tunnels. Well, as long as they won't let one enter, everyone will be safe.

I wanted to go home actually, but I just saw the roof of my apartment building fly away after several ugly birds played with it. I sighed. Once everything is back to normal, the rent fee will surely increase because the landlord will try to make the tenants shoulder repairs for that roof.

Dammit. My bank account is on its limit. I need to find an additional part-time job after this.

"Hey! What are you doing?! Run for your life!" A soldier shouted at me.

I was running in my own way, but I didn't try to explain it. I just saluted him and ran a bit faster.

"Huh? I told him to run for his life, why is he moonwalking instead?!"

Why so many complaints? Tsk. The nearest station isn't that far, just a ten-minute walk from the school. The underground was already crowded when I arrived. Everyone's faces were filled with fear and confusion, many were distressed and disoriented.

One even began breathing laboriously.

"Is she okay?"

Probably.

"Oh my god, why is she like that? What if it's a plague this time? What's happening to the world?! We're doomed. A virus is next!"

Don't jinx it.

"No… Mommy, it's dark in here, I want to go home…waaaahh!"

It's dark because your eyes are closed, kid.

"Honey, hello? Hello, honey, honey, please answer me!" Someone was calling his honey hysterically.

"Is it really a virus?! Then, she should leave this place!"

Bunch of fools. Virus, already? Can't it be asthma first? Nervous breakdown? Panic attack? Hypertension? Acting? They were scaring themselves to the point it was annoying.

I stood and walked to the high school girl with the labored breathing. I knelt beside her, she looked at me, but she said nothing.

Her eyes were just teary. I sighed. If she doesn't speak, how will I know how to help her? She looked very scared. So, I just gathered her in my arms, laid her head on my lap, and patted her chest gently.

She must have been on her way home after school, but everything turned upside down, ruining her lovely day and scaring her out of her wits.

I only need to spout a few lies, right?

"Everything will be alright. The monsters won't be able to come here. If they did, then the first to die are the noisy ones. They are blind so they rely on their hearing. That's why you have to calm down and calm your breathing. Slowly, I'll help you, don't worry."

I smiled at her and held her gaze for a long time. I made faces, that's the only way I know to make her focus on me.

The high school girl's eyes trembled a bit, a tear fell on her cheeks. But surprisingly, she was able to breathe properly. Another surprising thing was, the whole crowd went silent.

It just proves how easy it is to influence a panicked crowd and incite panic in terrified ones. Fear won't do them anything, as well as crying, but this troublesome emotion is what fills a human brain more than others.

We fear everything, even the uncertainty.

I yawned. What I fear is losing what's important to me. My books.

"T—Thank…you…sir…"

"Are you okay now? How do you feel?" I asked the high schooler.

"I…I feel somewhat…refreshed?" She looked at me with wide eyes.

What did I do? Did I suddenly receive a healing power amidst this apocalypse and now I am about to be hailed as the ultimate saint?

"Refreshed?" I couldn't help but ask.

She nodded. "Y—Yeah. I felt like something cool was forming inside my chest and I… I was…" She bent her body forward, clutching her chest tightly.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Argh!" My attention was caught when an older man shouted. He was bent forward too and clutching his chest as well.

Is it really a virus?!

Terrified screams echoed from the front, and before I knew it a monster was flying above our heads. I was stunned. It felt like death was following me, but it hadn't shown its face yet, so I'm certain I will live again.

The people ran to the tunnel. I quickly grabbed the female high schooler and dragged her away from the crowd. But instead of running, her dark eyes gleamed like something was embedded in them.

The ugly bird, which I doubt was a mutated crow because of its interest upon seeing the glint in the high schooler's eyes, turned to them. It's charged at them at a fast speed. I grabbed the girl's arm again, but what I got was air.

Her figure disappeared right before my eyes, and when I blinked, the monster attacking us was dead, and before it, stood the girl, her clothes covered in blood.