Heroes to Hunted

With both palms empty, the old man raised one toward the ceiling, his eyes focused and intense. Suddenly, the space around us lit up with numerous sky-blue orbs of light. Each radiated a chilling energy.

They zipped through the air and flowed like an endless stream toward his extended hand, forming a vortex as they traveled. Then, with a decisive swing, he released the energy in a single blast of freezing wind.

The once decrepit and dull room now shimmered with a thousand blue sparkles emitting from the frozen sheet that now blanketed it. The sight captivated my countrymen as dozens of shocked gasps and awestruck expressions painted their faces.

However, the ice had no time to settle as the old man gathered vibrant red orbs around his opposite hand. Then, with the same gesture as before, the room exploded in a torrent of flame, purging the frost into steam.

The flames roared past me, slamming against each wall within the room. Naturally, this sowed terror into the hearts of my countrymen.

"Oh god! What's happening?!"

"Help me!!!"

"What the h*ll are you doing?!"

"GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!"

They were locked in a total hysteria fueled by the smothering flames. Yet, despite that, none panicked more so than I.

My breathing became rapid while palpitations wracked my chest. The fear of being roasted alive again forced me to huddle over in terror. I'd acted more like a frightened child than a grizzled killer. I balled up and clutched my head, stuck in a cycle of shame and complete terror.

A moment later, I noticed a fact that eluded me till now. 'It doesn't...hurt?' In fact, the fire appeared to actively avoid us. Despite the room's hellish appearance, nobody, including myself, suffered any burns.

"A-Am I…Okay?" I unlocked my body and appraised it to see not even a mark of damage. 'How is that possible?'

Sadly, though I was uninjured, it did little to comfort my psyche. My mind was entangled in a knot of panic, and my body was soaked in sweat. I tried steadying my shaking hands to hide my panic from the others, but the effort was in vain.

"Calm down, man. Calm down. You're okay," I mumbled this to myself between shallow breaths. That gluttonous inferno… The odor of grilled flesh and bone... All of it was forever branded into me. All of it was something I'd never forget, no matter how much I wanted to.

As the last fragment of ice receded and the fire faded, a young man in a beige high school uniform excitedly spoke in approval of the situation. His eyes were wide and his smile wider. There wasn't anything particularly unique about him except his unkempt, fiery red hair.

"I-I-I knew it! This is one of those things, right?! The thing where you get transported to another world as a hero?! Holy sh*t...this is awesome!" he leaped with joy.

The old man made a grand gesture toward him. "Your enthusiasm is magnificent, Dear Hero! Yes, we've summoned you to defeat the King of Devils, Raum himself, and his legion of demons. What awaits you all is a new life full of adventure and wealth!"

"Sounds like a scam," I grumbled. Because of that, my thoughts were equally divided in two. One side believed the old man's spiel due to his magic trick; the other wrote him off as a senile crackpot with a knack for special effects.

'Aside from that, what did he say? Defeat the "King of Devils?" Is this supposed to be an RPG?' I considered the possibility that I was dreaming and pinched myself. Ridiculous, I know, but so was the situation.

Soon after, three more assembled around Red Hair. They piled together in a new clique and eagerly conversed amongst themselves. Moments later, the four nodded in agreement and turned toward the old man.

"So… What's the plan, old man?" Red Hair asked.

"Of course, Dear Hero!" the old man exclaimed. "In anticipation of your arrival, the lord of this domain has planned a welcoming party to celebrate! It's planned that any of your more 'complex' questions be answered there."

"A celebration?! Alright!" Red Hair became even giddier at the mention of a party.

Given Red Hair's approval, the old man and his associates drifted toward the exit. "To that end, my associates and I need to confirm the number of carriages required to transport you. Is that acceptable?"

"Yes, yes, that sounds fantastic!" Red hair replied nonchalantly and waved off the old man.

The door groaned closed, followed by a loud clunk. With that, our captors left the room.

The primary source of angst was gone, so a distinct wave of relief flooded my countrymen. After my countrymen's numerous stressed sighs died down, the group surrounding Red Hair focused on us. Their expressions lit up with excitement as if they'd found a new toy to play with.

They garnered our attention, and Red Hair introduced himself. "The name's Tachibana Daisuke," he pointed his thumb towards himself, "nice to meet all of ya! My new friends and I have a good grasp of what's happening. Follow our lead, and we'll not only survive… we'll thrive!"

A few seconds of silent deliberation later, most of the group nodded in agreement. It wasn't long before they flocked towards Tachibana, chattering loudly.

'Idiots...' I griped. 'He's just a kid! Why would you follow him?' I guess if someone was desperate enough, they'd follow anyone that promised safety.

There were two exceptions though: Agawa and the punk from earlier. Like me, they watched the herding masses with contempt and disappointment.

"Lemmings."

"Idiots," I heard them simultaneously grumble.

'Well, I'm not one to let an opportunity go to waste,' I smirked. With Tachibana as the center of attention, I was able to check the room's exit.

The door was of sturdy oak paired with iron reinforcement; markings of wear and tear suggested it hadn't seen maintenance in many months, if not years. Even the iron handle and lock were wholly rusted on the surface. Yet, despite its poor condition, the door seemed too sturdy to break.

'Here goes something,' I grabbed the handle and pulled, causing metallic brown shavings to rub off my skin. However, my efforts were in vain as the door refused to budge. Rather than swinging open, it opted to grind against the frame while I shook it.

"Of course," I sighed.

'So much for the "hero" thing. We really must be captives,' is what I thought, but I wasn't disappointed. I had no doubt in my mind that was the case.

I could've exerted more force, though that would've likely yielded a different outcome than I wanted. If I put the handle under any more stress, I had no doubt I'd rip it clean off before making progress with the door itself.

Attempting to break the door down was an option, albeit reckless. I opted not to, figuring it'd be better to stay safe and avoid rash decisions. Besides, impulsiveness wasn't something I was known for. I always preferred careful planning to risky action for any problem.

Upon my task's conclusion, so was the "leader selection" event.

"Back to the corner," I mumbled.

I wasn't fond of crowds and liked being the focus of one even less.

Whenever a large gathering happened, I was always far away from it. I knew the fear was irrational, but crowds terrified me. I could never be sure what enemies might be lurking in the shadows.

Silently, I inched back to my original position. "Almost back to obscurity-"

"What about him? He's clearly in the army," a girl pointed at me. "Wouldn't he be the most qualified as a leader?"

"...or not," I grumbled.