"Report! It has been revealed that the world’s greatest hero, Imperion, has led the heroes of Elysium to target the Federation quarters."
"Could it be that this is the day that things change? The day that many people fear finally becomes a reality?"
"Could this be the day when those with superpowers can no longer hold back their desire and take over the world?"
"Is this a distortion of human nature or a loss of morality?"
"I’m reporter Danny Duffield, reporting live as the former world’s greatest hero, Imperion, and his forces make their way to the headquarters and final bastion of humankind."
"Will this be the end? Or a new beginning?"
With a wide smile in his eyes, a blonde-haired man wearing a full blue suit and tie struggled to remain calm as he pointed towards a smoking skyscraper with a camera in his hand.
His excited expression, along with a view of extreme death and destruction, was reflected on the TVs of billions of people at home.
It was the year 2040, and humanity was experiencing one of its greatest turning points in history.
.....
[United Humanity Federation Headquarters]
What is a Hero?
It is a word symbolising peace, protection! Hope and freedom!
A word that keeps the masses calm in the face of danger!
A title only given to those willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good!
And right now, the world’s greatest hero, Imperion, was meeting his end.
CoughCough
"To think I, Imperion, would meet my end like this, could I say this was expected?"
"However, even then, I do not have any regrets, for everything I do is for the future of humanity!"
Coughing up clots of blood, Imperion’s eyes wavered as he sighed, slowly scanning his surroundings.
Everywhere around him, the corpses of all kinds of heroes and villains decorated the environment.
With every breath he struggled to take, the intense smell of blood, iron, and charred corpses filled his nose.
"Sentinel, Leviathan, Justice."
Calling the name of each S-rank hero, Imperion’s eyes flashed as memories of the past played like an old record.
Once upon a time, they had been heroes who vowed to protect humanity, aiming for a better tomorrow.
"And Lilith.."
Turning his head slightly as his vision began to blur, his eyes fixated on a certain corpse.
A few meters away from him, an extremely beautiful blonde, red-eyed lady lay there unmoving.
With a smile on her face and a hole in her heart, she had died taking a blow from him.
"Lilith....why!?" "Why!?" "Why!?"
Roaring to the sky, Imperion’s eyes flashed as he thought back to everything they had been through.
Back then, both of them had vowed to change the world! Protect it together.
She was the only person who understood him, the person who supported his plans, no matter how crazy they might have seemed.
Even when it was both of them against the world, she never once hesitated to walk through the flames with him.
She was his all, his everything, the very reason why he walked this path he walked.
Yet despite all that, right now, because of him, she was dead.
Lost in thought, Imperion gathered his thoughts as his head slowly tilted up, looking at the camera in front of him.
Knowing that the whole world was currently watching him, he fell silent as his vitality slowly began to pass away.
His once all-black suit and mask had long been dyed red by his and his enemies’ blood.
His right arm was completely detached, and a golden spear was sticking out of his heart.
With such injuries, had it been anyone else, they would have long since died; however, who was he?
He was Imperion, humanity’s greatest hero.
At least he was.
Just as he was lost in thought, a somewhat dying, sarcastic voice came into his ears.
"Haa~ Imperion, you bastard! It seems you’re going to die!"
"However, before you die, could you answer me this as your former biggest fan?"
"Why do this? You already knew regular humans were wary of us with abilities."
"Why is it that you, who was the symbol of hope for billions, turned against us who believed in you!?"
"Why!?" "Why!?" "Why!?"
Coughcough
A few meters away, a young man with blond hair, blue eyes, and shattered golden armour that reflected the sun’s rays through the rough cracks struggled to speak as his voice grew hysterical.
He looked at the man who was once his idol, wondering why things turned out the way they did.
His eyes flashed with pain as he recalled everything.
That day, Imperion led thousands of heroes to attack the Federation headquarters in an attempt to rule humanity.
And he, the leader of the resistance, was nothing but a rising hero when the war started.
Arthur Lionheart, otherwise known as the hero Justice!
The second strongest hero in the world, and Imperion’s only rival.
Had it not been for this battle, he would have been proposed to be the next world’s strongest hero after Imperion retired.
However, now, along with over 70 per cent of all heroes and villains, people who had joined in this war to rule/protect humanity.
All of them were going to die today.
Cough!
"Answer me, Imperion! Why!!"
Roaring angrily, Arthur’s words seemed to resonate with the world as everyone wanted to know why he did this after protecting the world for so many years.
Seeing this, Imperion just sighed.
"Hey, Arthur, listen carefully to what I’m about to say!"
"As well as the rest of you watching at home."
"Arthur, when you hear the name Imperion- what do you think of?"
A question that left Arthur dumbfounded, as this was the most common question; in fact, not only did he think so,
But the rest of the world thought so.
However, to see where he was going, he still answered.
"When I hear the word Imperion, at least before today, the word hero is what came to mind!"