Hero Hack: Reversing Heroes and Raising Harem-Chapter 72: Collateral Cleanup and Corpse Vanishing Services

Bastion Bolt slammed his shield into the ground.

He stabilized it as Impakto growled, still staggering from the last impact.

"Flash Bash."

His chestplate pulsed, then flared.

A blinding burst of white light was released directly into Impakto’s face.

The mutated creature roared, stunned and swaying.

"Now!" Bastion shouted.

He activated Repulsion Vault, absorbing the kinetic energy he had stored.

He launched himself straight into Impakto’s gut, shield-first.

"Take this—!"

The blow cracked the air as Impakto’s massive form was blasted upward into the sky.

From behind, Embercleave was already mid-run.

She yelled, "Bastion—send me up!"

Without hesitation, Bastion dropped his stance, lowered his shield, and opened a hand.

"Go."

Embercleave stepped onto his palm, and Bastion activated one last Repulsion burst.

WHOOSH—!

She shot straight into the air, fire already spiraling around her legs.

The wind tore past her, her eyes locked onto the airborne Impakto.

As she reached him, her flame-coated gauntlets gleamed.

They were tipped with a built-in cleaver spike.

She twisted mid-air.

"Now that we’re sky-high... Let’s finish this!"

She spun with full force and drove her burning gauntlet into Impakto’s chest.

The cleaver-punch pierced halfway inside.

"Say goodnight, freak," she whispered with a grin.

"Inferno Bloom."

BOOOOOOM—!!!

A blazing detonation burst from within Impakto.

Lighting the sky with flame and ash as his body erupted.

Chunks of armor-flesh and glowing tags scattering in every direction like a shattered furnace.

Below, Bastion Bolt shielded himself from the debris.

He looked up, frowning.

"Damn it, Ember..."

"You’re just too brutal."

Embercleave landed with a clean roll, popping up to her feet as flames simmered off her gauntlets.

Smoke curled lazily from her gloves as she blew on her knuckles like they were still hot.

She grinned.

"For freaks like him? That wasn’t even close to brutal."

Bastion walked over slowly, brushing charred metal from his shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah... But now we have to clean all this up."

He glanced around at the ruined carriage.

He then turned toward the crater where Impakto’s main body had fallen.

The remains began to vanish.

Bit by bit.

Chunks of flesh, burned armor, and scraps of mutated tissue.

All of them disintegratedinto nothing, fading like ash in the wind.

Bastion’s eyes widened.

"Wait. What the hell—?"

"Where’s the body?"

Embercleave took a step back, eyes narrowing.

"Don’t look at me. I didn’t burn him that hard."

They both stood in silence as the last visible piece of Impakto dissolved into the air.

No remains.

No evidence.

Just residual scorch marks.

Bastion muttered under his breath, visor scanning the space.

"That... shouldn’t happen."

Embercleave crossed her arms.

Her eyes still fixed on where Impakto’s body used to be.

"Wasn’t me," she said flatly.

"When I burned him, there was still a body left."

Bastion’s frown deepened.

"No. I saw this earlier..."

"It’s the same thing that happened to the other corpses."

"They just vanished."

He clenched his fists.

"Just what kind of ability does that?"

Embercleave shrugged.

"Don’t think too hard about it."

She turned, flame flickering from her fingertips as she cooled her gloves.

"Job’s done. Freak’s dead. We move on."

Bastion exhaled slowly. "Yeah..."

But Embercleave wasn’t finished.

"...By the way."

She tilted her head toward him.

"What really happened here?"

"That thing didn’t just snap for no reason."

"Why would a monster show up on a passenger train this deep in neutral territory?"

She narrowed her eyes.

"There’s something important on this train, isn’t there?"

At her words, Bastion’s expression shifted instantly.

His eyes sharpened beneath the visor.

"...Damn it," he muttered.

"There is."

He turned abruptly.

"This wasn’t just a rampage. That berserk state."

"It was a cover."

"They were after someone."

Embercleave’s lips thinned.

"No wonder it was mutating like that."

She clenched a fist.

"That wasn’t natural. That had to be... someone’s experiment."

Bastion nodded grimly.

"It should be."

He turned sharply and broke into a sprint.

"Quick. Let’s go to Professor Kael’s cabin. Now!"

Embercleave was right behind him.

"Then let’s find out if he’s still breathing."

---

Zain looked down at Razorwaltz, still crumpled against the wall.

Her breathing was hard, blood on her side, and frustration in her glare.

Suddenly, a system screen appeared in front of him.

---

[System Update: Auto Absorption Protocol Complete – Impakto]

[Hack Points Gained from Absorbed Targets: +8,000]

[Setup Cost: -1,000 Hack Points]

[Maintenance Cost (4 Hours): -800 Hack Points]

[Net Gain: +6,200 Hack Points]

[Hack Points Transferred to Zain]

[Previous Hack Points: 11,180]

[Current Hack Points: 17,380]

[Status: Protocol Terminated – Impakto Absorbed]

---

Zain smirked, eyes still locked on her.

"Wow... got quite a lot, huh?"

He casually cracked his knuckles.

"Your friend Impakto was really helpful. Guy managed to kill a lot in that form."

Razorwaltz scowled, realizing it.

"Damn it... It was you, wasn’t it?"

"You attacked us from the dark... and you’re the one who made him mutate!"

Zain chuckled. "Now you know."

"But too bad... You still can’t do anything about it."

He stepped closer, slow and casual, like nothing in the world could stop him.

"And also..."

He glanced at the ceiling.

"Did you forget? Heroes should be showing up right about... now."

Razorwaltz’s face twitched.

"To think from the start... we were already in your trap."

Zain tilted his head, smirking wider.

"Trap?"

"Nah."

"You just tripped into my relaxed palm."

He crouched slightly, grinning like a wolf.

"I didn’t even know you were coming."

Razorwaltz clenched her fists, breath sharp.

"Damn it... To think I lost. To a lucky bastard."

Then, calmer, with a bitten pride in her voice.

"So... what now, Demon?"

"You gonna kill me? Or cuff me?"

Zain rose to his feet, walking past her without looking.

"Of course not," he muttered.

"That’d be too easy."

He stopped beside the unconscious professor, glancing at his motionless body.

"But seeing as the heroes are almost here..."

"...Let’s do something about him first."

He reached down, fingers glowing faintly.

Razorwaltz’s eyes widened.

"What are you doing?!"

"You’re a hero!"

Zain looked back at her, smiling darkly.

"Yes."

"The hero known as Heavenly Demon."

His eyes gleamed.

"...You do recognize the ’demon’ in that title, right?"