Hero Hack: Reversing Heroes and Raising Harem-Chapter 73: Trust No One

Bastion Bolt and Embercleave rushed down the final corridor.

They soon stopped outside the cabin marked for Professor Kael.

Bastion placed a hand on the door.

Unlocked.

He frowned. "It’s open..."

Embercleave narrowed her eyes.

"That’s not a good sign."

She clenched her fists.

"Let’s just hope he’s still alive."

Bastion nodded once, then slowly pushed the door open.

Inside—

The room was a mess.

Furniture overturned. Carpet torn. Glass cracked.

A table split down the middle.

There had been a fight here—no doubt.

And in the center of the wreckage.

Professor Kael sat slouched on the sofa, slumped forward, unmoving.

"Professor—!"

Bastion rushed over and knelt beside him, quickly scanning for vital signs.

Embercleave stood nearby, tense. "Is he dead?"

Bastion let out a quiet sigh of relief. "No. He’s alive."

He lifted the professor’s head slightly.

"There are some injuries. Bruising. Blood from the nose. But... no critical damage."

He glanced at Embercleave.

"Looks like he knocked himself out. Overused his mental abilities."

Embercleave crossed her arms, exhaling.

"I see..."

"But still... where’s the one he fought?"

They both scanned the room again.

Signs of impact, displaced energy, yet no second figure.

No blood trail.

And then Bastion paused.

He turned slowly, eyes narrowing.

"...Where’s the briefcase?"

His heart sank.

There was no bag. No device.

There is no containment case anywhere in the room.

"Damn it..." he muttered.

"Whoever it was—they already escaped."

"And they took what the professor was protecting."

Embercleave clenched her fists.

"So we failed."

Bastion didn’t respond for a moment.

Then he gave a small, reluctant nod.

"Yeah."

Embercleave stepped closer, placing a hand on his armored shoulder.

"Hey," she said quietly. "Cheer up."

"At least we saved him."

Bastion looked back at the professor, unconscious but alive.

"...Yeah."

---

Inside a dark, narrow cargo room at the rear of the train.

Zain leaned against a wall, arms crossed, calm and unreadable.

He’d moved quickly with Mirror Step, slipping through the mirrors.

It had taken seconds to reach this room, the baggage room.

It was a large room filled with the passengers belongings.

No one sane enough to come here.

Even if they came, they wouldn’t find me, as I’m in the deepest part.

Savra had also said the trip would take two days.

With the chaos caused by Impakto?

Maybe longer.

He had time.

Razorwaltz leaned slightly against a crate in front of him.

Her body was still bruised, her glare on him.

Her arms were crossed. Her pride was in tatters.

But her tongue was sharp as ever.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

Zain smirked. "What’s wrong with me?"

He pushed off the wall and gestured to himself.

"I’m handsome. Charismatic. Strong. Charming."

She rolled her eyes hard. "Don’t give me that bullshit."

"I may be sadistic—but I’m not insane."

"To think you’d use that mutated ability—on your own ally?"

Her voice dropped further.

"You injected that blood into the professor, didn’t you?"

Zain didn’t answer at first.

Just smiled.

That same cold, amused, too-calm smile.

"Ah, that," he said casually.

"So you saw that part, huh."

Razorwaltz clenched her fists.

"You’re a hero," she said.

"A licensed one. A ranked one."

"And you—"

Her voice trembled slightly.

"You did that to someone who trusted this system."

She shook her head, unable to believe it.

"Just what the hell are you planning, Heavenly Demon?"

Zain stepped forward, shadow covering his half.

He leaned in just a little, eyes locked on hers.

And smirked.

"...Wouldn’t you like to know?"

---

Inside the battered cabin.

The two heroes stood quietly while a few officers filed in.

They gathered around the unconscious professor.

One officer, sweat still on his brow, turned to Bastion.

"Heroes... what should we do now?"

Bastion took a moment, then said firmly.

"Start calming the passengers."

Embercleave nodded.

"Tell them it’s over. That we’ve handled the threat."

The officer hesitated for only a second, then gave a shaky nod.

"Understood. Thank you..."

The officers dispersed to follow orders, leaving Bastion Bolt and Embercleave in the room.

The heroes stood near the still-unconscious Professor Kael.

Embercleave glanced around.

"So... we’re just on guard duty now?"

Bastion leaned against the wall with a tired sigh.

"Yeah. Standard protocol until medics get here."

"Great," Embercleave muttered.

"Babysitting a genius who knocked himself out."

But then—they heard it.

A low sound.

Behind them.

It came from the professor.

They both turned sharply.

The sound came again.

a deep, wet gurgle, like a growl scraping through clogged lungs.

Embercleave straightened. "He’s awake?"

Bastion frowned. "Let’s check."

They both stepped toward the professor, who was still slumped on the couch.

But the moment they moved closer, his shoulders twitched unnaturally.

And then—

That sound again.

Only now, louder.

More distorted.

Not a voice.

A snarl.

"Wait," Bastion said, taking a step back.

"That’s not—"

Before he could finish, Professor Kael’s spine twisted.

His body convulsed violently as the veins along his arms bulged black.

His skin split in places—mutating.

Muscles shifted. Teeth elongated. Fingers fused and warped.

Embercleave’s eyes widened in horror.

"No... no no—he’s mutating?"

Bastion’s face went pale beneath his visor.

"This can’t be happening..."

"This is Professor Kael."

The mutated professor’s head snapped upward, glowing eyes gleaming with feral hunger.

He growled again.

A sound no human should ever make.

The room fell into stunned silence.

Then Bastion whispered the only thing he could:

"...How the hell did this happen to him?"

Embercleave frowned, stepping back instinctively.

"Just thinking about it now..."

She narrowed her eyes, gaze fixed on the mutating figure.

"This one’s smaller. Slower. Weaker than the last one."

She glanced at Bastion.

"So... are we putting him down or not?"

Bastion’s jaw clenched.

"No. He’s the professor."

Embercleave didn’t move. "And?"

She gestured toward the professor, who let out another sickening growl.

"That was the professor."

Bastion stepped in front of her, shield half-raised.

"I said no. Not unless we have no choice."

Embercleave’s flames ignited, low and simmering.

"Then you better make that choice fast," she muttered.

"Because the thing in front of us isn’t giving us much time to debate."

Bastion’s hands tightened around his shield.

He didn’t answer. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

But his frown deepened.

Harder than ever.