Hero Hack: Reversing Heroes and Raising Harem-Chapter 74: The Baggage Room Confessional

Professor Kael’s body soon finished its grotesque transformation.

Then—

He lunged.

"Get back!"

Bastion shouted, raising his shield just in time as Kael crashed into them, snarling.

CRASH!

The impact threw Bastion backward into a wall.

His boots skidded across the floor as his shield absorbed the blow.

"He’s faster now—!"

Embercleave called out, flames flaring as she caught her balance.

She raised a burning fist, ready to strike.

"DON’T!" Bastion barked.

She froze. "What?!"

Bastion slid back into position between her and the creature.

"Don’t attack!"

"He’s still the professor!"

Kael growled, swiping again.

This time at Embercleave.

She dodged, barely, the claws raking sparks off the wall behind her.

"Are you kidding me?!"

She shouted, ducking low and rolling behind Bastion.

"He’s trying to rip us apart!"

Bastion blocked another wild blow, shield vibrating with every impact.

"I don’t care! If we kill him, we lose the only one who knows what this is!"

Embercleave’s flames raged along her arms.

"So what? We die trying to spare a monster? That’s your plan?!"

"We hold him off," Bastion snapped.

"Until help arrives. Until he stabilizes—anything."

"Damn it!"

Embercleave hissed, sparks flying from her fingertips as she jumped back again.

"I can’t even burn him?!"

Another roar shook the room as Kael came charging again.

Bastion braced himself.

And Embercleave, who was still furious, held back her fist.

---

The professor—now a full-blown beast—charged once more.

CRASH!

His claws slammed through another wall, ripping it clean open with unnatural strength.

Concrete crumbled. Sparks flew. And beyond the breach.

A shattered skyline. Ruined streets. Broken glass. Craters in the earth.

Bastion’s eyes widened.

"...That’s BD-4."

Embercleave’s flames flickered erratically.

"BD-4? That hellhole?"

Bastion nodded quickly, mind racing.

"It’s perfect."

"What?!"

"We send him down there."

"You want to drop the professor into BD-4? That’s a city full of villains and mutated beasts!"

"Exactly. They won’t mess with him. Not when he looks like this."

Bastion pointed at the roaring, mutated Kael.

Embercleave frowned. "You’re insane."

Bastion gritted his teeth.

"I’ve already contacted backup—told them we’re rerouting to BD-4."

"It’s an abandoned sector. No civilians. No high-ranking villains left."

He looked at her.

"And more importantly—no VIP passengers to kill."

Embercleave stared at him, then slowly nodded.

"Scare the monsters... with a bigger monster."

"Exactly."

Kael turned, roaring again.

"Let’s do it now."

Bastion’s armor flashed. "Flash Bash!"

BOOM!

A burst of blinding white light exploded from his chest, temporarily stunning the beast.

The professor recoiled, stumbling back with a shriek of confusion.

Bastion didn’t waste a second.

He dashed behind him.

Repulsion Vault activated.

His shield ignited with stored kinetic force.

THOOM!

He blasted Professor Kael straight off the train, hurtling him into the heart of BD-4.

"GO!" Bastion barked.

He jumped off the train car without hesitation.

Embercleave hissed, then followed.

"You better be right about this!"

They both landed on a compact two-man scout glider.

The same emergency plane they’d arrived in earlier.

Below, the monster crashed into the rubble.

He rose seconds later with barely a scratch, snarling at shadows that weren’t there.

Embercleave exhaled.

"His skin’s still holding. Tough bastard."

Bastion nodded, adjusting the glider controls.

"Good. That means we’ve got time."

He narrowed his eyes, watching from above.

"Let’s keep watch."

"...And wait for the others."

---

Zain stood calmly in the dim baggage room.

He was still in front of the bruised and glaring Razorwaltz.

His mind was elsewhere, calculating and weighing what to do next.

Then his phone buzzed.

He glanced at the screen.

Zelia.

He answered casually. "Yo."

Zelia’s voice came fast and worried.

"Zain, where are you?!"

Zain exhaled, eyes flicking toward Razorwaltz.

"Still on the train. Why?"

"I heard people died," Zelia said, her voice tense.

"And... there was another one. A monster."

"But someone said it got thrown off the train?"

Zain’s eyes narrowed slightly. He smiled faintly.

"So they threw off the professor, huh..."

He spoke calmly. "I see. So that’s what happened."

Zelia’s voice softened a little. "Then what are you doing now?"

Zain turned toward the wall of the cargo bay, half-laughing.

"Still cleaning up. You know how bad things get when monsters tear through trains."

Zelia sighed. "Just... be careful, okay?"

Zain smirked.

"Relax. There’s no more monsters. Everything’s quiet now."

He lowered his voice slightly.

"And Zelia—please make the phone into speaker mode."

There was a pause.

Then Zelia replied with a smile.

"Got it."

Zelia quickly turned on the speaker mode.

Zain then called out loud enough for Razorwaltz to hear.

"Savra, keep my sister safe, alright?"

Savra’s voice came through instantly.

"Don’t worry, little boy. Your precious sister is safe with me."

"Just finish your mess and come back in one piece."

Zain chuckled. "Noted. I’ll be back before dinner."

Savra’s voice softened slightly. "Good. I’ll be waiting."

Zelia chimed in right after, cheerful again.

"See you soon, Zain!"

He gave a quiet nod, then ended the call.

Zain slipped the phone back into his coat.

His smirk returned.

Now... back to the matter at hand.

Razorwaltz was still watching him, arms crossed, eyes narrowed.

"You’re really something," she muttered.

"Called by your girlfriend like that in mid-chaos?"

Zain raised his brow. "She’s not my girlfriend."

He smiled faintly.

"She’s my sister. The one person who still worries about me."

Razorwaltz blinked. "Tch. Must be nice."

Zain turned his head slightly.

"You don’t have any siblings?"

She shook her head. "Only child."

He stared a moment longer. "Parents, then?"

Her eyes darkened.

"No."

Zain frowned. "You mean... they’re gone?"

Razorwaltz looked him straight in the eye.

"I killed them."

A long pause.

Zain didn’t blink.

"...Huh."

Razorwaltz continued, voice steady.

"They were the people I despised most in the world."

Zain leaned back against the crate behind him, folding his arms.

"Care to tell me the story?"

She scowled.

"Why the hell would I tell you anything?"

He shrugged.

"Because I haven’t decided what to do with you yet."

"I’m still thinking."

He gave a lopsided grin.

"So while I’m thinking... you could help me pass the time."

"Who knows? Might even calm you down a little."

"We’ve got time. Use it."

Razorwaltz stared at him for several seconds.

Then she exhaled.

"...I see."

She looked away.

"If that’s the case... I guess I don’t have much of a choice."

She leaned her back against the wall and slid down to a seated position.

"My life’s in your hands anyway."

"Fine. I’ll tell you my story."