A FEW HOURS LATER
XAVIER'S POINT OF VIEW:
The world spun as I opened my eyes. My chest was on fire, each breath feeling like someone was pressing their foot down on me. I tried to move, but the pain nearly stopped me.
"Xavier."A voice called me.
That voice. Familiar. Too familiar. My heart leaped. Was I dreaming? My eyes focused, and there he was. The one I thought was gone before I got injured.
"You're alive?" My voice was hoarse, barely a whisper, but I couldn't stop myself from asking.
He nodded, wincing with the movement.
"Barely. But I'm still here."He said.
I couldn't understand. I had seen him fall. I had watched the monster strike. His life had drained from his eyes, and now he was, what? Alive? How? How was that even possible? How he survived, he got worse injuries than I did.
'Then the monster? We… we won, right?" I asked, my voice shaking with confusion.
"I couldn't finish it. 'He muttered, his tone distant, like something heavy was pressing on his chest. "Someone else did."
"Someone else?" I repeated, trying to wrap my mind around it. "Who?"
He didn't look at me, his eyes avoiding mine.
"They're calling them the new hero. Took the sword. Took your place."He said.
I froze. My mind couldn't process what he was saying.
"What do you mean took my place?" I demanded, my pulse quickening. "This was my destiny. I was hero. Not anyone else."I said.
"I couldn't stop them." He said, pain lining his voice. "I couldn't stop it. The system already accepted them. They took everything. The sword. The title. The glory."
I felt a fire ignite in my chest. This couldn't be happening. "No. No way. I- we fought for this! How can they just take it? After everything?"I asked.
He sighed, defeated.
"It's done, Xavier. It's over."He said.
But it wasn't over. Not for me. I couldn't stand it. Someone had taken what was mine, what should've been mine. And I was going to find out who.
'Where are they?" I demanded, looking around the battlefield.
He didn't answer right away, just gestured weakly toward the distance. The figure standing tall, bathed in the light of the dying sun, holding the sword. The soldiers were gathered around them, their faces full of awe, praise, and worship. They had already accepted this new hero, this person who had stepped in at the last moment, and claimed everything.
"This isn't right."I said.
'They don't need you to do this." He said, his voice almost pleading.
But I wasn't listening anymore.
"I'm going after them."I said.
I didn't wait for his approval. I couldn't. The injustice of it all, someone stepping in, taking my place, stealing what I had worked for, wouldn't stand.
A week. It had been a week since the battlefield. A week since the new hero the one who stole it all, had appeared, taken my title, and I was still struggling to wrap my head around it. The anger hadn't subsided. In fact, it was only growing. Now, I stood in front of the massive gates of the Hero Academy. The place where future heroes were trained, honed, and prepared for the battles that awaited them. And me? I was here to blend in. To pretend. To gather information and figure out what the hell was going on.
I had no title. No sword. Nothing to my name except my raw determination to right this wrong. The gates creaked open as I walked through, the towering walls of the academy looming above me. The air was thick with the scent of magic and sweat, young recruits training, sparring, trying to prove themselves worthy of their place in the academy. My fists clenched at my sides. If I was going to make this work, I had to keep my head low. No one could know who I really was. Not yet.
The hallways were lined with portraits of past heroes, their faces proud and strong. Some were well known, some faded into history, but all of them had been recognized as heroes, the ones who saved the world, who were chosen. None of them had been replaced by a stranger.
I kept walking, the noise of boots and chatter filling the air around me. Students in brightly colored uniforms passed by, a few stopping to look at me with curious eyes. The whispers were already starting, was I the new student? The one who had come from a lower-tier academy, looking to make a name for myself? But none of that mattered right now. What mattered was finding out who had taken the title. Who the hell had stolen everything. I passed through another hallway and then came to a courtyard, where several students were practicing in different areas. My eyes immediately found the one who was receiving all the attention a tall figure in the center of the courtyard, surrounded by soldiers and other students, a familiar sword in their hands. The sword.
I could feel my chest tighten. The way everyone looked at this person, the awe in their eyes, the respect... I couldn't stop myself from staring. This was the real hero. The one who had taken it all. My fists tightened again, the desire to do something, anything, burning deep inside me. But I couldn't rush in. Not yet. I stayed hidden in the shadows, watching as the 'hero' effortlessly wielded the sword, knocking back a wave of training dummies with a casual flick of the blade. The soldiers around them were speaking in reverence, offering their congratulations, their praise.
But one thing was certain. I would make them see me. See who I really was. And I would take back what was mine. I couldn't stand it any longer. The sight of that sword in their hands, the smug way they looked at it as if it belonged to them, as if they were worthy. I had to do something. I couldn't just stand here and let them get away with it.
"Hey!" I shouted, my voice slicing through the air. The students around the courtyard stopped what they were doing, turning to look at me in surprise.
The hero glanced up, their expression unreadable. For a moment, I thought they might ignore me. But no. They locked eyes with me, waiting. Almost like they were daring me to make a move.
"You don't deserve that sword." I said, my voice steady, though my heart was racing. "It belongs to someone else. Someone who earned it. Not someone who just walked in and took it."
A low murmur went through the crowd, but the hero just stood there, calm, unbothered.
"And who are you to decide what I deserve?"Their voice was smooth, but I could hear the challenge behind it.
I clenched my fists.
'I'm someone who's going to take it back."I said.
Without another word, I unsheathed my sword and charged forward. The air crackled with tension as I closed the distance between us. The hero didn't flinch. Instead, they moved with effortless grace, their sword coming up to meet mine.
The clash rang out, sending a shock through my arms. They were fast. Too fast. I barely had time to react before they were already moving, their sword striking with precision. But I was ready this time. I wasn't going to let them knock me off balance. I blocked their next strike, then their third, and finally I pushed back with a counter of my own. They dodged it easily, but I could see something flicker in their eyes, surprise, maybe. They hadn't expected that. We circled each other, blades clashing in a flurry of sparks. I could feel the weight of the sword in my hands, the familiar rhythm of the fight kicking in. I wasn't the same as I was a week ago. I had spent every moment since the battle training, pushing my body harder, faster. I wasn't going to be outclassed this time. The hero struck again, but this time, I anticipated it. I ducked under their blade, my own sword cutting through the air in a fluid motion, striking at their side.
I lunged, faster this time, feinting to the left before spinning right. Their eyes widened, and I knew I had them. The hero barely managed to raise their sword in time, but I was already there, my blade slicing through their guard. With a final strike, I knocked their sword from their hand, sending it clattering to the ground. The courtyard went silent. I stood over them, chest heaving, sweat dripping down my face. My arms were sore, my body screaming, but I wasn't about to let up. Not when I had the advantage. The hero looked up at me, their expression a mix of shock and something else. Recognition, maybe? Respect?
"Looks like I'm the one holding the sword now." I said, breathing heavily. The words came out sharper than I intended, but it didn't matter.
I bent down, grabbing their sword from the ground and raising it above my head, feeling the weight of it in my grip. The soldiers around us were silent, their eyes wide, unsure of how to react. The hero was still kneeling on the ground, their gaze never leaving me.
"I won." I said, my voice steady now, full of certainty. "And I'm taking back what's mine."
"Hero status revoked. Role reassignment complete. New hero activated."System said.
I clenched my fists. No. I wasn't about to let this happen. I was the chosen hero. The one meant to wield this sword. Not this... person standing there like they had the right to it. The system was already calculating my failure, and I hated it.
"Heroic identity reinstated. Sword reclaimed. New role - confirmed."System said.
My chest heaved with a mixture of relief and fury. I was back. I had the sword. I had my role as the hero.
But still, there was something strange about the person who had taken it. They were standing there, frozen, but I couldn't focus on that now. All that mattered was that I had what was mine again. I wasn't done. Not yet.