Welcome to the Innocent World-Chapter 268: The Mutters of the Crowd

The neon haze of the underground room faded as Alaric and I lifted off the cracked concrete floor, our bodies rising slowly into the open night sky. The ceiling, split apart like a mechanical beast, had revealed a vast expanse of stars twinkling above the island, their light mingling with the faint glow of the distant ocean.

I smirked, my hands loose at my sides as we ascended higher, the cool night breeze tugging at my coat. "Hope you won’t regret this, alien," I said, my voice low and taunting, my black aura flaring faintly as I locked eyes with Alaric.

His red eyes glinted in the starlight, his lips curling into a grim sneer. "Say goodbye to your Shadow Mystics," he said, his voice cold and deliberate. "They’re about to lose their last summon of Zero."

I tilted my head, a spark of curiosity cutting through my confidence. "You know quite a lot about the Shadow Mystics and our summons," I said, my tone light but probing. Even Alfa, who guided me to this world, hadn’t mentioned anything about me being the last summon. "Care to share where you got that intel?"

Alaric’s red aura pulsed "Everyone in the great forces of the Demon Lord knows about it," he said, exhaling sharply, his voice carrying a bitter edge. He paused, then continued, his words heavy with certainty. "But it doesn’t matter. I’m putting you to sleep anyway."

I grinned, my black aura flaring brighter, its purple accents glowing like embers in the night. "Oh, sure, go for it," I said, my voice dripping with mockery as I spread my arms, my coat billowing in the breeze. "Let’s see if you’ve got what it takes, or if you’re just another loudmouth like Afro."

The ground below had stopped shaking, the tremors from our earlier clash fading, but the island itself seemed to hold its breath. People on the beaches and streets, drawn by the faint jolts and the strange light in the sky, began to look up, their murmurs growing louder as they spotted us.

On a nearby beach, a guy walking near the shore sat up, his eyes catching the glint of our auras against the night sky. "Oi, look!" he said, pointing upward, his voice thick with surprise. "There’s someone flying up there!"

His girlfriend, her head resting on his shoulder, lifted her gaze, squinting at the two figures hovering above the island. "Where? Where?" she asked, her voice rising with excitement as she shielded her eyes against the starlight. "Oh my God, there’s two of them! What’s going on?"

Whispers spread through the crowd below—tourists on the boardwalk, locals in beachside bars, all craning their necks to stare at the strange sight of two figures floating in the sky, surrounded by swirling black and red energy. Some pulled out their phones, snapping shaky photos, while others just stood frozen, their voices a mix of awe and fear.

Back in the air, I hovered across from Alaric, my black aura pulsing steadily, the night breeze cool against my skin. "Looks like we’ve got an audience," I said, my smirk widening as I nodded toward the growing crowd below. "Hope you’re ready to put on a show before I send you crashing down."

Alaric’s red aura flared hotter, tendrils licking at the air around him, making the stars seem to flicker in response. "Keep talking, Zero," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "Your audience is about to watch you fall."

The night sky stretched wide above the island, a velvet canvas studded with twinkling stars, their light mingling with the faint glow of the ocean below.

Below, on the island’s beaches and boardwalks, the crowd was growing, their murmurs rising like a tide as they craned their necks to watch the two figures floating in the sky. "Hey, is that...?" he started, squinting against the starlight. "Zero?"

Another guy gasped, his eyes widening as she followed his gaze. "Yeah, that’s the vigilante hero Zero!" he said, his voice rising with excitement. The words sparked through the crowd, murmurs turning into loud cheers that echoed across the beach. "Zero! It’s Zero!"

A group of tourists nearby, clutching drinks and phone cameras, started whispering among themselves. "Seems like he’s fighting someone," a woman said, her voice tinged with curiosity as she zoomed in on us with her phone. "That other guy looks so weird."

"Why’s there an alien up there?" a kid asked, tugging at his dad’s sleeve, his eyes wide with wonder. "Is he a bad guy?"

"Zero’s fighting him, so yeah, he’s probably a bad person," his dad replied, nodding sagely. He turned to a group of older men nearby, their faces weathered from years on the island. "What if that alien was gonna do something to us, but Zero showed up to save the day?"

One of the old uncles, his gray beard catching the moonlight, leaned on his cane and nodded. "Yeah, that’s gotta be it," he said, his voice gruff but certain. "Zero’s saved country from trouble before—demons, monsters, you name it. He’s our hero even if they label him as evil."

The cheers grew louder, a wave of voices rising from the beach. "Win it, Zero!" a man shouted, raising his fists, his voice carrying over the crowd. Others joined in, their chants swelling into a rhythmic roar. "Zero! Zero! Zero!" The sound echoed up to us, a surge of support that made my chest swell with pride.

I chuckled, my black aura pulsing faintly as I glanced down at the growing crowd, their faces lit with hope and excitement. "Seems like I’ve got my fans all lined up," I said, my smirk sharp as I turned back to Alaric, my voice taunting. "They’re rooting for me, alien. How’s it feel to be the bad guy?"

Alaric’s red eyes flicked downward, his glare cold as he surveyed the cheering crowd. "Doesn’t matter," he said, his voice low and dismissive, his red aura flaring brighter. "They’ll all be put to sleep regardless. I already have their flow of energy in my hands right now."

I raised an eyebrow, my smirk widening as I hovered closer, my black coat billowing in the night breeze. "Ohhh," I said, dragging out the word with mock surprise.

Alaric’s jaw clenched, his red aura flaring hotter, the air around him shimmering with heat. "You’re going to die here today, Zero." he growled, his voice low and dangerous.