Welcome to the Innocent World-Chapter 275: The Hopelessness

The air hung heavy with tension, the ground still trembling faintly from the impact of my crash. I lay sprawled in a crater of shattered concrete, my black coat dusted with rubble, its purple seams glinting faintly in the moonlight.

Above me, Alaric stood straight, his red aura burning like a smoldering fire, his alien-like features—sharp cheekbones, faintly glowing skin—etched with a cold, triumphant smirk. His red eyes glared down at my body, his boots crunching on the broken concrete as he loomed over the crater's edge.

The crowd on the beach below, their cheers silenced, gasped in unison, their faces pale as they stared up at the scene. Whispers rippled through them, a wave of fear and uncertainty replacing their earlier excitement. A woman in a sundress clutched her friend's arm, her voice trembling. "Oh no! Zero's down!" she said, her eyes wide with panic. "He's not moving!"

Her friend, a man clutching a beer, nodded grimly, his brow furrowed. "That shot from the alien was a hard one," he said, his voice low. "Never seen Zero take a hit like that."

A younger guy nearby, his phone still raised to record, swallowed hard. "Will he be okay?" he asked, his voice tinged with worry as he glanced at his friends. "He's gotta get up, right?"

The woman in the sundress bit her lip, her eyes darting to the crater. "He'll come back, won't he?" she asked, her voice shaking. "Zero never loses."

The man with the beer sighed, his expression uncertain. "I don't know," he said, his voice heavy. "I always thought Zero never loses. If he goes down here, it'll be the first time."

The woman's eyes widened, her voice rising with fear. "But he defeated the queen, didn't he?" she asked, clutching her friend's arm tighter. "She is the strongest in the nation!"

"Yeah, he did," the man replied, nodding slowly. "Which means this alien might be even stronger than her. If Zero loses…" He trailed off, his eyes drifting to the glowing red figure above the crater.

"What'll happen to us?" the woman asked, her voice barely a whisper, her face pale. "If Zero can't stop him…"

"I don't know," the man admitted, his voice quiet as he stared up at Alaric. "I'm wondering the same thing."

Similar murmurs spread through the crowd, their voices a mix of fear, hope, and disbelief as they watched me lie still in the crater. Some clutched their phones, still recording, while others held their breath, waiting for a sign that their hero wasn't done.

At the poolside villa, my friends—Mia, Tasha, Lisa, and John—watched from the glowing water, their faces tense as they strained to see the distant battle. Lisa, perched on the pool's edge, sipped her drink, her blonde hair catching the moonlight, but her eyes were fixed on the sky. "Seems like something big happened over there," she said, her voice low.

John, floating in the pool, shook his head, his voice firm despite the tension. "Don't worry," he said, splashing water absentmindedly. "Whatever it is, Zero'll win. He always does."

Mia, naked by the side of the pool nodded, her voice bright but tinged with unease. "Yeah, I know, right," she said, forcing a smile. "Zero's got this, no matter what."

At the poolside villa, the guy pacing with his phone lowered it, his voice cutting through the chatter. "What!? Zero's down on the ground and not moving?" he said, his eyes wide with horror. The words hit like a shockwave, and everyone froze, their faces paling as they turned to the sky.

Mia, Tasha, Lisa, and John exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of confusion and dread. Mia, her bikini slightly askew, clutched her drink tighter, her voice shaky. "Not moving?" she said, her eyes darting to her friends. "That can't be right. Zero always gets back up."

Tasha, squeezing water from her hair, shook her head, her grin faltering. "No way," she said, her voice stubborn but uncertain. "He's tougher than that. He's gotta be okay."

Near the crater, Alaric's smirk widened, his red eyes glinting with cold triumph. "Heh!" he said, his voice low and mocking. Then, a chilling laugh erupted from his throat.

"Hehehehehahahahahahaha!" He tilted his head back, his laughter growing louder, echoing across the island like a storm.

"HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAAAAAA!" The sky crackled with sudden lightning, jagged bolts flashing as his red aura blazed brighter, tendrils of crimson energy curling around him, making the air shimmer with heat. The ground trembled, the ocean waves churning in response to his power.

Alaric's laughter faded, and he looked down at me, his voice dripping with scorn. "What happened, Zero? You're not moving anymore." His red eyes narrowed, his smirk sharp as a blade as he cracked his knuckles, his aura pulsing with menace.

The crowd on the beach below, their faces pale, began to panic, their whispers growing frantic. A woman in a sundress clutched her friend's arm, her voice trembling. "He's not getting up," she said, her eyes wide with fear. "Is Zero really dead?"

Below the chamber, Lyra's face twisted with confusion, her green eyes darting between the crater and Alaric's towering figure. "Huh!? What's happening?" she said, her voice sharp with worry as Alaric's mocking words carried clearly to her ears.

Afa laughed, her voice sharp and smug as she turned to Lyra, shrugging with exaggerated nonchalance. "Hehe, looks like my master just finished your wannabe hero," she said, her smirk wide as she spat on the ground, the gesture dripping with contempt. "All talk, that's all he was."

Lyra's fists clenched tighter, her teeth grinding as she stepped forward, her voice fierce. "Shut up, Afa!" she snapped, her green eyes blazing. "Zero's not done! He's stronger than your stupid alien, and he's gonna prove it!"

Afa's smirk widened, her dark eyes glinting with malice. "Keep dreaming," she taunted, crossing her arms tighter. "Your Zero's off somewhere, and Master's standing tall and laughing. Means master is certain that he has won and can't sense Zero's energy anymore. So—that's it."