I Reawakened as an Inferno Hero-Chapter 31: Aftermath

Noon...

Superpolis...

HQ...

The superheroes that were murdered from the battle with the Extremats were all silhouetted in white clothes and put in body bags, which they took out of the place on stretchers.

The air was engulfed in grief. Axel looked at the dead people, slightly shaking his head.

Royal Cloak flew down from the tech wagon he was in and landed beside Axel, patting him on the shoulder.

"Great work you did, man. I'm impressed," Royal Cloak said.

Axel didn't smile or feel happy from the praise. On his face was a sad look that was silently hidden by the flames.

"But we lost superheroes. I mean, we shouldn't have. That is what saving people is all about. I personally think we could have saved them. They shouldn't have died."

Royal Cloak looked at the dead superheroes being taken out of the hall by masked officials.

"Well," Royal Cloak said, "they were saving the day. They died being heroes. To pay them respect, we will be burying them at the prestigious Superpolis graveyard for superheroes who died but were great when they were alive."

Axel said nothing. He looked at Dan, who crouched by a corner beside the wall, catching his breath, a grim expression on his face.

Royal Cloak said, "Not that they deserve to be buried among great heroes, but I have to do it so I don't turn out to be a bad guy."

Axel was a bit surprised by Royal Cloak's words.

"Sir," he said, "but they are great. To me, what they did here was... selflessness. Of course, they deserve to be buried in the prestigious Superpolis cemetery."

Royal Cloak looked at Portalwalker, who lay on the ground, weak and out of breath, and walking over to him, he said to Axel,

"When you're older, you'll know what I mean."

The statement sounded laconic to Axel. He squinted his eyes in thought, trying to grasp a meaning in what Royal Cloak had just said. It sounded mysterious, seemingly ominous.

Portalwalker raised his head and stared at Royal Cloak, his facial expression apologetic.

"I'm sorry, I— it was a silly mistake. It will not—"

Royal Cloak scoffed.

"Silly mistake, you say!"

The man was furious.

"Your incompetence killed—" Royal Cloak paused and thought for a few seconds. "How many?"

One of the officials carrying the dead body out said,

"Six dead superheroes, sir."

Royal Cloak felt exasperated.

"Six! Six damn superheroes!"

"They came here to be taught how to be heroes, how to use their powers, and how to be competent enough to save the world. But what do they get instead? They die. They bloody die!"

Portalwalker was terrified.

"Sir, please, it wasn't intentional. It was a silly mistake, and I accept all the blame. I didn't know the portal I conjured led to their realm. I wanted to come here, I—"

Royal Cloak clapped his hands to stop Portalwalker from speaking again.

"You know what?" Royal Cloak shouted. "You're fired!"

Portalwalker's eyes were getting teary now.

"But sir, I can't— I cannot possibly lose this job. I cannot. It's my only hope of surviving in this city. Please, sir!"

Royal Cloak was not moved by the pleading. He was even enraged by it.

"Begging won't restore the dead lives. This was an inauguration. And after I had called all the names of the superheroes, you decide to show up with a portal, bringing a bunch of sci-fi jerks in big tin cans."

"Here, we need seriousness. Honestly, absolute seriousness. We cannot keep doing this bullshit. What if Axel wasn't here? We would all be dead by now. I call your act incompetent, and I will not condone it."

"Khaos Realm harbors more villains than heroes, and even Superpolis, which is supposed to be filled with superheroes, is on a shortage. In a recent survey made by the prestigious Superhero Academy, of which I'm a proud member, it's said that the population of superheroes is 58.1. Meaning about 52.9 percent of people living here are villains. Isn't that outrageous?"

"Then, instead of us protecting the citizens of the goddamn city, we kill ourselves."

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Royal Cloak laughed almost hysterically.

"Isn't that outrageous? To me, it's daft and highly stupid!"

Dan walked over to Royal Cloak in an effort to placate him.

"Please, sir, forgive him. I think anyone can make this mistake," Dan said.

Royal Cloak shot Dan a stern, piercing look.

"Beg me again, and you'll be fired too!"

Dan bent his head and exchanged a quick look with Portalwalker, who was seemingly devastated.

The other superheroes stared at the scene, afraid even to speak.

Royal Cloak went on,

"We lost:

GEARFORGED

FERROSHIFT

EMBER LANCER

NOVA CHAMPION

SILKEN VEIL

and

MOLTEN VIGIL!"

"People that should have been valuable in saving the world."

Royal Cloak turned to the guards and said grimly,

"Get him out of here. And any weapon we had given to him, revoke it!"

Portalwalker was in tears now.

He was on his knees, face flat, sobbing.

---

The activities for the day were put on pause.

Axel lay on a soft bed, staring at the ceiling.

It was his room, actually. A bit average in size, not too posh in decorations or equipment, but it was better than the one he had been staying in back on Earth. A dim bulb lighted the place, the light soft.

Royal Cloak had announced that early tomorrow morning they would resume teaching after briefly going to the deceased superheroes burial.

Just thinking about all that had happened today made Axel woozy. The mere thought alone felt sad to think of.

Well, he took it as life. Life being cruel and all. He forgot about the past and tried to think about tomorrow. So basically, this was a school but only for superheroes.

He was the main hero now, and everyone looked up to him. To him, he didn't quite like being looked up to because it created a sort of pressure, and if one failed?

Well, he would be bashed and all.

Axel only shrugged at the thought and lay more comfortably, saying in a very low whisper that it seemed like only he could hear,

"Well, I'm not here forever. Only for the meantime."

He went to sleep.