The death of a hero. [S-rank Exam]

Months.

Months and months.

Months, months, months, months, months... gone. Gone.

All gone.

It had been months now since Hero had begun his search for the members of his guild, Golden Phoenix. However... none of them were anywhere to be found. The giant started to become obsessed, his ears beginning to ring whenever he thought of a new town to travel to. Despite the people around him trying to get his attention, everything was drowned out. He could neither see nor hear anything else now. It got so bad in fact that his skin grew discolored and his eyes darkened from lack of sleeping and lack of blinking. The man once respected and renowned far and wide was reduced nearly to a madman. It was not as though he was hated. Everywhere he traveled, he was still respected and was treated with love and care. Everyone knew.

Hero Yamamoto was finally falling apart. He realized it too. He could no longer even force a smile for the children who looked up to him; he could no longer shoulder the burdens of those who he believed he could swiftly protect; all he could do now... was apologize. All of these thoughts flooded his mind. He hated only himself. He wasn't there. He couldn't protect them. His home. His cousin. Even in his dreams, his thoughts haunted him; the innkeepers... even other people who stayed at these inns worried for this man who screamed and cried through the night alone. Really, who would blame him? He knew it though. Eventually Hero needed to figure out how to move on... but when? This already-deep hole was only getting deeper.

On a sunny day in this winter season, Hero was taking a walk upon that island which was once his home. He kept to himself again while ignoring everything and everyone as best he could unless someone tapped his arm. And unfortunately for him, there was a lot of commotion in the square up ahead. There was someone over there shouting his name and then people started turning around to see the giant standing there in the middle of the street. Then the huge mob of people ran toward him frantically... but then they fell silent and had sorrow-filled faces. It seemed there was something really bad going on that especially involved Hero, which made him worry a bit. An older man then, though hesitantly, started speaking.

"Hero... none of us believe this is going to be easy. In fact we're scared of what might happen but you deserve to know..."

"Hmm...? What's wrong?"

The giant started to realize what this might have been about. They were all dead, right? All of his loved ones. The many members of his guild whom he worked with often and shared drinks with and ate with and partied with. Honestly, he figured as much. He would have found at least one person by now if any of them survived.

"Well... we've seen people who looked like members of Golden Phoenix up in the ruins. Its been happening for a few days now and we think magic might be involved."

The expression on his face couldn't be seen but his presence... it warped drastically. The mob of people around the giant started to cry, knowing what Hero must have been going through at that very moment. Yamamoto said nothing at all and only one at a time rested his hands gently on each of their heads as he walked through the crowd. The man's footsteps were heavy... extremely heavy. So heavy in fact that the concrete began to crack. Hero's body began to glow brightly gold, and when he traveled a decent distance away from all those people, he launched himself into the air. The grimace never left his face and the aura surrounding his body started turning darker. Some small part of him hoped... just a little... that someone was okay.

"Why not just admit it and accept the fact that they're all dead? You know it deep down. All you are doing is forcing yourself to suffer. Do you think they would want you to do this to yourself? Doubtful."

In his mind was that deep, sinister voice again speaking to Yamamoto's consciousness. The giant gritted his teeth. The voice was right after all. All the man was doing was suffering on his own because he felt it was his fault. However... what was happening there? Some way, some how he felt the urge to find out regardless of what was going on.

The ruins. Hero didn't think he'd be going back there so soon, granted he was usually nearby. The place was marked by a giant crater and was covered with large blocks of concrete, marble and pieces of statues. Pieces of wood that were once furniture; faded, partially burned photos and papers stuck in the marred dirt as though it had happened only a couple of days ago. Remnants of the phoenixes who guarded the entrance littered the field though neither of their bodies were found. It would have been nice if at least they were safe somewhere; that may have given the giant some small peace of mind. Things... were going too well weren't they... that was why this catastrophe happened. "Am I cursed to ruin the lives of my loved ones?" He thought that at the back of his mind while walking around the crater. Perhaps the giant's purpose was to protect without making any connections. To do everything on his own. The Gods certainly at the very least had an awful sense of humor.

The so called "Power of Friendship" characters in books and TV shows talked about did not exist in this harsh reality. That feeling of empowerment one got when their backs were guarded by their closest allies was fleeting at best and non-existent... painful at worst. After all what would happen if their strongest ally and friend could not be there to help them? What then? At best, they survive by the skin of their teeth; at worst? Well... this was the result. His loved ones had traveled to a place Hero could no longer reach no matter how hard he'd try... and he did try. Thoughts such as "they wouldn't want that for you" and "it will pass in time" held no weight to he who literally could not die even if he intentionally tried to die. There was no logical way he could really know what they all would have said because, well, he wasn't there. Tears welled up in this grown man's eyes, and though he did not make a sound himself, those teardrops which hit the ground made a seemingly deafening thud. His hands were clutched so tightly that blood puddled in his palms before also falling to the ground. And even though someone approached slowly in the distance, Hero did not react. Eventually though, that person spoke and their voice was not familiar.

"Heeeeeh? So someone had the guts to come all the way out here after all. Aren't you way too hu- AH! YOU MUST BE HERO YAMAMOTO! HAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! OH BOY I GOT A SPECIAL TREAT FOR YOU! It took me two months of incanting and buckets of mana but I managed to resurrect a few of your dead friends. You see I h-"

It occurred so quickly that even Hero did not consciously register the action. The man croaked as Yamamoto slowly crushed his skull with one hand after seemingly teleporting in front of the proclaimed necromancer. Even as that man died, he said that it wouldn't matter if he died; they'd still wander in search of Hero while slandering their own names. Blood gushed from his eyes, ears and mouth the moment his skull shattered, the pieces cutting deeply into his brain. He then collapsed on the ground and had continuous seizures until his heart finally stopped beating. As for Hero... a miasma crept slowly from his body while crying uncontrollably. Why...? Why?! WHY?!

"WHY?! NONE OF THEM DESERVED THAT FATE! NONE OF THEM! WHY DID YOU GODS FORSAKE MY LOVED ONES? AHHHHHHHHHH! Dammit... dammit... why them...?"

The giant fell to his knees, and finally his heart had been broken. For a time, he did not move from that spot; on that day the people of that island came to remember it as the day... a hero died.

On this dreary day, a corpse lay upon the dirt a mere few steps from where Hero was sitting on his knees. It alone was not important, but what it said was. It had resurrected his family to hunt him down and kill anyone else in their path. It had every intention of desecrating Golden Phoenix's name with this act. The why no longer mattered. Hero was no longer filled with any other emotions than pure unbridled hatred, and unyielding sorrow for what he was likely forced into by the Gods themselves. Those very Gods who gave his family this lineage to be a living divine hero on Earth. The giant now no longer believed the Gods were on his side; in fact, he was forsaken by them. To have received a fate such as this... what else could it have been?

What was he to do now with all this rage? As much as he had recovered mentally at the current moment, Hero was not at all confident he could return to that nearby town. The aura exuding from his person was black, polar opposite to the brilliant gold he normally presented to others. Its thickness made it act similarly to a liquid; it oozed outward along the floor in all directions seeking out sentience. There was an eerie silence in the crater, as though the place was put on mute; there was not even the slightest hint of a breeze or of a bird chirping or of a bug crawling.

Yamamoto tread on a very thin line between sanity and madness; he could be pushed either way at the drop of a feather depending on who he confronted in those next uncountable moments. However, the man knew he could not drown in this pool of despair for long. No matter heavy this feeling was, he had a job to do, to protect the innocent of Fiore... and to free his family who had been shackled to this world for the enjoyment of some waste of space. It was not an easy thing to think about. Hero's hands continued to tremble at the realization that he would most likely have to... do something unforgivable. Suddenly a familiar voice rang out into the air, his own name being what shot into his ears, and after that one, many more followed. They were all familiar. Upon turning around, the giant's greatest fear of the moment came true. Members of Golden Phoenix he had laughed with... shared drinks with... gone out on jobs with... he recognized every single one. Hero made not a single sound as tears poured from his eyes; in fact, so much liquid came from his eyes that hints of red started to show through the clear water. He gritted and gnashed his teeth; his short nails tore into the palms of his hands.

As his family grew closer, he started to notice that they were all crying too. Running toward him now, they shouted their feelings at him. Telling him it wasn't his fault. Telling him they were glad he was alive. Telling him they were sorry for not being able to say goodbye. Everyone fell silent except for one though, who cried so much harder than the others.

"Hero... we're sorry. We're so sorry! We... can't stay here for long. That necromancer... he wasn't strong enough to keep us all tethered to the world. I... I'm so... very glad... we could see you this one last time... so so very glad."

"Everyone... I... I... I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!"

Hero finally let it out. He bawled his eyes out, and as he did so, all the others crowded around and hugged him tightly. For this brief time, the old man felt relief. Relief he could only possibly get through something miraculous like this. Even as they one by one faded into light and floated to the open sky, Hero faithfully said goodbye and provided the one thing he always could: an unyielding, unbreakable smile. As the last ones floated off, there was only one presence which remained and... this was going to be far more painful to accept. That singular voice called out to Hero in his usually casual way, which caused the man's whole body to tense up and shake.

"Yo! I know it's a bit late but... well, welcome back, bro."

How... why... why was he here? Titan was struck cold in an instant, at the sight of his cousin Elyx. It couldn't be possible... he was one of the strongest wizards in all of Fiore. How...

"Maaaan, this is kinda awkward isn't it? I bet you got a ton of questions in that brain of yours. Unfortunately I don't know a whole lot either, except I'm not actually dead. Not sure where. That necromancer you just killed tethered my residual essence from the guild here to kill you when you arrived. Too bad for him, I'm stronger than that to an extent."

It was impossible to think straight. Yamamoto was still reeling from seeing his cousin here, even if it was not entirely him. He forgot how to move his mouth for a time, and while he tried to regain some semblance of composure, it was no good. Elyx walked closer and placed a hand on Hero's left shoulder.

"I don't blame you for being shocked, but I don't have long. I can only maintain this control for a little longer before I have to kill you. I really don't want to like this, so come on, Hero. Snap out of it."

The giant gritted his teeth so hard, an audible grinding noise filled the immediate air space. It took everything he had to take some amount of sanity back from the emotions which were tearing at his soul. Titan managed to get back on his two feet after a few moments of gathering his surroundings. After staggering a few times, Hero's balance finally stabilized and then he took a deep breath; the silence was so thick, one's ears could ring. A few more moments in such silence passed before Hero finally spoke.

"Elyx... I failed. I couldn't protect any of them. By all rights, I deserve to die."

Elyx shook his head.

"You've always been too serious for your own good, Hero. It isn't your fault that a dark guild attacked while the strongest members were out on their own business. You can't be blamed for that. But now there's something you have to do, isn't there?"

Hero twitched and his mind went blank. All he could hear for a moment was static noise. His large hands were clenched tightly into fists, so tightly the palms of said hands began to bleed from the pressure.

"To make me do something like this... I must truly be hated by fate. To have to erase my own cousin's essence from this place."

"There's nothing I can say that will make this easier for you to swallow. However, you can think of this as a test. You are at a crossroad right now, and training can no longer get you where you need to go. I may only be his residual essence left behind, but I was built up over all these years. I'm equal to at least half of Elyx's full strength. He would want nothing more than to send you off in this way. Not to mention I carry his will and his memories. Doing this is as difficult for you as it is for me."

There was silence again for several minutes. Hero broke it this time; it took everything he had to not break into pieces on the spot.

"There is really... no other way, is there..."

"Sorry, man, no dice. I'm about to lose control, so... really, good luck."

Elyx fell silent, and then murderous intent swallowed the area whole. There were only a couple of times he saw Elyx get serious and neither of those times were pleasant to say the least. This was worse... he definitely wasn't holding back. Hero knew that but... he could not muster any strength. Shock alone stole energy from his body and mind; everything within him was running on empty. Who could blame him in this situation? Perhaps only the truly insane could. No way in hell he could back away from this either. Yamamoto knew if he did not settle this now, Elyx would move on to cause trouble throughout the country just as the dead necromancer threatened.

'... I have no choice... lets try to get through this before I go insane.'

Tears streamed down the giant's face as he began gathering ethernano into his body; a clearly visible golden hue appeared around his figure. Before it could be realized, the island became covered by rain clouds. The atmosphere itself turned gray; color itself seemingly faded underneath. The two cousins stood motionless toward each other for a while. Time all but stopped around them. Droplets of water fell in slow motion from the clouds above them, unable to move any faster due to the pressure exerted on nature. His heartbeat pounded slowly, but each one echoed off the gravel beneath his feet.

All of this was a sign that the world was about to change, especially Hero's. Everything Yamamoto had done led to this singular moment. Titan's mind was empty. Rather, he was incapable of thought. After all, he stood at the door to madness where all good men fell. Unfortunately, though, he was out of time. Elyx moved first, nearly vanishing into thin air and appearing a half second later to land a kick to Hero's left side. While he blocked it barely, the man was flung thirty meters away. His feet managed to remain tethered to the ground despite the jerked movement and debris scattered about the place. 'Tch.' The giant's body moved on its own, darting unnaturally fast for his size directly at Elyx and threw a kick of his own which grazed their upper left thigh. The graze alone was enough to force Reiaki into the air while twisting and flipping, but they landed on their feet anyway. At this point, the two were merely feeling each other out. Neither one wanted to go all out at the start, in order to preserve their energy. They moved simultaneously this time and connected with their right fists, both perfectly equal... but then Elyx grinned. As a matter of reflex, Hero threw one punch after another while Elyx matched each one effortlessly. 'Tch. What did I expect? Guess I really do have to... use everything.'

"So be it. Lets do this, Elyx! I swear I'll send you off with a smile!"

'That's it, Hero... Please, don't forget. Your smile bears the strength of the common people now. Do what I couldn't. Protect all of them for me.'

---

On this day, two family members of high caliber collided. The shock waves reverberated through the earth with tremendous force. Nearby ports and cities experienced heavy quakes and floods. One was a Wizard Saint whose power was beyond comprehension for most at full strength, and the other was a giant whose stature and reputation far exceeded those of his rank. For two whole days, they were matched blow for blow and neither showed signs of slowing down. The dawn of the third day saw the end of this struggle. Both men stood in their respective stances, with wide smiles stretched across their faces and then finally...

Elyx Reiaki relaxed from his stance and stood straight up. He gave Hero a nod and a thumb up. The sky had cleared and the Sun's rays pierced through to where they now stood motionless. The Giant's face grew dark for a moment and could not be seen; Elyx walked up to him at a casual pace. As that Saint walked forward, his body began to fade as light particles floated up into the morning sky. Droplets of water fell from Yamamoto's face to the ground and eventually he fell to his knees. The two were now nearly eye level. Titan placed a fist over his heart and gave a hearty smile, as if to say...

"Don't worry, little brother! I'll take it from here. We may not meet again for a very long time, but watch over me okay? I'll protect everyone in your place. I swear it. You go on ahead. I love you."

Elyx sighed and closed his eyes. Satisfied at that assuring smile, he dissipated completed and flew off with the wind at his back. For a time unknown to himself, Hero cried like he had never cried before. The echoes of his yells and moans could be heard from every corner of the island. It is said that every living thing at that time fell silent and only listened. They prayed and they cried...

... for it was the day a hero died.

Later, upon stopping his crying, he fell into a deep sleep, a sleep from which he did not wake for five days and nights. On the sixth morning, when he finally woke up, he felt truly dead in his heart. He had no choice but to believe it now. Golden Phoenix, along with his family, was gone and so was much of his sanity. He could tell how unstable he was. In this state, there was no way he could protect anyone, much less himself. Knowing that, the giant returned to his feet and started walking. Where? Nowhere except away from everyone and everything he knew, at least for a while until he knew what to do from now on. With his loved ones taken from him, Titan no longer had a reason to get stronger even though he made that promise. There was a great wound left on his soul which was not easy to overcome.

Dragging out a cloak from his magic storage, Hero draped it around to conceal his face and walked through every town without uttering a sound. Even upon reaching the port to pay for a ship ride, he did so without saying anything and boarded said ship. The giant did not care where it was headed, only that it was headed far away from this island. Yamamoto was likely to not return for a very long time, so as the ship left port, he turned to look one last time at his and his family's home. He clutched his chest as he turned back around to face the open sea, not eager but ready to leave that place.

Hero Yamamoto vanished into thin air for many months; nobody tried to look either. All knew he did not want to be found, for close to none could truly understand what he was attempting to come to terms with. Word of his likeness cropped up infrequently everywhere around Fiore when a village or caravan was protected from bandits or dark mages. Even other lands such as Midi, Pergrande Kingdom, and Sin bore traces of him, though none could say if it was really him with certainty. A year passed swiftly in Hero's absence and then another year followed even more quickly. Titan took a lot of time to sort his feelings, and though he did make a breakthrough, it was only a single realization: he was angry at himself through and through. So much so in fact that often he broke his body against cliff sides and even allowed bandits to injure him before taking care of them. The man wanted to feel pain. He tortured himself again and again as penance for his failures.

How long was it going to be until Fiore would see its Titanic Hero return to them? Only the Gods knew for sure.