The Hero Slayer - A Villain Deku Story

Chapter NX-01: Witness Testimony I

- ...No Response.

- Serving as the region's leading law enforcement center, searching the watchtower agency of the Campfire Hero: Smores seemed the logical continuation of the investigation. Should any information relevant to the investigation exist, it would undoubtedly be secured within the watchtower's fortified walls. As we approached our intended destination, we discovered the remnants of a violent altercation that had likely occurred between the MIA heroes and an unknown aggressor. The watchtower's defensive barriers had been raised presumably by the agency's residents, forcefully sealing all entrances and exits indefinitely until the lockdown procedures were deactivated, as per standard security procedure. However, the barrier was extensively damaged, as though it had been bombarded continuously with heavy artillery fire. Upon breaching the primary entrance of the watchtower, further evidence of a violent altercation was discovered. The main reception hall had been completely coated with human blood, its dryness suggesting that it had been spilled for some time. Given the substantial volume of blood one would expect a multitude of accompanying corpses, yet curiously they seemed to have been meticulously disposed of. In spite of impassioned protests from certain squadron members, we systematically searched each floor for information yet discovered nothing of relevance. Ultimately, we breached Smores' personal office located on the eighth floor of the agency...

That was when we encountered true horror.

- ...No Response.

- I was the first to breach the office, confident that I was prepared to confront any nightmares that would stalk forward from the shadows. I was the first to realize that we were not alone in that watchtower, for there was an unknown humanoid intruder standing before me. Initially, it exhibited little visible indications that it had even registered my presence, nor had it made the slightest movement. Instead, it remained fixated on attentively examining the horizon from the watchtower's panoramic view, like a raptor searching for potential prey. Though deep inside I had hoped to encounter a survivor of the massacre, my survival instincts flared violently. I discreetly alerted my squadron that I had discovered a potential active hostile, hoping to remain seemingly undetected. Within moments they had entered the office in tactical formation, our squad commander audibly ordering the intruder to identify themselves and surrender immediately. Despite the presence of substantial reinforcements, the primal warnings of immediate danger refused to dissipate, for good reason. When the intruder finally turned to face us, my blood froze with fear. The entity wore an obsidian mechanical combat helmet equipped with industrial respirator technology, connected through several arteries to an energy cell that intermittently pumped luminescent crimson serum. Everything below its collarbone was concealed by a sizeable tattered black cloak and a frayed vermillion scarf, though the inhuman sound of grinding metal suggested heavy armor lay beneath. In my frozen state, I finally became aware of what my unconscious primal instincts had realized. Scattered across the intruder's body were innumerable scars and stains born from untold violence, the most recent of whom precisely matching the description of expected aftereffects caused by quirks belonging to the missing heroes. The villain responsible for massacring 39 professional heroes was standing before a squadron of elite professional heroes, completely unfazed.

- The watchtower's entire architecture was intentionally designed to provide maximum effective surveillance range, keep an eye out for any trouble so to speak. If this intruder was actively watching and waiting for professional heroes, it would have almost certainly noticed your squadron approaching. But if that was the case, the intruder could have just sneaked out while your squadron was occupied breaching the tower. It doesn't make any sense, why would any criminal be willing to risk a direct confrontation with law enforcement, unless... Audible Pause... oh my god.