Hero Hack: Reversing Heroes and Raising Harem-Chapter 57: No Mercy, Just Justice!

The smoke cleared out, revealing Stoneclaw.

Stoneclaw stood hunched in the middle of the blast zone.

His arms trembled.

His rock claws were shattered, broken at the forearm.

Deep red cuts lined his hands, blood dripping steadily to the cracked pavement below.

He clenched his jaw. "Damn it..."

He looked up, breathing hard, eyes tracking the direction Blast had fled.

"I let him get away..."

Stoneclaw took a staggering step forward, dragging his foot slightly.

His chest ached, ribs likely bruised from the pressure of the explosion.

But he didn’t stop.

He limped toward the alley’s exit, muttering through gritted teeth.

"Not done. Not yet."

He pushed on, hand against the wall to steady himself.

"You’re not walking away from this. I’m still here."

---

Blast ran a full sprint across the area.

He sped through the wreckage of CE-3.

His breath coming in short gasps, panic rising in his chest.

"Where the hell is Blunt?"

He muttered, glancing over his shoulder.

"He should’ve shaken that other guy by now—"

WHAM!

He slammed chest-first into something solid.

He stumbled back, snarling. "Hey! Watch where you’re—"

He froze.

Zain stood in front of him, completely still, arms loose at his sides.

Blast’s stomach twisted. "...You."

He looked past Zain, eyes catching movement.

A body lay sprawled on the concrete.

His voice cracked. "Wait..."

He stepped to the side for a clearer view.

It was Blunt.

Lifeless.

His arms were gone, nothing but mangled flesh and scorched bone at the shoulders.

The rest of his body was limp, his head slumped to the side.

Blast’s breath caught. "Blunt—"

Zain stepped forward, smirking.

"You’re next."

Blast’s eyes narrowed. "Damn you."

With a sudden twist of his wrist, Blast use his ability, Flash Bomb.

BANG—!

Light burst across the alley.

Zain blinked once but didn’t flinch.

He could already feel it—more than just light.

As the smoke began to build, Blast scattered small balloons across the area.

Each one was filled with Blast Breath gas, coupled with Impact Tags.

From the smoke, Blast’s voice rose.

"You think you’re tough? You think killing Blunt makes you something?"

His face twisted in rage. "I’ll make you pay for that."

BOOM—BOOM—BOOM!

The chain reaction detonated through the alley, multiple explosions tearing through the air. freewebnσvel.cѳm

The smoke thickened. Concrete cracked.

A light post shattered and fell.

Blast grinned—until the dust cleared.

Zain was still standing.

Unburned. Unshaken.

His clothes were scuffed, sure. But his body?

Untouched.

Blast staggered back, face draining of color.

"How the hell...?"

Zain’s voice was calm.

"Hard Skin. Just like your friend."

He reached into his coat and slowly drew his gun.

"But unlike you two, mine is better."

He pulled a fresh round from his belt.

A blood-forged bullet, glowing faintly from the heat of Blast Breath.

Its surface etched with an Impact Tag already fused in.

Zain slid it into the chamber with a sharp click.

"This little combo of yours?" he said, raising the barrel.

"It had potential."

He pointed it at Blast’s chest.

"But mine’s still better than yours."

Blast’s foot shifted slightly—he tried to move.

He couldn’t. He’d backed into the alley’s dead end.

Zain exhaled. "Bye bye."

CRACK—BOOM!

The bullet hit center mass.

The blast ripped through Blast’s chest with vicious force, hurling him backward into the concrete wall.

His body slumped.

Still. Smoking. Silent.

Zain lowered the gun.

"Now we’re even."

---

Stoneclaw jogged into the alley, limping slightly, blood still drying on his arms.

He stopped when he saw the familiar figure standing among the smoke and rubble.

"Heavenly Demon... you’re here."

Zain turned his head. "Yeah. Took care of business."

Stoneclaw’s eyes flicked across the scene.

"But... Blast—he got away, didn’t he?"

Zain tilted his head toward the ground.

"Did he?"

Stoneclaw followed the gesture.

Two bodies lay still in the alley.

Blunt, slumped against the wall—armless.

A burn scar was visible on his skull.

Where the last shot had hit him right between his eyes.

A few meters away, Blast’s corpse rested face-up in a broken crater.

A gaping hole was where his heart should have been.

His chest cavity was charred, the impact marks clearly visible.

Stoneclaw looked at the bodies again, frowning.

He turned to Zain, his voice low. "You... you really did this?"

Zain smiled faintly, eyes sharp. "Of course I did."

Stoneclaw took a step forward. "Why did you kill them?"

Zain’s smile faded. His expression hardened.

"Because they were villains."

Stoneclaw frowned. "They were still human."

Zain’s gaze shifted, landing square on Stoneclaw.

"Yeah. Human. Humans who slaughtered C-Rank heroes like it meant nothing."

He pointed at the ground without looking.

"Blunt crushed a kid’s spine with a Shock Slam. I saw the photo. You wanna call that human?"

Stoneclaw hesitated.

Zain stepped closer.

"And you? You held back. I watched you hesitate with Blast. You took a hit you didn’t have to. You let him run."

Stoneclaw’s jaw tightened. "I didn’t let him—"

"You didn’t stop him," Zain snapped.

"You hoped he’d give up. He didn’t."

Zain pointed at the rubble behind them.

"If I didn’t catch him, how many more do you think he’d kill tonight?"

Stoneclaw didn’t answer

His gaze lingered on the remains of Blast and Blunt.

His fingers twitched, the sting of his injuries still fresh.

Zain broke the silence.

"Let’s just take their corpses and go back. File the report."

He stepped past the bodies and glanced over his shoulder.

"We both should pass."

Stoneclaw didn’t move.

Zain’s voice dropped, steady and sharp.

"But let me remind you of something."

Stoneclaw looked up slowly.

Zain faced him fully.

"If you’re serious about becoming a B-Rank hero... then you better think twice."

Stoneclaw’s brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Zain nodded toward the bloodstained alley.

"The higher your rank, the worse the enemy."

He paused, then added.

"And if you hesitate up there like you did today? You won’t get a second chance."

Stoneclaw clenched his jaw.

Zain turned. "Pick up the body. Let’s go."

Stoneclaw moved without a word.

This wasn’t over. But for now... they had a job to finish.