NEWS REPORTS:
BREAKING NEWS – Piles of bodies were discovered, massacred and butchered, in an alleyway on B-Sector E5.
At first, the sight left the police force in a state that could only be described as shock, disgust, and absolute horror. Only later did they confirm the identities: twenty-seven bodies, all cartel leaders. Among them, two were infamous mass murderers who had been eluding justice for years.
The question on everyone's mind—on the news, on social media, whispered in dark alleys—was the same. Did whoever did this know exactly who they were killing? Could one person really take down this many monsters in such a short time?
Stay tuned for more updates on this mystery vigilante.
And that's how it began.
Stories spread like wildfire, faster than any government could contain, faster than any authority could control. Week after week, the body count grew. Each victim: a killer, a rapist, a war criminal, someone whose name carried screams of the innocent.
Conspiracy theories exploded in the chaos. Some said he was a devil escaped from hell, cleansing the world of filth. Others swore he was a vampire, risen from the grave to enact judgment. Most popular of all—surely it wasn't just one man. How could it be? Witnesses swore they saw him in countries thousands of miles apart, all within days.
They called him many things. But one name echoed louder than the rest: A Feared Hero.
The teacher's voice broke through the noise.
"Alright everyone, make sure to finish your work before next class. You may proceed to your next period."
Chairs scraped, bags zipped. Students shuffled out of the room, whispers of the vigilante trailing behind like smoke.
Yuri felt a strange sensation crawling over him, like eyes pressing into his skin. He glanced around—the whispers, the pointed looks. Everyone talking about him. About him.
Feels like I'm… naked, he thought. Exposed in every way.
Then, a faint, sharp sound cut through the murmur.
"Psst!"
A voice from the corner, hushed, insistent.
Yuri already knew who it was. He could sense her before he saw her. The subtle shift in air, the barely-there warmth of movement. But he couldn't let it show. Not yet.
He turned slowly. There she was—Sarah, peeking out from the doorway of a classroom.
He sighed and stepped inside.
The room wasn't empty. Besides Sarah, there were three others.
Eithen, immediately recognizable: long, silky hair, a physique that seemed sculpted by some divine hand, the kind of boy every girl in school whispered about.
Gemma, gentle and kind, someone Yuri admired quietly. Her long black hair held faint streaks of purple that caught the light as she moved. Dirt-brown eyes, soft baby-skin, a kindness that reached him even when he tried to hide behind walls.
And the third—someone new. A boy in a hood, headphones over his ears, leaning casually against the wall, unreadable, untouchable.
"Uh—hello," Yuri said cautiously.
"Hey, what's up," Eithen replied, casual, with that easy confidence.
"Hey, Yuri!" Gemma smiled warmly.
"…What's good," the hooded figure said flatly. "Call me Duke. Nice to meet you." His tone neutral, his expression unreadable.
"I'm Yuri. Nice to meet you, too," he said, nodding.
Sarah stepped forward. "Now that introductions are out of the way… let's get started."
Yuri's brow furrowed. "Started? With what?"
"Well, Yuri—" Sarah began, before Eithen cut in.
"We're on a hunt."
"…A hunt?"
"Yeah," Sarah said, trying to continue, but Duke leaned forward. His voice low, cutting through the chatter like a knife.
"Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard of this dark, mysterious superhero people are calling… The Vigilante."
"Yeah, I've heard of him," Yuri replied cautiously. "He's… like a devil or something, right?"
"Exactly," Gemma added. "Or at least that's what people think."
Yuri tilted his head, confused. "Okay… so what does he have to do with your hunt?"
Duke shook his head, almost in disbelief. "Wow. You really have been living under a rock. People all over the world are trying to find this guy."
Eithen's voice added weight. "Some organization even put a five-billion-dollar bounty on his head—for whoever brings him in."
Gemma crossed her arms. "They justify it by calling him a rogue killer. But everyone knows he only goes after criminals."
Yuri froze. An organization? The words hit him like icy water. They found out… this soon?
"Yuri?" Sarah said gently.
"Huh?"
"As I was saying," she continued, "there are over one hundred and twenty groups hunting the vigilante. We can't let that happen."
Eithen's eyes narrowed. "And only twenty groups—like ours—are out there protecting him."
Yuri's heart thudded in his chest. "No."
The word fell like steel. Silence rippled through the room.
"Excuse me?" Eithen said, incredulous.
"Look," Yuri said, voice firm, eyes meeting theirs. "This is dangerous. If the vigilante can take down world-class convicts, he can protect himself. There's no reason for us to get involved. Just stop."
"You don't get to decide that," Eithen said, frowning.
"No one said he can't protect himself," Gemma said softly, stepping closer. "But we could help. It wouldn't hurt to do what we can, to stand up for something that matters."
Duke remained silent, unreadable.
"…As I said," Yuri muttered, shaking his head. "This isn't our business. We don't need to get involved."
He turned, ready to leave.
Duke's voice, low and calm, stopped him.
"I wonder what he's thinking right now… you know, the vigilante."
Yuri froze, the words hanging heavy in the air. Then he walked away, leaving the room behind without another sound.
Later…
Yuri trudged home, mind spinning, heart pounding. But this time, the house wasn't empty.
Hiro waited. Tall, composed, every bit the figure of authority. Neatly kept curls framed his sharp, intimidating face. His presence didn't just command respect—it demanded fear.
"H-Hiro… you're back—" Yuri began.
Before he could finish, Hiro's hand gripped him by the collar. He was yanked inside, slammed against the wall. The door closed behind them with a dull thud.
"I warned you," Hiro said, his voice sharp, slicing the air. "I fucking warned you about this. And what do you do while I'm gone? You spit in my face."
Yuri didn't respond.
"You blew it, Yuri. Three years of training… gone. All my work—wasted."
"Don't say that! I promise I'm ready! In just three months, I've taken down one hundred eighty-seven criminals—filth, Hiro! And I'm just getting started!"
"You know they're after you now, right?" Hiro growled. "They know your strength—"
"And so do you!" Yuri snapped. "You know how strong I am! I'm not human—I can take them on—!"
Hiro didn't let him finish. In a blur, he grabbed Yuri, slammed him into the floor with a force that rattled his bones. Yuri coughed blood, the metallic taste stinging.
"You see?" Hiro barked, his voice echoing. "You're not invincible. You bleed—just like everyone else. You're as human as anyone. And you'd better remember this: you can be killed… just like any other man. You hear me?!"
Silence fell. Hiro exhaled, calm now, his rage spent. Without another word, he turned and left, leaving the room heavy with tension.
Yuri lay there, chest heaving, blood on his lip, but a fire burned deep in his eyes.
Human? No… I'm far from it. He clenched his fists. And I'm not the only one who thinks so. Just ask the millions who've heard the name…
THE VIGILANTE.