Hero’s Child C2

Chapter 2

 

 

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A bright full moon hung over the mountain ridge. Deep within the mountains stood a solitary house, tall and imposing—its presence strange and mystical. The courtyard, illuminated by stone lanterns, was breathtakingly beautiful. Yet the scent of blood hung heavy in the air.

 

The owner of the house seemed to be a devout believer in feng shui. Golden carp ornaments were placed along the eaves of the tiled roof, and flowers and butterflies were intricately carved into the beams and pillars that stood every eight feet. However, the corpses scattered across the floor turned the otherwise elegant house into something grotesque and eerie.

 

Someone covered their nose as they looked at the bodies. It was a pale woman holding a sleeping baby in her arms. She frowned, as though disgusted by filth.

 

“Ugh, the stench. Don’t any of you have a sense of decency? How many did you kill this time? You think it’s okay to just slaughter people like this?”

 

“Well… it’s fine. The bastards who took over this house killed the original owner and threw him to the dogs after boiling his remains. I’m just giving them what they deserve. Can’t exactly call it wrong, can you?”

 

The man leaning casually against the stone table shrugged. The woman’s flawless face twisted into a sigh of exasperation.

 

“tsk, if I’d known, I would’ve peeled their flesh off piece by piece and shoved it down their throats. What a waste. Such a pity.”

 

“Mother Ship, the baby can hear you. Use nicer words, will you?”

 

“Oh dear, when did this little one wake up? What should I do?”

 

“What do you mean ‘what’? Just put it back to sleep, you crazy old hag!”

 

“What did you just call me, you meathead?”

 

“What, huh?! Did my dick ever do anything to help you, huh?!”

 

The man lying under the beam, drinking straight from a bottle, yelled back. Mother Ship threw the baby bottle at him, hitting him square on the forehead. He hissed in pain.

 

Startled by the shouting, the baby woke and began to cry loudly. Mother Ship quickly cradled the infant, rocking and cooing softly. As the baby kicked and flailed, the swaddling cloth unraveled with surprising force. The child’s appearance was nothing like that of an ordinary newborn.

 

Its skin was white as porcelain, devoid of color, and from its violet eyes emanated a sinister aura. Each time the child blinked, its form seemed to waver like a candle flame—changing bizarrely, grotesquely. Sometimes it looked like a five-year-old child, other times two, and sometimes as though it hadn’t been born at all.

 

But no one in the room found it strange. Mother Ship simply kissed the baby’s cheek lovingly and began to wrap it back in the blanket.

 

“Oh dear, Podo, you need to sleep now. That’s right, good baby. My beautiful little one.”

 

The baby soon drifted back into a quiet sleep. Then Mother Ship noticed the pool of blood at her feet and glanced toward the man sitting at the stone table.

 

“Hyde, isn’t this scene too grim? Change the scenery a bit, will you? It’s so gloomy the baby’s going to wake up again.”

 

“Hmm, really? What would you prefer?”

 

“Something more peaceful and elegant, perhaps. A lovely garden would be even better.”

 

The man crossed his arms and fell silent, as if deep in thought. Outwardly, he was flawless—a broad-shouldered, tall man with a graceful aura that was both soothing and alluring.

 

But that outer shell was a lie. He was a man of a thousand faces, changing his appearance every day, and one of the most notorious villains alive. Within In the Hell, no one could rival him. He was a man undefeated in every battle—a man one would never wish to have as an enemy.

 

There was only one way to recognize him, no matter what face he wore—the constellation of the Big Dipper gleaming in his white eyes.

 

“Well, fine. Since Uichan will be here soon, there’s no reason to show him something so horrific.”

 

After a moment’s pause, he snapped his fingers. The bloody scene dissolved, replaced by a serene oriental garden. In a black pond at the garden’s edge, the round moon reflected gently, radiating an air of quiet beauty.

 

“Oh my, how lovely.”

 

“Is it? Good. Changing the stage is hardly difficult for me.”

 

“Ugh, I think I’m going to puke!”

 

“What’s he on about now?”

 

The drunken man who had been guzzling liquor turned over and dry-heaved dramatically. His silver hair and sinister red eyes gave him a menacing look. Oddly, one corner of his mouth drooped while the other lifted, as though he wore a mask with two expressions.

 

“Hey, Jack, your lip’s drooping again.”

 

“Ah, damn it! I told you not to show up when I’m drinking!”

 

Jekyll Jack slapped his own cheek, and the drooping corner of his mouth twitched a few times before curving upward again. The sharp fangs now visible gave him the proud, dangerous look of a predatory beast.

 

“By the way, when’s Phantom Thief Keel getting here? Did he run off with the kid?”

 

“You worry too much, old hag. He’s probably still within our grasp anyway.”

 

“Did you just call me an old hag again? Are you insane?”

 

“What else should I call you? Big sis? Ha! With that face? Out there, you’d probably be acting all pitiful and pathetic. ‘Oh dear, help me, my legs are so weak.’ Then you’d trick some poor bastard and suck his liver dry. Hahaha! Ahaha!”

 

At that moment, a dark mass shot out from the blanket, slamming Jekyll Jack square in the face. He tumbled across the floor, groaning as he rubbed his jaw. When he looked up, the porcelain-skinned baby was crouched on all fours like an animal, baring its teeth at him.

 

“You damn brat! You’re gonna glare at me just because I insulted your mother?!”

 

“Oh, don’t look at me. You woke him up; you deal with it.”

 

Mother Ship dusted off the blanket and stretched lazily, while Hyde stood with folded arms, watching Jack and the child spar with mild amusement. After a moment, he lifted his head slightly.

 

“He’s here.”

 

As soon as he said it, the ground beneath them rumbled softly. A trapdoor rose from the earth and creaked open. From the darkness below, the sound of footsteps echoed—and two figures emerged.

 

The man in a white tuxedo stepped out first, followed by another in jeans and a hoodie. As soon as they entered, everyone’s faces lit up.

 

The baby, eyes wide, dashed forward on instinct. It leapt into the arms of the man in the hoodie, wrapping its arms tightly around his waist. The man staggered slightly but steadied himself with one large hand.

 

“Well, look at that—Podo’s so happy to see Uichan. But this little rascal never listens to his mom anymore. Didn’t I tell you not to run at people like that? You’ll hurt your big brother.”

 

“It’s fine, Mother. I’m happy to see Podo too.”

 

Though his expression was dry, his tone was gentle. The softness of his voice made the baby coo and squeal, sounding almost like a fox pup’s cry.

 

“Oh my, who could’ve given birth to a child that even speaks so sweetly? Come here, my darling, let your sister hold you too.”

 

“Sister my ass! Uichan, it’s your brother!”

 

Jekyll Jack, hair tousled, charged forward like a bull with arms wide open. But before he could reach him, Mother Ship had already wrapped Uichan in a tight embrace. In her soft, ample arms, Uichan carefully shielded the baby’s small head so it wouldn’t be crushed.

 

“This greedy old hag! You hugged him already, now move aside!”

 

A large hand gripped her shoulder and pulled her back forcefully. Muttering a small protest, Mother Ship took the now-sleeping baby and wrapped it back in the blanket. The moment she hummed a lullaby, the child drifted off again.

 

“Uichan, didn’t you miss your big brother? I got you something nice!”

 

“Let me guess—alcohol.”

 

“Huh? Uh… yeah! Alcohol’s the best, isn’t it?”

 

Jack ruffled Uichan’s hair roughly and clapped him hard on the shoulder. Behind them, Mother Ship turned to the man in the tuxedo with a teasing smile.

 

“So, what took you so long? We were waiting forever for our baby brother. I thought you’d run off with him.”

 

“Haha, I didn’t realize my reliability was in question. I ran into a few heroes on the way. Ended up playing with them for a bit, and before I knew it, I was late.”

 

“Oh my, why?”

 

“Well, apparently, the Three Great Heroes have been searching for our little brother lately. I suppose that has something to do with it.”

 

— Damn it, those lunatics are looking for Under Doom again! Don’t they know their place? Why are they sniffing around our baby brother with those ugly faces?

 

A tiny puppet perched on Phantom Thief Keel’s shoulder spoke in a shrill voice. Mother Ship waved her hand dismissively.

 

“Hey, they’re not ugly! Podo said all three of them were handsome. My baby’s got good taste, you know.”

 

“I respect your eye for beauty, Mother Ship, haha. But you see, I also respect ‘Kkomi’s’ sense of aesthetics.”

 

“And that’s your puppet talking.”

 

It had been two years since the formation of In the Hell. Founded by Hyde, the organization had fully taken shape after recruiting Jekyll Jack. The trials they had faced while forming this group were countless and brutal.

 

They were all monsters—completely different in nature and temperament—but somehow, they had been drawn together by a single, unifying force. Otherwise, it would’ve been impossible for such strong-willed, prideful individuals to live and work side by side.

 

That unifying force was simple: their youngest member.

 

The man had dark hair and eyes as black as midnight. His refined features still held a boyish innocence, but his expression was obscured behind clear glasses, giving him an unassuming air.

 

The large, thick-rimmed glasses made his face look gentle and plain. Without them, his “brothers” would throw a fit, insisting that he had to keep them on at all times.

 

That man was none other than Ha Uichan — the youngest member of In the Hell, and the so-called “Defective Villain” known to the world as Under Doom.

 

 

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