The final battle.
The whole world was watching.
From above, inside a roaring helicopter, the media reporters watched the devastation that was happening down below.
The ground had long turned purple, with dead bodies scattered all over. Suddenly, these corpses opened their eyes, then gradually stood up as if they were alive again.
And at the center of it all was a lone man with scattered messy black hair.
With a wave of his hands, the freshly awakened corpses joined his growing army, wreaking havoc in the city. The citizens had run far, far away, but those who weren't able to do so were killed on the spot, turning into animated corpses.
The reporter's face turned grim.
"According to the intel, Error Crow had no skill like this..." The reporter said. "This power... Did he... Did he just ascend to become SSS-ranked?"
A moment later, another figure had arrived on the scene. He wore a yellow cape and a white suit, a contrast to the devastation that's wreaking havoc in the city.
The two met at the center, just staring off at each other. The scene seemed like a sun was trying to overpower the darkness of the night.
Seeing this, the reporter beamed into a wide smile. "S-Rank Hero Lucian has responded to the scene!"
In a blink of an eye, the two faced off. Sending waves upon waves of invisible force around, smashing the walls and buildings around them. The fight was too fast, and the people watching couldn't follow with their naked eyes.
The fight paused for a brief moment. Lucian heaved as he caught his breath.
There was just one enemy in front of him, but there seemed to be many — scratching his flesh, biting onto his skin.
Slowly, he lost his strength as he was overwhelmed by the giant army of corpses.
The reporter's joyous face and the people watching the broadcast turned pale.
'The greatest hero is losing?'
The air smelled of rotten flesh, and the laughter of the corpses surrounding him was making it harder for Lucian to remain sane.
"How do you like my newest skill? Aren't my corpses adorable?" A teasing voice echoed from the mouths of the corpses.
Lucian glanced around, trying to determine the original source of the voice, but the owner was too sneaky. The only thing Lucian's vision could catch were the long strands of black hair that flowed with the wind.
"Crow! Face me head on!" Lucian shouted, his eyes turning red in rage.
"Why should I?" Crow laughed along with his army of corpses. "I especially learned this skill just to kill you with it. So why should I?"
"Turn over into a new leaf!"
Another chorus of laughter echoed in the surroundings.
"And then what? Be like you? Faking being a hero?"
As Crow's voice faded, the laughing army of corpses turned frantic, throwing themselves onto Lucian as Crow stood off from the distance and commanded them.
Lucian's gaze was locked onto Crow, but no matter how he pushed through and parried the attacks of the corpses, he couldn't reach the place where Crow was.
When Lucian hacked at the corpse in front of him, splattering the rotten blood toward his face, he blinked, avoiding the blood that was about to hit his eyes. But the moment he opened it, Crow was no longer at the place where he was standing.
Suddenly, a blinding pain travelled through the great hero's body. When he looked down, he saw a hand had penetrated his chest, holding onto his heart.
"Teacher told us, always be on the lookout behind you," Crow said, smirking.
Lucian slowly turned his head and locked gazes with Crow, with a streak of red blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
"You..."
Finally, the face behind the long messy hair was revealed as the wind blew. "What? Miss my handsome face?"
"Crow... You'll regret ever killing me."
Crow scoffed. "Regret? My only regret is not killing you earlier. Now, I have to deal with the aftermath."
He, along with the army of his undead, gazed at the horizon. A yellow streak of light was rapidly flying toward this direction as though a warning for Crow and his army.
'I guess I better get out of here.'
With a smirk, he kicked Lucian from behind. The heart was torn apart from his body that fell down and spasmed as it gradually lost its life.
One last time, Crow gave him a parting gift before leaving this place and claiming his trophy.
He kicked it once.
"This is for Teacher."
Then another.
"This is for me."
Then a few more times.
"This is for…" Crow grinned. "Nothing. I just want to kick you more."
'Greatest hero of all times, huh?'
He gazed above, smiling at the media helicopter's direction and raising the heart in his hand. Not even a second had passed when it flew away in a hurry.
There was no longer a greatest hero of all time — only a dead hero in this lifetime.
A low laughter escaped from Crow's throat.
He wasn't yet done for the claiming of today's trophy. The streak of light was probably still five minutes away from this place.
And even if that streak of light arrived before Crow could leave, he could still deal with it with just a wave of his hand.
After all, he was the greatest villain now that he killed the greatest hero.
"System Command."
Black smoke rose from the dead body, forming a rectangular interface floating before Crow.
'After all of the grandeur you boasted for seven years, now you're nothing but a corpse in my army.'
The body had long stopped spasming, but the heart in his hand was still beating, although it was turning slow as the seconds passed by.
Now was the perfect time to get his hands with the "greatest" hero's skill.
"Download Skill," Crow uttered.
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Fetching Assets…
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As the heart's beats gradually died down in his hand, Crow waited for his skill to finish. Just then, a strange voice coming from all directions suddenly spoke.
[Oh no! Host's vital signs are declining...]
Crow frowned.
'What's that?'
Lucian's heart thumped its last beat, turning eternally silent.
[Host No. 002: Vital Signs 0%]
[Commencing a search for a new host...]
Suddenly, a hot current travelled through Crow's body, starting from the top of his head and slowly inching downward. The moment it reached his chest, its prickly heat paused at the area where his heart was.
[Yey! 1 Suitable corrupted host found!]
[Commencing system transfer...]
A blinding light shot out from the silent heart in Crow's hand, travelling at a fast pace and entering his body from the left side of his chest.
He stumbled, flinging the heart away with wide eyes.
[Transfer complete.]
This time, the voice was no longer coming from all directions but inside his head. Then, a clear blue hologram interface appeared before him, different from the usual black interface he was used to when using his skill. It was accompanied by the strange voice that was seemingly mocking him.
[Hello, Villain No. 003! I am your Villain's Reformation System! Nice to meet you!]