Chapter 2 «Hero's Proof»

Of course, even if Ken wouldn't mind being a hired man for an unknown and probably dangerous boss who could do actions he would never want to imagine, he knows very well that it is impossible to go into these worlds on his own. He has no power that would make his travel more serene and easier.

For this reason, Ken looked at the suspended sphere in front of his eyes with a strange look.

"Er ... while I wouldn't mind being an envoy to you and going to retrieve these petals, could I at least have powers so I can adapt to these worlds? "

Without powers, you can't do anything. This Ken knows. Not to mention the fact that Ken clearly knows that he is not a protagonist to whom things happen by magic and out of nowhere.

By this Ken means that even if he were to go to these worlds in a powerless way, he knows he would not find a mysterious artefact capable of destroying the universe or learn lost magic from a book found on the ground while walking in a forest.

The sphere, at the boy's words, shook slightly and then said in the usual ethereal tone of voice, "The power was delivered to you as soon as you entered this space, you just need to say [Hero's Proof], like this, the power that you so much desire will appear in your hands."

Ken was immediately excited; he finally has a power with which he can save his life in those dangerous worlds.

For this reason, as soon as the sphere finished telling him what to do, Ken immediately pronounced the phrase.

"Come to me, Hero's Proof!"

Suddenly, a bright light appeared, so intense that Ken had to close his eyes for fear of being blinded.

Even though this light prevented him from seeing, with his right hand, he could feel that he had something now in his palm.

After a few seconds, Ken sensed that the light went out, so he opened his eyes.

The vision of the 'crest' left him speechless.

"But ... but ... but this isn't the [Wild Crest] in Grimms Notes ?! Why do you say it's the Hero's Proof?" said Ken with a twitching mouth looking at that 'crest' in his hand.

How to say ... Ken expected something really mysterious since this place is so mysterious but ... he never expected to see the emblem used in a video game saga.

This caused the image of this luminous sphere called [Sora] to collapse slightly in his mind.

But even though the coat of arms is something he had seen before while he was still alive, he admits that this is not something that simple because the mere sight of that emblem made him almost dizzy. It seems something unattainable and intangible.

At the boy's words, the sphere shook slightly.

"No, not at all, this is the one and unmistakable [Hero's Proof]" replied [Sora] albeit with some embarrassment, or so it seemed to the boy's ears.

It is certainly an illusion ... right?

He seems to have resigned himself and for this reason, making a sigh, he looked at [Sora] again.

"I don't have the desire to argue about this thing, the only thing that disturbs me is how to use this emblem ... besides, I won't have the power to transform myself only into the characters of the Grimm Brothers, right?" Ken asked [Sora] in an inquisitive tone.

While many characters within the Grimm Brothers tales possess magical powers, they are certainly not strong. He could never imagine going to the animated worlds with those characters; it's suicide.

At the very thought of that Ken shivered, because if so it is impossible.

[Sora] seems to have noticed what Ken was thinking and, hearing the words, Ken sighed in relief as it is not what he thought.

"No, even if the power of [Hero's Proof] allows you to transform into the characters, they are certainly not those from the tales of the Grimm Brothers but ..."

The next words, Ken seem to have understood or at least intercepted them, but hearing them later left him speechless.

"On the contrary, it allows you to transform yourself into fictional characters."

"What?!" Ken exclaimed.

This is because thinking about it and hearing about it are two totally different things. He would never have imagined having this power.

Immediately an excitement so great as to be almost irrepressible entered Ken's body. He trembles with excitement at the very thought of being able to transform, for example, into Son Goku in Dragon Ball or into other characters who can destroy universes.

But [Sora's] following words have like poured cold water all over Ken.

"Don't think that. Even if you were to transform into characters of that level, you wouldn't be able to do anything. Your body wouldn't be able to handle that physical effort. Take, for example, Son Goku from Dragon Ball, with the physical strength you possess you wouldn't be able even to send a Kamehameha."

Hearing this, Ken appears to have taken a blow to heart, crouched on his knees and started making circles with his finger on the white ground.

After all, Ken, even if he is a normal person, he has full confidence in his physical strength, he can be an otaku, but to avoid health problems he trained and, being told that it is nothing has hurt his pride.

"Don't worry," [Sora] said, "even if you can't have such powers, it doesn't mean you won't be strong. Also, turning into a hero will cause a strengthening process on your body, so this is an advantage."

Ken, hearing this immediately raised his head.

"Really?" Ken asked in the direction of the luminous sphere in a doubtful and distrustful tone of voice.

[Sora] shivered slightly and then stated in a tone full of seriousness.

Ken seems to have convinced himself that there is no harm in following this sphere; for this reason, he nodded.

"Okay ..." Ken got up from the floor patting his clothes so as to remove the imaginary 'dust' on his clothes, and then, in a serious tone of voice, he asked [Sora] perhaps the most important question, "How do I gain the power of these 'heroes'?"

[Sora] immediately flew not far from the boy, and a magic circle appeared from the ground after [Sora] leaned on the ground.

Subsequently, an object appeared from this magic circle that Ken recognized it as a mirror.

Slowly, this mirror came in front of Ken along with [Sora] who came back after doing all of this.

Ken observed this mysterious object. The mirror was gorgeous, with a frame made of a crystalline material which formed a mysterious and complicated shape but, looking through the mirror, he did not notice anything particular, so, with an inquisitive tone of voice, he asked [Sora].

"This mirror would be ..."

But not before looking himself in the mirror, mm, I'm handsome enough, Ken thought narcissistically looking inside.

Ken clearly knows this is not a normal mirror after all [Sora] clearly brought this item after he asked her about how to get the heroes. Hence, he immediately ruled out the possibility of a normal mirror.

"This is the [Dimensional Mirror]. The characters that appear in this mirror will enter the [Hero's Proof] crest, thus becoming your power. It must be said, however, that these characters are completely random but, since you are going to go on your first mission, I give you three 'heroes', and in case you want new 'heroes' you will first have to find the missing petal, this will allow you to get a single new 'hero'."

Ken clearly knows he wanted more; there is nothing free in the world, especially in this mysterious place. If you want something, work hard to get it. These heroes are, in a sense like his salary.

But now that he has gotten to this point, he clearly knows that he cannot retire, not that he would like to retire.

"So what should I do?" Ken asked [Sora].

"Take out the badge and place it in front of the [Dimensional Mirror]" [Sora] replied.

Ken followed what the sphere told him, took the crest he had put in his pocket and placed it in front of the mysterious mirror.

Immediately, the surface of the mirror seems to have become like throwing a stone into the water, many layers of ripples on the mirror have formed an image on the mirror.

Upon seeing that character, Ken seems to have taken a blow to heart.

"Eh? I'm not dreaming, am I?!"