The Immoral Hero/Part 2

Mark continued to defeat monsters every day to protect his status as the local town hero. However, eventually the monsters stopped appearing, meaning that Mark couldn't perform heroic feats as often, and he started losing fans and receiving less praise. 'Fine,' Mark said haughtily. 'If killing monsters here isn't enough, I'll just do something even greater.' He believed if he showed the townsfolk even bigger and stronger heroics, they'd treat him like a hero once more. So Mark started venturing into the forest to dispatch monsters there, in order to boast about his strength and seek more praise. Shino followed him every time, in awe of his brother's feats. One day, a thief appeared in town. Mark easily killed the thief, but believing that wasn't enough, Mark ventured outside the town and killed all the thieves he could track down. Thanks to Mark's heroics, nothing would ever be stolen anymore. And Shino continued to follow his brother and watch him kill without hesitation. On another day, a burglar came to town, but Mark tailed him and killed him. However, Mark wasn't satisfied with just the burglar's death, so he tracked down the burglar's family and killed them as well. While Mark was able to protect the townsfolk from crime, the town itself became known as a ruthless and barbaric community because of Mark's violent justice. And the more Mark brandished his sword, the less the townsfolk regarded him as a hero. Fearful of Mark's brutality, the townsfolk distanced themselves from the murderous swordsman. 'Why are they shunning me, the local town hero and their savior?' Mark was confused but didn't bother asking anyone's opinion, not even that of Shino. He was too proud of himself, believing himself to be the perfect being. 'I know what I have to do. I must become even stronger and kill more enemies. Surely, they'll praise me and call me a hero once again.' And so Mark remained blind as to why people no longer considered him a hero. Obsessed with being lauded as a hero again, he pursued his sword training once more. その後もマークは英雄と称えられる日常を守る為に日々魔獣 を退治しますが、次第に魔獣が現れなくなってしまいました. 同時にマークが活躍する場が減り、彼を英雄ともてはやす声も 小さくなっていきます. 「まあいいさ、もう街に現れた魔獣退治だけじゃ 認められないって言うなら、もっと派手に活躍するだけだ」 マークはさらに強い力を街の住人に見せつけ、目覚しい活躍 をすれば再びもてはやされるのだと信じています. こうして功を急いたマークは率先して森の中へ入り、森に暮 らす魔獣を殲滅しては自慢するようになりました. 弟のシノも そんな兄の後ろを飽きる事無く毎回ついて行きます. ◇ 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ある日、街に盗賊が現れました. マークは鍛え上げた剣の腕 でもって苦戦する事無く盗賊を切り殺します. それだけでは足 りないと思ったマークは、街の外に潜伏していた盗賊も根絶や しにしました. こうしてマークの奮闘により誰一人、物を盗ま れる事は無く事件は解決します. 毎日そんな兄の後ろを付いて歩くシノの目には、問答無用で 人間を切り殺す兄の背中が映っていました. また別の日には、街に夜盗が現れました. マークは率先して 夜盗を追い、切り殺します. さらに夜盗の家族も共犯に違いな いと考え、マークはろくに調べもせず切りかかりました. それ 以降、マークのおかげで街の住人は一切被害に合わなくなりま す. しかし、マークが活躍するのと同時に、周辺地域からは無慈 悲な街だと噂されるようになりました. さらに、マークが剣を 振るえば振るう程街の住人は次第に彼を英雄とは呼ばなくなり、 マークを遠ざける様になります. 「何で街を救っているのに避けられるんだ？」 マークは疑問に思いながらも、シノや他人に相談する事はあ りませんでした. 何故なら自分の考えが常に正しく、今までも これからも間違える訳が無いと思っているからです. 「そうさ、もっともっと強い力を手に入れて悪者を 殺していけば、また俺を英雄と呼んでくれるはずなんだ」 マークは何故英雄と呼ばれないのか理解出来ないまま、今ま で通りの方法を貫き、再び英雄と呼ばれる日を待つ事にしまし た. 考える事を止めたマークはひたすら悪者を倒す力を求めて 剣の腕を磨きます.
 * -|English= Part 2: Adoration Twisted
 * -|Japanese= 第２回　【歪む憧憬】