Chapter 758: A World Looking Away

The next move did not begin with an attack.

That was what unsettled Zero the most.

For the first time since the mysterious force had appeared, several days passed without a major incident.

No destroyed convoy.

No ambushed diplomats.

No sudden explosions near the border.

The reports reaching the War Council were quiet.

Too quiet.

Zero knew Earth Zero well enough by now to understand that silence did not mean he had stopped.

It meant something was changing.

******************************************

The capital slowly began relaxing.

Soldiers remained stationed throughout the city, but the tension was no longer as heavy as before.

Merchants reopened routes that had been temporarily suspended.

Travelers began moving more freely.

The War Council reduced the number of emergency meetings.

People spoke about the attacks less often.

But they continued speaking about Hiro.

That part hadn’t changed.

If anything, it had become stronger.

The previous incidents had turned Hiro into a symbol.

Not through an official decision.

Not through a ceremony.

It had happened naturally.

People remembered the moments when he appeared.

The soldiers who had fought beside him remembered his commands.

The merchants remembered him protecting their convoys.

The citizens remembered hearing that he had arrived when danger appeared.

And now, even without another attack, Hiro’s name remained.

Zero noticed it everywhere.

In conversations.

In newspapers.

At the guilds.

People wanted to know what Hiro would do next.

They wanted to know where he would go.

They wanted to know whether the mysterious force would return.

And, more importantly—

whether Hiro would be there when it did.

Zero stood outside a guild building, listening quietly to a group of adventurers.

"I heard Hiro’s party is taking a request near the eastern region."

"Really?"

"Yeah. People are saying the mysterious force might appear again."

"If it does, he’ll handle it."

"What about Mia?"

One of them paused.

"She’s strong, but Hiro’s the one dealing with this."

Zero’s expression didn’t change.

But he remembered those words.

Hiro’s the one dealing with this.

The shift was becoming clearer.

Mia noticed it too.

She found Zero later that evening near the War Council.

"You’ve been avoiding me."

Zero glanced at her.

"I haven’t."

"You have."

Zero remained silent.

Mia folded her arms.

"Don’t make me explain how many times I’ve seen you disappear the moment I walk into a room."

"I was busy."

"Doing what?"

Zero looked at her.

"Nothing."

Mia stared at him.

"...That’s a terrible answer."

"I know."

She sighed.

The two stood beside the building while people moved through the nearby streets.

After a moment, Mia spoke again.

"Things are strange."

Zero’s eyes shifted toward her.

"What?"

"People."

Zero remembered Hiro saying almost the same thing.

Mia looked toward the street.

"After the battle, I couldn’t walk anywhere without someone recognizing me."

She smiled slightly.

"It was annoying."

Zero said nothing.

"But lately..."

Her smile disappeared.

"Nobody’s forgotten me."

Zero waited.

"It just feels different."

"Different how?"

Mia looked down.

"Like everyone is waiting for someone else."

Zero’s expression became serious.

Hiro.

Mia continued.

"I know what you’re thinking."

"I don’t."

"You do."

Zero remained silent.

She looked directly at him.

"This isn’t jealousy."

"I didn’t think it was."

"Good."

Mia looked away again.

"Because I don’t care about being famous."

Her voice became quieter.

"But something is happening."

Zero studied her expression.

For the first time, Mia didn’t look annoyed about the change.

She looked uncertain.

As though she had noticed the same invisible movement that Zero had been tracking.

The world was shifting its attention.

And nobody understood why.

***************************************

"You’re right."

Mia looked back at him.

"About what?"

"Something is happening."

Her expression immediately changed.

"You know something."

Zero remained silent.

Mia’s eyes narrowed.

"Zero."

"I don’t know enough."

"That means you know something."

Zero looked toward the city.

He couldn’t tell her.

Not yet.

Earth Zero’s existence was too dangerous to reveal.

The moment he told anyone, the questions would begin.

Where did he come from?

Why did he look like Zero?

How had he crossed worlds?

And the more people learned, the more attention Earth Zero himself might receive.

Zero couldn’t allow that.

Not until he understood what was happening.

Mia watched him for several seconds before finally sighing.

"Fine."

She stepped away.

"But don’t expect me to stay out of it forever."

Zero watched her leave.

Then he looked toward the distant buildings.

Somewhere beyond them—

Earth Zero was moving again.

Zero could feel it.

********************************************

The following morning, a message arrived.

Not for Zero.

For Hiro.

The contents were simple.

A request for assistance from a town near the northern border.

Several people had disappeared.

No clear explanation.

No known attacker.

The local guards had already searched the surrounding area.

Nothing.

Hiro accepted.

The moment Zero learned about it, he understood.

"Of course."

Aidan looked toward him.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Zero left immediately.

***********************************

The northern town was small.

By the time Zero arrived, Hiro and several members of his group had already entered.

Zero remained outside the town.

Hidden.

Watching.

He wasn’t there to protect Hiro.

Hiro didn’t need that.

He was there for Earth Zero.

The disappearances were strange.

No destroyed buildings.

No battle.

No signs of devils.

No demands.

Just people vanishing.

It wasn’t Earth Zero’s usual pattern.

Which meant this time was different.

***************************************************

Hours passed.

Hiro questioned the guards.

Spoke to witnesses.

Examined the places where people had last been seen.

Zero followed from a distance.

He noticed something.

The people of the town were watching Hiro.

Not simply because he was investigating.

They already knew who he was.

News had reached even this distant place.

A young child approached Hiro while he was speaking with one of the guards.

"Are you really Hiro?"

Hiro stopped.

"Yes."

"Are you going to save them?"

Hiro hesitated.

Then he smiled.

"I’ll try."

The child nodded.

The people nearby watched.

Zero’s expression became serious.

Earth Zero had created this.

Not the disappearances themselves.

The expectation.

The moment.

The world had already begun expecting Hiro to become the answer.

******************************************

By nightfall, Hiro found the first clue.

A hidden path leading into the forest.

His group followed.

Zero remained behind them.

The deeper they traveled, the more unnatural the forest became.

There were no monsters.

No mana disturbances.

No obvious enemy.

Then—

Zero stopped.

Someone was standing between the trees.

Earth Zero.

His eyes met Zero’s.

Hiro hadn’t noticed him.

Neither had anyone else.

Earth Zero stood silently.

Then he turned and walked deeper into the forest.

Zero followed.

***********************************************

He moved away from Hiro’s group.

Far enough that their voices disappeared.

Then Zero stopped.

Earth Zero stood ahead.

"You’ve been following them."

Zero’s voice was cold.

"I’ve been watching."

"The disappearances."

"I didn’t cause them."

Zero frowned.

"Then why are you here?"

Earth Zero looked toward the direction of Hiro’s group.

"Because he is."

Zero’s expression hardened.

"What are you trying to do with him?"

"Nothing."

"I don’t believe you."

"You shouldn’t."

The answer made Zero’s eyes narrow.

Earth Zero looked toward him.

"You still think I’m your enemy."

"You’ve been orchestrating attacks."

"Yes."

"You’ve been manipulating people."

"Yes."

"And now you’re following Hiro."

"Yes."

Zero stepped forward.

"Then don’t expect me to believe you’re doing nothing."

For several seconds, Earth Zero remained silent.

Then he said something unexpected.

"I’m not trying to change Hiro."

Zero stopped.

Earth Zero continued.

"I’m trying to stop him from being changed."

The words remained between them.

Zero stared at him.

"What does that mean?"

Earth Zero smiled faintly.

"You’ll understand later."

Zero’s mana immediately surged.

"Stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Speaking as if you know everything."

Earth Zero looked almost amused.

"I know enough."

Zero moved.

He attacked.

Earth Zero stepped aside.

Zero’s fist struck a tree.

The entire trunk froze.

Earth Zero had already moved several meters away.

"Still can’t hit me."

Zero’s expression hardened.

"I wasn’t trying to."

Earth Zero looked at the frozen tree.

"You always say that after missing."

Zero stared at him.

For a moment, neither moved.

Then Earth Zero’s expression changed.

"He’s found something."

Zero turned.

Hiro’s group had stopped.

Voices echoed faintly through the forest.

Earth Zero immediately disappeared.

Zero’s eyes narrowed.

He followed.

********************************************

Hiro stood before a narrow opening hidden beneath the roots of several trees.

One of the missing people had been found.

Alive.

Weak, but alive.

There was no enemy nearby.

No trap.

No explanation.

The person claimed to have become lost while traveling through the forest.

Another missing person was discovered soon after.

Then another.

By midnight, Hiro had found all of them.

The town erupted in celebration when they returned.

People surrounded Hiro.

The guards thanked him.

Families cried with relief.

The child who had spoken to him earlier ran toward him.

"I knew you’d save them!"

Hiro looked surprised.

Then uncomfortable.

"I didn’t do it alone."

"But you found them!"

The child smiled.

Others joined.

Hiro stood in the center of the town.

Zero watched from the edge.

Earth Zero stood beside him.

This time, Zero didn’t attack.

"You said you didn’t cause it."

"I didn’t."

"Then why did you know he would find them?"

Earth Zero looked toward Hiro.

"Because he always does."

Zero frowned.

"Always?"

Earth Zero didn’t answer.

The people continued praising Hiro.

Earth Zero watched silently.

There was no satisfaction on his face.

Only relief.

That disturbed Zero more than anything.

************************************************

The next morning, Zero returned to the capital.

The story had already spread.

Not because the disappearances were important.

But because Hiro had found everyone.

Again.

The newspapers praised him.

The guilds discussed him.

The people followed his movements.

Zero read the reports quietly.

Then he noticed something strange.

The reports about Mia were becoming smaller.

Not gone.

Just smaller.

Her accomplishments hadn’t changed.

Her strength hadn’t disappeared.

But the attention surrounding her had.

Zero placed the report down.

His expression became serious.

Earth Zero was changing where people looked.

That much was obvious now.

But why?

Why did it matter who received attention?

Why did Earth Zero speak as if Hiro belonged somewhere specific?

I’m trying to stop him from being changed.

Zero repeated the words in his mind.

Changed by what?

The attacks?

The world?

The people?

Or—

something Zero still didn’t understand?

************************************************************

That night, Earth Zero sat alone in the unfamiliar room.

The table was covered with papers.

The same names.

The same events.

The same dates.

But this time, another sheet rested beside them.

A simple record of the northern incident.

At the bottom was a single line.

Hiro remained central.

Earth Zero stared at the words.

His hand tightened.

For a moment, the calm expression disappeared.

Behind his eyes, something moved.

A memory.

A bright screen.

Words.

A page slowly losing color.

Names disappearing.

Then silence.

Earth Zero closed his eyes.

"No."

His voice was quiet.

When he opened them again, his expression had returned.

He placed the report beneath the others.

The next move had to be more careful.

He couldn’t force anything.

That had been one of the mistakes.

The world had to move naturally.

Hiro had to remain where he belonged.

Earth Zero stood.

Outside, Edolas continued sleeping peacefully.

For now.

Far away, Zero Elea looked at the same sky.

Neither of them knew how much depended on where the world’s attention went.

But Earth Zero did.

And he was running out of time.