Master, Please Hold My Hand.

"Prepare to face your punishment!" Alex growled as he took a step forward brandishing his sword.

Durandal, the mythical sword in Alex's possession emitted a silvery glow that seemed to cut the wind. It also released a low growl as if it was a wild beat that was about to attack its prey.

The two men felt intimidated by Alex's overwhelming presence. With every step the boy took, they felt their back tingle. Sweat poured out from every pore of their body as they looked at the menacing sword in the boy's hand. It looked very sharp and the two men had a vague feeling that it could easily slice them in two.

Feeling that the odds were against them, the two men glanced at each other before running away. The only thing that they could think of was to get as far away as they possibly could. They didn't care that they left their comrades behind as long as they survived.

Alex snorted but didn't pursue them. He simply stood there like a mountain that would crush anyone who dared to stand in his way.

The Little Hero didn't lower his guard even when the two men disappeared from his view. He waited for a full minute before turning his head to look at his Master. His eyes wandered all over her to see if she was injured. Seeing that she was fine, the anxiousness in Alex's heart finally disappeared.

"Master."

Although Alex's voice was soft, Abbie felt a sense of security in them. His current get-up (Hero Outfit) also made him look very dependable. The chubby girl felt that even if the sky collapsed at this moment, Alex would be able to hold it up.

"Master," Alex said as he reached out his hand towards her. "Please hold my hand."

'Wow! My Alex looks so cool right now!' Abbie smiled as she held the boy's small hands in a firm grip. Alex was looking at her with a gentle expression. Alice was mesmerized as she watched his adorable lips open and heard him say...

"M-Master, please support me," Alex said with a cramped expression. "My legs are shaking, I'm having trouble standing up."

Abbie almost choked when she heard Alex's words. You sounded so suave and dependable earlier and now you tell me that you're having trouble standing up? What happened to the cool knight in shining armor? What happened to the promised hero saving the damsel in distress?

The chubby girl didn't know whether to laugh or cry as she glanced down to look at Alex's legs. They were indeed shaking and the shota was now clinging on her arm to remain standing.

Abbie wasn't able to hold it in and she laughed loudly. While doing so, she didn't forget to wrap her Little Hero in a protective embrace. "There there, were you scared? Don't worry, Master will protect you!"

Alex's face reddened like a tomato. When he saw the men trying to harm his master, his body moved on its own. Before he knew it, he already tackled one of the men and planted his boot on his face.

During that time adrenaline was still pumping in his body and he felt that he could do anything. He was supposed to chase after the men after they ran away. However, after the adrenaline rush receded, his legs almost gave way. It took all of his will power to remain standing. He kept his intimidating presence until the men disappeared from his sight.

Now that the threat was gone, he felt as if his legs had turned to jelly. If it wasn't for his master supporting him, he would have already plopped down on the ground. Alex felt ashamed of his performance. He felt that he let his master, Abbie, down.

"Sorry, Master," Alex said within Abbie's embrace. "A-Alex is too weak. I can't even protect you properly."

Abbie patted the young boy's head. She already knew that Alex was not a bonafide hero (yet). Like Alice mentioned before, Alex didn't look like a fighter. He looked like a normal child carrying a sword on his back.

Alice was right. Alex was just an ordinary eight-year-old boy that just happened to be labeled a "Hero" by the world of Edea. Although he looked threatening with a sword, those three men could have defeated him if they remained calm.

It was thanks to Alex's successful surprise attack that caused the two men to lose morale. It gave them the illusion that Alex was someone they couldn't stand up against. That's why they decided to escape and leave their fallen comrades behind.

"Don't worry," Abbie coaxed the cutie in her embrace. "Don't you know that the protagonist of every popular story starts as a weakling? You may be weak now, but that will change soon."

Alex raised his head and looked at his Master's eyes. He could see that Abbie's eyes were filled with tenderness. Her pretty, yet plump face, made his heart skip a beat. Alex knew that Abbie truly cared for him and it made his heart ache.

'For the heavens to take pity on me and gave me such a kind and understanding Master," Alex thought as he lowered his head, so that Abbie wouldn't see his expression. 'I am the luckiest hero in Edea.'

Alex spread out his arms and hugged Abbie back. Abbie felt something wet and warm seep through her dress. It took him only a few seconds to realize that the boy in her arms was crying silently. She could feel the small body in her arms shuddering from time to time.

Abbie hugged Alex a little tighter. She also patted his back and allowed the young boy to drown her in snort and tears. They stayed like that for a few minutes until the little boy finally calmed down. Abbie was about to say a few encouraging words to him when a small and timid voice sounded behind her.

"Big Sister, Big Brother, are you two alright?"

Abbie and Alex felt a jolt of electricity run through their bodies. They forgot that Lily was there with them, and she saw everything!

"Um this," Abbie brushed Alex's hair unconsciously as she looked at her little sister. Lily became a witness and Alice explicitly told her that she was not allowed to tell anyone about Alex's identity.

Although she didn't "tell" Lily anything, the little girl "saw" everything. Abbie was now in a dilemma. She didn't know what to do!

Alex could tell what his Master was thinking so he decided to take the initiative and talk to Lily.

"Lily, can you keep this a secret?"

"A secret?"

"Yes. Our secret," Alex nodded his head. "I trust that Lily will keep this a secret and will not tell anyone what happened today. Because if you do tell anyone, Master and I would be in trouble."

Lily gave Alex a curious look. Her hand touched the quilted armor he was wearing. The little girl patted Alex all over and even examined the silver gauntlets that protected the boy's small hands.

Lily was about to touch Durandal, but before she was able to do that, Alex immediately returned it to his scabbard. He then changed back to the clothes he was wearing before the incident happened.

"Wow!" Lily clapped her hands and looked at Alex with starry eyes. "Big Brother, are you a superhero?"

"Superhero?" Alex tilted his head to the side. 'Is this what they call heroes like Brother Aiden and the other Champions? Superheroes?'

He was about to tell Lily that he was not a superhero when Abbie immediately interjected.

"Yes! Alex is a superhero," Abbie said as she patted her little sister's head. "This is also the reason why you need to keep his identity a secret. As long as the bad guys don't know that Alex is a superhero, he can beat them with a surprise attack."

"Wow!" The little loli happily clapped her hands. "Will Big Brother also appear in T.V?"

Abbie was sweating profusely as she answered Lily's barrage of questions. After satisfying her sister's curiosity, Abbie contacted Alice and told her about the incident. Since the blondie was her supporter, Abbie figured that it was best to report it and let her handle the cleanup.

"Stay right there," Alice said from the other end of the phone. "I'm on my way."