The Android

Scarlet gasped at the sight of the naked girl. She quickly took her cape off and rushed over to the girl to cover her up. The girl turned her head and spoke to her. "You are not the hero. Why have you come?" She said in a robotic voice.

"Because you need to cover up!" Scarlet shouted while wrapping her in her cape. "It's not good to be naked in front of others."

"I am an android." The girl said. "There is no need for me to wear clothing. I am not an organization and therefore do not require warmth to survive."

"Not for warmth!" Scarlet replied. "For modesty!"

"Modesty is unimportant." The android said coldly. "Only the mission matters."

Zeke walked up to the android. "What is the mission?" He asked.

"I am to find the hero and guide them to maturity." She replied. "Scanning. Hero Confirmed. Hello hero." With that she bowed as an introduction. "I am the Self-Aware Responsive Android, or Sara. I have been waiting for you to arrive, created by the first ones to guide the hero on their mission."

"The first ones?" Zeke asked.

"Access Denied." Sara responded. "I am sorry hero you have not matured enough to be granted access to information on the first ones. Please try a different inquiry."

"What do you mean, matured enough?" Zeke questioned.

"The class of hero requires nurturing to become mature." Sara explained. "You are but one of many who have held the class of hero."

"I thought there was only one other." Zeke said.

"Incorrect." Sara replied. "There have been over fifty different hero cycles."

"A hero cycle?" Zeke was becoming confused.

"Access denied." Sara said. "Information is linked to the first ones. Please try another inquiry."

"Zeke, if this android is to be believed, everything we know is wrong." Scarlet explained.

Zeke took a deep breath and tried another question in hopes of an answer. "So, what do you mean I have to be nurtured? Don't I just need to level up and kill the demon king?"

"Demon King designate Galendor, information found." Sara said. "Hero candidate thirty-seven, fell into darkness and was sealed by hero candidate thirty-eight. Escaped captivity ten years ago and have been wreaking havoc since. Hero candidate fifty-one lacks the ability to seal thirty-seven, missing predicated skill."

"Wait, Galendor was a hero?!" Zeke shouted. "That man was the incarnation of evil, there is no way that man once held the moniker of hero!"

"Thirty-Seven failed prime objective, became what he sought to destroy." Sara said. "The class of hero can be nurtured for good or evil. It is a class that can evolve. Evolution to True Hero, possible, also to Demon King possible. The first ones created this unit to try and ensure evolution to True Hero."

"So how did Galendor become the demon king?!" Zeke asked. "Weren't you supposed to prevent that?!"

"This unit failed candidate thirty-seven." Sara said. "No matter how I tried I could not get thirty-seven to leave the path of vengeance. Evolution to Demon King was inevitable."

"This is a lot to take in." Zeke said, as he just sat down on the floor landing with a thud. "I am hero fifty-one? And the demon king that killed everyone I knew and loved was once a hero like myself? Wait, how did I even become the hero?! Answer me that android!"

"Searching." Sara said. "Answer found. Hero candidate is created with a soul that is pure and has a strong willingness to pursue justice. The soul must be willing to do whatever it takes to achieve justice, even sacrifice itself. The soul must care for others above themselves. Most importantly the soul must wish to become a hero with every fiber of its being, then and only then will the world skill hero creation become active."

"So last night when I made my resolution to become a hero, I met the requirements?" Zeke asked. "That's why I woke up as a hero?"

"Last night Zeke the Merchant died." Sara said. "Today the Hero Zeke was born."

"How did you know I used to be a merchant?" Zeke asked, surprised she knew of his past.

"This unit knows a great many things." Sara said, evading the question. "The first one's information gathering is vast and all encompassing. This one has full access to it."

"I wish you would tell me of these first ones." Zeke sighed.

"Evolution to True Hero required to access information on first ones." Sara said. "This unit cannot risk the information falling into the hands of a future demon king."

"How many hero candidates evolved into True Heroes?" Zeke asked, curious about his chances.

"No candidate has achieved evolution into True Hero." Sara said. "The cycle will continue until True Hero has been found." Her expression changed to an overly serious one. "Fifty-one I believe you will be the one to end the cycle."

"How many did you tell that to?" Zeke asked jokingly.

"Fifty." Sara replied.

"Sorry I asked." Zeke laughed.

Scarlet squatted down next to him and whispered into his ear. "Are we believing everything this android says? I mean fifty other heroes? We only have records on one. Also, is the demon king a former hero? It all seems a bit too crazy to believe. I mean why was she in the labyrinth closest to our town? It just doesn't add up."

"This unit can hear you attempt at secrecy." Sara said. "This unit is what it claims it is. I seek only to nurture the hero and facilitate the evolution to True Hero."

"Let's say I believe you." Zeke said. "What would be my first task on my way to becoming a True Hero?"

"First you must gain strength." Sara said. "This unit will provide more details as fifty one's strength improves."

The waters outside the building began to stir and churn. The building itself began to shake and become unstable.

"You may begin by eliminating that." Sara said, pointing out the door as a giant tentacle burst forth out of the water into view.