"Three weeks have passed since my debut as the city's new savior. Three weeks of misunderstood heroism."
Blood Night walked through the streets with the confident posture of someone who believed he was shaping history. Each step was calculated, each movement a performance for an imaginary audience that, in his mind, adored him unconditionally.
"You see, I'm not like that Shine. She saves kittens and smiles for cameras. I do the heavy lifting. I eliminate the problem at its root."
The previous week, he had "solved" a robbery at a bakery. The result: two dead criminals, a traumatized family of bakers, and newspaper headlines questioning whether the city had gained a hero or a serial killer. For Blood Night, the answer was obvious.
"People simply don't understand the difference between justice and cruelty. I'm efficient. When I eliminate a criminal, he never commits crimes again. It's pure mathematics."
He stopped in front of a newsstand, observing the headlines with poorly disguised satisfaction. "MASKED VIGILANTE TERRORIZES CRIMINALS", "BLOOD NIGHT: HERO OR ASSASSIN?", "POLICE INTENSIFY SEARCH FOR MAN OF THE NIGHT".
"Terrorizes criminals... just look at how they respect me!" he murmured to himself, completely ignoring the question about being a hero or assassin.
The newsstand vendor, a middle-aged man with a tired expression, watched him with suspicion. Blood Night approached the counter.
"Good morning! I see you're talking quite a bit about Blood Night lately."
"To tell you the truth," the vendor responded dryly, "that guy gives me the creeps. It's not normal for someone to be able to bring night like that. And killing everyone... that's not hero stuff."
Blood Night felt a pang of irritation but maintained his composure.
"Interesting perspective. But tell me something: how many crimes do those dead criminals commit now?"
"None, but—"
"Exactly! Zero crimes. Maximum efficiency."
The vendor shook his head, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation. Blood Night grabbed a newspaper, left some coins on the counter, and walked away, ignoring the man's disturbed look.
"People are blind to genius when it's right in front of them," he reflected as he turned the corner.
That's when he heard the screams.
A young mother was running down the sidewalk, carrying a baby, while three men chased her. She stumbled, dropping her purse, and coins scattered across the ground.
"Perfect! Finally an opportunity to show my heroism in action."
Blood Night positioned himself between the pursuers and the woman. The three men stopped, assessing the strange masked man who had appeared out of nowhere.
"Well, well, well..." he said, placing his hand on the sword's hilt. "Looks like you chose the wrong day to be criminals."
"Man, get out of the way," said the group's leader, a bald man with several tattoos on his arms. "This isn't your business."
"Ah, but it is my business. I am justice, and you are the law."
The three men exchanged confused looks.
"Justice and we're the law? That doesn't even make sense, crazy."
"It makes more sense than you imagine," Blood Night replied, slightly pulling the sword from its sheath.
Behind him, the woman whispered desperately:
"Please, they just want the money. I'll pay, just don't hurt my daughter."
Blood Night turned his head slightly in her direction.
"Don't worry, ma'am. In a few seconds, they'll never bother anyone again."
"No, wait—"
But it was too late. Blood Night gripped the sword's hilt tightly. Absolute darkness swallowed the street for exactly eight seconds. When the light returned, the three men were on the ground, their lives having come to an end instantly and silently.
The woman let out a scream of horror, pressing the child against her chest.
"You... you killed them!"
"I saved you," Blood Night corrected, cleaning the sword's blade before sheathing it. "Now they'll never rob anyone again."
"But they... they just wanted money! I could have given them the money!"
Blood Night frowned, as if the woman were speaking another language.
"And then? They would rob another person. Then another. And another. I broke the cycle. I'm an efficient hero."
The woman backed away, looking at him with the same fear she had previously reserved for the muggers.
"You're insane..."
She ran, carrying the child, leaving Blood Night alone with the bodies.
"Ingratitude," he murmured, shaking his head. "I save her life and I'm still called insane. People don't deserve heroes like me."
Sirens could already be heard in the distance. Blood Night sighed, preparing for another dramatic escape.
"Another mission accomplished. Misunderstood once again. But one day... one day everyone will recognize my greatness."
He gripped the sword again, brought the night for eight seconds, and when the light returned, he had disappeared, leaving only the bodies and the growing sound of approaching sirens.
**[M.L.P - Multiverse: Forbidden Legacy]**