Welcome back, my dear readers, to the newest chapter of this side project.

While I haven't gotten any reviews yet. I'm hoping to get some actual feedback with this chapter as I begin to introduce some changes from the canon story and how Alex will fit into it. I had initially planned to release the new prologue of the Shields of Spring first. However, I ran into a snag with the final scene and wanted to take a little more time to fix it rather than leaving it in what I would consider a poor state.


In Another World With My Smartphone: The Lost Hero

Chapter One: Dawn and Dusk


"New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings."

Lao Tzu


Alexander Springfield awoke under the shade of a tall tree, feeling the cool spring breeze gently passing by, ruffling the sea of green grass ahead of him. The young man slowly sat himself up to take in the sight of this strange new world, it was without question similar to earth, yet he felt as if nature still held more sway than Man here. As if humans here had yet to despoil the earth into the climate crisis that plagued the Pre-Quirk era.

"So...this is it, huh?" Alex asked himself as he spotted a dirt road a short distance away. He got up and dusted himself off, double-checking his pockets to ensure he had his smartphone and headphones as God promised. "So there at least enough foot traffic judging from those tracks. Hopefully, I won't be too far from some kind of civilization."

As the young man pulled up his map app, he saw the peak of a strange, almost snow-white mountain a fair distance away.

"Damn...this is actually happening. Seeing is believing, after all. Now, God did say did mention something about GPS," Alex continued talking to himself as the map finished loading and was shocked by what he discovered.

"Holy shit...forget an alternate earth. This is a whole new planet! The landmasses are completely different! Oh shit...what about language? Ah...damn it. Oh well, I learned Japanese in fou-six years," he had to be honest with himself if he counted being fluent. "Surely I can learn another one. Now...okay, here we go. There seems to be a city around 20 miles west of here, welp that'll serve as my morning exercise."

After a quick moment to limber up and put on a decent running track on his phone, the young American was off at a steady jog. His costume wasn't the best thing to wear for a long run, but it would do the job until he could get a new set of clothes. That's when Alex realized that there would be another potential issue that could make living in a brand new world a pain in the ass.

The lack of capital.

'Oh shit! With what money, genius? Between the language barrier and no money, how the hell would I be able to communicate what can I and can't do for even layman jobs!?' Alex began to think as he continued jogging towards his destination. Not noticing a green and gold horse-drawn carriage getting closer to the point that the driver was shouting at Alex to move aside. It wasn't until the last second that Alex saw the damn thing and hopped aside to let it pass.

"Holy shit...that's what I get for not paying attention," Alex berated himself as he took out his ear pods and watched the cart continue forward. At least until he heard the horse let out a long neigh, and the carriage came to a stop a few feet away. "Shit, that cart looks kind of fancy...hopefully, it's not someone too important I just offended."

The carriage door slammed open, and a short, plump man hopped out, only to sprint towards Alex with a surprising vigor that caught the young man off guard.

"Hey, you there!" The man started with a wild, excited grin.

However, what really surprised Alex was the fact he could understand him.

"You speak English?" Alex couldn't help but question.

"I haven't the foggiest clue what English is, but what I really want to know is where ever did you obtain such marvelous apparel?" The man exclaimed as he reached out and grabbed Alex's upper arms. The young American had to fight the urge to instinctively twist the man's arm in self-defense but held back since he didn't sense any malicious intent. "Please allow me to purchase it from you! I'll pay you well; you won't regret it!"

Alex could almost hear God laughing hard at his expense.

One moment he had been worried about languages and cash, and now he was looking at the solution to both those problems in the other. On the other hand, Alex would be dead again before he even dreamed of selling his Hero Costume. Thankfully, Mama Springfield didn't raise no punk bitch. The American could see from what the man was wearing; he looked loaded and seemed to be all about fashion. Alex had some experience with Pro-Hero fashion design from his first year in General Studies and had plenty of ideas on making this a profitable long-term venture.

"Well, then, my good, sir," Alex started with a grin as he played up the role of a businessman like his friends in the UA Business Course would do when talking to a potential client. "These are just one of many elegant designs from my homeland. I happen to have several more designs that I would be more than happy to discuss to make them all come to life here!"

If the man had been excited before, he now looked like had just won the lottery.

"PLEASE TELL ME AS MUCH YOU CAN!"

"Gladly! If you can also help me with some information, Mister?"

"Oh yes!" The man nodded apologetically as he let go of the young man's arms and held his hand out to shake. "I am Zanac Zenfield, the proprietor of Fashion King Zanac in Reflet Town! And your name, sir?"

The young man paused for a moment; this was his new shot at life. If he wanted to, he could even choose a brand new name. After all, who was going to correct him? Yet, despite sounding like a fun idea, he decided not to complicate things and remained with his old name.

"Alexander Springfield, Mr. Zenfield," Alex introduced himself while returning the gesture. "But please, just call me Alex."


The ride to Reflet Town was quite educational, as Zanac was very forthcoming regarding Alex's questions. The young man discovered that he was currently within the borders of the Kingdom of Belfast. Which surprised Alex, Belfast was the Capital city in Northern Ireland if his memory still served him correctly. Judging from Zanac's facial features and some of the architecture, Alex could spot from Reflet town, even from here.

It seemed like The Kingdom of Belfast had solid European features.

'So I'm in a country that's around or beyond the European Renaissance?' Alex wondered as he looked outside of the carriage. He could spot farmers hard at work tending the fields and animals. So far, even the animals were nothing out of the ordinary; dogs were familiar as he could see some helping guard sheep or walking next to their masters. 'I wonder if serfdom is still a thing?'

"Is there anything else you'd like to know, Alex?" Zanac asked as he rubbed his hands excitedly for his turn to ask questions.

"Just a couple," Alex followed up as he turned his attention back to the short man. "How would you describe Belfast as a whole?"

"I am unsure what you mean exactly," Zanac replied, rubbing the bottom of his chin. "Belfast is a good place to live, not perfect, but I firmly believe King Tristwin is doing his best for the good of the realm. Especially when compared to his father, that man led us into a rather devastating war with the Regulus Empire a little over twenty years ago that we are still recovering from."

"I see..." Alex said with a slow nod, looking for any lies on the man's face.

"He's been doing his best to continue fostering good relationships with our neighbors, such as the Refreese Imperium and the recently established Kingdom of Mismede to boost trade and help the economy. Although, I am afraid the latter has caused many issues with several members of the nobility. Count Basala, for example, has been quite the outspoken critic about us allying with a Kingdom of Demi-Humans, but I see no harm in it. Especially since an alliance would also bring new chances for trade, materials, and in my case, fashion."

"Demi-Humans?" Alex questioned with a curious raise of his eyebrow, now here was something new. 'I wonder if it might be like people with Heteromorphic quirks in my world?'

"Part human and part animal, it varies from individual to individual," Zanac followed up before looking a little nervous as if he wasn't sure how Alex would react. "Elves, Fey, and Dwarves are also counted among them. Are they uncommon in your country, Alex?"

"Somewhat," Alex answered honestly; while animal Quirks were uncommon, it was still a fairly common sight in large population zones. "We just have a different name for them. Heteromorphs, but they were treated just like anyone else."

"Heteromorphs?"

"They used to be called Mutants, but that was found to be pretty harsh by my people," Alex followed with a nervous laugh. Quirk and Quirkless discrimination were still common in his world. As stupid as it was to give someone shit for something they have no control over. "There were many names and terms for them in general. But Heteromorphs is widely accepted as the scientific and the politically correct way to refer to them."

"Interesting, so you wouldn't happen to have any knowledge on the type of fashion these Heteromorphs wore?" Zanac asked, getting to the crux of his questions. It seemed that coin was always his bottom line, and Alex could easily work with that.

"Oh, do I ever!" Alex said with an infectious smile as he pulled out his phone. "By the time I'm done, I think you'll have the lead in a new wave of fashion in the Kingdom! But! Before I show you the goods, I believe you mentioned making it worth my while money-wise?"

After a little over an hour of haggling back and forth. The two arrived in front of Zanac's boutique with an agreement struck. Alex would provide several new designs for the next few months for a cut of the store's profits. In exchange, Zanac would get to borrow and repair Alex's costume for research with the caveat that Alex would get to claim it back once he was finished.

With his costume serving as a rental, Alex would be all set to go with some new clothes and some initial start-up money.

All he had to do now was get changed. Thankfully, the ladies Zanac employed were kind and helpful enough. Taking the time to measure him for a proper fitting and making sure he had a nice variety to select from. A long sleeve white shirt with a matching dark blue jacket and blue pants that was finished off with a pair of rather comfy black boots.

"Please just step in here," said the cute brunette as she showed Alex to the changing room. "Take your time and double-check that everything was measured correctly, okay?"

"I will, thanks," said Alex with a smile, and with that, she left him alone with the clothes and a mirror. As he began to take off his costume, he occasionally glanced to double-check for any peepers. Zanac seemed more than a little antsy to get his mitts on his Rescue Suit as soon as possible. It wasn't until he had taken off his shirt and saw the scars from where he had been stabbed that he noticed something else was off.

His heart began to sink, his eyes...they weren't glowing.

'What the hell?' He thought as he took a closer look at his face, ensuring he didn't imagine it. Gone was his superpower's trademark feature, making the irises of his eyes glow, highlighting their already bright blue color. Alex instantly stepped out of the fitting room; he had to test to see if he still had his powers.

"Are you all set, sir—Ah!" The cute brunette had turned to see the young man her boss had brought in earlier was now shirtless and surprisingly well-built, with a number of scars and stretch marks spread throughout his body. 'Who knew a fighter would know so much about fashion?!'

However, she became confused as the young man kept staring at the far end of the store, doing what could be described as furiously determined blinking. She wasn't sure what he was doing. Still, if any other customers came into the store to see this...questionable action, it could lead to some nasty rumors or worse. The young woman was determined to intervene before it could get to that point.

"Umm...sir? Sir?"

Alex blinked again, but this time shaking his head as his attention came to the blushing brunette.

"Huh? Oh..." He began as if he hadn't realized what he had been doing.

"Sir, I'm not sure what you were trying to do. But it's making me a little uncomfortable," the clerk answered honestly, hoping she wasn't offending her employer's new business partner. Still, she had to put her foot down.

"Ah, crap, no..." Alex stammered as he shook his head and cleared his throat. "Umm...You're right; I'm so sorry...I just had to check something, and I wasn't thinking clearly. Please forgive me."

"Easily enough," the clerk answered, relieved that despite his odd behavior. The fighter wasn't trying to start problems and knew where he was in the wrong. "Now, if you could return to the changing room and return fully dressed, that would be much appreciated."

"Y-yes, and again, I'm...sorry for the trouble."


Linze Silhoueska knew from the beginning that they would regret it when they accepted this job from under the guild's table. However, her elder twin Elze simply brushed aside all of her concerns and determined that if any funny business were to happen, then they would handle it; the pay was just too much to pass up.

A crystal antler for a Gold Mark?

To anyone with common sense, that seemed too good to be true. While a mark was its common trade value, merchants were known to haggle down adventurers. So it seemed strange for someone to offer a job to acquire one at market value, barring a recent shortage that could drive up the price with demand. Now, seemed like they reaped what they sowed as their employer was now doing his best to swindle them of their hard work.

It was moments like these where Linze wished that she and Elze would have never left home two years ago.

"About time you brought my antler, girls," their employer stated with a sly grin as he looked over his prize. While his friend stood by with an equally sly smile. "Such a shame that it's defective, so I'm afraid I'll just have to take the difference out of your reward money. Which now comes out to one silver piece."

"That wasn't part of the deal!" Elze yelled out, despite her younger sister's new protests. "You promised to pay a gold coin!"

"As I said, you brought me a defective product!" The man explained with a glee smirk, pointing out the gash on the item and tossing the girls a single silver coin with a laugh. "There's your payment!"

"A single scratch doesn't lower the value to just a tenth of its actual price!" Elze as her hands balled up, which Linze knew wasn't a good sign. If this keeps up, Elze would be getting them into another scrap.

"Sis, please calm down," Linze spoke up, hoping her sister wouldn't escalate the situation further. Thankfully, seemed like Elze was at least willing to listen to reason this time.

"Fine, I don't want your money," Elze finally spoke as she extended her hand. "Just give us back the antler, and we'll go on our way."

"Don't misunderstand us, sweetheart!" The man countered as he and his friend stood up, ready for a fight. "We're not negotiating. You take it or leave it."

"Is that so?" Spoke a new voice; it came from the young man; Linze had watched him enter the alley when the commotion started. He was tall, with short brown hair and sharp sapphire blue eyes. He had a relatively plain face, save for a beauty mark at the corner of the left side of his lips. Up to this point, it seemed he had simply been observing; now that he knew the situation, he was acting. "That sounds a lot like stealing, and I personally don't take kindly to thieves unless they're truly desperate."

"What's it to you, pal?" The man with the antler spat in the interloper's direction while his friend squared up and secretly drew a dagger. "Best stick your nose out of it before you get hurt!"

"Last chance," the young man answered, as his blue eyes almost seemed to blur as he checked his surroundings.

"To hell with this! Time to tea-" The thief was interrupted halfway as the young man grabbed and twisted his arm as if he had done it a million times. Taking the antler in a single fluid motion while now using the first thief as a human shield against the second. "Owowowow! Help me, you idiot!"

The second thief didn't have a chance as Elze took advantage of the distraction and clobbered the dagger-wielding thief with her fists, smiling as she dealt him and her now former employer knock-out blows. The young man allowed the first thief to drop to the floor after double-checking that they were still alive. Once satisfied, he kicked away the fallen dagger with a look of disgust and then handed Elze the crystal antler while switching to a gentler expression.

"Nice punch," he praised with a chuckle.

"Nice arm twist," Elze retorted with a satisfied laugh as she took the antler. "Thanks for the assist."

"Eh, it's what I do," the young man answered before patting down the two thieves.

"Umm...excuse me? But what are you doing?" Linze asked as she and her twin looked at his questionable behavior with confused looks on their faces.

"Just double-checking for any other weapons," the young man answered casually as if he had been asked about the weather. "Don't want to take chances...and yep."

As if on cue, he found a couple of knives, a few that vials that contained a strange purple powder, and a fistful of coins. The young laid them out neatly yet out of reach from both assailants. Funny enough, there wasn't a single gold coin in the bunch, just a few silvers with coppers making up the remainder.

"Are you with the guards?" Linze questioned the young man, as it would make the most sense for him to be a member of law enforcement. She had never seen an arrest done live before, but his actions were so practiced and orderly that it was an easy assumption to make.

"Guards?" The young man questioned with a confused look on his face. "Are they like the Cops or Heroes here?"

"Oh crap," Elze said as almost face-palmed herself. "How about we leave quickly before the Watch arrive and make everything more complicated?"

"That sounds like a good idea," Linze followed up as the twins motioned Alex to leave the alley.

"Shit...I'm basically acting like a damn vigilante," Alex realized as he stopped acting like a Pro-Hero who was simply following standard practice and made a hasty exit following the girls. The last thing he wanted was to end up in prison on his first day here. Once, the three were free and clear from any further troubles. They moved to a nearby bench where they could finally speak to each other appropriately.

"Thanks again for the help, stranger," said Elze, as she took a seat in the middle.

"Indeed, we're grateful for the help," Linze added with a short bow before taking a seat on her sister's right side.

"Again, it's not a problem," Alex said with an awkward laugh as he took a seat on the opposite end. "I was kind of lost when I came across the commotion; sorry for not stepping in sooner. I was just ensuring I knew everything that was going on before stepping in."

"Fair," Elze nodded in agreement, happy to see that Alex wasn't underestimating them just because they were girls. "So, does the stranger have a name?"

"Ah, right! My name is Alexander Springfield, but please, just call me Alex," said the young man introducing himself properly with a kind smile.

"Alexander?" Elze questioned with interest. "I see you're parents were quite ambitious."

"Excuse me?" Alex followed up with a confused look. "Is...Alexander a weird name?"

"Aren't you familiar with Alexander the Great?" Linze interjected with a curious look. "He's known as one of the greatest conquerors of the ancient era. Even today, our homeland, the Refreese Imperium, honors and reveres him as one of the great founders alongside the likes of Julius Caesar and his son, Augustus Caesar."

"Exactly! It's common for noble families to name a son or daughter after one of the great founders," Elze followed up. "So you can see why I say your parents were quite ambitious."

The twins watched as Alex's expression went from confusion to realization and finally exhaustion.

"Well...I mean, guess I was named after him," Alex finally answered after a long pause. If his theory was correct, while this might have been a new world. There might have been some common elements that are shared regarding world history. 'I mean, I know I was named after my great-grandfather, but I might as well roll with it.'

"Sorry, I've had a long day," Alex followed, hoping they would buy his weak response. "So I don't have my head on straight. Actually, maybe you guys can help me with something?"

The twins looked at each other and nodded.

"If it's not too out of the way, I don't see why not?" Elze answered honestly. "We owe you after all."

"Cool, do you know where the Silver Moon Inn is located?" Alex asked with a slight yawn. "My new business partner recommended it, but I got a little lost since this is my first time around town..."

"Oh, is that it?" Linze said with a surprised smile. "We're actually staying there right now!"

"For real?"

"Yep, and if that's all you need, then it's a pretty easy favor!" Elze followed up with a grin as she got up from the bench. "Right this way!"


Alex felt pretty damn lucky for his first day in this strange new world.

His encounter with Zanac had proven both educational and profitable. He could understand the spoken language, so he could at least communicate even if he couldn't read the strange script. The future cash from the fashionista should be more than enough to hire a tutor in the future to help teach him to read it. Now, he was being escorted by two rather beautiful lavender-haired twins in matching outfits to the Inn his friend recommended.

'I still have a bunch of questions, but I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth,' Alex thought as he continued listening to the girls' story as they led him to the Inn.

"We've been doing freelance stuff for the last few months," Elze explained with a casual wave. "But after that whole mess, I think it's time we start taking jobs from the guild."

"It's going cost a lot to start off, and it pays less, but we would have the security of getting proper payments along with other benefits," Linze followed up.

'It actually sounds like a Pro-Hero Agency,' Alex thought as the trio turned a corner to arrive at the Silver Moon Inn. 'I still don't know the general cost of living, and it's going to be a while before Zanac's next payment comes in. So I might as well try it out until I have a long-term plan.'

"You think there's still time to go register?" Elze asked as she looked at the yellow-orange sky of the late afternoon sun.

"No, they'll be closed by this hour," Linze frowned. "But we can go get registered tomorrow."

"Hey, ladies?"

The girls stopped to look at the strange young man.

"Mind if I tag along with you tomorrow? I could use a job while getting to know this place better."

The twins looked at each other, nodded, and looked back at him.

'Seems to be a routine with them,' Alex thought as they had done the same thing earlier.

"Sure! It's no extra trouble since we'll be going to the same place," Elze answered as the trio arrived at the door of the Inn. "Just meet us during breakfast, and we'll head out when we're finished."

"Sounds like a plan," said Alex with a smile as he opened the door for them. "Thanks again for all of your help."

"No problem," Linze answered with a bright smile and pointed to the front desk, where a petite red-haired woman stood to welcome them. "You can book a room with her."

"Hello there, Elze and Linze," the woman said with a friendly smile. "Dinner will be starting in an hour as usual and...Oh, and who's your friend?"

"Just someone who helped us out of a jam, Mika," Elze replied, motioning to an awkwardly waving Alex. "Mind setting him up?"

"Sure," Mika followed up as she pulled up a log book. "Well, hey there, handsome, how long you lookin' to stay?"

"I'm not sure," Alex answered as he pulled up his new wallet and double-checked how much money had. "What's the cost for one night?"

"With meals and bathing access? Five coppers a day," Mika answered as she opened the logbook to its most recent page. "Eight, if you want to include laundry services."

'I just have the one suit...and I can handle cleaning that on my own...' Alex thought as he pulled out a gold coin. "So, how many nights can I get for one gold without the laundry services?"

"Twenty nights," Mika answered, looking surprised as she noticed Alex's wallet was full of them.

'So hundred coppers to one gold? Good to know,' Alex thought as he handed Mika the coin. "Sounds like enough time for me to figure things out; I'll take it."

"Alright," Mika replied as she accepted payment and made a few notes for herself. She turned the book around for Alex to sign with a freshly dipped quill. "Alright, just sign right here, please."

"I don't know how...I can't read or write this language yet..." Alex answered with an embarrassed laugh.

"Wait, Alex, you're illiterate?" Elze spoke up with a surprised expression.

"Only in this language!" Alex answered defensively. "I know two...maybe three if English still counts. Languages fluently!"

"That is fair," Linze replied in his defense. "We didn't learn to read common right away when we moved to Belfast, though we had been able to speak it for years."

"Ah, well," Mika said with an understanding nod as she turned the logbook back around. "I can sign for you. I just need your full name, please."

"Alexander Johnathan Springfield," the young man answered automatically.

"That's quite the name, Mr. Springfield," Mika giggled as she logged his name.

"Please just call me Alex," the young man replied with a shy laugh.

"Well, then, Alex. You're all set to go," Mika continued as she put away the log book and pulled out a simple iron key. "Here's the key to your room. Dinner will be ready soon."

"Thanks."


Alex was just happy to finally lay down on the soft bed that had been prepared by Mika's father.

Dinner had been a simple affair of a hearty vegetable soup and bread, which hit the spot. Still, Alex would be lying if he thought it wasn't missing something more filling. Wishing that it could have been accompanied by a beautifully grilled rib-eye steak and large baked potato loaded with all the tasty fixings.

'I wonder if there's a restaurant that serves that here?' Alex wondered as he saw the town had some surprisingly modern concepts despite the supposed time period this world was currently in. While they hadn't invented refrigeration, they had insulation and magic ice crystals that seemed to serve as freezers and refrigerators. They even had basic plumbing and sewage control, albeit there were some needed improvements as they still used a massive stove to boil water for bathing rather than having a water heater built into the piping.

'I'll find out more as I get used to living here,' Alex pulled out his smartphone to begin looking over the news from his original world. At first, it seemed like the typical headlines about daily life or the continued daily antics of weird people doing weird things that bordered on the illegal. 'Over 200 years and the Florida Man meme continues to be as strong as ever...'

Alex continued looking over the news and funny videos, trying to create a sense of familiar comfort despite being in this strange new world. However, the good times didn't last when he stumbled on a breaking news update with the title making his heart race with dread. Breaking News, Tragic Update on the USJ Invasion. Alex clicked on the link and was redirected to a paused now viral video with a gloomy-faced American news anchor as its thumbnail.

After a moment of hesitation, he clicked it and started the video.

The video began with that gloomy-faced anchor listening to his earpiece as if he was listening to a question before answering.

"Unfortunately, yes, it is true. Tōkyō General Hospital leading surgeon announced minutes ago that Alexander Springfield has passed away after several hours of being in critical condition."

The screen transitioned into still images of Alex during his first year at UA when he was over 80 pounds heavier.

"Alexander Springfield first garnered attention from the American public during his bout in UA's Sports Festival. Having failed the Hero Course entrance exam. The young man had decided to stay in Japan and try his luck again instead by attempting to transfer into the Hero Course. Which was noted to be a far more difficult prospect with low chances of success. It was made far worse during his disastrous first attempt during that year's UA Sports Festival."

Alex had to close his eyes as he was reminded of his embarrassingly public failure when he couldn't even get past the first round of the Festival.

"However, despite the teasing and unfaltering memes made at the young man's expense by the both American and Japanese public. Alexander would make what has now been celebrated as one the most stunning comebacks for a Non-Hero Course student in UA's history. Let alone for a foreign exchange student."

New images of Alex's appeared, showing all of the grueling strength and endurance training that had made him shed literal blood, sweat, tears, and pounds. The young man remembered the pain, the torn muscles; the broken bones; the emotional toll it took, all for the sake of a second chance. Losing 70 pounds in less than a year while maintaining near-perfect grades had almost broken him multiple times because of the stress. There were moments when he would quietly break down in his room, making sure his cousin or friends couldn't hear his sobs. There were countless times that he wanted to throw in the towel and go home to enjoy the time he had lost with his friends and family.

But Alex's pride wouldn't allow it, and he had always forced a painful smile to hide the truth.

He had sworn to every single naysayer back home that he would only return home as a Hero. Alex was willing to die on that hill for the sake of his inflated ego, willing to risk everything just to prove them wrong. It was a horrible motivation for a prospective Pro-Hero whose focus should have been to learn to save people in need. He only learned that lesson after making it to the Hero Course. While it was a tough pill to swallow, it was a much-needed lesson and harsh reality check the young American needed.

"Returning as the improved underdog at last year's UA Sports Festival. Alex had managed to exceed all expectations and make it into the final round. And while ultimately losing in the top eight of the battle tournament, his hard work and dedication were recognized and rewarded by his transfer to the Hero Course."

The final clip showed the announcement during last year's Sports Festival award ceremony. When a heavily bruised and injured Alex was finally told that his dream had come true. That all of those years of hard work and dedication had finally paid off, that every ounce of pain he had experienced had been worth it. The moment when Alex finally allowed himself to break down on international television.

"While the exact details that led to the circumstances of his death are still unknown. The UA staff has asserted that Alexander was injured in the line of duty, protecting the lives of his juniors from the invading villains. Tonight, America mourns the loss of a heroic son, who proved to the world that hard work can overcome many of life's challenges..."

Alex finally clicked away from the video, no longer being able to watch as the realization finally dawned on him. This wasn't a dream or some kind of quirk-induced mental limbo. This was real, Alexander Springfield had died, and God had sent him into a new world. Alone without any way to tell his friends and family that he was okay...except he wasn't.

Alex slowly settled into bed with tears slowly running down his eyes.


Author's Commentary

When I really started to consider this side project. I wanted to tackle the idea of living beyond death, which in the case of several Isekai series that start with a Protag dying in their original world, and that detail seems to get glossed aside. In reality, it should be a traumatic experience, and I think we'll start to see that the actual conflict here isn't some external threat.

It's an internal battle with Alex learning to live this new life.

This is not the last time we will see snippets of the original world and how the continued news feed. (Especially since the Fafnir Knight MHA timeline is still in conjunction with this storyline) will drive Alex's character and affects how he operates.

That covers that for now! Hope you look forward to the next chapter!

Until next time!

-ZX