Chapter 2

"Please, know this, Shy, that your duty as a Hero... is to shine the light of hope into people's Hearts..."

- Uni-Lord to Shy

"Duty of Heroes" (ヒーローの) is the second chapter of first volume of SHY manga series.

Summary
Shy is intrigued by what Spirits had told her about protecting Earth's Heart but the Russia Hero just asks her to go with her. They pass through a portal and are at a species of hideout for Heroes. An elegant lady appears and tells Shy that she wanted to meet her sooner but couldn't due to certain circunstances. As Shy doesn't respond her, the lady gets closer to the Japanese Hero, asking her if she could hear her well. Shy timidly answers and Spirits tells the lady that she is "shy".

The lady presents herself as Uni-Lord but asks her to call her "Unnie". Shy is quite shocked by the informality and Uni-Lord finally says that she was joking, confusing her. Spirits cuts the conversation and tells Uni-Lord to get straight to the point. She thanks Shy for the people she had saved but says that Earth will need Heroes the most by the time they will have to face a crisis they never confronted before. Uni-Lord tells Shy that are people with darkness in their Hearts and her duty as a Hero was to shine light in those Hearts.

Some time after this, Teru is at school thinking about what Uni-Lord had told her. That is until a student tells everyone about a transfer student and asks her to get in the room. Teru is shocked as she sees who it is: the girl, with a black brace on her right knee and crutches, asks the boy to write her name on the blackboard and introduces herself as Iko Koishikawa. The other student tells her where her seat is and, denying needing help, sits next to Teru. Iko greets her and Teru does the same while smiling awkwardly.

After classes, two female students come to Iko's seat, talking with her until one asks why she transferred schools. Iko explains to her that is because she needed a school closer to her home and Karen Middle School is in the next town, making it difficult for her to go there due to her injured leg. The other girl apologizes in behalf of the other but Iko says everything is okay. Then, a man tells Iko that she had to come to the staff room to do some procedures. Saying good-bye to the girls, Iko goes.

Time passes and Teru is wondering if she should leave the room as there was still some time to it. She leaves, just to find Iko by the stairs, holding her injured leg as if she was in pain. Teru panics and helps Iko stand, telling her that she would come with her to the nurse's office. Iko asks her if she is the girl who sits next to her and Teru introduces herself. Iko thanks her for being so nice like the others.

Once there, the nurse tells Iko that she should be more careful and gives her some medicine. Leaving them alone, Iko apologies to Teru since she left her painkillers at home due to her excitement to go to school. Teru thinks that she would be better if her performance as a Hero the other day had been perfect; her thoughts are interrupted by Iko's comment about how Teru was really similar to Shy. Teru blushes and Iko continues talking about the day when she was saved, telling Teru that she thought she was Shy for a moment.

Teru askes Iko if she is not angry at Shy, since she gained that injury because of her, but her answer surprises Momijiyama. Iko wasn't angry at her. Teru starts crying and says that she was so nice, but leaves, telling her that she would be right back, after she washes her face. Iko smiles at her and sits back, thinking to herself. She feels pain at her leg again and holds it until a boy embraces her from behind, finding her pain "pitiful".

Iko asks who he is but he only tells her she shouldn't hide her Heart from others, putting a dark-looking ring on her finger. By the time Teru returns – after convincing herself about her duty as Hero –, she enters the nurse's office, only to find a monster-looking version of Iko.

Appearances
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Characters

 * Shy/Teru Momijiyama
 * Spirits
 * Uni-Lord (debut)
 * Iko Koishikawa
 * Stigma (debut)

Locations

 * Heroes Hideout
 * Japan
 * Tanpopo Middle School
 * Karen Private Middle School (mentioned)
 * Himawari Land (flashback)

Items
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 * Heart Conversion Bracelets
 * Stigma's rings (debut)