On the continent, a great war raged. It was a war between a coalition of humans, elves, and beastkin against the demonic forces. The will of countless lives, including that of the hero, clashed with the Demon King's army, which sought to conquer the land.
"Ha… Ha…"
I took a deep breath and surveyed my surroundings. The ground was spattered with red puddles, and flames licked at the battlefield, a brutal contrast to the silence that had momentarily fallen. There had been countless battles, great and small, and with them, countless sacrifices. A tearing sadness clung to the very air. The continent had been turned into a sea of fire by demons intent on devouring it, and at one point, it seemed all was lost. But we had held on, pushed back with fierce resistance, and now, we had reached the end.
Right in front of me, the Demon King and the Hero's party were locked in their final struggle. This was truly the last stand. If they could defeat the Demon King, it would be a victory for the Continental Union.
...Victory.
It's a really nice word, but I don't like it very much.
"You rotten hunchback! Come on, help me—!"
From somewhere far away, I heard the orders of my goddamn superior.
Why me?
"Kwaaaa!"
Why me, fuck? Well, I'm dead.
While the Demon King and the Hero fought, the few remaining troops of the Empire were fighting the remnants of the demons. I am a soldier of the Empire. Originally, I was supposed to fight fiercely for the cause, but…
"Ha… This sucks."
Everything was hateful now. My life had been a bizarre continuation of pain, one event after another. I had fought for the Empire even when everyone hated me. If only I had suffered alone, that would have been fine. But the world was more disjointed than that. My superiors often fought, and there was no harmony between the races. On top of that, the Hero's party was busy straying from one another. Thanks to all that, my precious family members died. So many people died.
In the end, we came to this final battle with the Demon King, but there had been so many better ways to end this.
"Haha!"
A monster that had just killed my superior was now coming for me. Still, I didn't want to die just yet, so I picked up my sword and fought. After taking a few hits, I finally defeated the monster.
...I could have killed a few more monsters if I was in perfect condition, but after fighting for so long, I was at my limit. I staggered and fell to my knees. I looked at the blood soaking my boots. My reflection stared back, a vicious figure created by the burns and a bent spine. I didn't even want to move anymore. Releasing all my strength, I lowered my body to the ground.
Since when did my life become so ruined?
Did it happen when I became a soldier? When I was burned in a fire due to someone's conspiracy? When a falling rock hit me as I was helping others, leaving me a hunchback? When I was teased for being disgusting? When I was hit by the Hero's party for no reason? When my family was killed?
Ah—…
"Lucia—."
I was reminded of the woman I loved, who had died just a few days ago. She was a noble woman who loved an insignificant man like me. Thanks to her, I had been able to endure this much without breaking. But now, without Lucia, there was nothing left for me. Even if peace came to this world, I would be alone. A life of miserable ridicule. A life with nothing.
"Kuaaa—! Warrior—! I salute your strength! But now your strength has run out!"
…It seemed peace would never come to this world.
"Let's finish it!"
Damn them. If you were going to lose like that, what was the point of everything up until now?
I heard a dull sound nearby. When I glanced over, I saw the hero lying in a state of disrepair. He wasn't even moving. It was indeed a sweet death.
"Big… Hehe."
The Demon King came nearby to confirm the hero's death. Surprisingly, I was not afraid. I had already suffered pain comparable to death several times. It would have been different if my loved ones were alive, but now it seemed it wouldn't matter if I died.
"Khaaaaa!!"
After confirming the hero was dead, the Demon King roared triumphantly. I could hear the morale of the demons rising in response. The Demon King was their focal point; if he died, the remaining demons could be naturally dealt with. But with the hero dead, the continent was now surely doomed.
"Cool-luck."
The Demon King, standing next to me, leaned over and barely managed to stay on his feet. Seeing him bracing himself with his hands on the ground, it was clear that even he was at his limit. The warrior of four years...he had lost by a single point.
Wait a moment.
The hero's journey was also four years… isn't this Demon King the culprit behind everything?
"Cool, cool."
Originally, I just wanted to meet my end on this battlefield, whether at the hands of a demon or the Demon King himself. But all of a sudden, my love, Lucia, was in my thoughts. Just before her death, Lucia had said:
Don't hate this world too much. Fight for the world to the end.
She had lived a painful life herself, but she thought of others until the very end.
…That's why I loved her.
"Cool-luck."
The Demon King next to me coughed up black blood and steadied himself. His back was turned to me. I was lying there helpless, but he must have misunderstood my stillness. If the Demon King was at full strength, he would have noticed I was alive. But perhaps because he had just confirmed the hero's death, he was completely defenseless.
Can I stab him?
Seriously?
I thought I should stop pretending to be dead and pierce the heart behind his back with the knife in my hand. But what if I fail? What if I stab him and he doesn't die?
No.
My survival is a miserable one anyway. Isn't it right to just try?
When I finished that thought, I was already up.
"Big— billion?"
I had pierced my sword into the Demon King's heart.
"Aaaaa! How dare you—!"
When he didn't die as expected, I snatched the sword from the hand of the dead hero next to me and thrust it back into the Demon King's heart.
"Kuaaaaa!!!!"
White light burst from every corner of the Demon King's body. The sacred power of the holy sword must have exploded.
"Flies… To be beaten by the likes of a fly… I can't!!!"
It was like a last resort. There was a jewel on the Demon King's hand, a gem with a tremendous amount of magical power. He was about to do something with it.
"Give me!"
Unknowingly, fearlessly, I put my hand on the Demon King's jewel. As soon as I touched it, an intense wave swept through my body, but my intuition told me this was the only way. If this jewel was not used, the Demon King would die.
"Aaaaa!!! Let go—!!!!"
I squeezed out all my remaining strength to hinder the Demon King. Several strange sensations passed through me. I poured all my will into the gem. The jewel began to glow red as if it were about to explode.
Like that…
A strong light emanated from the jewel.
. . . . . .
It became dark before my eyes. It was very quiet and dark, as if I was trapped in the void beyond the sky. I thought, Oh, am I dead? The moment that thought came…
An unpleasant sound twisted my ears.
"Wake up—! What time is it and are you still sleeping?"
A familiar yet long-awaited shout resonated.
When I opened my eyes…
"Daron! What are you doing not getting up?"
A long-dead superior, a man who was clearly cut in two by the demons, was screaming loudly.