The Hero Who Returned From Death Quits

13 – EP1. The Dawning Dawn

“W-What is this!?”

Ainzel fell backward, his words trembling.

Lena casually brushed her hand and said, “Concentration training.”

“…Yes?”

“Even if a fist is flying towards you, you have to keep staring until the end.”

“No, that doesn’t make any sense…”

Lena’s eyes became increasingly irritated.

“I trained like this too, you know?”

Angel looked at her with eyes full of skepticism, and Lena exploded.

“No, this is really a good method, you know? Ugh, this kid is just so full of doubt.”

“Yes?”

“What?”

Lena belatedly realized the words that had come out of her mouth.

“Ah, well, um… sorry.”

Angel couldn’t utter a word due to shock.

Did the fairy just curse?

Angel stuttered in disbelief, feeling the same shock he felt when he found out that the story of Saint Vesseros, who supposedly gave gifts to children, was a lie.

“Ahem, anyways, staring until the end of a flying fist can help improve concentration.”

“…Ah, yes…”

They stood there in silence, feeling awkward.

…

Lena crossed her legs and watched the video.

…Yeah, that’s how it used to be in the past.

They cared about even the smallest things and gradually became close, joking and teasing each other.

They fought together and even killed the Demon King…

But during the battle with Grandis, the royal direct detachment was wiped out. It was all because of his hesitation.

Angel hesitated to swing his sword at the topic of gambling.

During that time, the royal direct detachment fell to Malekith, and among them were people who Lena had known and spent a long time with.

What thoughts did he have while hearing the fairies die behind him?

It’s an unknown.

She picked up a pile of crumpled papers.

It was a neat bundle of paper with the clean title “Hero’s Deeds Report.”

Rape, robbery, embezzlement… All sorts of crimes were meticulously recorded.

The most shocking of them all was the content that he had massacred an entire family.

“Surreptitiously stalked the family’s residence, knocked on the door, and as soon as they came out, pierced them with a sword and dismembered the family, including a child.”

I couldn’t fathom how to approach this.

Becoming a hero and brutally slaughtering civilians was equally horrifying.

And it wasn’t just one or two cases. Unlike other transgressions, the murder was both extensive and detailed in its account.

The records, written with sticky blood, sent a chilling feeling to anyone who read them.

It was bitterly different from the past.

…

“What the hell.”

It was beyond belief.

“He prepared all sorts of sorcery tools… What the hell is this? A summoning circle?”

The dark mage shivered.

He had intended to use the hero as an experimental subject, and when his subordinates kept dying, it was quite irritating.

“What were you trying to summon? A spirit for a dark magic ritual?”

Seeing that there was no significant meaning to further discussion, Angel thought for a moment and then twisted his face.

“Enough. Rot in hell, you bastards.”

The leader of the dark mages said, “Ugh… I’ll take you with me, Gil Dong.”

A massive magic circle appeared on the ground.

The leader of the dark mages surveyed his surroundings with a twisted face.

His subordinates were bleeding on the floor.

When they learned that the hero had been banished from the Empire and was nearby, they saw it as an opportunity.

They thought that if the hero couldn’t use the Holy Sword, he would lose his unique abilities and become weak, making him suitable as an experimental subject.

But that was a misconception.

They had belittled all heroes, assuming that they were proficient in only swords, magic, and miracles.

However, the hero’s strength was no lie. He could summon an Orb of Blades, set fire to various places with magic, and even create a massive mace using miracles to decapitate the dark mages.

Moreover… What on earth was dark magic?

The deceased dark mages turned into zombies, gnawing at their former comrades.

It was unbelievable that a hero possessed such power.

But… that didn’t mean he could just stand idly by and die.

Baphrom Dejek, the leader of the dark mages, employed his masterpiece. Its name was “Lion’s Play.”

It was a black magic that could designate a target and replicate the human that the target had killed.

Even though there were allegations of corruption, a hero was a hero. They might not come out in great numbers, but… they could inflict significant mental damage. One of the effects of “Lion’s Play” was even devouring the enemy’s mental strength. Hesitate too long, and you’d be drawn to the lion and devoured.

In black armor, wielding a black sword, with a robe turned inside out, making it impossible to even identify their eyes and hair color, he looked at the hero and seethed with anger.

How much blood had been shed by that black sword?

That blood was meant for himself, after all.

“hahahaha! Just thinking about the face you’ll make when you suffer for your sins makes me laugh! Let’s see your guilt!”

Thus, “Lion’s Play” was unleashed against the hero… and it produced an innumerable amount of humans.

From children to adults, they couldn’t be counted.

“What, what!? What’s happening?”

Even Baphrom Dejek, despite having cast the spell, stared at the scene with a bewildered expression.

It’s… too many?

They, with their ashen bodies devoid of life, advanced towards the hero.

And Baphrom Dejek clearly saw it.

The Imperial Knight, Saint Luderen.

The Geomancer, Feria.

The Saintess, Beatrice.

Their faces appeared.

And all of them were swept away by the hero’s resolute sword without hesitation.

“Hey.”

In no time, the hero leaned in close to him, grinning as if he were about to tear apart.

Baphrom Dejek stared at the hero in terror.

“You saw it, didn’t you?”

His eyes gleamed brightly.

…

Count Serindel frowned.

“For now, let’s search the surrounding cities and nations. We must capture the hero… no, the sinner Angel!”

And involuntarily, a voice came out of my mouth.

“Poot.”

The face that emerged from the transparent crystal orb was a face I knew well.

“Emperor, I wonder if your inspiration is finally running dry?”

Just in case someone was chasing behind me, I placed the crystal orb in a strategic location. It looked quite strategic to me.

Seeing the Count Serindel, even the holy dignitary must be exhausted. It’s absurd that someone is already trying to restrain Rudran’s power. Grandidis is still alive and well.

Count Serindel was the head of the Serindel family, which had always produced the second-in-command of the military. He was famous for igniting a spirit of competition within Rudran, where he was always trailing behind and unable to claim the position of the first-in-command.

Well, it’s not my problem. Count Serindel may have a strong sense of justice, but honestly, he is a person who cannot escape his own world.

He is so self-centered that he must be thinking about raising mercenaries in an unreachable place for the Empire.

Just for him, it would be impossible for me to go back to my hometown and become a farmer.

“Angel… when will that sinner gather mercenaries and attack Grandidis?”

Oh, how predictable. It’s so obvious.

Hearing the voice that came from beyond the crystal orb, I smirked and laughed.

I stood up and looked at the fallen black mages.

The black mages were torn to pieces, bleeding profusely from their bodies.

I gathered them together and set them on fire.

Indeed, the ignition magic is the most convenient.

As I leisurely admired the burning corpses, I regained consciousness and inspected the black mages’ workshop.

Oh, what’s this?

On closer inspection, it was a significant amount of dark magic imbued in a dormant amethyst. This is a top-quality piece….

Perhaps those who luckily obtained this amethyst got intoxicated by its power and ended up being overwhelmed by me.

By the way, this could be a big hit if used properly.

With such high purity and a gem that projects dark magic so well, I might be able to create a Death Knight.

Frankly speaking, the Death Knight is on par with me or slightly below me in terms of pure swordsmanship, so it would be useful to have one.

Or maybe I could stack the corpses and create a mountain of flesh. However, honestly, it’s too massive and grotesque, so it’s not as appealing as the Death Knight….

Well, assuming I can use this properly for now.

And if I try to create a Death Knight now, I would only face suspicion.

As I was gleefully indulging myself, my face was reflected in the amethyst.

But there’s something… a bit strange.

Feeling that something was amiss, I looked at the mirror hanging on the wall.

There was a redness in his eyes.

More precisely, his pupils had a slight reddish glow.

I clenched my face. The erosion was faster than I thought.

Even though the demon king is dead, there is no telling what will happen to his physical form, although the possibility of mental issues is minimal.

It was as if the demon king’s dark magic was running wild.

Damn it, I thought I didn’t need to hide my dark magic these days, but it seems like I’ve been influenced by it.

This sucks. I lightly flicked my tongue.