Kainel envisioned someone overlapping with Licht’s back as he headed to fight the Demon King.
Adrian.
The brother he missed from his clueless childhood days.
“Mom, who’s the person in this photo?”
“Oh… that’s your brother, Kainel.”
Adrian was a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes, much like Kainel.
From the way he hung on the wall, he had a towering height and striking looks unlike his younger self.
“Wow! He’s so cool! This guy is my brother!”
To the little boy, he became an object of admiration.
Shining armor reflecting sunlight, hanging on the wall of their old rural home, accompanied by the title of knight.
“But why doesn’t my brother come home? I’ve never seen his face!”
As days passed, Kainel began an endless wait.
Unlike himself, who couldn’t leave Lavrance Village, Adrian worked in the Empire.
There was nothing to play with, and catching butterflies or playing with dirt and leaves was the complete opposite.
The country mouse had no idea how the city mouse lived.
“…He’s too busy with the imperial knights’ work.”
“Right, he’s working to buy a cool toy for our Kainel.”
Like a child waiting for Santa Claus on Christmas, his vague longing grew larger like a snowball.
“What does Brother Adrian do in the knights’ order?”
“He fights the bad Demon King and protects people.”
Each time, his parents spoke with gloomy eyes. The truth behind their words was too hard for a child to comprehend.
“I want to talk to him too! I should boast about the huge stag beetle I caught while playing with the kids yesterday!”
The pure innocence of a child was clear and bright, and Kainel had even sent a letter with his tiny hands towards the imperial knights.
It was the result of barely convincing the postman grandpa, who visited often.
And then a letter arrived at their home.
“Mom! I got a letter from Brother Adrian!”
“…What? That can’t be…?”
The letter bore Adrian’s name as the sender, sealed with wax bearing the wolf symbol.
“Brother is doing well in the knights… he says not to be picky and to eat your vegetables, Kainel.”
An elegant handwriting. The black letters on fancy parchment were too complex for young Kainel.
“What about the stag beetle? Wasn’t there any praise for that?”
“Yes, he says our Kainel is the coolest.”
Kainel’s parents read the contents to him instead.
Then one day, Kainel saw the imperial knights’ flag and said:
“I want to be a knight like Brother Adrian!”
His ambition had become a dream for the boy, blooming in his heart like a flower.
Following his brother who hadn’t shown his face for years…
“Not yet, Kainel. You’re still too young. Just a little longer, then…”
“Dad doesn’t want Kainel to become a knight.”
That hit Kainel’s parents hard too.
They could only watch helplessly as the young boy raised his arms, shouting joyfully.
“…Why can’t I?”
Kainel’s parents, who had always been kind to him, turned cold, and he couldn’t hide his gloomy expression.
His brother had been under Reinhardt, the commander of the imperial knights, known as the Lion’s Heart.
Why could Adrian be one while he couldn’t? The naive Kainel cried and threw a fit for hours.
“Your brother has actually gone on a long journey, Kainel.”
It was only then that his parents slowly told young Kainel.
They revealed that Adrian was killed by Finn, the Demon King of Might, during the Demon God War.
And that the letters he believed came from his brother were actually written by other knights, his comrades.
On a day when the rain pelted against the window violently,
the boy learned the truth. That day was, unfortunately, the day before his brother’s memorial.
‘…’
After that, he was chosen by the Light’s Holy Sword, but his duty as a hero remained to stop the Demon King.
Kainel lived with guilt for not rescuing his brother in time.
Sometimes, he even heard rumors that he had devoured his brother to become a hero, and he was ostracized in town.
Training swordsmanship without a proper teacher was tormenting for Kainel, who struggled to survive day by day.
“Hey, Kainel..! Thanks for saving me last time!”
Ariel was the one who changed that. The beautiful elf girl with red twin tails.
She pulled Kainel’s hand when he was down and always encouraged him, a childhood friend and now an indispensable person.
Even the thought of losing her made Kainel scared.
When he first met Licht, he had shown hostility.
A man in a black knight’s helmet, acting all tough.
But as they got to know each other, Licht resembled the knight Kainel admired.
He also protected Ariel, whom Kainel treasured more than his own life.
‘..Licht fights the Demon King without saving himself.’
Licht had become a friend to him, a comrade he could rely on, and a brother-like figure.
Sometimes, Licht showed a mature side, longing for someone called the Nameless Saintess, revealing things unknown to himself, making it seem he truly came from the future.
Though their first impression went awfully, he was a friend who tried to connect him and Ariel.
‘Even if we’re both heroes, our mindsets are completely different.’
Kainel watched as the Black Knight fought, using Healing Magic to restore his body.
Finn was his enemy who killed his brother.
Unlike Kainel, filled with meaningless rage, the hero remained calm, analyzing the Demon King’s weaknesses.
It seemed that Licht had his troubles from the Hero Church too.
He spotted glimmering shards of glass falling like diamonds.
A figure with white hair and wolf ears materialized in the scenery.
It was someone he had seen before.
Memories of dancing with Pina Grancia in a dress at the social club or chatting over drinks during a festival flashed back.
The small shards of glass created a vibrant scene, resembling falling snow rather than rain.
At last, Licht approached Finn and managed to break his sunglasses.
“Licht!! I’m coming to help!!”
He created a perfect opportunity for the Light Hero. Kainel dashed toward the revealed giant’s eye, ready to strike.
He spread his white wings and soared into the air, whoosh!, delivering a straight slashing blow in unison with the other hero’s attack.
“Y-you little bastards…!!”
Finn roared, clutching his bleeding face.
*
When fighting the Demon King, there’s always a point to be cautious about. You must always prepare for more than one phase.
Just like the Head and the Magic Hat.
The reason I told Kainel to use Healing Magic to preserve himself was also for this.
It often happened that a boss would be taken down, but then you get careless and fall victim to the next phase.
“Damn it. Damn it… these despicable heroes…”
Finn clutched the wound I inflicted, screaming loudly. Having attacked his face along with his sunglasses, the injury must be serious.
“Let’s fall back for now. Licht.”
Just as the Demon King tried to twist my neck, Kainel pulled me back with a sudden jerk.
“Thanks. You saved me, Kainel.”
“…Does he not see in front of him?”
Kainel and I watched Finn from a distance. A moment ago, he could have crushed me, yet he clung to my throat.
‘…He’s flailing his arms blindly.’
The red-haired man now swung wildly at the air.
Boom! Bang! Each punch unleashed loud booming sounds, and the warped space sent chills down spines.
Had the shards of his sunglasses shattered and cut him? His deranged state was quite the spectacle.
“I’ll attack one more time. Will you help me?”
“Of course. Licht.”
I charged at the frenzied Demon King, sword in hand.
There was no way a single surprise attack would work again. I’d go with standard methods.
His gigantic white fists were frantically trying to catch me. Even a mere graze would twist space and crush me.
‘…Hurk.’
I endured the pain, grinding my teeth as I combined the Reverse Scale Stab with the Red Wood.
Slash!, I slipped through the openings in the giant’s body.
A seamless technique merging offense and defense in one motion.
“There you are! You damn hero!!”
Finn noticed my position. But it didn’t matter.
I dodged the incoming punch with Clear Flow, letting it pass right beside me.
How powerful was it? The ground formed a deep crater, and my hands trembled with the sword.
The softest thing should slice through the hardest; like water eroding stone.
Using power inversely. Increased force from sheer will, I swung my sword down.
“…Did a cyclops just get cut?”
Combining Void Slash and One Sword Falling Flower, I inflicted wounds on the mammoth fist. Finn drew closer.
Lily petals fluttered from above, scattering around.
“Licht!! Now’s the time!!”
To create an opening for me, Kainel attacked on purpose, distracting Finn. A hero swinging his sword relentless at Finn.
Finn looked overwhelmed, desperately defending himself with his knuckles that resembled a Holy Sword. His chest was decorated with fresh sword wounds.
“Demon King Kill. Arang.”
Taking advantage of the opportunity created by the Light Hero, I unleashed the Demon King Kill. A white wolf emerged from behind me.
The massive wolf lunged at the Demon King to devour him just as I aimed my sword at Finn’s shadow.
“……Intinium.”
In that instant, the Demon King of Might opened his blood-stained eyes and smiled.
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