Volume 7 Chapter 4 The Day Hero Died
The memories right after defeating the Demon Lord were actually vague.
Certainly, the sensation of cutting him clung to my hand, but I couldn't help feeling like he was still there at the tip of the sword I held.
The battle was not over. I couldn't afford to fall.
Advance, strike. Swing the sword until I die.
That was the only thing dominating my mind.
But there was someone who brought me back to reality.
Only Eris, amid my hazy memories, whom I could vividly recall everything.
While crying, she hugged my body without saying a word. Her battered arms tightened around me as if she wouldn't let go.
I hardly have any memories of seeing her cry.
Even at the death of Glaive, she remained composed, taking charge of the battle without shedding a tear.
Yet, Eris silently shed tears this time.
I realized that her armor dissolved into silver light, and her bloodstained chest became warm and wet.
After that, the world regained its color, and the sounds returned. Mevia's frantic voice shouting, "Don't you dare die!" and Kou calling out to me. In the corner of my vision, I could see Sharla praying.
"It's... over now."
"It's over..."
The words lost their meaning, and the sound leaked from my head like a broken record.
"Yes, it's over. It's finally over..."
As if to say it over and over again, Eris whispered in my chest.
The fragments of the spilled words slowly permeated my body, warming me from within.
When the last remaining sword turned into light and scattered, I finally felt the end of the battle.
And the memories I had with Eris, whom I knew well, were the last.
There were times when I traveled and acted with Eris until I returned to the country, but it felt like I was dreaming during that time. I could only remember fragmented scenes.
Or perhaps, the events that followed were too shocking and became blurry.
When I returned to the Centraris Kingdom, I felt a clear sense of unease.
For a while, I convinced myself that I was busy with the aftermath of the war, but as time passed, it became a reality and gnawed at my heart.
I had less and less time to meet with Eris.
She is the princess of the Centraris Kingdom. Once the war is over, she naturally has royal duties and also carries the face of one of the Four Heroes. She is popular among the people, intelligent and knowledgeable. I knew she would be busy.
But I am also a Hero.
Considering the relationship I have had with Eris so far, she should have made time to meet me, no matter how busy she was.
However, after the war, I realized that those times were gradually disappearing.
It's not like we couldn't meet at all. We had some time to meet, and Eris always greeted me with a smile as usual.
But our relationship was not shallow enough for me not to notice that there was something behind that smile.
And the day of destiny is approaching.
The day before I am to be sent back to Earth, I was lying alone by the lake.
It was a small corner of a forest behind the Centraris Castle, which was actually the place where I first landed in Asteris after being called.
Tomorrow, the ritual of returning the hero will be activated here. Those were the words brought by the Church and Mevia.
Perhaps the ritual of returning will only be activated once. Accept it or refuse it.
It's different from when I was called. I am now in a position to choose it.
It was a crossroads in life. A choice that cannot be undone.
What I can gain and what I can lose are clear.
Things like civilization, status, fame, I don't care about such things.
What is hanging in the balance is my homeland with my family and the different world where my friends are.
"..."
Under the starry sky, the faces of the people I have met so far appeared. There are allies, enemies, the living, and the dead.
And the vague faces of my parents and friends appeared, and finally, the face of the scarlet girl appeared.
She illuminated my dark path like the sun rising at dawn.
I had made up my mind in these few months.
It's a simple story. If she needs me, I will stay here, but if she doesn't, I will return to Earth. This life is thanks to Eris. I don't know what she is thinking now, but I will follow her decision.
Kou and Mevia... Sharla will definitely be angry.
There are many people who would keep me here if I consult with them. Not as the Hero "Shirogane," but as Yamamoto Yuusuke, there are certainly people who care about me.
Nevertheless, I prioritize Eris's words.
To be honest, it was painful to think anymore. Even if everyone needed me, it would be meaningless if Eris wasn't there.
These few months, where the ominous premonition vividly reflected reality, were more painful than death.
Whether she anticipated it or she felt the same way as me.
Under the light of falling stars, the presence of one person appeared.
"..."
There was no wonder or surprise. Perhaps, it felt like I had been waiting.
When I lifted my face, Eris was standing there, wearing the same negligee and gown as before.
Her crimson hair, glowing like a burning fire even in the darkness of the night. Her deep green eyes, straight and filled with radiant light. Her beauty, praised as the best in the kingdom, had been polished even more in these past few years, captivating anyone who laid eyes on her.
Burning with an intense sense of justice, she was a person so kind that you could feel her warmth.
In truth, she was clumsy, yet intellectual, straightforward but sometimes lost in her thoughts. She was someone dear to me.
The person who saved me from hell.
My most precious person.
Eris Philin Centraris slowly walked towards me.
I also stood up to greet her. Even though she was approaching, the distance felt endlessly far.
I don't need to ask why she came. I already know.
"Did you come all the way here just to tell me the answer?"
"...Yes, that's right."
There was no need to probe further. I had been gathering information about Eris for the past few months, and she surely knew that.
At this moment, it was time to confirm whether the rumors I had heard through others were true or not.
Eris looked into my eyes. Her eyes, which I had seen many times before, were still beautiful.
"I didn't want to hurt you. But now you are clinging to a non-existent hope and misunderstanding true happiness."
"...Do you understand my happiness?"
"I understand."
Eris answered immediately.
"Hey, Yuusuke, can you listen to me?"
She spoke in her usual gentle voice. However, it felt like someone else was speaking.
"It's definitely a good thing that the Demon Lord is dead. Thanks to that, the prosperity of humanity is guaranteed. I'm grateful for that. But... You, who killed the Demon Lord, have become a source of fear for the people"
The world trembles.
"That's why please, whatever you want, be it money or anything else, I'll provide it. Just go back to your hometown. Besides, your presence makes my fiancé, Sir Zilk of the Vislard Duke's family, uneasy. You know, I need someone like him, a charismatic and respected person, to support the country in the future."
——Jilk. Jilk, huh? Lately, I've been hearing that name from everyone.
I went to confirm with other members of the royal family, the prime minister, and even the king. In the end, they all gave me the same answer.
I can't stand.
The world feels like it has lost its reality, and I am trapped in an illusion of unknown nightmares.
I came here prepared. I came to face the judgment sword wielded by her, as I can no longer decide for myself.
However, I do not want to hear it. I do not want to hear those words from Eris. But still, she swings it down. The decisive words.
"So, you, who can only fight, are no longer needed. Hey, do you understand? For both this world and me, you're just a hindrance."
At the place of the beginning, the words of the end were spoken.
On that day, the 'Silver' hero died. Having lost everything, Yamamoto Yuusuke was bid farewell by his comrades and sent back to Earth the next day. And Eris was not there at that moment.
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