The Hero Ludmila

What flashed through his mind was the final showdown with the Demon Lord Yurisha.

Lyle had brandished the Miracle Armament Laevateinn, incinerating the Demon Lord and Fried in a single stroke. If he returned to the human world now, he would be hailed as the Hero who slew the Demon Lord. As the world’s greatest Hero, his name would be carved into history for eternity.

—But in the next instant, he had found himself in darkness.

While his consciousness remained hazy, he wandered for days, eventually regaining his sense of self bit by bit. Now, though his memories had completely returned, he still couldn’t find a way out.

“I have to… go back…”

Lyle muttered, half-unconsciously. He continued to walk unsteadily.

“ I can’t end in a place like this… As a Hero… I will grasp glory… more… more…!“

Something seethed deep in his chest.

Ambition.

Lust for power.

Desire for dominion.

The craving for those things was—

“Tch…!?”

Suddenly, a numbness shot through his right hand. What—? The moment he wondered, light appeared before his eyes.

“The exit…!”

He felt it instinctively. Lyle quickened his pace. The light grew more dazzling, and then—

Before he knew it, he was standing in the middle of a main thoroughfare.

“I’m back…?”

He looked around. The Kingdom of Remfeel—its Royal Capital. It was the place Lyle and Fried had used as their base.

“Lyle… kun?”

As he walked down the street, someone called out to him. Turning around, he saw a beautiful girl with a cheerful countenance. Blue hair tied in twin tails with yellow ribbons. She was tall and slender, clad in silver light plate armor, with a jade-colored longbow slung across her back.

“Ludmila—”

Lyle caught his breath.

Ludmila Deal.

One of the “Sacred Edges,” the four strongest among all Heroes. She was seventeen, one year older than Lyle. They had been paired up for missions as Heroes before, and being close in age, they had become quite close.

“It’s been a while. Not since the Ramdo Forest, right?”

“Yes, it’s been six months.”

That had been a large-scale demon subjugation mission where he participated separately from his master, Fried. He recalled Ludmila’s terrifying combat prowess, which was said to rival even a Demon Lord. The sight of her Seraph-class Miracle Armament Raphael erasing hundreds of demons in an instant was breathtaking.

She was strong, dignified, and straightforward at all times—and beautiful.

“I’m happy to see you again.”

Lyle flashed a smile. His mood rose naturally; his heart gave a sweet throb.

Lyle headed to the Royal Capital branch of the Hero Guild with Ludmila. The Guild is a global organization that unites the Heroes of every nation. Lyle went to report on the battle in the Demon Realm, while Ludmila was there to receive a new mission.

“I heard you were chosen as a member of the desperate mission to the Demon Realm by the hundred Heroes… I’m glad to see you returned safely.”

“Yes, somehow…”

Lyle spoke vaguely. What had happened to the Demon Lord and Fried? Had he managed to kill them with that single strike? If by some chance Fried had survived and returned to the human world—he would face severe punishment as a traitor. Execution was a very real possibility.

“Um, has the Hero Fried returned?”

“Fried—you mean your master? No, he hasn’t returned here.”

Ludmila shook her head. He felt a wave of relief.

“Wasn’t he with you?”

“Actually, Master fell at the hands of the Demon Lord…” Lyle looked down. “He took a mortal wound to shield me. However, I couldn’t confirm his final moments… I thought perhaps he might have made it back here…”

He gave an answer that mixed fact and fiction. He let his body tremble and bit his lip. As the act of a “disciple consumed by grief over losing his master,” this should be sufficient. If it were too excessive, it would seem staged; too calm, and he might seem heartless.

“I see,” Ludmila nodded curtly. “A few other Heroes have returned, but I hear most were killed.”

“I will avenge my master. And I will save many people from the demons, just as he did—”

“You’re right. Those left behind must carry on the will of those who fell.”

Ludmila nodded with a solemn face.

“But don’t push yourself too hard. When you’re sad, it’s okay to just be sad.”

“…Thank you.”

“So you’ve returned, Hero Lyle. I’m glad you made it back safely. And Ludmila of the Sacred Edges, sorry for calling you in.”

The Branch Manager—a portly, middle-aged man—greeted them with a smile. Lyle reported on the events in the Demon Realm. The Guild also shared information with him. A few other Heroes besides Lyle had returned, and according to them, the Demon Lord was apparently still alive. However, that Demon Lord supposedly looked different from Yurisha. Perhaps she had taken a wound in that battle and set up a double? Or perhaps the throne had already passed to a new ruler.

Either way, Lyle’s ambition of “returning as the Hero who slew the Demon Lord” had failed to materialize.

(Tch, I missed my chance to be a hero.)

He gave a small click of his tongue.

“…Is something wrong, Lyle?”

“N-no, it’s nothing.”

Lyle hurriedly shook his head at the suspicious Branch Manager.

“Furthermore—while you were in the Demon Realm, three kingdoms here on the Eastern Continent were conquered one after another.”

“Three? Already?”

“Yes, by the Demon Lord’s aide—the ‘Undead King’ Regal.”

The Branch Manager grimaced bitterly.

“I hear Regal’s ‘Wraith Legion’ currently rules those kingdoms. With an army of undead, those three nations have become scenes out of a nightmare,” Ludmila stated with a grim expression.

“That is precisely why I called you here, Hero Ludmila.”

The Branch Manager looked at her.

“Please, save those three kingdoms from the hands of the demons.”

“A subjugation mission is exactly what I wanted. I’ll exterminate every last demon with my own hands—”

Ludmila declared, her fighting spirit laid bare.

Thump.

Suddenly, something pulsed deep within Lyle’s chest. Even he didn’t know what it was.

(I have to go, too.)

Driven by a strange, sudden impulse, Lyle spoke up.

“Would you let me accompany you on that subjugation mission? I’m sure I can be of help.”

“Hmm, it would be reassuring to have you… but are you alright? You’ve only just returned from the Demon Realm.”

“I cannot overlook the suffering of so many people,” Lyle stated. “It’s as I told Ludmila earlier. To carry on my master’s will. I will defeat the demons—this is my will and my oath as a Hero.”

“Well said. That’s the spirit of a Hero.”

“Then let’s work hard together, Lyle-kun.”

“Yes!”

Encouraged by Ludmila, his spirits rose.

“…?”

Suddenly, he felt a strange sensation in his right hand. The same odd numbness he felt just before leaving the darkness—.

(What is this…?)

He slowly opened his clenched hand. Inside was a shard of black metal.

“When did I pick this up…?”

Zap! A purple spark flew from the metal shard.

As Yurisha raised both hands high, a single sword rose into the air. A jet-black blade that seemed to reflect the darkness itself. A beautiful guard and hilt decorated in gold.

“This is the Purgatory Demon Blade, Radis. It is the symbol of the Demon Lord and a magical artifact that forces all demons into submission.”

“Forces submission…?”

“Look at your stats; the level of your ‘Demon Army Obedience’ is low, isn’t it? That is because you have not inherited Radis.”

So, by inheriting this sword, my ability to command the demons would increase? I looked at the sword floating in the air once more.

“…But it’s quite battered. For a symbol of the Demon Lord.”

Looking closer, the blade was covered in cracks. There were several chips in the edge as well.

“I hear it was damaged in the ancient battle against the gods,” Yurisha sighed. “…Hm, it seems a new wound has been added.”

“Eh?”

“There were six missing pieces of this sword in total. Fragments were shattered during past battles and scattered across the Demon Realm, the human world, or even the Heavens—”

Yurisha knit her brows and groaned.

“The damaged areas have increased to seven. I only hope the new fragment hasn’t fallen into the hands of an enemy…”