--I'll tell you the story of a foolish sorcerer.

　The sorcerer was born in a small village on the edge of the Kingdom of Onryn.
　His name was Leusas Gilburn.
　He was a child with dusky red hair and a bad look in his eyes.

　His father was a soldier who guarded the village and his mother was a sorcerer who supported him.
　His parents were leaders, commanding the soldiers.
　Watching their backs, Ryuzas grew up to be a rough-tempered but caring boy.

　He had a younger sister, ten years younger than him.
　She is a red-haired girl named Sasha Gilburn.
　Frail from birth, Sasha was often sickly.
　In place of his parents, who had to open the house for work, Ryuzas took care of Sasha.

　Nothing unusual, but Leusas led an idyllic life in the small village.
　The peace that had been in place at the beginning of his life was shattered when he was fourteen years old.

　The kingdom was attacked by the Demon King's army.
　The army led by the Four Heavenly Kings, "Judgment", clashed with the armies of the kingdom.
　In the midst of all this, a demon haggled with the Demon King's army and came to the village.

　They were intercepted by the village's guardians.
　Naturally, his parents were among them.
　The demons that attacked the village managed to fight off the demons despite the many sacrifices they made.
　The demons did not enter the village, and Ryuzas and the others were protected.

　However.

It's a good thing that you are a skilled magician. Demons are the least of your worries.

　The mother who said that had been eaten by a demon and died.
　It seemed that she had been attacked in between activating her magic.
　The right half of her body was gone, and only the left half of her body was left.

You are the best swordsman in the village. You don't have anything to worry about.

　His father, who had said that, came back with a fatal wound.
　It seemed that he had been distracted the moment his mother died and had been attacked by a demon.

　When he looked at his father, his face was blank, and he knew that Ryuzas would not be able to survive.
　With the sheets wet with blood and red foam coming out of his mouth, his father grabbed Liuzas' arm tightly and said.

'Liuzas ...... you're a big brother. So please ...... protect Sasha, protect her.'

　Those were his father's last words.


　Ryusas hid his parents' death from Sasha.
　But even at a young age, Sasha must have realized that they were gone.
　She cried until her eyes were swollen, and then she fell asleep.

　Wiping the tears from her meditated eyes, Ryuzas looked at the sleeping Sasha.
　Her skin was white and her body was thin.
　The strength of her fingers to roll over and grip her clothes was really weak.

　He remembered his father's last words.
　And Liuzas swore.
　He vowed that he would protect Sasha, no matter what happened to her.
　And he would make her happy.

　Taking care of his sister hadn't been easy.
　He couldn't do it by himself, and the villagers helped him many times.
　Our parents did not have much money left and life was difficult for them.
　Nevertheless, Liuzas did not give up.
　He took care of his sister, bowed to the village chief to get a job, and did whatever he could to help.

　It was probably because his parents were in command of the soldiers.
　The people in the village took pity on them and took care of them.

...... ehehe.

　Sasha was always smiling.
　It was supposed to be painful, but it was supposed to be sad.
　She never whined, but smiled in a patient manner.

　I don't want her to smile like that.
　While thinking that, he couldn't help himself.

　It's been a year since his parents died.
　When he came home after work, he found Sasha still awake.

'Welcome back, brother!

　He greeted Liuzas happily when he returned.
　Normally, it's time to go to sleep.

...... You've got to get to bed early. You'll catch cold again.
'So, but ...... my brother's face, I wanted to see ......

　As soon as she said that, Sasha shook her head.

'I'm sorry ....... I'm going to bed, properly.

　I smile as I try to endure something and Sasha turns to go back to her bedroom.

'Wait for ......,'
......?
...... I'll stay with you until you fall asleep.

　In a blunt manner, he stroked Sasha's head roughly with an eagle.
　Liuzas's cheeks loosened as his sister's face lit up with a flash of light.

'Brother, read your book!
......

　It was one of Sasha's favorite books that she had read to him dozens of times already.

　It was the story of a young man who defeats a world ruled by an evil demon king.
　One day, the young man is given power by the gods and becomes a hero.
　However, he is a coward and has no idea how to do it, so he fails many times along the way.
　Every time he fails, he cries.
　But he never gives up.
　Even when people laughed at him and said that he couldn't do it, he kept on going.
　Many people are attracted to him.
　After that, the young man fails many times, but he grows up to be a hero with the support of many people.
　Eventually, the young man, who everyone has come to recognize as a hero, will join his friends in defeating the Demon King.
　The evil demon king is gone, and what awaits is a world where everyone can live happily ever after.
　A world where humans, sub-humans, demons, and demonkind can all laugh at each other.

　Ryusas knew.
　It was impossible to create such a world.
　Even if you defeat the demon king, the world where everyone can laugh will never come.
　Humans and demons will never be able to understand each other.

　Normally Sasha fell asleep immediately after finishing reading the book.
　But that day was different.

...... It's me. I want to create a world as happy as this one.

　Potentially.
　In a small voice, Sasha said this.

'In that world, you know, people don't fight, they just play happily every day. ......
............
We'll have some sweet treats and stuff. And then we'll have a nap together or something.
............
My mom and dad are laughing about it in the underworld.
...............
...... I wish there was a world of fun like that.

　His profile looked impossibly sad.

'I'll make .......'
What?

　-- I saw her force herself to laugh.

　Hurt and sadness at the loss of those who were dear to her.
　And yet, she forced herself to smile.
　I thought how nice it would be if I could turn that sad smile into a real smile.

　Because I thought so.

I'll make you one.

　He vowed.
　He would create a world where he could make her smile.
　To be a hero and create a world where she could be happy.

　That was his promise to her.


◆

　I will defeat the Demon King and stop the war between humans and demons.　
　That's what Ryusas decided to do.
　In order to do so, he needed his strength.

　From that day on, in addition to taking care of his sister and working, he began to train to become strong.
　At first, he tried to become a swordsman, like the young man in the storybook.
　He swung his bare hands with a wooden sword and even learned the sword from a soldier who was a friend of his father's.

　But Liuzas had no talent for the sword.
　Even if he learned the basics, he couldn't connect them to the application.
　When faced with an enemy, he couldn't help but cower.

　Liuzas was not like the young man in the storybook.

　Instead, he had a talent for magic.
　And that too, an uncommon talent.

　Reading a grimoire that was a memento of his mother's grimoire, Liuzas learned the magic arts.
　Just by reading the book, he was able to use elementary magic perfectly.
　On the contrary, he even developed a more efficient way to use it.

　Within a year of his first year of training in magic, Ryusas became the best magician in the village.
　He earned his money by defeating the demons that appeared around the village.
　He was able to escape the simple life and hire a domestic help.
　Before long, his name was known to King's Landing, and he received an invitation to come to the castle.

　--It was the first step to becoming a hero.

　He decided to go to the castle.
　He would become a royal sorcerer and make a name for himself, and one day he would defeat the demon king and become a hero.

Congratulations, big brother!

　The day before Rüthas was to leave for the castle.
　Sasha had given him a present.
　It was a handmade necklace.

"It's at .......
Heh, I made it without telling my brother.

　It was not a superlative.
　Some might laugh at the stinginess of it.
　Still, to Liuzas, it was worth more than any treasure.

'Hey, happy?　Happy?
............
Wow, big brother. What, what's going on?　Where does it hurt?　Don't cry!

　I loved my sister helplessly as she stroked herself with her little hands.

...... just a little while longer.

　He hugs Sasha and says as he bites down.

'Absolutely, I'm going to make the world a happier place.'
...... Yeah.
I'm going to be a hero and I'm going to make you the happiest man in the world.
...... Yeah.

　Eventually.
　Liuzas didn't notice Sasha's intention to pick at her clothes with a weak force.

◆.


　After coming to the royal castle, Liuzas' momentum was tremendous.
　He quickly absorbed the knowledge that he couldn't get in the village in the blink of an eye.
　By the time he turned twenty, he had mastered the advanced magic of all attributes.

　There were many who envied him for being a literal genius.
　Not once or twice did he get unreasonably tangled up with them.
　However, Liuzas would not break.
　He didn't let them stop him, but he continued to achieve.

　Eventually, when there was no one in the royal castle who didn't know the name of Liuzas.
　His name began to be mentioned as a candidate for "court wizard".

　The title of court magician is an honorary title that every magician in the kingdom yearns for.
　At this time, a Liuzas faction was forming in the castle.
　Once you become a court magician, your position in the royal castle would be more solid.
　You can get closer to your heroes.

　And I can also bring Sasha to the capital.
　At present, people from all over the kingdom are coming to King's Landing to escape the threat of the Demon King's army.
　Therefore, the powerful nobles, great merchants and their relatives are given priority.
　Luzas from the commoners have been put on the back burner.
　Besides, living in King's Landing requires a reasonable amount of money.
　He himself is lodged in the sorcerer's quarters, but he doesn't have enough money to settle in the capital yet.

　But when you become a court mage, it's a different story.
　You'll have all the money you need, and you won't be put off because you're a commoner.

　Since the attack a few years ago, all the villagers have been paying each other and security has been strengthened.
　To date, they have not been attacked by demons or demonkind.
　Even so, it's safer to bring them to the royal capital where they can reach their own eyes.

　At this time, the invasion of the demon king's army led by Ortegia was becoming fiercer.
　A decisive battle between humans and demons will occur in the not too distant future.
　Liuzas was sure of that.

The only problem is that it's not a good idea. We're almost--

　And.
　Before Ryuzas gets the title of hero, and before that.
　A brave man was to be summoned from another world.

◆.

A prophecy was delivered to the king and to a highborn nobleman.
"Melt, the God of Holy Light, had instructed them to use the summoning formation to save the world.
　The vision also revealed how to use the summoning formation.
　I succeeded in activating the summoning formation, which I had only known to be a variant of the transposition formation, just as I had heard in my dream, and the hero was summoned from the other world.

　There was a problem with the demon tribe that had secretly infiltrated the royal castle and tried to destroy the summoning formation, but Lucifina Emiliole, a knight who had rushed to the scene, saved the day.

　As planned, the brave man was successfully summoned.

　--What a divine decree.
　--It's crazy to try to cling to something so uncertain.

　Even though I think so inwardly, Ryuzas has no authority to stop the summoning.

　And so, a brave man was summoned from another world.
　The one who came was a black-haired boy who called himself Amatsu.

　He shatters the earth, splits the sky, and destroys demons.
　That's the power of the brave man that remains in the lore.
　The kingdom turned its hand to fight Amatsu, but he refused to do so.
　The knights pulled him out for training, but he cut corners and wouldn't even try to fight properly.

　It was about that time that dissatisfaction began to smolder in the king's castle with such an Amatsu.


　The demon king's army made a move.
　The ten thousand troops led by the Four Heavenly Kings "Judgment" began their march towards the capital.
　They must have realized the existence of the brave men and sent out an army.

　The kingdom began to concentrate its forces on the capital in a hurry.
　Even Lucifina and other talented people who had been away from the royal capital on a mission were summoned.
　Naturally, Liuzas was also ordered to stand by.

　It soon became clear which path the Demon King's army was using to get to the royal capital.
　A countermeasure meeting was held, where it was explained to him.
　There, Ryuzas couldn't believe his ears.

''...... s, nah.''

　It was because his village was on the road that the Demon King's army was passing through.

''We can't afford to have our hands around the village at the edge. Right now, our priority is to concentrate our forces.''

　That was the decision the king had made.
　In order to stop the 10,000-strong army, the kingdom would have to challenge with all its strength.
　You can't afford to spend all of your resources on a rural village.

''Your Majesty!　Wait for me...wait for ......!

　Ryusas objected.
　He said that they should be intercepted before the Demon King's army ravaged the land.
　Naturally, the objection was unacceptable.
　There is a problem of strength, but it's because it's too late to do it now.

　Even so, Liuzas tried to bite back.

Speak up!　A mere sorcerer's appearance would be disrespectful!
'But sir!　Well, at least lead the evacuation.
"Liuzas. The ...... of the kingdom, or rather, the very survival of man, is at stake. We cannot afford to waste time on such trivial matters.
'Sah, Matsu: ......'

　So cut off, he was asked to leave, with strict orders not to leave the castle.
　With strict orders not to leave the royal castle.
　He is already one of the ten most powerful men in the kingdom.
　I'm sure the decision to lose that ability is not good for them.

"Not something as trivial as ...... ...

　Liuzas saw an opening and asked his colleague for help.
　He asked for help to help his sister.
　Not one of them nodded.

'That's a good sign,'
That's what happens when you're on a roll.

　Those who did not take pleasure in Rüthas sneered at him so.
　He couldn't have the support of his friends, like the young man in the storybook.

　Lucifina, who would have been the only one who could have helped him, had not yet returned to King's Landing.
　If you wait, you won't be able to make it in time, though it's not very likely.

''Sasha......ssh.''

　No one will help us.
　That village was abandoned by the country.
　When confronted with this reality, the last thing he clung to was a

　-- It was a brave man from another world, Amatsu.


　Under the watchful eye, Ryuzas went to Amatsu's room.
　They are 10,000 demons.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about it.

"Amatsu-dono!

　Slamming the door with a thump, Liuzas shouted.

'Please!　I need your help!

　Ryuzas explained everything to Amatsu.
　That the Demon King's army was advancing.
　If this was not done, the village would be swallowed up by the army.
　The village has a sister.
　The kingdom has abandoned the village.

"You're all that's left. Please, please!　Please lend me your brave strength!

　The young man in the picture book, who became a brave man, said
　I don't want to see people get hurt," he said.
　He said, "I'm sure Amatsu will help us.

　You know, that hope...

That's not my ...... my business!

　With that one word from the brave man, he was shattered.

'How many times do I have to tell you that you can't fight!
"But ...... you're a brave man and you're ......
'How can I fight when I'm suddenly brought to a world I don't know!　...... what a brave man. You just got hit by a knight and cracked your bones ......!
Yeah, yeah.
'That's ...... skimpy, unmotivated, cowardly - what the hell do you expect me to do by yelling at you like that?

　Returning from behind the door was the indignant cry of the boy who should have been called upon to be a hero.

'Please, ....... Let me go home. Send me back ...... to my old world.
"My sister, ......, said Sasha--
I don't know what I'm talking about!

　That was Amatsu's answer.
　This is the reality.
　It's not going to be like in the picture books.
　There are no people like that young man in this world.

You're your big brother," he said, "and that's why ...... you're your big brother. That's why ...... you must protect Sasha.

　He remembered his father's words and nodded to himself.

'I'll protect Sasha. ......


You're not going to be able to do that.

　With that, Liuzas ran out of the royal castle alone.
　Bringing out the carriage, he overcame the restraints and headed for the village.
　He was the only one who could protect Sasha.

　When he arrived at the mountains close to the village, he met the people who had fled to the village.
　It seems that they are running away from the demons that are approaching with their luggage on their backs.
　Among them was the woman who had been paid and entrusted with the care of Sasha.
　Sasha is nowhere to be found.

"What happened to Sasha?
It's .......
"You didn't leave ......?　You've got to be kidding me, man!　You know she can't escape by herself, right?
No, Sasha's friend offered to evacuate the house herself, so I sent her to .......

　Pushing past the woman who was trying to excuse herself, Liuzas continued on.
　By the time they got here, the horses were exhausted.
　We have been fooling ourselves with healing magic, but even that has its limits.
　It is no longer possible to proceed with the carriage.

　Ryusas ran.
　To save Sasha, who was left behind in the village, he ran and ran and ran.

----

　I saw an army of demons, looming right in front of the village.
　As reported, the number reaches ten thousand.
　An army of demons that seemed to fill the horizon.

　Sasha was on the outskirts of the village.

''Sasha!''
Brother, you can go to ......

　He carried his pack and walked alone to escape.
　His steps were unsteady and he was already breathing heavily.
　There was no sign of his friend, as the woman had said earlier.
　She must have said it on the spur of the moment.
　Did those guys run off on their own after abandoning Sasha who looked like this?

''Big brother .......''

　Sasha hugged me with tears in her eyes.
　I could see from her body, which was trembling in small increments, how much fear she was feeling.

'Big brother, big brother, big brother!
I'm sorry I'm late. I'm fine now.

　As he said that, Ryuzas already knew.
　If this was the case, he would not be able to save Sasha.

　The invasion speed of the Demon King's army is much faster than expected.
　With this speed, the people in the village who have already taken refuge will not be able to escape.
　Of course, they wouldn't be able to escape either.
　It would take a long time for the horses to be able to run.
　We don't have that kind of time anymore.
　If we don't, we are going to get ourselves killed here.

"We won't let him go to .......
Big brother ......?

　He punched his trembling legs and gritted his teeth.

"I'm not gonna let Sasha mess with you.

　The only thing that drove Liuzas was the thought of it.


　From there, Ryuzas did everything he could.

　He set up wards around the village to prevent demons from entering.
　He set every trap he could think of around the village.

　He moved to higher ground and attacked from there.

　He generated a tsunami and slammed it into the advancing demon king's army.
　Without a moment's pause, he dropped a huge bolt of lightning.
　It shook the earth, tore through it with the wind, unleashed flames, swallowed it up in a muddy stream, and generated a thunderstorm.
　It blows away the demons advancing through the earth and strikes down the dragon flying through the heavens.

　He hadn't the faintest idea that he would be attacked at this time.
　The Demon King's army was thrown into chaos by Liuzas' surprise attack.

　The magic stones they had stored were used sparingly.
　They used up every single magic power granting item (magic item) that they brought with them.
　Aware of the fact that his life span would be cut down, he also used strong reactive magic.

　--all of his life so far has been for this moment.

　He fired a series of magic with maximum firepower at the Four Heavenly Kings "Judgment" who were stationed behind him.
　I'm going to have to stop myself from flying, drinking potions and spitting up blood as I continue to shoot my magic backwards.

...... blood.
No, I'm fine. Don't worry about it. ......

　We were outnumbered - and I'm not talking about outnumbered. This one was alone and no reinforcements were coming.
　Nevertheless, Ryuzas continued to fight.
　Screaming to the point of hoarseness in his throat, he gave it all he had.

　And.

----.

　The wards that surrounded the village were shattered.
　An avalanche of demonic troops descends on the village.

　Fields are being trampled down.
　Houses were shattered and the familiar landscape was destroyed.

'...... chiku, shou'

　It's a foregone conclusion.
　There is no way that Ryusas alone can stop an army of 10,000 men.

"Brother, dear.
Don't worry, okay? I'm gonna make sure you're safe.

　Holding Sasha in his arms, he jumped down from the high ground.
　While setting a trap, I started to flee from the expected path.

''Giiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!''

　The demon found me quickly.
　Countless monstrous birds are descending from the sky with their eyes on Liuzas.

''Oh--Oh, oh, oh, oh!''

　It sweeps magic into the air and shoots down the monstrous birds.
　I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.

"Ah, gah!

　The lightning flew in from the blind spot and gouged my side.
　The pain is so intense that his consciousness jumps to the surface.
　He loses his balance, and Liuzas slides down the cliff.
　In the midst of the fading consciousness, still not letting go of Sasha, he put strength into his arms.


◆


　How much time had passed since then?
　Liuzas woke up with a pain in his side.
　Above him, the trees grew thickly.
　The trees along the way had killed his momentum, so he would still be alive if he fell from that height.

　There was no sign of demons in the surroundings.
　Thanks to the trees, a blind spot was created and the demons may not have noticed it.

　Thinking that far, Ryuzas finally thought of Sasha's existence.

''Sasha!''
Hey, bro.
!

　I heard Sasha's voice from beside me, patting my chest.

What?

　Ryssa's expression hardened.

　Sasha was lying right next to him.
　His clothes were red.
　Her clothes, which had been white, had been dyed bright red.

'Brother, chan ....... Are you okay ......?
"Don't worry about me!　Shit, I'll fix you up right now!

　He rolls up his red-stained clothes and looks down at Sasha's wound.

'----'

　The flesh was torn.
　The wound had reached the internal organs.
　Sasha had been hit by the lightning earlier, too.
　And that wasn't all.
　A number of tree branches had been impaled on the ground.
　They must have been stabbed in the middle of their fall.

　Although there were cuts, there were no branches stuck in Liuzas.
　In other words, I used Sasha as a shield to protect myself from the branches ----?

Oh ...... ah, ah, ah.

　I cast a healing (heal) spell.
　Over and over again, I used the healing spell.
　The wound slowly, slowly closed up.
　When he tried to use a high-level healing spell, he reached his limit.

''Gah-boo.''

　A stabbing headache strikes Liuzas as he exercises his magic beyond his limits.
　His vision becomes indistinct and a ringing in his ears shakes his eardrums.

'You're already ......, I'm fine.'

　Still trying to use the healing magic, Sasha stopped Ryuzas from using it.
　A trembling hand gently wrapped around Liuzas' wounded hand.
　The coldness of it almost made me stop breathing.

'Thanks ....... For always protecting ...... me.
...... Don't talk.

　I don't want to hear it.

I'm sure you're not going to be able to get away with it. It was so cool.
Don't talk.

　I don't want to hear it.

The truth is ...... I've missed you a lot. Since my brother left the village,...... I haven't been able to see him much since he left. That's why I'm so glad my brother came ...... to visit me.
''- - Oh!　Well, then I'm not going anywhere!　I'll be with you forever and ever!
Yeah, go to ....... It's nice, huh?

　Spitting up blood and letting out a thin breath, Sasha smiled.
　No matter how tired I was, no matter how hard I felt, I was able to do it because of Sasha's smile.
　That irreplaceable smile is being lost in the distance.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out what's going on in the world.

''I'm sorry ....... I've been bothering my brother all the time .......
Don't worry about it. I'm your brother. My sister's gonna need some help, okay?
...... Yeah.

　Then it dawned on me.
　I realized that Sasha's eyes weren't looking at me.
　That my eyes weren't looking at the right things.

"You're not looking at .......
You know, ...... big brother.

　Interrupting the words, Sasha slowly raised her hand.
　She wandered through the air, flailing several times before a small hand was placed on Liuzas' cheek.

'I was so happy to be ...... with my brother, ...... very, very happy to be with my brother.'

　I don't want to hear it.
　You know, that kind of line, it's like you're never going to see me again.

No. ....... Wait. Give me a minute.
Eat your rice ...... properly. Wash your clothes too ...... and don't wrinkle them. Also, your ...... brother is easily misunderstood, so be careful ...... and be careful .......
I can't ...... without you, I'd be ......

　The hand that had been on his cheek touched Liuzas' hair.
　As he had once done, Sasha gently stroked Liuzas' head.
　Lovingly and compassionately.

'Your brother is ...... strong, so you'll be fine ...... without me.
"Sasha!" ......

　Little by little, the strength is lost from his fingers.
　Liuzas grabbed his hand as if clinging to it as it went down.

'We're almost there. ......!　You're so close to creating the world you want!　In my kingdom, I summoned a hero!　If a brave man fights, he can defeat the Demon King in no time!
............
Oh, I may not have been a hero, but I'm sure that ...... that brave man was--

　Tears spilled from Sasha's eyes.

'Your brother, you know, ----

　With those words as the last word, Sasha stopped saying anything.

'Sir ...... sha?'

　With a gentle smile on her face, Sasha fell into a deep sleep.

'Ah ...... ah ......'

　I never woke up again.

'Oh, oh ......'

　He clawed at his chest and slammed his fists to the ground as blood soaked through.
　Holding the corpse of his beloved sister, who was no longer moving, the sorcerer wailed.

''Ah, aaaaaaaaahhhh!

　At the bottom of the cliff, where no one was left, a blood-curdling vindictive cry rang out.
　Like a heavenly impulse, forever and ever, far and high.

　
◆

　The advance of the Demon King's army was interrupted.
　The battle in the village had cut down forty percent of his army.
　Liuzas had single-handedly forced the 10,000-strong army into a retreat.

　The villagers who had left Sasha behind and taken refuge were saved.
　After the demon king's army overran the village, they chose to retreat because of the extent of the damage.
　Sasha was the only one not to be saved.

　When he returned to the kingdom alone, what awaited him was not punishment for disobeying the king's order.
　It was praise for having caused the Demon King's army to retreat alone.

''Liuzas Gilburn. I confer upon you the title of court magician.

　The king bestowed upon him the title of court magician, along with praise.
　It's an honorable title that every magician in the kingdom yearns for.

''One man alone and the Demon King's Army: ......
"Magic ...... No, 'Great Magic'!"
"Liuzas Gilburn, the Great Conjurer!"

　The people who knew him were lavish in their praise.
　Along with the name "Great Magic", the name of Liuzas spread throughout the kingdom in the blink of an eye.
　There was no one in the kingdom who didn't know him.

...... not.

　Both are what Ryuzas was looking for.

'No!'

　It was something I wanted so badly.

I'm ...... I didn't want this ......

　Everything, everything, everything.
　Everything I did, everything I did, I did for Sasha.
　I wanted to make Sasha happy, that's all I wanted to do.


　After the awarding ceremony, the kingdom was filled with talk of "Great Magic".
　It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on a new one.
　However, this stopped within a month.

　It was because Amatsu had shown his true worth.
　The brave man, who was supposed to be holed up, left the room and joined the fight.
　He intercepted the demon king's army that attacked again.
　And in his first battle, he succeeded in forcing the demon king's army to retreat.
　I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one.

''----''

　Ryuzas cut down forty percent alone.
　Although it was only the cooperation of the knights, Amatsu had cut down his strength by 60%.

　In other words, at that time.
　If only Amatsu had cooperated with me then ----.

...... what's the point of not being able to fight?

　I saw the sight of Amatsu blasting demons away with his magic as if he were a single horseman.
　I saw Amatsu unleash a slash that could split the earth with a single swing.
　I saw Amatsu laying waste to the demon king's army with a power worthy of being called a hero.

'What!　You can't fight!　You can't fight!　If you fight, Sasha will be ......!

　It's a recrimination.
　It's a selfish demand.
　Even if Amatsu had come, there's no guarantee that he would have been able to save you.

　I know that.
　I know that's obvious.

　But - I couldn't help but think that.




　Then the human counterattack began.
　Under the banner of Amatsu, they broke the rule of the Demon King's army.

　As the sorcerer's representative, Ryuzas was to work with Amatsu.

　At the very least, he would defeat the Demon King as Sasha wanted him to.
　And I'll be a hero myself.
　I want my fame to be known to Sasha in the underworld.

　With that alone to support him, Ryuzas fought.
　His distrust of the kingdom, his irritation with his abrasive colleagues, his hatred for the weak-minded Amatsu.
　He swallowed everything and continued to fight, relying only on his vow to his sister.
　And that vow never came true.

　--because the world was stained with a single color, Amatsu.

　By the time Lucifina and Dionis joined them, the name "Amatsu the Hero" had spread throughout the world.
　That's right, a hero.
　The name "Hero" belonged to Amatsu, not to Ryuzas.

　I hated him.
　I hated Amatsu.
　And yet, Ryuzas persevered.
　He continued to fight, hoping for a sliver of hope that he would become a hero.

　On his journey, he had come to the Holy City of Famina, the holy city of the Church State occupied by demons.
　Dionis and Lucifina were wounded and Amatsu was gone to help them.
　Only Liuzas was the only one who could fight properly.
　There is only one person who can save this city--and only one person who can save this city.

"You have to be alone, you can't ....... I'm going to save this city. I'm going to spread my name!

　With that, Ryuzas single-handedly destroyed the monsters and demons that attacked him.
　I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I'm sure it's a good idea.
　It was Liuzas who defeated the enemy and saved the people.

Ha, ha. We did it. We did it. ......!

　Not Amatsu.
　It was Liuzas who saved the city.

　And when they returned to Schmelz, what was waiting for them was

Here come the heroes!
The hero who defeated all those demons: ......
It's "Heroic Amatsu!"

　"It was a voice of praise for our hero, Amatsu.

...... ah.

　I understood, even if I didn't want to.
　No, I understood it long ago.

　No matter what I did, I could not become a hero.
　As long as Amatsu was around, he wouldn't be called a hero.

　--even so.

　Still, I want to create the world Sasha wanted.
　At least that's what I'm going to do.
　That's the only thing I'm going to make happen.

　I'm not going to be able to get rid of it.

　And yet...

　After the battle, the Pope of the Order of the Melt asked, "What are you fighting for?
　What are we fighting for?

　To which Amatsu replied.
　With an imposing, determined look on his face.
　He answered with a face worthy of such a hero that everyone admired.

　With his mouth, the man who had abandoned his sister said


''-- I want to create a world where everyone can laugh.


　Or.
　The man must have been broken in this moment.

　Why.
　Why, why, why, why.
　Screw you. Don't play around, don't play around, don't play around, don't play around, don't play around, don't play around, don't play around, don't play around, don't play around!
　No, that's just it, that's just it, that's just the mental image ----.

　At that moment, Liuzas was consumed by the urge to pollute.

''You ...... don't talk about Sasha's dreams.

　I couldn't do anything about the hatred I had been suppressing.

　--if that's how you're going to deprive yourself of even the meaning of life.
　--I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the world a better place.

"...... No matter what you do, you're the only one I'm going to kill.

　Yes, I swore.


　This is how a foolish magician ends.
　This is the end of a man who wanted to be a hero.