Reunion
It had been quite some time since I started crashing at my little brother's place... Which meant it had already been over a month since I returned to Earth. I had more or less adjusted to this life. Honestly, there wasn't anything particularly difficult about daily life itself. Sure, there were some hiccups back when my memories were still hazy, but once they mostly returned, everything went smoothly. At any rate, I was currently living the life of a lazy, unemployed bum. Well, it wasn't like I had much of a choice...
To be fair, I did try going outside to gather information and earn some pocket money to help with living expenses. But my face and body turned out to be massive obstacles. Just a few days ago, I managed to land a part-time job at a nearby convenience store, only for absolute chaos to erupt on my very first day. Within hours of starting my shift, men began swarming the place just to catch a glimpse of me. If it had just been a sudden surge of customers, it wouldn't have been an issue. But they would come in, demand my phone number, throw around casual sexual harassment, or just loiter inside without buying a single thing. If it had stopped there, I wouldn't have quit. But when I ignored them or refused to give out my number, some of them threw temper tantrums. My instinct was to beat them all into a bloody pulp... but I held back, worried about causing damage to the store. Maybe because I tolerated it, they only grew bolder. Eventually, unable to take it anymore, I called the police, but they couldn't resolve the situation properly either... The store owner was contacted and came to check on things, but admitted there was nothing they could do to help... In the end, quitting seemed like the only option. Both the owner and the police apologized, saying their hands were tied... and so, the only choice left to me was to resign. When I told my brother about it... he just looked at me with pity. I found out later that the police actually could have arrested those harassers, but they were just too lazy and brushed it off. Dammit...
Even after that, I didn't give up and kept looking for work. I even considered doing manual labor at a factory... But it was the same story wherever I went. I tried applying at a cafe, but a crowd gathered and caused a scene. I tried day labor, but before the work could even begin, some middle-aged creep started hitting on me. Having already reached my absolute limit... I snapped and beat the living daylights out of him. I thrashed him so hard that blood splattered everywhere, yet I got away with it completely. After all, there was no evidence, so they couldn't punish me even if they wanted to. Why? Because I healed him while I was beating him, leaving absolutely no trace of injury. Regardless, that little incident put an end to my working days once again. Just thinking about it made my blood boil.
"Sigh..."
I lay flat on the floor, staring blankly at the ceiling as I let out a heavy sigh. After being harassed by people for days on end, my head throbbed, my irritation peaked, and the stress was piling up...
"I hate this world!"
Honestly, I just wanted to smash something, break things, and throw a massive tantrum. Back in the Other World... whenever I got stressed, I would just hunt down demons and slaughter monsters to blow off steam... But I couldn't do that on Earth. It wasn't like there were no options. If I went to a Gate, I could run wild to my heart's content. But since I was keeping my powers hidden, that wasn't an option either. It was incredibly frustrating, but there was truly nothing I could do. Every time I stepped outside, the relentless staring and the men aggressively approaching me guaranteed some sort of incident. Naturally, I started avoiding going out altogether... Fortunately, my brother understood, which was a relief...
Cooped up inside like this, the stress only continued to build. I was bored out of my mind with nothing to do. Watching TV to learn about this changed world was fun in its own way... but the programs eventually started repeating the same old things, which got tedious. Watching food shows with mouth-watering dishes was especially torturous. I couldn't afford to buy them, yet my list of things I wanted to try only grew longer... Anyway, as the stress accumulated, all sorts of bizarre thoughts started creeping into my head.
And the thing that popped into my mind... surprisingly... was masturbation. I mean, who would have thought a TV show would talk about something like that? At first, I was taken aback, but as I kept watching, a strange thought took root. They said healthy self-pleasure relieves stress and is good for your health. After hearing that... I wondered, Should I try relieving my stress that way? In the Other World, I was always so busy, constantly surrounded by people, and never had a moment to myself, so I never had the luxury to even think about such things. Besides, whenever I was stressed, I just beat up demons, so my mind never wandered in that direction. But now that I had all this free time... honestly, I was curious. I used to be a guy, after all...! Isn't it only natural to be curious about a woman's body?
"Mmm... is this really okay?"
I hesitated, wondering if it was right for me to do something like this. But... the stress was piling up, and my curiosity was piqued... In the end, I tried pleasuring myself for the very first time. Well... it wasn't like it left me feeling completely refreshed or anything, but it certainly killed time... And if there was one thing I could say for sure... it felt way more incredible than a guy's body!
The Hero, Yu Jin, defeats the Demon King.
The five members of the Hero's party, including Yu Jin himself, were heading toward the Imperial Capital, where humanity had gathered to celebrate their triumphal return. Yet, their expressions were grim. Though they had technically won...
"Dammit! What kind of Hero... what kind of champions are we?!"
Their victory was nothing more than a half-measure. They had defeated the Demon King, yes, but the Saintess was dead. She had sacrificed herself... stepping forward to save them... giving her own life to deal a devastating blow to the Demon King.
"If only we had been stronger..."
If only they had been more powerful... Regret weighed heavily on them.
"I beg to differ," Balder Einchel, the dwarf warrior, grunted, rejecting the Hero's self-deprecation.
"He's right. If it hadn't been for that exact moment... if the demons had managed to stabilize their territory, we wouldn't have even made it that far," the mage, Liselotte, added.
Yu Jin let out a low groan at her words. Deep down, he knew she was right. If it hadn't been for that precise timing, that exact split second, the Hero's party would never have stood before the Demon King. Everything had gone according to their calculations and plans. A full-scale offensive utilizing the entirety of humanity's forces to pin down the demon army, while a small, elite strike force—the Hero's party—slipped past to strike at the Demon King. It was only because the plan succeeded that they had been able to face him at all.
"The Demon King was simply stronger than we anticipated," Aina, the elven archer, said quietly.
Her words hit the mark. The Demon King had simply been far more powerful than humanity's estimates, stronger than the Hero's party... stronger than their combined might, even with the Saintess. He was an existence so formidable that he could not be defeated without sacrifice.
"If not for the Saintess's decisive sacrifice, we would have been utterly defeated there," Balder Einchel muttered.
"Aye. The Saintess's fate is tragic. But we must not invalidate her sacrifice," Marcus, the barbarian, chimed in, sounding uncharacteristically solemn and wise.
"Ha... I suppose you're right..."
It was heartbreaking, but without the Saintess's resolve, the Hero's party would have fallen. And if they had? The entire world would have plunged into the hands of the Demon King.
"Yu Jin, has the Goddess said anything to you?" Liselotte asked.
As the Hero, Yu Jin possessed the unique ability to communicate directly with the Goddess... Though the Goddess had always seemed to favor the Saintess, speaking primarily to her when she was alive... now that the Saintess was gone, she should be communicating with Yu Jin.
"Well..."
In truth, he had heard her voice once. She had thanked him for defeating the Demon King... but since then, there had been nothing but silence. He had tried to reach out to her, sensing that something was amiss, but received no response.
"I think there's some kind of problem on her end."
He had so many questions he wanted to ask the Goddess... and the silence was deeply frustrating.
"For now, let's focus on attending the triumphal ceremony," Aina suggested.
Though Yu Jin had little stomach for it, he decided to follow her advice.
During their journey to the Imperial Capital... they passed countless ruined villages and shattered cities. Now that the Demon King was dead, reconstruction would begin, but it would be a long, arduous road. Furthermore, while the Demon King was gone, the remnants of his army—no, his massive legions—still remained. Seeing the devastation stirred a flurry of thoughts within him.
"Hero, are you still thinking about the Saintess?" Marcus asked.
"Marcus..."
"Marcus, don't bother the Hero," Liselotte chided.
"Lise, I would never do that!"
Watching the bickering couple made Yu Jin's chest ache slightly... If the Saintess were still here, she probably would have cursed at them and told them to take their lovey-dovey antics somewhere else.
"Sigh..."
Even so... he had made peace with it. The dead could not return. Even the Saintess, with all her miraculous powers, had said that resurrecting the dead was impossible.
"I'm fine. I've sorted out my feelings."
"Is that so?" Balder Einchel suddenly chimed in, stepping forward.
"Yeah. Actually, I should probably tell you all this now."
Yu Jin had made up his mind while looking at the ruined towns and cities on their way back.
"The Saintess... she gave her life to save this world..."
The party members gathered around Yu Jin, listening intently.
"So, I want to protect this world."
"We feel the same way!" Marcus roared.
"Well, of course. This is our world, after all," Balder Einchel agreed.
"Exactly!" Liselotte nodded.
Everyone seemed to be in agreement.
"Hero...?"
Only Aina, the elf, watched him with a skeptical gaze.
"The Demon King is dead, but the demon army still remains. Once we reach the Imperial Capital and announce his defeat... I plan to head straight back to the battlefield."
At his words, a few of them looked at him with concern.
"Will you come with me back to the front lines?"
Liselotte and Marcus exchanged hesitant, flustered glances.
"Well, that's..."
"Those two are planning to get married, so they won't be able to join you," Balder Einchel pointed out.
Yu Jin already knew that, of course.
"Don't force yourselves," Yu Jin said gently.
"I'm sorry, Hero..." Marcus muttered.
"It's fine. They're just remnants, anyway."
In truth, they were far more than mere remnants. They were a massive force that still occupied seventy percent of humanity's former territory. It was going to be an incredibly brutal fight. It was a shame to lose the two of them, but...
"I'll join you," Balder Einchel said.
"I can't let the Hero go off alone. It's far too dangerous, so count me in as well," Aina added.
Yu Jin offered a faint, grateful smile at Aina's words and bowed his head slightly.
"Thank you."
The Hero renewed his vow. Since the Saintess had sacrificed her life to save this world... he would make absolutely sure it never fell to ruin.
Upon their arrival at the Imperial Capital, a grand triumphal parade commenced. Countless citizens had poured into the streets just to catch a glimpse of the Hero's party. Their faces were radiant with hope. The Demon King had finally fallen. People cheered, shouting that the reconstruction of humanity had finally begun. Today's parade was the official declaration of that new dawn.
While a sense of pride swelled in Yu Jin's chest, it was accompanied by a bittersweet ache. It was, of course, because the Saintess was not by his side. She had suffered the most and sacrificed the most out of everyone in the party... yet she wasn't here to witness this glorious sight.
At the end of the parade route, the Pope of the Goddess's Church and the Emperor himself welcomed the Hero's party, showering them with deep gratitude. Everyone sang their praises. At the subsequent banquet, numerous noble ladies tried to win Yu Jin's favor, but he remained completely indifferent to their advances.
"Hero, I hear you plan to return to the battlefield?" the Crown Prince asked, approaching him.
"Yes... I'm not sure how much you've heard, but..."
"I am deeply sorry about the Saintess," the Crown Prince said softly.
Yu Jin offered a bitter smile. "This is the world she gave her life to protect. So, I must..."
The Crown Prince patted Yu Jin's shoulder understandingly. "I will provide you with as much support as I possibly can."
"Thank you."
Slipping away from the festivities, Yu Jin left the banquet hall early.
Saintess...
How could she have sacrificed herself so readily? Was she not afraid of death?
Just then, a mysterious voice echoed inside his head.
[Hero?]
It was the voice of the Goddess.
[I apologize for the delay in answering you. I had to attend to an urgent matter.]
"I see..."
Yu Jin asked her everything that had been weighing on his mind. Was the Demon King truly gone? Was there any chance of his resurrection? And what had happened to the Saintess...?
The Goddess answered him with utmost sincerity. The Demon King was indeed gone, and the dark mana that had warped the world was dissipating. While the possibility of his resurrection wasn't absolute zero, it was practically nonexistent. As for the Saintess...
[Regarding the Saintess...]
"I know she used a forbidden spell, so she can never return," Yu Jin said quietly.
[Yes. But, Hero?]
"What is it?"
[This is a prophecy. Hero, once you complete all your duties and return to your original world, you will meet someone precious to you.]
He almost scoffed at the so-called prophecy. Of course he would meet someone precious to him once he returned—his family would be waiting to welcome him back. It was an absolute certainty.
"Is that so?"
[Yes. As a Goddess, I guarantee it.]
But he had no idea when he would actually be able to return. With the demon army still lurking in the shadows, he couldn't leave just yet. At the very least, he couldn't go home until he had slain the remaining three of the Four Heavenly Kings and dismantled their legions.
Until then, he would have to keep fighting.