The Blind Love Life of the Returning Hero: The Companions I Lost in Another World Resurrect in the Modern Era and Indulge Me - Episode 1

Darkness spread, staining the horizon in the land at the world’s end. There, the hero Hayato and the Demon King stood facing each other. The desolate earth bore countless scars, the marks of their fierce battle etched like claw marks across its surface.

Hayato’s armor lay shattered, his entire body covered in countless wounds. The Demon King, too, was grievously injured, one arm blown clean off. Pitch-black magical energy rose like smoke from the severed stump of the arm Hayato had cleaved away with his Holy Sword.

A faint light still emanated from the Holy Sword gripped in Hayato’s right hand. But its edge was chipped and dulled. The Demon King glared at the blade, its crimson eyes burning with hatred.

“Guh…”

Hayato’s breath came in ragged gasps. Soon, one would fall, deciding the outcome. Or perhaps both would collapse, ending in mutual destruction.

“Haah… haah…”

Struggling for breath, Hayato recalled the faces of the comrades who had fallen during their journey. Lilia, Celestia, Gallett, John. It was only through their selfless sacrifice that he stood now on this battlefield of destiny. But they were gone. Those hero had been unable to save.

Yet, their voices, voices he thought lost, reached Hayato’s ears.

‘Lord Hayato, please save the world.’

Lilia, the wise sage. Until her final moment, she had smiled, trying to reassure those around her. Her long golden hair had been stained with bl00d, yet her eyes still shone with hope.

‘You must live, Lord Hayato. You must not lose!’

Celestia, the elven priestess. No matter how hopeless the situation, she never gave up, continuously chanting prayers of healing. The unwavering resolve in her green eyes was seared into Hayato’s heart even now.

‘I’m… done for. Sorry… I leave the rest to you, Lord Hayato.’

Gallett, the dwarven blacksmith. He had faced down a horde of thousands of demons alone, carving an escape route for his comrades and the fleeing citizens. His warhammer, wielded by those thick arms, had crushed the enemy relentlessly until the very end.

‘Hayato. You can win. So, don’t give up!’

John, the informant. From the black markets to the royal palace, he had leveraged every information network to support their journey, saving them from deadly traps time and again. His quick-witted advice had always provided the key to breaking through their crises.

The weight of their entrusted words burned fiercely within Hayato’s heart. This battle… he could not lose. He absolutely could not lose.

“Yeah… of course… I won’t lose…!”

From the depths of his being, he summoned the hero’s power, pushing it to its absolute limit, even if it meant he could never use it again. He would burn his life, consume his very soul, to face this final battle. He bore their hopes, the people’s prayers, the dream of a future.

“——!”

The Demon King began an eerie incantation. Pitch-black magical energy swirled, unleashing a spell of utter destruction. The ground was gouged deeply, bedrock shattered into dust. Hayato desperately evaded the onslaught, searching for the slightest opening to close in on the Demon King. The shockwaves from the immense magical power were overwhelming; dodging completely was impossible.

“Guuuh!”

Pain, like tearing flesh, shot through his entire body. But he somehow managed to avoid a fatal blow. Survive, get closer, keep swinging this sword. Bl00d gushed from his wounded body, but that no longer mattered. He poured every last ounce of his remaining strength into this single moment.

“I won’t… lose! For my comrades… for the people who believed in me… I will… save… this world!”

“——!!!”

With a roar, he unleashed his all into a final, desperate strike. It pierced the Demon King’s chest. Howling in agony, the Demon King’s massive form dissolved into particles of darkness. Hayato watched intently until the very last fragment vanished. Finally… it was all over.

Thrusting the chipped Holy Sword into the ground, Hayato leaned against it. The dark clouds that had long shrouded the world cleared, revealing a long-lost blue sky. The sunlight was warm.

“I did it, everyone.”

Peace, the peace the world’s people had longed for, would now come. He himself probably wouldn’t live to see that moment. But that was fine. It was the path he had chosen.

A clear, serene smile spread across Hayato’s face, like a traveler finally reaching the end of a long journey.

“Guh…”

His body grew heavier by the moment. He could not return to the capital where the people he had sworn to protect awaited, nor to his original world where he was born and raised. But he had been prepared for that. The time had come to journey to where his comrades awaited. He closed his eyes peacefully.

‘Lord Hayato… thank you… truly…’

As his final consciousness faded, he thought he heard the warm voices of his beloved comrades.

Lilia, Celestia, Gallett, John. It was as if they had come to welcome him.

Just then, the light emanating from the battered Holy Sword suddenly intensified, enveloping Hayato’s body. He felt a sensation of being drawn towards something.

“This is… everyone…”

Before his consciousness completely vanished, Hayato felt his body turn into particles of light and ascend into the sky.