PROLOGUE: HANGING IN BALANCE, FATE OF THE WOR- hold on, what do you mean we aren’t there yet?!

Inside the Demon Lord’s throne room, three figures stood apart, the air heavy with tension.

“GHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

A masked girl let out a crazed laugh. Her silver mechanical left hand- fused with a strange cube-shaped artifact- glinted in the dim light. Her mask, shaped like a cobra, covered most of her face. In her right hand, she held the Demon Lord’s heart- no, his core- freshly ripped from his still-smoking corpse.

“HOW DARE YOU, YOU BASTARDS! THAT KILL SHOULD’VE BEEN MINE! THAT POWER IS MINE!!”

Chains shattered behind her as a black-haired boy with sharp green eyes broke free from a glowing cross-shaped seal, face twisted with rage.

“I really should’ve left you bleeding out in that dungeon,” came another voice, it was calm and tired from the far side of the room.

A blond man with sky-blue eyes stood still, watching the scene without blinking.

The masked girl turned slowly to face him, completely ignoring the green-eyed boy unending tantrum.

“Altair, don’t you get it? With this, I can destroy and rebuild everything…”

She absorbed the Demon Lord’s corpse into the cube fused to her left hand. Then, with a mad grin, she slammed both hands together- the cube and the core.

CRASH!

A burst of purple light filled the room.

The blond man didn’t even flinch. The green-eyed boy shielded his face.

When the light faded, the girl now held something new: a sleek black belt with glowing purple lines pulsing along its surface.

“…and now, The Never-Ending Odyssey will overwrite this boring, bland world!”

The blond man closed his eyes. A warm golden light covered his hand- and when it faded, he held a belt of his own. Similar in design, yet golden. Radiant. Divine.

“…Does this really mean nothing to you anymore, Elaister?”

His voice was quiet. Almost hurt.

But the only answer he got was a burst of wild laughter, like it was all some big joke.

“How cute. Did you think you were special? That this meant something? I’m just here for the materials. You’re a tool. Everyone is... You hear that, Altair!?”

She snapped the black belt around her waist. The mouthpiece of her mask split open-

FFSSHH…

-and locked aside, revealing a sharp, unhinged grin that looked like it could tear her face in half.

The blond man, Altair, sighed, a trace of sorrow in his eyes.

“Then you really have become a threat to the world… My other half, Vega, It's time.”

The golden belt in his hand pulsed and spoke:

“…Understood. Let’s finish this, my Incarnation.”

The belt melted into golden liquid, all the relics, attachments, and modifications once added by someone he thought he knew- now falling to the floor, meaningless.

What remained… was its true form:

The Holy Sword of the True Hero: Vega.

He gripped it tight.

“[Truth Unsealed: Protector of the World!]”

A blinding light erupted around him. Altair, the True Hero, was now clad in sleek golden armor, a royal blue cape fluttering behind him. The Vega gleamed in his hand.

“DON’T YOU IGNORE MEEEE!! I’M THE CHOSEN ONE!! THIS WORLD IS MINE!! I’LL KILL YOU BOTH IF I HAVE TOOO!!”

The green-eyed guy finally snapped, screaming like he’d just remembered he was in this scene too.

“[Outlander’s Privilege]!!”

The space behind him cracked open. A dull, swirling storm of colorless energy wrapped around his body.

SLASH!

His body was now clad in armor too- spiked, edgy, and overdesigned like something out of a teenager’s sketchbook. It didn’t glow. It didn’t inspire. It just looked fake.

A Faker, through and through.

“HAHAHAHA! Good, good. Guess this is it, huh? The big finale? Or should I say CLIMAX!? Before I rewrite the WORLD? No problem… WITNESS… MY GENIUS!”

With a grin, tongue poking out between her teeth like she was daring them to punch her chin, Elaister raised her hand high and slammed it down.

“Maoh-Henshin!”

Well, wasn't that exciting.

…But that part? That’s way, way too far into the story.

Before we got there, we needed to rewind.

Not far enough to see the dream twisting.

Not far enough to catch the promise whispered.

Not far enough to understand how long the mask stayed on.

No…

Just far enough to when they first met.

Back when he was still blind to his own light.

My name is Altair.

Half a year ago, my childhood friend Sei and I were summoned to the royal capital by direct order of His Majesty. It took us a few weeks to arrive, escorted by a knight clad in silver armor who said little but watched everything.

The King had a plan to form a hero party capable of defeating the Demon Lord said to rise in the following year. With the Church’s help, he had been gathering powerful individuals from across the continent.

And, apparently… Sei was one of them.

“Y-you mean I’m the Saint of this generation? I’m so honored!” she stammered, bowing deeply.

She was trembling with joy. I couldn’t help but smile beside her and she smiled back at me.

His Majesty stood tall in his fur-lined cloak and began introducing the others.

“The talented daughter of the knightly house von Eilendorf, Lady Serah von Eilendorf,” he said with pride.

“I shall never bring shame to my family. I vow to lead us to victory.”

Serah spoke with noble poise, her blonde hair tied neatly behind her, eyes clear and sharp. She looked every bit the knight princess from the stories.

With a nod the King continued. “And the young prodigy from the Magi Tower of Greifswald, Miss Elira Voss.”

“Hmph. Whatever,” Elira muttered, folding her arms.

She was striking, flowing icy blue hair, sharp features, robes lined with runes pulsing faintly with magic. Her gaze was distant, maybe because no one else here could keep up with her level of talent. Or maybe… she just didn’t care, but it didn’t seem like it.

“Mind your tone! You’re addressing His Majesty!” Serah barked.

“That’s my problem, not yours,” Elira said without even glancing her way.

A flicker of tension crackled between them.

The King moved on quickly. “From the kingdom’s Black Hand division… Codename: Kestrel.”

The girl who stepped forward said nothing. She wore black leather and a dark hood, short brown hair tucked behind her ears. Her eyes were dull, empty, almost. The kind of eyes that had seen too much. Done too much. Loyalty that came from somewhere cold and trained.

I shivered. She looked my age, but something about her felt older. Worn. Broken.

And then, everything changed.

Suddenly, the room felt like a celebration. The mood turned bright, overly so, like a festival had broken out just in that one room.

“And now, the HERO- Hiroto Nisemono-Sama!”

A boy stepped in, black-haired, green-eyed, with a confident stride that made him seem like he belonged in every story ever told.

Sei gasped beside me and placed a hand on her forehead. I caught her just before she stumbled.

In the corner of my eye, I noticed the other three girls freeze. It was subtle, but clear. Their expressions softened, as if something within them shifted. They stared at Hiroto longingly… like they had just seen the sun.

The King’s voice brought us back.

“I hope you will all prepare by retrieving sacred artifacts and relics. The Demon Lord awaits, and time grows short.”

That was it. That was the end of the meeting.

But I was still standing there. Still waiting for my name.

No title. No role. Nothing.

Everyone in the room seemed confused for a moment, like they had forgotten I was even there.

Was I summoned by mistake?

But the letter had clearly said both of us.

Was I just going to be sent home? Separated from Sei after coming all this way?

Then, Hiroto spoke. “How about we take him too? He’s close to the Saint, isn’t he? Might help her adjust- she’s not ready to be alone.”

He said it casually, like it didn’t matter.

But the King nodded without hesitation.

And just like that… I stayed

That was half a year ago.

“Urrghhhh- Kestrel, calm down! Argh…!”

Her knife met my shoulder. I tried to hold her back, but the blade still bit in.

“I’m so jealous…” she hissed through her teeth. “Let me cut you into ribbons! After all, you’re just a burden here! This is the least you can do!”

The once-silent, cold, and mysterious Kestrel now stood before me as something else, possessive, unstable, driven by something toxic and raw. Her face twisted with emotion, and I knew why.

The night before, only Serah and Elira had been invited to Hiroto’s room. Their squeals and laughter had echoed through the walls until morning. And Kestrel, who had once only answered in cold nods, was no longer quiet.

“Kestrel-san! What are you doing to Altair-san?! Step away, now!”

Sei’s voice rang out from the lobby entrance. She had just returned from the nearby church. With no resistance at all, Kestrel immediately pulled back, slipping her knife away without a word.

“Altair-san…”

She ran to my side and gasped at the blood on my shoulder.

“I’m okay…”

“What have you done, Kestrel-san?!”

“Tch. It’s nothing. You can just heal it and waste your mana.”

Sei looked ready to argue, but I tugged gently on her sleeve and shook my head. She closed her eyes, let out a soft sigh, and whispered,

“[Heal].”

Warmth spread through me. The pain dulled.

Sei’s divine magic had been growing stronger by the day. She hadn’t fully awakened as a Saint yet, but I’d heard a priest at the church say her power already rivaled theirs.

The lobby was empty. Hiroto had somehow charmed the female innkeeper into reserving the entire inn for a month. That explained why no one ever complained, no matter how loud things got. And maybe… even if the inn had been full, no one would have cared.

Because-

“Hiroto-sama, you were amazing today too…”

“Of course he was. That’s obvious. What matters is that I was better than her, right?”

“What did you say?!”

The voices of Serah and Elira bickered above, playful, but with venom beneath the words.

Then, the door to Hiroto’s room creaked open.

He stepped out, black hair, green eyes, that same easy smile on his face. Serah and Elira clung to each of his arms like trophies.

Serah, once the dignified noble, now looked like a doll, used and hollow.

Elira, once proud and untouchable, now clung like she’d forgotten who she used to be.

Kestrel darted to Hiroto’s side, desperate, like a stray dog seeing its master again.

And Hiroto? Still unchanged. Radiant. Confident. Untouchable.

Sei’s eyes glazed over for a moment then she blinked it away like shaking off a bad dream.

Something was wrong.

But I couldn’t explain it.

“All right, everyone. We’re moving out today,” Hiroto said with a grin. “And Kestrel, it’s fine. For the next week… you’re the only one.”

“WHAT?! THAT’S UNFAIR!” Serah and Elira shouted in unison.

Hiroto chuckled, then looked at Sei.

“Sei, can you give them a recovery spell? They’re still a little sore.”

“Got it, Hero-sama.”

His smile faltered for a second, then returned.

“You know, you can just call me Hiroto.”

“I’d rather not…”

This time, his smile didn’t come back.

He turned without a word and walked off, dragging Kestrel with him toward the back of the inn.

“…Hiroto-sama?”

I couldn’t see what was happening beyond the corner, but I heard it. Muffled and unclear.

Serah and Elira turned to me.

Not with just irritation. Not with just annoyance.

With contempt.

The same frown Hiroto gave me.

I didn’t know why they hated me. We’d started this journey as strangers. Not friends, sure, but not enemies either.

Now?

“Get my bag, commoner,” Serah said coldly.

“I could say the same, failure,” Elira added, not even looking at me.

They walked down the stairs and sat at the far end of the lobby.

“Well… I guess you’ll have to carry mine too, I’m not allowed to carry anything myself.” Sei said softly, with just a hint of frustration.

“It’s okay, Sei,” I replied, forcing a smile.

She gave me a guilty glance, then turned away and joined the others.

I sighed and began gathering the travel packs. They were already packed, lined up neatly by the wall. For all their changes, the girls still had discipline.

That was my job, after all.

Not to fight. Not to cast spells. Just to carry things.

I was the mule. A country boy dragged into a war that was never meant for him.

Sometimes I thought about leaving. No, ached for it. Felt it in my bones like a scream.

I had to go. I should go. I MUST go

But if I left… Sei would be alone. With him. It should be fine, but I felt scared

After loading everything, I slumped into a chair near the exit. The only spot in the inn where the scolding and Insult should be less.

“…I’m tired.”

Just as I about to think about the future-

CRASH!

The front door exploded in a blast of smoke and splinters.

From the smoke stepped… a silver-clad weirdo?

She wore a mechanical, cobra-shaped mask that covered her face, mouth, and ears, glowing faintly with purple lines.

Her steel-colored hair was wild, cropped short. Her left arm was fully mechanical, fused with a cube-shaped artifact embedded right into her palm, her fingers permanently holding it. Her researcher-looking white cloak was tattered on the edges. Beneath it, she wore a plain black shirt.

She looked like she was assembled from spare parts, and I am weirdly got irritated just by seeing her.

“GHAHAHAHAHA! WITNESS! FOR I AM ELAISTER, THE GREATEST ARTEFACT CREATOR IN THIS WORLD!”

The mask’s visor pulsed purple as it locked onto me.

She raised her silver arm. The cube glowed.

“So, I ask of you-”

Light built up, humming with power.

“-are you the hero?”

つづく