1 Prologue: Downfall of a Great Prince

*Hiss* *Boom*

In a smooth, swift motion, like a blur to the human eye, an arrow bolted towards Arthur.

"If not for my ability to sense mana I would have definitely taken some damage."

Arthur easily avoided the attack dusting himself off.

Thus, only leaving a scorched crater behind in the aftermath of the explosion.

"This ambush is too obvious."

"The demon lord's army had already been conquered and there is no one left to even afford to think of attacking the royal kingdom".

"What is the meaning behind this?" Arthur inquired, his voice clearly prideful but also present in there was a note of power and authority but the way he pronounced the words clearly presented his confusion. His kind heart and foolishness led to his obliviousness to what was about to occur.

"Who are you?!"

As his words spread through the surrounding area the dust cleared.

As he looked upon the companions and family whom he met when along his journey in this world of magic and possibilities, he was summoned to; he resolved to enquire once again, even with a bad feeling in his gut which saved his life along his journey many times.

"What is the meaning of this? Why would you fire..."

*Cough* *Cough* *Blaargh*

Looking down at the palm of his hand, Arthur could see a colour that was quite familiar to him at that point.

'Blood', he thought.

"My insides feel as if they are about to burst, my strength is diminishing and my heart is racing".

Looking up, he could see his fiancé, the princess nearing the distance between them. Alongside her approached her brothers, allies they met during their journeys, many of whom he thought were his friends and finally some of the royal knights followed.

As they were approaching, it was clear many familiar faces had been missing from the crowd.

His fiancé, Mayfne, spoke with a clear grim on her face, "so the Legendary Hero from the otherworld has finally taken the knee". It was clear she was delighted in seeing Arthur in evident pain, holding himself up on one knee as he tried not to fall over.

Through the pain, Arthur rebutted his voice even in pain still carried an authoritative tone, "Why? Why betray me?!"

"I saved your world, you bastards".

"I killed your demon lord for you".

This time his brother-in-law the prince spoke, "It is quite simple you were a tool that has outlived its purpose".

"You were summoned to deal with problems that we could not solve, but with those problems no longer in our way, everyone here started to look at the bigger picture, and we realised that..." Leon stopped for a second before continuing.

"Now, Arthur, you are the problem that we will personally deal with".

"To the people of the kingdom, it will be known that the hero had to sacrifice his life as a price for defeating the demon king."

Leon pulled out his blade from the scabbard and pointed at Arthur as Mayfne prepared her staff.

"You are probably wondering about those who are not here. We knew very well their loyalty to a fool like you and that they would have sought to avenge you, so we killed them off one by one."

"Do not worry, Brother", a clear sense of mockery could be heard in the tone of the words that were said. "Soon, you will join those companions of yours. As you can see, the demon king's poison is kicking in pretty well already, so not much time is left".

"I can't really say that you will be missed".

Arthur stood up with a determined look on his face, his muscular frame doing its best to hold up his weakened body.

His mana core was falling apart and any power that he had was simply an ember that was slowly dying.

He could only repeat to himself, "Why did this happen?" It was clear why but after being summoned to this world as a hero, he did just that, erased all obstacles and fought for a perfect world. He sacrificed his body and mind but for what reason? In the end, it seems he personally protected the most significant danger to the world he was summoned to save.

He began making his way forward.

'Damn it All! After what I did, What I lost, what I sacrificed, why would they just betray me?'

"My life was ripped away from me, I was forced into this role of a hero."

As he found the reality of the situation difficult to accept, Mayne called out, "Great Chaos Fire Ball," as she hurled her staff high up in the air, a massive fireball forming above. A fiery ball of immense heat and mass shining a beautiful but mischievous red crimson red flame.

With the swift motion of her wrist, the fireball began moving forward at a quick pace.

Dazed his core not activating in time, Arthur received a direct hit, his clothing scorched by the incredible heat of her magic attack. His hair scorched by the heat of the flames. His flesh sizzled as any moisture burned away. Burn scars formed as his regeneration ability was weakened by his cores state and could not properly heal his wounds.

'No, this can't be true, Nezmus, Feiren, Edward, Alf, all my companions that trusted in me are dead.'

'All that is left are trash that betrayed my trust and killed those I cared for'.

Blood ran down his face, his hair scorched, and so were his clothes. His eyes were empty and no longer filled with hope to change the world for the better. With that attack, Arthur realised there was no way to salvage the situation. This was no joke. He will die, and the only thing he can do is fight back and take at least some of this trash down with his last breath. No longer were his eyes shining with the bright red crimson colour of victory but instead a dim and lifeless colour of defeat and loss.

"Eye for an eye", he said under his breath.

Leon called out to Mayne and his brother Alfred, "Did anyone catch what he is mumbling to himself?

Elizabeth cut in, "I think he finally lost his marbles; let's just finish him off before he has a chance to do anything else."

Tadeus continued, "Let's cripple the cocky bastard", the usually overly joyful knight captain finally revealed his sadistic and genuine side.

Before they could continue berating Arthur, something in his mind snapped.

Each step he took was painful but he pushed through the pain. His steps were getting faster. The cost of revenge for all his betrayed and lost allies was going to be his sheer existence as he will burn through his remaining life span and sacrifice his very soul if it means he can avenge his dear allies.

"I have nothing left to lose."

"Dimensional storage: Dragon Slayer Spear."

Before they could even see the spear fully manifest, Arthur pulled back, and his leg muscle constricted; his grip tightened with the remaining strength in his body focused on the spear and the throw he was committing to. With the spear in motion, he let go.

'Tadeus... I still remember enjoying beer together after a day on the battlefield. Laughing and enjoying ourselves after a victory. These memories that were important to me seem to be nothing but an act to you.'

He spoke through his burned vocal cords, "All the memories..."

"They disgust me".

Arthur felt his heart slightly tighten as the spear flew forward at rapid speed; it cleanly pierced the knight captain's head, his body ragdolling backwards into the castle's walls, breaking them with ease.

'Rest well and don't ruin any more of our memories so what remains I could still look back fondly on when I rest in the afterlife.'

"Fuck, everyone, prepare your attacks", Leon called out; at that moment, they knew they had really messed up as the lifeless body of Tadeus had laid upon the entrance of the castle.

They did not expect that even when weakened the fallen hero would still remain such a threat.

Various chants could be heard as Arthur composed himself. A clear sense of despair in his eyes as he no longer cared for his own wellbeing. It was clear he was more hurt, knowing those he trusted were evidently trying to kill him more than any attack they could throw at him. Death was inevitable, and he cared not for the wellbeing of his body anymore, nor for the endless hours, he spent turning his body into a weapon strong enough to take down entire kingdoms.

It was pretty clear it was a point of no return. The despair he felt will be felt by the whole kingdom.

"Soul Arrow Rain"

"Fire Storm"

"Acid Surge"

"Lightning Spear"

"Ice Spear"

"Crystal Soul Spear"

"Wind Tornado"

"Earth Spear Barrage"

"..."

Chanting continued as dazed Arthur stood still awaiting the barrage of attacks; not much else he could have done in the situation he had found himself in.

'I need to tank their attacks with pure physical strength'.

Soon the extensive amount of magical attacks was seen approaching, and the contact it made was clear as day.

Not a single word could be heard as everyone waited in anticipation hoping for Arthur's demise so that they could see what remains of him when the smoke and dust dissipated.

Finally, after a few quiet moments, a figure could be seen standing or rather what was left of one.

Arthur stood, his silky blond hair scorched and covered in his blood, staining it red or at least what was even left of his hair, his tall figure slightly hunched over and where one of his muscular arms was now, only a bloody stump remained. His clothing burned away, and his skin was both burned by acid and fire as well as scorched by lightning. Clear frostbite was visible in many places. His body was bloodied, blackened, scared and in a state no human whom is still alive should be in.

It was clear where the burning flames hit or where his body was frozen and pierced by both fire and extremely sharp spears of ice and hardened rock. The lightning left a clear pattern on both his chest and back. His stump was bloody and burnt. He was a wreck as both despaired and damaged by the poison he found it difficult to defend against such an onslaught.

Even in his sorry state, he still carried an aura of Danger as he let his killing intent loose, paralysing everyone in close vicinity.

'My Dimensional Storage Ring is gone', Arthur thought, not acknowledging that with the ring, he was also missing his left forearm.

"Legendary Mana Shield"

"Legendary Mana Sword"

"Legendary Dark Edge Enhancement"

"Legendary Body Enhancement"

"Basic Heal"

"Legendary Phoenix Flame Enhancement"

A mesmerising teal shield and the teal blade formed in his remaining right arm as Arthur finished chanting. Soon darkness began covering the sword's edge, and his wounds began to stabilise; however, it was far from healing them. It seemed to be more of damage control, giving him a better fighting chance. His organs were still breaking down from the inside, and he was still internally bleeding. His core was close to being burned out.

Soon the sword burst into a blue and yellow flame.

*Cough* *Blaargh* *Cough*

With the blood coming out of his orifices, he knew not much time was left and using even the minimal amount of mana proved dangerous.

'Pay, they have to pay!'

Arthur prepared his footwork, pulled his left foot back and his sword arm back as he focused, constricted his calf muscles and focused his mana in his legs before he lunged forward, breaking through his limits each step a death-defying one. His vision tainted red as a result of his veins bursting open.

There was nothing left for him in this world, but if he were going to die, he would do his best not to allow those who believed in him to have been killed for nothing.

"Legendary Perfect Perception"

His eyes began scanning his surroundings.

Even when highly injured, for most, his speed was beyond their vision and as a result.

*Slice* *Slit* *Smack* *Splash*

Arthur closed the distance, and with each unglorified slash of his, someone lost a limb which most of turned out to be heads of those who betrayed him.

His blade was enough to slice straight through armour and the skull leaving only a traitor's limp body in his wrath.

A single slash from even him weakened was enough to slice through multiple traitors.

His eyes clearly showed he was in apparent despair, but there was also precise determination to do his best in his last moments to at least partially protect citizens from the reign of such monsters.

He pulled back his blade and, with his perfected footwork still partially working and compensating his techniques for his missing arm, his swordplay still shined like on every other battlefield in his short life.

*Slice* He twisted his body, allowing for more reach as he sliced clearly through the necks of the royal knights.

They certainly did not stand a chance even in the state he was in.

Soon Arthur rushed towards the rest of his companions as memories of the old times flew by in his memory. The birthdays. the celebrations, and the sorrows that they experienced together. The tears and the smiles.

"Shit"

Suddenly Arthur momentarily lost his footing, leaving an opening and being distracted by his memories; he was not able to defend himself in time.

*Slit*

*Cough* *Blaargh* *Cough* *Splash*

'Damn.'

Turning his head, he could see Leon pierced his heart from behind.

"Some things are worth fighting for Leon", Arthur said, his voice hoarse and not carrying the same powerful aura anymore but for some reason still left people in a state of fear.

"There's no easy way out; if you want to kill, be ready to be killed".

Arthur pulled back the mana blade and...

Leon called out, "Everyone quickly fin..."

Before Leon could say much more, Arthur pierced his own chest with the mana blade elongating it by infusing more mana and impaling Leon.

*Cough* "I'm thinkin' about what I used to be, and I will at least partially" *Cough* "Fix my mistake" *Cough* "Bye, brother."

Arthur moved forward, pulling out his mana blade as blood splattered onto the ground. Leon's blade still sticking out from his chest.

Everyone took a step back as not many were willing to go against Arthur; as to everyone present, he seemed to have lost his mind.

Mayne bit her lower lip till a drop of blood went down her chin, "Damn you all useless scum, just attack him; he is practically dead".

Suddenly Arthurs heart ached as he thought, "the love and the time that we spent together was all a lie..."

Slightly paralysed by this, he wavered, knowing Mayne was pregnant but was the child even his?

Suddenly his body felt lighter. *Splat*

He lost his remaining arm to Maynes fire whip.

'For some, this would be a finish line, but...'

"Advanced Telekinesis"

"I have to go even further beyond", he shouted aloud for everyone to hear, leaving his mouth open as he pulled the blade out with telekinesis and placed the grip in his mouth.

Pulling his left foot back, his eyes narrowed yet again, determined as he said to himself in his mind, "Fuck Fate".

As he held the handle in his mouth he began to burn through not only his life force but his soul as one's soul was created from the purest of mana.

"Perfect!"

He created brand new arms from condensed pure mana and pulled weapons towards himself before beginning his final onslaught.

His body swirled and danced around the battlefield as he was high on Adrenaline, his body breaking down with each movement. It was clear he did not have much time left, but he still sliced and dashed through his opponents even when their weapons and magic erased, sliced, pierced and destroyed his body.

*Slash* *Slice*

Even when he lost his eye or a chunk of his chest was taken out, it did not stop him as blood continued to leave his body he simply replaced any parts he missed with mana that slowly burned away at his soul's very existence.

He did not stop until a handful were left behind, including Mayfne, and his body no longer had enough strength left. Adrenaline left him, his motionless body falling to the side.

"No strength left", even in his thoughts, his voice was weak.

'Damn...'

Arthur finally passed away; his body was left mangled, sliced, burned, charred, bleeding, electrocuted, and limbless. His one remaining eye was left lifeless. The mass of flesh left on the ground could no longer be called a human.

The legendary summoned heroes story ends with betrayal at the hands of his allies, but where one story ends, another one is born.

As the world around him turned dark, suddenly he could see the light and decided to move towards it feeling the warmth of life once again.