Prologue: The Hero Beyond The Light

The sound of metal clashing echoed loudly in the air as if it was a warning for every living soul on earth. That would have been the case if only there were people left in the world.

The world was destroyed by the invader from another world, the demon. 12 years ago this world was still in peace, and the only threat came from the villain and their organizations. The villain would be a better enemy than the demon, it's because their goal was only to kill, and oppose the heroes, and never had they thought about destroying the world.

Although most of the villains' power came from demons, their way of thinking was different.

Demons are demons, but villains are human, or at least they used to be human.

The earth was their home, so if it was destroyed, where would they live? Hell?

Clang–!

Clang—!

BOOM–!!!

A series of explosions followed after a while the battle sound stopped echoing. The city was already burned and destroyed even before the explosions happened, and now more damage was done to the city. Many buildings which once stood firmly have been turned into ash, the city landscape has become a flat land.

A huge red-skinned, horrifying head with horns as big as a plane fell from the sky and landed near a lone building oddly shaped like an igloo. A demon's head belonged to the general was separated from its body, and the cause was the last human being.

He was the only human that survived until now, and his journey would end soon after he dropped his sword and stick it into the helpless demon king's body.

"What are you doing?" said the demon king.

"Isn't this what you wanted? Killing me to get revenge for your world?" he added.

The hero flinched at the demon king's words, it was a sore spot. How could he say that to the hero who had nothing left?

Just look at the earth, the world, the place where humans and other creatures were living before the demon's invasion. The once blue and green planet has been painted gray and red by them.

The hero stared down at the helpless demon king whose legs were separated from the body. 

After a long quiet moment in which the air sound was filled by the burning blaze, the hero's tired and lifeless voice was mixed in them.

"Revenge?"

He keeps his expression straight, as hollow as a doll. Lifeless. Staring through the demon's eyes. Although not sure if he really was staring at the demon, it felt like his eyes were looking at something far. Something that couldn't be brought back. Unreachable.

"What's the use of revenge… if I have nothing left?" His voice was a bit shaken. Stabbing the earth with his sword. Now crouching, enough to grab for the demon king's face.

"Tell me…" his hollow eyes pierced the demon king like a spear that he'd flinched from them.

"If I kill you. Will they come back? My family? My friend? My lover? Everyone?"

The demon forced a chuckle. "Are you dumb? Of course, they will not be coming back! They are all forever staying in hell, and they will not have a choice but to suffer more there. Your so-called God will not even help them get out of there, it's because our arrival is–"

Before he could finish his provoking word, the hero threw them on the ground. Showing the demon his back, not caring whether he might get ambushed by the demon. Well, he'd thought that there was nothing the demon could do even if he was to lower his guard.

"W-where are you going?! Come back here! You human!"

Despite the demon screaming sound that even made the ground shake, the hero kept walking. Deaf. Lonely. Tired. Wanting to die. He was searching for peace.

The long war has ended. The hero has won. But, what was the price for that victory? Everything. There was nothing left on the earth except for the hero and the demon king, and it seemed like both of them shared the same wish. To die.

Eventually, the hero stopped. He looked to the sky for a long time as if there was communication between them.

Then, suddenly, the spark of light was returning to his eyes. They were not hollow doll-like anymore. 

It was a life sign. 

The end.

=== 

"And thus, the story ended like that," I mumbled.

"What story?" A familiar voice came from behind.

A hand was placed on my shoulder. I smiled as I turned around to see someone important.

Yes. That someone was the hero of the story.

The protagonist, the main character of the novel called 'The Hero Beyond The Light'.

Lux Virtus.

And then, there was someone who interfered in the story. He was your average man who worked as a part-timer in some minimart.

That someone would be me. The author of the novel 'The Hero Beyond The Light'.

Now possessing some extra character's body named Zio Varrez.

It was obvious by now that I'd been trapped inside the novel world, my own novel at that. Unlucky. The body I possessed was just an extra.

"It's a tragic story about the only human left on the earth. Fighting by himself against the invader."

"A sci-fi story?" he asked, curiosity painting his face.

"Fantasy as well."

"Hoh…" He rubbed his chin. A moment later, he clapped his hand. "Ah. That reminds me!"

His hand was placed on my back.

"Let's go do some hunting on the weekend."

More footsteps were coming closer and suddenly more people were surrounding me, or rather surrounding Lux as I just happened to talk with him at the moment. They were all the main characters of the novel. The protagonist's sidekicks, romantic interest, and rival.

I sighed, mentally. I didn't know how it became like this but, at this point, I might have already ruined the plotline, haven't I?

All of this started a year ago, it was the time when I first arrived in this world as Zio Varrez. As clueless as a dense harem protagonist.