"This world can die for all I care!"

I was kneeling on the ground with my head leaning heavily on the cold floor of the duel arena.

I looked up and I saw Raphtalia being led somewhere. Some people were taking a liquid out and they smeared it over Raphtalia's slave crest.

Slave contract terminated

She turned and softly whispered 'thank you' before walking away with a look of disgust and pity on her face.

They were taking away everything from me. From day one I was singled out, framed and spat on. All the country and all its people summoned me without my permission and forced me to fight. Every single man, woman and child in this country was rotten and corrupt. They didn't care how bad I felt and they still wanted my protection? Ha! Now they had taken away the only good thing in this shitty world.

I was never going to get any further. Trying to get stronger and survive was a farce. I was set up to fail from the beginning. If I ever climbed the ladder even a little bit I would see the Bitch Princess and her Trash father waiting at the top, waiting to knock me back down. The country was scum. The royalty were scum. The nobles were scum. The people were scum. It was all a cruel joke. No, it was worse.

It was hell.

None of them deserved my help. Even saving the village had been a mistake. If Raphtalia and I had just left them all to die we never would have been dragged back to the castle for the feast. Motoyasu, the clown, would never have challenged me to a duel. The Trash wouldn't have been there to enforce it. They tricked me by promising a reward for helping to fight the Waves and I just took the bait like a sucker again. Just like that Bitch had pretended to be nice before she tricked and framed me.

They wanted to paint me as the villain so badly. That bastard king, the corrupt nobles and those pieces of garbage, Itsuki, Ren and Motoyasu. They all tried to frame me, put me down or ignored any injustice done to me. They were all trash.

They all deserved to die.

Raphtalia was shouting something in the background. I couldn't see and I didn't care. She betrayed me. They all betrayed me. I was never meant to be a hero. In the end, I was always supposed to be the villain. The monster that they all pointed at to make themselves feel better. The scapegoat for all the problems in this rotten country.

I was given the weakest weapon from the start. I had to rely on others in a country where everyone was untrustworthy scum to even level up. The pages in the library for the other weapons had all been filled, but the Shield was empty. I was an afterthought.

I was never meant to do anything great. I was never meant to fight the waves. The Bitch used me to get into the good graces of Motoyasu. Itsuki and Ren used me to fulfil their own twisted sense of justice. The rapist was getting what he deserved, and the two idiots could make themselves look like true, cool heroes in comparison. They could point to the loser as an example of what a hero shouldn't be.

The merchants and the ordinary people wanted to rip me off and use my bad situation to benefit themselves. They would hide behind the shield when times were tough and stab me in the back when it suited them. That's just what kind of people this country was made of. They all thought I might as well die.

I could hear noises in the background. Someone was being slapped and people were shouting at each other. They should all have just shut up already and left me alone.

Maybe I should just die. I couldn't go home after all. No one in this trash country would tell me even if I asked. My brother would be fine back home, now that he was straightened out. No girlfriend or wife back home to miss me. My parents might be sad, but they would get over it in time. I would just be that strange otaku who disappeared one day.

I couldn't attack. I couldn't take out my anger on anyone. Even a full powered punch would only mildly annoy even regular people. I could only shout at them impotently and take all the abuse.

I suddenly felt a pain in my head. My vision was blurring. A line of text popped up in my vision.

"Do you desire power?"

I didn't want more power. No matter how powerful my shield became, I could never attack. The more powerful I became, the bigger a target I was. The more powerful I was, the more trouble Bitch and Trash would create to knock me back down again. I couldn't do anything on my own, after all. I couldn't hold a sword or a spear and I couldn't damage people with the shield.

"Do you want to destroy everything?"

Destroy? Was the shield saying that I could attack? I wanted to see them all dead. This whole stinking country. I wanted to see them all suffer and die. A country like this, a world like this, didn't deserve to exist. They were all guilty and they were all out to cause me pain. If I could make them suffer, I would do it without a second thought. I clicked on the icon in my vision and another message appeared.

Curse Series: Grants extraordinary power and grief to its holder. Should not be touched.

I laughed. Grief? As if my life could get any worse. As long as I could attack, as long as I could teach this rotten country and its Trash King a lesson, I would trade grief for power. If I was going to suffer more, at least I could make those around me suffer as well.

I moved to select the icon to activate the curse series. A hand fell on my shield before I could select it.

"Mr Naofumi, it's Raphtalia."

That small hand was clasped firmly onto the shield. I could feel her eyes on me. They were definitely laughing at me. She'd come back to betray me again, to trick me.

"Get away!"

"Mr Naofumi, please listen."

I could see shadows everywhere I looked. They were all laughing at me. She had a shadow behind her as well. It was black and menacing.

"You think I'll be tricked again? Get the hell away from me!"

"Please, let me earn your trust."

"My trust? You people have framed me for one thing after another and you want me to trust you? Ha!"

She was playing her part well. Her fake earnestness reminded me of the Bitch. When you wanted to destroy someone, it was easy to put on that mask.

"I heard the rumours. They call you the horrible hero who forced himself on his party member. But I believe you. I know you wouldn't do anything like that. You treated my illness, fed me anything I wanted and taught me how to live. You always put me above yourself, even though you were hurting badly. You gave me valuable medicine, even though you had no money yourself. I don't think these are the actions of the person the rumours describe. I believe you, Mr Naofumi."

It was all so fake. A well placed smile and some kind words. Every single one of her words made her sound more and more like the Bitch. She wanted to get in my good graces while I was at my lowest point so she could knock me down again. I knew all too well.

"Motoyasu oh so kindly set you free, so why don't you go over and join his party? Did you just want one last look at the loser? Or maybe you people want to set me up again?"

I was spitting venom. None of it was unjustified.

"I don't need a traitor in my party. Get lost. You can laugh at me with that Bitch somewhere else!"

"I told you before Mr Naofumi. I am your sword. I will follow you through fire and brimstone. I'll never betray you. I want to be by your side."

Her hands were both clasped upon mine now. She was looking up at me. She was smiling. My anger was rising. It was boiling. I couldn't contain it anymore. They hadn't had enough yet. They wanted to kick me while I was down. They turned my party member against me. They wanted to stamp my head into the dirt and spit on me while I writhed in pain. They were all the worst. They all deserved to die.

The shadows were growing more intense. Raphtalia's shadow loomed over her child-like figure like a demon. I understood. Her real feelings were hidden from me. I moved my vision to focus on the Curse Series icon.

Curse Series: Activate?

I placed my free hand on the shield and I turned to Raphtalia.

"Go to hell."

Just before I pressed on the icon to activate the shield, I heard her whisper.

"I love you, Naofumi."

I briefly looked over and there were tears in her eyes. It was all truly pathetic.

I touched the icon and my anger exploded.

Curse Series: Shield Of Rage: Ability locked: Equip bonus: Skill: "Change Shield (attack)", "Iron Maiden": Special Effect: Self Curse, Burning Strength Up, Born from the heart: Shield of Murder…

I felt power flowing into me. Dark shadows were dancing and wrapping themselves tightly around me, around the shield. My anger was overflowing. I couldn't contain it and I didn't want to.

The shield's defense rating was so high, it made my light metal shield that I'd used in the duel against Motoyasu look like complete garbage. It was black with red patterns, like a dark stone spewing hot blood.

Raphtalia was gone from my vision. I could see everyone's true forms. They were all shadows, black and twisted. That was fitting. Demons in disguise, a country full of the most corrupt and rotten people in the world. No, it wasn't just the country's fault. The world was dying, rotting. A good world could never have produced a country this broken. They all needed to die.

They all needed to die. I noticed that the shield had a counter effect. It burned whatever attacked it. A fitting end for this diseased country. If they wanted me to be a villain so badly, I would play the part as well as I could. I'd kill all of them. I'd leave nothing. People who would go so far to make my life a living hell were the lowest of scum and none of them deserved to live.

I noticed a foreign shadow clinging tightly to me. Its hands were gripped tightly on the shield. I couldn't move. I could feel its eyes, everyone's eyes on me. All the shadows were shouting something and moving quickly. I could vaguely hear the clanking and ratting of weapons, almost as if the shadows were rushing to get into position. They were afraid.

The shadow gripped to me wouldn't let go. I saw tears falling from it in droves. They evaporated when they fell onto the shield. It was annoying. Its hands were still gripped to the shield, but it was foolish. I activated the counter effect.

The shadow screamed, but it didn't let go. I poured all my hatred and all my anger into the shield.

"Die! Let go!"

Its features were blurring and the fire was consuming it. I could hear other shadows gathering around me. They were shouting at me. I couldn't hear their words.

They were all going to burn.

The shadow at my side fell. Its black fingers fell away and I violently forced myself off it. I looked back to see it collapsed into ash.

The shadows were becoming clearer. I saw him. Motoyasu. His Bitch was the one who made my life as miserable as possible. He was in on everything with her. From the very day I arrived in this shitty world, he'd helped her destroy my reputation. When I was close to winning the duel, his Bitch launched a magical attack at me and he pretended not to notice. He was scum, through and through.

"Naofumi, how could you? I'm going to make you pay!"

He was running towards me. He was lunging at me with his spear. It was the last mistake he would make. I activated the counter effect and I watched him burn.

He was kneeling on the ground, covered in burns but he kept attacking. Some of the less defined shadows were swinging their swords at me as well, but they were too weak to get through my defense now, even if I wasn't using the shield to block. Their attacks just bounced off.

"Naofumi, you bastard, you devil!"

He was shouting helplessly now. At close range he was still attacking me with the spear, but he was also activating the counter every time. Slowly, surely, he was being consumed by fire. He couldn't stand anymore and he was leaning on the spear for support. He was looking up at me with hateful, angry eyes. Good. Maybe he would understand how I felt before he died.

I turned my shield around to face one of the undefined shadows. I saw that it was just a normal guard. He swung his sword at me and hit the shield. The burning effect was ready to activate, but I managed to hold it back long enough. I turned around again and aimed it at Motoyasu, slumped pathetically on the ground. I activated it.

"Naofumi, stop!"

His cries were infuriating. I watched his pretty face turn black and I saw him collapse. His spear disappeared. He was dead. I stamped my boot into his formerly handsome, now charred face. Even with my low attack, it couldn't resist. It turned to ash under my heel. I had never felt such satisfaction in my entire life. My shield reacted with glee.

Curse Series: Shield of Rage abilities increased!

Shield of Rage II: Ability locked: Equip Bonus: Skill: "Change Shield (attack)", "Iron Maiden", Special Effect: Self Curse Burning: Strength Up

The shield was even stronger. I couldn't believe it. My anger was growing by the second. It felt great. My mind was being consumed by it, but I didn't care. Nothing in my life had ever felt as good. I would have my revenge on this whole damn kingdom. This shield would give me the power. It would give me the power to burn everything, to watch the whole rotten structure turn to ash and dust.

Ren and Itsuki were running down a staircase towards me, weapons drawn.

"Shooting Star Sword!"

"Thunder Arrow!"

Their skills were activated and they shot towards me. Ren's skill caused his sword to glow and then release a barrage of what looked like shooting stars at me. They slammed violently into the shield. Had I still been using the first Rage shield I might have had trouble, but this attack was nothing now. My whole body sizzled from the effect of Thunder Arrow, but I took no real damage.

"Naofumi, submit quietly."

"You will answer for all the innocents you've unjustly killed, Naofumi."

Ren and Itsuki had serious looks on their faces, but on closer inspection, they seemed to be laughing. They were still mocking me, looking down on me. I had blocked some of their best attacks and they still wanted to beat me down. Fine, I thought. I had the biggest smile on my face at the thought of them burning.

Ren was the highest level here and both his and Itsuki's parties had joined the battle. Motoyasu's party didn't seem to be here. They must have run away. They were right to be afraid. The shadows were clearing in my vision and people's forms were more clearly visible, but the rage in my heart was growing stronger by the second.

The rest of the soldiers were keeping their distance, keenly aware of the difference in the strength.

"Crimson Sword!"

Ren closed in, but it was a bad move. His skill did no damage and activated the counter effect. The burning effect enveloped his body and I could see his arms were scarred and burned. He also seemed to breathing heavily, as if he was weakening. So the flames must have had an effect on his stats as well. The more damage he took, the weaker he would get. Perfect.

Itsuki, his party and Ren's party had been hanging back. They were truly an example of pathetic teamwork. Ren was still inspecting his burns, wary of launching another attack. He'd jumped in first to deal with me by himself, like the true loner he was, and he'd paid for it.

His party didn't delay long though, and seeing Ren's injuries, they scrambled forward. They had an assortment of weapons and magic, but they were weak. I dashed forward right into the middle of their formation and took some of their attacks, activating the cursed burning effect to affect them all. Itsuki's party followed, but they couldn't do any better, and they were badly burnt as well.

Itsuki's choir boy face annoyed me. Smug, arrogant and superior, he was casting judgment on me as he launched skill after skill towards my shield, with no effect.

"Eagle piercing shot!"

I put forward the shield to block Itsuki's shot, but it passed straight through and into my body. I coughed up blood at the impact.

A defense ignoring attack.

I screamed in rage. The others were still trying to attack, but the effects of the curse made their attacks ineffective. None of them could fight me anymore. I locked onto Itsuki with all the rage and hate I could draw up. He would pay. He would be the one to be judged!

"Shield Prison!"

A cage of shields enveloped Itsuki. He couldn't break free. This was part of one of the combination ability of the Rage Shield.

"Change Shield!"

I selected one of the needle shields and the attack variant of the change shield ability caused the needles to embed themselves deep into Itsuki's flesh. I heard him cry out in pain, now immobilized by the needles digging into his body. I started the incantation.

"The punishment I have chosen to inflict on the foolish criminal before me is called Iron Maiden. They will be pierced through from every direction, enveloped in their own screams, and will taste true pain!"

"Iron Maiden!"

A horrifying torture instrument appeared behind Itsuki, like a dark angel, drawing the imprisoned hero towards it. As it opened its belly, a vast array of sharp spikes protruded from within. Itsuki could see what was about to happen from small gaps in the Shield Prison, and he screamed as he launched skill after skill to break it, to no success.

The Iron Maiden began to close around the Shield Prison.

"Naofumi, please, stop!"

Itsuki was sobbing and begging. It was pathetic and it only made my rage worse. He was suspended in the air by the Shield Prison and on either side of him, the cage doors tipped with rows upon rows of spikes stood ready to shut and pierce his body. I raised my hand in the air and clenched my fist shut. Ren screamed.

"Please, spare Itsuki, Naofumi. You'll never be able to come back from this!"

It was too late though. The cage shut and Itsuki was screaming in pain. I could hear the blood gurgling in his throat and coming out in ragged gasps. It was a delightful sound. With his throat and mouth filled with blood, he couldn't pass judgement on those beneath him ever again.

The Iron Maiden disappeared. The respective parties and Ren looked on in horror. Those nobles who hadn't yet run away were staring in disbelief. The guards were dumbstruck.

Itsuki slumped to the ground, his body filled with massive holes where the spikes had pierced him. He let out the last words he would ever speak.

"Mother, I'm sorry…"

Tears streamed down his innocent looking cheeks as his breathing stopped and his eyes darkened.

The shield yet again changed shape. Armour seemed to be growing out of my Barbarian set. It was black, spiked and looked menacing. I could immediately tell that my defense had jumped up sharply. The shield had changed to the Shield of Wrath.

Released emotions have triggered its strength!

Curse Series, Shield of Rage abilities up! Transforming into Wrath Shield!

Wrath Shield III: Abilities locked: Equip Bonus: Skill: "Change Shield (attack)", "Iron Maiden", "Blood Sacrifice", Special Effect: Dark Curse Burning: Power up, Magic Sharing Rage robe (medium)

I had nothing to fear anymore, but my anger wasn't gone. I could tell the shield was stronger than anyone else in the arena, maybe even anyone in the Kingdom. No one else could challenge me.

"I'll never forgive you."

Ren was looking at me with hatred as he spoke. His look only made me more excited. Itsuki and Ren had been together most of the time, and I had taken something away from Ren. I had taken away one his friends. Maybe he could understand now. Maybe he would understand the way I had felt when I was betrayed and spat upon before he died as well.

He would make it easy for me though. His tough guy, loner exterior was gone. He was just an unstable teenager now and his emotions were plain to see. He charged at me swinging his sword wildly and the curse effect activated.

There wasn't even time for him to react. He took the full force of the counter and turned to ash in front of me.

The cursed burning was much stronger now, and the flames were no longer satisfied with one target. Some had flown from Ren's charred remains to the walls and the proud banners of Melromarc that hung on them. The flames were even melting the stone now and spreading rapidly throughout the arena. The guards and all of the heroes parties had dropped their weapons and fled. The King was nowhere to be seen. Come to think of it, he'd disappeared around the same time the Bitch had.

The castle was on fire, but I had one more stop to make.

I made my way to the throne room. The guards who tried to block my way were incinerated as soon as they attacked. It was too easy, but it was fantastic.

Trash and his Bitch daughter were cowering on the throne. Trash had a strange staff-like weapon with a gem on it, much like the other legendary weapons, but as soon as he tried to grab it, it flew out of his hand with an electric spark. He switched to a sword instead and took up a position in front of his daughter.

"I guess Trash will always protect his slut of a daughter, no matter what happens. For taking Raphtalia from me, for framing me and turning my life to hell, you're going to suffer. I'm going to take everything from you. Your kingdom, your daughter and your life."

He ran towards me and attacked, but he was weak. I sensed he might have been powerful once, but he was a withered husk. He only grunted in pain as he burned, but I didn't finish him off quickly.

"Won't you ever be satisfied, you damn Devil? Take my life already and spare me the humiliation. You and the demi-humans have always wanted to make me suffer. Get it over with already!"

"If you insist! Shield Prison!"

I activated my second strongest ability, Iron Maiden and he was stabbed through from all sides. He fell to the floor in a heap, clutching his pierced chest.

"Mother, Father, sister, I will join you now…"

He died with a smile on his face and I kicked his charred head clean off as he died.

Bitch was glaring at me angrily, but she refused to attack. She'd seen what had been done to her Father and the guards. She was cunning, I had to give her that.

"I don't have to attack you to kill you. You're going to die, even if you don't burn to death. I'm going to pay you back for everything you've done. If you have any last words, better speak them now."

"Mr Naofumi, please, if you spare my life, you can have anything you want. Gold, women? I can arrange for you to have 100 demi-human girls just like…"

She was struggling for a name.

"Her name is Raphtalia!"

"Anything you want! Please, just let me live. You can even have the throne if you desire it. Please, have mercy."

"I have no mercy for scum like you, but those were some decent last words. It fits you to beg on your knees like a bitch as you die."

Her face turned desperate. She was cycling through expressions so fast, like changing masks to see which one would be most effective.

"Please, think of what people will think! You are still a hero! Do you want to be known as the hero who killed the princess of a kingdom? You will be hunted down by every other country if you do this. Think of your pride as a hero. You are a good person, please let me live and I promise I will never bother you again. I will make amends for everything I have done!"

I readied my skill to be used. Her expression visibly changed to anger and hatred. Her true face. She ran past me, to the great entrance of the throne room. She must have thought if she avoided attacking my shield and ran fast enough, she could escape. She would never change. Her words were carefully selected, her behaviour and facial expressions a mask. Her true face was spiteful, vindictive and cruel. She would say and do anything to save herself. But she couldn't escape.

"Let this foolish criminal be punished as I see fit. The sacrificial shout to heaven! Let this fool's scream pierce the sky! May dragon's jaws born from my flesh erase her from this world!"

"Blood Sacrifice!"

My body was convulsing, blood oozing out of every pore. My fingers, arms, legs, mouth, ears. All over my body the blood poured in torrents onto the ground, an offering for an ultimate skill.

As I writhed in pain, I saw the ground open up beneath Bitch's feet. She turned to glare at me, shocked, spewing venom with her eyes. A giant bear-like contraption arose from the ground. In fact, its rows of teeth did indeed look more like dragon's jaws, but more mechanical. They clamped down on Bitch. Hard.

The first attempt of the jaws to close pierced her side, but she resisted it, forcing them open again. She couldn't stop them. They shut again and again, piercing her face, her breast, her side. She was screaming, but she was enraged. She wouldn't cry like Itsuki. Her true nature was pure hatred and malice. Her pretty features were ruined beyond repair.

I grinned and laughed madly at her misfortune.

As her arms and legs gave out, as her body could no longer force the jaws open again, it shut one final time over her mangled and destroyed body. She screamed and cried out one final time as the jaws dragged her down beneath the depths, disappearing into whatever void they had come from.

I was laughing and crying tears of joy.

At once though, I felt the huge effects of the curse. The last skill had reduced all of my stats, except for defense, by thirty percent. It didn't matter. I was much more powerful now. I was also gradually gaining experience now that the other heroes were dead. I was already getting stronger.

My vision was clearing though. The shadows in my vision had all but disappeared. My rage was still seething, but it was calmer now. I could think somewhat clearly again. I could see the fires I had set in the arena spreading to the throne room now, slowly but surely. Something strange caught my eye though, in my menu.

I could see my experience counter going up constantly. What was going on?

I went out to a nearby balcony and I immediately understood.

The city was on fire.

The fires had spread far. It wasn't just the royals and the heroes who had burned. All the citizens of the capital were dealing the flames. Men, women, children, they were all burning. I felt suddenly sick, now that my rage was diminished. I could see whole districts engulfed in the flames. They were cursed flames as well, so they probably couldn't be put out easily. People could probably use holy magic to dispel some of the flames since they were cursed, but they were incredibly strong. Only a small number of people were strong enough to dispel them by themselves and from a distance it looked as if the main church itself with the dragon hourglass had gone up in flames.

The cursed black fire would rage through the city. Nothing would be left. Even now I could see in my menu hundreds and thousands of people worth of experience were being consumed. They wouldn't have time to counter the flames before they devoured the city.

I was tired.

I made my way slowly past the arena, avoiding the flames as best I could. Then I spotted it. In the centre of the arena, a familiar sword and a bundle of ash. Raphtalia's sword.

I remembered. A shadow clinging to me. An overwhelming rage. I hadn't burned a shadow to ash.

I'd burned Raphtalia.

She'd held onto me, screaming and in pain, trying to keep me from using the cursed shield.

I'd killed her.

I staggered toward the now blackened sword and mound of ash that I knew was all that was left of Raphtalia. I gripped the sword tightly to my body as I knelt at that mound of ash and dust. The tears came streaming in rivers and my rage disappeared.

I'd killed her.

She was telling the truth all along. If only I'd listened, she would still be alive. My mind was clear now, and I recalled her last words.

"I love you, Naofumi."

Those were the words I'd wanted to hear since I came to this world. I wanted to be appreciated and given a chance. She had said those words over and over but I couldn't hear her. I was so frustrated at losing the duel with Motoyasu. I was so sure that Raphtalia would want to leave a loser like me after being set free. I never even bothered to listen. I was scum.

But the country was scum as well. They took Raphtalia captive for the duel. They framed me, discriminated against me. It was their fault! If they had treated me well from the start, none of this would have happened. If they hadn't tried to cheat during the duel I would have won. I wouldn't have unlocked the cursed shield. I wouldn't have killed Raphtalia.

They killed her.

My rage was back. It was filling every fibre of my being. I couldn't control it even remotely anymore. I always wanted to be the hero, but I guess in the end, I really am the villain.

I was going to burn the country to the ground. Nothing would be left. I didn't care about anything else. They were all trash. They were all to blame. They were all going to die.

I took the sword and collected the ashes. I felt a spark beginning to build in my hand before it relented. I think even the shield realized that I would destroy it too if it didn't allow me to hold Raphtalia's weapon and my only keepsake of her.

I walked through the burning capital, ignoring the hateful stares of the people who were still alive. The castle was burning. The city was burning. No one would be able to tell the capital apart when they walked through, so thorough would the devastation be.

I walked to the nearby village of Riyute. I didn't feel hungry or thirsty anymore. All I could feel was anger. My armour had mutated further and my head was now covered with a terrifying helmet. It looked like a dragon's head.

I walked to the mine where we had fought the two-headed dog. This was where Raphtalia had first decided on my name and where she'd found her courage. The flames in the kingdom wouldn't reach her here and no one would disturb her. I dug a grave and put the ashes in. I stuck the sword in the ground to signify her final resting place and took off my green cape, wrapping it around the sword like an embrace. At least she would have something of me to keep her company. I wish I knew where her village was, but this was the best place he could think of. Away from all the lies and betrayal of the kingdom, somewhere peaceful.

I collapsed all the entrances and supports, sealing the mine from all directions.

Then I went to the nearby village of Riyute and burned it to the ground. The villagers screamed and cried as I destroyed what the wave hadn't finished off. For guilty men and women, they put on a convincing act. The whole country was a mask and all the people were scum, waiting for the right moment to stab you in the back. Their shadows danced wildly as they burned.

Raphtalia's burial site would at least be left in peace now. I could give her that much.

It was about two weeks later. I'd destroyed dozens of more villages. Nothing would be left of Melromarc. I could see strange shadows occasionally following me but they never approached close enough. They knew I could kill them easily.

Apparently the last region I visited was home to a lord named Idol. His castle and his town had burned in half a day. He's tried to summon something, but I skewered him with Iron Maiden before he got the chance. He was curled into a ball crying for his mother as he coughed up blood, his eyes glazed over and his heart stopped beating.

I was wandering nearby, moving to my next target, when a little girl with wings approached me. She looked a bit like an angel.

"Move out of the way before I burn you too."

She didn't look like a citizen of Melromarc. I had to save my anger for the destruction of this shitty kingdom first.

She didn't say anything though. She seemed to sigh, and then she launched a magical attack towards me.

It was fierce wind magic, but my level was huge now and my stats were high. It struck the shield with a huge amount of power, but I could take it.

I rushed in to close the distance, but she didn't give me a chance. She backed away and launched more wind magic, stronger and stronger each time. Was she testing me? I didn't care, but now that she had attacked me, she was going to die.

"Shield Prison!"

She broke through it immediately. It looked like Iron Maiden was off the table. I moved towards her, but I couldn't get into melee attack range. I couldn't activate the cursed burning effect.

Her wind attacks were hurting now. My armour was being peeled off bit by bit. My helmet was the first to go, then the armour on my legs, arms, and torso. I was pissed off. I still had so much left to destroy, so many lives to take. I was going to bring down the whole rotten kingdom. I wasn't going to die here.

"Blood Sacrifice!"

I gave up my blood and smiled as I watched the jaws clamp shut, but then my face turned to horror as she broke the jaws with almost no effort. I was kneeling in the ground, gasping for breath as the effects of Blood Sacrifice kicked in. Using it so soon after the first one was taking its toll too and my stats hadn't even fully recovered from using it on Bitch.

I made one last effort to stand and I screamed in fury as I ran towards her. She flew towards me, punched me hard in the stomach, and I bent over in absolute agony. I raised my shield to activate cursed burning, but she took that arm and broke it with a swift strike to the bone. I screamed.

I raised my other arm to let out my frustration, even though I knew it wouldn't do any damage, and she broke that too. I tried to stand, but I was out of strength. My anger was still hot and boiling though and my armour and my bones were beginning to regenerate.

The little angel placed an open palm over where my heart was and let loose a bolt of energy.

I felt as if time had stopped.

I could feel my blood slowing. My rage was fading too. Her shoulder suddenly felt like the most comforting thing in the world and I leaned my head against it. This little angel girl was supporting me easily though.

My shield was starting to disappear. It was splitting into little particles of light, carried upward into the sky. Strangely, I didn't feel pain anymore. I felt like I was going to sleep.

"You can rest now, Hero."

She seemed sad.

"Yeah, you're right…"

Her voice was soothing. I felt like I could rest forever on her shoulder. The sudden weariness was overwhelming.

"I wish things had turned out differently."

Maybe if I could have done things differently, I wouldn't have fallen for Myne's trap. I could have made them understand. I could have avoided the cursed shield. Maybe if I'd talked to the others we could have done something different…not that it mattered now. I could feel my heart beating slower and slower.

"I wish I could have done more for Raphtalia…"

She hadn't deserved to live like a slave. In the end, she was the only person who really understood me…

"I hope I can see her again and tell her I'm sorry…"

I wanted to apologize for everything. I wanted to make everything up to her…

"I'm sure you will."

"That's good…"

My eyes were heavy and my vision was blurry. The menu in my vision was disappearing. What a relief…

"What's your name…?"

"Fitoria."

She responded softly.

"Thank you, Fitoria."

My eyes were tough to keep open. I could barely hear the thump-thump of my heart anymore. I tried to keep them open, but they were too heavy. My body felt heavy too. I slumped forward even more in Fitoria's arms. I could swear I felt like something warm and damp running down my cheeks. I was crying? No, Fitoria was crying. My breath was coming slower and slower.

I'm sorry for everything.

Mom. Dad.

Raphtalia, I'm sorry.

Fitoria was bawling her eyes out. She didn't care who heard anymore. She was crying like a little girl for a man she'd never met before. She watched the legendary weapon disappear, ready for a new recipient. She had never once in her centuries' long existence wanted to die more than at that moment.

She had felt his ominous presence from miles away. It was overpowering and intensely sad. She just wanted to stop his suffering.

He had to die for new heroes to be summoned and the effects of the cursed shield at that point were irreversible. She knew that all too well. It had consumed his mind and body. Death was a mercy for someone gripped by the effects of one of the curses.

"I'm sorry, Master."

She could hardly remember the hero who had raised her, but she cursed herself for failing to live up to his expectations. Fitoria was tasked with defending the world, but three of the four cardinal heroes had died in the span of a single night. If she'd only stepped in sooner…no, it was useless to think about that now. She had the uninhabited regions of the world and her own large flock of Filolials to defend.

Still, she wished she could have saved the Shield Hero. He'd died alone, in a world he didn't understand, his mind not his own. She understood everything about that.

However, Fitoria's duty was not yet done. New Heroes had to be summoned and the waves still had to be dealt with. She only hoped that the next group would be able to work together better than the last.

For their sake, and the sake of the world.