I’m a Hero, but I Gave Up Saving the World

23 – The Hero Without Mercy

Meranir was a special being from birth.

His hometown was the deepest part of the Demon Continent, a dungeon that even idiots could not approach.

Speaking of dragons, they are a race that is classified as the ruling class even among the demons.

They are treated like nobles just because they are mixed with dragon blood.

Among them, Meranir was born as the son of the Dragon King.

By the time he grew up, he had already realized that he was different from the garbage around him.

Power, talent, and dignity.

Before his adolescence was over, he knocked down his father and laid laurels on his head.

“I’m glad… That ruthlessness that doesn’t change even once while taking the life of a blood-shared family member… He is indeed my son.”

These were the last words of his father before his heart was ripped out.

The Dragon King Meranir destroyed, ruled, and possessed everything in sight.

To him, life was food, and the world was a playground.

Everything in this world exists for me.

I spent a thousand years thinking like that.

Then one day, he met a human and his fate changed drastically.

“hi? I say warrior I’m on a trip to defeat the demon lord, but I heard you’re pretty strong too? Come hang out with me.”

“… Warrior? I’ve never heard of it.”

“I guess so. It’s the first name I’m using.”

He was a funny guy.

How dare you ask a human subject to fight.

Humans don’t run away even when they see me.

Not sitting down while peeing.

Not bowing down and begging for your life.

Everything was so odd.

Human beings run away and eventually get eaten… Wasn’t it, so to speak, an inferior species like a worm?

Apparently, this guy is an individual lacking in intelligence among humans…

— I thought.

“Hey! this… ! No, nonsense… ! My body doesn’t move… ! big… !! this, this… blood? I, the noble Dragon King… blood… You mean shed?”

“Because he is alive, he will bleed. Don’t make too much fuss.”

The first defeat I experienced in my life.

The back that touched the ground for the first time.

The sticky blood ran down his skin and the sky was unnecessarily blue.

At that moment, the emotions Meranir felt were neither humiliation nor vengeance.

It’s absurd to say ‘I want to live’…

An obsession with life, which would be suitable for a young child or minnows, was blooming like a lotus flower in his chest.

“I can’t die like this… Big! uh no! please! Lord, don’t kill me! I don’t want to die! uh, mom… please… ”

Tears flowed down in torrents.

He didn’t care about his face as a dragon king and begged for his life ugly.

Even becoming a slave is fine, so I longed to be alive.

The human who held the right to life and death, and at that moment was no different from a god to Meranir, turned around with a surprisingly relieved face.

“great! It’s been a good workout. I will stop.”

“… … … … … … … what?”

Steps getting farther and farther away.

As the warrior’s back became smaller, the threat of death was also diminishing.

The pride of the dragon king, which had disappeared as he moved away from death, raised his head again.

“Wait a minute!! won’t you kill me! It must have been a duel!”

“You said you wanted to live?”

“Yeah, but… Are you really saving your life like that? They usually kill… ”

“Like I said, I only fought with you for training. There is no obligation to meticulously collect supply and demand.”

In the meantime, Meranir has slaughtered all the enemies who attacked him without leaving a single one behind.

The opponents were never spared.

The attitude of a warrior who is not obsessed with the enemy’s life made him feel some kind of inferiority.

“Why are you… Are you that strong? what made you strong How did a mere human get this much power? let me know… please.”

“What do you do knowing that?”

“I am the Dragon King. The dragon king was taught by his parents that he should always be the strongest. It’s a shame… I want to be strong like you too. Tell me, warrior. How can I become strong like you?”

“I don’t know. I just raised my sword for those who are suffering.”

“Suffering… for people… ?”

“yes. No matter how hard it gets, I can’t lose if I think I have to stand up again for them.”

“they… Are they your family?”

“It’s not family. I don’t really have a family.”

“then… Are you your lover?”

“Not even lovers.”

“friend?”

“Not even friends. Why do you keep asking questions?”

“then… Are you saying you fight for someone you have no connection with?”

“You can do that. I don’t care how much I hurt or suffer. If only people are safe… That’s why I became a warrior.”

“… … … … … … .”

If that’s the secret to strength, it was a level that Meranir couldn’t possibly imitate.

“Then, goodbye Meranir. Let’s say today’s match was a draw. Because no one is dead.”

“… … … … … … … .”

The form of defeat is not determined by the loser.

When the winner calls it a draw, you have no choice but to accept the result, no matter how humiliating.

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Rumors spread among the people that the first hero fought the Dragon King as a Baekjungsae and could not win, but Meranir was keenly aware of his defeat more than anyone else.

For revenge, he trained for hundreds of years and visited the human continent, but it was a folly committed without knowing that human lifespan does not exceed 100 years.

In the end, by the death of the first hero, he was deified into a being that could never be surpassed in Meranir.

A righteous warrior who does not look back at his own body and only fights to protect the suffering weak.

That noble figure was always engraved on Meranir’s cornea and followed him like an indelible nightmare.

Maybe one way to wake up from this nightmare.

It’ll just kill the hero.

No, just don’t kill them.

You cannot be freed from this illusion simply by killing the hero.

The warrior’s skin must be peeled off, corrupt, polluted and corrupt, and then killed.

Only then will the back of the warrior who has been chasing for a thousand years be invisible.

The hero he found this time is said to be a professor at the academy.

In that case, it would be better to use this guy’s apprentice as a hostage and mentally destroy it.

You must see the warrior who curses his helplessness and screams as he watches his disciples being eaten one by one in front of his eyes.

— I thought.

“Over there, that Magi Tower has the most kids. Not only are there a lot of numbers, but the taste is the best because it’s a mage tower where kids with magic talent usually gather. They’re all gathered there, so grab whatever you want.”

“… … … … … … … … .”

“what are you doing? We have to catch it before it runs away.”

—What is this?

Far from screaming, he even coaches them to eat quickly.

In Faust’s expression, there is no bitterness at having to sacrifice a disciple.

There is only a glimpse of the relief of the petit bourgeois who are delighted that ‘I don’t have to die’.

“You guys… Do you really think I’m bluffing? This is a real situation. I really will eat your disciples… ”

“Oh really. That’s why they tell you to eat the Magi Tower first. It’s ridiculous. If you’re hungry, take care of yourself. Don’t advertise to eat. Are you interested?”

“… … … … ”

… Something different.

The fight with the hero I expected wasn’t like this.

I thought it would be a mortal battle that burns each other’s longing.

‘Anyway, this is strange.’

Even if Faust is a small person whose life is the most precious, it is normal for him to have some reluctance when he sacrifices other people as long as he is human.

However, Faust is unconcerned about giving his disciples as food without hesitation.

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Rather than being sincere, this seemed more like an operation.

“… Right… Is it a ploy to make me go back to exhaustion by not dealing with me seriously? However, you failed. Faust, you… It just pissed me off.”

Meranir opened his mouth towards the Magi Tower, which was the largest of the three Magic Towers and looked like the central building.

A giant energy ball formed at the corner of his mouth and a laser bullet was fired with a roar.

“Kwaaa!!!!!!”

The Magi Tower with a long history has disappeared without a trace.

The Magi Tower, which many wizards consider to be the home of their hearts, has unknowingly oxidized to dust.

For a moment, Giotto Giobert forgot even the pain of having his arm cut off, and looked at the empty lot where the Magi Tower was and fell into remorse.

The students belonging to the Magi Tower fell into despair one after another and began to collapse.

“Our… A place.”

“No words… no.”

“The pride of the academy, which produced countless great wizards, disappeared overnight.”

“Huh… Whoa… ”

“Our dormitory is over there, too. Where should I sleep first… ”

More than 800 students who suddenly became homeless could not hide their agitation.

“Heh… How are you, warrior? Can you pretend you’re not interested? It’s not just a bluff. i really… ”

“Wow, the laser kills. You’re a complete robot. Hey, but when do you eat the kids?”

“… Eh?”

I thought that this time he would change his face color and burst into anger, but Faust was amazed as if he had watched some kind of fireworks display.

“no… I’m just your precious… I broke the mage tower.”

“So what. What do you want me to pay attention to? What do you want to do?”

“… … … … … no.”

What the hell is it?

What is this proud attitude?

As if the disciples were quickly urged to be eaten.

But does that make sense?

As a professor, he must want to protect his students.

The premise leaves no room for doubt.

But Faust’s expression looked serious.

In fact, the words to eat students, even as a joke, were not words that would come out of the professor’s mouth.

Then, the remaining possibilities… By any chance, did I install a magic here that can be triggered by eating humans?

For example, magic that turns the body into a toxic substance right before being eaten?

I don’t know exactly, but looking at Faust’s attitude, I couldn’t help but think that there was some kind of trap.

Otherwise, how could you be so calm?

It’s embarrassing.

It was embarrassing to catch and eat it like this.

“Warrior… you guys What are you up to?”

“yes? nothing at all.”

“… Damn it.”

No matter how closely you looked, Faust’s poker face was perfect.

I couldn’t see through what kind of strategy they were hiding.

One thing is for sure, even if I eat the students here, Faust is no threat.

Perhaps, it’s because Faust has a defense plan that I don’t know about.

If that’s the case, you can kill them in other ways than by catching and eating them.

Isn’t it common for each other to know how to use magic?

“Heh… It seems that you are more cautious than I thought. Perhaps Misha had notified me of my visit in advance, and that’s why she set the trap.”

“Misha?”

“If you think about it, the academy is your home ground… No matter where the barrier is placed, it’s not strange. Then it would be against me to fight here… I will change the stage.”

Meranir returned to his dragon form and rose into the air.

While everyone was watching the dragon king’s next move, Meranir said with her eyes shining.

“From now on, I will place an unavoidable curse on you. It is a curse that applies to all human beings in this place.”

curse!

Everyone listened to that scary word.

“You will die in 7 days. Black blood will spurt from the demonic pores of the whole body, leading to death. I’ll tell you how to break the curse. If the hero kills me, the curse will be lifted.”

A chilling silence fell throughout the academy.

Faust felt thousands of eyes staring at him and scratched the back of his head.

“Ha ha ha! How are you, warrior! You can’t pretend to be calm this time! Come to my hideout! If you don’t kill me!! All humans belonging to the academy will die! ha ha ha ha!!!”

“… Sigh?”

—From the next day, the footsteps of customers did not stop in Faust’s office.

The mail was paralyzed because of the gifts sent not only by those directly affected by the curse, but also by powerful people from all over the world who were trying to save their children somehow.