“Urgh…” [Ryan]

“Yo, you awake?” [Jayce]

Inside the corridor, near the entrance to the room, Ryan, who was lying on his back, opened his heavy eyelids and saw his best friend sitting to his right with his holy sword between them. The young man was massaging his right shoulder and flexing his arm to check for abnormalities after losing it. He suddenly remembered the pain that he felt and strongly shook his head to get it out of his mind. He then clenched his fist and punched an invisible enemy a few times.

The other heroes were grouped up with their usual friends and were also sitting on the ground or leaning against the walls. Although they were crying, laughing and being noisy just a while ago, they were now quietly talking to each other. Everyone was exhausted after that ordeal and was resting.

“Jayce…? Where…? W-what happened…? “[Ryan]

“Beats me. I should be missing an arm, but I’m not. Maybe I’m dead and this is all in my mind.” [Jayce]

“Stop messing around and just tell him what I told you.” [Aria]

Jayce shrugged his shoulders when Ryan asked him for the situation and Aria showed up along with Elena to scold him. The two were talking to a couple of girls and had noticed that Ryan had woken up.

“Ryan, are you alright?” [Elena]

Elena anxiously asked as she knelt next to him with a worried expression. Aria was standing behind her with her hands on her hips and exhaled through her nose with an expression that said “this lazy bum is finally up.”

Ryan stared at the ceiling and passed his right hand through his blond hair before resting it on his forehead. His body felt heavy after activating Limit Break and fatigue attacked him. He stared blankly as he tried to recall his memories of the recent events.

“Yeah, I’m fine. But, what happened? Why are we…?” [Ryan]

Aria crossed her arms in front of her chest and closed her eyes. She mentally prepared herself for his reaction and opened them again. She looked him in the eye and told him the plain truth.

“Ryner and Maya saved us. They defeated that monster and protected us.” [Aria]

“… Eh?” [Ryan]

Hearing her words, Ryan’s memory instantly came back like a movie being fast-forwarded and he remembered everything that happened before he was knocked out by that thing. He quickly sat up straight and frantically looked around him, trying to see if any of his classmates were missing.

“Ah! You should rest a bit more if you’re not feeling well.” [Elena]

His sudden action made Elena leaned back from surprise. She then leaned forward and put her hands on his shoulder while trying to get him to lie down again with a worried look on her face. However, Ryan ignored that and turned his head towards her. His eyes were filled with nervousness, hope and fear.

“Is-is there anyone missing? Did anyone…?!” [Ryan]

He asked in a trembling voice. Elena blinked a few times before gently smiling at him and told him in a soothing voice to calm him down.

“It’s alright. Everyone is here. See?” [Elena]

She gestured to their surroundings. Just like she said, not a single person from their class was missing and that meant that no one died. Some students who noticed the commotion greeted Ryan with a nod or waved their hand when they saw that he was awake.

Sam, Kirk and Tom were sitting on the ground and hugging their knees to their chests. Not only were they frightened after coming so close to death, they were also depressed after failing in their support and putting everyone in danger by attracting the Predator. Aria also chewed them out with a scolding that ended with a punch to their heads.

“(Thank goodness, no one died.)” [Ryan]

Seeing that no one died, Ryan sighed in relief. But, when he saw Jayce’s grim expression, he finally remembered about the three knights. His body went stiff and he recalled their gruesome deaths at the hands of the War Puppet. Soon, his face was warped by sadness and regret.

“Damn it…” [Ryan]

He hung his head low and cursed in a soft voice. His three friends knew why he was upset and they also sadly looked down. Many students that were listening in also thought about the knights’ deaths with misery. Today, they were completely overwhelmed and they lost three companions.

“We got them! Get ready to move!” [Ryner]

Suddenly, a loud voice broke them out of their thoughts and they looked at the entrance to the large room. There was Ryner forty meters away who was walking towards them with Maya and Cain behind him. Seeing that sleeping-looking face reminded Ryan of what Maya said before and he realized that he ignored a very important fact.

Ryner and Maya saved them. Maya was one thing, no, it was still impossible since, although he briefly saw her fight, her strength made her an S rank just like them. But, Ryner defeating that thing was just unbelievable. There was no way he could win. After all, he was taken out in one hit at the start.

“I know what you’re thinking, but it’s true.” [Aria]

“There’s no way that’s true. He can’t use magic, remember? He never used it once the first time we met, during our duel and during training!” [Ryan]

“He and Maya both used Artifacts that gave them a lot of power. Enough to take down that monster.” [Aria]

Aria read his mind when she saw his skeptical expression and dispelled his doubts while looking at the approaching trio.

“What?! Artifacts?! They didn’t just have a gun?!” [Ryan]

Ryan looked at his friend and asked with his eyes wide open to which Aria shrugged her shoulders before answering him.

“Guess not. That guy’s got that convenient ability that lets him store stuff away. It wouldn’t be surprising if he had an Artifact or two and other weapons hidden up his sleeve. He had a sword that could create a magic blade of light much like your own and Maya had a pair of knuckles that made explosions every time she punched the damn thing. Those two fought it on equal grounds and won. They knocked it down and ripped its head off.” [Aria]

Elena and the entire group saw them in action, so the black-haired girl’s words weren’t really a surprise to them. Jayce heard the full story when he woke up before Ryan, so he didn’t seem faze by the news either, although he didn’t believe her the first time. His best friend however, was completely shocked.

“No way… He also has Artifacts… All along… So why…?!” [Ryan]

Upon hearing this revelation, Ryan looked down and muttered to himself with disbelief. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe his friend’s words. Instead, he connected the knights’ deaths with Ryner’s Artifacts and came to one conclusion. It was a terrible conclusion that angered him and he forced himself to stand up while gritting his teeth with outrage even when his body was still weak after activating Limit Break. He picked up his sword and used it as a crutch to support himself.

Elena panicked and told him to rest while waving her hands around, but he didn’t listen. Jayce didn’t stop him like always and Aria sighed exasperatedly. Seeing his expression, she knew that nothing she said would change his mind, so she silently apologized to Ryner for causing him trouble and told herself to properly do it later on once they reached the castle.

The group of heroes looked with curiosity as they watched Ryan slowly make his way to Ryner while stumbling here and there. Once he got in front of that secretive otherworlder that was looking at him with a puzzled look, he spoke with ire in his tone.

“Why…? Why didn’t you use your Artifacts..? WHY?!” [Ryan]

His tightly clenched fists were shaking and his voice boomed in the room. Everyone looked at him with uneasiness. They could tell that he was really angry.

“You had Artifacts all along, didn’t you?! Artifacts powerful enough to take on that monster! So, why didn’t you use them at the start of the fight?! If you did, then everything could have been avoided!” [Ryan]

His classmates slowly realized what he meant. Ryner had such powerful weapons hidden away. If he had used them at the very beginning instead of pulling them out at the last minute, then they wouldn’t have gone through so much trouble. They wouldn’t have been so scared and most importantly, three knights wouldn’t have died.

The newfound looks of respect that were directed at Ryner slowly turned into accusing glares, all except for three people. Jayce, who was simply sitting down and watching how things would end, Elena, who was uneasily looking at Ryner and Ryan while holding her hands to her chest, and Aria, who was shaking her head and resisting a migraine.

“If you had used them right away, then we could have taken it down quickly! If we did, then those knights wouldn’t have had to die!!! Because of you! They died for noth-!!” [Ryan]

SLAP

The onlookers were shocked when they saw what happened. Ryan’s outburst was interrupted when he felt a burning sensation on his left cheek. Ryner just slapped him in the face and the sudden attack cut off his thoughts. He slowly looked at the man before him with a hand on his cheek and the one that hit him still had a sleepy expression while raising his right fist.

“Now that that shut you up…” [Ryner]

“Buegh!” [Ryan]

Once again, without warning, he was hit in the face, but this time, it was a punch. He fell on his butt and covered his nose that was bleeding. His surprised classmates were chatting loudly while looking at Ryner with disdain. However, the man under these glares ignored them all looked down on the young hero before him.

“Are you stupid? No, don’t answer that. I already know.” [Ryner]

“Wh-wha-!” [Ryan]

Ryan tried to talk back after being insulted so casually, but Ryner pointed his finger at him and interrupted him.

“Before you start pointing fingers, there are two things that you must do!” [Ryner]

He then raised his index and middle finger and talked loudly for everyone to hear.

“The first one is to say thank you! I just saved your annoying little butt, so you owe me your life. You and everyone else! Got it?!” [Ryner]

The students stopped glaring at him and looked at each other, realizing that they forgot about that fact in their outrage, but Ryan was stubborn. So, he couldn’t accept it so easily.

“E-even so! You-!” [Ryan]

“Trying to be a hero is no excuse to not say thank you! You think you can fight for good with that attitude?! You think that’ll make you a champion of justice?! You think a hero will treat someone that saved his life like that?! Or do you want to be the type of hero that breaks into houses and steals the villagers' stuff for the sake of world peace?! If you do, then go ahead and try to beat a demon lord with some panties! Otherwise, properly show me your gratitude, you damn ingrate!” [Ryner]

Ryan couldn’t say anything after being scolded and stayed quiet for a bit. The logic he heard was sound, much to his displeasure. Also, Ryner had cleverly used his desire to be a great hero against him without his knowing. Of course, once he thanked him, he still wouldn’t let him go so easily.

“F-fine. Thank you! But-!” [Ryan]

“Thank you for what?! Be more specific, you damn brat!” [Ryner]

“Wha-! Khh! Thank you for saving me! BUT! Tha-!” [Ryan]

“And the second thing you should have done!” [Ryner]

He couldn’t put in a word at all as Ryner advanced the conversation all on his own. He looked at the nose-bleeding hero that was sitting on the ground and told him with a stern expression what “the second thing” was.

“You should mourn for the ones that died and fought by your side.” [Ryner]

“…!” [Ryan]

To Ryan, it felt like his breath was taken away when he heard those words. It was the same for everyone as some of them gasped.

“Did you properly mourn for them? A minute of silence? A second? Did you thank them for what they’ve done? Did you thank them for fighting to protect you? For fighting against that creature to keep you safe, even when they were weaker than you? Before hating me, did you properly remember their sacrifice?

Hell, did you even entertain the thought that you might die fighting some monster? Did you not think that it was possible this could happen one day? People died. That’s the reality you’re in. You’re strong, but you’re not invincible. This isn’t a scripted play where the heroes will win in the end. You’re not on a school trip and you’re not here to make wonderful memories. This isn’t a game world like in the novels you read.

This is the real life. Your friends are risking their lives fighting by your side. They could die. You could die. You haven’t been defeating monsters. You’ve been killing monsters. You’re not here to bring world peace. You’re here to stop the demon race, to kill them if necessary. And it will be necessary.

You guys aren’t living in some damn fairytale. This isn’t a game on easy mode. You’re not players that can respawn. You may be among the strongest, but the world is big. There are hundreds of monsters out there that could kill you just like that thing. This situation could happen again and it WILL happen again. A moment of carelessness is all it would take to end your life. Start taking things seriously because if you don’t you’ll have more than just three deaths. Your life depends on it and it’s the same for the ones closest to you. You’re not high school kids anymore… You can’t afford to be kids anymore.” [Ryner]

It felt like a rock sunk to the bottom of their stomachs. Ryner was right. Those three knights died for them. They fought against impossible odds to protect them. When they were killed, everyone was terrified because they saw someone’s death for the first time. But, they weren’t actually sad. They were afraid for their lives.

They didn’t think that such a thing was possible at all. They thought that they were invincible. They thought they would win no matter what. After all, the hero would always win in every movie. Even if he suffered setbacks like when they first fought the S rank Marauders, he would still win in the end. They only thought about victory. They never gave much thought to defeat and they certainly didn’t consider death. Simply put, the power and fame that was given to them on a silver platter when they were summoned to this world got to their heads.

When the knights died, Ryan charged in to avenge them, but was he really saddened by their deaths? Did he consider the fact that he would never see them again? No, he didn’t. With the adrenaline pumping through his body, what he felt back then was anger. Anger towards the Predator that killed his companions and anger towards himself.

He was angry because he let them die. A hero wouldn’t let his companions die, but he did. As such, he had to avenge their deaths, much like in a video game. When one’s friends were killed, what went through the player’s mind wasn’t sadness, but anger. After all, there was no need to be sad and mourn for people that could respawn. All one had to do was to take out the enemy that killed them.

Ryan had everything in his life: a good family, good looks, good grades, good athletic abilities and great friends that he could count on. He was the top at everything in his school. He was the most popular guy. He was a seventeen years old that’s had a happy life where being first place was common for him.

When he was summoned to this world and hailed as a hero, it felt like a dream to him. It didn’t feel real at all. To be summoned in a world that was like from a story with a fantasy setting. To be given powers that very few could rival in this world. To be given the strongest Artifact of the kingdom, a shining white sword befitting a hero. It didn’t feel real. So, he didn’t think about the possible risks at all.

When he heard from the king that the kingdom, that the human race needed his help, he accepted right away without thinking. He didn’t consider the fact that he was going to go to war. He never saw war except for what he learned in his history lessons, so it was hard to imagine for him. It was the same for his classmates.

The dangers he encountered were nothing. He thought that defeating the demon race would be easy and that it would be without bloodshed just like in those movies for kids. The enemies would give up and reform themselves. Everyone would live happily ever after.

That was how he thought it would end. He wanted to help them. He wanted to be a great hero that saved the unfortunate. But, he didn’t have the resolve for it. He just thought about his goal, not the journey. So, he didn’t have any resolve. In the end, even with his strong sense of justice, deep down, he treated this like a game.

Ryner’s words shed some light on his real thoughts and that shook his core. No rebuttals came to his mind. He didn’t say anything. He couldn’t say anything. He just sat there with a bloody nose. The place was completely silent. Everyone was shaken up.

After looking around, Ryner clapped his hands once to gather their attention and told them in his usual lazy attitude to get moving.

“We’ll talk about this another time. For now, we need to get out of here. Maya, do you mind taking the lead?” [Ryner]

“As you wish, Master.” [Maya]

Maya, who had quietly watched everything without interfering, moved to the front of the group and had the depressed heroes follow her as they headed for the upper levels. Jayce, Elena and Aria went to help Ryan up and Jayce lent him a shoulder. Out of everyone, the leader of the heroes was the most affected by Ryner’s speech. He simply kept looking down without saying anything.

His three friends stared at the man who put him in such a state for a few seconds, but not with accusing glares. Their eyes didn’t have energy either and they turned around to leave with the rest of their classmates.

Ryner and Cain walked together at the end of the group, a few meters away from everyone else.

“I’m sorry.” [Cain]

Suddenly, the bearded old man spoke up and apologized to Ryner in a low voice so that the others couldn’t hear him.

“What are you apologizing for?” [Ryner]

The two talked without looking at each other.

“That was something that I should have done. I knew that they were taking things too lightly, but I never confronted them about it. We summoned them because we needed their help. We asked them to fight for us, but they didn’t seem to take the situation seriously. I thought they would change after experiencing real battles, but it didn’t do anything except bolster their self-confidence. In the end, this is what happened.” [Cain]

“You’re too soft on them. You’re their instructor, so it’s fine if you whip them a bit.” [Ryner]

The Knight Commander observed him from the corner of his eyes with a bit of a surprise expression.

“Soft? Aren’t you the one’s that soft?” [Cain]

“Hey, I can’t pour too much salt in their wounds. There was no way I could have told that kid that he was powerless to do anything against that creature or that he couldn’t save those knights. It might have broken him. I’m freaking evil, but there’s a limit to everything. Besides, despite being annoying, he really does want to be a hero from some fairy tale. Too bad he doesn’t realize that he’s a war asset.” [Ryner]

“Haha, that’s not what I meant. I was talking about my subordinates.” [Cain]

The old knight with white hair chuckled when he heard him talk in an exasperated tone. Despite what he said, he really did care about those young heroes. He forced them to face reality, but he also made sure that their minds wouldn’t break.

Cain then spoke with a serious expression as he looked at his benefactor that was walking next to him.

“The first time we met, we tried to take your weapon and even the slave serving you. So, I’m not surprised that you want to keep your Artifacts hidden. That was our fault. You took out nearly three hundred Horned Wolves and protected the city, but we treated you badly. I don’t blame you for the deaths of my subordinates. Rather, I want to thank you.” [Cain]

“Thank me?” [Ryner]

Ryner looked at him while tilting his head, wondering why this old knight would thank him when he could have prevented their deaths.

“Thank you saving us and thank you for protecting my knights’ honor.” [Cain]

But, unlike what Ryner thought, Cain was full of gratitude as he recalled what happened a short while ago.

“Back then, you stopped Ryan from dishonoring my subordinates. And for that, I thank you.” [Cain]

For knights who valued honor and risked their lives for their kingdom, nothing but shame would be felt if it was told that they sacrificed themselves pointlessly. How would their families and loved ones deal with their grief if they also knew that the people they waited for died in vain? Realizing what he meant, Ryner just looked away and shrugged his shoulders.

“What are you thanking me for? There’s no need for thanks, is there?” [Ryner]

“You stopped him from pointing out that they lost their lives for noth-“ [Cain]

“Because they didn’t.” [Ryner]

Believing that he was being bashful, Cain tried to tell him what he felt grateful for, but he was interrupted mid-sentence by Ryner who spoke in a strong voice.

“They sacrificed themselves to protect the heroes. They fought against a powerful monster and bought precious time until I got back on my feet to kill it. It might have just been a few seconds or even just a second. But, that one second saved a life. They did their duty to the end. Your knights saved the heroes.” [Ryner]

Ryner then looked Cain directly in the eye with a serious expression that he rarely showed. But, there was something else in his gaze: Sadness.

“That’s why they didn’t die in vain.” [Ryner]

Although he was talking to the old man before him, it felt like he was talking to himself. To Cain, it felt like he wasn’t just looking at him, but at something else. That’s what looking into his eyes felt like.

The next moment, Ryner looked in front of him and his face went back to the usual sleepy expression as if his serious eyes were never there. Seeing how he stubbornly continued to defend his subordinates and believing that he saw a glimpse of his true self, Cain smiled wryly and nodded his head.

“… I see. Thank you.” [Cain]

“Like I said, there’s no need for thanks… Seriously.” [Ryner]