When I Realized I Was the Game’s Protagonist, I Decided to Dump Everything on the Dark Hero - Chapter 00 - Prologue

Chapter 00 – Prologue

“Hero, you have done well to make it this far!”

Deep within the vast and treacherous Demon Forest lay Bernakia, the Demon Capital. At its very center stood a towering fortress—the Demon King’s Castle. And at its farthest chamber, awaiting the intruders, was the ruler of all demons—the Demon King himself.

His towering frame loomed over them, his skin dark blue, almost black. Bat-like wings spread from his back, and massive, curved horns jutted forward from just above his pointed ears. In his right hand, he gripped an enormous sword, as if he had just stepped out of an ancient mural depicting the horrors of the past.

Standing against this monstrous foe was a party of warriors, led by the strongest of humankind—the Hero.

At the forefront was a man with sharp eyes and a longsword in hand—Noir Wyack. The heir to the Duchy of Wyack, a noble house from the Epinant Kingdom, which bordered the Demon Forest. His jet-black hair and mastery of dark magic had earned him the title: “The Dark Hero.”

Standing beside him were three women, each deeply connected to Noir. They were among the strongest warriors in the Epinant Kingdom, renowned in their own right.

“Hmph…”

The Hero casually surveyed his surroundings before turning his gaze to the Demon King.

“…So, you’re the Demon King?”

“Indeed. I am Shaulam, ruler of this world. Kneel before me, inferior beings!!”

With his declaration, the Demon King unleashed an overwhelming wave of dark magic, shaking the very air itself. The sheer pressure of his power made even the Hero’s seasoned companions falter.

“T-This pressure…!”

“I-It’s hard not to feel tense…”

“I can’t believe he’s this strong…!”

Observing their reactions from the corner of his eye, the Hero muttered under his breath.

“…I see. So that’s why he didn’t show up.”

“Hou? Did someone run away? A wise decision—”

“What a letdown.”

“…What?”

“I went through all the trouble of crossing the forest, only to find that the so-called ‘Demon King’ waiting for me is nothing but a small fry? This must be a joke, right?”

“…Did you just call me a small fry?”

“A Demon King so powerful that even the Hero from a thousand years ago couldn’t defeat him—I had high expectations. But in the end, it was just a fairy tale, exaggerated to uphold the royal family’s prestige. Or maybe… you’ve grown weak after sleeping for so long? Either way, this is the great Demon King?”

“Y-You dare mock me?!”

The Demon King flew into a rage, and rightly so.

But the Hero was mistaken.

There was no exaggeration in the legend. The Hero from a thousand years ago had been an exceptional warrior, standing above all others in history. And the Demon King, who had fought that Hero to a standstill, had been just as powerful.

Now that he had awakened, his strength remained unchanged from his prime.

But the Hero didn’t realize it—because the enemies he had already faced far surpassed the Demon King.

By the time he arrived here, his sense of scale had long been shattered.

“Tch!”

“…”

Each time the Hero swung his sword, countless wounds tore across the Demon King’s massive body.

The injuries regenerated instantly, but each time, his magic dwindled bit by bit.

“You…! This body mine is—”

“Hmph. I have no interest in a fool weak enough to lose his own body.”

“…!”

“To think you’d be satisfied with a body that belonged to such an idiot. Some ‘Demon King’ you are—what a joke.”

“You insolent—!”

The Demon King had tried to shake him, but instead, he was met with an even sharper verbal blade.

As the Demon King glared with a twisted expression, the Hero pressed on mercilessly.

“Pathetic. All you do is flit around like an insect, running away.”

“…!”

Several minutes had passed since the battle began.

The Demon King’s right arm had been blown off by the Hero’s first strike. Since then, he had switched to a magic-based strategy, desperately keeping his opponent at a distance.

Though the Demon King grimaced at the taunts, he managed to keep his composure. A smug grin formed on his lips as he spoke.

“I must admit, Hero—you are strong. Far stronger than the one who sealed me away in the past.”

“…”

“But tell me… even if you are strong, what about the others?”

“…”

“What do you mean by that!?”

The Demon King’s ominous words made the Hero’s companions tense up.

“You and your little group are here, aren’t you? That means you are the strongest warriors humanity has to offer. Which, in turn, means the ones left behind… are much weaker.”

“…”

““”…!”””

A disturbing realization swept over them.

“Didn’t you find it strange? How easily you reached this castle?”

““”—This can’t be!?”””

“…”

Silence fell upon the Hero.

Just as the Demon King had said, the journey to this point had been strangely uneventful.

Though they had encountered scattered groups of demons and monsters along the way, true battles had been few and far between—despite the fact that they were marching straight into the heart of the Demon King’s domain.

“Heroes are troublesome creatures. Every time they defeat a strong opponent, they grow even stronger. Only a fool would waste their best forces against such an enemy.”

“…”

“Right now, my subordinates are tearing through your kingdom! This will surpass the Great Invasion of the past—an unprecedented catastrophe, the greatest Stampede in history!”

““”—No way!?”””

The Hero’s companions paled in shock.

“…”

“Now I’ve got you—!!”

The Demon King lunged at the Hero, seizing the moment when the party was momentarily distracted. But he never made it.

The Hero’s blade pierced straight into the Demon King’s abdomen before he could strike.

At the same time, countless dark arms emerged from the Hero’s shadow, wrapping around the Demon King’s body and binding him in place.

“W-What is this!?”

“I listened to your little speech, but in the end, you’re nothing more than a scheming coward. Have you no pride?”

“…!”

“A king without pride is no king at all. Die as just another demon.”

The Demon King thrashed, trying desperately to break free, but the number of black arms continued to grow, completely immobilizing him.

With cold, merciless eyes, the Hero delivered his verdict.

But at that moment, the Demon King finally accepted his fate. His wild struggles ceased. Instead, he lifted his gaze and stared straight at the Hero.

“Hero, you have won. But even if you strike me down, the Stampede will not stop. Your kingdom is doomed—reduced to nothing but ashes. Enjoy your hollow victory in a land with no one left to celebrate it.”

“Tch… pointless theatrics.”

The Hero muttered under his breath, but the Demon King’s grin only deepened.

“Heh… What’s wrong, Hero? Are you not going to rush back to save them?”

“Lord Noir, we must return immediately!”

“We need to hurry!”

“If we go now, we can still make it!”

But the Hero simply shook his head.

“There’s no need.”

“Don’t give up!”

“That’s right!”

“We still have time!”

His companions pleaded, but the Hero remained unmoved.

“…I said, there’s no need.”

“Hahaha! So, Hero—you would abandon your people? What a joke of a savi—”

Before the Demon King could even finish his sentence, the Hero swung his sword toward the wall.

A single slash—and a massive hole was carved into the castle’s outer wall.

And through that opening, they saw—

““”—Huh!?”””

“W-What is that!?”

Far in the northern sky, in the direction of their kingdom, countless stars rained down from above.

The Demon King and the Hero’s companions could do nothing but stare in stunned silence.

“Tch. So that was your real goal all along…”

A face flashed through the Hero’s mind—his attendant, the one who had refused to join this expedition, dismissing it as too much of a hassle.

No doubt, right now, that troublesome servant was ecstatic, gleefully racking up experience points.

The Hero clicked his tongue at the thought, muttering under his breath. But his words never reached anyone else’s ears.

“Well then, Demon King… You called it the greatest Stampede in history, didn’t you? I wonder just how much of your forces will actually survive that.”

“W-What… What is that!? What is happening!?”

“Does it really matter? You’re about to die—why waste my breath explaining it to you?”

“—!!”

The Demon King had been utterly overwhelmed. Even his final trump card had been rendered meaningless.

There was no path to survival left for him.

And so, on this day—the Demon King, who had returned from a thousand-year slumber, was completely and utterly destroyed by a new Hero.