Prologue: The Hero's End

“Go on ahead—I’ll catch up later!”

I shout to my four companions.

Currently, our party is challenging the <Abyss Sanctum, the Labyrinth of Calamity and Causality>—a threat capable of destroying the entire world. Recently, an abnormal surge of monsters has been overflowing from this dungeon, throwing the Royal Capital into chaos.

Unlike typical dungeons rooted in the earth, this place is a unique dungeon located beyond a spatial rift. We reached this point by passing through that warp gate. To deal with this threat, I, the Hero, received a direct request from the Kingdom.

I am a reincarnated person. In my previous life, I was Japanese. A corporate slave who died from overwork, only to find myself reincarnated as a Hero in another world.

“Senpai... but!”

“Haruto-sama! There is no way we can leave you behind...!”

“Sensei...!”

“Haruto! This is going too far...!”

<Felina, the Flash Sword>

<Estelle, the Saint>

<Charlotte, the Grand Mage>

<Rasta, the Absolute Guardian>

They all cry out.

Each of my companions is incredibly reliable. They followed me—a man who isn't really cut out to be a Hero—and supported me until now. Just moments ago, in the deepest depths of this <Abyss Sanctum>, we fought a desperate battle and defeated the final boss, the source of all this evil.

All that's left is to return home, but the boss floor is now swarming with a massive flood of monsters. I am the only one with enough mana left to fight. The other four had given everything they had to support me. At this rate, there's a high possibility we’ll all be wiped out.

That’s why I intend to stay behind—because I’m the only one who can still fight.

“Hurry! We’ll all die if you don't go now! I promise I’ll make it out too! I swear! So just go—hurry!”

“Senpai. You promise... You absolutely promise...!”

“Sensei...!”

“Haruto... Fine. I believe you!”

“Haruto-sama...! May fortune be with you!”

With those words, the four of them dashed away, making their escape.

“They’re gone...”

The sound of their footsteps fades. I hope they make it out safely, but they should be fine.

“Now then, as for my situation...”

I am the Hero. Fortunately, the version of me that was reincarnated was a man of talent. I possess more mana than anyone else in the world. Furthermore, I can manipulate a wide variety of magic.

Dealing with this amount of monsters should be easy—however, I don't know yet. I don't know that the boss we defeated was nothing more than a warm-up.

I am about to face the true threat of the <Abyss Sanctum> all by myself.

“Huff... huff... huff...”

I have no idea how much time has passed. It must have been at least a year. But I can't tell for sure.

I’ve been wandering this <Abyss Sanctum>—the worst dungeon in history—long enough to have lost all sense of time. In a normal dungeon, once you kill the final boss, the place settles down. But this place is an exception. Even after the boss is dead, monsters continue to pour out infinitely.

That is the true nature of the <Abyss Sanctum>. It’s calm for now, but I never know when it might go on another rampage.

“...I should rest a bit.”

Somewhere in the labyrinth submerged in darkness. At this point, I don't even know the way back. No, I wonder if a way back even exists. Maybe the gate we used to enter will never open again.

“...Phew.”

I take a deep breath. From the crumbling ceiling, glowing specks of moss drift down. Relying on that faint light, I quietly sit down. There is a thin stream of water nearby, and no sign of monsters. It feels like a brief sanctuary permitted by the labyrinth.

I reach out to the water and scoop some up in my palms. It’s cold. Yet, it strangely puts my mind at ease.

Today is a reward day for me. Basically, I’ve been supplementing my diet by eating monsters. There’s nothing else to eat, and I’ve even grown used to their intense bitterness. Ha. Humans really are capable of adapting just to stay alive.

“...I only have a little bit of this left, too.”

I take a piece of crushed hardtack from my pocket. It’s a tasteless emergency ration that my companions used to hate. But I put it in my mouth without hesitation.

──A hardness that rattles my teeth. A dryness that sucks the moisture right out of my mouth. Even so, I find the taste nostalgic.

They used to laugh and ask, “Why do you even like that stuff?” I don't even know where they are now. I just hope they’re safe. That thought is what barely keeps my life thread connected.

On a whim, I dip the bread into the cold water. As I bring the softened fragment to my mouth, I feel like my body has finally accepted something.

“...I guess I’ll try to live a little longer.”

Reflected on the water’s surface is the blurred face of someone who isn't really anyone anymore. A ripple from the last piece of hardtack I ate distorts the reflection.

I stand up. I have almost no will left to live. It would probably be easier to just die here. Even so, I made a promise.

I told them I’d catch up later.

I move forward. Believing that beyond this hell, a certain future is waiting.

“Huh...?”

It was too sudden. I see light up ahead.

Unlike the faint glow that illuminates the dungeon, this is undoubtedly brighter than anything I’ve seen. The light is far too blinding for my pupils, which have grown accustomed to the dark. It might be an exit.

I start running. Believing that a nostalgic landscape is waiting on the other side.

“The outside... is it really the outside!?”

Passing through the light, I find myself standing in a forest. The sun is in the sky. There is warmth in the air, and I am so overcome with joy that I fall to my knees, trembling and shedding tears.

“I did it... I made it back...!”

I’ve been praying for this moment for so long. I don't know how much time has passed. My short hair has grown long, and my facial features have surely changed. Even so, I am grateful for this miracle. I’m glad I didn't give up. I truly feel that from the bottom of my heart.

I walk with unsteady steps. After a short while, the familiar Royal Capital comes into view. People are coming and going; it’s the place I once knew. I catch a glimpse of myself in a window.

My hair has grown long and turned completely white, a beard has grown out, and my expression has become harsh. There’s no trace of how I used to look, but that’s fine. I’m alive and I’m back. That fact was more important than anything else.

“Five years have passed...?”

I happen to see a date on a piece of paper posted on a wall and realize just how much time has gone by. However, something next to it catches my eye.

What enters my field of vision is a single bounty poster crudely stuck to the wall. The parchment is weathered by wind and rain, its edges torn. Even so, the name written in the center remains clear. Furthermore, the face drawn there was mine. It was a portrait that still carried the image of the former <Hero Haruto>.

On it, the following was written:

<Rebel, Former Hero Haruto>

──Charge: High Treason. Defied Royal orders, committed taboos, and drove many of his comrades to their deaths.

──Status: Missing. However, survival is possible. Use extreme caution. Reward: 10,000 Gold Coins.

“Wait... what?”