Chapter 324 - The Third Hero, The Returner
Chapter 324 – The Third Hero, The Returner
After killing the hero, for some reason, Jun turned into water when he died and the water floated upwards into the heavens. It was the same with Sora who turned into white orbs of light. Were the humans who turn into heroes transformed into something else?
‘Well, let’s see what the next hero has to offer… Did Nimune predict all of this to happen, is that why she told me I will have a lot of battles if I unite the demon lands?’ Kretos looked at his shadow and sighed. ‘I guess, I’ll never know the answer now.’
While Kretos was looking at the sky, Namor approached Kretos and knelt. He didn’t speak and waited for Kretos to notice him. Several minutes have passed but Kretos didn’t move, so Namor didn’t move as well.
“Getting sentimental?” Tsukiko arrived and saw the weird scene of Namor kneeling with his head down and Kretos looking at the sky without moving an inch. Kretos didn’t respond as he continued to look at the sky. Seeing that Kretos ignored her made Tsukiko pout.
…
In the lonely night, a man lay on the ground and was staring at the night sky. This man was dying all alone on a battlefield that no one would see. He was just one of the many insignificant soldiers that will be forgotten within the flow of time.
As he lay their motionless he thought about his sister, his childhood friend who were waiting for his return. He promised that once he returns he would marry Anna, but now that seems impossible.
He looked up at the starless sky as he felt regret, there was so much he still wanted to do. Yet here he was about to fulfill nothing, here he was about to fail everyone. He wasn’t sure if there was a God but he still prayed he begged for a second chance.
He wanted to change fate, he wanted to be one that controls his destiny, not some nameless soldier that would die and be forgotten.
The man felt his heart beating slower as he could no longer see the starless sky. He lay there unmoving, no longer feeling as death neared him. He closed his eyes regretting everything until the end.
“Uke! Luke! Hey, wake up Luke! Come on if you don’t wake up in the count of five, I’m going to be a little rough on you.” Somehow Luke could hear the voice of his childhood friend.
‘To hear her voice in the end…’ Luke was feeling dejected as he heard Anna’s voice again. “You asked for it.” Something heavy suddenly hit Luke’s stomach and he opened his eyes in surprise.
He looked around with astonishment, he could feel his body and in front of him were two people he wanted to see dearly even at the end. There they were right in front of him. Long blond hair tied in a ponytail, with big round blue eyes this was his ten-year-old little sister Clara. Standing next to his little sister was a girl around sixteen years old, with curly brown hair reaching her shoulders. A beauty with emerald green eyes, alongside a fiery temperant. She was looking at Luke with her arms crossed this was Anna his childhood friend.
Luke couldn’t hold it in as a flood of tears came out of his eyes. He thought he would never see them again, he thought that he would die there all alone. Luke stood up from his bed and hugged Anna.
Clara was so surprised by what her brother did that she looked at him hugging Anna confused, but after a while, she smiled sweetly and joined in the hug. Anna, on the other hand, started blushing and was about to push Luke away but then she saw Luke crying in her arms.
“Luke, what’s wrong?” When Anna asked this question Clara lifted her head and saw the crying Luke.
“Big bro, why are you crying? Don’t cry big bro, please don’t cry.”
Luke couldn’t hear their voices as he continued to hug the two tightly. He didn’t know what kind of miracle this was, but he needed to make this time count. The pain, the suffering, the sorrow he felt as he was dying there alone, Luke poured his heart out and cried.
…
After he was done crying Luke looked at Anna and Clara and smiled at them. It was such a lonely smile that even though Anna couldn’t understand it she felt heartbroken seeing Luke smiling like that.
“I don’t know what kind of miracle was given to me from whoever God that did this, but I’m glad that I got to see you two for one last time before I go.”
“Big Bro you’re going somewhere? You’re going to leave Clara?” Clara looked at her big bro as tears were forming in her eyes. Luke patted her small head and smiled.
“It’s going to be alright Clara, you have big sis Anna with you. Big bro is just going to go somewhere first, and you’ll come later, way later.” Clara hugged Luke’s legs and screamed at him.
“NO! Big Bro please don’t leave me, please don’t leave like mom and dad. I promise, Clara’s going to be a good girl from now on and listen to everything big bro says. So please don’t leave me.”
When Luke saw Clara clinging to him so desperately he felt a pang in his heart. He really didn’t want to do this but what could a dead man do but stay dead. It was already a miracle that he was able to meet them one last time, he can’t be too selfish at this point. Luke hugged his little sister and pinched the back of her neck with a little bit of mana which made her faint.
“What did you do?” Anna who was watching at the side was surprised to see Clara faint. She was still confused as to what was happening to Luke and then that happened, too many things were happening at the same time, she couldn’t keep up.
Luke didn’t answer Anna’s question and instead, he looked at her with a sad smile. 𝚋𝚎𝚍𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚎ｌ.𝚘ｒｇ
“Luke, I don’t know what’s happening to you but I don’t like it. You’re scaring me… Please Luke, if there’s something that’s bothering you, you know you can tell me anything.”
“I know I can… I know you would listen to all my complaints as you always have. I know you will be there for me and my sis, no matter what. You were there with us when mom and dad died, you were there with us when everything had gone to sh*t. So I’m sure you would listen to all the crap I have to say, and you’ll be there to tell me everything is going to be alright.”
Luke approached Anna and looked deeply into her eyes.
“You kept on listening, but I never got to say what I truly wanted to say.” Luke touched Anna’s chin and then kissed her lips. Anna was surprised by the action but she didn’t resist. As their lips touched for some reason Anna could feel all the sorrow, the pain, and the reluctance Luke was feeling. But there was also the warmth, the love, and the hope.
In what seems to be an eternity their lips parted and Anna looked at him dumbfounded. Luke seeing the expression on Anna’s face chuckled.
“I wanted to say this for a long time, and I hate that I got to say it as my journey is nearing its end. I love you, Anna, I love you. I love you with everything that I am and more, much more. Heheheh, hahaha.” Luke started laughing but at the same time, he was crying.
“I’m glad that I got to say that in the end. Anna promise me that you’ll protect Clara when I’m gone.”
“When you’re gone, where are you going?”
“Promise me.”
“I can’t, you need to be there with her, with me. You just can’t leave after telling me all that. Also don’t you want to hear my answer?!” Anna was so confused as she couldn’t make heads or tails about what’s happening.
“Please just promise me, that you’ll be there for her… Please.” Luke grabbed Anna’s arms and looked at her, his eyes showing his desperation.
“… Of course, I will always be there for the two of you.” Hearing Anna’s answer Luke hugged her tightly and whispered in her.
“Thank you, having you as a childhood friend has always been my greatest treasure. Thanks for everything Anna, and goodbye.”
Luke backed away and closed his eyes waiting for his final death to come, yet after waiting a few minutes nothing happened.
“Hey, I’m alright now, aren’t you going to take me?!” Luke shouted while looking up but no one responded. Anna looked at Luke frightened and worried for him. So she gathered up her courage and approached him.
“Luke, I think you need help. Why are you saying all these strange things?”
“It’s because I died, I already died!”
“Huh?”
“I died at the great demon invasion. I was part of the Vanguard and was killed while defending my comrades who retreated.”
“Great Demon Invasion? What are you talking about? Are you perhaps talking about the failed attack of the Human Alliance?”
“No not that one, that happened five years ago. Why are you even talking about that one?”
“Five years ago? Luke, we just got the news two weeks ago.”
“Two weeks ago?” When Luke heard Anna’s answer, he went outside his house and saw that he was still in his original village. It hasn’t been abandoned yet.
“Hahaha, five years… I’ve been sent back five years…” Luke touched his forehead unable to digest what just happened to him.