Story You've Heard This One Before

[GojiBean]

Part One: The Origin​

Welcome!

You've probably heard stories like this a thousand times by now. And, really, there's nothing special about this one. But all the same, I think it's important to start at the beginning. So, let me spin you the tale of my origin.

Oh. My name's Kyo'da, by the way. And I'm a human. File that away for later.

Anyway, I was born in a small village called Irthul. It's about four hundred miles from the nearest major city at the edge of The Wilds. And for anyone who doesn't know what The Wilds are, it's basically just a fancy and superstition-driven name for untamed lands where monsters roam. Not that there aren't monsters in the forests which sit behind the village as well. But, they usually don't bother us. I think the last time they did was about twenty years ago. And it was just a handful of goblins who were easily driven out even though this village is all about agriculture and art rather than having a genuine fighting force.

Sorry. Back on point.

When I was four years old I started awakening to insane physical and magical power. Yes, it's the old OP protagonist trope. Don't ask me. I didn't write this. Anyway, as a kid my parents were raising me to always think of others first. And I loved living like that. It brought me joy to see other people smiling and feeling happy. I carried water to them from the well, swept leaves from in front of their houses, held doors for everyone, the works. Mom and dad were always telling me I was a good boy and that they were proud I was being so selfless. Mom especially repeated over and over again that she wanted me to never forget what it means to help someone else. And I'd like to say I never did... But we'll address that a bit later.

I kept my powers to myself because I wanted to surprise everyone with something special. Especially my mom and dad. Dad was the village chief. So, the whole "make dad proud" thing was always a strong idea in my mind. So, there was a really big boulder near the edge of the village which everyone had wanted gone for generations. But no matter how often they tried to whack at it with a pickaxe it never so much as got a scratch. But, for some reason, I just knew I could get rid of it. Not sure how or why. Maybe it was some kind of magical instinct. But I knew I could do it.

I called mom and dad over and said I was going to get rid of the rock for them. They chuckled and thought it was cute and that they'd see their son try and push it by hand and fail. And I'm sure they'd planned on giving me supportive words after the attempt. But, that's not what they saw. Instead, they saw their 4-year old son generate a magic circle in front of himself. And a moment later the boulder shook and was lifted and thrown into the forest about 50 yards away. Give or take. It was hard. I was panting from the effort and starting to sweat. But I did it. And I was so happy and excited because I knew I'd just accomplished something everyone always wanted but could never do. I'd helped everyone. Right?

Well, as you've no doubt predicted when I turned and asked my parents if I did a good job I was met with faces of pure terror. They began asking questions out loud to nobody in particular like "How?" "When could he do this?" "How could a human do that?" "What sort of divine prank is this?"

Humans aren't normally very magically inclined, and can't usually do more than basic 1st Tier spells by the way. Every now and then there's someone born who can use 2nd or even 3rd Tier spells. But it's very rare. Literally one in a million rare.

Their faces quickly turned to disgust, and they started calling me all sorts of things which I'd rather not repeat. The other villagers joined in almost immediately. Mob mentality and all that. They see their chief and his wife in terror and disgust and they couldn't help but feel the same. They all started calling me a monster, a freak of nature, a mutant, and other more colorful terms. But the one which hit me the hardest was when my mother walked right up to me, looked me dead in the eye, and said "I wish I'd never given birth to you." The others all gathered around me and backed me up towards the end of the village proper. Everyone was doing it. All the adults who always called me a "good boy" and their "favorite little helper," and all the other kids who I thought were my friends. They all looked at me the same way. All except one. Rose. She was 3, and she couldn't understand what was happening or why. The only way she could express her feelings on this was to cry and look at me with a face that screamed "I'm sorry, I wish I could help." But, sadly for me, it was just a wish. They all ran me out of the village which forced me to take up a life of wandering in The Wilds. As I was leaving the last thing I heard before their voices became inaudible was, "I hope you turn into monster food!"

And thus, we come to the beginning of the sob story trope.

What? I told you, I didn't write this.

I wandered the wilds for about three weeks or so. I honestly can't remember exactly how long it was. But it was something like that. Eventually I reached another town which was absolutely ravaged by monsters. Half the buildings had burned down or been demolished by sheer brute force. Many had died. Many more were missing. And the town was desperate for protection and had apparently petitioned the Adventurer's Guild via a job posting.

Oh. Important info. The Adventurer's Guild is a global problem solving service, basically. The adventurers themselves are ranked from F, the lowest, to S, the highest. They can only take on jobs at their own Rank or below due to the dangers posed by trying anything above their Rank. Reason being is because the curve for power is exponential. Not linear. A low Rank A rank would easily defeat the highest B Rank Adventurer. So on and so forth. When a job listing is posted on one Adventurer Board, thanks to special magic linking them to one another, that job posting will show up on every board worldwide. That way it's never missed. But whether or not it's answered is a whole other story.

Apparently this poor town's request hadn't been answered. So, being the naïve kid I was and thinking that maybe if I did enough good deeds my parents would come find me and bring me home, I decided to help. After all, maybe my parents were just testing me and trying to push me to do good beyond the village? They loved me. They always had, right? Once I proved I could use my power to do good for other people surely they'd come get me and tell me this was all just a test to see if I had the courage to stick to what they taught me. Right?

That was my hope. I waited for the monsters to come back. And when they did, I wiped them out. I thought I did good. No damage caused. No lives lost. Just dead monsters everywhere. But when I went to see the townsfolk they did the same thing my village did. They called me a monster and ran me out. Was this part of the test, too?

For the next 6 years I wandered from village to village, town to town, city to city, hoping and praying that if I just did one last good deed my mom and dad would come find me. But they never did. One more then, right? Maybe one more? Eventually, even a child gets the message. And as the reality set in following what was probably somewhere around my 500th good deed before getting run out and vilified yet again for the outlandish power I had, I gave up.

I told you we'd address the idea of me never forgetting what it meant to help someone. And, well, this is that time.

I didn't exactly forget. But I did cast it aside and treated it as if it'd been forgotten. I think I was trying to make myself forget so I didn't have to get hurt anymore for trying to do right by others. If I was just going to be called a monster and run out of every place I tried to protect, what was the point? I was just going to keep hurting myself if I kept helping people. So, I stopped. When someone was getting mugged, I fled the area pretending to be scared. If I heard anyone scream, no matter their age or gender, I pretended not to hear and ran away from the direction the scream came from as if something else had caught my attention. And if monsters attacked, I hid and pretended to be so frightened I wouldn't come out of my hiding spot until about an hour after I knew it was over.

I left everyone to their fate, whatever it ended up being. And I did this for the next 2 years. But, this is where the sob story begins to end and a new chapter begins.

My wandering eventually led me to a Town called Grecia. It was a town of around 5,000. So, a decent size. It wasn't usually suffering monster attacks. And it'd been ages since the last time war had ravaged the land and caused any issues. It felt like the perfect place to try starting over. Since I was 12 now, I was allowed to work. And that was my intention. But, go figure, the day I began searching for work opportunities the town was attacked by a massive horde of Goblins and Orcs. And for anyone who doesn't know, both Goblins and Orcs are rather... Crazed... When it comes to a particular activity. Even if it's with a species outside their own, they don't care. Though the attacks themselves were usually rare, human females were common victims of this behavior. Maybe it was instinct? In the world of monsters, both Goblins and Orcs were like giant rabbits with sharp teeth. Always breeding and growing in number so fast they had no choice but to expand their territories. So, I guess it fit. And humans were the most common obstacle to their expansion since we're the most populous species on the planet.

Anyway, I was doing the usual thing by running and pretending to be scared and running away to find a place to hide. But as I rounded a corner heading away from the open marketplace where the attack seemed to be focused, I came across a woman and her young daughter being chased down and attacked by a big group of Orcs. The mother tried to fight and protect her daughter. But she was far too small and physically weak to do much other than flail. They had no chance. I was going to leave them like everyone else. But the daughter locked eyes with me, and I skidded to a halt.

She was around the same age as I was when I was run out of my home village. Four years old. Five at most. And the terror in her eyes as she and her mom screamed for help... I don't know why. But it resonated with me. I turned away, but it was like every micro fiber of my being was pulling me back towards them. So, I gave in. I turned back around. And with nothing but a snap of my fingers the Orcs all jerked and convulsed before dropping dead to the ground. Why? Because I made their hearts explode inside their chests thanks to a technique I called Death From Within. It was derived from Dark Magic, which is a rare art to learn for almost any modern mage as there aren't many texts or scrolls teaching you what to do or how to harness the powers of darkness. Using it, I was able to manipulate the Orcs' shadows to go inside their bodies, surround their hearts, and crush them until they burst.

The mother and daughter were both lightly injured with some scratches and bruises. So, I used a Healing spell to restore them to full health. I told them it might still be sore for a bit, because Healing magic only deal with the wounds and not necessarily the aftermath of them. Especially at lower Tier levels of Healing magic. And as I walked away certain that I was going to be called a monster again, I felt something hit my leg. It was the daughter. She clung to my leg crying into it and saying "Thank you for saving mommy." The mother came over as well and went down on her knees and bowed her head to the ground while thanking me over and over again for saving her daughter. What struck me about this is that neither were concerned about themselves. They were concerned for each other... Just like I was always concerned for others when I was younger.

A few other townsfolk saw what happened and came over to praise my bravery and magical prowess. And they asked if I could find it in my heart to save the town from the invasion. At first, I was hesitant. But the daughter begged me to save her friends since she couldn't find them before she and her mom were attacked. And I couldn't say "no." Not to that. So, I took a deep breath and used Flight Magic to get high into the air for a bird's eye view. And once I saw where the Goblins and Orcs had congregated for their attack I reached out my hand, took over their shadows, and a flick of the wrist later and they all dropped dead. And the town went quiet.

I flew down to the marketplace to examine the corpses and used what I called Life Sense to make sure none survived. I'm honestly not sure which magic art Life Sense is derived from. But I know it's gotta be one of them. Using it I was able to key in on any life signs which didn't register as human. But all I found were dogs, cats, rats, and other small animals. With the deaths of all the Goblins and Orcs confirmed I saw a bunch of the townsfolk approaching and asking if I was the one who did this, since they saw me fly down. I confirmed it was me and I was ready for the worst. But just like before this town and its people cheered for me. They all rushed towards me and thanked me for saving their families and community and homes from the invasion. It was quite the ruckus. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying it. After 8 years of vilification and being called a monster, I was allowed to enjoy this one-time only praise. Right? It wasn't likely to ever happen again. At least, not outside this town.

As it turns out the woman and daughter I'd saved were the wife and daughter of the town's Mayor. And not only did he thank me and give me a badge of honor for my bravery at the Town's Square in front of a huge crowd, he and his wife both asked if I'd like to join their family. Their daughter also said she'd always wanted a big brother. So... How could I say "no?" I was officially adopted later that very day, and was now the son of the Mayor. But, more importantly than that distinction, I had a family again. Both the Mayo-... Sorry. Both my dad and my mom were loving people. They were strict on issues like responsibility, taking accountability for one's mistakes, and making sure never to skip educational lessons or opportunities. But there was no denying they saw me as their son, blood or no, and loved me as such. My little sister as well was always doting on me and telling everyone how amazing her big brother was. And once she started clinging to me there was no stopping her. For all my strength and magical prowess, I was never able to find a defense for my little sister clinging to me.

It was nice though. And I think this was when my heart started to heal. I started going back to my old ways of helping people with little things like bringing water from the well, carrying messages for them to and from the courier building, sweeping leaves, being a chaperone to their kids and keeping them out of trouble, taking care of pest control, holding doors for people, etc. And I was happy. Everyone here was so different from back ho-... Back at the old villages and towns. They were friendly, kind hearted, accepting, and compassionate. Maybe the problem hadn't been me after all? Maybe it was the reactions of others that was the problem? I didn't know which it was, or if the answer was something else altogether. But either way I decided to never again ignore someone in need. I had the power to help, and I would always do it. Even if they called me a monster or ran away in fear, I would help them and I'd do so proudly.

Two years later, at age 14, I joined the Adventurer's Guild. To do so requires one to visit the nearest Adventurer's Temple to be judged and receive one's rank in the Guild. And the process, thankfully, was really simple. The temple was on top of a mountain with a single monk sitting at its central room. And the temple itself would respond to the power of the one approaching by literally glowing. The more powerful the individual, the earlier on approach it would begin to glow, and the more brightly it would glow as they set foot inside and approached the monk. The monk would judge the response of the temple to announce one's rank, and the temple itself, somehow, would manifest the Adventurer's ID. Fairly simple, right? Just walk up there and say "hi" to the monk, and you get your rank. Easy.

To give an example of what one could expect from the temple, an F-Rank Adventurer would typically not see the temple begin to glow until they were basically in the same room as the monk. C-Rank Adventurers would usually see the temple glow as they entered the second room on their way to the monk. A-Rank adventurers would see the temple glow as soon as they set foot inside. And S-Rank adventurers would see the temple glow as soon as they reached the mountain peak and began approaching the temple.

And, well... You know this is an OP Protagonist story. So, you can probably guess what happened when I arrived. All the way from the base of the mountain the temple was already beginning to glow. By the time I was halfway up it was as bright as an S-Tier. And when I reached the mountain peak it was so bright I literally couldn't see the entrance and had to feel my way around until I found the door and went inside. The monk was a straight shot up the middle. And though I veered off course a little I was able to stumble my way to him. Thankfully for him, he was blind. So, he wasn't harmed by the light. But he could feel the temple "trembling" upon my approach all the way from when I was still at the base of the mountain. And so, he announced that I was the first and only SS-Rank Adventurer. The temple then created my ID which, to my surprise, was a small metallic plaque which I could either wear or keep in a pocket. I chose to keep it in my pocket for obvious reasons.

After I left, those at the base of the mountain looked at me in shock as they could still see a subtle glow from the temple as I came towards them. It was only after I was about 100 meters away from the mountain base that the glow finally faded completely.

Needless to say, I didn't tell anyone about this and passed myself off as an S-Rank adventurer instead of SS-Rank. I usually did so by using one of my fingers to hide the first 'S' in case anyone asked to see the ID, which did happen on occasion. Still, I managed to get by. And since I was an adventurer, and since Grecia had become a safe place, I decided to leave home when I was 18 and begin traveling so I could both see more of the world as well as continue helping those in need everywhere I went. Being an Adventurer was my one true calling. And although the road to it was bumpy to say the least, I was ready for whatever came next and headed off to start my life as an Adventurer.

 

[GojiBean]

Part Two: The Journey Begins​

"Oi! Kyo'da! Pay up, pal!"

"What for, Bartos? I haven't lost anything."

"Oh, yes you did! You lost your window to get Mae to agree to a date with ya!"

"Excuse me?!"

"Oh, Mae! Didn't ya know? Me and the boys had a bet going on whether or not Kyo'da would get you to agree to a da-"

I don't think I've ever seen a simple mug slammed into someone's head so hard their eyes literally bulged before going back to normal as they slumped unconscious to the floor, but... Now I can say I have. Poor Bartos didn't have a chance. Mae's average height and pretty slender. But when she wants to get a point across she's not averse to dishing out physical punishment. I almost felt sorry for Bartos.

Almost.

"Who I date is none of your boys' business! And what are you doing making bets in the middle of my tavern in broad daylight?!"

"Whoa, who, whoa! Easy, Mae! We didn't bet money or anything."

"Then what did you bet, Ashton?!"

"Um... Well... You see, uh... Hehe."

"We bet dinner on it. Whoever won got Kyo'da's dinner for tonight."

". . . I don't think I've heard of a stupider bet in my life. Honestly, why do I put up with you lot?"

"Because we're the Adventurers who keep this place safe from monsters on the regular! Also, Kyo'da's here with us a lot."

"What does that have to do with anything?!"

"Oh, come on Mae! We all know you-"

Taverns are made of wood. Mostly. Wooden tables, floors, chairs, ceilings, walls, etc. However, the tables do have a metal ring around the edges for decoration. If one of them tipped over and fell down it would normally make a semi soft "thunk" sound. Not this time. Metal against wood, the metal on that table was clearly ringing after it hit the ground, forced down there thanks to Ashton getting a serving plate upside the head.

"I don't know where you got that idea! But it's not true, dammit! Stop spreading rumors about that!!"

"Rumors about what?"

"Ah!! N-n-n-n-n-nothing, Kyo'da! Don't worry about it! For the love of the Gods, don't worry about it! Just know that they're bs'ing and pay them no further attention!"

"Um. Well, okay."

Mae's face was bright red. And I think I can guess what Ashton was about to say. Mae was always nice to me even if I screwed up a job or otherwise did or said something I probably shouldn't have. She'd smack anyone else with whatever she could get her hands on first if they screwed up like I did on occasion. But her not getting physical with me like she did with everyone else, and the way she stammers when I speak to her on occasion... I might be a bit dense with some things. But I'm not your typical clueless protagonist who never notices when a girl likes him. Even this story isn't that tropey.

Anyway, I respect Mae a lot for what she does in this tavern for me and the other Adventurers. She's really nice when she's not upset and smacking everyone. She always gets everyone drinks, food, rumors, keeps the job board up to date, and keeps this place squeaky clean. Honestly, I felt bad that she was doing all that alone all the time. But, she was the Tavern Master. As such, the tavern here at the Guild Building was under her authority. If she wanted to work it alone, then that's what she was going to do. And I'm sure if she needed help she'd hire someone. After all, this place makes more than enough money with how often these guys pound down drinks.

"Oh, Kyo'da. On the serious side, didja see the board?"

"Hm?"

"There's an S-Rank Request on the board. It showed up a few hours ago. Obviously, nobody's taken it yet. We were waiting to see if you'd want it."

That was odd. Usually the other S-Rank Adventurers jumped at the chance to take the first S-Rank job which popped up. They were typically bored otherwise.

Going to the board and checking the name, I couldn't help but let my jaw hang for a moment.

"Right? Who'd have thought something like this could ever happen?"

"The Dragonkin are calling for help?"

"Yeah. It's kind of unnerving, isn't it?"

"More than that, Mae. It's downright scary! The Dragonkin? Calling for help? What could they possibly need help with over there? They can literally transform into Dragons!"

"Calm down, Nimz."

I think I said that with a bit more bite than I meant to cause...

"Oh... Sorry, Kyo'da."

"Take a breath, man."

"Hm? What?"

"... You're not mad?"

"No. I just want you all to calm down. Dragonkin or no, they're asking for help. And it's our job to respond to these calls."

"Well, yeah but read it."

"I did. It just says, 'Please send your strongest. We need help.'"

"That's you, big guy."

"Very funny, Nimz."

"I think it has legs. After all, you're the only one who knows Flight Magic. And you can cast any kind of magic. Even if your spells lack some impact here and there, that versatility is a form of power which none of the others have."

"Yeah. What Mae said."

I sucked in a breath through my nose and shook my head.

"Fine. I'll take it."

"Ha! I knew it! You owe me dessert tomorrow Nimz!"

"That's enough, boys."

They all went quiet. Whenever Mae has that sharp tone and ended her sentences quickly, everyone knew she was serious. And unless they wanted their face imprinted in one of the walls, they'd keep quiet.

"Kyo'da, please be careful. All jokes and conjecture aside the Dragonkin are the strongest of the humanoid races. If they're calling for help then this threat must be catastrophic."

"I will, Mae. Thanks."

I slipped the job posting into my jacket and exited the Guild Building. Everyone came out to see me off and wish me safe travels, and most of them voiced the same hope I did. With any luck, it was for something sporting instead of something serious. It'd happened before that they'd used the job board to call Adventurers for sporting events and inter-species competitions. Maybe that was happening again. But I wouldn't know until I got there. However, in the past they'd made it clear it was for sporting purposes. So...

"Head on a swivel, Kyo'da. We don't know what those lands are like."

"You need focus on getting to a healer, Bartos. Your face looks like it was crushed by a building."

That got a good laugh out of everyone, which I think was needed. I could sense everyone's apprehension even without looking at their faces.

Anyway, a sharp look up and I was in the sky a few hundred feet above the ground before setting off to the Northwest. The trip took me the better part of eight hours of straight flying. And it was well into morning by the time I reached the Dragonkin's borders. Ahead of me lay that Draconic nation of Thiir Alem. No other humanoids dared tread here for fear of being roasted alive by the Dragonkin. They were normally a peaceful race. But intruders to their borders were automatically assumed to be hostile and dealt with as such. A bit harsh. But it was their homeland. They could defend it however they felt was needed.

Another few minutes and I was just able to see their city, Ophe'liim, approaching from the horizon. But as I drew closer the air grew heavier. There was a chill in it unlike anything I'd felt before. And as I drew even closer I started feeling a little nauseous. But this wasn't the time to lose my dinner. I had a guest. Or, a host would be more accurate. A Dragon flew out to meet me right as I was about to reach the city's outer wall, and assumed his humanoid form while using Flight Magic to float up to speak with me.

"Greetings. You're an Adventurer, are you not?"

"Yeah."

"State your business, please."

"The Adventurer's Guild received the Dragonkin's call for aid." I pulled out the job posting and showed it to him. "I'm here to answer it."

"Hm. We asked for their strongest and they send a human?"

"Let's just say I'm stronger than I look."

"Mm. Very well. Please follow me. And mind your manners. You're going to meet our Queen."

. . . Okay, THAT was unexpected!

I'd barely been in their lands for fifteen minutes and I was going to meet royalty? I wasn't really up to date on international and interspecies politics. But I was pretty sure that strangers to their nation weren't granted an audience with the Royal Family. But, as I thought about it something felt off.

"You just said Queen. Is the rest of the Royal Family away or something?"

He didn't reply to me. And that was concerning. But that was only the beginning of my experience.

For context, the Dragonkin people all live in Ophe'liim. It's one massive city which is like a small continent all its own inside a bigger one which serves as their border while giving them space to stretch their wings. As I was approaching the city before this guy showed up I noticed part of the city near the giant castle in the back was darker than the rest. And as we closed in on the castle I saw why.

It was destroyed. Completely. There wasn't a single building standing. It was just a massive ash field. Like the whole thing had been melted by the sun. Part of the castle had been damaged, too. Was the rest of the Royal Family hurt? Or, maybe they were off tending to the wounded? Clearly a big battle had taken place for that kind of damage to be done.

Landing in front of the castle I had to wait outside as the host guy went inside and sought permission for me to enter. And a few minutes later the doors opened. The host guy was waiting for me and again asked me to mind my manners and not look the Queen directly in the eye as it was considered an act of tremendous disrespect to meet the eye of a Royal uninvited. I promised I'd follow their rules and was led to the throne room. And without looking up at the Queen who was waiting by the throne itself up a mall flight of wide stairs up ahead, I could see a massive amount of sunlight peeking in and stretching across the room. This was where the damage to the castle had been. And part of the upper wall was missing which exposed it to the elements.

"My Queen. I've brought an S-Ranked Adventurer who's answered our request for their strongest warrior."

She didn't answer him. And I wondered why for about five more seconds.

"Understood, my Queen. You. Adventurer. You may approach as far as the base of the stairs. The Queen has given you leave when you reach that spot to look her in the eye."

"She did?"

"Go, quickly!"

I did as told and went to the base of the steps before looking up at the Queen.

Her eyes were slightly red, and the area around them were puffy. She'd been crying. A lot. She also looked really sleep deprived. And as she spoke to me her voice was much softer and weaker than I'd imagine from Dragonkin Royalty who were renowned for their powerful voices and almost overwhelming bearing.

"I welcome you, Adventurer. And thank you so much for responding to our Request."

"You needn't thank me, your majesty."

"That's very humble of you. May I ask your name, young man?"

"It's Kyo'da, your majesty."

"Kyo'da. Do you have a surname?"

"No, your majesty."

"Ah. Please, come closer."

I did as asked and stopped at the top of the stairs, about five meters away from her.

Despite her appearance she stood tall and exuded an aura befitting of Royalty. It was almost intimidating. But, she had a nice smile. It was gentle, and calm. Like a mother's smile. Like all Dragonkin she had pointed ears which went straight out sideways from her head which were covered along the top edge with scales. In her case, they were a silvery white which almost made them look like Silver or Platinum covers which was a fairly common jewelry style among the Elves. But she was obviously not an elf with the subtle hints of scales which were on her shoulders peeking out from beneath the sleeves of her blouse.

"Thank you. I wish I could offer you finer hospitality. But we're short on time. I'm certain you noticed the devastation outside. Correct?"

"Yes, your majesty."

"That was the aftermath of a battle against Demons."

"Wait. Demons? But they're just a mutated and more dangerous versions of Vampires, aren't they?"

"That's one type of Demon. But those types are native to our world. The Demons who attacked us were of the Nether Realm. You might think of them as the True Demons."

That was quite a pill to swallow. There were legends about both the Heavens and Nether Realm going back centuries. But everyone thought they were only legends. If the Queen was telling the truth then this was going to be a much harder job than even I dared hope. We knew nothing about True Demons. How strong they were physically. Their magical potential and prowess. What magics, Holy Magic aside as that much was obvious, affected them the most and what they were resistant to. They were a total question mark.

"If I may ask, your majesty. How'd they get to our world?"

"Our scouts have reported several ghostly Rifts which have appeared in nearby regions. One is deep within the Hrathian Forest to the West. One is inside the mines of Mt. Opha'le to the North. And one is to the East. Our scouts sensed its presence, but were unable to pinpoint exactly where it was."

"Hm. Similar warfare strategies would almost all see all four compass directions accounted for. Did your scouts look South?"

"Yes. They weren't able to identify or sense any Rifts there."

Troublesome.

"If you don't mind, your majesty, I'd like to take a look at the Rifts myself before we continue this conversation. May I?" I pointed towards the hole in the upper wall.

"If you feel it best, Kyo'da. I shall await your return."

"Thank you, your majesty. I'll be back in about an hour or so."

The Queen looked rather shocked.

"One hour?"

Yeah. One hour. As my magic increased in strength over the years my speed with Flight Magic increased along with it. I reached the first Rift to the North in about ten minutes. And, sure enough, the mine entrances were caked in the blood of the miners who used to work within it. The poor souls. Who knew if they were trying to flee, or if they were taken by surprise. Either way, this was a rather grisly end for them. I said a prayer for them and continued East. As I approached I could sense the same energy as the one from the mines.

"Where are you?"

I closed my eyes and used Life Sense to see the world around me in total darkness. Anything and everything which had a pulse showed up as a pulsing red silhouette of whatever being it was, and every source of magical energy glowed a bright blue. And it didn't take me long to find the magic source hidden in an underground cave system.

"Theeere you are."

With that one now marked in my memory, of which I have an eidetic memory for anyone curious, look it up, I moved on to the South. I tried using Life Sense to see anything in an area which would be relatively in alignment and a proper equal distance to the others. But I couldn't sense anything. At least... Not with Life Sense. But I was just barely able to feel that subtle creeping and cold feeling I got when I was approaching the city earlier coming from behind me towards the ocean.

"Surely not."

Flying out over the ocean, my senses hadn't failed me. There was a rift on the ocean floor about 5 kilometers in. With this one now also marked in my memory I took off for the West to see that one in the forest. It was a bit further than I thought it'd be, much like the Southern Rift. Was there any pattern or reason for the odd and uneven spacing? I'd have to see it on an actual map to be sure. But it didn't feel like it. Although...

The Rift seemed to activate right as I was turning to go back to the Queen. It flashed with light and a single Demonic being which looked almost like a minotaur made of shadows and glowing red eyes came flying up at me. The fact it was wielding a giant battleaxe was rather odd since the weapon itself was relatively normal in appearance. Did they need weapons like that? Either way, I got out of the way of its first swing and used a 5th Tier Holy Magic spell to test its resistance. And, surprise surprise... No, seriously. Surprise. It didn't work. It barely flinched and flew at me again. A few more swings and I'd charged an 8th Tier Holy Magic spell, but saw the same result.

"Okay. Fine. Let's see how you do against a 10th Tier Holy Magic spell."

I had to charge spells of this tier. But wait. An overpowered protagonist needing to charge their strongest magic? Well, I never said this was my strongest. But, unfortunately, magic in this world requires the user to actually recite the magical chants which help to focus the magic the right way in order to produce the spell. So, they took longer than I'd have liked. But I could use them. The 10th Tier Holy Magic spell had an effect. But it looks like it was a response to the amount of force generated by the spell rather than the spell itself having an advantage.

The thing continued coming at me, and I could now see why the Dragonkin had such a problem fighting them. These things didn't seem to obey the laws of Holy and Dark Magic as we knew them. Holy Magic always trumped a Dark Magic spell of equal caliber. Always. And anything which resided in the world of Darkness such as Demons, Vampires, Imps, Succubi, etc were all weak to Holy Magic. So, why wasn't this thing? And why'd it look like a minotaur?

I tried a few other magic types including Fire, Ice, Lightning, and even Dark Magic just to see what would happen. And, shockingly enough, Dark Magic proved to be most effective by far. So much so that I actually took its arm off with a 2nd Tier Dark Magic spell.

"... No."

I took a breath and used a 5th Tier Dark Magic spell to disintegrate it. And it turned out that was the way to go. However, this meant one thing which made my heart sink. And as I returned to the Queen using Teleportation Magic, I updated her on my findings.

"Your majesty. There is a Rift in the South. It's on the ocean floor about five kilometers out to sea."

"Oh my. That explains why our scouts didn't sense it. That's much further than the others."

"If I may, your majesty, do you remember what the Demonic beings actually looked like?"

"I do not, as I didn't see the battle. I saw only the aftermath. But one of our generals survived the conflict. Perhaps he could provide those details?"

General Jaur'il Grahn was summoned to the throne room and took a place beside me.

"They looked like various beasts from our world. Minotaurs. Centaurs. A Hydra. A few Chimeras. Some Griffons. Even humanoids."

"They were all shrouded in darkness with glowing red eyes, right?"

"Yes. Holy Magic didn't affect them at all. We were at a loss as to how to fight them. However, they eventually retreated as we thinned their numbers with sheer brute force. But doing so cost us several brave warriors as well as many civilian lives."

"How many?"

"Approximately one hundred and twelve are confirmed dead with several hundred wounded and currently still being treated by our best healers."

I knew it was a bad idea, but I had to ask.

"Your majesty, I hate asking this. But was your family among those lost?"

The room went silent. You could hear a feather floating down from the rafters if one were there. The Queen's lower lip quivered, and I saw her fighting to take in a full breath before finally swallowing a lump in her throat and speaking.

"Yes, they were."

"I'm so sorry to make you think of them when the wounds are still so fresh. But, may I ask how many were in your family prior to this attack?"

"... Five, including me. My husband, the King. Our two sons, the eldest of which is Crowned Prince and next in line for the throne. And my daughter, the youngest."

"All of them were fine warriors who'd make any nation proud to have serve in their militaries. They were in the vanguard and, tragically, the first to be cut down."

"Thank you, your majesty."

"If I may, sir Kyo'da. Why inquire about the Royal Family? It has little bearing on what we must do next, does it not?"

"Don't worry about it, General. Do we have a map for me to mark the Rift locations?"

A map was brought in, and I marked each Rift position to the best of my ability given the mental landmarks I'd used. If nothing else, they were close enough that anyone nearing them would see them even if I was off a little bit. The General and I went back and forth about tactics for a bit before settling on what we both felt was the most reliable plan to proceed.

"Okay. The plan is that I destroy the Rifts. The moment I destroy the first their forces are likely to start pouring out of the others and head for the city. I'll destroy the Rifts and fast as I can while you and your warriors hold them off."

"Yes. Our best warrior-mages will use Dark Magic to combat them if they take the appearance of creatures from our world. With any luck doing so will help set their souls free so they may rest in peace."

"Yes."

If anyone's lost, Dark Magic works against anything with a pulse living in our world. AKA, the Demonic beings which actually weren't Demonic beings. They were possessed creatures and races from our world which had been corrupted by the Nether Realm's influence and turned into mindless slaves at the beck and call of whoever was pulling their strings. Killing them would, hopefully, set their souls free as the General said and let them all rest in peace. And now that the Dragonkin knew how to fight them we had high hopes for far fewer casualties than last time.

"Kyo'da. Please be careful. If I'm not mistaken, being so close to the Rifts will make your job dangerous after the first of them falls. You may have to content with countless numbers before reaching the others."

"Not to worry, your majesty. I have a plan for that."

"All right. I'll update everyone on the plan. You fly out to the ocean Rift and wait for my signal. And don't worry. Even that far away, you'll know when to strike."

"Understood, General. Good luck."

The two of us clasped arms with a mutual head nod of respect, and while he went to organize the Dragonkin forces I flew out to the ocean to await the signal to start the attack.

 

[GojiBean]

Part Three: Rebirth​

I couldn't tell you what it was that was coming from that Rift. Even down on the ocean floor and me flying a few hundred feet above the surface, I could feel... Something. It was cold, distant, and frightening. Even though I knew how to fight the poor tainted beasts which would come pouring out of the others once this one was destroyed, and even though I knew the limits of my own physical and magical power, something about these Rifts and the energy they gave off had me on edge. As I watched the white crests appear and disappear beneath me I could feel my heart rate beginning to rise, and it was getting harder not to clench my hands into fists.

It wouldn't be long no-oh. Speak of the devil. A massive surge of energy came from the direction of the city, followed shortly after by a faint but powerful sound.

"They all just transformed, didn't they? Now that's a signal. All right. Time to get started."

I didn't need to see it. Feeling it was enough for me to get a lock on its position. The creatures were weak to dark magic. But was the Rift? It likely didn't matter. If I hit it hard enough with a 10th Tier Magic spell of just about any kind it would shatter. How'd I know? Um... Not sure, really. I could just tell. Even so, best to play it safe with Holy Magic.

I recited the chant of the 10th Tier Holy Magic spell, Divine Judgement, and took aim at the Rift.

Quick note, whenever a spell is activated a magic circle appears above, below, or next to the target depending on the target's position relative to to the caster. Normally, only a single magic circle will appear. However, the best mages could create a second magic circle inside the first to further add to the spell's power. According to what I'd heard and read nobody had ever cast a spell with more than two circles because doing so increased the likelihood of magical backlash. That's basically what happens when your body tries to harness more magic than it otherwise would be capable of using naturally. Depending on how much magic is used and where your own limits are you could experience random bones breaking, coughing blood, bleeding from eyes, ears, nose, and sometimes total organ failure.

With my power and strength being what they are I knew I could confidently use up to four magic circles. But this issue would only need one.

Once the spell was primed I unleashed it which basically turned the ocean white within the circle, and cast a giant beam of holy light through the water and into the Rift. I had to hold the spell for about three seconds before I felt the Rift give way and shatter.

"Here we go."

I immediately headed West to the Rift in the forest as it was the closest to me. And even from all the way out here over the ocean I could feel the presence of those creatures flooding through the other Rifts. It wouldn't be more than a few more minutes before they reached the city. So I had to hustle. At top speed it would take around thirty minutes for me to cycle through the remaining three. The dragons were all powerful. That couldn't be denied. But as powerful as they were sheer numbers could still pose a problem. I couldn't go faster than my top speed. So, I had to trust the dragons would be okay facing this enemy again.

Coming up to the forest Rift I got a first-hand look at how many of these things were still pouring out of it. Several at a time every second. I'd have to close this one quickly and wipe out as many of those in view as possible. So, that's what I did. I know I'm skipping a lot of little details. But it's nothing you haven't seen or heard before. I flew up high and cast the Divine Judgement spell as quickly as I could to shatter the Rift. Doing so helped a lot of them notice me. So, I switched to 10th Tier Dark Magic and vaporized as many as were within the spell's reach. Probably a hundred? Ish? Either way, a lot more than that had escaped the Rifts already. On to the next.

The story was the same for both the two remaining Rifts. Race to them, destroy them, kill as many of the beasts as I could. Next. Once the last one was dealt with I headed right for the city. And, to my pleasant surprise, the dragons were handling business well. In fact, unless my eyes were on the fritz, there wasn't a single dragon casualty. I greeted one of the dragons who was nearby and they said everything was under control. Dark Magic had worked wonders. And they had a few Dark Magic dragons among their ranks who were able to cast high level spells to take out huge numbers of them.

Admittedly, I had a somewhat arrogant thought in that moment. Rifts aside, when was the last time I could hang back and let the client handle their own problem? I shook that thought off immediately though. It wasn't fair to those I'd helped before. Still, it was refreshing to see the client handling their own issue even if I did help a little bit. The Dragonkin weren't called the most powerful humanoid race without reason. Now that I saw them in action, and comparing the power I felt from them in humanoid form, even if they didn't transform they probably could have handled business once the Rifts were closed.

And just like that, it was over. A bit anticlimactic, right? Everything looked like it was hyping up a giant battle between me and some big bad enemy as is usually the case in stories like this. But not this time. For once not everyone needs to be saved by the overpowered protagonist. Just given a helping hand here and there.

However, there was one thing I knew I had to be the one to handle.

That evening the Queen gathered as many as could fit in front of the castle to witness a what she called a 'Special Event.' In keeping with her authority as Queen she bestowed upon me the title of Honorary Dragonkin, and also gave me a gorgeous pendant in the shape of a dragon made entirely of platinum, even the chain, with a deep ocean blue gem in the middle of it. That pendant was more than for looks, though. It was also proof of my ties to the Royal Family which would grant me immediate access wherever I wanted to go within their borders.

"Kyo'da. On behalf of all Dragonkin, I thank you for what you've done for us all."

The entire crowd echoed her statement, and the Queen clapped her hands and told everyone the event was now concluded and that there would be a feast for all held tonight in the Isho'to Highlands just outside the city's North-side wall.

But first...

"Your majesty. May I ask you something?"

"Hm? Of course, Kyo'da."

"The bodies of those killed in the first attack. Are they being kept anywhere specific?"

"Oh... Yes, they are. My hus-..." Her eyes immediately began welling up, but she quickly composed herself. "My family is in the Royal Cemetery behind the castle. And the rest are being prepared for burial as we speak, soon to be laid to rest in the General Cemetery on the city's West end. Why do you ask?"

"I know this is a strange and potentially disrespectful request. But could they please all be moved into the Grand Hall inside the castle?"

"What?"

"You would have us stain sacred ground with the bodies of the dead?" Barked one of the warriors nearby.

"No. This isn't about desecration. It's about reviving them."

There was a massively collective gasp from what remained of the crowd within earshot, as well as the Queen and all her attendants and protection.

"Kyo'da. Revival Magic can raise the dead, yes. But they have no mind or soul of their own anymore. It would be pointless. And we would have to slay them a second time."

"That's not entirely true, your majesty."

"You dare question the Queen's wisdom, human!?"

It was the same guy. And he brought up his sword and pointed it at me before the Queen snapped at him to sheathe his weapon.

"Kyo'da, please explain your statement."

I could see it in her eyes. Hope. I don't know if it's because of the hope. But her eyes looked a bit brighter than they had at any time since I'd gotten here. I could also sense her apprehension.

"Revival Magic is 10th Tier Healing Magic. And you're correct that if one uses only a single magic circle only the body will be revived. But if you add a second circle you can revive the mind."

Another collective gasp followed by murmurs and shouts of lies and trickery. But they were all swiftly silenced when the Queen used what I now knew was telepathy to make them quiet down.

"Kyo'da. Is this really true? You can revive their mind with a second circle?"

"Yes. And a third circle revives the soul."

Instead of a gasp, total silence. It was almost as if everyone was holding their breath for some reason. But I didn't know why until...

"Kyo'da... That's impossible."

"Indeed. Young man, with all due respect to you, I've studied the magic arts for over two millennia. It's impossible for a living being with their mortal body to harness enough magic power to produce a third circle. Even if you had multiple mages working together, two is all they would be able to bear. If they even tried making a third, their bodies would be shredded by the overwhelming magic trying to flow through them."

I heard what he was saying. But I knew my limits. When I asked the General how many had died before, he said 112. Add the Royal Family and it was 116. With my magic being what it is I could revive up to 140. However, doing so was beyond risky. Powerful as I was the moment I went over 100 my body would start experiencing magical backlash. And the more bodies added the worse the backlash would be.

"Your majesty. I understand fully what I'm asking of you. The wounds I'm about to quite literally dig up and put before your eyes. But I beg you to trust me. I can revive them mind, body, and soul. Your people and your family will be given a second chance to make up from the life which was prematurely stolen from them by these Demonic beings."

She was silent for a long time. And she had a sad look in her eyes. The hope I saw before had all but vanished. But there was a tiny spark left.

"I know my limits, your majesty. And I wouldn't be asking you for this if I didn't know I could deliver. So please. Trust me."

She took a deep breath before looking up at me with a smile.

"Very well."

And nooooooow the crowd comes back to life with gasps and shouts of shock, but were again swiftly silenced.

"I hereby order the bodies of the fallen to be moved to the Grand Hall immediately, including the coffins of my family."

Her people were hesitant, but they believed in their Queen. And so they got to work. Within the hour all of the bodies were laid evenly in the Grand Hall. And as they brought in the coffins of the Royal Family, the Queen approached me with her hands folded over her stomach.

"Kyo'da. What you're about to do is beyond reckless. Not to mention life-threatening to yourself. But you know that, don't you?" I gave her a nod, and with tears in her eyes she smiled at me. "Very well. Kyo'da, I've chosen to put my faith and trust in you to revive my people and family. So please. Bring them all back to us. Return the fallen to their loved ones."

I gave a more firm nod, and she gave me a light bow and stepped away. Once the final body was in position everyone moved to the walls to give me room.

"Here we go then."

I closed my eyes, took a breath, opened them, and lifted my hand.

The first magic circles were created. One surrounding the bodies. One around me.

"Souls of the fallen, hear me."

I raised my other hand, and a second pair of circles appeared.

"I return thee to thine vessel. Let your hearts beat, and the blood flow through your veins once more."

I flicked both of my wrists, and a third pair of circles appeared along with a sharp stabbing pain in my chest.

I was too focused to see it. But the mouths of everyone had all hit the floor. Not literally of course. But you can imagine one of those tropey panning shots where everyone's standing slack-jawed at something amazing the protag did, right? Yeah, that's this scene.

My head started throbbing and my vision began to blur.

"I return thy consciousness. Let your thoughts and memories take root."

A sharp twist of my wrists in a circular motion and a fourth pair of circles appeared. Accompanying them were small crackling sparks of pure energy, similar to lightning. But also with the circles came horrible snapping sounds in my arms, legs, and chest. I coughed up a small pool of blood and started bleeding from my ears and nose.

"Kyo'da! Enough! Please! Your body can't take this anymore!!"

"I return thine soul! Let your spark of light never be extinguished."

I pulled my partially broken arms in, elbows tucked to my sides. With closed fists, I then thrust them forward with open palms facing downward. And a fifth pair of circles appeared.

And this was when things started going wrong.

I could feel every bone in my body cracking and bending under the pressure of all the magic flowing through me. I coughed up more blood. And it began leaking from my eyes and gums as I fought to maintain consciousness. I was familiar with pain. But not like this. The bones in my legs were breaking, so I quickly cast Flight Magic to keep myself upright. But that only made things worse. My vision went completely dark and all sound left my ears. I could barely tell if I was even upright anymore. But I had to trust myself to do this right.

I wouldn't let this all be for nothing.

"Pray. In the name of the Gods I command you to return to this realm!"

Was I actually speaking coherent words? I couldn't tell. I'd lost all feeling in my mouth, hands, and feet. I could still feel bones cracking in more and more places. And it was getting harder to breathe as more and more blood filled my lungs and throat. The energy produced by the five-circle spell was now sending massive waves of pure energy through the Grand Hall. Windows shattered. Carpets peeled away. Banners were burned off the walls. And the ground began to shake beneath everyone.

I dipped my hands to waist level and tried to turn my palms upward. But both wrists were broken. And I couldn't feel them. Were they up? They had to be. If they weren't the spell would fail and all of the fallen would remain so, but worse. Turn. Turn! Turn!! Both wrists shattered. But I couldn't stop now. I was right there. All I had to do was lift my cupped hands upwards as if raising them to the heavens to collect rainwater. But my shoulders and arms wouldn't listen to me. I could still feel where my shoulders were. And they were down. Were my hands at my stomach where they were supposed to be? I couldn't feel that far. And I was starting to lose control as I was feeling more and more dizzy and nauseous.

But finally, through sheer grit, I felt my arms lift.

To give you a different perspective, through the eyes of the Queen she observed as each body disappeared into a small pool of light as if sinking into the sea as my hands, palms down, moved to my waist. As I turned them upwards, the lights grew brighter. And as I lifted my hands... A miracle.

The first thing she saw was the face of her husband. It was calm and tranquil. As if he was doing nothing more than sleeping soundly like any other night. Then his neck and shoulders. His chest and arms. His hips and legs. And finally his feet. Though his body was bare of clothing her husband was there before her eyes floating in a column of light above where his coffin once lay. She fell to her knees with tears streaking down her face as she looked left and beheld the body of her daughter, and to the right, the bodies of both her sons.

I felt it. The Severance. I was alone now. It was dark and cold, and my body was shaking and in indescribable pain. But I did it. They were all back like I promised. But...

All the magic and energy in the room disappeared including the circles beneath me and the Flight Magic I'd used to keep myself upright. I don't know how hard I hit the floor. But I'm sure it wasn't pretty.

I didn't know how long I'd been out at the time. But at some point I entered a dream-like state where I was floating in a dark void of nothingness.

"Huh. Well, this can't be good. Am I dead?"

Nothing.

"Crap. If I wasn't already dead Mae would kill me if she found out about this."

I looked around. But still nothing. Except...

"Hm?"

It was so quiet I almost didn't hear it. But there was a soft and gentle whisper echoing all around me.

"Who's there?"

It grew a bit louder. But it was incoherent and muffled.

"Who are you?"

The whisper became a voice, but was still muffled and hard to understand. But-

"Are you calling me? I thought I heard my name."

With each passing second the voice grew louder until, at last, I heard my name being called. It was all around me. So, which way to look? My first instinct was to look up. And as I did my peripheral vision seemed to fade to nothing before a crack of light appeared. And then...

"Kyo'da. Can you hear me?"

My eyes opened a few millimeters, accompanied by a pained grunt.

"Ah, there you are. I thought we'd lost you again."

Again?

"How's it going over there?"

"Slow and steady. His mana lines are shot, so it's taking more time to Heal him than anticipated."

"Hm. Understood. Take your time and do it right. The Royal Family won't accept anything less."

"Yes, sir!"

"Shh! Not so loud, you lot."

"A-apologies, sir. We'll continue working as best we can."

"There's six of you. So, that ought be enough."

I tried to speak but the muscles in my face and mouth weren't listening to my brain. All I could manage was another pained grunt before I slipped back into unconsciousness. But right before I did I felt a warm presence appear in the room.

The next time I woke up I was a lot more able-minded. My eyes opened about halfway and I was able to actually form words again. Although, doing so made my jaw sore.

"Hey. Where am I?"

What was once six Healers was now four, and one of them stopped what they were doing to come over and speak with me.

"You're in the infirmary at the castle."

"Did it work?"

"You need to focus on resting, Sir Kyo'da. There's-"

"Did it work?!"

I tried to sit up but immediately fell back down as my stomach muscles simply said "Nope!"

"Rest, Sir Kyo'da. We've made significant progress. But much of your body is still heavily damaged. Now, close your eyes and breathe."

I did as told but couldn't fall asleep. I remained conscious and listening to every word the Healers were exchanging. And, was I losing my mind or were they calling me 'Sir' Kyo'da now? I didn't imagine that, right?

"You think he'll take students?"

"Probably not. He's an adventurer. Staying still and teaching isn't really their thing. But one can hope."

"I still don't know how he survived those first two times. That second one especially."

"Agreed. I thought we'd lost him since we couldn't get his heart to start."

So, I died? Twice? Well, I suppose I should be grateful it didn't take. I mean, I'd have been fine trading my one life for 116 others. I think that's more than fair. Still, I was glad to be alive.

The next time I woke up I was finally fully conscious. I could feel how my body was still recovering. But I was at least able to sit upright now with a big pillow behind me for some support. I still couldn't use my legs or feel anything below midway down the shin. But things were coming along. I just wished I could heal myself. One good 10th Tier Healing Magic would fix me right up at this stage. But as I was lamenting my inability to Heal myself, an attendant came in.

"Good morning, Sir Kyo'da."

She wore an outfit similar to maids, but with a longer and more full dress rather than a skirt. And the color scheme was different. Primary color was a deep reddish purple with white trim and gold buttons down the front. And she had a nice voice, too. It was soft and friendly. At least to my ears.

"Good morning miss..."

"Kan'tanline, Sir Kyo'da. It's a pleasure to formally meet you."

She even bowed and curtseyed like a maid.

"Mind if I ask why you're calling me 'Sir?'"

"It's by Royal Decree. The King granted you the title of a Lord not long after he was briefed on everything that happened."

". . . . . I'm sorry. Lord?"

"Yes, Sir Kyo'da. You are officially a Lord and hereby entitled to all rights therein. You will have your free choice of any plot of unoccupied land either within or outside of the city boundaries, and will be granted a Royal Discount if you require the construction of a new home. Lastly, you're hereby granted the right to hire retainers to help you look after your new home and property."

As you might imagine of such a humble protagonist, I was rather stun-locked at this point. I couldn't think of anything to say. And the title was already granted, so I couldn't just ask the King to reconsider or take it away.

"I see."

I think I was staring at the bed sheet over my legs for most of her explanation.

"Wait. Did all one hundred and sixteen get revived? Is anyone missing?"

"Yes, Sir Kyo'da. All of the fallen were revived and are now safely back home with their loved ones."

"Ah, thank goodness. I was afraid I'd messed up the spell after I lost feeling in my arms and hands."

"Sir Kyo'da. The King has instructed me to report to him once you were fully conscious. He wishes to meet you. As do the Crowned Princes and Princess. May I tell him you're available?"

"Oh, uh. Yes, of course. I look forward to meeting him."

"The King will be delighted to hear that, Sir Kyo'da. If you'll excuse me."

The Healers dismissed themselves temporarily to give the Royal Family time and space to see me. And I didn't have to wait long before I heard a knock at the door.

"Come in."

The King was the first to enter. He was a tall and handsome man with a very youthful appearance, much like his wife. Long and striking red hair, fit with broad shoulders, and a calm, authoritative smile. Trailing behind him was the Queen who, the moment she saw me, nearly burst into tears before sucking it up and moving to stand beside her husband. The eldest Crowned Prince was next, and he was the spitting image of his father except for his hair which was a dirty blonde coloration similar to the Queen's. And it seemed the family was entering by order of authority and/or age as the middle child, the second Crowned Prince, entered next. He was more similar to the Queen with softer features and dirty blond hair which was kept shorter, falling to about his shoulders, with a calm and kind smile. And lastly...

Were it not for the fact that I knew exactly who it was by way of common sense, I'd have claimed that an angel just walked through the door. The Crowned Princess was the last to enter the room. And I swear to this day she was looking through the wall at me because her eyes were already locked on mine as she came through. Her hair was a deep crimson, similar to her father's, and kept in a long ponytail cascading down her back and stopping just above her knees. She had piercing purple eyes, a cute button nose, gorgeous bow-shaped and naturally pink lips, a smooth and semi-rounded jawline, a slender neck and figure, full chest, long athletic legs, and a posture which mirrored that of her father more than any other member of her family. When that one Dragonkin told me the King and his children were all warriors, she most certainly looked the part. The only reason anyone might not think she was a warrior would be due to the feminine clothing she was wearing.

To say I was immediately taken in by those eyes of hers would be an understatement. I couldn't look away. She smiled warmly at me with a light blush in her cheeks as she took her place beside her brothers, and then finally broke eye contact to look away. That's when I snapped out of it and shook my head. That was rude of me to stare at her like that. And I probably made her uncomfortable. I'd have to apologize for that later.

"Sir Kyo'da. Allow me to introduce myself and my family. My name is Laevatin Iith'miir, King of Ophe'liim. And you've already met my wife, the Queen."

The Queen bowed. "Hanase Vol'dem. As my husband said, we've met. But I don't believe I ever told you my name before this moment. My apologies."

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no! Please, your majesty. You don't owe me any such apology for that."

The entire Royal Family chuckled. And I had to admit I was a little embarrassed that she was apologizing. I almost felt like I'd insulted them for some reason. Don't ask why. My brain wasn't fully working at this point.

"Please, Sir Kyo'da. Don't be so modest. As Royals we all know that sharing one's name with figures of importance or business is common courtesy. Anyway, this is my eldest son Osiri Gahm'dre, Crowned Prince of Ophe'liim and who will soon be taking my place as King once his marriage is finalized next year."

Osiri stepped forward with a bow and an arm across his chest.

"Words cannot properly convey how much it means to me that our people did not suffer for nothing, and that now they've returned to the arms of those they love. You have my sincerest thanks, Sir Kyo'da."

"Um. You're welcome."

Could I do anything more than chuckle nervously as he said all that? Nope.

"My second son, Thorri Rhendis'te. He's one of our military Generals and also quite the magical scholar."

"You give me too much praise, father. Sir Kyo'da. It's truly a pleasure to make your acquaintance. What you've accomplished with this feat is nothing short of miraculous. In fact I'd argue it encroaches upon divine intervention."

"Oh, no. Nothing like that. I just have a stupidly high level of magical control. That's all."

Yeah, bullshit.

The family chuckled again.

"Ah, you truly are a humble one, aren't you? Finally, my daughter Sil'Eph Niir, Crowned Princess of Ophe'liim. She's also my second in command of our military forces."

Sil'Eph Niir. It was a beautiful name. And even though I was only saying it in my head it felt like it rolled off the tongue naturally. And Gods almighty, all she did was take a single step forward. That's all she did. With one step, along with a subtle tilt of her head, warming of her smile, and a light bow, she's completely snagged my full attention just like she did when she first entered the room. Was she secretly half Succubus or something? At the time I was considering that possibility given how enchanting she was. No other woman I'd ever met had done that no matter how beautiful they were. So what was going on here?

"Sir Kyo'da. I, along with my family, are eternally indebted to you. Not only did you return our people to life and to their loved ones. You also helped identify the enemy's weakness which went against the natural order of Magic as we know them, closed four Demonic Rifts which is difficult for any mortal being to do regardless of race, stood by our side until the last enemy was slain, and defied the very laws of Magic themselves to their core by creating five magic circles combined with 10th Tier Healing Magic in order to revive those whose lives were lost before your arrival. The consequences of this victory will be felt for generations to come, Sir Kyo'da. Without you the Dragonkin race, nay perhaps the world itself, may have perished had those creatures been allowed to establish any sort of foothold in this realm."

I couldn't tell you for sure. But I'm pretty sure my face was as red as her hair.

"That's overanalyzing it a bit, don't you think?"

"With all due respect, Sir Kyo'da, I must firmly disagree. Think about it. The destruction of the Rifts not only prevented their forces from continuing to descend upon the Dragonkin. It prevented them from coming to this world, period. In acting in our defense, you also consequently acted in defense of all who call this world "home.""

"My daughter is right, Sir Kyo'da. Demonic Rifts are born, not created. And once destroyed they're gone for good. The Demonic realm has no choice but to wait for another Rift to be born before they can so much as think about invading our world again. And it's all thanks to your quick mind and swift action."

"This is all gonna go to my head if you guys keep praising me like this."

The entire Royal Family burst into laughter. And while seeing them all like this brought me a lot of joy, nothing could've prepared me for how beautiful Sil'Eph Niir looked with that smile on her face. Once again I couldn't take my eyes off her. Thankfully I was already blushing from most of the conversation beforehand. So, when our eyes met again as she started to compose herself I don't think she realized that she was the cause of it. Case in point, she gave that little tilt of her head and stepped back to allow her parents to come forward. Last time she saw my eyes on her she looked away. So, maybe I'd been quietly forgiven already? No. I still had to apologize later.

"Sir Kyo'da. After what you've accomplished I'd say a little ego is deserved. However, we've all seen the depths of your heart in this brief time we've spent together. You're humble to a fault. So, I don't believe you have to worry about ego."

"Thanks, your majesty."

"Sir Kyo'da, if I may ask you something?"

"Of course, your majesty."

"Thank you. Why did you go so far for us?"

Everyone had previously been watching the Queen and listening to her, but all four of their heads turned to me at the exact same time.

"You'd already gone above and beyond anything we could have hoped for when you located the previously hidden Rifts and identified the enemy's weakness. Eternally grateful though I may be to hold my beloved husband and children again, I don't think there's a single soul who would say that you'd already done enough for us. And yet, you risked your life to bring back those we lost in the first attack. You had no obligation to go that far. So, why?"

I looked towards the edge of the bed while I tried to gather my thoughts.

"I have a rule I live by, your majesty. If I have the power to help, I will. No excuses. No regrets."

I didn't know since I was looking down at my hands by this point, but the whole family looked shocked by my response.

"I have a question, Sir Kyo'da. According to mother, your body began tearing itself apart when you activated the fourth circle. How did you stay on your feet with broken legs? The Healers said both of them were absolutely shattered and couldn't possibly have held your weight."

"Well, I um... I used Flight Magic."

The Queen and Sil'Eph Niir gasped while the men gawked.

"You activated an entirely different form of magic whilst already casting arguably the most dangerous spell known to all humanoid races?! What were you thinking?!"

"If I hadn't, I would have collapsed and the spell would have done more than just fail, your majesty."

"What? What do you mean by "more than just fail?""

I'd come to hear later from the King that Sil'Eph Niir looked genuinely and deeply concerned when this question was raised. And although I spoke very matter of factly, I also spoke surprisingly softly.

"When raising the third circle of Revival Magic it creates a link between my soul and the souls of all those being revived. The moment that link is established they're sharing my life force and are, in every sense of the word, alive from that moment on until the spell is complete. They're not conscious. But they're alive. And the only thing preventing them from feeling what I feel via that link is the third circle around me. If any part of my body broke the boundary of that circle the protections and the spell itself would fail, and everyone would have died a second time in excruciating pain along with me."

The room fell dead silent as I looked up at the Queen with the best smile I could muster.

"That's why I used Flight Magic to keep myself upright, your majesty. I knew that compounding two forms of magic at the same time was just adding to the danger and the backlash. But I wasn't going to risk that kind of catastrophic failure or subjecting your family and your people to my own pain. For good measure, and just in case I lost control of the Flight Magic and collapsed, those other two circles I raised were acting as backups to protect everyone from the consequences of my failure had it gone that way. They all would have slipped back peacefully and painlessly into death's embrace. I never saw a reason for them to share that pain with me."

I looked back down at my hands, remembering the feeling of them shattering bone by bone, and then closed my eyes. And while I continued to speak the family all took a step or two towards the bed.

"In hindsight my using Flight Magic may have been a bit careless. But I can't say I believe it was foolish. I'd rather suffer that pain a thousand more times than see a single soul slip through my grasp when I know I have the power to bring them home to their loved ones. I mean, even now I can sense the joy radiating from the city and all of your people. Joy which wasn't there when I arrived. And I can sense the joy in all of your hearts as well. Because of that, I'd do it all over again without hesitation."

When I opened my eyes and looked up they were all crying. The men cried silently with strained faces as men so often do. Bravado and all that. Sil'Eph Niir was now directly beside me opposite her mother with a white knuckled grip on the sheets. And the Queen, bless her heart, broke down in tears while wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug. Sil'Eph Niir followed immediately afterwards while also nuzzling my neck which, rather shockingly, soothed me rather than made my heart race. The men all tried their best to smile and stay strong, but there was no stopping it now. Even I was crying at this point.

But enough happy tears story nonsense. You're probably sick of these characters crying all the time, right? So, let's jump ahead a bit.

A few days later I was back to 100%. And since I was given the green bill of health the King announced a feast in my honor as the previously planned feast had been postponed following my collapse after the revival. And unlike the feasts which were usually held by Royals and Nobles only this was an open feast where everyone, regardless of social status, was allowed to eat, drink, dance, and enjoy a night of unity together.

I was never one for crowds, so after getting something to eat and spending a little time chatting with the King and some of the Generals I covertly used Flight Magic to hop up on top of the city wall where I leaned over the edge to watch the festivities in peace and quiet.

"Sir Kyo'da? What are you doing up here?"

... Oh shit.