Embers of the Holy War

The Hero Awakens Once More

Slowly, Guang said, "So, what you're saying is..."

The man smiled. "Yes, I want to ask you to-"

"Find the hero!"

"-defeat the demon king."

Beside him, Jin twitched. The bearded man appeared stumped; flabbergasted, even.

Clearing his throat, the man gathered himself and rephrased, "Um...what I mean to say is, Mr. Long, you are...the reincarnated hero. And I'd like you to help defeat the demon king."

As his words slowly registered in Guang's head, Guang's mouth gradually opened wider and wider, so much that Jin had to shut it for him.

In utter disbelief, Guang pointed at himself. "I'm the hero?"

"The reincarnated hero," the man corrected.

Turning to Jin, Guang repeated, "I'm the hero?"

"...that's what he said, brother."

With a shuddering breath, Guang stared at the blanket. "I'm the hero?"

The blanket did not reply.

If anyone were to be in Guang's shoes, surely they would be ecstatic, jumping off the bed and hollering their lungs out. Hero Rayler was a prodigy, an honourable legend, greatly admired by everyone. But now...after everything that has happened - Sui being the demon king, his entire manor burning down, his servants all dead - the title 'reincarnated hero' felt more like a burden than a gift. It was a title that implied he was destined to never be on the same side as Sui - and that they would be each other's demise. Was he and Sui never meant to be on good terms, after all? Can nothing really be done for them to be on the same side?

Lowly, Guang muttered, "What makes you think I'm the hero?"

"Ah, because you, unlike ordinary people, can miraculously wield the element of life. Which is to say, you can manipulate fire, just like Hero Rayler."

Wait, he had never heard of that. No one, not even his parents, had told him that Hero Rayler could use the power of flames too. Was he bluffing? He turned to Jin, who had suddenly found great interest on the floor.

"Jin, is that true?"

When Jin did not answer, Guang repeated, more seriously, "Jin...is. That. True?"

Raising his head, Jin said, almost automatedly, "Yes, brother."

Damn. Guang settled back into his bed, rubbing his forehead as he processed all of this. Thankfully, the bearded man knew to stay silent as Guang went through all the bombshells that had been dropped in this conversation.

"So what you're saying is, that you want me, the reincarnated hero, to defeat the demon king."

"Yes, Mr. Long. It is as the prophecy has said. What will be your decision?"

Taking in a deep breath, Guang finally faced the man. He had made up his mind on what he wanted to do.

"I refuse."

This was so surprising that even Jin choked on his own saliva. Even so, Guang's gaze did not waver, staying stubbornly fixed on the man.

The man seemed at a loss, but regardless, he tried to coax, "It is the hero's fate to defeat the demon king, Mr. Long. Even if you refuse, you will still face off against the demon king, whether you want to or not."

"I will go about this on my own terms," Guang proclaimed. "After our conversation, I realised I am very ignorant of the world. There are many things which I do not know of which I should, which is why I cannot agree to defeat the demon king."

"But the world- the prophecy-"

"I cannot promise to defeat the demon king," Guang continued strongly, "but I will protect the world. This, I swear on Hero Rayler's name!"

As he said that, a gentle wave of warmth swept the room. In the coolness of the morning, it felt like a breath of fresh air; the thawing of ice in the first sunlight of spring.

With a declaration as powerful as that, even the bearded man had to back down. With a resigned sigh, the man said, "I see. At this point, I feel that no matter what I say, you will not be convinced. Hmm...that's disappointing. However, I have to praise your vision, Mr. Long. Your journey may be long and treacherous, but with that bright, burning spirit of yours, I'm sure you will be the new hero of this era."

Guang was glad that despite him rejecting the man's request, the man still respected his decision. For that, he bowed gratefully. "Thank you, sir."

With that, the man made to leave. However, just as he reached for the door, he suddenly perked up. "Ah! I nearly forgot to introduce myself."

With a mellow smile, the man bowed. "My name's Valerie, president of Alca."