Sword Conquest: The Fallen

Chapter 12: Hope Lost

A muffled voice spoke repeatedly.

Voice: Hero.

It repeated his name.

Voice: Hero.

One more time.

Voice: Hero!

He finally woke up, but in Asneira's world. As he took a look around, he saw that everything was in ruins and not the beautiful landscape it used to be.

Hero: What happened here?

Asneira: It's Zaroth's doing.

Hero: Asneira!

Asneira: No time for the formalities. You lost the battle against him, didn't you?

The question pained him to answer, so he avoided it. Asneira took that as a yes and sighed in the disappointment of what has come to be.

Asneira: What do you propose we do now, hotshot?

Hero: That guy is far beyond anything I could imagine. That hit he gave me...

He'd have a quick flashback to the gut-wrenching punch to his stomach.

Hero: It's like I could feel how much power he had restricted in him, and it was so much that I don't even think a year worth of training is gonna work.

Asneira: Hmmm...

Hero: I don't know what to do anymore, Asneira. Even if you bring me back to life, there's no way I can beat someone like that.

Asneira: You're not dead.

Hero: Huh!?

Asneira: You survived thanks to your friend, Aurora.

Hero: Well, what happened after that bright light?

Asneira: So many things to tell, but where do I begin is the question. You were put in a one-week coma, the Earth had undergone a full scale assault from Zaroth, and your friends went to go face him without you.

Hero: What!? What were those guys thinking!? I have to go help them!

Asneira: And do what?

Hero: I...

Asneira: There's no one that can defeat him, Hero. His strength is too much, even for me with everyone's power combined. I think we ran our course anyway.

Hero: How could you just say that!? You're really gonna sit there and tell me we can't do anything at all except lay down at his feet!?

Asneira: If you have any sort of plans that can take him down then by all means, reveal them to me, because I'd love to save our planet as much as you would, Hero, but in the face of someone so devastatingly evil...It's just impossible.

Hero: Then we'll keep fighting 'till we die! I rather go out that way instead of being a pansy!

Asneira: ...Are you really determined to face him even when death is for sure a possibility? Because once you die, Hero...I'll be next to be destroyed. There'll be no coming back once I'm gone.