Tsuyokute New Saga (LN) - Book 1: Chapter 0 Prologue

Important note: I know that most readers will be coming from the manga directly, and are used to the manga translations. I plan on keeping as much as possible original to the manga, putting in adequate changes to names, places, and so on as to where I see fit, but it shouldn’t be too different from the manga translation.

Shoutout to said manga translations, because they helped me decide if I wanted to do the LN or not. You can find the manga here~

Having received the blessings of the Gods of Light, there exists the Human Folk, consisting of humans, elves, and dwarves. At the same time, the Demon Folk is few in numbers, however boasting abilities that surpass human limits and logic. These two forces split the gigantic continent Loyndars into East and West, and have continued to wage war for thousands of years. However, these past three hundred years, there existed a lull between these two warring factions that had never been there before.

This had occurred solely due to the reign of the king of Demons, the Demon Lord, who was more moderate and peaceful of a leader. Albeit there being sporadic bouts, the humanoids have grown used to the peace.

To their demise, under the rule of a new Demon Lord, and their orders, this tranquility was shattered. In the 5th month of the 2826th year in the Creation Calendar, the attack of the demons, which was later known as the ‘Great Invasion’, began.

With no concern for their own appearance, the demons fought devoid of any empathy, uncaring for sacrifices, which led the humans, who had been caught at a bad moment during their internal conflict, to be without proper defence and action. As a result, countless countries fell in the blink of an eye.

Those who resisted were slaughtered aimlessly, those who capitulated were brought to the Demon Territory as slaves, and never returned therefrom. Naturally, humans could not let this happen in silence, which is why they founded an alliance that consisted of several races and countries. However, despite them possibly possessing the strength to rebel against this invasion, an interior fight for monopoly occurred, splitting their forces even further, which led even the strongest countries to fall. As a result of these events, humans had to fight a hopeless battle.

In the 4th month of the following year 2827, the Galgan Empire fell to ruin. With the Empire, who had boasted itself with the greatest force of humanity’s side, gone, all their hope was put into what could be called a suicide attack. First, they gathered all the warriors and forces they had left, recklessly charged into the Demon Lord’s main army, and ignored the many to focus on the few. Using this opening, they managed to infiltrate the Demon Lord’s castle, and aimed to strike down the one who had brought them endless despair—the Demon Lord.

Their chances at victory were hopelessly small, but it was their one and only method left, and their last chance. Blessed with luck, they managed to win, albeit barely.

***

Inside the deepest layer of the Demon Lord’s castle, the Demon Lord’s chamber. Despite it being a part of a castle, this large and open space could quite possibly hold an entire town, yet only an altar stood at its center. In front of this altar, a battle to the death, a clash carrying the fate of the world on its shoulders, had just ended.

Standing there was but a single individual—the human magic swordsman Kyle. The silver-white armor he clad his body with had injuries riddled all over. His sliced-up left arm surely would be of no use any longer. If anything, it was quite the miracle to see him stand like he did at that very moment.

However, Kyle nonetheless stood victorious, as he observed the body of the fallen Demon Lord slowly break apart. Having confirmed that the Demon Lord had passed fully, he fell to the ground.

“It’s over…With this…”

Though demons hold strength and powers greatly surpassing those of the human folk, they are often regarded as egotistical and selfish beings. Now that the demon army, which had been kept together by the overwhelming charismatic existence of the Demon Lord, had lost its leader, their fighting prowess should have been weakened.

Although humanity and its races had suffered great losses throughout this warring period, their numbers substantially won over the demons’. With them having lost their King and his subordinates, humanity shouldn’t have to fear another invasion soon.

Thus, humanity was saved. It took a moment, but this feeling of reality slowly set in. And yet, Kyle showed no joy. The sacrifices and losses he had to experience on his way to this very chamber were too much for him to handle.

He looked at the sword—nay, the remains of his trusted sword in his hand. It was a magic sword that inherited a will Kyle could call a comrade, but now it was reduced to a mere hilt. Following that, he looked at the locked door, which would lead outside. Even his allies that vowed to catch up with Kyle…never arrived.

His gaze drifted towards a wand from the World Tree, laying on the floor. It belonged to the elven summoner who had fought with him all the way here, but during the previous clash, she offered her own life to protect Kyle’s, and vanished. Remembering her first smile she had shown him, a tear ran down Kyle’s cheek.

All of which Kyle wanted to protect—was gone. His hometown he was born in and raised, the family which raised him, his friends he shared his memories with, those who followed him on this suicide attack, and even the people he loved—he had lost all of it. Despite his victory, all Kyle felt was grief and sadness. Even his sole reason to fight on, his desire for revenge, had lost its target.

The wounds riddling Kyle’s were deep and lethal, and leaving them alone meant certain death. And yet, it didn’t matter anymore. His body relaxed, and as if he was ready to accept his death, Kyle closed his eyes. If he were to lose consciousness now, he would breathe his last breath.

Was it a coincidence, or was it fate? After the previous fierce battle, a jet-black feather danced through the air. It belonged to the Demon Lord’s wings, which were cut off by Kyle. Now, it slowly descended onto his face. His consciousness, about to be swallowed by darkness, was tickled ever so slightly, which led Kyle to open his eyes once again. What entered his sight was the only object in this open space—the altar. There, he saw a glowing red light.

“…What is that?”

He pushed up his heavy body, and staggered towards the altar. By doing so, he spotted a crimson-red gemstone, like it had been drenched in blood, in the center of that light, barely the size of a child’s fist. Not to mention that it looked as if it was…pulsating. As a magic user, Kyle immediately understood that this object held tremendous magical power.

“This is…a magic item¹?”

Just as the name suggested, a magic item was a sort of tool imbued with magic. Thinking about it, during their fierce clash, there were a few attacks the Demon Lord deliberately didn’t evade. His movement showed traces of protecting, or covering for something. Thanks to that, Kyle was able to grasp this victory.

“Is this what he was protecting? Was this so important?”

On top of that, during his last moments, the defeated Demon Lord did not gaze at Kyle, who had stolen his life, but rather towards this item. At the same time as Kyle remembered such, the gemstone started to radiate stronger light, almost as if it couldn’t contain the vast magical power inside.

“Now that the Demon Lord is gone, there’s nobody to control it anymore, huh.”

This item must still be in some sort of construction. At this rate, it would probably grow rampant, and cause great destruction through the magical power trapped inside of it.

Thinking about it, Kyle was unsure of why the Demon Lord would do that. Was he attracted by this object’s beauty, and eerie appearance that didn’t quite fit into this world? Or did he just want to be defeated and rest in peace? Kyle had no way of knowing, but out of what you could call it a whim, he grasped this very strange object.

That exact second, an explosive red light emitted from his hand, covering Kyle. Soon enough, it enwrapped his entire body, coloring his surroundings in this strong crimson red. And then, Kyle was unable to comprehend anything.

1 Originally written as demon tool