I ripped the Demon Lord’s darkness apart with my own borrowed shadows. I absorbed his final scream into my chest. When the dust cleared, I was the only one standing. The hero’s corpse lay to my left. The girls stared at me—no longer with pity, but with terror and awe.
First, it was Fina, the swordswoman who promised to stand by my side. She looked at me with pity as she said, “You’re too gentle, Riol. Leon needs someone fierce.” I watched her laugh with him that night. I ripped the Demon Lord’s darkness apart with
They thought I was bluffing.
The girls avoided my eyes.