The battlefield was silent, save for the clash of steel and the thunder of footsteps that cracked the ground. Corpses littered the earth as far as the eye could see—soldiers, knights, and beasts alike, all fallen.
At the center of this wasteland, two figures still fought.
The Hero of Humanity, clad in battered knight's armor, gripped a massive two-handed sword. His body radiated golden light—sunlight incarnate. Across from him, the Vampire King stood tall in black armor, a tattered cape flowing behind him, wielding a single-handed sword and shield.
Each collision of their blades sent shockwaves that rattled the battlefield.
The Hero staggered backward, his armor cracked, blood dripping from the edges of his visor. He steadied his breath and glared at his opponent.
"You won't enslave this world, Vampire King. Not while I still draw breath!"
The Vampire King sneered, his crimson eyes gleaming in the fading twilight.
"Your breath won't last much longer, Hero. You are nothing but a man wielding borrowed light. I am eternal. This world will kneel to me."
They lunged at each other again. The Hero's blade, glowing with searing radiance, clashed against the Vampire King's obsidian sword. The impact scorched the earth, the holy light burning the air itself.
If strength alone decided the battle, the Vampire King would have crushed his foe. The world was still young, and mana had only just begun to seep into its lands; the Hero was not yet what he could be. But the sunlight pouring from his body weakened the Vampire King with every strike. Where it touched, the dark monarch's flesh smoked and hissed.
The Hero pressed forward. His sword swung down in an arc of blinding brilliance, forcing the Vampire King to shield himself. Each strike carved furrows in the ground, each clash shattering stone.
The Vampire King snarled, his shield melting under the holy glow.
"Damn you! That cursed light—!"
The Hero spat blood and laughed hoarsely.
"Afraid of a little sunshine? What kind of king hides in the shadows?"
Their blades locked once more. For a brief moment, they were face-to-face—both trembling under the weight of the fight. Then, it happened.
The Vampire King faltered. A slip. A misstep.
It was small—so small that against any other foe it would have meant nothing. But here, against the Hero, it was fatal.
With a roar, the Hero's sword cleaved through the air and struck true. The Vampire King's head flew from his shoulders, his body staggering. Black ichor sprayed the ground. He tried to reform, his body writhing, but the Hero did not hesitate.
He thrust his glowing blade into the Vampire King's chest, piercing the blackened heart. The light surged, burning away regeneration, until the Vampire King was nothing but ash scattered in the wind.
Silence fell over the battlefield.
The Hero, panting, dropped to his knees. His sword clattered beside him. Raising his bloodied hands to the sky, he cried out:
"I've done it! I've slain the Vampire King, just as you asked. I've saved humanity. Now, grant me what was promised—grant me my wish!"
The heavens themselves rumbled. A voice, vast and resounding, filled the world.
"Congratulations, Hero. You have fulfilled your role. You have struck down the Vampire King, halting his conquest and sparing humanity from chains. As per our covenant, your wish shall be granted. Immortality."
The Hero's weary face broke into a grin. His whole body trembled with relief.
"Yes! Finally… With an immortal body, I can live forever. With endless years, I can grow without limit. I can—"
The voice cut him off.
"No. Not an immortal body. An immortal soul."
The Hero froze.
"…What?"
"When you fall, your soul will endure. You will be reborn into the world each time you die. With each rebirth, your soul will grow stronger, capable of holding greater power. But you will begin again as a child, and you will never return to the strength you hold today until you climb again."
The words rang like a death sentence.
The Hero's smile faded. He stared up at the empty sky, hollow-eyed.
"That… that's not what I asked for. I didn't—"
"Your wish was immortality. It has been granted. Live. Die. Be reborn. Rise again. Such is your eternity."
The voice faded, leaving only silence.
The Hero's laughter broke the stillness, bitter and cracked.
"…Immortal soul… starting over again and again. I asked for eternity, and this is what I received." He clenched his fist, glaring at the horizon. "I can't even blame them. I wasn't careful. I didn't choose my words."
He fell back into the bloodstained earth, staring at the stars above. His lips curled in a grim smile.
"At least… I got my immortality."