At the same time, in our world…
My armies had already cornered the enemy.
The final battle was extremely bloody. At one point, the fight shifted from firearms to hand-to-hand combat—bullets had run out.
I used a type of blade, similar to a sword, each about 60 centimeters long, which I frequently relied on in battle. I mostly used them to sever the heads and limbs of enemies. Because only by killing those who slaughtered the innocent in such a manner could I calm my rage.
At some point, I had become exceptionally skilled with them. The battle was so intense that I lost count of how many heads I had severed. In the end, we completely annihilated the enemy. We won. That was it.
That brutal war would finally end. Winning this battle was the most crucial factor in ending the war itself. We achieved it. Although I had killed many people in this war as well, such events would never happen again.
This was truly it.
The long-awaited moment.
The end of hell.
I raised the sword in my right hand and shouted with all my strength:
"VICTORY!"
Would I truly be able to live a peaceful life now?
Was that really possible?
It was so close.
At that moment, a light flashed at the horizon.
The defeated nation decided to end everything—along with everyone else.
That light was the glow of an atomic bomb.
This was truly an end.
But not the end of the war.
The end of my life.
Perhaps this was the most fitting conclusion. Humans died because of human decisions. And I was merely a mediator—a weapon.
What comes after death, I wonder?
Whenever I lost consciousness before, I remembered nothing—only sudden darkness, and then waking up with people standing over me. That happened in childhood, of course.
Would it be the same now?
I am curious. What happens after death?
If heaven or hell truly exists, I believe I will go to hell. But that would be more comfortable for me. At least I would not be forced to adapt to an unfamiliar environment. I would go somewhere familiar.
Yet I also remember the prayers that were made. I was never someone without faith. I believe there will be a just judgment. At the very least, believing this is better than believing in complete annihilation and endless darkness.
The devastating force of the atomic bomb reaches us, turning everyone into ashes instantly—
Leaving no trace behind…
At the same time, in another world…
Aeth:(groaning)
"Ahhh… my head hurts… what kind of pain is this… it feels like I've been torn apart completely…"
He removes his hand from his face and looks around—then at himself.
Aeth:
"I just need some time to understand everything… calm down… calm down…
I was just in a battle. I won, and then I was hit by an atomic bomb—so where is this place!?
Which hell am I in?
If this truly is hell, it seems far too calm. Or perhaps we were taught hell incorrectly.
It could be heaven… It's quiet enough. Yes, this must be heaven."
"…Wait a minute—what nonsense am I talking about?
This is a throne. These clothes, these furs…
I think I'm a king.
And the strangest part is—among these memories, there are ones that do not belong to me!"
Aeth:
"A king, huh…" (smiles)
"I must either be dreaming, or I truly cannot explain this in any rational way.
These foreign memories are giving me a terrible headache. If I didn't have strong willpower, I would have gone mad already.
I will have time to examine these memories later. But mentally, I am exhausted.
Some rest would be ideal. After all… I am an emperor." (smiles faintly)
Gate Guard:(shouting)
"Alarm! Alarm! The city is under attack! The palace is in danger! Evacuate immediately!"
Guards:(panicked)
"What happened!?"
Gate Guard:(terrified)
"A dragon… a massive dragon is attacking the city! It's burning everything!"
Aeth:
"I take back what I said earlier. This really is hell." (disappointed)
Aeth looks at the panicking guards and shouts angrily.
Aeth:(loudly)
"It seems you've forgotten where you are.
If warriors are frightened of a dragon, I will personally sever their empty heads from their useless bodies at this rate."
Silence falls over the palace. No one dares to make a sound.
Aeth (thinking):
Just as I saw in those memories, this emperor was utterly hopeless. So weak that even palace guards ignored him.
No matter. Since I now inhabit this body, the mistakes must be corrected—at least if I want a peaceful life this time.
Aeth:(shouting)
"What about the army!? Where are the generals!?"
Guard:(quietly)
"Everyone fled to save themselves… To be fair, the attacking dragon is general-class. Extremely dangerous. Even an army would struggle to kill a general-class dragon."
Aeth (thinking):
Dragon… general? For some reason, my years at the military academy flashed before my eyes.
A dragon being a general? What nonsense is this?
This fantasy has gone a bit too far. Cowardly warriors of a powerful ancient empire…
But soldiers follow generals.
The real cowards are these wretches.
I will behead you traitors without hesitation—traitors who abandoned their people and fled
Aeth takes two swords from the guards. He rests one on his shoulder and drags the other along the ground as he begins to walk forward.
Guard:
"Your Majesty, leaving the palace is dangerous! Don't go that way—the dragon—"
Aeth:
"If you say one more word, I'll use pieces of you as bait to lure the dragon."
No one dares speak again.
Aeth moves toward the danger, his aura overwhelming.
Aeth:
"Whether it's a dragon calling itself a general, or a general calling itself a dragon—it doesn't matter.
This miserable creature needs to be shown who truly comes from hell.
After that, I'll deal with the traitors.
If my first day in this world starts like this… I can't even imagine what comes next…"
"…Hah… let's see what kind of monster this thing really is."