I'm Quitting Heroing (2022) s01e09 Episode Script
I Want to Quit Heroing
1
Black Knight Onyx,
I hereby decree that your temporary status is to be lifted,
and you are to become the fifth member
of the Great Generals from this day forth.
Signed, Demon Queen Echidna.
He is a newcomer, yes, but
a steadfast supporter of our cause.
And I can think of no man better suited
to extend a hand to humanity on our behalf.
With him our quest for the Philosopher's Stone may no
longer be futile.
Adding a fifth to our Four Great Generals
may pose some problems,
but I will discuss that with the others.
I know I've made the right choice with him.
Dire news, Your Highness!
The Great Spirit Portal is closing up!
Do we know why?
No, but we've begun to run low on
the rare crystal catalysts that keep it open!
I'll help!
Never did I think it would come to this
Not at the very moment where
our future seemed secured.
Live, live on, with all your might
Follow the light to the future
Betrayed and left behind in this lonely world
Fearing a tomorrow I've lost sight of
I search for the place I belong
My heart screams out, "I want to be needed"
I want to puzzle out these entwined identities, but can I trust them?
Live, live on, with all your might
Follow the light to the future
Even if you lose everything
Stay connected to hope
I don't know why I'm here
But that's all right with me right now
I have to overcome and press on
So I can smile with you again
This is a crisis situation.
Thanks to Shutina, Lord Onyx, and myself,
the Portal is stable--but only for now.
In its current state, it won't last longer
than seven days, perhaps less.
Indeed.
Lily, save the cookies for later.
That doesn't mean you should switch to an apple!
Hey, Echidna, what'll happen if
the Big Spirit Thingy closes up?
We won't be able to return to the Demon World.
Huh?!
Once it closes,
we've no idea how long it will be before
another is opened to bring troops through.
It could be centuries, or millennia
All more time during which the Demon World suffers.
We must decide upon our army's next plans
within these next seven days.
Shutina, what is your opinion?
I believe we have two choices.
We could return to the Demon World
before the Portal closes.
Retreat, then.
Our current army consists mostly
of denizens of the human realm.
Since we cannot bring them with us,
we will need to disband our army.
Which means we'd have to go our separate ways, too.
I don't want us to break up!
Not when we've all become such good friends!
So retreat's Option 1. What's Option 2?
The second option is to immediately
mobilize our army, attack Renailles,
and take the Philosopher's Stone for ourselves.
That seems out of the question.
I would say so.
As would I.
Our current forces are far weaker than
they were during our last campaign.
Bringing them into battle would
cause only foolhardy bloodshed,
especially knowing the humans still have their
greatest ally:
Leo Demonhart!
If only we were rid of him
Lord Onyx. Have you ever fought the Hero Leo?
No, but I've heard stories.
I fought against him, one on one,
with all of my might, and still I was defeated.
So this I can say with confidence:
He is a monster, a force to be reckoned with.
If we engaged him as we are,
he would wipe out every last one of our troops.
Obtaining the Philosopher's Stone would
be the least of our concerns.
I do not fear death. I left the Demon World
knowing I may die here.
But I am not willing to lead others to that same fate.
My decision is made.
The army is to be disbanded,
and we will return to the Demon World.
Shutina and I must return. I am the
Demon World's leader, and she is my second.
Returning without the Philosopher's Stone
will inevitably lead to conflict over the throne.
They all seem at a loss for words. I understand.
Hey, Echidna, I know you're worried
about him, but he's actually--
We should just tell her.
N-no, we shouldn't!
It's fine, I know. You needn't say anything, Shutina.
We may be 300 years apart in age,
but we've known each other for a long time.
You know more than anyone the faith and
hope I've put into the quest for the Stone.
Now's not the time, Lily!
I know this decision weighs heavily upon you.
It's nothing of importance!
Thank you all for staying by my side.
As the ruler of the Demon World--no,
as the solitary demon Echidna, I thank you.
No, this is unseemly of me! A Queen should
not show her subjects this much weakness!
I must remain proud till the bitter end!
We will need to start over to find
a new method of saving our Demon World.
You want to better the lives of your people.
You told me this when we drank together, yes?
Yes. One cannot maintain order in a barren wasteland.
I would use the stone to bring about warm sun,
lush greenery, clean air and water,
the same with which the human world is blessed.
Since I was young, I've studied and trained for that plan,
all to become the Demon Queen
and travel to the human world.
I held fast to those hopes and dreams,
knowing the Stone would grant my desires.
Yet now, it all ends in defeat.
First, let me make one thing clear.
The Stone is not an all-powerful wish-granting device.
It is an advanced engine from the Mechanical Age that
utilizes a micro black hole
to produce nigh-unlimited energy.
I cannot be sure it would grant your desires.
I see.
I'd imagine a detailed manual on its operation
is hiding somewhere in the human world.
Humans are looking for it too,
but its antiquity has made it rather tough to find.
All the more reason for us
to seek peace with the humans.
If we worked together to find
this 'manual' of which you speak
No, that would be pointless.
We would have to steal the Stone from them.
Our peace would end in war.
In any case, it's far too late for us to consider this path.
You needn't worry about that.
As far as I know, there are two
Philosopher's Stones in the human world.
Two?!
Yes. You only need one to accomplish
your mission, correct?
That leaves one for the human world
and one for the Demon World.
Two Stones Could it be?
Would that not be ideal for creating peace
between your two realms?
And could you cut the crap and look at me?
Where's Lord Onyx?
Echidna, keep turning!
The situation's too dire, so I ditched my disguise.
Listen closely, Echidna.
Wh Wha
First, I'm sorry I had to trick you,
but it was the only way.
Here's the real reason I joined your army:
I wanted to see if you were truly worthy
of the Philosopher Stone's power.
If I'd realized you weren't,
I would have left right then and there,
but when we spoke over dinner and wine,
I was convinced you were worthy.
What wine?! The last drink I had was
when I bared my soul to Lord Onyx
Where is he?! Where has Lord Onyx gone off to?!
I know you have the ability
to bring order to the Demon World.
And if peace in your world means demons
will stop bothering humanity,
then giving you the Stone will be more than worth it.
Wait, is Leo Lord Onyx?
Has Lord Onyx been Leo this whole time?!
I see. So that was the game.
I've been had.
Echidna, I know you're still processing
all this, but we're low on time.
I know where the other Stone is--
the one that isn't in Renailles.
Die, bastard!
When I look back on that moment now,
back then, we were no more than
the Hero and the Demon Queen
I'm cold!
And the Stone will really,
TRULY be where you're leading us?
Yes, really, truly.
You aren't leading us into some terrible trap?
Could you be any more skeptical?!
Do you even realize how much
I've helped your Demon Army?!
Oh, I'm WELL aware of how much you've 'helped' us,
you blathering imbecile!
Yeah, after I so nicely explained it all,
you ungrateful moron!
C'mon, Echidna. Don't you have any other moves?
This is the same thing you did
when I came for my interview.
Shut up. Don't speak. Drop dead.
You knew this was the only way I could do this.
I had to join up under a false name and
earn my way to an audience with you.
You wouldn't have let me join otherwise, would you?
Never in a thousand THOUSAND years
would I ever let you join us!
Now go eat some poison mushrooms,
suffer for three days, then die a rotten death!
How did I never realize it was you?!
I know now there were countless instances
where I should have known it was you!
Damn it all! I should have been more cautious!
I'll bear this shame for the rest of my life!
Sorry.
And what infuriates me most of
all is how you are right as rain,
mere SECONDS after I hit you point-blank with Inferno!
Echidna!
Leo's been of great service to the Demon Army!
Won't you allow him to join us?
I owe him a great deal.
And y'know something?
Leo gave me lots of advice and
helped make logistics so much easier!
And you know what else?
He greatly reduced my overtime hours!
Also, Echidna, the dining hall could definitely pay
the staff a lot more.
My daughter Julietta is deeply grateful to him, too!
It's awesome! When we all work together,
work gets done super fast!
I beg of you, please, show him mercy!
Yeah, he's kind of an ass, but I don't see why not.
All right! Enough, all of you!
I shall make an exception and pardon you
for your deception as Lord Onyx.
Thank you.
That aside, is there truly another
Philosopher's Stone outside of Renailles?
There is.
You can find it in the Seshat Mountains.
The Seshat Mountains? That's extremely close to here!
Yeah, but it's protected by a pretty powerful
guardian. Shouldn't be a problem, though.
If Leo is describing it as powerful,
then how fearsome must it be?
This sounds too good to be true.
We can do it if we all work together!
We will come with you.
Very well. I would prefer not to be left alone with
this insolent fool, after all.
Let us go, then, to the Seshat Mountains!
I'm cold! I'm so cold! I'm freezing!
Lily is from the much warmer South.
Same with you, right, Edvard?
I'm fine. My scales will stave off the cold.
Huh. So where is this Stone at?
Just a little further, at the peak of that mountain.
I'm cold! I'm gonna freeze to death!
Amun, morph, alleg, warm.
I'm so warm now!
Thanks, Shutina!
You're quite welcome. You'd do well
to study some magic yourself, Lily.
Stubborn fool. Why did you teleport
us partway? Why make us walk?!
Why waste our precious time?
I wanted time to talk with you.
Talk? What is there left to discuss?
Passing the torch, what else?
The Philosopher's Stone's been my big project
for ages, and it's gonna be yours soon.
Wouldn't it be a good idea to hear more
about it from the person you're replacing?
Very well, O Wise One. What wisdom do
you have to share about the Stone?
Like I said before, the Stone isn't
some magic item you can use to grant wishes.
You understand that, right?
Of course.
I know that planting it in the ground wouldn't cause
green fields to sprout overnight,
turn water to wine, or anything fanciful like that.
That's exactly right.
Once you get the Stone, make peace with
humanity and search for the manual.
A copy of the Akashic Engine Usage Manual
should be hiding somewhere out there.
Without it, you won't know how to use the Stone.
Peace with humanity
Can you do it?
To be completely frank, until a little while ago,
I didn't think it was possible.
You understand, yes?
We couldn't have stolen their most precious treasure
then asked for peace and harmony.
But after speaking with Onyx--well,
you--my opinion changed completely.
I know the story is just that, a story, but--
It's not just a story.
It really happened.
So don't worry. I know humans
and demons can live in harmony.
But getting to that point is going to cost
a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.
How foolish of you to underestimate me, Hero.
I am the Demon Queen Echidna,
the most powerful ruler my world has ever known!
Blood, sweat, or tears, one by one,
I will endure it all to bring peace to fruition!
That so? Glad to hear it. Makes me feel better.
That tone He sounds so sad.
Well, I hope you can defeat
any mighty foe that stands in your way.
Like me. Oh, wait
Impudent swine!
Ack, that's cold!
Echidna, you ass!
Be thankful that was all I unleashed upon you!
Perhaps it was just my imagination.
Payback time!
What?!
Gah! Dammit, that's no fair!
I was worried about them for a moment,
but I'm glad they're getting along so well.
That means we can be the FIVE Great Generals!
Wait, if we all work together, we'll be as
strong as A HUNDRED Great Generals!
As long as everything keeps working out
Leo.
Huh?
There's something I've been wondering about.
Why do you know so much about
the Mechanical Civilization?
That was roughly three thousand years ago,
the same human civilization
that King Belial invaded, correct?
Were you a scholar before becoming a hero?
Not really. I was just born back then.
I see, so you were born in the Mechanical Age.
Wait What?!
If that were true, then he'd be
over three thousand years old!
Did he use some form of magic to extend his lifespan?!
No
Is this Hero even human?
When Belial attacked, humanity created
living bioweapons called the Demonhart Series.
I am the fifth in that series.
My design placed emphasis on
hyper-reactive skill improvement.
Hyper What?
I copy any and all abilities my opponents use
against me to develop my skills ad infinitum.
I am the result of three thousand years
of hard-won experience.
And the DH Series weapons don't die from old age.
We keep living on, and on, and on,
which for me, meant growing stronger.
Here I thought you'd be more surprised.
It makes sense.
It means you possess the strength of
untold hundreds of thousands of soldiers.
Yeah, that's about right.
Had I known just how powerful you were,
I would have found another route to the Stone.
But despite what happened,
we eventually found each other.
Not so bad when you put it that way, yeah?
Hmph.
One can never understand destiny,
even fate as strange as this.
Fate where, after defeating me in combat,
the Hero inexplicably joins my army and
takes me right to the Philosopher's Stone.
All of the other DH Series weapons died off.
I'm the only one left.
So you've lost all your brothers
and sisters. My condolences.
Thanks.
They've embedded one critical order
in our cores: "protect humanity".
Protecting humanity is my sole identity.
For thousands of years,
I've fought to bring about peace.
And when peace came, I've wished
for more danger, more war to come.
Are you a fool?! What would be the point in that?
Do you not enjoy your hard-won peace?!
Yeah, you're right. I should enjoy it.
My skill development functionality put my orders
and my feelings all out of whack.
I'm starting to lose it.
Sometimes, I get to thinking.
Am I just holding humanity back?
Humanity can function without a hero.
Am I just doing this for myself?
Am I forcing myself onto humanity?
I don't believe you are.
Without you, the human world would
most certainly be under my control.
Sure, this time.
But what about next time?
One day, humanity might be able
to take down a Demon Queen all on their own.
When that day comes, I won't have
a place to belong anymore.
I'm pretty sure I'm breaking down.
And when I'm too far gone, I'll bring chaos to the world,
just to give myself a reason to keep protecting it.
I'll plunge the world into disaster, then pull it back out.
I'll become nothing more than a machine
that saves the world, over and over.
I'd be worse than any Demon Army.
Before that happens, you know what
needs to be done, right, Echidna?
Leo, what are you saying?
We made it!
What a splendid view. It's almost as if nature
is rewarding us for making it this far.
I concur.
Where's the guardian?
You're right, there's no one here.
There is no guardian.
I have the Philosopher's Stone.
It's the heart of the Demonhart Series. An infinite
generator, the Akashic Engine.
That is the Philosopher's Stone you're after.
Hold on. You mean to say
Kill me.
If you want the Stone, then kill me and tear out my heart.
'Tis I, former Hero Leo Demonhart!
I'm a skilled swordsman and have mastered all
arcane schools of magic, including black magic!
I've even defeated the Demon Queen Echidna
herself in single combat!
I am ready and raring to fight for your cause!
Though still but a temporary employee,
as of this moment, I announce
my resignation from the Demon Army
and reiterate my desire to
exterminate humanity once and for all!
And I'll say this now: you don't get to run away.
If you try to run, I will descend from this peak
and kill every last human I find.
I'll even destroy the texts that tell you
how to use the Philosopher's Stone!
What
You told me you want to save
the Demon World, right, Echidna?
You said you'd endure blood, sweat, and tears
to obtain the stone and bring peace to fruition.
Blood, sweat, and tears.
The time to prove your mettle is now!
If you want the Stone, if you want to save the world,
I Want to Quit Heroing
then stop me, here and now,
brave heroes!
Next Time:
I'll Save
the World,
Even If
That Means
Destroying It
Black Knight Onyx,
I hereby decree that your temporary status is to be lifted,
and you are to become the fifth member
of the Great Generals from this day forth.
Signed, Demon Queen Echidna.
He is a newcomer, yes, but
a steadfast supporter of our cause.
And I can think of no man better suited
to extend a hand to humanity on our behalf.
With him our quest for the Philosopher's Stone may no
longer be futile.
Adding a fifth to our Four Great Generals
may pose some problems,
but I will discuss that with the others.
I know I've made the right choice with him.
Dire news, Your Highness!
The Great Spirit Portal is closing up!
Do we know why?
No, but we've begun to run low on
the rare crystal catalysts that keep it open!
I'll help!
Never did I think it would come to this
Not at the very moment where
our future seemed secured.
Live, live on, with all your might
Follow the light to the future
Betrayed and left behind in this lonely world
Fearing a tomorrow I've lost sight of
I search for the place I belong
My heart screams out, "I want to be needed"
I want to puzzle out these entwined identities, but can I trust them?
Live, live on, with all your might
Follow the light to the future
Even if you lose everything
Stay connected to hope
I don't know why I'm here
But that's all right with me right now
I have to overcome and press on
So I can smile with you again
This is a crisis situation.
Thanks to Shutina, Lord Onyx, and myself,
the Portal is stable--but only for now.
In its current state, it won't last longer
than seven days, perhaps less.
Indeed.
Lily, save the cookies for later.
That doesn't mean you should switch to an apple!
Hey, Echidna, what'll happen if
the Big Spirit Thingy closes up?
We won't be able to return to the Demon World.
Huh?!
Once it closes,
we've no idea how long it will be before
another is opened to bring troops through.
It could be centuries, or millennia
All more time during which the Demon World suffers.
We must decide upon our army's next plans
within these next seven days.
Shutina, what is your opinion?
I believe we have two choices.
We could return to the Demon World
before the Portal closes.
Retreat, then.
Our current army consists mostly
of denizens of the human realm.
Since we cannot bring them with us,
we will need to disband our army.
Which means we'd have to go our separate ways, too.
I don't want us to break up!
Not when we've all become such good friends!
So retreat's Option 1. What's Option 2?
The second option is to immediately
mobilize our army, attack Renailles,
and take the Philosopher's Stone for ourselves.
That seems out of the question.
I would say so.
As would I.
Our current forces are far weaker than
they were during our last campaign.
Bringing them into battle would
cause only foolhardy bloodshed,
especially knowing the humans still have their
greatest ally:
Leo Demonhart!
If only we were rid of him
Lord Onyx. Have you ever fought the Hero Leo?
No, but I've heard stories.
I fought against him, one on one,
with all of my might, and still I was defeated.
So this I can say with confidence:
He is a monster, a force to be reckoned with.
If we engaged him as we are,
he would wipe out every last one of our troops.
Obtaining the Philosopher's Stone would
be the least of our concerns.
I do not fear death. I left the Demon World
knowing I may die here.
But I am not willing to lead others to that same fate.
My decision is made.
The army is to be disbanded,
and we will return to the Demon World.
Shutina and I must return. I am the
Demon World's leader, and she is my second.
Returning without the Philosopher's Stone
will inevitably lead to conflict over the throne.
They all seem at a loss for words. I understand.
Hey, Echidna, I know you're worried
about him, but he's actually--
We should just tell her.
N-no, we shouldn't!
It's fine, I know. You needn't say anything, Shutina.
We may be 300 years apart in age,
but we've known each other for a long time.
You know more than anyone the faith and
hope I've put into the quest for the Stone.
Now's not the time, Lily!
I know this decision weighs heavily upon you.
It's nothing of importance!
Thank you all for staying by my side.
As the ruler of the Demon World--no,
as the solitary demon Echidna, I thank you.
No, this is unseemly of me! A Queen should
not show her subjects this much weakness!
I must remain proud till the bitter end!
We will need to start over to find
a new method of saving our Demon World.
You want to better the lives of your people.
You told me this when we drank together, yes?
Yes. One cannot maintain order in a barren wasteland.
I would use the stone to bring about warm sun,
lush greenery, clean air and water,
the same with which the human world is blessed.
Since I was young, I've studied and trained for that plan,
all to become the Demon Queen
and travel to the human world.
I held fast to those hopes and dreams,
knowing the Stone would grant my desires.
Yet now, it all ends in defeat.
First, let me make one thing clear.
The Stone is not an all-powerful wish-granting device.
It is an advanced engine from the Mechanical Age that
utilizes a micro black hole
to produce nigh-unlimited energy.
I cannot be sure it would grant your desires.
I see.
I'd imagine a detailed manual on its operation
is hiding somewhere in the human world.
Humans are looking for it too,
but its antiquity has made it rather tough to find.
All the more reason for us
to seek peace with the humans.
If we worked together to find
this 'manual' of which you speak
No, that would be pointless.
We would have to steal the Stone from them.
Our peace would end in war.
In any case, it's far too late for us to consider this path.
You needn't worry about that.
As far as I know, there are two
Philosopher's Stones in the human world.
Two?!
Yes. You only need one to accomplish
your mission, correct?
That leaves one for the human world
and one for the Demon World.
Two Stones Could it be?
Would that not be ideal for creating peace
between your two realms?
And could you cut the crap and look at me?
Where's Lord Onyx?
Echidna, keep turning!
The situation's too dire, so I ditched my disguise.
Listen closely, Echidna.
Wh Wha
First, I'm sorry I had to trick you,
but it was the only way.
Here's the real reason I joined your army:
I wanted to see if you were truly worthy
of the Philosopher Stone's power.
If I'd realized you weren't,
I would have left right then and there,
but when we spoke over dinner and wine,
I was convinced you were worthy.
What wine?! The last drink I had was
when I bared my soul to Lord Onyx
Where is he?! Where has Lord Onyx gone off to?!
I know you have the ability
to bring order to the Demon World.
And if peace in your world means demons
will stop bothering humanity,
then giving you the Stone will be more than worth it.
Wait, is Leo Lord Onyx?
Has Lord Onyx been Leo this whole time?!
I see. So that was the game.
I've been had.
Echidna, I know you're still processing
all this, but we're low on time.
I know where the other Stone is--
the one that isn't in Renailles.
Die, bastard!
When I look back on that moment now,
back then, we were no more than
the Hero and the Demon Queen
I'm cold!
And the Stone will really,
TRULY be where you're leading us?
Yes, really, truly.
You aren't leading us into some terrible trap?
Could you be any more skeptical?!
Do you even realize how much
I've helped your Demon Army?!
Oh, I'm WELL aware of how much you've 'helped' us,
you blathering imbecile!
Yeah, after I so nicely explained it all,
you ungrateful moron!
C'mon, Echidna. Don't you have any other moves?
This is the same thing you did
when I came for my interview.
Shut up. Don't speak. Drop dead.
You knew this was the only way I could do this.
I had to join up under a false name and
earn my way to an audience with you.
You wouldn't have let me join otherwise, would you?
Never in a thousand THOUSAND years
would I ever let you join us!
Now go eat some poison mushrooms,
suffer for three days, then die a rotten death!
How did I never realize it was you?!
I know now there were countless instances
where I should have known it was you!
Damn it all! I should have been more cautious!
I'll bear this shame for the rest of my life!
Sorry.
And what infuriates me most of
all is how you are right as rain,
mere SECONDS after I hit you point-blank with Inferno!
Echidna!
Leo's been of great service to the Demon Army!
Won't you allow him to join us?
I owe him a great deal.
And y'know something?
Leo gave me lots of advice and
helped make logistics so much easier!
And you know what else?
He greatly reduced my overtime hours!
Also, Echidna, the dining hall could definitely pay
the staff a lot more.
My daughter Julietta is deeply grateful to him, too!
It's awesome! When we all work together,
work gets done super fast!
I beg of you, please, show him mercy!
Yeah, he's kind of an ass, but I don't see why not.
All right! Enough, all of you!
I shall make an exception and pardon you
for your deception as Lord Onyx.
Thank you.
That aside, is there truly another
Philosopher's Stone outside of Renailles?
There is.
You can find it in the Seshat Mountains.
The Seshat Mountains? That's extremely close to here!
Yeah, but it's protected by a pretty powerful
guardian. Shouldn't be a problem, though.
If Leo is describing it as powerful,
then how fearsome must it be?
This sounds too good to be true.
We can do it if we all work together!
We will come with you.
Very well. I would prefer not to be left alone with
this insolent fool, after all.
Let us go, then, to the Seshat Mountains!
I'm cold! I'm so cold! I'm freezing!
Lily is from the much warmer South.
Same with you, right, Edvard?
I'm fine. My scales will stave off the cold.
Huh. So where is this Stone at?
Just a little further, at the peak of that mountain.
I'm cold! I'm gonna freeze to death!
Amun, morph, alleg, warm.
I'm so warm now!
Thanks, Shutina!
You're quite welcome. You'd do well
to study some magic yourself, Lily.
Stubborn fool. Why did you teleport
us partway? Why make us walk?!
Why waste our precious time?
I wanted time to talk with you.
Talk? What is there left to discuss?
Passing the torch, what else?
The Philosopher's Stone's been my big project
for ages, and it's gonna be yours soon.
Wouldn't it be a good idea to hear more
about it from the person you're replacing?
Very well, O Wise One. What wisdom do
you have to share about the Stone?
Like I said before, the Stone isn't
some magic item you can use to grant wishes.
You understand that, right?
Of course.
I know that planting it in the ground wouldn't cause
green fields to sprout overnight,
turn water to wine, or anything fanciful like that.
That's exactly right.
Once you get the Stone, make peace with
humanity and search for the manual.
A copy of the Akashic Engine Usage Manual
should be hiding somewhere out there.
Without it, you won't know how to use the Stone.
Peace with humanity
Can you do it?
To be completely frank, until a little while ago,
I didn't think it was possible.
You understand, yes?
We couldn't have stolen their most precious treasure
then asked for peace and harmony.
But after speaking with Onyx--well,
you--my opinion changed completely.
I know the story is just that, a story, but--
It's not just a story.
It really happened.
So don't worry. I know humans
and demons can live in harmony.
But getting to that point is going to cost
a lot of blood, sweat, and tears.
How foolish of you to underestimate me, Hero.
I am the Demon Queen Echidna,
the most powerful ruler my world has ever known!
Blood, sweat, or tears, one by one,
I will endure it all to bring peace to fruition!
That so? Glad to hear it. Makes me feel better.
That tone He sounds so sad.
Well, I hope you can defeat
any mighty foe that stands in your way.
Like me. Oh, wait
Impudent swine!
Ack, that's cold!
Echidna, you ass!
Be thankful that was all I unleashed upon you!
Perhaps it was just my imagination.
Payback time!
What?!
Gah! Dammit, that's no fair!
I was worried about them for a moment,
but I'm glad they're getting along so well.
That means we can be the FIVE Great Generals!
Wait, if we all work together, we'll be as
strong as A HUNDRED Great Generals!
As long as everything keeps working out
Leo.
Huh?
There's something I've been wondering about.
Why do you know so much about
the Mechanical Civilization?
That was roughly three thousand years ago,
the same human civilization
that King Belial invaded, correct?
Were you a scholar before becoming a hero?
Not really. I was just born back then.
I see, so you were born in the Mechanical Age.
Wait What?!
If that were true, then he'd be
over three thousand years old!
Did he use some form of magic to extend his lifespan?!
No
Is this Hero even human?
When Belial attacked, humanity created
living bioweapons called the Demonhart Series.
I am the fifth in that series.
My design placed emphasis on
hyper-reactive skill improvement.
Hyper What?
I copy any and all abilities my opponents use
against me to develop my skills ad infinitum.
I am the result of three thousand years
of hard-won experience.
And the DH Series weapons don't die from old age.
We keep living on, and on, and on,
which for me, meant growing stronger.
Here I thought you'd be more surprised.
It makes sense.
It means you possess the strength of
untold hundreds of thousands of soldiers.
Yeah, that's about right.
Had I known just how powerful you were,
I would have found another route to the Stone.
But despite what happened,
we eventually found each other.
Not so bad when you put it that way, yeah?
Hmph.
One can never understand destiny,
even fate as strange as this.
Fate where, after defeating me in combat,
the Hero inexplicably joins my army and
takes me right to the Philosopher's Stone.
All of the other DH Series weapons died off.
I'm the only one left.
So you've lost all your brothers
and sisters. My condolences.
Thanks.
They've embedded one critical order
in our cores: "protect humanity".
Protecting humanity is my sole identity.
For thousands of years,
I've fought to bring about peace.
And when peace came, I've wished
for more danger, more war to come.
Are you a fool?! What would be the point in that?
Do you not enjoy your hard-won peace?!
Yeah, you're right. I should enjoy it.
My skill development functionality put my orders
and my feelings all out of whack.
I'm starting to lose it.
Sometimes, I get to thinking.
Am I just holding humanity back?
Humanity can function without a hero.
Am I just doing this for myself?
Am I forcing myself onto humanity?
I don't believe you are.
Without you, the human world would
most certainly be under my control.
Sure, this time.
But what about next time?
One day, humanity might be able
to take down a Demon Queen all on their own.
When that day comes, I won't have
a place to belong anymore.
I'm pretty sure I'm breaking down.
And when I'm too far gone, I'll bring chaos to the world,
just to give myself a reason to keep protecting it.
I'll plunge the world into disaster, then pull it back out.
I'll become nothing more than a machine
that saves the world, over and over.
I'd be worse than any Demon Army.
Before that happens, you know what
needs to be done, right, Echidna?
Leo, what are you saying?
We made it!
What a splendid view. It's almost as if nature
is rewarding us for making it this far.
I concur.
Where's the guardian?
You're right, there's no one here.
There is no guardian.
I have the Philosopher's Stone.
It's the heart of the Demonhart Series. An infinite
generator, the Akashic Engine.
That is the Philosopher's Stone you're after.
Hold on. You mean to say
Kill me.
If you want the Stone, then kill me and tear out my heart.
'Tis I, former Hero Leo Demonhart!
I'm a skilled swordsman and have mastered all
arcane schools of magic, including black magic!
I've even defeated the Demon Queen Echidna
herself in single combat!
I am ready and raring to fight for your cause!
Though still but a temporary employee,
as of this moment, I announce
my resignation from the Demon Army
and reiterate my desire to
exterminate humanity once and for all!
And I'll say this now: you don't get to run away.
If you try to run, I will descend from this peak
and kill every last human I find.
I'll even destroy the texts that tell you
how to use the Philosopher's Stone!
What
You told me you want to save
the Demon World, right, Echidna?
You said you'd endure blood, sweat, and tears
to obtain the stone and bring peace to fruition.
Blood, sweat, and tears.
The time to prove your mettle is now!
If you want the Stone, if you want to save the world,
I Want to Quit Heroing
then stop me, here and now,
brave heroes!
Next Time:
I'll Save
the World,
Even If
That Means
Destroying It