He Dies On Turn 12

Every 100 years, the Demon King rises from his dark slumber, and a Hero of Legend is chosen. Who they are is not important, what matters is that they answer the call when fate shines upon them.

This time the duty fell upon the Prince. His kingdom was overjoyed, but his family was crestfallen, for the Prince no longer belonged to them, but to the world and forces beyond it. A week before the Prince’s induction, his brother fled into the night without a word.

For his induction, the Prince was given the armor and blade of the heroes before him. He was then taken to a church and within it, taken to a dark room hidden away from prying eyes. The Prince was told to sit in the room and wait. With the door closed behind him, the Prince sat and sat and sat, until he was no longer alone.

The Voice came upon the Prince. He felt something burrow into his being and fill his body. It wasn’t something corporeal. It took up no real space but he felt filled nonetheless. It was as if the unseen crevices and gaps and holes and cracks and fissures inside and outside his body now had something flowing through them.

// WHO?

The Voice did not speak, yet the Prince heard ut all the same. It was as if someone had thought his thoughts for him but he could tell they weren’t his own. Something wanted to know him.

His mind, not the physical fleshy thing that he’d read about in books, but the untouchable safe heaven that he kept within himself was suddenly invaded and occupied. It was not as if it was being ransacked. No. Whatever went through his mind didn’t take. It didn’t pry into the Prince’s closed doors and secrets. It simply gazed within him to understand him. And what it came away with flashed across the Prince’s mind.

// “PRINCE” LVL 1

// ATK 5 DEF 4 MAG 3

Numbers. Inscrutable numbers. They held no meaning to the Prince, or rather they shouldn’t have. But the Prince felt the gravity of these numbers and knew they were meant to reflect him. These numbers were an evaluation of him. An inscrutable evaluation.

The numbers felt as though they spelled the truth of the Prince’s very being. The Prince, who didn’t shy away from self-reflection, thought himself complex. How terrible that this thing from beyond thought different.

// MOVE.

Again, the Voice did not speak. The Prince received its command nonetheless. The Prince had walked on his own accord before. This was not that. The Prince had sleepwalked before. This was not that. Something within him nudged the Prince. Urged him to move in certain ways and to certain places inside the room. The command ran parallel to his own. They had an authority over his body previously only reserved for his mind.

It walked him around the room. The Prince discerned his new companion was curious about his surroundings. Was this place new to it? The Prince could not say.

Eventually, the Prince left the room and walked about the church.

// ASK.

The Voice again urged the Prince. This time to speak. To ask questions to the clergymen and women, questions the Prince knew the answers to. Questions that were taught to small children. Simple questions about the world and how it worked. The people of the church did not mind. Rather, they seemed used to this kind of naivete.

When the Prince finally reached the King and the Priest, he did not lower his head as he knew he should. Was the idea of doing so foreign to the Voice? The King looked to the Prince and asked if was still himself.

// YES => NO

The choice flashed across the Prince’s head. He felt himself but was compelled to say No. His mouth moved on its own and spoke with his voice.

The Priest then spoke, “The Prince’s body has been commandeered by a force beyond us. Imagine something beyond yourself, beyond your power, beyond the stars, and further still.” The King’s eyes narrowed as the Priest went on, “It sees the world in ways we don’t. It sees us in numbers. It thinks in simple choices. It knows the secret paths we hide. It desires complete domination. In all senses, it is a curious thing.”

The King wondered aloud, “Whatever has taken my son, will it defeat the Demon King?”

The Priest chuckled, “It will do as it has before because that is the quest that gives it the most satisfaction. While it occupies your son, he is the Prince no longer but the Hero. Do you understand, Hero?”

// => YES NO

The Hero, with strained effort, nodded.

The King looked away as the Priest gave the Hero provisions and sent them on their way.

First, the Hero went south-east to push back the demon army out of Valley of Diamond Glass and Golden Leaves. There the Hero learned that the Voice was exceptional at the art of violence. It felt as though time would slow and it would give its commands to the Hero’s body;

// TURN 3. THE HERO USED QUICK SLASH! IT DID 13 DAMAGE!

When he listened the action would flow from him with ease. By the time the Hero registered his action, it was already done.

And the Voice would report the aftermath with a certain detachment. The Hero would sever a devil’s arm from its body and watch black blood spew only to know–the Hero no longer “heard” the Voice for it had invaded his mind so–KNOW that he had done some numeric amount of damage.

The Hero left the valley stronger and with a wet blade. The Voice, again, thought on who the Hero was…

// “HERO” LVL 5

// ATK 34 DEF 23 MAG 14

Next, the Hero journeyed to the Forgotten Isles to restore the three Holy Lighthouses and rescue the land from the deep darkness that blanketed them.

The Hero coasted on blackened waters until the lantern on his rowboat could no longer battle the dark that swallowed him whole. Oddly, blind as the Hero was, the Voice seemed to know the way to go.

// FORWARD. FORWARD. STOP. LEFT. LEFT. STOP. FORWARD…

The Hero obeyed and was rewarded with finally hitting land. He stared into the forest and could not distinguish the ground from the trees nor the demons that hid behind them. An abyss lay before him.

// FORWARD.

Only the Voice could walk with confidence. The Hero disappeared into the dark. He slashed at what he thought was nothing but the Voice knew was something. He picked up keys he could not see and opened secret unknown doors. He traveled through each of the three Holy Lighthouses, all mazes that destroyed his sense of direction. The Hero could only do as the Voice commanded. He would not describe what he felt as trust, however, he walked along the thin line of faith.

Within each of the three Holy Lighthouses were unseen monsters that guarded power sources within them. The Hero slew them and only knew their faces when he turned the light back on. The unnatural darkness dissipated and the Demon King’s hold over the world was weakened once more.

The Hero left the isles, feeling as though the distinction between himself and the Voice was growing unclear. The Voice was becoming a sixth sense. A part of him. The Hero did not care for this. The Voice, once more, thought on who the Hero was…

// “HERO” LVL 11

// ATK 71 DEF 53 MAG 37

Finally, the Hero was deep in the Demon King’s castle. He fought his way in and executed the four generals. He now stood at the entrance to the Great Hall and felt an evil presence from within. Word had spread of a Knight being the Demon King’s right-hand man, an essential pillar to the ongoing terror. The final obstacle in the way of the Hero on his path to vanquishing the Demon King stood within the hall.

This tale would soon come to an end. The Hero knew this because the Voice knew this.

// THE END DRAWS NEAR. A GREAT BATTLE LIES BEFORE YOU. READY YOURSELF. AND ENTER WITH NO REGRETS.

The Hero steeled his mind and the Voice pressed forward, the two were in lockstep as they entered the hall.

The glow of twilight entered the room, colored by stained glass so to dance along the floor in a strange hue. The air was stagnant as if nothing living had breathed in this hall in a long time. Down the hall, in the middle of it, stood the Knight clad in obsidian armor.

A statue of malice, the Knight only moved his head to look at the Hero as he approached. Despite the helmet, there was an unmistakable glint in his eye.

“Ah, the time has come, hasn’t it?” The Knight’s voice ran smooth like the hot rivers of hell with a sadistic edge that prickled the ears, “I have waited here long, protecting my king, for you to face me.”

The Hero found the Knight odd and the Voice was a curious thing-

// => ARE YOU CAGED HERE? WAITING FOR ME?

The Knight let out a low laugh. “I do not belong to myself after all. I am tethered to the Demon King’s shadow and though he cast it far… there are limits. But enough talk!” The Knight unsheathed his blade, a large yet thin broadsword. Shadow forged in the burning cold of moonlight. “I have waited long and given much to kill you here.”

A part of the Hero wanted to talk more for he tired of battle, his other part called to him-

// BATTLE START!

And his body instinctually obliged, drawing his blade and getting into his stance.

// TURN 1. THE HERO USED LIGHTNING THRUST! IT DID 159 DAMAGE!

The Hero buried his sword into the Knight’s armor and conducted a powerful spell of lightning into his opponent.

// THE KNIGHT USED KICK! IT DID 73 DAMAGE!

And the Hero was launched backward by the Knight’s foot in return.

// TURN 2. THE HERO USED QUICK SLASH! IT DID 62 DAMAGE!

// THE KNIGHT USED SHADOW SLICE! IT DID 173 DAMAGE!

// TURN 3. THE HERO USED DOUBLE CUT! IT DID 109 DAMAGE!

// THE KNIGHT USED DARK GLARE! IT DID 34 DAMAGE AND STUNNED!

// TURN 4. THE HERO USED A POTION! IT HEALED 200 HEALTH AND CURED STUN EFFECT!

// THE KNIGHT USED SHADOW SLICE! IT DID 145 DAMAGE!

// TURN 5. THE HERO USED LIGHTNING THRUST! IT DID 168 DAMAGE!

// THE KNIGHT USED DEVIL’S SEVER! IT DID 231 DAMAGE!

Back and forth the Hero and the Knight went. Blades dragging across armor and flesh. Blood, red and black, staining the wooden floor. Swords crying with each clash. The two were used to this violence, comfortable in it. Oddly so.

The Hero felt a familiarity with the Knight. This battle felt like an old conversation. The Knight’s mannerisms, the way he swung his blade and protected his vitals… The Hero knew this style of sword fighting. He wanted to deny it. He narrowed his eyes on the Knight. The Hero called to the Voice for its insight.

// “KNIGHT” LVL 17

// ATK 121 DEF 89 MAG 67

Not enough, the Hero thought, there had to be more. The Hero stared at the Knight. Looking for something, anything.

// …

// A BROKEN AND LOST MAN. NO LONGER ATTACHED TO THE WORLD. UNSALVAGEABLE.

Not enough, still not enough. Something ate away at the back of the Hero’s mind. He knew the Knight when he shouldn’t. He had fought this man before. Who… just who?

// TURN 6. THE HERO USED DOUBLE CUT! IT DID 189 DAMAGE!

// THE KNIGHT USED HELLISH CLEAVE! IT DID 193 DAMAGE!

The Hero needed to end this. When the Knight fell, he would have his answer.

// TURN 7. THE HERO USED QUICK SLASH! IT DID 196 DAMAGE!

// THE KNIGHT USED SHADOW SLICE! IT DID 201 DAMAGE!

The battle grew grave. There was a new ferociousity in these attacks.

// TURN 8. THE HERO USED HOLY CARVE! IT DID 241 DAMAGE!

// THE KNIGHT USED DEVIL’S SEVER! IT DID 213 DAMAGE!

No time for healing. No time for stopping. One of them needed to drop.

// TURN 9. THE HERO USED LIGHTNING THRUST! IT DID 245 DAMAGE!

// THE KNIGHT USED SHADOW SLICE! IT MISSED!

// TURN 10. THE HERO USED QUICK SLASH! IT DID 273 DAMAGE!

// THE KNIGHT USED HELLISH CLEAVE! IT MISSED!

The Knight wavered. His vision erred. His arms became weak.

// TURN 11. THE HERO USED HOLY CARVE! IT DID 273 DAMAGE!

// THE KNIGHT USED DARK GLARE! IT MISSED!

The Knight fell to his knees. He looked to the Hero with a deep hatred. He tried to force his body to stand. He went down as soon as he got up. The Knight’s hands struggled to keep hold of his blade until they could no longer. The blade of shadow fell to and into the ground with a whisper. His cracked helmet shivered and shivered until it shattered into pieces.

The Hero’s heart tightened. He stared at the Knight’s face. He denied the thought even as it shone in his mind.

// THE MISSING BROTHER OF THE PRINCE. SWALLOWED WHOLE BY HIS AMBITIONS AND THE DARK THEREAFTER.

The Hero found fate cruel and the Voice was a curious thing-

// WHY? => WHY? WHY?

The voice of the Hero crept out.

The Knight did not meet the Hero’s eyes.

He looked to the ground. As if reason could be found there.

A laugh crawled from the Knight’s throat. Deep. Foolhardy. Pitiful.

“Why you?” The Knight asked. “Why not me?”

The Hero looked to his brother.

// A JEALOUS AND BITTER MAN.

“Fate shining on you… etching you into history…”

The Hero gripped his sword.

// ALLY TO EVIL. HATRED SETTLED IN HIS HEART.

“Belong to something greater. Grander. Then what of me…”

// THE HERO USED-

The Hero looked away.

“Cast to the wayside…”

// THE HERO USED-

The Hero backed away from the Knight.

“...it’s not fair…”

The Hero tried to think–he begged–for a different resolution. A different action.

// …

“Kill me.”

The Hero’s feet became lead.

// …

“My soul no longer belongs to me. My body cannot exist past the vanquishing of the Demon King.”

The Hero needed something to say, anything to say.

// … … …

The Knight looked to his brother one last time. And bowed his head.

The Prince looked to his brother one last time. And closed his eyes.

// TURN 12. THE HERO USED QUICK SLASH! IT DID 1O DAMAGE!

The Knight fell. And would never rise again.

The Hero looked on and wondered if there was anything to learn from this.

// YOU WON! THE HERO GAINED 3126 EXP!

And decided there was nothing worth learning here.

The Hero walked to the throne room with a heavy heart, to finish what he was chosen to do.