The Strongest With Nothing Left

Li Vrak casually reached into his spatial storage, pulling out a simple pen and parchment. With a relaxed smirk, he sat on the ruined throne of the Demon King, crossing one leg over the other as he began to write. 

"To my dear old friend, King Aldric,

You must be relieved that the Demon Kingdom is no more. You're welcome. I took it upon myself to slaughter every last one of them, including your precious Demon King. His head? Long gone. His generals? Decorating the walls. 

Now, let's talk about this "hero" of yours. I've heard the rumors, and I have to say I'm dying to meet him. Find him. Train him. Do whatever you must. And then, when he's ready, send him to me. 

I'll be waiting right here on the throne that once belonged to your greatest enemy. But now? It's mine. Let's see if your so-called chosen one can do what no army, no kingdom, no godforsaken demon could. Come entertain me. 

Sincerely,Your Worst Nightmare,Li Vrak."

With a satisfied nod, he rolled up the parchment, tying it securely to an arrow. He stood up, stretching lazily before aiming his bow towards the distant kingdom of Aldric. "Now, fly straight, little message."

With a swift twang, the arrow shot through the night sky, cutting through the wind like a whisper of death. It would land right at the doors of the royal palace, carrying with it a challenge no one could ignore. Li chuckled, stepping out onto the ruined balcony of his new kingdom. His piercing purple eyes gleamed with excitement. 

Now, all that was left to do… was wait.

Li Vrak strolled back towards the throne, his steps slow, deliberate, and full of mocking arrogance. The scent of blood and ash lingered in the air, a grim reminder of the absolute massacre he had just committed. 

With a satisfied sigh, he dropped himself onto the Demon King's throne, resting his elbow on the armrest as he crossed one leg over the other. The cold, obsidian seat beneath him felt like it truly belonged to him now not to some weakling who dared call himself a king.

A sinister grin spread across his face, his piercing purple eyes gleaming with anticipation. His fingers tapped lazily against the armrest, like a predator toying with its prey before the real hunt began. 

"I can't wait, dear hero." His voice was smooth, yet laced with madness, carrying across the ruined halls of the fallen Demon Kingdom. The night stretched on, the once-mighty stronghold eerily silent, save for the flickering flames of destruction and the soft, cruel laughter that echoed from the throne. 

Let the game begin.

As the arrow soared through the sky, it whistled like a deadly messenger of doom, cutting through the air with terrifying precision. The guards stationed at the castle walls barely had time to react before— 

A loud, sickening sound echoed across the throne room as the arrow pierced straight into the shoulder of an unlucky soldier standing near the king. 

"GAH!" the soldier cried out, stumbling backward as blood dripped from the fresh wound. His face twisted in agony, but his pain was quickly overshadowed by the shock of where the arrow had landed.

Because had the soldier not been standing there... That arrow would have impaled King Aldric right through the face. The entire throne room fell into stunned silence as the realization sank in. The guards instinctively reached for their weapons, their hearts pounding at the sheer audacity of this act. 

With a trembling hand, one of the royal attendants untied the parchment attached to the bloodstained arrow. The seal was crude, yet mocking, as if the sender couldn't even be bothered to show proper respect. 

The moment the king's eyes fell on the scrawled handwriting, his face hardened. His hands clenched into fists, his teeth gritted in barely restrained anger. 

The king's hands tightened around the parchment, his knuckles turning white. A deep rage burned in his chest, but beneath that... was fear. Li Vrak wasn't just declaring war. He was playing a game. And the entire kingdom of Aldric was his next plaything.

King Aldric's voice boomed through the throne room, his anger barely contained. "HAVE YOU FOUND THE HERO YET?!"

His sharp golden eyes glared at the gathered officials, knights, and adventurers standing before him. His fury was palpable, a storm barely being held back. The sheer audacity of Li Vrak's message, the mockery, the threat—it all burned inside him like an unquenchable fire. 

The room was silent for a moment, save for the pained groans of the soldier still clutching his arrow-pierced shoulder. The tension in the air was suffocating, the weight of the king's rage pressing down on everyone present. 

One of the royal scouts, sweating profusely, hesitated before stepping forward. His voice was nervous, cracking slightly under the pressure. 

"Y-Your Majesty… We… We are still searching..." Aldric's fist slammed into the armrest of his throne, the solid wood cracking under his sheer strength.

"DAMN IT! We don't have TIME!" he roared, standing up in frustration. "Li Vrak has already wiped out the Demon Kingdom. Do you understand what that means?! There's NO ONE LEFT to slow him down! If we don't find this hero soon, we'll be next!"

The gathered soldiers and officials gulped, some lowering their heads in shame. The entire kingdom had been desperately searching for the hero foretold in the prophecy—the one with blue hair and golden eyes—but so far, nothing. 

One of the kingdom's top adventurers, Captain Dren, stepped forward. His voice was firm, but his expression was grim. "Your Majesty, we've sent scouts across every town, every village, and even beyond our borders. We've placed bounties, rewards everything we could. But this 'Hero' is either in hiding or…" 

He hesitated. "…They don't even know they're the chosen one yet." The king clenched his jaw. His nails dug into his palm, drawing a small trickle of blood. The thought that their only hope might still be unaware of their destiny made his blood boil even more.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside him. "Then double the efforts. Triple them if you must. I don't care what it takes—FIND. THE. HERO." He turned to his most trusted knight commander, his voice low but deadly. "Because if we don't… then there won't be a kingdom left to save."

In a small town far from the capital, a young adventurer with vibrant blue hair and golden eyes was finishing up a quest with his party. His heavy gauntlets were still covered in dirt and blood from the recent battle. Around him, his party members were chatting excitedly, the rush of victory still fresh.

The hero-in-question, Rein, cracked his knuckles, shaking out his arms as he stretched. 

"Man, that was exhausting. At least we got paid well for it." He rolled his shoulders, the weight of his reinforced gauntlets still lingering.

His healer, a short blonde girl named Lilia, huffed as she crossed her arms. "You always say that, but you punched that ogre so hard its skull caved in! I swear, you're way stronger than you let on."

His tank and best friend, Garret, a tall and burly man, laughed, shaking his head. "Maybe because he's secretly that 'Chosen Hero' the kingdom's been searching for!" At this, the entire party turned to Rein, their expressions expectant. 

Rein, however, groaned in frustration. "Oh, not this again! Guys, I'm just a commoner, alright? I don't know why my hair and eyes are like this, but I'm NOT some destined hero or whatever." 

Lilia pouted, tapping her foot. "Oh, come on, Rein! You match the prophecy exactly! How do you explain that?!" Rein rolled his eyes, adjusting the straps on his gauntlets.

"It's just a coincidence. The world's big—there's gotta be other blue-haired, golden-eyed people out there." Garret chuckled, shaking his head. "You say that, but I haven't seen anyone else who looks like you, buddy."

The party's rogue, Silas, smirked as he spun a dagger between his fingers. "Besides, the kingdom is offering a hefty reward to find the 'Hero.' If you really are the guy, maybe we should cash in on you."

Rein shot him a deadpan glare. "Really, Silas?" Silas shrugged, grinning. "Hey, just saying. Wouldn't be the worst way to make some gold."

Rein sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. "Look, I don't want anything to do with kings, prophecies, or 'saving the world.' We're adventurers, alright? We take quests, make money, and live our lives. That's all I want." 

His party exchanged glances, but no one pushed the topic further. They all knew Rein well enough—he was stubborn. If he didn't want to acknowledge the possibility, then no amount of pushing would change his mind.

Still, in the back of their minds, a lingering thought remained. If Rein was the chosen hero…

Rein sighed deeply, rubbing the back of his head as he looked at his party's expectant faces.

After a long pause, he rolled his eyes and muttered, "Fine, fine. Since we need money either way, I'll go meet this king." His lips curled into a smirk, and he added jokingly, "Go ahead and turn me in. Maybe I'll get a fancy bed and free meals out of it." 

Garret burst into laughter, slapping Rein on the back. "Now you're thinking like a real adventurer! Sell yourself out for a profit!" 

Lilia pouted, crossing her arms. "That's not the point, you idiot! If you really are the hero, then you'll have to fight that monster—Li Vrak!" 

Silas grinned, flicking his dagger. "Sounds like a you problem, buddy." Rein exhaled through his nose, a small smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, yeah. Let's just go see this king before I change my mind." 

With that, the party gathered their things and set off toward the capital, completely unaware that their journey was about to become something far greater than just earning gold.