"— We can''t hold out much longer!"


    The knight nearly shouted, his face a mask of fear. His hands gripped his sword tightly, knuckles white from the strain.


    "The outer walls have already collapsed, and the fortress will fall soon! If we don’t act now, we’ll all die!"


    Nagi stood motionless, his eyes fixed on the battlefield outside the crumbling walls. The chaos was overwhelming, but he was not moved. He felt a strange sense of detachment as he lifted the flask of green liquid, bringing it to his lips and inhaling its bitter scent deeply.


    This isn’t real… none of this is real.


    He could feel the arrow still lodged in his shoulder, the sharp sting of pain, but it was secondary to the larger, more pressing situation unfolding before him. Without flinching, he pulled the arrow out, the blood quickly flowing from the wound. It stained his clothes, but he didn’t care. The pain was brief—just a passing sensation.


    His body was already starting to heal, the wounds slowly knitting themselves together. He didn’t even notice the soldiers beside him, still holding their positions, bracing against the attacks from the orcs outside. The fortress groaned with each mighty blow.


    The orcs had broken through. There was no fear in their eyes, only madness. They were driven by something darker, something beyond simple bloodlust.


    Nagi’s gaze drifted to the sky. The world was growing darker, quieter.


    It’s almost over...


    The soldier beside Nagi trembled as he looked up at the hero, his voice shaking with fear. "Commander... We can''t escape from here..."


    The knight’s words were a whisper now, lost in the suffocating silence between the attacks. His eyes met Nagi''s, desperation and hopelessness evident in his expression.


    Nagi didn''t react. His face remained an emotionless mask, as if the destruction unfolding around him was merely a distant dream.


    What do they want from me?


    They want me to save them... but I don’t even know how to save myself.


    The battle raged on, the ground shaking beneath Nagi’s feet. The soldiers around him were in disarray, some trying to fight back, others huddling for safety. Nagi remained still, his mind detached from the chaos around him.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    I shouldn’t feel this calm...


    The walls creaked, threatening to collapse under the relentless pounding of the orcs. The noise was deafening, but it didn’t reach Nagi. He stood there, a silent observer of the destruction, his thoughts drifting into the void.


    Is this what it means to be a hero?


    The knight stepped closer, his voice barely audible over the din. "We can’t hold on much longer... What should we do, commander?"


    Nagi slowly turned his head, his expression unchanging. His body was battered, his movements slow, but there was a strange sense of calmness in him now.


    No... I am not a hero. But I will survive this. I have to.


    The knight seemed to shrink under Nagi’s gaze, as if he could sense the indifference in the hero’s eyes.


    The world outside is falling apart, but in here, it’s only me and the silence.


    Nagi closed his eyes for a moment, his breath steady. The battle was not over, but for him, it had already ended. The question now was not whether they would survive... but what would be left of them once it was all over.


    "—We''re going to die, aren''t we?"


    "Just like this..."


    Nagi slowly stood up, turning his face toward the knight without any sense of urgency.


    His expression was void of emotion. He felt the pain, but it no longer mattered.


    "That’s obvious."


    He murmured in a voice low enough for only those around him to hear.


    "In this world, everything either leads to death... or the wait for it."


    Nagi’s gaze swept over the soldiers still holding the door.


    Their bodies were exhausted, and their faces were painted with the unmistakable fear of death.


    One of the soldiers froze in place, unable to comprehend what was happening.


    He stared at Nagi, as though seeing him for the first time, unsure whether he was some foreign presence or a monster.


    "What are you trying to say?"


    The soldier’s voice trembled, confusion written in his eyes.


    Nagi stepped forward, his hand lightly brushing against the hilt of his sword. His gaze was cold, like the wind of winter. Everything about this moment felt eerily familiar, as though he had seen it all before.


    Suddenly, the knight realized something was off.


    He looked around, trying to make sense of what was wrong, but his gaze was drawn inexplicably to the armor Nagi was wearing.


    At first, it looked like just another worn-out piece of armor, but upon closer inspection, it was not ordinary at all.


    It was orc armor.


    The knight froze for a moment, his mouth opening slightly in shock, but no words came out. Everything felt too absurd, too impossible to grasp in one glance. He distinctly remembered Nagi wearing a different set of armor just yesterday.


    And now, the commander was dressed in the armor of an orc. The sight of it was too much to process.


    "Commander, are you... wearing orc armor?"


    The knight’s voice shook, his anxiety and confusion unmistakable.


    Nagi didn’t respond. He simply stood there, as though the knight’s voice couldn’t reach him. His eyes were cold, emotionless, betraying no sign of doubt or feeling. He was resolute.


    Then, with slow, deliberate movements, Nagi unsheathed his sword.


    In that moment, the knight realized what had been happening. What he had thought was "thinking time" had merely been Nagi’s preparation.


    The sword gleamed dully in the faint light, and before the knight could understand what was happening, Nagi brought it down.


    The strike was so fast, the knight didn’t have time to scream. Blood sprayed in the air, filling it with the heavy scent of iron.


    His head fell to the ground, his body spasming in its final moments before everything went silent.