I've been in love with Irina for a very long time.
I wanted to become a magician of the royal palace so that I could become a suitable man for her.
Fortunately, my talent in magic seemed to excel, and I was able to further my progress through the guidance of the sage Valery, who became my teacher.
Before long, I became the youngest magician of the royal palace at 17 years old.
So, I was nominated to be a companion of Yuno, one of seven heroes who emerged after the Demon Lord's appearance.
At that time, Irina and Valery were nominated as well.
Furthermore, along the way, we came across the warrior Riotte, the swordswoman Farrah, and the knight Margo. Since then, we've been fighting alongside these members for five years.
We shared our pains and joys.
They were like family──no, for an orphan like me, the hero party was my family.
"But, it seems I'm the only one who thought that…"
I slowly woke up.
"To them…I've just been a mere tool to be thrown away at any time."
And so, I was sacrificed.
I was sacrificed to make the hero stronger, and then I was kicked out from the party.
I was thrown away.
A strong sense of loss overwhelmed me.
I looked around in a solemn mood.
I was in the same forest as before
My body was heavy.
I couldn't even move a single finger
Upon closer inspection, there were black chains coiling around my body.
"What's this…?"
The chains didn't seem to have any material substance, but were instead a kind made up of magical energy.
──Forbidden Arts "Chains of Despair"──
The words Valery said flashed into my mind.
The sharp pain in my body had already vanished.
However, it felt as if something inside of me had disappeared.
"My magic…is gone…?!"
I muttered in astonishment.
Right, I've lost all the magic power inside me.
This must be the work of my teacher's Forbidden Arts.
"What's going on…?"
I racked my brain trying to make sense of this confusing, sudden situation.
For me, my magic was the culmination of the effort I took in training for over ten years.
It was the power I took great strives to gain in order to protect the most important woman in the world, Irina.
I've lost it all in one moment.
When I looked at my arms, they were withered like dead trees.
Silver hair coiled around my fingers, seemingly fallen from my scalp.
I had black hair until just a few hours ago.
"Roar!"
I suddenly heard a cry.
"…!"
I forcibly raised my powerless body.
A large horde of Sword Wolves had approached.
The demons bore their sword-like fangs, as their name suggested, and glared at me.
They were opponents that I could defeat with a single attack spell if I had my magic.
"'Fire Ball!'"
I recited the spell, but nothing happened.
"Damn it…"
Having no means of attack, I had no chances of winning.
I tried to flee, but my body felt oddly heavy.
Not just my arms, but me legs had also withered.
I staggered, so slow that it frustrated me.
They surrounded me in no time.
"Tsk…"
Will I be devoured at this rate?
A sense of despair welled up within me.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaargh!"
In the next moment, the Sword Wolves lunged at me from all sides.
An onslaught of fangs and claws.
My arms and legs were torn to pieces, they sunk their teeth into my shoulder and thighs.
"Gah….Aah….!"
A severe pain coursed through my body.
Gushing blood dyed the soil a crimson color.
"Ha…guh…uh…ah…"
Furthermore, the Sword Wolves jammed their fangs into my wrists and side.
Paralyzed from the pain, I began losing sense of my body.
My consciousness was fading.
"Uh..uuh..."
Is this where my life ends?
Being betrayed by the companions and the lover I trusted, the ones who used me and threw me away like rubbish, and in the end, being eaten by demons.
Oh, what have I been doing my whole life?
Where I do go wrong?
If I made a different choice at some point, would I have had better fortune?
"At a place like this."
My body felt hot, as if on fire.
My thoughts suddenly welled up from within my body.
The realization that I will die.
A defiance towards death.
My anger and hatred towards them, forming a desire for revenge.
And above all, a longing to live.
I still want to live.
It can't end like this.
Absolutely not.
[User's despair levels and hatred levels have reached the requirements.]
[The progress of the rites has reached 70%.]
[Conditions to launch the power of 'darkness' have been met.]
[Running.]
[User's fate has been rewritten.]
[User has been given the power of 'darkness.']
[User has been given the ability to assign skills to 'subordinates.']
[User has been given EX Skill 'Fixed Damage.']
[Overview 1: current damage value is 1.]
[Overview 2: the range is 10 meters around the user.]
[Active the skill?]
I heard a serene female voice.
Is this a hallucination from being on the verge of death?
[Active the skill?]
I heard the same question.
Quite persistent for a hallucination.
"…No, wait."
A skill?
──Anything is fine, I just need something that can drive away these Sword Wolves around me.
I spoke in my mind.
I've got nothing to lose.
[User's wish has been confirmed.]
[Running.]
[EX Skill 'Fixed Damage' will now be deployed.]
[Overview 1: every three seconds, a 'fixed damage' of 1 will be inflicted upon all enemies within range.]
[Overview 2: There will be lasting effects.]
In the next moment, the black chains covering my body burst apart.
"Guh…aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaugh…!"
"Darkness" spread around me, making my whole body feel as if it was burning.
"Ooohn?!"
I heard countless cries of pain and confusion.
The Sword Wolves who had their fangs piercing my body suddenly retreated.
The others shook and screamed.
"This…"
Soon after, a majority of the Sword Wolves fled in horror.
The few remaining beasts lost their will to fight and only stared at me.
About thirty seconds to a minute had passed.
Suddenly, all of the Sword Wolves in that location fell down right then and there.
"They're dead…!"
The ones who didn't run away were annihilated.
What happened to my body…?!
[You've safely wakened, Host.]
It was that voice from just a moment ago.
"Who are you…?"
[The 'darkness' dwelling within you.]
The voice spoke.
It seemed that it was speaking from within me.
Darkness, was it?
[The rites gave birth to 'light' and 'darkness.' The 'light' went to the hero group, and the 'darkness' was inherited by you.]
The darkness spoke.
[You've only awakened to it just now. Your anger, hatred, and perhaps despair. Cultivate all of your negative emotions. That will cultivate the 'darkness' and give you more power.]
"Cultivate…'darkness'…?"
I couldn't quite understand what the voice was saying.
However, I understood that 'darkness' had a big role.
Anger, hatred, and despair.
If that's the case, then I've experienced plenty of those.
All because of the lover and companions who betrayed me.
I felt a dark flame residing in my heart.
A negative flame that will never vanish.
[There you go. You seem to be carrying a 'darkness' of high-caliber.]
The 'darkness' inside me spoke while seeming happy.
[Power seems to have increased just now. The damage of EX Skill 'Fixed Damage' has increased from 1 to 2.]
In other words, as the negative emotions inside me increase, so will the strength of the 'fixed damage'…?
"In that case…"
I bit my lip.
I will develop this power, fueling it with my hatred for them.