Hero

Kenji's POV

I'm just an ordinary person. There's nothing special about me. My life is just as unremarkable.

From morning till afternoon, I go to school, and from after school until night, I just play games before finally going to sleep.

A very normal life for someone like me. 

That's the daily routine I always follow. A person who doesn't have many friends and always hides in their shell.

Even so, my school life isn't too bad. Although I'm often bullied, there's always someone who stands up for me.

That's enough.

The mere thought of helping me is enough.I already feel saved.

That's why I don't want to trouble that person any more than necessary.

For the first time in my life, I met someone who thought like me.

That was Ren.

Even though I don't know much about his life, meeting someone who shares your hobbies is a truly wonderful thing.

Perhaps it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the happiest moments of my life were when we chatted about anime, manga, light novels, and played games together.

I don't know how he sees me, but at least I consider him my best friend.However, that moment of happiness didn't last long.

My school friends and I were suddenly summoned to another world.

Surrounded by unfamiliar people wearing scary iron armor, it truly terrified me.I just want to go home and play games!Then, the worst part was the status check.

I didn't understand it at all.

Even though I'd seen and read about it many times in anime or manga, experiencing it directly completely confused me.

There was a part of me that felt scared, but another part that felt curious and very much looked forward to it.

But it didn't last long. My confidence vanished instantly when I saw quite a few people who didn't have a status. Even worse, one of those unchosen people was my best friend, Ren.

Not only Ren, even someone as strong and dominant as Shinji didn't have a status.

So, what about me? Me, who has no special qualities whatsoever?

I don't have immense strength like Shinji-kun.

Nor do I have high confidence and critical thinking like Ren.

I'm just a normal person! No, maybe I'm even worse than that.

I myself realize that I'm just a nerdy kid who has nothing.

Unbeknownst to me, my turn arrived.

I could only look down at my feet. I didn't have the courage to look forward, let alone up.

Before it even began, I had already given up. I had raised the white flag early. I had lost before everything started.

Only negative feelings resided in my heart. I was already pessimistic about everything, including the results of this status check.However, at that moment, I felt as if heaven had chosen me.

Heaven and earth were suddenly turned upside down.

The wheel of destiny had turned!I couldn't believe what I had seen, and neither could the person in front of me.After the person in front of me announced my class, everyone was instantly shocked.

I could hear the sounds of people disbelieving this.

Of course, I didn't believe it at first either.It truly felt like a dream, and it was highly unlikely to be real.

I was chosen as a hero!

Is this the world's answer to me?Can I change my life in this new world?However, it didn't take long for that moment to shatter.

Not even a day had passed since I felt like I was on cloud nine.

The [Demon Lord]'s army attacked us, killing many of the summoned people, and even knights with a warrior's aura were still slaughtered by them.

"Wh-What are those creatures?!"

"Kyaaa...! Monsters!"

"The Demons are attacking!"

There were screams everywhere and the armored troops began to prepare for battle. But the descending Demon army immediately attacked the summoned people indiscriminately.

Whether they had rare statuses or not, those with statuses and those with none at all, everyone was attacked.

Even though quite a few people had rare classes, they weren't people with direct combat experience.

It's like a newbie with a rare item fighting a veteran with ordinary items. No matter how great their class, if they don't know how to use it correctly, that class will just be useless trash.

"Everyone! Calm down and use your power to defeat those Demons!" shouted the man leading the status check.

However, no one listened to him. They all panicked seeing unknown creatures suddenly attacking and slaughtering them.

Some human body parts flew through the air accompanied by a rain of blood, the red carpet on the hall floor turned into a pool of human blood, their hysterical screams echoed in this large hall.

Immediately, this place turned into a bloodbath.

Even with the abilities and experience of the armored individuals, they couldn't do anything useful in a situation like this.The peak of the horror I experienced was when one of the [Demon Lord]'s subordinates killed Ren.

I had heard that the reason the [Demon Lord] came here was to find someone with the hero class.

In other words, the person they were looking for was me.

However, it seems Ren didn't say anything to that [Demon Lord]'s subordinate.

Was he trying to protect me? Yet everyone should have known that I had the hero class, but why? Why didn't you tell them, Ren?!

I just trembled in fear and had no courage to tell the truth at all.

Ren died because of my fault. He always protected me from Shinji. And now, he protected me from the [Demon Lord].Why? Even though he had no status at all.While I, with the strongest class, could only be terrified.

If I had told the truth and informed the [Demon Lord] and his subordinate that I was a hero, could Ren have been saved? Would he not have been killed by them?

I don't have the qualities suitable to be a hero at all.

I have no merit or right to this ability.

I can only curse myself, my very weak self.

Yet, there are so many people who are more suitable and more worthy of this ability than me, but why? Why was I chosen?

I don't want this! I want to go back to my original world!

Then, not long after the [Demon Lord]'s subordinate killed Ren, he asked the person in charge of the status check.

Unlike Ren, after that person was threatened by him, he immediately told my identity to the enemy.

He had sold me to the Demon!

After they found out I was a hero, the female [Demon Lord]'s subordinate came towards me, seemingly trying to kill me.

Her eyes turned pitch black and looked terrifying.

I could only tremble in fear.

At that moment, I had given up.

I was too tired of all this.

Was this world toying with me?

Giving me happiness, then taking it away, and giving it again, before taking it away again.

If it continues like this, death doesn't seem so bad.

[Opponent detected using skill, 'Mind Break (Level 10)' on you]

[Crest, 'Lion Heart' has been automatically activated]

[Skill effect Mind Break has been nullified]

What was that sound? I suddenly heard a voice in my head.

The Demon Lord's subordinate's eyes returned to normal, but her face still looked terrifying and full of rage.

Then, she moved her mouth and the word that came out of it greatly shocked me.

"Die!"

Die? Did she just tell me to die?

However, before I could react, a golden barrier protected me, and a shadow cut in between me and that [Demon Lord]'s subordinate.

After that, a black-haired man wearing all black clothes appeared, and he had striking golden eyes that glowed brightly.

"I came here to kill you, Demon Lord of Death."

I don't know who that person is, but I'm sure of one thing.

His figure, challenging the [Demon Lord] and his subordinates, looked truly cool.

Can my current self do the same thing?

At that moment, I asked myself.

I'm just an ordinary person with no talent.Because of that, I always felt jealous when I saw other people's talents.

I want to have talent.

I want to be like them.

I want to be one of them.

I... want to be a hero!