Going back

In a fantasy land filled with dragons, demons, castles, elves, knights, and many other fairy tale elements, a group of heroes led by me was returning from a ten-year adventure that finally ended the war with the Demon King. 

I was invoked here by a god to save this world from its destruction. I decided to call this world "isekai" to differentiate it from the land I came from.

Upon arriving in the kingdom of Aurelia, the king awarded us and gave a long speech praising our great deeds. Each of us received a medal, a noble title, and lands. Still, this didn't matter to me for several reasons. Then we had a banquet where everyone chatted endlessly, expressing their gratitude for our achievements. My companions were very happy, but overwhelmed by all the attention, I decided to step out onto a balcony to gaze at the moon.

“Ahh, I suppose this beautiful story has come to an end,” I couldn't help but say aloud.

“What are you talking about? Our legend has just begun!” said a cheerful voice behind me, giving me a strong pat on the back.

The owner of that voice was one of my companions and my best friend, Mark Tiger. He was a medium-height young man, but very muscular. He excelled as a martial artist, fighting demons with his bare hands. That’s why he was nicknamed "Red Fists," always covered in enemy blood. Although demon blood is violet, they still called him that; how strange this world is.

“I’m sorry, but this legend may not include me anymore,” I replied in a melancholic tone.

“Hey, what are you saying? There are still demons around the kingdom. You can’t retire now. Many people still need our help.” 

Mark clearly didn’t understand what I meant, as he didn’t know my circumstances.

“I know, but my contract in this world has ended.”

“But you are Hiroshi Takeda, the great golden knight who makes the impossible possible. He wouldn’t let a contract stop him.”

“I don’t identify myself that way. I’m sorry, Mark. I still haven’t told anyone, but I have to return to my home.”

“Wait, are you serious? You have to go back to that distant realm that nobody has heard of.”

Obviously, everyone in this world wondered where I came from, so I had to tell a few lies because they clearly wouldn’t believe me.

“Yes, I’m sorry. It’s a promise I made, and I can’t break it. Once the Demon King was defeated, I would return to my world within 24 hours. It’s very far from here, and I will never come back. Only the king and you know.”

“I see. Wait, does that mean… you didn’t tell Liz?”

“Not yet.”

He was referring to Elizabeth Van, the group’s priestess. She was a devoted follower of the goddess of isekai, and from her teachings, she learned healing and boosting skills. She was a shy girl, but her words felt like a caress to the heart. During the journey, I developed a relationship with her, and she always dreamed of marrying me and starting a family, but I always told her it was complicated, though she never listened.

“Well, you have to tell her and the rest!”

“I know, but I wanted to tell you first because I didn’t want you to make a fuss in front of everyone.”

“Damn you!!” 

He pretended to hit me but then hesitated.

“I’m sorry. That was a joke. Call the others. I want to tell them.”

“Damn, you owe us a lot of explanations.”
Mark ran off and burst into the banquet like a madman to call them. One by one, they started returning.

“¿What’s going on, Hiroshi?” asked Verena, the most curious of them all. She was the princess of the kingdom but also the group’s guardian. Despite appearing like a delicate flower to the citizens, she had a toned body that allowed her to wear her armor and carry her large shield to protect our group. She always kept us united and defended us from various dangers. She was often nicknamed the Warrior Princess for these traits.

“Tch, he probably wants to give one of his usual silly speeches. Call me when he’s done; I’ll keep eating so as not to waste the food.” 

The foul-mouthed one was Jack, a spear specialist. He was the most rebellious of the group but had a sweet side and would do anything for his friends, even if it didn’t seem that way. He was a war fanatic, which is why he was often called the Madman with the Spear. He had spiky blue hair.

As he tried to leave, a colorful barrier stopped him, causing him to fall to the ground.

“Stop, Jack. This may be the last time we see him.”

The one who just spoke was Roxanne, the group’s archmage and one of the strongest in the kingdom. She wasn’t very talkative, but her mind was full of knowledge that was very useful during the journey. She was often considered the strongest of the group for being the disciple of the kingdom’s greatest mage, but she knew the truth was far from that.

“So you knew, Roxy.”

She was very perceptive, so she likely sensed that I didn’t belong in this world.

“What are you saying, Roxy? Hiroshi would never abandon us, right?” Liz spoke gently, giving me a smile, but then she saw Mark’s worried face and Roxanne’s serious expression. Those expressions were not common for them, so Liz realized they weren’t joking.

“Ha, the hero leaves with his tail between his legs. What happened? Did ten years against the Demon King’s army exhaust you?”
Jack stood up and faced me with a mocking smile.

“You know better than anyone that I can keep fighting until the end of time to finish this struggle, but this is inevitable. I must go; I can’t stay here any longer.”

“What do you mean, Hiroshi? The castle can accommodate you if it’s a matter of money or a home,” Verena said, always eager to help others.

“No, it’s none of that. I would like you all to stay and listen to my story. As I told you, I’m not from this kingdom; I’m not even from this world. I come from one very different from this one, where magic, demons, elves, etc., don’t exist. Just humans and a few animals. The world belongs to us there; all the land is ours to the point that it’s filled with buildings and skyscrapers, preventing us from seeing the sky, which would be like castles to you.

“So wars don’t exist?” Liz asked.

“Oh, they do. They will never cease to exist there. We keep fighting among ourselves. Not like here, where humanity is united. I would like to stay, but I made a contract.”

“With whom?” Mark asked, not quite understanding.

“With your goddess. The Holy Mother. She brought me here because she thought I was the key to defeating the Demon King, but she told me that the worlds cannot interact for long, so once the war was over, I had to return. And here we are.”

Everyone was surprised. Jack and Mark tried to understand. Verena and Roxanne listened seriously. But Liz didn’t want to believe me. She approached me, hugging me, and began to shout:

“Tell me it’s not true!!! We were supposed to live together forever!!! We were going to have a house, children, and thank the goddess for our union.”

“Liz…”

“I’m sorry, but your goddess is the one preventing me from staying. I always told you that our relationship would be complicated, but you stayed by my side, and for that, I thank you. I thank all of you for accompanying me. That’s why I ask you to continue without me and protect this world.”

I held Liz tightly as she kept crying and looked at the rest. They reluctantly accepted my last wish.

“That goes for you too, Lemos.”

I looked up. On the upper floor stood a blond elf with a bow and arrows on his back. He was also part of the group but was the coldest and most distant from us because he was from another species. He jumped down and landed in front of us.

“I always thought you were hiding something. It’s hard to believe, but we’ve fought many battles together to not trust you. I promise that I, Lemos of the land of the elves, will take down every demon that moves with my arrows.”

“Thank you.”

“When are you leaving?”

“Tomorrow at dawn. I have to go to the magic circle that brought me here. I’m sorry, but I must go alone. Conditions from the goddess or something like that.”

“So this is goodbye.”

“Yes. Listen, I know we’ve made many memories, and I would like you to cherish them. But move forward and don’t dwell in the past. Enjoy this new day without the Demon King. Live your new lives and return to your families. I will do the same. Because our new story begins. Understood, Liz?”

“Even so, I will continue to love only you.”

“And I will love you too.”

I held her tightly and kissed her passionately to seal our end.