I Was The Hero, But I Woke Up as a Phoenix Princess! – Chapter 1

Chapter 1 Prologue
Forever, the Glory of the Gods protects the people.
The Demon King’s World Annihilation War, which broke out in the Holy Light Calendar year 987, has lasted for ten years, and the flames of war have burned across all of Agrand.
Holy Light Calendar year 992.
The Empire, the Peka Kingdom, and the allied forces of humans, joined by the Mountain Kingdom of the dwarves and reinforcements from the Elf Empire, engaged in a desperate battle with the Demon King’s army on the banks of the Domar River. Once again, the human allied forces suffered a crushing defeat, the City of Holy Light was completely exposed to the Demon King’s forces, and the rule of the human world was in jeopardy.
At this critical juncture when the entire world was on the verge of collapse, the hero Lothel, who hailed from the Peka Kingdom, and his trusted paladin companion Lancaster, with the help of the Holy Light priest Wien, the saintess Iris, the mage Fatter, the warrior Loen, and the swordsman Geon, dispatched by the Empire and the Holy Teachings Country, along with a hero squad composed of elf rangers, emerald singers, and dwarven great hammer warriors, set out to find the legendary Sacred Sword that would save the world.
Late winter, Holy Light Calendar year 997.
The hero squad’s whereabouts, revealed by a traitor, were once again heavily surrounded by the Black-winged Monarch, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, in the deepest part of the Aixereseia Divine Court, the legendary origin of all things.
The pale land had been dyed pitch black by the bodies and blood of countless demon race soldiers. As dusk fell, the once pure and clear Saint Spring River water could no longer purify the tainted blood, and foul air churned amidst the stench.
Powerful energy fluctuations shook the heavens and earth, tearing the entire sky into a shattered mirror. Through the continuously mending and cracking gaps in the sky, dim chaotic energy seeped in.
Countless tall and imposing demon race warriors were reduced to shattered corpses by the aftershocks of the battle, but even more of them, led by their generals, fearlessly charged towards the hero squad’s precarious and narrow defensive line once more.
“Damn it! If I knew which son of a bitch squealed to these demon brats, my warhammer would be the first to smash his head!”
The young great hammer warrior Mord, wielding the Thunder Hammer with both hands, once again smashed a high-ranking demon that rushed before him. Viscous black demonic blood splattered everywhere, and the dwarf warrior cursed loudly.
A magical beam of light, imbued with immense thunder, suddenly passed by the great hammer warrior’s neck, accurately striking a death spirit demon that was about to stab with a dark black bone blade. The roar of thunder echoed through space, creating countless ripples.
“Dwarf, save your strength. No one is letting him get away.”
The staff of Fatter, which had just extinguished its light, instantly condensed powerful magical fluctuations once more. The mage’s face was extremely pale from the rapid consumption of energy, but his eyes were as cold as ice.
The Holy Light priest struck with his staff, casting light: “We have nowhere else to retreat.”
Before the priest’s words had even finished, the Holy Light staff in his hand was used to shatter the head of a demon that had closed in on him.
The saintess gritted her silver teeth, maintaining the precarious light barrier in front of her. Her pure white and holy dress was splattered with tainted blood.
“Everyone, you must believe in the Hero!”
Saintess Iris raised her beautiful face, covered in bloodstains, and encouraged all her companions with all her might.
—
In the blazing abyss, the deepest part of the Aixereseia Divine Court.
The rolling sea of flames emitted astonishing heat, and the entire world was dyed orange-red by infinite heat and burning. The scorching air was almost eternal.
The blazing dragon flapped its membranous wings.
The burning flames were ignited, evaporated, and condensed into an infinite boiling red cloud at the dome. Its enormous claws tore downwards, and sparks rained down upon the ground; the dragon’s wings, which seemed to cover the sun, cut through day and night, and the burning flames shone as brightly as the stars.
Before him, the hair of the hero Lothel was scorched and dry from the high temperature. The youth’s handsome and resolute face was stained with hot dust that had burned into smoke, and he gazed at the enormous and scorching dragon below.
Lothel gritted his teeth and, with all his strength, raised his straight sword high, piercing the dragon’s head.
“Clang!”
Dragon blood and immortal flames splashed out, instantly showering the molten earth.
“Roar!”
Lothel was thrown to the ground by the pained Flame Dragon, but before he could struggle to his feet, the roar of the ancient and immortal legendary dragon seemed to set fire to all the materials that constituted the world.
Layers of ripples in the sea of elements converged into a vast tsunami, and the scarlet storm stirred up within the ocean tore through every corner of tranquility!
“Lance!”
The hero called out the name of his most trusted shield without hesitation.
The next moment, the dragon’s flames, which had burned everything, erupted and attacked the defending long shield, melting the crystallized Sacred Light.
In just an instant, the sturdy shield forged from Vitegra steel also melted and disappeared in the scorching high temperature.
Lothel pushed his companion away and swung his sword, which he had picked up with all his strength, at the dragon’s descending claw.
The sword and the dragon’s claw made a sound that was almost non-existent. Amidst the splashing flames, the fragments shattered, and in the fierce power, the distorted space exploded inch by inch.
“Boom!”
Lothel fell heavily and sank into the ground, his battle armor broken, revealing his damaged chest. He spat out several large mouthfuls of blood, his trembling right hand tightly gripping the sword hilt that had fallen beside him.
The enormous, enraged dragon’s eyes gazed down from the sky, its membranous wings thrumming, and the rolling flame wind licked his exposed skin like tongues of fire.
It seemed to be mocking this lowly human.
Lothel attempted to stand up again, but the majestic dragon’s might pressed down, and the heavy force that distorted the surrounding space almost crushed his body and bones.
The legendary Ancient Flame Dragon flapped its membranous wings and once again spewed world-ending dragon flames towards the insignificant human before it, who dared to disturb that noble existence.
“Ha… Is this, I lost?”
The immortal dragon flames, capable of burning everything, rendered him immobile, his dim eyes like dying embers. The hero’s fingers tightly gripped the sword hilt.
No, I can’t die here. Princess Phia, and everyone else, are still waiting for me to return! I haven’t obtained the Sacred Sword yet, and I still need to defeat the Demon King…
I can’t!
In Lothel’s pupils, infinite light suddenly erupted, and countless light flames blazed; the original hero swordsman stood up amidst the endless might of the dragon, his bones cracking.
The long sword, held again, emanated endless light, illuminating the entire world like a dazzling sun.
The hero swung his long sword down with all his might.
The bright track of the swung sword was frozen in the scarlet scroll—the sword edge, shining with infinite light, split the dragon’s breath, and the shattered dragon flames and the empty side of the world were divided and dimmed.
The brilliant sword light, which burned away all the world’s light, slashed at the flame dragon, frozen in the rift of time.
“The End, Judgment and Annihilation!”
The world froze into eternity, divided and broken.
Amidst the earth-shattering, brilliant sword light, the immortal flame dragon perished in the endless flames.
The instant of time solidified into eternal silence.
The extreme heat rapidly descended from blazing to freezing with the dragon’s demise, the scarlet color also dimmed rapidly, extinguishing into deathly still ashes.
…
The swordsman, bearing the name of the hero, stood frozen on the ground, holding his sword as he witnessed the world where the dragon had fallen.
Not a trace of strength remained in his body, and endless fatigue intertwined with waves of pain that even he could hardly bear.
The hero who had slain the dragon could barely even breathe deeply.
“Lothel!”
Lancaster, the hero’s most trusted paladin, struggled to his feet amidst the ruins. The paladin’s armor was also broken, his flesh scorched, and even the Vitegra steel holy shield, which had never left his side, was destroyed by the dragon’s enraged flames.
However, compared to the hero, whose body had no intact skin to be found, his condition was much better.
“Lance, quickly! Quickly go find the Sacred Sword. Iris and the others are still waiting for us.”
The hero Lothel spoke these words with almost all his remaining strength.
The paladin quickly responded. Half an hour later, Lancaster handed a bright sword blade to the hero.
“Thank you, Lancaster—my brother.”
Lothel thanked his companion beside him.
His fingers slightly tightened on the hilt of the Sacred Sword, his gaze falling upon the pure white blade.
The Sacred Sword, legendary and capable of saving the world, shone with a faint white light. The jade-like sword body was devoid of any runes, only flowing radiance.
Moreover, simply by holding the hilt of the Sacred Sword, Lothel felt his broken and empty body’s vitality and strength constantly recovering…
But Lothel’s expression suddenly froze: a sword blade, hot from the high temperature of the dragon flames, yet emanating an endless coldness, pierced his back.
The sharp and familiar sword edge tore through the hero’s chest, and the vitality and strength that had just recovered a little instantly leaked out again through the gaping wound.
“This is…”
A coldness spread throughout his body along the path of the piercing sword, and Lothel felt his blood solidify, his heartbeat stop with the piercing blade, and his thoughts freeze in powerlessness.
The sword crushed his heart and the flames of light burned his flesh.
The hero swordsman did not turn his head to look at the companion he had trusted beside him; he did not even have the strength to question the reason.
“Goodbye, my brother.”
The familiar voice echoed once more before the hero’s cooling consciousness.
“Don’t worry, Princess Felia, the Sacred Sword, and everything of yours, I will take good care of them for you.”
The cold sword blade was suddenly pulled out of his body, and the blood he could no longer feel splattered everywhere. Lothel’s vision shifted as his body rotated, and the cold sword edge severed his right arm once more. The Sacred Sword clanged and fell to the ground.
“Farewell, Lothel.”
He heard Lancaster’s whisper one last time before falling into the scarlet sea of endless crimson flames.
In his vision, which spun and solidified in mid-air before gradually darkening, the hero saw the paladin pick up his arm, which had been holding the Sacred Sword, and then slowly merge with him.
…
…
The hero squad, guarding outside the Aixereseia Divine Court, had been fiercely fighting the demon army led by the Black-winged Monarch for several hours, and countless lives had returned to the underworld in battle.
Even the strongest warriors and rangers were wounded and died in the fierce fighting.
The remaining hero squad members were covered in injuries, their Dou Qi and magical power almost completely depleted.
Suddenly, a faint yet extremely clear sound of footsteps echoed from the entrance of the Aixereseia Divine Court. Hope blazed in everyone’s eyes.
But this hope did not last long before it vanished.
Because they only saw the paladin Lancaster emerge alone.
“Brother Lance, where is the Hero?”
Saintess Iris was the first to anxiously question the paladin.
Paladin Lancaster showed a sorrowful expression:
“After obtaining the Sacred Sword, Lothel could not bear its backlash and fell into the blazing abyss.”
“How is this possible!”
Saintess Iris could not accept his answer. A stream of tears flowed from the maiden’s eyes, wetting her fair skin stained with blood.
The maiden sobbed: “How is this possible, Brother Loen, Sister Isha, and even the Hero…”
“Saintess, this is not the time for crying. We must defeat the Black-winged Monarch who surrounds us.”
Priest Wien, the calmest among the hero squad, spoke. He looked at the paladin walking out alone:
“Lord Lancaster, do you have the Sacred Sword? Can you wield the Sacred Sword? Can we defeat these demons?”
“Lord Wien is right, we should not grieve at this time.”
The paladin wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and suddenly raised the Sacred Sword high.
“Although Lothel has returned to the Divine Kingdom of Light, we have inherited his courage and his sword! Light is destined to be immortal!”
As he roared loudly, the Sacred Sword erupted with dazzling light as brilliant as the sun, piercing the entire sky covered by black clouds like a sharp beam of light, and infinite light illuminated the entire world.
Countless commoners and believers of Holy Light throughout the world involuntarily bowed their heads towards the brilliant light that illuminated the sky:
“Long live the Sacred Sword! Long live the Hero!”
…
After this battle, the Black-winged Monarch, one of the Demon King’s Four Heavenly Kings, perished under the hero’s Sacred Sword, and the demon army that had infiltrated the Aixereseia Divine Court was annihilated. The hero Lancaster, recognized by the Sacred Sword, led his companions back to the front lines against the darkness, and at the vital Lantra Mountains, he heavily wounded the Demon King, who was protected by the Four Heavenly Kings. The demon forces that had ravaged the continent for ten years were utterly defeated.
Until the end of the war, the hero Lancaster, who saved the world, smiled and refused the rewards offered by the Imperial Emperor, and also declined the nomination suggestion from the seven great electors to become the next Emperor, returning to his hometown, the Peka Kingdom.
The hero who saved the world once again saw Princess Phia, whom he had longed for.
In the poet’s eulogy, amidst the heartfelt blessings of all the people, the great hero who saved the world and the beautiful princess were married in the grand cathedral of the capital, Lichen, and embarked on the path of a happy and fulfilling marriage.
Oh! The hero who saved the world, the beautiful princess, what a perfect match!
Everything was as beautiful as a fairy tale.
Only, at the site of the fierce battle with the Flame Dragon, in the scorching and freezing endless flames, time remained still and frozen as before.