I WAS The Rank–1 Hero

Emotions.

I always thought I understood them. Pain, sorrow, anger—I believed I knew what they felt like.

But... I was wrong.

I never truly realized what it meant to experience them.

And on that day, I felt it all.

Pain.

Suffering.

Anger.

Frustration.

I drowned in them, unable to escape. I struggled, but no matter how hard I tried, they swallowed me whole.

No creature, no being—no matter what race they belonged to—should ever endure what I witnessed.

It was beyond cruelty. Beyond horror. It was a glimpse into the depths of despair itself.

No matter where my eyes landed, all I could see was blood. Bones. Raw flesh still clinging to torn clothes, drenched in crimson.

And on that day—

That day, I learned what true fear was.

That day, I learned what true rage was.

That day, I learned what it meant to be powerless.

And after that day...

Something inside me changed. No, it didn't change—it disappeared.

A part of me was lost, drowned in those screams, burned away in those fires.

I stared ahead, my throat dry, my voice hoarse as the words slipped out, "The world truly is cruel."

I averted my gaze.

I couldn't bear to look any longer.

***

I stared into the depths of endless darkness.

The last thing I remembered were Sera's words. "Thank you, Zane... truly."

So this was supposed to be her memory?

Why was everything so dark?

I turned my head, but I saw nothing. No walls, no light—just an empty void stretching endlessly in every direction.

Confused, I tried to call out to her.

"...?"

But no words came out.

I tried reaching her telepathically.

Sera!

Silence.

Hello? Sera…!

Still nothing.

My mind reeled with confusion.

Then, without warning, an intense light engulfed me.

I squeezed my eyes shut, but the sheer brightness burned through my eyelids. Even with them closed, all I could see was a deep, searing red.

And when I opened them...

I found myself staring at the cold, rock-strewn ground.

I tried to lift my head. No matter how much I struggled, it wouldn't move. My body refused to obey, as if an unseen force was holding me down.

Slowly, as if responding to my desperate plea, my head tilted slightly to the right.

My gaze fell upon my right hand—pale skin smeared with dirt and blood. A golden bangle clung to my wrist, pulsating with a faint yellow glow. Around it, a transparent circle flickered, etched with intricate patterns.

It was some kind of artifact. A restraint. An unbreakable shackle.

I could feel it. It wasn't just restricting my movement. It was suppressing my very existence.

My eyes drifted downward. Strands of white hair lay scattered across the ground, tangled in filth, stained in red.

I knew. And yet, I didn't.

This wasn't my body.

These weren't my hands.

And yet... the pain was real.

"Ughh...!"

A weak, pained groan escaped this body—a woman's voice, hoarse and broken. The moment I heard it, realization struck like a blade to the chest.

Sera...?

There was no doubt. It was her. I was seeing through her eyes, living through her agony.

A million questions screamed through my mind, but before I could process anything—

"BHAHAHAHAHAHA! LOOK AT HER!"

A manic, bone-chilling laugh rang out.

Sera's head turned toward the source of the voice. I felt everything—her stiff, trembling muscles, the burning strain in her neck, the crack of fractured bones as she lifted her head. Every ounce of pain, every fragment of suffering—

I felt it all.

And then, through her blurry vision, I saw it.

The true horror.

A ruined city stretched before me. The sky was black, thick smoke choking the air as collapsed buildings smoldered in the distance. The streets—no, the entire ground—was painted red. And scattered like discarded trash were bodies. Men, women… children.

Their bodies were twisted. Broken. Mutilated.

"No..." Sera whispered, her voice barely audible.

A sickening weight crushed my stomach.

The dead—No. They weren't just dead. Their bodies told a different story.

Their suffering didn't end with just death.

Limbs bent at unnatural angles. Faces frozen in agony. Shredded clothes. And some… with none. Some bore fresh wounds, their bodies barely clinging to life. Others had been left to rot, their flesh peeling from their bones.

The laughter hadn't stopped.

Sera's vision frantically searched for the source, her body shaking with desperation, her heart pounding with unfiltered rage.

"WHAT A RARE FIND!"

The voice came again, closer this time. And then, we saw him.

A figure emerged from the smoke, stepping over corpses as if they were mere stones on a path. His gray skin was slick with sweat and blood, long black hair falling wildly over his face. Massive wings stretched from his back, casting a shadow over the carnage. He wore no shirt, only loose, bloodstained pants. His sharp nails scratched lazily at his crotch.

And in his grip—

An elven woman.

He dragged her by the leg, her lifeless body barely covered by a tattered piece of cloth. The fabric was torn in places that should never have been touched. Her pale skin was marred with bruises, deep red lines clawed into her arms and legs.

A crimson trail followed as he pulled her across the ground, her head lolling to the side, empty eyes staring at nothing.

And then—without a second thought—he tossed her onto the pile of corpses as if she were nothing.

Her limp arm fell over another body, fingers curled as if she had been desperately grasping at something... or someone.

A hollow, gut-wrenching thud.

My vision shook.

There was no doubt.

It's a [Fallen].

The demon rolled his shoulders, spreading his arms wide as if showcasing his latest masterpiece.

"Haaahh… you elves got skills!" He cackled, his eyes gleaming with twisted delight.

His gaze flicked toward the lifeless body he had just discarded.

"But she was no fun."

A slow grin crept onto his face.

"What a waste… she was weak… But—" He licked his lips. "Her daughter, though... she was good—"

"I WILL KILL YOU!!"

Sera roared, her shackles rattling violently as she thrashed against them. She struggled, pulling with everything she had. But no matter how much force she used… her body didn't move.

"Woah there, Elf Queen."

The Fallen walked toward us.

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