The skies above the Demon King's castle swirled with red clouds. Thunder rumbled. The air crackled with evil.
It was perfect.
Too perfect.
Ren stood proudly at the gates, cloak fluttering, sword gleaming, righteous determination burning in his chest.
"This is it," he declared, turning to his party. "We've finally made it to the end of the line. The Demon King won't know what hit him."
"Assuming you don't trip over your own speech again," Lyra, the mage, muttered behind him, already flipping through a dusty grimoire.
"I meant to pause dramatically last time," Ren grumbled.
Rogar, the hulking warrior, cracked his knuckles. "I'm gonna crack that demon's skull open like a nut."
"W-Wait, are we sure we're ready?" Tino, the support mage, was already trembling. "Like, emotionally? Mentally? Physically?!"
Mira, the party rogue and Ren's maybe-possibly crush, smiled softly. "Relax. We've all come this far together. I believe in us."
Ren nodded, grateful. He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and—
BOOM!
The massive doors to the throne room burst open.
Smoke poured out. Shadows danced along the grand columns. The throne sat at the far end of the hall, cloaked in darkness.
Ren strode forward confidently.
"Demon King! I, Ren Eldren, Chosen Hero of Light, have come to put an end to—"
He stopped.
His party stopped.
They all stared.
On the throne sat a young man in a half-ripped hoodie and scuffed boots, sipping wine from a goblet. The corpse of the Demon King slumped beside him in a pile of dismembered limbs and fading dark energy.
"Oh. Hey, Ren," the man said casually, waving with his free hand. "Took you long enough."
Ren blinked. His sword wobbled in his grip.
"…Nii-san."
His older brother grinned.
-----
Flashback: A Year Ago
After an unexpected magic rift had pulled both Ren and his older brother Kaito into this fantasy world, the gods declared Ren the prophesied hero.
Kaito? He just tagged along to "make sure Ren didn't die in the first week."
Kaito had promised—PROMISED—to stay out of the main plot.
-----
Back in the Throne Room…
"NO!" Ren screamed, dropping his sword. "You weren't even supposed to be here!"
"I was bored," Kaito replied, standing up and brushing demon ash off his hoodie. "He started monologuing for like ten minutes. I figured you wouldn't mind if I sped things up."
"YOU KILLED MY FINAL BOSS!!"
Lyra dropped her spellbook. "This defies all recorded prophecy."
Rogar roared, "I wanted to punch him in the face! Just once!"
Tino fainted.
Mira slowly stepped forward, eyes wide. "Wow… you're even cooler up close…"
Ren turned to her, betrayed. "Not. Helping."
Kaito stretched and yawned. "Anyway, dinner time. Let's wrap this up, shall we?"
Ren gaped. "You solo'd the final boss… and now you're thinking about dinner?!"
Kaito smirked, stepping past the demon king's corpse. "Well, I cooked stew before I left. Figured you'd take longer."
…I hate you.
-----
Later, as they exited the ruins…
The group trailed behind Kaito, who was now dragging the Demon King's throne behind him like a rolling suitcase.
"Ren, after we eat, let's go back home," he said casually. "I bet Mom's gonna be worried we're not back for dinner."
Ren sighed deeply, shoulders slumping.
"I hate you, Nii-san."
Kaito paused. "C'mon now, Ren—wait, before we go, wanna check the treasury? I bet there's a lot of gold there."
Ren turned slowly to stare at the fourth wall.
"This is not how the Hero's Journey was supposed to go."
-----
Bonus Chapter: Welcome Home
Back in modern Japan.
The door to their house slid open. Mom looked up from her tea.
"Welcome back, boys."
Ren stomped into the room, dirt-covered and fuming.
"MOM! Nii-san STOLE MY GLORY!" he cried, tears forming at the corners of his eyes.
Behind him, Kaito whistled as he dragged a solid gold throne through the hallway with one hand, the other gripping a sack bursting with gold, magic items, and three dragon bones.
"Brought souvenirs," he said cheerfully.
Mom nodded. "That's nice, dear. Wash your hands before dinner."
[THE END]