Around a campfire, ten men with armor and weapons rested. At first glance, they looked like typical adventurers from a medieval world, but if you paid attention, you would notice cracks in that façade: wristwatches that shouldn't exist, suits made of synthetic fibers, and modern designs hidden beneath the steel.
These ten men were the heroes summoned to save this world from the Demon King.
"Hey, Natt, you seem distracted...", asked Bruno, a man in his thirties with an unkempt beard and brown hair. He was the soul of the group.
Natt, a young man with an ordinary appearance, black hair and eyes, looked away from the fire.
"It's nothing... I just can't believe it. We're close to finishing all of this," Natt replied. His eyes unconsciously settled on the group's leader, Arturo. Blond, blue-eyed, charismatic, and handsome.
'He has all the typical characteristics of a hero,' Natt thought with a trace of bitterness as he looked at his own reflection in the steel of his sword. 'And I'm just the extra of the group.'
"Don't even tell me," Bruno joked with a laugh. "Even though the magic and the isekai were great at the beginning, I already miss our world. A good pizza and the internet."
No one else paid attention to the conversation. Although they came from different places, they all shared a modern origin and the camaraderie of the mission. Natt scanned his companions with his gaze until stopping on another boy. He was handsome, with blond hair and eyes with heterochromia: one blue and one green.
'Dante,' Natt thought. 'Despite being heroic and handsome, he has always given me a bad feeling. There is something about him that...'.
"Are you scared about tomorrow?", Bruno interrupted, placing a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Don't tell me you're jealous because Dante and Arturo get all the girls. Cheer up! When this is over, women will come like bees to honey. They adore heroes."
Natt mentally scolded himself for doubting a comrade. He forced a sincere smile.
"I was just thinking that tomorrow all of this will end. We will finally defeat those evil demons and save humanity."
"That's the spirit! We'll finish them off!", shouted another of the heroes, raising his cup. The burst of enthusiasm spread to everyone, and soon the campfire turned into a celebration.
Natt looked at the fire again and clenched his fists. 'Yes... everything will end.'
...
At dawn, the group split into pairs to assault the enemy commanders. Arturo and Maximus, the strongest, formed the vanguard duo to face the Demon King, while the others had to clear the path and regroup with them afterward.
"Good thing we got paired together, right, Natt?", said Bruno, resting his mace on his shoulder with a smile. Natt nodded, gripping the hilt of his sword. "Come on, man, where did last night's courage go? Cheer up."
"Sorry... I...".
A sound among the bushes interrupted them. Both immediately went on guard. The air grew heavy, and a metallic smell flooded the area.
"Could it be that they discovered us?", Bruno murmured quietly.
Natt did not respond; the smell of blood was too strong. When the brush moved, both raised their weapons, but stopped dead when they saw who emerged from the shadows. It was Arturo, but he was destroyed. His left arm was missing, and a horrible wound ran across his chest up to his right eye, which seemed to have been lost.
"Shit! What happened, Arturo? Did the Demon King defeat you?", Bruno shouted in panic, running toward him to help.
Natt stretched out his hand to stop him, but it was too late. A flash of light cut through the air. First, Bruno's right hand flew off—the one he had extended to grab the leader—and an instant later, the gleam pierced his throat.
A great spray of blood burst from Bruno. The man fell to his knees, futilely trying to cover the wound on his neck while looking at the silhouette emerging from the trees in disbelief.
"Wow, this guy really was tough... he even managed to escape for a stretch. Worthy of being the hero," said a calm and icy voice.
Natt felt his heart stop. He recognized that voice perfectly.
"Dante!", Natt shouted with fury and terror. "Why are you doing this? We are companions!"
Dante did not respond immediately. With a fluid movement, he drove his sword into Arturo's chest, finishing him off without mercy. Then, he walked past the agonizing Bruno and stopped in front of Natt.
"I'm sorry, friend. It's nothing personal," Dante said with a terrifying calm.
"You...!"
Natt could not finish the sentence. The world spun violently, and the last thing he saw was his own headless body collapsing in front of Dante, who watched him with a slight and cynical smile.
"I already said it's nothing personal. I'm just following orders... No hard feelings, you know?"