Reincarnated as a failed hero?! Watch me Defy Fate! - Chapter 206

Chapter 206: Victory in Ashes
I felt like my attacks really hit them. But I could feel something strange, this was the feeling when my enemy was not completely defeated.

Something felt… wrong.

I stood still for a moment, catching my breath, and Envi’s voice echoed urgently in my mind.

“Nao… there’s no system notification saying you’ve defeated them. That’s not normal.”

My heart sank.

And then—from the smoldering crater left by my last attack—Lucius emerged.

But he looked different.

His body was wrapped in both seething darkness and shimmering light, a shifting vortex of contradictory powers. His very presence felt overwhelming, unnatural—like a walking paradox.

He smirked arrogantly, his voice echoing like two layered tones: light and shadow.

“Your attack was impressive… but ultimately meaningless,” he said. “Because I… am the Lightbane Sovereign, The Emperor of Light and Darkness. I possess absolute immunity to both elements.”

My eyes widened in disbelief. “Impossible…”

I instinctively tried to ready another attack—but my body faltered.

My magic reserves were completely drained. I could barely stay upright, let alone muster enough energy to fight. I was still holding my transformation by sheer force of will, but I knew I was at my absolute limit.

Then I noticed something in his hand.

He was holding… a head.

Nosef’s head.

He still alive. Still conscious. And still growling with rage.

“You bastard!” Nosef spat. “I’ll regenerate soon enough and crush you. I swear—”

But Lucius snapped at him.

“Shut up, you fool. Look at yourself. Your regeneration has slowed. You can barely function. You’re useless in this state.”

Nosef’s eyes widened as he realized Lucius was right. He cursed loudly, slamming his fist into the ground. “Damn it! Then YOU finish him!”

Lucius nodded, keeping Nosef’s head in one hand. “Fine. But shut your mouth.”

He turned toward me, ready to strike—

—and then suddenly coughed violently.

Blood.

He spat out a mouthful of it, painting the ground red.

“No… this can’t be,” he murmured. “I’m… injured? Did his attack… actually hurt me?”

His expression twisted into disbelief.

Envi gasped.

“Nao! This is it! He is wounded! This is your chance—take him down while he’s weak!”

I clenched my fists, forcing my battered legs to move. My vision blurred. Every step felt like a mountain. My body trembled, but I had to end this.

“Even if it takes everything I have left…”

I summoned the last dregs of my strength, preparing one final strike.

But then—

A dark portal tore open behind them, pulsing with chaotic energy.

And from it stepped a woman—a demoness with an aura unlike any I’d seen.

Her voice was calm but firm.

“Nosef Vermoryth. Lucius Valzareth. We fall back. Now.”

Nosef grunted in protest. “What?! Lilith, are you insane?! We can still fight!”

Lilith.

The name echoed in my mind.

That was the one Vorx mentioned. The only female demon she considered a friend. One of the Overlords in Doomspire who held actual influence.

She was stunning in a haunting, otherworldly way—long flowing dark violet hair, two elegant black horns curling from her head, a perfectly sculpted figure clad in obsidian armor, and piercing amethyst eyes that felt like they could see through my soul.

I tried to peek at her status:

—

Name: Lilith ???

Title: The Overlord Rank 4th, ###ERROR###

Level: 115 (weakened)

—

“What the heck, she’s really mysterious. Envi, look at her name and title as if they were intentionally hidden. Is that really possible?” I asked Envi in ​​my mind.

“You’re right Nao. I don’t know what happened. But I’m sure she’s an anomaly that the system can’t identify. She’s dangerous!” Envi said that confidently.

“But, Nao..she’s different from the others. Why… why did she open the portal that brought us here in the first place?”

I stepped forward, trying to speak to her—but Lucius beat me to it.

“Very well. If it’s his command… I will obey.”

Lucius sighed and reverted from his monstrous form, returning to his original body, worn and exhausted. He no longer had the will to fight. He simply nodded toward Lilith.

“Let’s go.”

My breath caught.

“His” command…? Who is he talking about? Who is ‘he’…?”

Lucius grabbed Nosef tightly by the scalp and stepped toward the portal.

“No! I won’t let you escape!” I shouted, forcing my legs to sprint. “I won’t let you run away!”

But the portal was already halfway closed.

Nosef turned back, eyes blazing with hatred. “Next time, I’ll rip you apart, Naoki Blackmore! Just you wait!”

Lucius gave me a smirk. “I’ll be looking forward to our next battle. That time… let’s see who’s truly stronger.”

But Lilith… she said nothing.

She simply stared at me.

Her eyes… were unreadable. Sadness? Regret? Curiosity? There was something behind her silence—something I couldn’t quite grasp.

For a brief second, I felt a strange connection. She wasn’t like the others. And I knew—we would meet again.

Then the portal closed. They were gone.

I stood there, breathing heavily, a storm raging inside me.

“DAMN IT!!!”

I dropped to one knee as my Dark Shogun form shattered—my mana reserves fully depleted.

Envi spoke gently in my mind, trying to calm me down.

“I’m angry too, Nao… but you have to stay calm. You’ve already done so much. You survived a unique monster. You fought Xir. Then this. And you haven’t rested once.”

“I’m just… glad you’re alive.”

I stared down at my trembling hands.

Envi continued, her voice filled with conviction.

“We’ll defeat them next time. All of them. I’ll help you master your new powers, and we’ll grow stronger together.”

I nodded slowly, breathing deeply.

“You’re right, Envi… This isn’t over. We still have time. And now, more than ever… I want to protect the people who are counting on me.”

“Exactly,” Envi said. “Right now… go check on the Patriarch, Princess Aria, and the others. Your friends. They need you.”

My heart clenched at her words. I had been so caught up in battle, I forgot about the others.

Without another word, I sprinted toward the rear lines—where Runa had evacuated the civilians and the wounded.

Where my friends were waiting.

Please… let them be safe.

….

I finally reached the rear lines.

This was where the remaining knights had made their final stand. The battle here had only just ended—but the aftermath was horrific.

The ground was littered with corpses—demons, monsters, knights, and mages alike. Blood soaked the earth, and the stench of death hung heavy in the air. I walked among them in silence, each step accompanied by the weight of guilt.

If only I had arrived sooner… how many more could I have saved?

I bit my lip until it bled, clenched my fists, and kept walking.

Then I saw her—Runa.

Her fur was soaked in demon blood, her Nekomata form still imposing despite the exhaustion on her face. Without a word, she shifted into her smaller cat form and leapt onto my shoulder.

“Master… I’ve completed my mission. I evacuated the heroes and gave them the [Divine Healing Beans]. They’re being treated now. I also helped the knights repel the remaining demons… but I’m exhausted. I need to rest…” she said weakly.

I gently stroked her head. “You did well, Runa… get some rest.”

With that, she faded into a wisp of mana and returned to my Grimoire of Darkness.

Not long after, the surviving knights noticed me.

Then I saw them—Freya, Marius, Luna, and Leopold—rushing toward me with desperate relief. But one stood apart.

Julius.

He remained still, watching from afar, not joining the others. I understood.

Lucius—the man I had just fought—was his brother. The Sword Saint of Solis. A traitor. An Overlord.

Julius needed space. I would speak to him later.

Freya reached me first, throwing herself into my arms.

“Naoki… you’re really here… I can’t believe it,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

“Naoki! I knew you’d make it!” Marius cried out, grinning through bruises.

“You arrived just in time… We saw you fighting the Overlords from afar,” Luna said, exhausted but hopeful. “Did you… defeat them?”

“Yeah, Naoki!” Leopold added, his armor battered but his eyes shining. “The Overlords’ magic suddenly vanished—does that mean we won?”

I lowered my gaze. “I… don’t know if we can call it a victory or a defeat. They were wounded—but they escaped. I couldn’t stop them…”

Freya hugged me tighter.

“You were incredible, Naoki. Even if they escaped… you saved us. All of us. Thank you…”

Tears welled in her eyes.

I returned the embrace. “I only just completed my Hero’s Trial… and came here as fast as I could. I’m just glad… I made it in time. I’m glad you’re all safe.”

Freya began to cry openly. “I’m sorry, Naoki… All of us—aside from the heroes—we couldn’t do anything against the Overlords. We could only stand by and watch our comrades… be slaughtered.”

Then her voice broke further.

“Even your father… the Patriarch…”

Marius bowed his head. “Naoki… forgive me. I swore I’d stand as a shield for you and the Blackmore family. And yet… I failed to protect him. I failed.”

I wiped the tears from Freya’s cheeks and placed a hand on Marius’s shoulder.

“You did your best. All of you did. The Overlords… are enemies beyond anything we expected. Just seeing you all alive brings me relief.”

“Now please,” I continued, “Take me to my father. And the others.”

They all nodded—and led me toward the healing grounds.

—

Dozens upon dozens of knights and mages lay wounded under the open sky, within the shelter of the nearby forest. Night had fallen, and bonfires had been lit to warm the injured.

In the center of the area, five figures lay on private beds.

My heart dropped when I saw them.

My father. Princess Aria. Cain. And two magi from the Kingdom of Solara.

One of the mages—a man—was already beyond saving. A gaping hole in his chest left no doubt. He had been dead for some time.

The other four were still alive—barely. Nature magic wrapped around them, healing vines encircling their bodies, glowing faintly with restorative energy. It was the effect of the [Divine Healing Beans] I had entrusted to Runa.

Cain and the female mage were stabilizing—their wounds less severe. But my attention locked onto two others:

The Patriarch. And Princess Aria.

Their conditions were dire.

A deep pain twisted in my chest.

No… not them…

Envi’s voice echoed inside me, shaken.

“Nao… They’re still in critical condition. What happened? The item worked, but they’re still not recovering…”

I clenched my fists, my voice low and bitter.

“They need High Heal to enhance the healing. But the healers… they’ve all collapsed. They used everything they had. No one’s left…”

I turned to the others. “Freya. Marius. Everyone—please, help me find a support mage or a healer with any mana left. Anyone!”

They scattered, searching desperately—but returned one by one, shaking their heads.

No one remained. No magic. No hope.

I gritted my teeth in frustration.

Even Envi sounded defeated.

I raised my eyes to the night sky, desperate, praying.

Why? Why can’t I protect the ones I care about? If this keeps going… Patriarch will die. Princess Aria too…

I closed my eyes. My voice barely a whisper.

“Please… let them live…”

Then—suddenly—a blinding yellow light tore across the sky.

A ball of electric energy shot toward us from the west, moving with impossible speed. But I felt it—deep in my soul. I recognized that magic. And not just the lightning.

There were two magical signatures.

Then I heard them.

“MOVE! Reinforcements are here!!!”A high-pitched, energetic voice.

“Stop, Theresia-sama! We’re already here!!”A second voice—so familiar it made my heart stop.

“No… it can’t be…”

The light crashed down in front of us, and when it faded, two women stood there, breathless and disheveled from their mad dash.

And there—being carried in Theresia’s arms—was the one person I never expected to see here so suddenly.

The woman who had always fought by my side.My greatest support. My most trusted healer.

I could hardly believe it.

“Lyra…?”

She looked up at me, her eyes soft, her voice gentle.

“Naoki-sama… I’m here.”

I rushed forward and pulled her into a hug, desperation pouring from me.

“Lyra—please! Use High Heal! My father… Princess Aria… they’re dying. Please, I’m begging you!”

She held me back just as tightly, her voice calm and steady.

“I’ll heal them all… That’s why I came.”

Then she smiles and looked into my eyes—burning with resolve.

I can count on her.

As Lyra stepped forward to begin her spell, a surge of hope bloomed in my chest.

For the first time since the battle ended—

I believed we might actually save them.

…

..