The Rising of the Scythe Hero

[Nott — Level 40

Specialization: Demonic Hero (Reaper)

Equipment: Demonic Scythe (Legendary Demonic Weapon), Light Armor

Skills: Life Absorption, Scythe Mastery (Lv. 6), Phantom Scythe, Phantom Slash, Phantom Grip, Illusory Double, Language Comprehension (Lv. 3)

Magic: None]

That was how my status window looked at the moment. After what happened in the clearing, I couldn't stop thinking about how my class differed from Naofumi's and the rest of the Hero gang.

Naofumi's status identified him as the "Shield Hero." Meanwhile, I was the "Demonic Hero."

But what did that really mean? A thousand theories flashed through my head in the blink of an eye. The one that made the most sense was that I hadn't been summoned as part of the Four Heroes at all — I was something completely separate. The Four Heroes were one system. The Demonic Hero? Something else entirely. We weren't part of the same unit.

Just one simple line in the status window, and yet it opened a whole storm of thoughts...

But I should probably explain.

The thing is, Legendary Weapons are — how to put it — incompatible. Once another wielder of a Legendary Weapon enters a certain radius, both users stop gaining XP from monsters. Worse yet, they can't learn any new skills. The system itself calls it a "Rejection Reaction." I didn't really get it. Maybe someone was trying to enforce a balance... or just wanted to mess with the Heroes.

But Naofumi was still gaining XP — even though he was just a few steps away from me.

"...Who are you, Nott?"

That question caught me completely off guard. What was I supposed to say to that? And should I even answer?

What would happen if I told him about my class? Did anyone in this world need to know I wasn't their typical Hero?

"I'm... not sure."

"Not sure about what?"

"About whether I should be spilling everything about myself like this," I admitted honestly. "All I can say is that I'm a bit different from you guys. Though, I mean, that much should be obvious from the fact I'm some never-before-seen fifth Hero. But I was summoned with the rest of you. And I think the reason I was brought here still lines up with yours." I shrugged.

The conversation was awkward, to say the least. But in the end, we agreed to meet up again tomorrow at the same spot.

So yeah. That's how my weird little weekend went. Raphtalia and Naofumi kept taking turns attacking me — sometimes both at once. I fended them off easily, careful not to accidentally slice off a limb.

I also did a bit of "power-ferrying," helping them level up to 24. It wasn't hard for me — we didn't have to go far, and it was good for them. And I gotta say, watching Raphtalia level up and physically grow was pretty interesting.

Although... the fact that Naofumi, just like in the source material, completely ignored her transformation? Kinda baffling. If I remember right, he couldn't taste anything either. Wonder if that's still a thing.

Anyway, those were small matters. The real fun was just getting started...

"Here it is," Elhart said proudly as he laid his creation out on the counter. "Took me four days, just like I promised. Well? What do you think?"

What could I even say? I looked like a textbook villain now.

Just like we discussed, it was medium armor as a base, covered by a cloak with useful daily enchantments — heat retention, waterproofing, all that good stuff.

Naturally, it was all black. Combined with my dark and grim scythe? Fantastic.

"My admiration for your craftsmanship knows no bounds. This is incredible."

"I call it the Reaper's Mantle. You cool with that?" he asked, a bit shy.

"Hm? So your world has the Reaper concept too?" That actually surprised me a little.

"Sure. The whole soul-collecting, death-guiding thing. Usually shown with a scythe. Figured it suited you."

You have no idea how well, old man.

"Guess I'll take that as a compliment."

His work really was top-tier. Even a total amateur like me could tell it was no small feat. The fact that a master like Elhart needed four days just to make it said enough.

It had loads of detailed design elements and functional parts. And yet I couldn't find a single flaw.

Refusing to hear any protests, I handed over ten gold coins. Honestly, it wasn't that much. Especially after selling off all the junk and outdated gear I had.

He tried to turn it down, of course, but I wasn't budging.

And so we parted ways, both extremely pleased with the deal.

[16:14:04]

The timer told me there were just 16 days left until my first — and the world's second — Wave.

I wanted to hit at least level 50 by then. Ideally closer to 60.

My skill set was solid. I could fight at any range except maybe extreme distance. I was a melee fighter, sure, but my skills let me handle mid-range just fine. Long-range? That was Bow Hero territory. No point in stressing over it. Would I like to patch that hole in my arsenal? Sure. But I never knew what the next absorbed material might unlock.

And the original story didn't help much. Naofumi was a Shield. Most of his skills were defensive. If I were comparing with a spear or sword, maybe I could guess what a scythe might unlock. But a shield? Totally different game.

Not to mention, I barely remembered the fine details.

The main plot was a jumble in my head. Waves, that whole mess with the Church, Cal Mira Island, L'Arc and company...

The other world — the one waging war against "ours" — was a whole different beast. Shame I had no idea how to solve the Wave issue.

I really didn't want to kill the other world's Heroes. People might call me heartless or a monster, but honestly, I'd rather sacrifice a chunk of this world's population to awaken L'Arc. But all that could change the moment I ran into Team Glass.

Our first meeting could go south real fast.

Still, that was future me's problem. Right now, I needed to focus on what it meant to be a Hero in this world.

Namely — grinding.

...

Before I knew it, I was back outside Melromarc, hunting monsters solo.

I was starting to get used to being alone. Sure, it was more fun with someone around to banter with, but... being alone had perks too. Like, no one around to banter back.

"Right, my dear friend?"

"Hssssss!" my conversational partner replied.

"Yeesh. Lousy dialogue partner."

The anaconda-sized snake clearly didn't appreciate the critique and lunged. To be fair, the deeper into monster territory I went, the tougher the beasts got — finally matching my level.

[EXP: 1281 (+320)]

"And the XP's finally decent too," I muttered, staring at the severed head.

Skills, though? Whole different story. Either the number of skills I already had lowered the odds, or something else was at play. But I just couldn't seem to pick up anything useful.

Most scythes gave stats or useless junk. One could scream. Or... make a loud noise. Sure, maybe useful against monsters with sensitive hearing, but overall? Easier to just kill 'em with my Reaper's Scythe.

So the days flew by. I leveled, the Wave drew closer, and the fights got more fun.

Somewhere along the way, I realized I was enjoying the battles. Didn't matter if they were even, one-sided, or suicidal.

I liked fighting. I liked the rush of dominating. The thrill of an even match. The danger of a stronger foe.

It was strange. Back in my old life, I was never an adrenaline junkie. Never into risk. But maybe I unlocked something buried deep.

[Level Up!

Nott — Level 54

2:07:34]

And that brings us to now. Two days till the Wave. I'd passed level 50 and was closing in on 60.

My Scythe Mastery had hit level 7, and Language Comprehension bumped up to 4. Something told me 10 was the cap. Whether that was a hard limit or just a gateway to evolution? No idea.

I chose to wait for the Wave in a nearby village. No point in heading back to the city — the Wave would teleport me to the Melromarc area regardless.

Or at least, that was the plan...

"You're not welcome here, 'Hero.'" The village elder spat the words as I asked about lodging.

I tried to get an explanation, but nothing he said made any sense.

Interesting. But I chalked it up as a one-off. None of the previous villages had treated me like this.

Sleeping under the stars again? Not a big deal. The weather was fine, and my new physiology made the night chill irrelevant.

I spent the last two days before the Wave working on Alchemy. Brewed a bunch of potions, salves, and ointments. Even tried grinding and mixing herbs by hand.

Strangely enough, sometimes doing it manually unlocked new scythes with decent stat boosts after mastery.

Makes sense, in a way. No way the weapon's crafting menu could cover every herb combo. If it could, Heroes would be revolutionizing pharmacology left and right.

Or... maybe none of them ever thought to try? Too lowly for a Sacred Hero, maybe?

Something to ponder.

[00:00:04]

I packed up the mortar and pestle, slung the bag over my shoulder, leaned against a tree, and closed my eyes. No time left to do anything else.

[00:00:02]

Was I nervous? Scared?

The only thing I felt as I stared at the ticking numbers was...

Anticipation.

[00:00:00]

With a loud hum, the world around me warped like flipping through a phone gallery. One moment: peaceful green forest. The next: sky ablaze in red, a gaping black rift tearing through it.

Like the fabric of reality itself was unraveling. The Wave had arrived.

"Nott?" Naofumi's voice broke the trance.

"This is near Ryute Village!" Raphtalia shouted.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Ren, Itsuki, and Motoyasu bolt forward. Figures.

But Itsuki's look surprised me. Maybe I imagined it, but... was he angry? Genuinely pissed?

"Hey, wait up!" Naofumi called out, but of course, they ignored him.

"Something tells me our Heroes don't care much for background character survival," I smirked.

"Background characters?!" Naofumi snapped. "Tch. Raphtalia! Let's go protect the village!"

"Y-yes!" She shot me a weird, almost apologetic look before chasing after him. What's that about?

"Well then..." I stretched my back.

Switching my belt sickle for the Reaper's Scythe, I spun it around and rested it on my shoulder. Ahead, swarms of bugs, zombies, hornets, beetles...

"Guess it's showtime," I muttered, the grin spreading across my face unbidden...